Greetings dear family and friends! Just a picture perfect day here on Edisto with 75 warm degrees, no humidity, bright sunshine and Carolina blue sky! Wish you were here! We're finally able to give the AC a rest and open our windows letting the fresh coastal air into the house once again ... great sleeping with the windows
open!
WELCOME NEW GRANDDAUGHTER "Capers Arlene MacDonald"!!! ... Right on schedule, Martha and I became grandparents for the second time on October 11, 2012! "Capers Arlene MacDonald", a beautiful pink bundle of joy, arrived healthy and with much excitement on 10-11-12 ... that birthday should be easy to remember! Mother Stefanie, Father Aaron and Baby Capers are all doing well. I just knew it was a girl ... I'm two for two now correctly predicting the sex of our grandkchildren (just have to gloat a bit here ... and I already have a strong feeling our third grandchild will also be a girl! No one is currently expecting, just to clarify). You've likely read Martha's earlier birth announcement post. All I can add is simply to share the words of my late Grandma (Mary) Ritter when she held Derek for the first time back in 1979 ... while I was holding Capers for the first time her memorable words "what's more precious than a baby?" filled my thoughts. I also remember Grandma Ritter was somewhat puzzled why anyone would name a baby 'Derek' ... "isn't that one of those oil rig contraptions?" as she asked). Perhaps Stefanie and Aaron will face similar challenge with the name 'Capers' ... which is also unique and southern in origin we believe, there is also a Capers Island, just north of Charleston - I think we should go and visit it. And ... Capers already has her own "friends and family cancer fight sweetgrass bracelet" ... thanks Annette King (our caring basket lady here on Edisto) for making this tiny bracelet for Capers! Many of you have asked for Stefanie and Aaron's address, it is 4004 Rantowles Court, Ravenal SC 29470.
CHEMO ROUND 26 COMPLETE ... as scheduled this past Wednesday (October 17th) at the Charleston Hematology and Oncology Associates (CHOA) Center in Charleston. Thankfully my blood work was good and my previously abnormal liver enzyme levels have almost returned to "normal". Chemo went smoothly with the exception it took an hour and a half to obtain approval from my insurance company to receive IV Emend (anti-nausea drug) simply because my last dose was 20 days (versus 21 days) ago! Thankfully I was able to reach my Kodak healthcare advocate nurse in Schenectady, NY via phone who was able to successfully plead our case to
receive the drug one day sooner than "allowed". I believe the liquid IV form of Emend (versus the pill form) has resulted in a significant improvement in my quality of life post chemo sessions. Martha likes to think it's our new B12 injection regimen ... given she now gets to inflict pain (which I do not enjoy) on me weekly by giving me a B12 shot at home every Wednesday! Thankfully I've been feeling much better the first week after chemo since receiving IV Emend and a weekly B12 shot. Yeah!
LOOK WHO'S SINGING IN THE EBBC "VIENNA BOYS CHOIR" THIS SUNDAY ... Pastor Rob and Music Director Wendall have planned a special performance by the Edisto Beach Baptist Church (EBBC) version of the "Vienna Boys Choir" (as Rob has described us) this Sunday. With some (not so subtle) nudging from Martha and a few others, yours truly has rehearsed with and will join a small group of EBBC men in singing a special song "Breathe On Us Again" during church service tomorrow morning. This is a wonderful song about revival ... something we all need as individuals, as churches, as a planet and certainly as a nation about to make a significant leadership choice in just a couple of weeks! I encourage you to go to YouTube and listen to this song as sung by the Maranatha Singers. This song will likely move you as it has moved us (it's been playing in our house a great deal as I prepare for tomorrow's big event!). I haven't sung in a choir since high school. While my old pipes are a bit rusty, this song is moving, meaningful and worth sharing. You can listen to it yourself by going online to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Otp4XJ3Ac
ST. KITTS ... with temps here on Edisto "cooling" into the lower to mid 70s now, Martha and I are heading to St. Kitts for a week's vacation next Saturday, October 27th. We were able to confirm a last minute timeshare exchange into the St Kitts Marriott Resort. We've never stayed on St Kitts so this will be new turf for us. We plan to take the ferry over to neighboring Nevis for a day as well. Can you believe we're actually going somewhere other than Cabo?
We'll be back on Edisto prior to Election Day. This year's presidential election is so very important to our nation, as
well as to our kids' and to our grandkids' futures. Please do exercise your right to vote on Tuesday, November 6th.
Dan did not mention that we celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary this week as well as our first anniversary in the new house - Where has the time gone - some of our kids enjoyed seeing the pictures of them 19 years ago and some are still not so happy about the pictures! I hope a few of you enjoyed the memories!
May the good Lord continue to bless you and yours ...
Dan and Martha
open!
WELCOME NEW GRANDDAUGHTER "Capers Arlene MacDonald"!!! ... Right on schedule, Martha and I became grandparents for the second time on October 11, 2012! "Capers Arlene MacDonald", a beautiful pink bundle of joy, arrived healthy and with much excitement on 10-11-12 ... that birthday should be easy to remember! Mother Stefanie, Father Aaron and Baby Capers are all doing well. I just knew it was a girl ... I'm two for two now correctly predicting the sex of our grandkchildren (just have to gloat a bit here ... and I already have a strong feeling our third grandchild will also be a girl! No one is currently expecting, just to clarify). You've likely read Martha's earlier birth announcement post. All I can add is simply to share the words of my late Grandma (Mary) Ritter when she held Derek for the first time back in 1979 ... while I was holding Capers for the first time her memorable words "what's more precious than a baby?" filled my thoughts. I also remember Grandma Ritter was somewhat puzzled why anyone would name a baby 'Derek' ... "isn't that one of those oil rig contraptions?" as she asked). Perhaps Stefanie and Aaron will face similar challenge with the name 'Capers' ... which is also unique and southern in origin we believe, there is also a Capers Island, just north of Charleston - I think we should go and visit it. And ... Capers already has her own "friends and family cancer fight sweetgrass bracelet" ... thanks Annette King (our caring basket lady here on Edisto) for making this tiny bracelet for Capers! Many of you have asked for Stefanie and Aaron's address, it is 4004 Rantowles Court, Ravenal SC 29470.
CHEMO ROUND 26 COMPLETE ... as scheduled this past Wednesday (October 17th) at the Charleston Hematology and Oncology Associates (CHOA) Center in Charleston. Thankfully my blood work was good and my previously abnormal liver enzyme levels have almost returned to "normal". Chemo went smoothly with the exception it took an hour and a half to obtain approval from my insurance company to receive IV Emend (anti-nausea drug) simply because my last dose was 20 days (versus 21 days) ago! Thankfully I was able to reach my Kodak healthcare advocate nurse in Schenectady, NY via phone who was able to successfully plead our case to
receive the drug one day sooner than "allowed". I believe the liquid IV form of Emend (versus the pill form) has resulted in a significant improvement in my quality of life post chemo sessions. Martha likes to think it's our new B12 injection regimen ... given she now gets to inflict pain (which I do not enjoy) on me weekly by giving me a B12 shot at home every Wednesday! Thankfully I've been feeling much better the first week after chemo since receiving IV Emend and a weekly B12 shot. Yeah!
LOOK WHO'S SINGING IN THE EBBC "VIENNA BOYS CHOIR" THIS SUNDAY ... Pastor Rob and Music Director Wendall have planned a special performance by the Edisto Beach Baptist Church (EBBC) version of the "Vienna Boys Choir" (as Rob has described us) this Sunday. With some (not so subtle) nudging from Martha and a few others, yours truly has rehearsed with and will join a small group of EBBC men in singing a special song "Breathe On Us Again" during church service tomorrow morning. This is a wonderful song about revival ... something we all need as individuals, as churches, as a planet and certainly as a nation about to make a significant leadership choice in just a couple of weeks! I encourage you to go to YouTube and listen to this song as sung by the Maranatha Singers. This song will likely move you as it has moved us (it's been playing in our house a great deal as I prepare for tomorrow's big event!). I haven't sung in a choir since high school. While my old pipes are a bit rusty, this song is moving, meaningful and worth sharing. You can listen to it yourself by going online to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Otp4XJ3Ac
ST. KITTS ... with temps here on Edisto "cooling" into the lower to mid 70s now, Martha and I are heading to St. Kitts for a week's vacation next Saturday, October 27th. We were able to confirm a last minute timeshare exchange into the St Kitts Marriott Resort. We've never stayed on St Kitts so this will be new turf for us. We plan to take the ferry over to neighboring Nevis for a day as well. Can you believe we're actually going somewhere other than Cabo?
We'll be back on Edisto prior to Election Day. This year's presidential election is so very important to our nation, as
well as to our kids' and to our grandkids' futures. Please do exercise your right to vote on Tuesday, November 6th.
Dan did not mention that we celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary this week as well as our first anniversary in the new house - Where has the time gone - some of our kids enjoyed seeing the pictures of them 19 years ago and some are still not so happy about the pictures! I hope a few of you enjoyed the memories!
May the good Lord continue to bless you and yours ...
Dan and Martha