October 19, 2013

Mid-October Ruminations & Cogitations


The weather has turned cooler in the past couple of days, and it is positively delightful. I talked Mr. Jim into going on a little road trip yesterday. It was a nice change of pace from our usual haunts for the past five months (grocery store, doctor offices, and hospital). Leaf colors are changing pretty well at higher elevations, but still running a bit behind in our neck of the woods.

I sold my old Nikon D90 earlier this month and purchased a Nikon D7100 to replace it. After 4+ years and about 50,000 photos, the D90 served me well! But digital technology has changed significantly during the intervening years, and it was time for me to upgrade. I took the new camera on our little road trip to break it into service. It performed beautifully, and I am delighted with quality of the digital files. The camera has been pretty easy to customize and use because the controls are very similar to the D800 full-frame camera I purchased last year.


The above photo was taken yesterday on the Tennessee side of the Cherohala Skyway. Besides getting some fresh air and seeing a spectacular autumn show in the mountains, we had lunch at one of our favorite places: Tellico Grains Bakery. Be still my heart! I devoured the best BLT sandwich of my life. Mr. Jim was very content with a huge club sandwich. It was so large that he had them wrap up half of it to take home, LOL. We’re big fans of their herb flatbread, so we also purchased a couple of loaves to go.

On the way home, we made stop at Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Ham store. I’ve blogged about it before HERE. We got some of their terrific smoked bacon to pack away in our freezer. It was very busy, as usual, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that they are in the process of expanding their building. Business must be good!

This is the last weekend for the Parade of Homes show for the house across the street from our cottage. There has been considerable interest in it during the show, and there have been several private showings as well.

I received another routine doctor checkup earlier this week. I asked for a flu shot since it was convenient. Perhaps the side effect of a sore arm gets worse as a person ages. My arm feels like I’ve been hit with a ball bat. But I figure the temporary discomfort is worth it if I don’t get the flu this winter!

Mr. Jim continues to recover well from his cancer surgery and gaining strength. He will be starting a regimen of chemo/radiation a week from this next Tuesday. We were relieved to hear from the new chemo doctor that Mr. Jim won’t have to wear a chemo pump for a continuous dose. Instead, he will get a daily infusion for three consecutive days once the radiation treatments begin, then he’ll get three more daily infusions four weeks later. The radiation will be done on every weekday (minus Thanksgiving holiday) until 28 sessions are completed. (Are you confused about all of that scheduling? That’s why we keep a detailed calendar to keep track of everything.) So please continue to keep Mr. Jim in your prayers for an effective treatment and minimal side effects. We appreciate it!

I hope that all is well in your corner of the world and you are enjoying the seasonal changes underway!

17 comments:

  1. glad you like the new camera! yum - ham! and pretty fall colors to go with it. :) good luck to mr. jim!!!

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  2. Donna
    I'd say your camera is definitely doing it's job.
    the Fall foliage is spectacular!
    Jim will continue to be in our prayers, for sure.

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  3. Glad you had a wonderful day OUT... You both deserved it --so much. Never heard of the Tellico Grains Bakery... Will have to check it out sometime... Is it just a lunch place--or do they also serve dinners?

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  4. Glad you got to take a little road trip this week. Your lunches sounded delicious! I will continue to keep you guys in my thought as Jims treatments continue. I'm glad he's doing well.

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  5. So glad that you got out and over the road for an afternoon. The camera and the photographer are working beautifully together. The schedule does sound rugged...praying for you guys.

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  6. Trying out the new camera. Enjoying some great food. Spectacular autumn views. A little getaway. Sounds like a splendid way to spend a fall Friday!

    I will certainly continue to pray for both of you!

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  7. I bet you're going to have a blast with your new camera if that picture is any indication of the pictures we will see. It's beautiful and so clear and sharp.
    We are still praying for you both. Oh and now I'm craving a BLT. LOL!
    HUGS!
    Kim

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  8. Beautiful photo!

    Jim and you are always in my prayers.

    xoxo

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  9. I'm glad you two had a pleasant outing and lunch together. Hmm, my daughter has suggested updating my Canon too but that will take some thought. Yes, a calendar to keep appointments organized is a goof idea and I'll continue to keep Jim in my prayers.
    Hugs,
    Judith

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  10. So glad you got out to do some of the normal things. The picture is beautiful, I love the wispy clouds. Have fun with that new camera!

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  11. So nice that you could take a break and see and visit your favorite places BEFORE the daily radiation starts.

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  12. Your new camera captured a beautiful shot. Sounds like you had a nice little outing. I do remember you talking about the ham place

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  13. A little road trip is good for the mind and soul, especially to see fall colours and enjoy a visit to the ham store. Mr. Jim's schedule (and yours) sounds very hectic so I'm praying for an abundance of strength for you both. Enjoy your new camera! Blessings, Pam

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  14. It's nice to hear you had a pleasant day, keep well.

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  15. I've noticed in my area that the colors seem to be behind as well. I have to get out east at some point. There are so many great places to take pics in east Tennessee.

    Both the bakery and the ham store look amazing. I'll put those on my list of stops if/when I ever manage to get up that way.

    I'm glad that Mr. Jim felt well enough to get out. The fresh air is good for the soul and I'm sure did both of you good.

    Hope all goes well with the treatments!

    Hugs,
    Lori

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  16. Beautiful photos. It's not such a bad thing that autumn is a little late, because perhaps winter will be, too. And then spring come early! Wouldn't that be a great scenario?
    I'm glad you and Mr.Jim were able to get out and enjoy the drive. I'll certainly pray for you during this challenging time.

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  17. I haven't been silent on purpose, my friend. I read this post while I was out of town and my phone would not let me leave a comment. It was being stubborn! Then, when I got home, I quickly forgot that I wanted to stop by and read this again and say how thrilled I am that all is going well for you and Mr. Jim. And to say that I should be jealous of your new camera - but I'm not! I'm happy that you could upgrade and enjoy your new camera on your get-away. After re-reading this I'm ready for a BLT!
    ~Adrienne~

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Marty, here! Donna loves comments, and I faithfully pass them on to her. Thank you so much for visiting!