The Grapevine: The New Meaning of October
By Rosalyn Queen on October 28, 2015 from The Grapevine
The month of October will soon be over and for the first time in my life, it has a new meaning to me. October has always been special to me as it my birth month. It is the birth month of my husband and I have always loved seeing the leaves change and being able to get ready for the holidays. But this year it has taken on a special place in my heart.
Having been diagnosed with breast cancer several months ago, I now appreciate what all the pink means and how important it is to be 
sure to get your mammogram. We hear all the stories about what age it is best to get your mammogram and about how often we should get them, but there is an exception to every rule and I guess the best thing I can say is to follow your own instincts in getting that test and be sure to do your own breast exams. We should probably make every month "Breast Cancer Awareness Month". If caught soon enough breast cancer is very curable but if not it can have deadly consequences.
sure to get your mammogram. We hear all the stories about what age it is best to get your mammogram and about how often we should get them, but there is an exception to every rule and I guess the best thing I can say is to follow your own instincts in getting that test and be sure to do your own breast exams. We should probably make every month "Breast Cancer Awareness Month". If caught soon enough breast cancer is very curable but if not it can have deadly consequences.
Most of my life now is centered around this disease as I enter the period when I am taking radiation every day, except weekends for six weeks, while continuing to take chemotherapy. The sustaining factor in all this is my family and my friends. This week I had a nice visit with Patty Martino and her daughter, Beth who came bearing a wonderful pot of minestrone soup made by Frank. It was absolutely delicious and very nourishing for the soul. I also had a wonderful lunch with Debbie Marano and Rosemary Seamon Yurko. What a wonderful time we had just catching up. They have been such good and supportive friends of mine for many years. Good and faithful friends are the gems of life. You do not have to see them every day to know they are there.
My stepson, Sam and his wife Carolyn just returned from a trip to Israel. Sam is the mayor in Reminderville, Ohio, and he often makes these trips as part of his commitment to the city. I worried the whole time they were gone with the unrest that is now there but thankfully they returned home safely. They brought me a beautiful dish, with beautiful inscriptions from the Holy Land.
Forty two pounds of mushrooms have been put up, thanks to Dave. I am now waiting for the crock to get ready so that we can enjoy them over Thanksgiving and Christmas. This past week my brother, Bill and his wife, Dani came for a visit from Florida and we made our annual birthday trip to Julios for lunch. Great as usual. How times change. I was so pleased to see Giuseppe and Costanza in the kitchen running the whole show and a note to Pam and Joe they did great. It is wonderful to know that there comes a time when we must turn things over to our kids.
October is also Cookbook Month. Fannie Farmer was the first cookbook author to use standard measurements in a cookbook. Since cooking is a science, recipes need to include precise measurements for all the ingredients. Before that we used butter the size of an egg or a handful of flour and a pinch of salt. I remember how hard it was to get the measurements correct for my Cookbook. It took a long time and many tries to get the correct amounts for each recipe. By the way remember that my cookbook, Arrivederci, contains all the holiday recipes for fish and deserts. It can be purchased at Tomaro's Bakery or at James & Law. Cookbooks make wonderful gifts for the holidays.
As November approaches try to prepare yourself for the upcoming holidays and remember that the best gift of all is spending time with your family and friends. Please continue to keep in touch and until next week "Now You Have Heard It through the Grapevine."
Editor's Note: Pictured are Rosalyn Alonso, a current breast cancer patient at UHC; Leslie Pruitt, Rosalyn's daughter; and Ruby Oldaker, family member, nurse and caregiver.
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