10/14/2009 6:00:00 PM Every day's a precious gift for Nowell
By LEAH TOLBERT Staff Reporter
October is being celebrated nationwide as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and for Brenda Nowell and other victims like her, it is a time to count your blessings.
The disease - which has affected not only her but other family members as well - helped her realize that every moment of every day with her family is the most precious gift God has given to her.
A breast cancer survivor of six years, Brenda met her current husband, Jimmy, also a cancer survivor, 10 years ago while participating in Relay For Life at Grace Baptist Church.
She began getting involved in fundraisers for cancer after her first husband died of pancreatic cancer in 1998 just five years before she was diagnosed.
Within three days of receiving her diagnosis in 2003, she underwent surgical procedures and was told she'd have to undergo six rounds of chemotherapy every three weeks.
"I had a really good support system with my family, friends and church," she said. "It's amazing how people reach out."
After losing her hair to chemotherapy and going bald for six months, Brenda said there was no such thing as a bad hair day anymore. After being with her first husband throughout his cancer, she thought she knew everything there was to know. Actually being the person with it was a different experience for her.
"It changed my thinking. I now know how truly precious life is," she said. "Every day is a really good day that I wake up."
She tries to live her life to the fullest so she and her husband enjoy vacationing with family. They go on one major vacation a year, but try to do at least three or four other trips also.
While the Smokey Mountains is her favorite vacation spot, this year they traveled to Destin, though she admits to being more of an outdoorsy, mountain person than a beach lover.
When she has extra time, Brenda spends her days enjoying her eight grandchildren.
"We go to Texas about once a year to visit my son and his family, so we can do fun things with my grandchildren out there," she said.
After her parents died, Brenda realized that photos are some of the most important ways to keep memories alive and share past family traditions. She was left with boxes of photos from generations before her that had no identification on them or any hint as to who they were.
She then began working with scrap booking and collecting photos from vacations to make into special "Creative Memories" scrapbooks to hand down to her children and grandchildren.
Nowell, who had always used disposable cameras, lost her's during a trip to Pigeon Forge and was unable to find a disposable camera anywhere around. She said she couldn't go on vacation without a camera, so she finally purchased a digital camera.
She hopes that all survivors of breast cancer will try and stay positive. The best way to be around to see future generations is to get mammograms each year, because the body changes from one year to the next.
Brenda said she learned to cook from her mother, Iva Johnson, who was a wonderful cook and made everything look easy. She does not cook much anymore during the week since her husband likes to cook as well and does a really good job.
Brenda is currently employed as a pharmacy technician at the hospital, and is a Creative Memories consultant teaching others to scrapbook and hosting parties, and writing in calligraphy.
Her children are Valerie and her husband, Kevin McNeil; Tammy and her husband, Brian Willis; and Dustin Cumberland. Her eight grandchildren are Briana, 20; Shane, 18; Riley, 12 and Abby McNeil, 8; Corey, 18; Caleb, 12 and Emalee Willis, 5 and Maggie Marie Cumberland, 18 months.
Mama's Chicken Dressing
6 chicken breasts (with skin)
4 ribs celery (diced)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 bunch green onions (diced)
6 pieces loaf bread
3 sticks butter
large pone of cornbread (use 3 eggs in cornbread)
3 additional eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook chicken in large pot with the four ribs of diced celery, salt and pepper. When chicken is tender, remove from pot. Remove skin and bones, dice into bite sized pieces. Place whole pone of cornbread in chicken stock. Add loaf bread torn apart, diced green onions, cream of chicken soup, two sticks butter and chicken. Mix all ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add additional eggs (beaten) into mixture. Cut remaining stick of butter on top. Cover with foil and bake in large baking pan on 350 degrees for one hour. Remove foil during last 15 minutes for dressing to brown on top.
Squash Casserole
2 pounds fresh or frozen yellow squash
salt and pepper to taste
large Vidalia onion (diced)
large bell pepper (diced)
1 block pepper jack cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 egg
1 stack Ritz crackers
Butter
Parboil sliced squash, drain good. Saute onion in pepper in butter until tender. Mix squash, salt, pepper, onion, cream of mushroom soup, pepper jack cheese and beaten egg together. Place in a medium buttered casserole dish. Place Ritz crackers on top. Slice butter over crackers. Cover with foil and bake in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking.
Crock Pot Chicken Spaghetti
4 chicken breasts (with skin)
1 large Vidalia onion (diced)
1 large bell pepper (diced)
12 ounces vermicelli
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces Velveeta cheese (cubed)
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Large can diced Rotel
Large can Le Sueur peas (drained)
Boil chicken in water until tender. Discard skin and bones. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces. Boil vermicelli in chicken broth until liquid is absorbed. Add cheddar and Velveeta cheese to pasta. Saute onion and bell pepper in margarine until done. Spray crock-pot with nonstick spray. Place all ingredients in crock-pot and stir well. Turn to low setting. Great for church dinners or reunions.
Taco Rice
1 pound lean ground chuck
1 package taco seasoning
1 onion
1 bell pepper
1 cup uncooked rice
1 can regular diced tomatoes
1 large bag Fritos
Lettuce (shredded)
Tomatoes (diced)
Sour cream
Picante Sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Cook ground chuck in pan until done. Drain well and set aside. Saute onion and bell pepper in margarine until tender. Add ground chuck. Sprinkle taco seasoning over ground chuck, onion and pepper mixture. Add uncooked rice, tomatoes and two tomato cans water. Stir well every 10 to 15 minutes. Simmer on low until liquid is absorbed and rice is done. Serve over Fritos. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, cheese and picante sauce.
Granny Johnson's Peach Dessert
2 large cans peach slices
1 cup sugar
1 Duncan Hines butter cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
3 sticks margarine or butter
Mix peaches and sugar. Put in a 9x13 baking dish. Put "dry" cake mix on top of peaches. Add pecans on top of cake mix. Stir butter in small pieces and cover pecans. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour. Dessert is done when browned.
