WEBVTT
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Hello, my friends.
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You know, ever since I started this podcast a couple of years ago, I've had the opportunity to meet and talk to some of the most amazing people from their inspiring stories to how they stay motivated to be better every single day.
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And my guest tonight is right at the top of that list.
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My good friend Ellen Glassman is here.
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She's gonna share her story and her journey right here tonight on the Better Never Stops podcast.
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Let's go.
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What is that promised you never?
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We never win.
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Hello, my friends, and welcome to the Better Never Stops Podcast.
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This is Pat Garcia coming to you from where?
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Studio P.
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That's where, here in Chicago, the greatest city on the planet, Riverwest, born and bred right here in his chair.
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Thank you guys for tuning in to the Better Never Stops Podcast.
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To all of my returning listeners, thank all of you guys for always choosing to be better again and again.
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If this is your first time joining us on the podcast, welcome to our Better Never Stops Army, my friends.
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We're rocking you coast to coast and country to country.
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We are WE Love Radio.
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Thank you to our new listeners.
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And I gotta be honest with you, we have had the most downloads between episodes ever.
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It is unbelievable.
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Our new domestic listeners, look at this Los Fresnos, Texas, Apopka, Florida, Lenox, Georgia, Hartford, Wisconsin, Athens, Georgia, the B 52s, Wapakaneta, Ohio, Research, Triangle Park, North Carolina, Alexandria, Louisiana, Somerville, and Abbeyville, South Carolina, Brooklyn, New York, Lakeville, Minnesota, Hearst, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, and Hamilton, Ohio.
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Thank you guys for tuning in.
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Our new listeners internationally in Lim, England, Frankfurt, Germany, Madrid, Spain, Melbourne, Australia, and Province of Ferrara in Italy.
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Thank all of you guys for joining us here on the podcast.
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Again, we are the podcast that walks hand in hand with the word respect.
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Everybody is welcome on this podcast.
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What's going on, my friends?
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Welcome to the podcast.
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I've got a great guest tonight.
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My good friend Alan Glassman is going to be here.
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She's going to talk about her incredible story, her journey.
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It's a good one.
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I am so glad I had the opportunity.
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My wife and I had the opportunity to meet her and her store out here in Long Grove.
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We're going to talk all about that tonight.
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Her story is amazing.
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What a wonderful, wonderful, amazing woman.
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Ellen Glassman is here tonight.
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How about a Chicago Bears?
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We're four and two, my friends.
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Beat up on the Atlanta Falcons yesterday.
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Caleb Williams is back.
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But here's the story.
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Kyler Gordon is back on the defense for the Bears.
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Three sacks.
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He's a defensive back.
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Three sacks.
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Two force fumbles.
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Unbelievable.
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Let's go Bears.
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Patriots.
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We got them here in Chicago at Soldier Field Thursday night.
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Let's go Bears.
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Our Chicago Cubs and Sox, hey, great season.
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You guys are going to be back next year.
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I will see you next year.
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Helmet nachos.
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I'll see you next year.
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Let's go Cubs and Socks next year, my friends.
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Golfing, hey, my golfing's been good.
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I'm starting to golf a lot more now than I have during the summer.
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I've got some time to do that here in the fall.
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And I'll tell you what, the weather has been fabulous here in Chicago.
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It is truly Indian summer here.
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It is amazing.
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Low 70s to about maybe high to mid 60s.
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We're getting some sun.
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The rain has subsided.
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We got a lot of rain here at the end of the summer and into the fall.
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But hey, my golf game's looking good.
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I'm picking up some yards with the help of my friend from last week on the episode, Roman Zavisha, helping me with that driver.
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So picked up about 10 yards, so that's a good thing.
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And uh it's just great.
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It's great to meet up with new people, to go on ahead and talk to them about what they're good at and how they're good at it or whatever.
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And I happen to have a lot of friends who golf and help me with my game.
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Thank you all, you guys.
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You're listening.
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You guys know who you are, my friends.
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But once again, we are here tonight.
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We're gonna talk with Alan Glassman.
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She's coming up just in a second.
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Grab your drinks, get your snacks, put your book down, put your feet up.
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Alan's here tonight, right here on the Better Never Stops podcast.
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We'll be right back.
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This is Jordan Garcia.
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You're listening to my dad, Pat Garcia, on the Better Never Stops podcast.
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Tonight's guest is someone my wife and I had the pleasure of meeting in one of those unexpected moments that remind you just how interesting people's stories can be.
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My wife and I were out shopping in downtown Long Grove right around May-June time frame this past summer, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, when we walked into a little store and met a truly wonderful woman.
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She grew up in West Rogers Park in Chicago.
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She spent almost 40 years working in the corporate world, but life has a way of taking us in directions we never expected.
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After recently losing her beloved husband, she found herself trying to figure out what the next chapter of her life was going to look like.
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She began spending more time snowboarding in Florida, trying to find her way and discover what was next.
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She also started doing Pilates, and during that time, she kept noticing an empty storefront right in Long Grove.
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She started thinking, why not?
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She always dreamed of owning her own store, and when the opportunity presented itself, she took a leap of faith.
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Today, she owns that wonderful cards, gifts, glassware, and art store in downtown Long Grove.
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But her story doesn't stop there.
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She has also been dealing with some personal health challenges, and tonight she's opening up about those experiences.
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More importantly, she wants to use what she's learned to help educate and inform others who may be going through similar situations.
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Her story is one of loss, reinvention, courage, entrepreneurship, and finding a new purpose when life takes an unexpected turn.
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I'm really excited to introduce you to someone I'm grateful we happened to meet that day while shopping in Long Grove.
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Please welcome my new friend, Ellen Glassman, to the show.
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Hey Ellen.
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Hey Pat, how are you?
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How are you, my friend?
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Thank you.
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We've been talking about getting you on the podcast for about four or five months now.
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We finally make that happen.
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Finally, finally, finally.
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Yeah.
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Thanks for being patient with me for all my little life detours.
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Absolutely.
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I'm doing great, and I'm so happy to be here with you tonight.
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Thank you so much, my friend.
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Hey, you know what?
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Let's get right into this.
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We got a lot to talk about.
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And again, I appreciate your time tonight.
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Thank you so much, Alan.
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Let's get right into it.
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Um, you were born and raised on the north side of Chicago, West Rogers Park.
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And then you just mentioned you went to Sun High School, my good friend Mike North.
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You know Mike North.
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Mike.
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I know Mike North.
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Yes, absolutely.
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A big celebrity of our our Sun High School class.
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Absolutely.
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But he's just was such a wonderful guy, down earth guy, still with me to this day.
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He's one of my good friends.
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I haven't seen him in years and years, but I would love to.
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He's doing terrific, Alan.
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He's fantastic.
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He was just on the last podcast.
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Well, I heard that.
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Yeah.
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And my sister-in-law, she also went to Sen High School over there.
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Talk about that.
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Talk about your beginnings, your Les Rogers Park.
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What was like going breaking born and raised there and going to Sen.
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Tell us a little bit about that.
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Yeah, it's born and raised, and everybody hears my accent, and they go, You're not from Chicago.
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But really, North Rogers Park had a lot of people that were from New York.
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So I really think that inflex is in my speaking pattern.
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But I'll get into why my I have that funny accent later on in the show.
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Okay.
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But growing up in the city of Chicago was incredible.
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I mean, we walked everywhere.
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Of course, it was the 60s and the 70s, and I was in Sun High School.
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And all the friends I made during that time are still my friends to this day, thanks to Facebook and keeping in touch with everyone.
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So I had a great, great childhood, but however, I got married very, very young.
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So after I worked for a while, and um the my first husband, who I knew as a childhood sweetheart, um, we decided to get married, and he was getting re-stationed.
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It was in the Air Force, okay, and he was being stationed in Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Las Vegas, Nevada was a lot different in 1972 than it is today.
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There was no uh monorails, there was there was no anything there.
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It was very, very small, was very intimate.
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I was very fortunate, even though I was 19, you know.
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Um, they won't come after me now, but my father-in-law may rest in peace.
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My um first husband's father changed my driver's license to say was 21, so I could be in the yeah, yeah, it was a wonderful time.
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It was a very different time, and we were very poor, so we didn't gamble a whole lot.
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But um Mount Charleston was a wonderful place for um skiing and snow, snow um boarding, and then there was Lake Mead.
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So being young and stupid, you know, we would go up to Mount Charleston to say we skied in the snow or played in the snow, and then drive all the way to Lake Mead so we could be by the water and say, hey, we will, you know, try to get on water skis.
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I mean, that's what you could do back then, right?
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Um very, you know, young, stupid kids.
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Sure.
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But it was a it was a wonderful adventure.
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Um just part of my makeup, so to speak, that I had that and can say, yes, I went, I lived in Las Vegas for two years.
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Um then we came home to reality, okay, and I was very lucky um because I had a lot of um not an accounting background per se, but I was very good with math and numbers, and I tested an old state insurance was hiring back then for commercial analysts.
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Okay.
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I didn't know what that was, but they liked the fact that I could run a big adding machine keyboard and could calculate premiums.
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And so my job with them started out where I would I was in commercial insurance, um raiding big uh buildings and fleets of cars, and um I was very lucky because the commercial insurance division back then was very small, and the opportunities back in 1974, all the way through my almost 40 years with All State, were wonderful.
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I I worked doing very, very large projects, I traveled um extensively for them um to check out.
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We did compliance checks on other um operation centers that were we would have running to make sure they were doing things the correct way.
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And then I got involved with the programming side of how our commercial systems ran, and I taught the commercial programmers how to our business rules so that we could create programs that were feasible for our agents um to to operate.
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And this went on, I did this for almost 40 years.
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Wow.
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Uh there, yes, with many dear, dear friends, and was so fortunate.
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I mean, today to hear that somebody stayed at a company that long, it's unheard of.
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Yeah.
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But the opportunities I was given, no, let's not take anything for granted.
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I mean, I worked day and night most of the time towards the end because what I did for the company, because it was very good to me.
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And not many people can say I really liked what I did for a living.
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Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
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So it it was interesting.
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During that time, uh, my first husband and I had a little girl who's now gonna be 51.
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Oh my goodness.
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Yeah, in December.
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And um, we divorced um in after seven years.
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And then I um because my family was very worried that a single mom with a little girl back in the seven late 70s, you know what it's like.
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So I met a I met a gentleman and um we got married, and unfortunately, their marriage was not that great.
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Okay.
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So um we divorced in '98.
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And during that time though, Old State was still my place that continued to give me opportunities and understanding, raising a child, and then uh one who was in junior high and then high school, and having to be able to be there, be the mom for that was amazing that I was able to do that.
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And then um, you know, life happens, and after so many years, um we decided they were gonna flatten the organization.
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Oh my goodness, okay.
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And then, you know, I had door number one or door number two.
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Door number one, we're gonna reduce your salary because we're not gonna have any senior consultants anymore.
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Right.
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And then we're or door number two, your retirement age, so we will give you a year's salary and cobra out your medical and um and thank you.
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And thank you.
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And so when I said I'm taking door number two, they were quite quite surprised, quite surprised.
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But after um in 98, when I divorced my second husband, still working for Allstate, all my friends decided, okay, I said, nope, I'm done.
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I'm done with the marriage didn't work for me, you know.
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I'm thankful I've got my career.
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But then in any corporation with anyone who's worked in an office knows everybody knows your business, everybody wants to just see.
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Oh no, she's single, we've got to get her married.
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We gotta, we gotta try to find her a new man.
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Right.
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That one was no good for her.
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No, let's try a new thing.
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So I dabbled in online dating.
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Online dating in in '98 was so different than online dating today or even swiping right or left.
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I don't even know what that is.
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But there were no cell phone texting or apps or any of that.
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It was, yes, you had a phone, you talked to people on that phone.
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I don't even think my phone took pictures in '98.
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I think it was just a basic big phone that there was no iPhones back then.
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So um I went online and it was quite the experience.
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I tried a whole book, but we don't have time.
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We could do another podcast on that.
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But I was just about to give up.
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Remember, I'm working at All State where dear friends are watching every move I make and saying, okay, you can't give up one more time.
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So it was it was October of 2000.
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And my girlfriend said, try one more time.
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Don't make me make this uh project for you that you have to sign off on, but you go home and I want you to try one more time.
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One more time.
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One more time.
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So it's Halloween night.
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I'm sitting in my office by my computer, and you know, the big computer screen, there was not, remember, it was 2000.
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And I don't normally have my wallet in my office, but this time I actually did.
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I went online, I look at this one site that I had never wasn't matched.com.
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There were so many different ones, and I see this one profile that said, love spending time with my daughters.
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Wow.
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It caught my attention because all these other guys I dated, oh, you have a child, oh you know, they weren't interested in their children or anything but you know having wine and sex.
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So I I like well, I'm I need to join this website to get on to apply to this this wonderful man.
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Tell us about this wonderful man who became your soulmate, Alan.
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Tell us about your wonderful husband, your third husband, Marty.
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Tell us about Marty.
00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:31.680
Oh my goodness, Pat.
00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:37.440
You know, I don't even know where to begin to start talking about my Marty.
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He so when I say I I answered his profile, and back then it was all about the email.
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So he had my email.
00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:59.759
I get the very next day a lovely email from this wonderful guy saying, I'm very sorry.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:04.160
I have to tell you, I don't even know my password to that site.
00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:05.680
I hadn't been on there.
00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:12.240
But if you wouldn't mind, can we please email with each other, get to know each other?
00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:12.799
Okay.
00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:18.240
So we emailed back and forth for probably two weeks.
00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:18.799
Okay.
00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:20.079
And what I love.
00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:24.960
So turns out Marty is a family law attorney.
00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:25.759
All right.
00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:28.160
Very educated.
00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:34.480
Had a wonderful vocabulary, could type faster than lightning.
00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:40.079
And I my vocabulary is very average.
00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:43.599
My typing was very slow.
00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:48.799
And we would be AOL had an online chat.
00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:49.279
Okay.
00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:52.559
Remember AOL back in the day.
00:22:52.880 --> 00:23:04.960
So if somebody you knew online saw you on AOL, they could open up a chat and kind of like Facebook Live or whatever it is today.
00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:12.240
And he was typing so fast, I said, Oh, please, can we just have a phone conversation?
00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:14.319
And he was like, You're willing to give me.
00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:17.359
Now we've type we've emailed back and forth.
00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:17.759
Right.
00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:18.079
Yep.
00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:18.400
Yep.
00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:27.119
Part of that email was very interesting because I said very honestly to him, look, I was married twice.
00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:27.519
Yeah.
00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:30.559
I am financially very sound.
00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:33.200
I am not looking for marriage.
00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:33.759
Sure.
00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.000
So if he goes, Oh, wonderful.
00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:38.240
I've also been married twice.
00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:39.599
Oh my goodness.
00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:39.920
Wow.
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:40.400
Okay.
00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:41.440
Yeah.
00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:46.720
And so he also got married very young and ended that marriage.
00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:53.519
And then was married to um his wife, who he had two beautiful daughters with.
00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:54.000
Okay.
00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:59.039
And so he at that point was not looking for marriage either.
00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:01.519
So I thought, oh, this is perfect.
00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:07.839
And so we finally talked on the phone, and that led to meeting in person.
00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:17.519
And our first meeting in person, we were meeting at this lovely restaurant, and he said, Well, order a glass of wine.
00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:22.880
If you feel like you want to stay, open the menu, and I'll know.
00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:26.240
And that's how kind he was.
00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:29.759
I've never known anybody as kind and considerate.
00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:45.279
And he said, I we met, and it was like when we smiled, it was like a moment that you don't normally have with just anybody.
00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:45.839
Wow.
00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:52.480
And this conversation we had was wonderful.
00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:56.000
And I opened the menu and he goes, Oh, you want to stay?
00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:59.279
I said, Well, sure, I want to stay.
00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:01.680
I said, I was so nervous about it.
00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:02.640
Very nice.
00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:04.480
We talked forever.
00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:13.359
So Marty and I from that day forward, I mean, our next day he said, I'll take you to dinner.
00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:24.799
We went to um this lovely restaurant that's only still in Mundelein now on Dover Straits, but there was one in in Hoffman Estate.
00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:28.960
So we met there for dinner at five o'clock.
00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:33.359
We we we left the restaurant at midnight.
00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:35.039
Oh my goodness! Wow.
00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:38.720
And then we spent the next day together.
00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:41.440
It was like magical.
00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:46.240
It was so magical, and it continued to be magical, Pat.
00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:52.720
He I always heard people talk about finding their soulmate.
00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:59.680
And Marty was truly, truly, truly such a special man.
00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:00.240
Wow.
00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:09.759
For two people that weren't gonna get married a couple years later, and we would take holiday, we would go to Mexico on Valentine.
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:13.039
Valentine's Day became our holiday.
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:13.519
Yeah.
00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:29.440
And so we went to Mexico um for actually right after we met, we met in um, we didn't have our first meeting until November 29th, actually, in person.
00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:34.000
And then by February, we were going to Mexico.
00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:35.359
Oh my goodness.
00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:35.599
Yeah.
00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:36.559
I know, I know.
00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:38.240
Things were accelerating.
00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:39.599
Things were accelerating.
00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:41.039
My goodness, it's fantastic.
00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:41.599
Okay.
00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:45.119
I was, you know, I wasn't a baby anymore.
00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:47.680
So it wasn't, it wasn't 19.
00:26:48.160 --> 00:27:06.640
Um I was in my late 40s, and we were in Mexico, and all of a sudden we we were at a timeshare, and I I thought, well, you know, we've been coming to Mexico.
00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:10.079
Maybe, maybe I'm gonna buy this timeshare.
00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:17.119
And I we sat there and I'm thinking, yeah, I said, you know, Marty, I think I'm gonna buy this for us.
00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:20.000
I think we we should have this timeshare.
00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:34.480
And he sent the lady away and he said to me, Well, you're really pushing things because tonight it was gonna take you to dinner and ask you to marry me.
00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:45.599
I know we didn't talk about getting married, but now that you want to buy this timeshare, I want to buy it with you because I want us to be married in June.
00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:47.279
Oh my goodness.
00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:50.240
Okay, so I'm crying.
00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:51.519
Yeah, I'm crying.
00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:52.799
Crying.
00:27:53.680 --> 00:28:06.319
The lady, the the sales lady, lovely young woman, by the way, um, comes back, sees us crying, thought we were fighting over not getting the timeshare.
00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:09.519
And Marty says, Oh no, no, no.
00:28:09.759 --> 00:28:15.759
He goes, I just asked her to marry me, and we're gonna buy the timeshare together.
00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:16.079
Right.
00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:17.839
She starts crying.
00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:20.240
Everybody then starts applauding.
00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:34.559
Happy to they sent us to wonderful dinner, so our our our love just continued, and yes, we got married in August of 2002.
00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:37.920
And then let me cut in here if I could, real quick.
00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:47.119
You guys get married, and then you decide that you guys want to go on ahead and build a house in Long Grove.
00:28:47.200 --> 00:29:01.440
Yeah, and you told me, which is just crazy, you told me that you both built this house together, and not at one time was there any arguing or disagreements about this house.
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:03.680
Tell us about this fabulous house.
00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:04.799
What in the world?
00:29:05.119 --> 00:29:06.960
Talk to me about that, Alan.
00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:19.839
Well, okay, so after we were married, of course, we sold our individual homes, and then we decided, you know, a two-story house is just not for us anymore.
00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:31.440
Let's build, let's find a house that's a ranch and that has land around it because I like to garden, he liked land.
00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:35.759
We just wanted open space.
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:40.799
So we looked and looked and looked and couldn't find a house.
00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:45.759
And we said, all right, our our dear friend said, you know, you're gonna have to build.
00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:50.559
So we found this wonderful spot here in Long Grove.
00:29:51.599 --> 00:30:28.000
Um, and we were so excited, and we worked with a wonderful um builder, and we started designing the house, and then figuring out what was going in the house, everything from woodwork to the stone on the front of the house to the flooring, everything, all the details doorknobs and the cabinets, and through all of that, not we were always on the same wavelength.
00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:29.119
That's amazing.
00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:31.519
There was two things he wanted.
00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:53.039
This one, he wanted this couch for our our living room, which it to me it it didn't look like it should have been in the living room, but he loved this couch so much, this beautiful brown mother couch, and everything in our house, as I was telling you, was fashion and browns.
00:30:54.480 --> 00:30:58.319
Marty said, Oh, we're 50 shades of beige.
00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:02.079
I love that.
00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:16.240
He had the sense of humor, he had the sense of so I never loved that couch, but because he loved that couch so much, I said, Honey, let's have that couch.
00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:17.440
That's just so sweet.
00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:24.319
It was it was, and you know, I look at the couch and it just it reminds me of him, Pat.
00:31:24.400 --> 00:31:25.440
It really does, yeah.
00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:32.880
And so we Marty called this our dream house, our dream home.
00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:44.240
Yeah, and he posted on Facebook every, you know, to this just a close family group, you know, the progress of our house, and it was built.
00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:48.720
And it this house brought us both such joy, sure.
00:31:48.880 --> 00:31:59.680
And seeing our children come into it, our grown children, then our grandchildren come into it, yeah, and play in the back, you know.
00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:08.079
We have lots of lamb back there, so you know, to be able to watch them as little ones play in the backyard.
00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:11.680
He was at least able to see that, yeah.
00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:28.400
You know, then unfortunately in 2018, um Marty had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in his knee, which is should be curable, by the way.
00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:47.039
Okay, uh the tumor after 37 rounds of radiation, they thought maybe it was resolved, but three months later it raised its ugly head and started growing like crazy.
00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:48.240
Oh my goodness.
00:32:48.799 --> 00:33:00.480
And it also was uh had to be seen by an infectious disease doctor, so we were treating it uh in 2020.
00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:03.920
We were dealing with with COVID.
00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:21.279
COVID after all that we tried immunotherapy and chemotherapy, and we went in Northwestern medicine, amazing people, amazing cancer research.
00:33:21.519 --> 00:33:33.680
They even found us um a clinical trial for him, and we tried that, but it was he he was just so worn out, yeah.
00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:38.960
You know, he had he had a lot of setbacks with with the chemo.
00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:42.079
He just did not respond to it.
00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:45.279
The tumor was not responding, and it kept growing.
00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:47.200
May of 21.
00:33:48.079 --> 00:34:08.000
A wonderful oncologist who I met actually recently again, um sat me down to tell me the real story and how the cancer was headed into his bones, and then it lights out, unfortunately.
00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:16.719
Yeah, so the word hospice to me was like no one's dying today, no one's dying tomorrow.
00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:20.159
I don't want to talk about hospice, no, thank you.
00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:37.440
And she sat me down and really explained to me, honey, I said, okay, I need to know when I'm driving my car and following directions, I need to know how many turns until I get to my destination.
00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:44.239
I need to know what when when how long do we have?
00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:47.119
And she told me.
00:34:47.360 --> 00:34:49.679
She actually told me September.
00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:52.880
And I kept it in my head.
00:34:54.400 --> 00:35:01.760
We were we were signed up with this wonderful hospice people, Vitas Hospice.
00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:04.320
They were wonderful.
00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:06.800
I was able to keep Marty at home.
00:35:07.679 --> 00:35:14.639
I became a chemist, a nurse, a I did everything.
00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:16.320
Everything.
00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:23.519
And you know, I it was never a burn-in because this was my honey, this was my honey boy.
00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:30.719
I I all through it, I knew it was happening.
00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:36.880
Yeah, it was almost like I but I never thought of him dying.
00:35:38.159 --> 00:35:38.800
Right, right.
00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:47.519
Until you know, we got really, really it the end was coming, and it I wouldn't wish this on anyone, yeah.
00:35:48.079 --> 00:36:01.440
But you know, Pat, being able to say that I found my soulmate, I know what real love, what true love really is.
00:36:03.440 --> 00:36:05.199
Carrying me through all that.
00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:06.239
Yeah, yeah.
00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:15.840
You know, I he and I always used to say, your heart is safe in mine, and my heart is safe in yours.
00:36:16.079 --> 00:36:16.719
That's beautiful.
00:36:16.960 --> 00:36:19.360
So I still carry him in my heart.
00:36:19.519 --> 00:36:20.000
That's right.
00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:20.639
Absolutely.
00:36:20.800 --> 00:36:25.280
You know, absolutely, absolutely with me.
00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:34.079
Um, and however, you know, when he passed, it was like, okay, now what?
00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:37.280
Yeah, and this is this is where I wanted to jump in.
00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:45.519
You your your life took a turn, and I wanted to I wanted you to to tell all of our listeners about that situation.
00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:47.599
I didn't want to interrupt too much or whatever.
00:36:47.679 --> 00:36:52.400
I wanted everybody to hear how much Marty was your soulmate.
00:36:52.559 --> 00:36:54.639
And and it's just a wonderful thing.
00:36:54.880 --> 00:37:03.760
But now what happens is Marty, unfortunately, he passes away, and then now you have to reinvent, right?
00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:04.320
What do you like?
00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:05.840
You just said, what do I do now?
00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:09.760
And then you mentioned you're trying to figure out okay, what do I do?
00:37:09.920 --> 00:37:10.960
I'm by myself.
00:37:11.039 --> 00:37:13.280
You're in this big house in Long Grove, right?
00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:24.159
I'm still you I'm sure you still have family and friends around, but then you mentioned to me you were trying to go on ahead and just take the time to make time for yourself and to be busy.
00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:27.679
So you start snowbirding down in Florida for a bit.
00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:44.159
So you're back and forth doing that, and then if I may, you come back, and one day, Alan, you're doing Pilates, yeah, and you notice this empty storefront in Long Grove.
00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:45.760
Yeah, talk about that.
00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:47.199
Tell us about that.
00:37:47.519 --> 00:37:58.159
Well, you know, my next door neighbor a lovely, lovely um Amanda owns um parakeet Pilates in downtown Long Grove.
00:37:58.320 --> 00:38:04.559
Shout out to her, shout out because I was uh very overweight.
00:38:05.360 --> 00:38:08.559
Um, and I said, Oh, I don't know.
00:38:09.599 --> 00:38:20.320
And she introduced me slowly to Pilates, and I'm telling you, Pat, I'm so I I I love it, I love it, I would love it.
00:38:20.480 --> 00:38:23.440
I think everybody should try it.
00:38:24.159 --> 00:38:37.519
But yeah, so I was taking my Pilates there, and when I'd leave in the morning, I drive past this little red store that used to be, I knew it as the doghouse.
00:38:38.079 --> 00:38:48.159
I'm looking at it at while I'm standing at the stoplight, and I'm going, hmm, I've always wanted my own store.
00:38:49.440 --> 00:39:01.599
And then a dear friend of mine who owns another store in downtown Long Grove at the log, my dear friend Rachel, and I were talking about it, and I said, What do you think?
00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:15.280
I have no experience in retail, however, I have project experience and I could handle this like a big project.
00:39:15.519 --> 00:39:15.840
Sure.
00:39:16.400 --> 00:39:17.360
And I did.
00:39:17.920 --> 00:39:42.480
And the more I talked about it, I met this wonderful gentleman, Mike Oaken, who owned my building, and he um, believe it or not, put a sign on there and said, Coming soon, I decided I would name my store Artistic Creations because I love art.
00:39:42.880 --> 00:39:52.880
I know what I like, and I really appreciate art and artists, and I wanted to support local artists.
00:39:53.119 --> 00:39:58.719
I thought, wow, this would be a great venue to do this, the store.
00:39:59.599 --> 00:40:06.000
And so this evolved into artistic creations of Long Grove.
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:10.159
I met so many wonderful artists, yeah.
00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:13.679
In um person and across the country.
00:40:14.400 --> 00:40:15.039
Yeah.
00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:19.679
And it's just been such a joy.
00:40:19.920 --> 00:40:20.239
Yeah.
00:40:20.480 --> 00:40:25.840
And I now have purpose, and it's just fills my heart again.
00:40:26.079 --> 00:40:41.840
It fills my heart because after the hardship, you know, with your husband, you know, you you you reinvent yourself and you get tired of the snow, the uh the you know, the snowbirding, and then you decide, hey, I I I've always wanted to do something like this.
00:40:41.920 --> 00:40:44.639
And uh kudos to you for taking the opportunity.
00:40:44.800 --> 00:40:49.519
So you decide to open up this store, Artistic Creations of Long Grove.
00:40:49.679 --> 00:40:53.920
Now, there, like you had mentioned, you're gonna find the local artist artwork.
00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:57.920
You're gonna find your jewelry, your glasswork, your home goods.
00:40:58.159 --> 00:41:04.159
Now, the store opened just this past April 18th, and then your grand opening was in May, right?
00:41:04.320 --> 00:41:05.199
May 3rd.
00:41:05.440 --> 00:41:11.840
And we'll talk, we'll give everybody all that information at the uh at the end of the uh the episode here.
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:19.280
I am very, very blessed, Pat, when I tell you over and over again how many blessings I have in my life.
00:41:19.519 --> 00:41:20.800
I have many.
00:41:21.039 --> 00:41:25.679
And um, I've got these two young college kids.
00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:37.119
My one they're my next door neighbor's son and his his significant other that have really worked a lot before I even opened the door.
00:41:37.199 --> 00:41:43.920
They would come sit at my dining room table and we start putting prices and created the web, yeah.
00:41:44.159 --> 00:41:47.519
Oh, that's wonderful for the website, everything.
00:41:47.599 --> 00:42:00.079
So they've been with me since day one, and then an all-state friend of mine, who I've known over 50 years, um, who's also an artist, very talented.
00:42:00.400 --> 00:42:06.719
Um, she's got things in the store, but she's very shy about it.
00:42:07.119 --> 00:42:11.199
But so she works with me a couple days a week as well.
00:42:11.360 --> 00:42:14.880
So I am gonna come visit you next week at your store.
00:42:15.039 --> 00:42:16.480
My wife and I are gonna come see you.
00:42:16.880 --> 00:42:18.000
Right, I'd love that.
00:42:18.639 --> 00:42:19.360
That'll be wonderful.
00:42:19.440 --> 00:42:20.559
We loved your store.
00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:23.599
Let me talk about another thing here, if I may.
00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:33.039
One of the other things that you decided to do to sort of take take your time, take up some time, especially after you you lost your wonderful Marty.
00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:38.480
You decided that you and your friends were gonna start these Zoom calls.
00:42:38.639 --> 00:42:41.280
Oh about these Zoom calls.
00:42:41.599 --> 00:42:48.079
Okay, so Pat, after Marty passed, I talked about VTest Hospice.
00:42:48.239 --> 00:42:48.719
Yep.
00:42:49.039 --> 00:42:52.960
V test hospice had a program for bereavement.
00:42:53.199 --> 00:42:57.119
Okay, and I told my therapist, oh no, I don't need this.
00:42:57.280 --> 00:43:00.159
You know, I'm telling she said, Yeah, you do.
00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:09.840
You need to talk with women who are going through the same thing you are, and so I said, All right, I'll do it.
00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:17.119
So Vitas created this bereavement Zoom group, which I became a part of.
00:43:17.920 --> 00:43:24.719
And after a year past, they said, Okay, you know, you guys are doing great.
00:43:25.199 --> 00:43:40.639
And may I say their women were Texas, California, Florida, Illinois here, and so it didn't matter that they were in California or Florida.
00:43:40.719 --> 00:43:41.599
We were on Zoom together.
00:43:41.840 --> 00:43:42.559
You're on Zoom, yeah.
00:43:43.599 --> 00:44:09.119
We cried together, we talked together, and we we they everybody came and I had a lot of them stay at my house, and we had a lovely time together, and we went to what Uh Vitas Hospice called their butterfly release, you know, for um they had a program to remember our loved ones.
00:44:09.199 --> 00:44:12.960
And at the end of the program, everybody released butterflies.
00:44:13.119 --> 00:44:15.920
It was lovely, lovely, lovely.
00:44:16.400 --> 00:44:21.119
But then Vitas said, okay, you know, you're on your own.
00:44:21.440 --> 00:44:26.960
And the at the time, I think there were 12 of us at the time.
00:44:27.039 --> 00:44:28.800
So it wasn't a small group.
00:44:29.440 --> 00:44:31.679
We wanted to stay together.
00:44:32.079 --> 00:44:40.800
But we found ourselves not talking about our loss so much as oh, what are you doing this week?
00:44:40.960 --> 00:44:56.239
Or this one, and a dear friend of ours' son had cancer a member, and one of our dear members had got breast cancer, and every week we were together.
00:44:56.639 --> 00:45:02.639
So remember, this was we started the group in March of 22.
00:45:02.960 --> 00:45:07.760
Okay, this is October of 26th.
00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:10.079
So about four and a half years now.
00:45:10.639 --> 00:45:14.400
Yes, we still zoom every Wednesday.
00:45:14.559 --> 00:45:17.679
Um, and yes, you know who's running the Zoom call.
00:45:18.480 --> 00:45:20.159
Alan Glassman, yes.
00:45:20.559 --> 00:45:27.039
Yeah, but we are each other's everything.
00:45:27.280 --> 00:45:30.719
Yeah, it's so important to have that community, Alan.
00:45:30.800 --> 00:45:35.920
You know, because you mentioned that you all pretty much went through the the same situation.
00:45:36.079 --> 00:45:48.880
You know how each other feels, you know, and and like you said, I love the fact that it's Zoom because, like you mentioned, it doesn't weather, it doesn't matter where they're at geographically, you know, you can be in Florida, but it's a Zoom, everybody can jump on the call.
00:45:49.199 --> 00:45:58.480
Everybody's right there at the same time, and each one of us look forward to seeing what's going on with each other.
00:45:58.639 --> 00:46:03.280
And yes, there are phone calls in between because we're that close.
00:46:03.519 --> 00:46:16.960
And um, but I'm again such a blessing to have these women in my life, and I and now, you know, with my little health issue.
00:46:17.360 --> 00:46:19.119
I want to talk about that if I can.
00:46:19.280 --> 00:46:20.880
Let me jump in very quickly.
00:46:21.119 --> 00:46:33.440
Um, the last couple of months, I know when we had uh initially met you, Karen and I back in in May and June, uh I as soon as I talked to you, I I said, I I gotta have her on the podcast.
00:46:33.599 --> 00:46:36.000
I just loved your story that we talked about.
00:46:36.239 --> 00:46:44.800
And um, and then I know we had talked a little bit, and then I you had sent me the text saying that you were having some health challenges again uh recently.
00:46:44.960 --> 00:46:48.000
And uh let me let me just dig into this a little bit here.
00:46:48.159 --> 00:47:02.159
I wanted to give you the opportunity to chat about that, uh, what you've learned about your deal, and to help inform and educate those out there who might be dealing with similar circumstances.
00:47:02.320 --> 00:47:08.159
Tell us a little bit about what you've been going through, what you've learned, and any advice you can you can provide.
00:47:08.239 --> 00:47:08.960
Go ahead, Alan.
00:47:09.280 --> 00:47:09.840
Thank you.
00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:30.320
Yes, it was very smack you in the face kind of abuse because I again I told you I and I am not ashamed to say it was using a GLP one to lose weight and doing the Pilates, I lost 90 pounds.
00:47:30.559 --> 00:47:33.199
Yeah, yeah, I still have a ways to go.
00:47:33.280 --> 00:47:42.719
Yeah, I you know, I was eating my way, feeling sorry for myself, is what it was until I started my Pilates adventure.
00:47:43.280 --> 00:47:46.079
It's amazing how getting back healthy.
00:47:46.239 --> 00:47:57.840
So, Pat, when I opened my store, I was healthier than I've been in years and physically healthy.
00:47:58.079 --> 00:48:02.079
I could lift boxes, I nothing stopped me.
00:48:02.880 --> 00:48:32.719
And we went to our first festival of chocolate fest, and I was fine, and that next I but I was having this bloaty feeling in my stomach, and because I lost weight, I knew no, I I have a waistline here, I shouldn't be bloated, and I was getting a pain in the right side, and that pain became very serious, where it took me down.
00:48:32.960 --> 00:48:35.199
I don't take pain meds at all.
00:48:35.440 --> 00:48:43.760
So um my my neighbor, the Pilates neighbor, Linda, decided nope, nope, we're going to the ER.
00:48:44.159 --> 00:48:46.079
No, this is not right.
00:48:46.239 --> 00:48:47.519
I'm taking you in.
00:48:47.679 --> 00:48:47.920
Okay.
00:48:48.159 --> 00:49:15.199
They did a CT scan, and you know you're in trouble when you're laying in the ER ER, and the lovely doctor comes in, gets on the little chair, wheels herself over to you, grabs your hand, and said, Ellen, I'm really sorry, but your CT scan shows you've got a very, very large mass in your uterus.
00:49:15.360 --> 00:49:16.800
And I'm like, What?
00:49:16.960 --> 00:49:20.639
No, I've got a pain in my side and I'm a little floated.
00:49:20.880 --> 00:49:23.119
What but a mass?
00:49:23.280 --> 00:49:23.519
No.
00:49:23.679 --> 00:49:26.639
I you you're probably something star no.
00:49:27.199 --> 00:49:28.400
We know no.
00:49:28.639 --> 00:49:37.519
You you probably she goes, We're not gonna diagnose you, but we've got to get you to someone who can um see you.
00:49:38.079 --> 00:49:41.440
And so they referred me to an oncologist.
00:49:41.599 --> 00:49:44.880
I'm still trying to deal with all my goodness, yeah.
00:49:45.119 --> 00:49:52.559
And then what happened had is the pain got really bad again, and I decided, you know what?
00:49:52.719 --> 00:50:00.559
I'm gonna go to the ER at Northwestern Um Medicine in Lake Forest, where I where he had my Marty.
00:50:01.280 --> 00:50:09.920
They did the CT scan again, they were able to tell that it was ovarian cancer.
00:50:10.320 --> 00:50:19.519
Long story short, um, the mass was quite large, um, and it metastasized.
00:50:19.760 --> 00:50:24.320
So I was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer.
00:50:26.159 --> 00:50:29.840
Now, years ago, there would have been a death sentence for anyone.
00:50:30.880 --> 00:50:36.480
From the time I heard it, I said, Oh my god, really?
00:50:36.880 --> 00:50:37.840
Cancer me?
00:50:38.079 --> 00:50:38.400
No.
00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:40.400
Oh, that's not right.
00:50:40.800 --> 00:50:43.440
And so I said, All right, so here's the thing.
00:50:43.599 --> 00:50:48.559
My girls were getting hysterically thinking mommy's gonna go, you know.
00:50:49.199 --> 00:50:54.079
I'm like, no, this is not, this is not the end.
00:50:55.360 --> 00:50:57.760
My wonderful ontologist, Dr.
00:50:57.920 --> 00:51:06.559
Pond, a remarkable man who came to see me said, This is not a death sentence, we will get you in.
00:51:06.800 --> 00:51:07.519
And Dr.
00:51:07.760 --> 00:51:18.239
Pont told me that with using, I would have to go through cycles of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor.
00:51:18.480 --> 00:51:25.840
Okay, but he gave BPAT a 75 to 80 percent chance of remission.
00:51:26.480 --> 00:51:34.400
Wow, well, think about it, you're being told you have stage four metastasized tumor.
00:51:34.719 --> 00:51:35.519
Stage four.
00:51:35.840 --> 00:51:36.719
Stage four.
00:51:36.960 --> 00:51:44.239
Wow, and then to be told, so I said to everyone, all right, this is a positive thing.
00:51:44.719 --> 00:51:46.000
We're gonna do this.
00:51:46.159 --> 00:51:55.039
And I I knew there was this lovely young woman on ABC, I'll give her a shout out, Diane Pathy.
00:51:55.199 --> 00:52:20.400
She does the traffic for ABC with Tracy Butler's mother, but in the morning, but she lost her dear husband, Nick to cancer, but they used the words PMA, positive mental attitude through his cancer, and I said, Okay, she lost her dear husband, however, I am not going anywhere.
00:52:20.719 --> 00:52:23.440
This is just a bend in the road for me.
00:52:24.159 --> 00:52:24.559
Dr.
00:52:24.719 --> 00:52:27.920
Punt was very convincing.
00:52:28.159 --> 00:52:32.239
I told my whole family, all my friends, I love you.
00:52:32.400 --> 00:52:34.079
Yes, thank you, thank you.
00:52:34.239 --> 00:52:34.960
Pray for me.
00:52:35.119 --> 00:52:42.880
I I love the fact that you want to pray for me, but please don't send me crying tears and praying Anna's emojis.
00:52:43.119 --> 00:52:49.199
Yeah, I want positive energy, and that's what's gonna get me through this.
00:52:49.760 --> 00:52:51.440
And you're gonna get better.
00:52:52.079 --> 00:52:53.920
Yes, you're gonna get better.
00:52:54.639 --> 00:52:57.199
I am, and you know what?
00:52:58.559 --> 00:53:02.320
I have finished three rounds of chemo.
00:53:02.880 --> 00:53:03.199
Wow.
00:53:03.440 --> 00:53:12.880
They did the CT scan, this tumor shrunk, even where it metastasized, shrunk down.
00:53:13.199 --> 00:53:13.840
Wow.
00:53:14.239 --> 00:53:27.039
I had surgery on September 15th, and they removed everything, of course, total hysterectomy and all that, and I am doing great, Pat.
00:53:27.519 --> 00:53:28.400
That's fantastic.
00:53:28.559 --> 00:53:29.519
God bless you, Alan.
00:53:30.159 --> 00:53:30.400
Great.
00:53:30.559 --> 00:53:31.199
I'm shocked.
00:53:31.760 --> 00:53:32.000
Dr.
00:53:32.159 --> 00:53:42.239
Pond cannot believe that it's just the thing, and no one can believe that I'm like ready to, and I worked, you know, the Apple Festival.
00:53:42.800 --> 00:53:44.639
Um but it's the PME.
00:53:44.800 --> 00:53:46.880
Look at the PME, like you said, right?
00:53:46.960 --> 00:53:49.840
It's the look at the mental attitude.
00:53:50.079 --> 00:53:50.559
There you go.
00:53:50.880 --> 00:53:51.519
Everything.
00:53:51.760 --> 00:53:53.599
Let me ask you a question if I can.
00:53:53.760 --> 00:54:00.239
Can you please talk to the people, talk to our listeners out there who may be going through similar to the other thing?
00:54:00.559 --> 00:54:01.280
I would love to.
00:54:01.840 --> 00:54:04.320
I'd love to tell us a little bit about what you tell them.
00:54:04.400 --> 00:54:06.000
What advice would you give them, Ellen?
00:54:06.320 --> 00:54:20.480
What I found out about ovarian cancer is very interesting because 80% of all ovarian cancer PAT starts in the fallopian tubes.
00:54:20.639 --> 00:54:20.960
Okay.
00:54:21.440 --> 00:54:31.199
And this is a new something that surgeon that doctors and oncologists have learned for over 10 years now.
00:54:32.079 --> 00:54:43.599
But what they found out, Pat, is that 78% could have a lower risk of serious ovarian cancer.
00:54:44.000 --> 00:55:15.840
And this isn't done in a study in just this year that what doctors or surgeons are aware of is they can, if a woman not of childbearing age, of course, um is having some kind of abdominal surgery, they should talk to their surgeon if their surgeon does not talk to them about getting their fallopian tubes removed.
00:55:16.000 --> 00:55:24.559
Now it sounds kind of crazy, but they leave the ovaries so it does not affect their hormones at all.
00:55:25.760 --> 00:55:39.440
And taking the fallopian tubes afloat, what they're finding is the fallopian tubes kind of like shed like dandruff onto the ovaries, and that's um science has shown.
00:55:39.599 --> 00:55:46.559
And when they did the pathology on my flopian tubes, that's where the cancer started.
00:55:46.719 --> 00:55:47.920
They can tell that.
00:55:48.159 --> 00:55:48.480
Okay.
00:55:49.119 --> 00:56:01.199
So they're saying then if a woman is having no no, you can't go to your surgeon and say, take my flopian tubes, they won't do that unless there's a reason to have abdominal surgery.
00:56:01.360 --> 00:56:01.679
Sure.
00:56:02.000 --> 00:56:13.920
But if they were, they're finding that taking the flopian tubes does does help eliminate ovarian cancer.
00:56:14.719 --> 00:56:15.280
Interesting.
00:56:15.519 --> 00:56:29.840
In in in women that have had that surgery, they've done studies that if they've been able to not not that they've done biopsies to say, oh, your fallopian tubes had cancer.
00:56:30.079 --> 00:56:30.639
Sure, yeah.
00:56:30.960 --> 00:56:33.199
But it's it's interesting.
00:56:33.360 --> 00:56:35.920
The article was in the New York Times.
00:56:36.159 --> 00:56:41.039
If somebody wants to look it up, I think it was um maybe several months ago.
00:56:41.280 --> 00:56:41.599
Okay.
00:56:42.079 --> 00:56:50.079
But um, it's what every woman should know about fallopian tubes and ovarian cancer prevention.
00:56:50.800 --> 00:56:54.960
So um talk to your, I mean, talk to your doctor.
00:56:55.039 --> 00:57:00.320
Yes, you could go definitely keep going for your your your mammograms.
00:57:00.480 --> 00:57:03.599
Keep going for your if you're not as old as me.
00:57:03.679 --> 00:57:10.880
I'm 73, and that was one thing I said, well, I'm 73, I don't get pep smears anymore, you know.
00:57:11.679 --> 00:57:15.840
And uh certainly that's not how ovarian cancer is detected.
00:57:16.079 --> 00:57:18.719
Okay, it's a silent killer patch.
00:57:18.880 --> 00:57:19.119
Sure.
00:57:19.679 --> 00:57:22.880
Because women don't know they have it.
00:57:23.440 --> 00:57:35.679
Now, if there is cancer in your family, please go get tested, do a braca test, um, find out if it's in your genes.
00:57:35.920 --> 00:57:39.679
There's also a new FDA approved.
00:57:39.760 --> 00:57:50.960
Yes, I read a lot of science now, you know, anything cancer and but FDA approved this G-A-L-L-E-R-I gallery test.
00:57:52.239 --> 00:58:00.880
It's a blood draw that is for people that are 50 years of age or older, not just for women.
00:58:01.119 --> 00:58:01.440
Okay.
00:58:02.320 --> 00:58:14.079
This one test is can identify 50 different types of tumors in if cancer exists.
00:58:14.559 --> 00:58:21.920
Now, it doesn't mean this blood test is going to say, oh, you don't need to go for your mammogram, you don't need to go for sure, yeah.
00:58:23.679 --> 00:58:37.280
But there is now the science has come up with these now FDA approved blood draw at can see if you have some kind of cancer.
00:58:37.760 --> 00:58:58.800
I don't know a lot about it, but the I just want to say the science is so incredible today that if you are diagnosed with any kind of cancer, talk to your oncologist, stay positive.
00:58:59.760 --> 00:59:04.159
You know, I mean, I'm not I'm not in a fairy tale world here.
00:59:04.320 --> 00:59:07.360
Yes, I lost my husband to cancer.
00:59:07.599 --> 00:59:19.519
I know it's the worst possible thing in the world, but science has come a long way even since 2021.
00:59:19.840 --> 00:59:22.320
Yeah, no, and you know what, Ellen, I appreciate that.
00:59:22.480 --> 00:59:27.280
Uh, obviously, your husband Marty went through that, you've been going through that.
00:59:27.599 --> 00:59:29.360
No, thank you for that, Ellen.
00:59:29.440 --> 00:59:30.239
Thank you so much.
00:59:30.400 --> 00:59:31.599
I appreciate that very much.
00:59:31.920 --> 00:59:35.519
And I'm so glad that you're better and you're gonna get better.
00:59:36.400 --> 00:59:37.440
It's just wonderful.
00:59:37.760 --> 00:59:39.360
That's so that's so fantastic.
00:59:40.159 --> 00:59:45.440
Yeah, I don't think I told the the listeners, they got everything through the surgery.
00:59:45.760 --> 00:59:48.880
Um, this minuscule little fragment.
00:59:49.280 --> 00:59:58.320
So I do three more rounds, cycles of chemo, and by the end of the year, I will be in remission.
00:59:59.039 --> 00:59:59.920
That's fantastic.
01:00:00.719 --> 01:00:02.480
That's gonna be fantastic.
01:00:02.639 --> 01:00:04.000
God bless you, my friend.
01:00:04.239 --> 01:00:05.199
God bless you.
01:00:05.360 --> 01:00:09.039
We're gonna go on ahead and get into the happy hot seat stuff now.
01:00:09.199 --> 01:00:10.639
Here we go, Alan.
01:00:11.039 --> 01:00:15.440
I had mentioned to you, and again, thank you for all your information out there.
01:00:15.599 --> 01:00:17.920
And uh, this is the Better Never Stop Splits.
01:00:18.000 --> 01:00:21.360
I'm going to ask you a list of random fun questions.
01:00:21.519 --> 01:00:25.119
I'm gonna make you think, I'm gonna make you laugh, I'm gonna make you do whatever.
01:00:25.360 --> 01:00:28.960
Um, please answer them as best you can.
01:00:29.199 --> 01:00:30.480
Are you ready, my friend?
01:00:30.719 --> 01:00:31.840
I'm ready, Pat.
01:00:32.000 --> 01:00:32.880
All right, here we go.
01:00:33.039 --> 01:00:41.119
Number one, Ellen, what do you love most about living in Long Grove and owning your own store in Long Grove?
01:00:41.199 --> 01:00:42.800
What do you like most about those two things?
01:00:42.960 --> 01:00:48.960
I you know, Pat, I love Long Grove because it does have a sense of community.
01:00:49.440 --> 01:01:37.039
Um be downtown Long Grove, it's just like a Hallmark movie, I gotta tell you, when you when you see the little small towns, as big as we are, because you know, Buffalo Grove and everything, but I I I know so many of the people and everyone cares about each other, but being a part of the historical downtown Long Grove in having a store and having people come through the store as a shopping, shopping in downtown Long Grove, it it's it is a historical site, you know, it was founded in the 1800s.
01:01:37.519 --> 01:01:44.480
Um, our tavern is the oldest tavern in the state of Illinois.
01:01:45.280 --> 01:01:47.039
Um, so that's kind of cool.
01:01:47.199 --> 01:01:57.760
Our buildings were all built in the 1800s, so it's just a sense of community and pride.
01:01:58.159 --> 01:01:58.719
I love that.
01:01:58.880 --> 01:02:00.239
I love that answer, my friend.
01:02:00.480 --> 01:02:02.320
Okay, number two, Ellen.
01:02:03.199 --> 01:02:11.119
What was that one moment that you realized I can make this store idea work?
01:02:11.280 --> 01:02:14.480
When did it hit you when you said, you know what, I can do this?
01:02:15.280 --> 01:02:15.760
Wow.
01:02:15.920 --> 01:02:20.800
Well, it took a long time for them to rebuild that store.
01:02:21.039 --> 01:02:27.119
Okay, they had to gut it, so it seemed like I was never gonna get into the store.
01:02:27.199 --> 01:02:37.199
So that's frustrating, and God bless I say Mike Oaken and his wonderful contractor, Bob.
01:02:38.000 --> 01:02:42.559
They they they gutted it literally and built it back up.
01:02:42.880 --> 01:02:46.320
So I kept going, can I do it?
01:02:46.480 --> 01:03:09.199
And once I started meeting these artists and getting my first pieces of art, even though I didn't have a store, the dream became a reality because I was holding these gorgeous pieces of blown glass, holding that first piece of blown glass in my hand.
01:03:11.039 --> 01:03:13.679
It was that was the aha moment.
01:03:14.159 --> 01:03:15.440
That was the aha moment.
01:03:15.519 --> 01:03:16.559
You got it, Ellen.
01:03:16.719 --> 01:03:17.440
Great answer.
01:03:17.599 --> 01:03:18.480
All right, my friend.
01:03:18.639 --> 01:03:19.760
Number three.
01:03:20.159 --> 01:03:23.360
Are you a coffee person or a wine person?
01:03:24.880 --> 01:03:27.760
A coffee person or a wine person?
01:03:28.400 --> 01:03:32.159
Well, I definitely like wine, but I'm a sweet wine girl.
01:03:32.239 --> 01:03:33.920
I do love my Moscato.
01:03:34.079 --> 01:03:34.960
Everybody knows me.
01:03:35.280 --> 01:03:37.519
Love Moscato, love Moscato, same here.
01:03:39.039 --> 01:03:44.559
I'm not a coffee person, but I am a huge tea snob.
01:03:45.039 --> 01:03:46.719
Oh, you're a tea snob.
01:03:46.960 --> 01:03:47.760
Okay, I am.
01:03:47.840 --> 01:03:49.039
I am a tea snob.
01:03:49.119 --> 01:03:57.360
I only get my tea from a particular place, and yes, I I love my tea.
01:03:57.519 --> 01:03:59.840
So it's all about the tea.
01:04:00.079 --> 01:04:00.639
There you go.
01:04:00.800 --> 01:04:01.519
I love it.
01:04:01.840 --> 01:04:04.239
Alrighty, number four for you.
01:04:04.719 --> 01:04:11.280
What's one piece of advice you would give someone who wants to open their own store?
01:04:11.599 --> 01:04:14.320
Wow, you can do it.
01:04:14.719 --> 01:04:15.440
You can do it.
01:04:15.679 --> 01:04:17.280
Um, you know what?
01:04:18.639 --> 01:04:27.039
I'm I'm I'm also blessed because financially I was able to do this without having to take out a loan.
01:04:27.920 --> 01:04:37.840
So my situation, I think, is different from somebody who may not be financially ready.
01:04:38.400 --> 01:04:44.719
So I would say work in a store, learn as much as you can.
01:04:45.440 --> 01:04:51.599
So my my advice is be sure you're financially sound and ready.
01:04:51.920 --> 01:05:05.760
Know what you want your business to be, have that vision really truly engraved in your brain, and and and and put it out there.
01:05:06.239 --> 01:05:10.800
Every piece, you know, there's so many moving pieces to opening this door.
01:05:11.360 --> 01:05:17.760
And so you've got I would sit down with them and take them through what I had learned.
01:05:18.000 --> 01:05:18.559
Absolutely.
01:05:18.639 --> 01:05:19.599
I love that answer.
01:05:19.679 --> 01:05:20.320
Absolutely.
01:05:20.559 --> 01:05:22.719
All right, number, let me see, which one is this?
01:05:22.880 --> 01:05:23.679
We're gonna jump over.
01:05:23.760 --> 01:05:28.000
I've got a couple I had here that you already answered pretty much in it, but that's okay.
01:05:28.079 --> 01:05:30.320
I'm gonna go to number seven, Ellen.
01:05:31.199 --> 01:05:36.000
What song instantly puts you in a great mood?
01:05:36.159 --> 01:05:39.039
Is there one song you listen and go, yep, I needed that one?
01:05:39.280 --> 01:05:40.719
I needed to hear that one.
01:05:41.039 --> 01:05:42.079
You know, okay.
01:05:42.239 --> 01:05:48.559
I'm I'm a I'm a 60 girls, classic rock kind of girl.
01:05:48.960 --> 01:05:54.800
So any Fleetwood Mac song I love it, puts me in a great mood.
01:05:54.960 --> 01:05:55.440
There you go.
01:05:55.679 --> 01:06:01.599
Um, Rihanna, um Sarah, because that's my Daughter's name, nice.
01:06:01.679 --> 01:06:01.920
Yes.
01:06:02.400 --> 01:06:02.639
Yeah.
01:06:03.119 --> 01:06:05.119
My favorite, and my wife knows this.
01:06:05.199 --> 01:06:07.840
My favorite Fleetwood Mac song, Alan.
01:06:08.000 --> 01:06:08.639
Sarah.
01:06:08.800 --> 01:06:10.079
That's that's just the one I love.
01:06:10.480 --> 01:06:10.800
Really?
01:06:11.039 --> 01:06:11.840
Oh, that's the one.
01:06:11.920 --> 01:06:12.480
I love that.
01:06:12.639 --> 01:06:12.960
All right.
01:06:13.039 --> 01:06:13.840
We're gonna go here.
01:06:13.920 --> 01:06:15.519
I'm gonna give you number eight.
01:06:15.760 --> 01:06:21.840
Alan, what advice would you give your younger self?
01:06:23.039 --> 01:06:23.679
Wow.
01:06:24.159 --> 01:06:26.000
Don't get married young.
01:06:26.320 --> 01:06:27.039
Don't get mad.
01:06:27.840 --> 01:06:29.119
Don't get married young.
01:06:29.280 --> 01:06:29.599
Okay.
01:06:29.840 --> 01:06:30.559
Oh no.
01:06:30.800 --> 01:06:41.599
Um, you know, I guess I would say never be afraid to start over again.
01:06:42.000 --> 01:06:43.280
I love that.
01:06:43.599 --> 01:06:45.280
There's always a restart.
01:06:45.679 --> 01:06:46.880
My buddy just talked about it.
01:06:47.679 --> 01:06:48.800
Yeah, there's a reset.
01:06:48.960 --> 01:06:49.360
Yeah.
01:06:50.559 --> 01:06:51.039
Yeah.
01:06:51.599 --> 01:06:54.159
I get a lot of resets, Pat, but you know what?
01:06:54.239 --> 01:06:55.280
They've all been positive.
01:06:55.440 --> 01:06:56.159
They've all been good.
01:06:56.320 --> 01:06:57.920
My buddy was just on the podcast.
01:06:58.000 --> 01:07:00.079
He just wrote a golf book and he talked about.
01:07:01.840 --> 01:07:02.800
Yep, reset.
01:07:02.960 --> 01:07:03.519
Restart.
01:07:03.599 --> 01:07:05.440
There's always a reset or a restart.
01:07:05.599 --> 01:07:06.639
I love that, Alan.
01:07:06.800 --> 01:07:08.079
All right, number nine.
01:07:08.880 --> 01:07:16.320
What helps you stay positive when your health challenges start to feel a bit overwhelming?
01:07:16.480 --> 01:07:17.440
What do you lean on?
01:07:17.519 --> 01:07:20.400
What did you lean on when it's oh my god?
01:07:21.119 --> 01:07:24.800
Um, my children and my grandchildren.
01:07:24.960 --> 01:07:25.280
Yeah.
01:07:25.599 --> 01:07:37.840
Um my life is so full, yeah, you know, that I I think, you know, it's just as basic as counting your blessings.
01:07:38.079 --> 01:07:39.039
Yes, it's a good.
01:07:40.400 --> 01:07:43.599
I am one very, very, very blessed woman.
01:07:43.760 --> 01:07:44.639
I really am.
01:07:45.199 --> 01:07:58.800
I I've had so many challenges, but I've had so many wonderful things, and I I wonderful family friends, friends that are family, and family that are my friends.
01:07:59.199 --> 01:08:04.400
One uh number 10, and then I got one more question after that, just an off-the-cuff question.
01:08:04.719 --> 01:08:05.519
Number 10.
01:08:05.920 --> 01:08:17.119
Alan, if there's one thing that you hope our listeners will remember most about our conversation tonight, what would you want it to be?
01:08:17.520 --> 01:08:24.079
Oh, without a doubt, always PMA, positive mental attitude.
01:08:24.399 --> 01:08:25.119
PMA.
01:08:26.319 --> 01:08:28.880
Always positive, always happy, Pat.
01:08:29.199 --> 01:08:31.279
Never empty, never empty.
01:08:31.680 --> 01:08:32.239
Love that.
01:08:32.399 --> 01:08:33.520
I absolutely love that.
01:08:33.680 --> 01:08:39.199
And as you know, this is the Better Never Stops podcast, and I want to thank you for coming on.
01:08:39.520 --> 01:08:45.199
Ellen, what inspires you to want to be better every day?
01:08:45.359 --> 01:08:50.720
I ask all of my guests this because again, this is the Better Never Stops podcast.
01:08:50.880 --> 01:09:02.399
What I always ask my listeners to do, one of the things I like to talk about, is just try to get one percent, one percent better at one thing every day.
01:09:02.640 --> 01:09:12.720
What do you try to do, or what do you try to lean on, so to speak, that you feel helps you be better than the day before?
01:09:12.880 --> 01:09:13.920
How do you do that?
01:09:14.159 --> 01:09:30.000
Oh um, I'm gonna just say first and foremost, being kind, be kinder, be more caring, listen more, um, be engaged.
01:09:31.039 --> 01:09:53.680
Um, I am and in my store, my I would say every day what I try to do, and even in my life, is uh Maya Angelo had a wonderful saying people won't remember what you said, people won't remember what you did, but people will remember how you made them feel.
01:09:54.000 --> 01:09:54.960
That is fantastic.
01:09:55.680 --> 01:09:56.560
That's a great quote.
01:09:56.720 --> 01:10:02.560
It's a really trying, this is not, you know, oh yeah, sure, lady.
01:10:02.800 --> 01:10:09.119
No, I really try when you're in my home or I meet you on the street.
01:10:09.439 --> 01:10:22.720
I try to be a the better per better person, better caring, and especially if they're in my store, I want them to walk out of my store feeling like, well, you know what?
01:10:22.880 --> 01:10:28.319
This shop owner really cares and is really kind to their customers.
01:10:28.560 --> 01:10:29.199
That's wonderful.
01:10:30.720 --> 01:10:33.279
So that's what I try to do each day.
01:10:33.439 --> 01:10:37.439
I I hope I I hope I can continue to achieve it.
01:10:37.520 --> 01:10:39.359
There are those days though, Pat.
01:10:39.600 --> 01:10:40.000
You know?
01:10:40.479 --> 01:10:41.600
Oh, we all have them.
01:10:41.840 --> 01:10:42.800
We all have them, my friend.
01:10:42.880 --> 01:10:43.199
Yes, sir.
01:10:43.439 --> 01:10:48.319
You go home, you pull up the big girl pants, and you start over again in the expression.
01:10:49.920 --> 01:10:56.479
My friend Ellen, let me uh go on ahead and plug all of your information here for you.
01:10:56.800 --> 01:11:01.439
My friends, uh, again, my good friend, the wonderful Ellen Glassman.
01:11:02.239 --> 01:11:12.720
You can see Ellen at her website at www.artistic creations of LG for Long Grove.
01:11:12.800 --> 01:11:14.000
Again, let me repeat that.
01:11:14.319 --> 01:11:20.319
www.artisticcreations of lg.com.
01:11:20.960 --> 01:11:28.159
Her Facebook, you can go to artistic creations of Long Grove, and her store is in Long Grove.
01:11:28.239 --> 01:11:36.720
The address is 405 Robert Parker Coffin Road, Long Grove, Illinois, 60047.
01:11:36.880 --> 01:11:37.840
I'm gonna talk to you.
01:11:37.920 --> 01:11:39.039
Hang on for just a minute.
01:11:39.119 --> 01:11:45.680
I'm gonna talk to you for just a second after we're done here, but I do want to make sure that you know I want to thank you very much.
01:11:45.920 --> 01:11:52.399
We have become very, very uh uh um consistent friends here on our text messages.
01:11:52.560 --> 01:11:55.359
Uh, my wife and I have been very concerned for you.
01:11:55.439 --> 01:11:57.279
Like I said early when you jumped on.
01:11:57.439 --> 01:12:04.640
She says to say hi, and that we are so grateful uh that you are feeling so much better because you've been to a five.
01:12:07.039 --> 01:12:07.279
Thank you.
01:12:08.159 --> 01:12:09.920
I want to thank you for coming on.
01:12:10.079 --> 01:12:10.399
Thank you.
01:12:10.560 --> 01:12:12.319
I know we've been talking about this for months.
01:12:12.399 --> 01:12:13.199
So do me a favor.
01:12:13.359 --> 01:12:15.600
Once again, my friends, this is Ellen Glassman.
01:12:15.760 --> 01:12:19.920
Uh hang on for just a second, Ellen, and thank you again, my friend.
01:12:20.399 --> 01:12:21.359
Thank you, Pat.
01:12:21.760 --> 01:12:22.640
You got it.
01:12:22.880 --> 01:12:27.439
I would like to thank my wonderful friend Ellen Glassman for joining us on the podcast.
01:12:27.600 --> 01:12:38.319
I was so excited that she decided to go on ahead and join us on the podcast to share just an incredible story, so inspiring, and so motivating.
01:12:38.479 --> 01:12:41.119
This is what this podcast is about, right here.
01:12:41.520 --> 01:12:44.960
These types of stories, unbelievable.
01:12:45.520 --> 01:12:59.520
Here is a wonderful woman who had to deal with loss, reinvention, courage, entrepreneurship, and then finding a new purpose when life threw a wrench at her.
01:13:00.560 --> 01:13:02.000
Just threw a wrench at her.
01:13:02.399 --> 01:13:03.680
And here she comes.
01:13:04.000 --> 01:13:05.439
She's coming out of it.
01:13:06.159 --> 01:13:10.399
She gets diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer.
01:13:11.279 --> 01:13:15.680
She's got a 75% chance, her doctor says.
01:13:20.399 --> 01:13:21.439
Unbelievable.
01:13:21.920 --> 01:13:23.600
And she never stops.
01:13:24.159 --> 01:13:25.439
She just keeps going.
01:13:25.600 --> 01:13:27.760
And some of the points I I wrote down here.
01:13:28.479 --> 01:13:35.279
When she went on her first date with her soulmate Marty, what did Marty tell her when they sat at the table?
01:13:36.000 --> 01:13:41.920
If you feel like you want to stay, open the menu, and then I'll know.
01:13:42.159 --> 01:13:43.439
That's I mean, come on.
01:13:43.840 --> 01:13:45.600
That's movie stuff right there.
01:13:46.159 --> 01:14:02.319
Another thing Ellen talked about was when she got down, when she didn't know what was gonna happen, when she was having tough days, she relied on what she called PMA, a positive mental attitude.
01:14:02.640 --> 01:14:04.000
She leaned on that.
01:14:04.640 --> 01:14:06.079
She leaned on that.
01:14:06.560 --> 01:14:07.920
And what did she say?
01:14:08.159 --> 01:14:09.520
I'm not going down.
01:14:10.399 --> 01:14:12.239
This cancer isn't getting me.
01:14:12.319 --> 01:14:14.000
I'm gonna be okay, everybody.
01:14:14.159 --> 01:14:15.039
You watch.
01:14:15.600 --> 01:14:16.560
You watch.
01:14:16.880 --> 01:14:18.319
I'm gonna be okay.
01:14:18.800 --> 01:14:19.600
PMA.
01:14:20.479 --> 01:14:22.159
Positive mental attitude.
01:14:22.560 --> 01:14:23.199
I love that.
01:14:23.359 --> 01:14:25.920
Ellen Glassman is a wonderful friend.
01:14:26.479 --> 01:14:28.399
I only wish her the best.
01:14:28.560 --> 01:14:30.239
God bless Ellen Glassman.
01:14:30.479 --> 01:14:31.840
She's so fantastic.
01:14:32.000 --> 01:14:38.960
If and when you guys ever get out to the northwest suburbs of Chicago, about 40 miles northwest of Chicago.
01:14:39.199 --> 01:14:40.720
Head over to Long Grove.
01:14:40.880 --> 01:14:43.279
I'm so lucky it's not too far from my home.
01:14:43.600 --> 01:14:50.960
Head over to Long Grove, downtown Long Grove, and hit up Ellen at Artistic Creations of Long Grove.
01:14:51.279 --> 01:14:57.840
Right on the intersection air of Robert Parker Coffin Road and Old McHenry Road.
01:14:58.000 --> 01:14:58.640
Right there.
01:14:59.279 --> 01:15:03.760
Stop in and say hi to Ellen and tell her Patrick sent you, my friends.
01:15:03.920 --> 01:15:08.239
Once again, I want to thank Ellen Glassman for coming on the podcast.
01:15:08.640 --> 01:15:10.800
I am proud to call her my friend.
01:15:10.960 --> 01:15:12.000
Thank you, Ellen.
01:15:12.399 --> 01:15:16.159
My friends, next week we got another great podcast episode.
01:15:16.479 --> 01:15:24.399
My good friend Bill Cunningham is going to be on the podcast to share his story, to talk about his journey.
01:15:24.880 --> 01:15:30.319
Bill played college basketball for Bobby Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers.
01:15:30.640 --> 01:15:38.640
He also played college basketball for Jerry Tarkanian and the UNLV running rebels out in Vegas.
01:15:39.119 --> 01:15:40.960
Two Hall of Fame coaches.
01:15:41.199 --> 01:15:43.840
Bill's going to tell us all about that.
01:15:44.159 --> 01:15:50.800
All about what he's doing now to help inspire and motivate kids out there, athletes out there to be better.
01:15:51.119 --> 01:15:56.319
Bill Cunningham's going to be here next week on the Better Never Stops podcast.
01:15:56.479 --> 01:15:57.199
Can't wait for that.
01:15:57.680 --> 01:15:59.600
My friends, thanks again for tuning in.
01:15:59.840 --> 01:16:13.680
Hey, listen, you can catch us anywhere as far as on our podcast, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, wherever you're at, just type in Better Never Stops.
01:16:13.840 --> 01:16:15.199
You'll find us, my friends.
01:16:15.439 --> 01:16:28.399
And if you're on the Spotify app, if you've got a story that you'd like to share that you think would inspire and motivate our listeners, hit us up in the comment section on the Spotify app.
01:16:28.880 --> 01:16:30.640
Let us know if you'd like to join us.
01:16:30.880 --> 01:16:37.680
Or if you have a friend or anybody you know who might have a story that would inspire and motivate our audience.
01:16:38.000 --> 01:16:40.079
Hit us up, let us know what's going on.
01:16:40.720 --> 01:16:43.520
Everybody's welcome on this podcast.
01:16:44.000 --> 01:16:54.079
My friends, when I have guests on the show, I always ask them to give me three of their favorite songs that I can share with my audience on their episode.
01:16:54.319 --> 01:16:57.520
We started off with Fleetwood Mac Rihanna.
01:16:58.079 --> 01:17:01.680
We also went on ahead and played a little ABBA, dancing queen.
01:17:01.920 --> 01:17:03.199
Ellen likes to dance.
01:17:03.439 --> 01:17:04.960
Ellen wanted some ABBA.
01:17:05.359 --> 01:17:07.039
And we're going to end it.
01:17:07.119 --> 01:17:09.520
And I've got a little surprise for Ellen.
01:17:09.680 --> 01:17:17.920
I've got Blackbird, but I got a really special version of Blackbird by the Beatles with Paul McCartney on the lead vocal.
01:17:18.000 --> 01:17:20.960
We're going to play that out as we fade out of this episode.
01:17:21.199 --> 01:17:25.840
My friends, once again, next week, Bill Cunningham, my good buddies on the podcast.
01:17:26.000 --> 01:17:28.159
I want to thank everybody for tuning in.
01:17:28.319 --> 01:17:36.159
This is Pat Garcia, and we'll see you again next week, right here on the Better Never Stops podcast.
01:17:36.319 --> 01:18:23.520
And I am out of the way for this moment to be free.
00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:01.600
Hello, my friends.
00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:19.839
You know, ever since I started this podcast a couple of years ago, I've had the opportunity to meet and talk to some of the most amazing people from their inspiring stories to how they stay motivated to be better every single day.
00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:24.000
And my guest tonight is right at the top of that list.
00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:27.280
My good friend Ellen Glassman is here.
00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:34.880
She's gonna share her story and her journey right here tonight on the Better Never Stops podcast.
00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:35.679
Let's go.
00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:01.439
What is that promised you never?
00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:04.480
We never win.
00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:10.079
Hello, my friends, and welcome to the Better Never Stops Podcast.
00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:12.640
This is Pat Garcia coming to you from where?
00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:14.159
Studio P.
00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:22.959
That's where, here in Chicago, the greatest city on the planet, Riverwest, born and bred right here in his chair.
00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:27.680
Thank you guys for tuning in to the Better Never Stops Podcast.
00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:36.640
To all of my returning listeners, thank all of you guys for always choosing to be better again and again.
00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:42.959
If this is your first time joining us on the podcast, welcome to our Better Never Stops Army, my friends.
00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:46.799
We're rocking you coast to coast and country to country.
00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:49.680
We are WE Love Radio.
00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:51.680
Thank you to our new listeners.
00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:59.040
And I gotta be honest with you, we have had the most downloads between episodes ever.
00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:01.359
It is unbelievable.
00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:39.120
Our new domestic listeners, look at this Los Fresnos, Texas, Apopka, Florida, Lenox, Georgia, Hartford, Wisconsin, Athens, Georgia, the B 52s, Wapakaneta, Ohio, Research, Triangle Park, North Carolina, Alexandria, Louisiana, Somerville, and Abbeyville, South Carolina, Brooklyn, New York, Lakeville, Minnesota, Hearst, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, and Hamilton, Ohio.
00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:41.439
Thank you guys for tuning in.
00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:55.599
Our new listeners internationally in Lim, England, Frankfurt, Germany, Madrid, Spain, Melbourne, Australia, and Province of Ferrara in Italy.
00:02:55.919 --> 00:03:01.199
Thank all of you guys for joining us here on the podcast.
00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:06.719
Again, we are the podcast that walks hand in hand with the word respect.
00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:10.879
Everybody is welcome on this podcast.
00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:12.479
What's going on, my friends?
00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:14.319
Welcome to the podcast.
00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:16.560
I've got a great guest tonight.
00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:19.280
My good friend Alan Glassman is going to be here.
00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:22.960
She's going to talk about her incredible story, her journey.
00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:24.000
It's a good one.
00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:26.560
I am so glad I had the opportunity.
00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:31.520
My wife and I had the opportunity to meet her and her store out here in Long Grove.
00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:33.520
We're going to talk all about that tonight.
00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:34.719
Her story is amazing.
00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:37.439
What a wonderful, wonderful, amazing woman.
00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:39.439
Ellen Glassman is here tonight.
00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:41.280
How about a Chicago Bears?
00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:43.280
We're four and two, my friends.
00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:46.000
Beat up on the Atlanta Falcons yesterday.
00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:47.759
Caleb Williams is back.
00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:48.879
But here's the story.
00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:53.599
Kyler Gordon is back on the defense for the Bears.
00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:54.800
Three sacks.
00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:56.560
He's a defensive back.
00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:58.159
Three sacks.
00:03:58.479 --> 00:03:59.919
Two force fumbles.
00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:01.120
Unbelievable.
00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:02.479
Let's go Bears.
00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:03.439
Patriots.
00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:07.360
We got them here in Chicago at Soldier Field Thursday night.
00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:08.719
Let's go Bears.
00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:12.560
Our Chicago Cubs and Sox, hey, great season.
00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:14.719
You guys are going to be back next year.
00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:16.160
I will see you next year.
00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:17.600
Helmet nachos.
00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:19.279
I'll see you next year.
00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:21.680
Let's go Cubs and Socks next year, my friends.
00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:24.639
Golfing, hey, my golfing's been good.
00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.079
I'm starting to golf a lot more now than I have during the summer.
00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.480
I've got some time to do that here in the fall.
00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:34.560
And I'll tell you what, the weather has been fabulous here in Chicago.
00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:36.480
It is truly Indian summer here.
00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:37.600
It is amazing.
00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:41.199
Low 70s to about maybe high to mid 60s.
00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:42.319
We're getting some sun.
00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:44.000
The rain has subsided.
00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:47.680
We got a lot of rain here at the end of the summer and into the fall.
00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:50.160
But hey, my golf game's looking good.
00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:57.519
I'm picking up some yards with the help of my friend from last week on the episode, Roman Zavisha, helping me with that driver.
00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:00.560
So picked up about 10 yards, so that's a good thing.
00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:02.079
And uh it's just great.
00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:09.120
It's great to meet up with new people, to go on ahead and talk to them about what they're good at and how they're good at it or whatever.
00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:13.199
And I happen to have a lot of friends who golf and help me with my game.
00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:14.399
Thank you all, you guys.
00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:15.279
You're listening.
00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:17.279
You guys know who you are, my friends.
00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:19.839
But once again, we are here tonight.
00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:22.000
We're gonna talk with Alan Glassman.
00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:24.160
She's coming up just in a second.
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Grab your drinks, get your snacks, put your book down, put your feet up.
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Alan's here tonight, right here on the Better Never Stops podcast.
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We'll be right back.
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This is Jordan Garcia.
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You're listening to my dad, Pat Garcia, on the Better Never Stops podcast.
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Tonight's guest is someone my wife and I had the pleasure of meeting in one of those unexpected moments that remind you just how interesting people's stories can be.
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My wife and I were out shopping in downtown Long Grove right around May-June time frame this past summer, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, when we walked into a little store and met a truly wonderful woman.
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She grew up in West Rogers Park in Chicago.
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She spent almost 40 years working in the corporate world, but life has a way of taking us in directions we never expected.
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After recently losing her beloved husband, she found herself trying to figure out what the next chapter of her life was going to look like.
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She began spending more time snowboarding in Florida, trying to find her way and discover what was next.
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She also started doing Pilates, and during that time, she kept noticing an empty storefront right in Long Grove.
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She started thinking, why not?
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She always dreamed of owning her own store, and when the opportunity presented itself, she took a leap of faith.
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Today, she owns that wonderful cards, gifts, glassware, and art store in downtown Long Grove.
00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:11.519
But her story doesn't stop there.
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She has also been dealing with some personal health challenges, and tonight she's opening up about those experiences.
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More importantly, she wants to use what she's learned to help educate and inform others who may be going through similar situations.
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Her story is one of loss, reinvention, courage, entrepreneurship, and finding a new purpose when life takes an unexpected turn.
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I'm really excited to introduce you to someone I'm grateful we happened to meet that day while shopping in Long Grove.
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Please welcome my new friend, Ellen Glassman, to the show.
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Hey Ellen.
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Hey Pat, how are you?
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How are you, my friend?
00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:01.200
Thank you.
00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:05.440
We've been talking about getting you on the podcast for about four or five months now.
00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.200
We finally make that happen.
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Finally, finally, finally.
00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:09.679
Yeah.
00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:14.399
Thanks for being patient with me for all my little life detours.
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Absolutely.
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I'm doing great, and I'm so happy to be here with you tonight.
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Thank you so much, my friend.
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Hey, you know what?
00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:23.360
Let's get right into this.
00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:24.720
We got a lot to talk about.
00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:26.559
And again, I appreciate your time tonight.
00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:27.759
Thank you so much, Alan.
00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:29.200
Let's get right into it.
00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:34.320
Um, you were born and raised on the north side of Chicago, West Rogers Park.
00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:38.559
And then you just mentioned you went to Sun High School, my good friend Mike North.
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You know Mike North.
00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:39.679
Mike.
00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:41.519
I know Mike North.
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Yes, absolutely.
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A big celebrity of our our Sun High School class.
00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:49.360
Absolutely.
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But he's just was such a wonderful guy, down earth guy, still with me to this day.
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He's one of my good friends.
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I haven't seen him in years and years, but I would love to.
00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:03.759
He's doing terrific, Alan.
00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:04.480
He's fantastic.
00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:05.840
He was just on the last podcast.
00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:07.120
Well, I heard that.
00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:07.600
Yeah.
00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:11.039
And my sister-in-law, she also went to Sen High School over there.
00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:11.840
Talk about that.
00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:14.480
Talk about your beginnings, your Les Rogers Park.
00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:17.600
What was like going breaking born and raised there and going to Sen.
00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:18.879
Tell us a little bit about that.
00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:24.879
Yeah, it's born and raised, and everybody hears my accent, and they go, You're not from Chicago.
00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:30.879
But really, North Rogers Park had a lot of people that were from New York.
00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:36.080
So I really think that inflex is in my speaking pattern.
00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:41.279
But I'll get into why my I have that funny accent later on in the show.
00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:41.759
Okay.
00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:47.039
But growing up in the city of Chicago was incredible.
00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:49.039
I mean, we walked everywhere.
00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:55.120
Of course, it was the 60s and the 70s, and I was in Sun High School.
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And all the friends I made during that time are still my friends to this day, thanks to Facebook and keeping in touch with everyone.
00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:14.559
So I had a great, great childhood, but however, I got married very, very young.
00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:33.759
So after I worked for a while, and um the my first husband, who I knew as a childhood sweetheart, um, we decided to get married, and he was getting re-stationed.
00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:40.720
It was in the Air Force, okay, and he was being stationed in Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada.
00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:46.720
Las Vegas, Nevada was a lot different in 1972 than it is today.
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There was no uh monorails, there was there was no anything there.
00:11:53.679 --> 00:11:56.799
It was very, very small, was very intimate.
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I was very fortunate, even though I was 19, you know.
00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:05.840
Um, they won't come after me now, but my father-in-law may rest in peace.
00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:16.559
My um first husband's father changed my driver's license to say was 21, so I could be in the yeah, yeah, it was a wonderful time.
00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:22.480
It was a very different time, and we were very poor, so we didn't gamble a whole lot.
00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:35.200
But um Mount Charleston was a wonderful place for um skiing and snow, snow um boarding, and then there was Lake Mead.
00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:51.039
So being young and stupid, you know, we would go up to Mount Charleston to say we skied in the snow or played in the snow, and then drive all the way to Lake Mead so we could be by the water and say, hey, we will, you know, try to get on water skis.
00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:55.039
I mean, that's what you could do back then, right?
00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:59.840
Um very, you know, young, stupid kids.
00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:00.399
Sure.
00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:03.840
But it was a it was a wonderful adventure.
00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:15.679
Um just part of my makeup, so to speak, that I had that and can say, yes, I went, I lived in Las Vegas for two years.
00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:42.000
Um then we came home to reality, okay, and I was very lucky um because I had a lot of um not an accounting background per se, but I was very good with math and numbers, and I tested an old state insurance was hiring back then for commercial analysts.
00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:42.480
Okay.
00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:51.440
I didn't know what that was, but they liked the fact that I could run a big adding machine keyboard and could calculate premiums.
00:13:51.919 --> 00:14:24.799
And so my job with them started out where I would I was in commercial insurance, um raiding big uh buildings and fleets of cars, and um I was very lucky because the commercial insurance division back then was very small, and the opportunities back in 1974, all the way through my almost 40 years with All State, were wonderful.
00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:36.159
I I worked doing very, very large projects, I traveled um extensively for them um to check out.
00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:47.840
We did compliance checks on other um operation centers that were we would have running to make sure they were doing things the correct way.
00:14:48.240 --> 00:15:12.559
And then I got involved with the programming side of how our commercial systems ran, and I taught the commercial programmers how to our business rules so that we could create programs that were feasible for our agents um to to operate.
00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:17.120
And this went on, I did this for almost 40 years.
00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:17.759
Wow.
00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:26.000
Uh there, yes, with many dear, dear friends, and was so fortunate.
00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:32.240
I mean, today to hear that somebody stayed at a company that long, it's unheard of.
00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:32.720
Yeah.
00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:38.720
But the opportunities I was given, no, let's not take anything for granted.
00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:48.559
I mean, I worked day and night most of the time towards the end because what I did for the company, because it was very good to me.
00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:53.600
And not many people can say I really liked what I did for a living.
00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:55.279
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:57.840
So it it was interesting.
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During that time, uh, my first husband and I had a little girl who's now gonna be 51.
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Oh my goodness.
00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:09.600
Yeah, in December.
00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:15.440
And um, we divorced um in after seven years.
00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:27.279
And then I um because my family was very worried that a single mom with a little girl back in the seven late 70s, you know what it's like.
00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:37.279
So I met a I met a gentleman and um we got married, and unfortunately, their marriage was not that great.
00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:37.759
Okay.
00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:41.600
So um we divorced in '98.
00:16:42.240 --> 00:17:13.680
And during that time though, Old State was still my place that continued to give me opportunities and understanding, raising a child, and then uh one who was in junior high and then high school, and having to be able to be there, be the mom for that was amazing that I was able to do that.
00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:26.240
And then um, you know, life happens, and after so many years, um we decided they were gonna flatten the organization.
00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:28.240
Oh my goodness, okay.
00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:32.640
And then, you know, I had door number one or door number two.
00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:38.960
Door number one, we're gonna reduce your salary because we're not gonna have any senior consultants anymore.
00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:39.920
Right.
00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:55.599
And then we're or door number two, your retirement age, so we will give you a year's salary and cobra out your medical and um and thank you.
00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:56.960
And thank you.
00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:03.440
And so when I said I'm taking door number two, they were quite quite surprised, quite surprised.
00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:18.480
But after um in 98, when I divorced my second husband, still working for Allstate, all my friends decided, okay, I said, nope, I'm done.
00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:22.079
I'm done with the marriage didn't work for me, you know.
00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:24.559
I'm thankful I've got my career.
00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:36.319
But then in any corporation with anyone who's worked in an office knows everybody knows your business, everybody wants to just see.
00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:39.200
Oh no, she's single, we've got to get her married.
00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:42.319
We gotta, we gotta try to find her a new man.
00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:42.799
Right.
00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:44.880
That one was no good for her.
00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:46.880
No, let's try a new thing.
00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:51.200
So I dabbled in online dating.
00:18:51.440 --> 00:19:00.720
Online dating in in '98 was so different than online dating today or even swiping right or left.
00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:02.319
I don't even know what that is.
00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:09.440
But there were no cell phone texting or apps or any of that.
00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:14.160
It was, yes, you had a phone, you talked to people on that phone.
00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:17.839
I don't even think my phone took pictures in '98.
00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:23.759
I think it was just a basic big phone that there was no iPhones back then.
00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:30.400
So um I went online and it was quite the experience.
00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:33.599
I tried a whole book, but we don't have time.
00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:35.839
We could do another podcast on that.
00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:40.960
But I was just about to give up.
00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:50.319
Remember, I'm working at All State where dear friends are watching every move I make and saying, okay, you can't give up one more time.
00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:56.720
So it was it was October of 2000.
00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:02.160
And my girlfriend said, try one more time.
00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:11.839
Don't make me make this uh project for you that you have to sign off on, but you go home and I want you to try one more time.
00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:12.720
One more time.
00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:14.079
One more time.
00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:17.680
So it's Halloween night.
00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:28.559
I'm sitting in my office by my computer, and you know, the big computer screen, there was not, remember, it was 2000.
00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:35.839
And I don't normally have my wallet in my office, but this time I actually did.
00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:43.359
I went online, I look at this one site that I had never wasn't matched.com.
00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:52.640
There were so many different ones, and I see this one profile that said, love spending time with my daughters.
00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:53.519
Wow.
00:20:54.079 --> 00:21:06.240
It caught my attention because all these other guys I dated, oh, you have a child, oh you know, they weren't interested in their children or anything but you know having wine and sex.
00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:19.839
So I I like well, I'm I need to join this website to get on to apply to this this wonderful man.
00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:25.039
Tell us about this wonderful man who became your soulmate, Alan.
00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:28.880
Tell us about your wonderful husband, your third husband, Marty.
00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:29.920
Tell us about Marty.
00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:31.680
Oh my goodness, Pat.
00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:37.440
You know, I don't even know where to begin to start talking about my Marty.
00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:49.920
He so when I say I I answered his profile, and back then it was all about the email.
00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:51.759
So he had my email.
00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:59.759
I get the very next day a lovely email from this wonderful guy saying, I'm very sorry.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:04.160
I have to tell you, I don't even know my password to that site.
00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:05.680
I hadn't been on there.
00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:12.240
But if you wouldn't mind, can we please email with each other, get to know each other?
00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:12.799
Okay.
00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:18.240
So we emailed back and forth for probably two weeks.
00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:18.799
Okay.
00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:20.079
And what I love.
00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:24.960
So turns out Marty is a family law attorney.
00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:25.759
All right.
00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:28.160
Very educated.
00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:34.480
Had a wonderful vocabulary, could type faster than lightning.
00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:40.079
And I my vocabulary is very average.
00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:43.599
My typing was very slow.
00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:48.799
And we would be AOL had an online chat.
00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:49.279
Okay.
00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:52.559
Remember AOL back in the day.
00:22:52.880 --> 00:23:04.960
So if somebody you knew online saw you on AOL, they could open up a chat and kind of like Facebook Live or whatever it is today.
00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:12.240
And he was typing so fast, I said, Oh, please, can we just have a phone conversation?
00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:14.319
And he was like, You're willing to give me.
00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:17.359
Now we've type we've emailed back and forth.
00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:17.759
Right.
00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:18.079
Yep.
00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:18.400
Yep.
00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:27.119
Part of that email was very interesting because I said very honestly to him, look, I was married twice.
00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:27.519
Yeah.
00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:30.559
I am financially very sound.
00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:33.200
I am not looking for marriage.
00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:33.759
Sure.
00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.000
So if he goes, Oh, wonderful.
00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:38.240
I've also been married twice.
00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:39.599
Oh my goodness.
00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:39.920
Wow.
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:40.400
Okay.
00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:41.440
Yeah.
00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:46.720
And so he also got married very young and ended that marriage.
00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:53.519
And then was married to um his wife, who he had two beautiful daughters with.
00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:54.000
Okay.
00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:59.039
And so he at that point was not looking for marriage either.
00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:01.519
So I thought, oh, this is perfect.
00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:07.839
And so we finally talked on the phone, and that led to meeting in person.
00:24:08.640 --> 00:24:17.519
And our first meeting in person, we were meeting at this lovely restaurant, and he said, Well, order a glass of wine.
00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:22.880
If you feel like you want to stay, open the menu, and I'll know.
00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:26.240
And that's how kind he was.
00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:29.759
I've never known anybody as kind and considerate.
00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:45.279
And he said, I we met, and it was like when we smiled, it was like a moment that you don't normally have with just anybody.
00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:45.839
Wow.
00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:52.480
And this conversation we had was wonderful.
00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:56.000
And I opened the menu and he goes, Oh, you want to stay?
00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:59.279
I said, Well, sure, I want to stay.
00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:01.680
I said, I was so nervous about it.
00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:02.640
Very nice.
00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:04.480
We talked forever.
00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:13.359
So Marty and I from that day forward, I mean, our next day he said, I'll take you to dinner.
00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:24.799
We went to um this lovely restaurant that's only still in Mundelein now on Dover Straits, but there was one in in Hoffman Estate.
00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:28.960
So we met there for dinner at five o'clock.
00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:33.359
We we we left the restaurant at midnight.
00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:35.039
Oh my goodness! Wow.
00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:38.720
And then we spent the next day together.
00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:41.440
It was like magical.
00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:46.240
It was so magical, and it continued to be magical, Pat.
00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:52.720
He I always heard people talk about finding their soulmate.
00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:59.680
And Marty was truly, truly, truly such a special man.
00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:00.240
Wow.
00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:09.759
For two people that weren't gonna get married a couple years later, and we would take holiday, we would go to Mexico on Valentine.
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:13.039
Valentine's Day became our holiday.
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:13.519
Yeah.
00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:29.440
And so we went to Mexico um for actually right after we met, we met in um, we didn't have our first meeting until November 29th, actually, in person.
00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:34.000
And then by February, we were going to Mexico.
00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:35.359
Oh my goodness.
00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:35.599
Yeah.
00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:36.559
I know, I know.
00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:38.240
Things were accelerating.
00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:39.599
Things were accelerating.
00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:41.039
My goodness, it's fantastic.
00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:41.599
Okay.
00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:45.119
I was, you know, I wasn't a baby anymore.
00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:47.680
So it wasn't, it wasn't 19.
00:26:48.160 --> 00:27:06.640
Um I was in my late 40s, and we were in Mexico, and all of a sudden we we were at a timeshare, and I I thought, well, you know, we've been coming to Mexico.
00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:10.079
Maybe, maybe I'm gonna buy this timeshare.
00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:17.119
And I we sat there and I'm thinking, yeah, I said, you know, Marty, I think I'm gonna buy this for us.
00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:20.000
I think we we should have this timeshare.
00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:34.480
And he sent the lady away and he said to me, Well, you're really pushing things because tonight it was gonna take you to dinner and ask you to marry me.
00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:45.599
I know we didn't talk about getting married, but now that you want to buy this timeshare, I want to buy it with you because I want us to be married in June.
00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:47.279
Oh my goodness.
00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:50.240
Okay, so I'm crying.
00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:51.519
Yeah, I'm crying.
00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:52.799
Crying.
00:27:53.680 --> 00:28:06.319
The lady, the the sales lady, lovely young woman, by the way, um, comes back, sees us crying, thought we were fighting over not getting the timeshare.
00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:09.519
And Marty says, Oh no, no, no.
00:28:09.759 --> 00:28:15.759
He goes, I just asked her to marry me, and we're gonna buy the timeshare together.
00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:16.079
Right.
00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:17.839
She starts crying.
00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:20.240
Everybody then starts applauding.
00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:34.559
Happy to they sent us to wonderful dinner, so our our our love just continued, and yes, we got married in August of 2002.
00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:37.920
And then let me cut in here if I could, real quick.
00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:47.119
You guys get married, and then you decide that you guys want to go on ahead and build a house in Long Grove.
00:28:47.200 --> 00:29:01.440
Yeah, and you told me, which is just crazy, you told me that you both built this house together, and not at one time was there any arguing or disagreements about this house.
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:03.680
Tell us about this fabulous house.
00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:04.799
What in the world?
00:29:05.119 --> 00:29:06.960
Talk to me about that, Alan.
00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:19.839
Well, okay, so after we were married, of course, we sold our individual homes, and then we decided, you know, a two-story house is just not for us anymore.
00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:31.440
Let's build, let's find a house that's a ranch and that has land around it because I like to garden, he liked land.
00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:35.759
We just wanted open space.
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:40.799
So we looked and looked and looked and couldn't find a house.
00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:45.759
And we said, all right, our our dear friend said, you know, you're gonna have to build.
00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:50.559
So we found this wonderful spot here in Long Grove.
00:29:51.599 --> 00:30:28.000
Um, and we were so excited, and we worked with a wonderful um builder, and we started designing the house, and then figuring out what was going in the house, everything from woodwork to the stone on the front of the house to the flooring, everything, all the details doorknobs and the cabinets, and through all of that, not we were always on the same wavelength.
00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:29.119
That's amazing.
00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:31.519
There was two things he wanted.
00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:53.039
This one, he wanted this couch for our our living room, which it to me it it didn't look like it should have been in the living room, but he loved this couch so much, this beautiful brown mother couch, and everything in our house, as I was telling you, was fashion and browns.
00:30:54.480 --> 00:30:58.319
Marty said, Oh, we're 50 shades of beige.
00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:02.079
I love that.
00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:16.240
He had the sense of humor, he had the sense of so I never loved that couch, but because he loved that couch so much, I said, Honey, let's have that couch.
00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:17.440
That's just so sweet.
00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:24.319
It was it was, and you know, I look at the couch and it just it reminds me of him, Pat.
00:31:24.400 --> 00:31:25.440
It really does, yeah.
00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:32.880
And so we Marty called this our dream house, our dream home.
00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:44.240
Yeah, and he posted on Facebook every, you know, to this just a close family group, you know, the progress of our house, and it was built.
00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:48.720
And it this house brought us both such joy, sure.
00:31:48.880 --> 00:31:59.680
And seeing our children come into it, our grown children, then our grandchildren come into it, yeah, and play in the back, you know.
00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:08.079
We have lots of lamb back there, so you know, to be able to watch them as little ones play in the backyard.
00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:11.680
He was at least able to see that, yeah.
00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:28.400
You know, then unfortunately in 2018, um Marty had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in his knee, which is should be curable, by the way.
00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:47.039
Okay, uh the tumor after 37 rounds of radiation, they thought maybe it was resolved, but three months later it raised its ugly head and started growing like crazy.
00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:48.240
Oh my goodness.
00:32:48.799 --> 00:33:00.480
And it also was uh had to be seen by an infectious disease doctor, so we were treating it uh in 2020.
00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:03.920
We were dealing with with COVID.
00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:21.279
COVID after all that we tried immunotherapy and chemotherapy, and we went in Northwestern medicine, amazing people, amazing cancer research.
00:33:21.519 --> 00:33:33.680
They even found us um a clinical trial for him, and we tried that, but it was he he was just so worn out, yeah.
00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:38.960
You know, he had he had a lot of setbacks with with the chemo.
00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:42.079
He just did not respond to it.
00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:45.279
The tumor was not responding, and it kept growing.
00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:47.200
May of 21.
00:33:48.079 --> 00:34:08.000
A wonderful oncologist who I met actually recently again, um sat me down to tell me the real story and how the cancer was headed into his bones, and then it lights out, unfortunately.
00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:16.719
Yeah, so the word hospice to me was like no one's dying today, no one's dying tomorrow.
00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:20.159
I don't want to talk about hospice, no, thank you.
00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:37.440
And she sat me down and really explained to me, honey, I said, okay, I need to know when I'm driving my car and following directions, I need to know how many turns until I get to my destination.
00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:44.239
I need to know what when when how long do we have?
00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:47.119
And she told me.
00:34:47.360 --> 00:34:49.679
She actually told me September.
00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:52.880
And I kept it in my head.
00:34:54.400 --> 00:35:01.760
We were we were signed up with this wonderful hospice people, Vitas Hospice.
00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:04.320
They were wonderful.
00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:06.800
I was able to keep Marty at home.
00:35:07.679 --> 00:35:14.639
I became a chemist, a nurse, a I did everything.
00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:16.320
Everything.
00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:23.519
And you know, I it was never a burn-in because this was my honey, this was my honey boy.
00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:30.719
I I all through it, I knew it was happening.
00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:36.880
Yeah, it was almost like I but I never thought of him dying.
00:35:38.159 --> 00:35:38.800
Right, right.
00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:47.519
Until you know, we got really, really it the end was coming, and it I wouldn't wish this on anyone, yeah.
00:35:48.079 --> 00:36:01.440
But you know, Pat, being able to say that I found my soulmate, I know what real love, what true love really is.
00:36:03.440 --> 00:36:05.199
Carrying me through all that.
00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:06.239
Yeah, yeah.
00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:15.840
You know, I he and I always used to say, your heart is safe in mine, and my heart is safe in yours.
00:36:16.079 --> 00:36:16.719
That's beautiful.
00:36:16.960 --> 00:36:19.360
So I still carry him in my heart.
00:36:19.519 --> 00:36:20.000
That's right.
00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:20.639
Absolutely.
00:36:20.800 --> 00:36:25.280
You know, absolutely, absolutely with me.
00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:34.079
Um, and however, you know, when he passed, it was like, okay, now what?
00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:37.280
Yeah, and this is this is where I wanted to jump in.
00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:45.519
You your your life took a turn, and I wanted to I wanted you to to tell all of our listeners about that situation.
00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:47.599
I didn't want to interrupt too much or whatever.
00:36:47.679 --> 00:36:52.400
I wanted everybody to hear how much Marty was your soulmate.
00:36:52.559 --> 00:36:54.639
And and it's just a wonderful thing.
00:36:54.880 --> 00:37:03.760
But now what happens is Marty, unfortunately, he passes away, and then now you have to reinvent, right?
00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:04.320
What do you like?
00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:05.840
You just said, what do I do now?
00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:09.760
And then you mentioned you're trying to figure out okay, what do I do?
00:37:09.920 --> 00:37:10.960
I'm by myself.
00:37:11.039 --> 00:37:13.280
You're in this big house in Long Grove, right?
00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:24.159
I'm still you I'm sure you still have family and friends around, but then you mentioned to me you were trying to go on ahead and just take the time to make time for yourself and to be busy.
00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:27.679
So you start snowbirding down in Florida for a bit.
00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:44.159
So you're back and forth doing that, and then if I may, you come back, and one day, Alan, you're doing Pilates, yeah, and you notice this empty storefront in Long Grove.
00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:45.760
Yeah, talk about that.
00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:47.199
Tell us about that.
00:37:47.519 --> 00:37:58.159
Well, you know, my next door neighbor a lovely, lovely um Amanda owns um parakeet Pilates in downtown Long Grove.
00:37:58.320 --> 00:38:04.559
Shout out to her, shout out because I was uh very overweight.
00:38:05.360 --> 00:38:08.559
Um, and I said, Oh, I don't know.
00:38:09.599 --> 00:38:20.320
And she introduced me slowly to Pilates, and I'm telling you, Pat, I'm so I I I love it, I love it, I would love it.
00:38:20.480 --> 00:38:23.440
I think everybody should try it.
00:38:24.159 --> 00:38:37.519
But yeah, so I was taking my Pilates there, and when I'd leave in the morning, I drive past this little red store that used to be, I knew it as the doghouse.
00:38:38.079 --> 00:38:48.159
I'm looking at it at while I'm standing at the stoplight, and I'm going, hmm, I've always wanted my own store.
00:38:49.440 --> 00:39:01.599
And then a dear friend of mine who owns another store in downtown Long Grove at the log, my dear friend Rachel, and I were talking about it, and I said, What do you think?
00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:15.280
I have no experience in retail, however, I have project experience and I could handle this like a big project.
00:39:15.519 --> 00:39:15.840
Sure.
00:39:16.400 --> 00:39:17.360
And I did.
00:39:17.920 --> 00:39:42.480
And the more I talked about it, I met this wonderful gentleman, Mike Oaken, who owned my building, and he um, believe it or not, put a sign on there and said, Coming soon, I decided I would name my store Artistic Creations because I love art.
00:39:42.880 --> 00:39:52.880
I know what I like, and I really appreciate art and artists, and I wanted to support local artists.
00:39:53.119 --> 00:39:58.719
I thought, wow, this would be a great venue to do this, the store.
00:39:59.599 --> 00:40:06.000
And so this evolved into artistic creations of Long Grove.
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:10.159
I met so many wonderful artists, yeah.
00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:13.679
In um person and across the country.
00:40:14.400 --> 00:40:15.039
Yeah.
00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:19.679
And it's just been such a joy.
00:40:19.920 --> 00:40:20.239
Yeah.
00:40:20.480 --> 00:40:25.840
And I now have purpose, and it's just fills my heart again.
00:40:26.079 --> 00:40:41.840
It fills my heart because after the hardship, you know, with your husband, you know, you you you reinvent yourself and you get tired of the snow, the uh the you know, the snowbirding, and then you decide, hey, I I I've always wanted to do something like this.
00:40:41.920 --> 00:40:44.639
And uh kudos to you for taking the opportunity.
00:40:44.800 --> 00:40:49.519
So you decide to open up this store, Artistic Creations of Long Grove.
00:40:49.679 --> 00:40:53.920
Now, there, like you had mentioned, you're gonna find the local artist artwork.
00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:57.920
You're gonna find your jewelry, your glasswork, your home goods.
00:40:58.159 --> 00:41:04.159
Now, the store opened just this past April 18th, and then your grand opening was in May, right?
00:41:04.320 --> 00:41:05.199
May 3rd.
00:41:05.440 --> 00:41:11.840
And we'll talk, we'll give everybody all that information at the uh at the end of the uh the episode here.
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:19.280
I am very, very blessed, Pat, when I tell you over and over again how many blessings I have in my life.
00:41:19.519 --> 00:41:20.800
I have many.
00:41:21.039 --> 00:41:25.679
And um, I've got these two young college kids.
00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:37.119
My one they're my next door neighbor's son and his his significant other that have really worked a lot before I even opened the door.
00:41:37.199 --> 00:41:43.920
They would come sit at my dining room table and we start putting prices and created the web, yeah.
00:41:44.159 --> 00:41:47.519
Oh, that's wonderful for the website, everything.
00:41:47.599 --> 00:42:00.079
So they've been with me since day one, and then an all-state friend of mine, who I've known over 50 years, um, who's also an artist, very talented.
00:42:00.400 --> 00:42:06.719
Um, she's got things in the store, but she's very shy about it.
00:42:07.119 --> 00:42:11.199
But so she works with me a couple days a week as well.
00:42:11.360 --> 00:42:14.880
So I am gonna come visit you next week at your store.
00:42:15.039 --> 00:42:16.480
My wife and I are gonna come see you.
00:42:16.880 --> 00:42:18.000
Right, I'd love that.
00:42:18.639 --> 00:42:19.360
That'll be wonderful.
00:42:19.440 --> 00:42:20.559
We loved your store.
00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:23.599
Let me talk about another thing here, if I may.
00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:33.039
One of the other things that you decided to do to sort of take take your time, take up some time, especially after you you lost your wonderful Marty.
00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:38.480
You decided that you and your friends were gonna start these Zoom calls.
00:42:38.639 --> 00:42:41.280
Oh about these Zoom calls.
00:42:41.599 --> 00:42:48.079
Okay, so Pat, after Marty passed, I talked about VTest Hospice.
00:42:48.239 --> 00:42:48.719
Yep.
00:42:49.039 --> 00:42:52.960
V test hospice had a program for bereavement.
00:42:53.199 --> 00:42:57.119
Okay, and I told my therapist, oh no, I don't need this.
00:42:57.280 --> 00:43:00.159
You know, I'm telling she said, Yeah, you do.
00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:09.840
You need to talk with women who are going through the same thing you are, and so I said, All right, I'll do it.
00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:17.119
So Vitas created this bereavement Zoom group, which I became a part of.
00:43:17.920 --> 00:43:24.719
And after a year past, they said, Okay, you know, you guys are doing great.
00:43:25.199 --> 00:43:40.639
And may I say their women were Texas, California, Florida, Illinois here, and so it didn't matter that they were in California or Florida.
00:43:40.719 --> 00:43:41.599
We were on Zoom together.
00:43:41.840 --> 00:43:42.559
You're on Zoom, yeah.
00:43:43.599 --> 00:44:09.119
We cried together, we talked together, and we we they everybody came and I had a lot of them stay at my house, and we had a lovely time together, and we went to what Uh Vitas Hospice called their butterfly release, you know, for um they had a program to remember our loved ones.
00:44:09.199 --> 00:44:12.960
And at the end of the program, everybody released butterflies.
00:44:13.119 --> 00:44:15.920
It was lovely, lovely, lovely.
00:44:16.400 --> 00:44:21.119
But then Vitas said, okay, you know, you're on your own.
00:44:21.440 --> 00:44:26.960
And the at the time, I think there were 12 of us at the time.
00:44:27.039 --> 00:44:28.800
So it wasn't a small group.
00:44:29.440 --> 00:44:31.679
We wanted to stay together.
00:44:32.079 --> 00:44:40.800
But we found ourselves not talking about our loss so much as oh, what are you doing this week?
00:44:40.960 --> 00:44:56.239
Or this one, and a dear friend of ours' son had cancer a member, and one of our dear members had got breast cancer, and every week we were together.
00:44:56.639 --> 00:45:02.639
So remember, this was we started the group in March of 22.
00:45:02.960 --> 00:45:07.760
Okay, this is October of 26th.
00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:10.079
So about four and a half years now.
00:45:10.639 --> 00:45:14.400
Yes, we still zoom every Wednesday.
00:45:14.559 --> 00:45:17.679
Um, and yes, you know who's running the Zoom call.
00:45:18.480 --> 00:45:20.159
Alan Glassman, yes.
00:45:20.559 --> 00:45:27.039
Yeah, but we are each other's everything.
00:45:27.280 --> 00:45:30.719
Yeah, it's so important to have that community, Alan.
00:45:30.800 --> 00:45:35.920
You know, because you mentioned that you all pretty much went through the the same situation.
00:45:36.079 --> 00:45:48.880
You know how each other feels, you know, and and like you said, I love the fact that it's Zoom because, like you mentioned, it doesn't weather, it doesn't matter where they're at geographically, you know, you can be in Florida, but it's a Zoom, everybody can jump on the call.
00:45:49.199 --> 00:45:58.480
Everybody's right there at the same time, and each one of us look forward to seeing what's going on with each other.
00:45:58.639 --> 00:46:03.280
And yes, there are phone calls in between because we're that close.
00:46:03.519 --> 00:46:16.960
And um, but I'm again such a blessing to have these women in my life, and I and now, you know, with my little health issue.
00:46:17.360 --> 00:46:19.119
I want to talk about that if I can.
00:46:19.280 --> 00:46:20.880
Let me jump in very quickly.
00:46:21.119 --> 00:46:33.440
Um, the last couple of months, I know when we had uh initially met you, Karen and I back in in May and June, uh I as soon as I talked to you, I I said, I I gotta have her on the podcast.
00:46:33.599 --> 00:46:36.000
I just loved your story that we talked about.
00:46:36.239 --> 00:46:44.800
And um, and then I know we had talked a little bit, and then I you had sent me the text saying that you were having some health challenges again uh recently.
00:46:44.960 --> 00:46:48.000
And uh let me let me just dig into this a little bit here.
00:46:48.159 --> 00:47:02.159
I wanted to give you the opportunity to chat about that, uh, what you've learned about your deal, and to help inform and educate those out there who might be dealing with similar circumstances.
00:47:02.320 --> 00:47:08.159
Tell us a little bit about what you've been going through, what you've learned, and any advice you can you can provide.
00:47:08.239 --> 00:47:08.960
Go ahead, Alan.
00:47:09.280 --> 00:47:09.840
Thank you.
00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:30.320
Yes, it was very smack you in the face kind of abuse because I again I told you I and I am not ashamed to say it was using a GLP one to lose weight and doing the Pilates, I lost 90 pounds.
00:47:30.559 --> 00:47:33.199
Yeah, yeah, I still have a ways to go.
00:47:33.280 --> 00:47:42.719
Yeah, I you know, I was eating my way, feeling sorry for myself, is what it was until I started my Pilates adventure.
00:47:43.280 --> 00:47:46.079
It's amazing how getting back healthy.
00:47:46.239 --> 00:47:57.840
So, Pat, when I opened my store, I was healthier than I've been in years and physically healthy.
00:47:58.079 --> 00:48:02.079
I could lift boxes, I nothing stopped me.
00:48:02.880 --> 00:48:32.719
And we went to our first festival of chocolate fest, and I was fine, and that next I but I was having this bloaty feeling in my stomach, and because I lost weight, I knew no, I I have a waistline here, I shouldn't be bloated, and I was getting a pain in the right side, and that pain became very serious, where it took me down.
00:48:32.960 --> 00:48:35.199
I don't take pain meds at all.
00:48:35.440 --> 00:48:43.760
So um my my neighbor, the Pilates neighbor, Linda, decided nope, nope, we're going to the ER.
00:48:44.159 --> 00:48:46.079
No, this is not right.
00:48:46.239 --> 00:48:47.519
I'm taking you in.
00:48:47.679 --> 00:48:47.920
Okay.
00:48:48.159 --> 00:49:15.199
They did a CT scan, and you know you're in trouble when you're laying in the ER ER, and the lovely doctor comes in, gets on the little chair, wheels herself over to you, grabs your hand, and said, Ellen, I'm really sorry, but your CT scan shows you've got a very, very large mass in your uterus.
00:49:15.360 --> 00:49:16.800
And I'm like, What?
00:49:16.960 --> 00:49:20.639
No, I've got a pain in my side and I'm a little floated.
00:49:20.880 --> 00:49:23.119
What but a mass?
00:49:23.280 --> 00:49:23.519
No.
00:49:23.679 --> 00:49:26.639
I you you're probably something star no.
00:49:27.199 --> 00:49:28.400
We know no.
00:49:28.639 --> 00:49:37.519
You you probably she goes, We're not gonna diagnose you, but we've got to get you to someone who can um see you.
00:49:38.079 --> 00:49:41.440
And so they referred me to an oncologist.
00:49:41.599 --> 00:49:44.880
I'm still trying to deal with all my goodness, yeah.
00:49:45.119 --> 00:49:52.559
And then what happened had is the pain got really bad again, and I decided, you know what?
00:49:52.719 --> 00:50:00.559
I'm gonna go to the ER at Northwestern Um Medicine in Lake Forest, where I where he had my Marty.
00:50:01.280 --> 00:50:09.920
They did the CT scan again, they were able to tell that it was ovarian cancer.
00:50:10.320 --> 00:50:19.519
Long story short, um, the mass was quite large, um, and it metastasized.
00:50:19.760 --> 00:50:24.320
So I was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer.
00:50:26.159 --> 00:50:29.840
Now, years ago, there would have been a death sentence for anyone.
00:50:30.880 --> 00:50:36.480
From the time I heard it, I said, Oh my god, really?
00:50:36.880 --> 00:50:37.840
Cancer me?
00:50:38.079 --> 00:50:38.400
No.
00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:40.400
Oh, that's not right.
00:50:40.800 --> 00:50:43.440
And so I said, All right, so here's the thing.
00:50:43.599 --> 00:50:48.559
My girls were getting hysterically thinking mommy's gonna go, you know.
00:50:49.199 --> 00:50:54.079
I'm like, no, this is not, this is not the end.
00:50:55.360 --> 00:50:57.760
My wonderful ontologist, Dr.
00:50:57.920 --> 00:51:06.559
Pond, a remarkable man who came to see me said, This is not a death sentence, we will get you in.
00:51:06.800 --> 00:51:07.519
And Dr.
00:51:07.760 --> 00:51:18.239
Pont told me that with using, I would have to go through cycles of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor.
00:51:18.480 --> 00:51:25.840
Okay, but he gave BPAT a 75 to 80 percent chance of remission.
00:51:26.480 --> 00:51:34.400
Wow, well, think about it, you're being told you have stage four metastasized tumor.
00:51:34.719 --> 00:51:35.519
Stage four.
00:51:35.840 --> 00:51:36.719
Stage four.
00:51:36.960 --> 00:51:44.239
Wow, and then to be told, so I said to everyone, all right, this is a positive thing.
00:51:44.719 --> 00:51:46.000
We're gonna do this.
00:51:46.159 --> 00:51:55.039
And I I knew there was this lovely young woman on ABC, I'll give her a shout out, Diane Pathy.
00:51:55.199 --> 00:52:20.400
She does the traffic for ABC with Tracy Butler's mother, but in the morning, but she lost her dear husband, Nick to cancer, but they used the words PMA, positive mental attitude through his cancer, and I said, Okay, she lost her dear husband, however, I am not going anywhere.
00:52:20.719 --> 00:52:23.440
This is just a bend in the road for me.
00:52:24.159 --> 00:52:24.559
Dr.
00:52:24.719 --> 00:52:27.920
Punt was very convincing.
00:52:28.159 --> 00:52:32.239
I told my whole family, all my friends, I love you.
00:52:32.400 --> 00:52:34.079
Yes, thank you, thank you.
00:52:34.239 --> 00:52:34.960
Pray for me.
00:52:35.119 --> 00:52:42.880
I I love the fact that you want to pray for me, but please don't send me crying tears and praying Anna's emojis.
00:52:43.119 --> 00:52:49.199
Yeah, I want positive energy, and that's what's gonna get me through this.
00:52:49.760 --> 00:52:51.440
And you're gonna get better.
00:52:52.079 --> 00:52:53.920
Yes, you're gonna get better.
00:52:54.639 --> 00:52:57.199
I am, and you know what?
00:52:58.559 --> 00:53:02.320
I have finished three rounds of chemo.
00:53:02.880 --> 00:53:03.199
Wow.
00:53:03.440 --> 00:53:12.880
They did the CT scan, this tumor shrunk, even where it metastasized, shrunk down.
00:53:13.199 --> 00:53:13.840
Wow.
00:53:14.239 --> 00:53:27.039
I had surgery on September 15th, and they removed everything, of course, total hysterectomy and all that, and I am doing great, Pat.
00:53:27.519 --> 00:53:28.400
That's fantastic.
00:53:28.559 --> 00:53:29.519
God bless you, Alan.
00:53:30.159 --> 00:53:30.400
Great.
00:53:30.559 --> 00:53:31.199
I'm shocked.
00:53:31.760 --> 00:53:32.000
Dr.
00:53:32.159 --> 00:53:42.239
Pond cannot believe that it's just the thing, and no one can believe that I'm like ready to, and I worked, you know, the Apple Festival.
00:53:42.800 --> 00:53:44.639
Um but it's the PME.
00:53:44.800 --> 00:53:46.880
Look at the PME, like you said, right?
00:53:46.960 --> 00:53:49.840
It's the look at the mental attitude.
00:53:50.079 --> 00:53:50.559
There you go.
00:53:50.880 --> 00:53:51.519
Everything.
00:53:51.760 --> 00:53:53.599
Let me ask you a question if I can.
00:53:53.760 --> 00:54:00.239
Can you please talk to the people, talk to our listeners out there who may be going through similar to the other thing?
00:54:00.559 --> 00:54:01.280
I would love to.
00:54:01.840 --> 00:54:04.320
I'd love to tell us a little bit about what you tell them.
00:54:04.400 --> 00:54:06.000
What advice would you give them, Ellen?
00:54:06.320 --> 00:54:20.480
What I found out about ovarian cancer is very interesting because 80% of all ovarian cancer PAT starts in the fallopian tubes.
00:54:20.639 --> 00:54:20.960
Okay.
00:54:21.440 --> 00:54:31.199
And this is a new something that surgeon that doctors and oncologists have learned for over 10 years now.
00:54:32.079 --> 00:54:43.599
But what they found out, Pat, is that 78% could have a lower risk of serious ovarian cancer.
00:54:44.000 --> 00:55:15.840
And this isn't done in a study in just this year that what doctors or surgeons are aware of is they can, if a woman not of childbearing age, of course, um is having some kind of abdominal surgery, they should talk to their surgeon if their surgeon does not talk to them about getting their fallopian tubes removed.
00:55:16.000 --> 00:55:24.559
Now it sounds kind of crazy, but they leave the ovaries so it does not affect their hormones at all.
00:55:25.760 --> 00:55:39.440
And taking the fallopian tubes afloat, what they're finding is the fallopian tubes kind of like shed like dandruff onto the ovaries, and that's um science has shown.
00:55:39.599 --> 00:55:46.559
And when they did the pathology on my flopian tubes, that's where the cancer started.
00:55:46.719 --> 00:55:47.920
They can tell that.
00:55:48.159 --> 00:55:48.480
Okay.
00:55:49.119 --> 00:56:01.199
So they're saying then if a woman is having no no, you can't go to your surgeon and say, take my flopian tubes, they won't do that unless there's a reason to have abdominal surgery.
00:56:01.360 --> 00:56:01.679
Sure.
00:56:02.000 --> 00:56:13.920
But if they were, they're finding that taking the flopian tubes does does help eliminate ovarian cancer.
00:56:14.719 --> 00:56:15.280
Interesting.
00:56:15.519 --> 00:56:29.840
In in in women that have had that surgery, they've done studies that if they've been able to not not that they've done biopsies to say, oh, your fallopian tubes had cancer.
00:56:30.079 --> 00:56:30.639
Sure, yeah.
00:56:30.960 --> 00:56:33.199
But it's it's interesting.
00:56:33.360 --> 00:56:35.920
The article was in the New York Times.
00:56:36.159 --> 00:56:41.039
If somebody wants to look it up, I think it was um maybe several months ago.
00:56:41.280 --> 00:56:41.599
Okay.
00:56:42.079 --> 00:56:50.079
But um, it's what every woman should know about fallopian tubes and ovarian cancer prevention.
00:56:50.800 --> 00:56:54.960
So um talk to your, I mean, talk to your doctor.
00:56:55.039 --> 00:57:00.320
Yes, you could go definitely keep going for your your your mammograms.
00:57:00.480 --> 00:57:03.599
Keep going for your if you're not as old as me.
00:57:03.679 --> 00:57:10.880
I'm 73, and that was one thing I said, well, I'm 73, I don't get pep smears anymore, you know.
00:57:11.679 --> 00:57:15.840
And uh certainly that's not how ovarian cancer is detected.
00:57:16.079 --> 00:57:18.719
Okay, it's a silent killer patch.
00:57:18.880 --> 00:57:19.119
Sure.
00:57:19.679 --> 00:57:22.880
Because women don't know they have it.
00:57:23.440 --> 00:57:35.679
Now, if there is cancer in your family, please go get tested, do a braca test, um, find out if it's in your genes.
00:57:35.920 --> 00:57:39.679
There's also a new FDA approved.
00:57:39.760 --> 00:57:50.960
Yes, I read a lot of science now, you know, anything cancer and but FDA approved this G-A-L-L-E-R-I gallery test.
00:57:52.239 --> 00:58:00.880
It's a blood draw that is for people that are 50 years of age or older, not just for women.
00:58:01.119 --> 00:58:01.440
Okay.
00:58:02.320 --> 00:58:14.079
This one test is can identify 50 different types of tumors in if cancer exists.
00:58:14.559 --> 00:58:21.920
Now, it doesn't mean this blood test is going to say, oh, you don't need to go for your mammogram, you don't need to go for sure, yeah.
00:58:23.679 --> 00:58:37.280
But there is now the science has come up with these now FDA approved blood draw at can see if you have some kind of cancer.
00:58:37.760 --> 00:58:58.800
I don't know a lot about it, but the I just want to say the science is so incredible today that if you are diagnosed with any kind of cancer, talk to your oncologist, stay positive.
00:58:59.760 --> 00:59:04.159
You know, I mean, I'm not I'm not in a fairy tale world here.
00:59:04.320 --> 00:59:07.360
Yes, I lost my husband to cancer.
00:59:07.599 --> 00:59:19.519
I know it's the worst possible thing in the world, but science has come a long way even since 2021.
00:59:19.840 --> 00:59:22.320
Yeah, no, and you know what, Ellen, I appreciate that.
00:59:22.480 --> 00:59:27.280
Uh, obviously, your husband Marty went through that, you've been going through that.
00:59:27.599 --> 00:59:29.360
No, thank you for that, Ellen.
00:59:29.440 --> 00:59:30.239
Thank you so much.
00:59:30.400 --> 00:59:31.599
I appreciate that very much.
00:59:31.920 --> 00:59:35.519
And I'm so glad that you're better and you're gonna get better.
00:59:36.400 --> 00:59:37.440
It's just wonderful.
00:59:37.760 --> 00:59:39.360
That's so that's so fantastic.
00:59:40.159 --> 00:59:45.440
Yeah, I don't think I told the the listeners, they got everything through the surgery.
00:59:45.760 --> 00:59:48.880
Um, this minuscule little fragment.
00:59:49.280 --> 00:59:58.320
So I do three more rounds, cycles of chemo, and by the end of the year, I will be in remission.
00:59:59.039 --> 00:59:59.920
That's fantastic.
01:00:00.719 --> 01:00:02.480
That's gonna be fantastic.
01:00:02.639 --> 01:00:04.000
God bless you, my friend.
01:00:04.239 --> 01:00:05.199
God bless you.
01:00:05.360 --> 01:00:09.039
We're gonna go on ahead and get into the happy hot seat stuff now.
01:00:09.199 --> 01:00:10.639
Here we go, Alan.
01:00:11.039 --> 01:00:15.440
I had mentioned to you, and again, thank you for all your information out there.
01:00:15.599 --> 01:00:17.920
And uh, this is the Better Never Stop Splits.
01:00:18.000 --> 01:00:21.360
I'm going to ask you a list of random fun questions.
01:00:21.519 --> 01:00:25.119
I'm gonna make you think, I'm gonna make you laugh, I'm gonna make you do whatever.
01:00:25.360 --> 01:00:28.960
Um, please answer them as best you can.
01:00:29.199 --> 01:00:30.480
Are you ready, my friend?
01:00:30.719 --> 01:00:31.840
I'm ready, Pat.
01:00:32.000 --> 01:00:32.880
All right, here we go.
01:00:33.039 --> 01:00:41.119
Number one, Ellen, what do you love most about living in Long Grove and owning your own store in Long Grove?
01:00:41.199 --> 01:00:42.800
What do you like most about those two things?
01:00:42.960 --> 01:00:48.960
I you know, Pat, I love Long Grove because it does have a sense of community.
01:00:49.440 --> 01:01:37.039
Um be downtown Long Grove, it's just like a Hallmark movie, I gotta tell you, when you when you see the little small towns, as big as we are, because you know, Buffalo Grove and everything, but I I I know so many of the people and everyone cares about each other, but being a part of the historical downtown Long Grove in having a store and having people come through the store as a shopping, shopping in downtown Long Grove, it it's it is a historical site, you know, it was founded in the 1800s.
01:01:37.519 --> 01:01:44.480
Um, our tavern is the oldest tavern in the state of Illinois.
01:01:45.280 --> 01:01:47.039
Um, so that's kind of cool.
01:01:47.199 --> 01:01:57.760
Our buildings were all built in the 1800s, so it's just a sense of community and pride.
01:01:58.159 --> 01:01:58.719
I love that.
01:01:58.880 --> 01:02:00.239
I love that answer, my friend.
01:02:00.480 --> 01:02:02.320
Okay, number two, Ellen.
01:02:03.199 --> 01:02:11.119
What was that one moment that you realized I can make this store idea work?
01:02:11.280 --> 01:02:14.480
When did it hit you when you said, you know what, I can do this?
01:02:15.280 --> 01:02:15.760
Wow.
01:02:15.920 --> 01:02:20.800
Well, it took a long time for them to rebuild that store.
01:02:21.039 --> 01:02:27.119
Okay, they had to gut it, so it seemed like I was never gonna get into the store.
01:02:27.199 --> 01:02:37.199
So that's frustrating, and God bless I say Mike Oaken and his wonderful contractor, Bob.
01:02:38.000 --> 01:02:42.559
They they they gutted it literally and built it back up.
01:02:42.880 --> 01:02:46.320
So I kept going, can I do it?
01:02:46.480 --> 01:03:09.199
And once I started meeting these artists and getting my first pieces of art, even though I didn't have a store, the dream became a reality because I was holding these gorgeous pieces of blown glass, holding that first piece of blown glass in my hand.
01:03:11.039 --> 01:03:13.679
It was that was the aha moment.
01:03:14.159 --> 01:03:15.440
That was the aha moment.
01:03:15.519 --> 01:03:16.559
You got it, Ellen.
01:03:16.719 --> 01:03:17.440
Great answer.
01:03:17.599 --> 01:03:18.480
All right, my friend.
01:03:18.639 --> 01:03:19.760
Number three.
01:03:20.159 --> 01:03:23.360
Are you a coffee person or a wine person?
01:03:24.880 --> 01:03:27.760
A coffee person or a wine person?
01:03:28.400 --> 01:03:32.159
Well, I definitely like wine, but I'm a sweet wine girl.
01:03:32.239 --> 01:03:33.920
I do love my Moscato.
01:03:34.079 --> 01:03:34.960
Everybody knows me.
01:03:35.280 --> 01:03:37.519
Love Moscato, love Moscato, same here.
01:03:39.039 --> 01:03:44.559
I'm not a coffee person, but I am a huge tea snob.
01:03:45.039 --> 01:03:46.719
Oh, you're a tea snob.
01:03:46.960 --> 01:03:47.760
Okay, I am.
01:03:47.840 --> 01:03:49.039
I am a tea snob.
01:03:49.119 --> 01:03:57.360
I only get my tea from a particular place, and yes, I I love my tea.
01:03:57.519 --> 01:03:59.840
So it's all about the tea.
01:04:00.079 --> 01:04:00.639
There you go.
01:04:00.800 --> 01:04:01.519
I love it.
01:04:01.840 --> 01:04:04.239
Alrighty, number four for you.
01:04:04.719 --> 01:04:11.280
What's one piece of advice you would give someone who wants to open their own store?
01:04:11.599 --> 01:04:14.320
Wow, you can do it.
01:04:14.719 --> 01:04:15.440
You can do it.
01:04:15.679 --> 01:04:17.280
Um, you know what?
01:04:18.639 --> 01:04:27.039
I'm I'm I'm also blessed because financially I was able to do this without having to take out a loan.
01:04:27.920 --> 01:04:37.840
So my situation, I think, is different from somebody who may not be financially ready.
01:04:38.400 --> 01:04:44.719
So I would say work in a store, learn as much as you can.
01:04:45.440 --> 01:04:51.599
So my my advice is be sure you're financially sound and ready.
01:04:51.920 --> 01:05:05.760
Know what you want your business to be, have that vision really truly engraved in your brain, and and and and put it out there.
01:05:06.239 --> 01:05:10.800
Every piece, you know, there's so many moving pieces to opening this door.
01:05:11.360 --> 01:05:17.760
And so you've got I would sit down with them and take them through what I had learned.
01:05:18.000 --> 01:05:18.559
Absolutely.
01:05:18.639 --> 01:05:19.599
I love that answer.
01:05:19.679 --> 01:05:20.320
Absolutely.
01:05:20.559 --> 01:05:22.719
All right, number, let me see, which one is this?
01:05:22.880 --> 01:05:23.679
We're gonna jump over.
01:05:23.760 --> 01:05:28.000
I've got a couple I had here that you already answered pretty much in it, but that's okay.
01:05:28.079 --> 01:05:30.320
I'm gonna go to number seven, Ellen.
01:05:31.199 --> 01:05:36.000
What song instantly puts you in a great mood?
01:05:36.159 --> 01:05:39.039
Is there one song you listen and go, yep, I needed that one?
01:05:39.280 --> 01:05:40.719
I needed to hear that one.
01:05:41.039 --> 01:05:42.079
You know, okay.
01:05:42.239 --> 01:05:48.559
I'm I'm a I'm a 60 girls, classic rock kind of girl.
01:05:48.960 --> 01:05:54.800
So any Fleetwood Mac song I love it, puts me in a great mood.
01:05:54.960 --> 01:05:55.440
There you go.
01:05:55.679 --> 01:06:01.599
Um, Rihanna, um Sarah, because that's my Daughter's name, nice.
01:06:01.679 --> 01:06:01.920
Yes.
01:06:02.400 --> 01:06:02.639
Yeah.
01:06:03.119 --> 01:06:05.119
My favorite, and my wife knows this.
01:06:05.199 --> 01:06:07.840
My favorite Fleetwood Mac song, Alan.
01:06:08.000 --> 01:06:08.639
Sarah.
01:06:08.800 --> 01:06:10.079
That's that's just the one I love.
01:06:10.480 --> 01:06:10.800
Really?
01:06:11.039 --> 01:06:11.840
Oh, that's the one.
01:06:11.920 --> 01:06:12.480
I love that.
01:06:12.639 --> 01:06:12.960
All right.
01:06:13.039 --> 01:06:13.840
We're gonna go here.
01:06:13.920 --> 01:06:15.519
I'm gonna give you number eight.
01:06:15.760 --> 01:06:21.840
Alan, what advice would you give your younger self?
01:06:23.039 --> 01:06:23.679
Wow.
01:06:24.159 --> 01:06:26.000
Don't get married young.
01:06:26.320 --> 01:06:27.039
Don't get mad.
01:06:27.840 --> 01:06:29.119
Don't get married young.
01:06:29.280 --> 01:06:29.599
Okay.
01:06:29.840 --> 01:06:30.559
Oh no.
01:06:30.800 --> 01:06:41.599
Um, you know, I guess I would say never be afraid to start over again.
01:06:42.000 --> 01:06:43.280
I love that.
01:06:43.599 --> 01:06:45.280
There's always a restart.
01:06:45.679 --> 01:06:46.880
My buddy just talked about it.
01:06:47.679 --> 01:06:48.800
Yeah, there's a reset.
01:06:48.960 --> 01:06:49.360
Yeah.
01:06:50.559 --> 01:06:51.039
Yeah.
01:06:51.599 --> 01:06:54.159
I get a lot of resets, Pat, but you know what?
01:06:54.239 --> 01:06:55.280
They've all been positive.
01:06:55.440 --> 01:06:56.159
They've all been good.
01:06:56.320 --> 01:06:57.920
My buddy was just on the podcast.
01:06:58.000 --> 01:07:00.079
He just wrote a golf book and he talked about.
01:07:01.840 --> 01:07:02.800
Yep, reset.
01:07:02.960 --> 01:07:03.519
Restart.
01:07:03.599 --> 01:07:05.440
There's always a reset or a restart.
01:07:05.599 --> 01:07:06.639
I love that, Alan.
01:07:06.800 --> 01:07:08.079
All right, number nine.
01:07:08.880 --> 01:07:16.320
What helps you stay positive when your health challenges start to feel a bit overwhelming?
01:07:16.480 --> 01:07:17.440
What do you lean on?
01:07:17.519 --> 01:07:20.400
What did you lean on when it's oh my god?
01:07:21.119 --> 01:07:24.800
Um, my children and my grandchildren.
01:07:24.960 --> 01:07:25.280
Yeah.
01:07:25.599 --> 01:07:37.840
Um my life is so full, yeah, you know, that I I think, you know, it's just as basic as counting your blessings.
01:07:38.079 --> 01:07:39.039
Yes, it's a good.
01:07:40.400 --> 01:07:43.599
I am one very, very, very blessed woman.
01:07:43.760 --> 01:07:44.639
I really am.
01:07:45.199 --> 01:07:58.800
I I've had so many challenges, but I've had so many wonderful things, and I I wonderful family friends, friends that are family, and family that are my friends.
01:07:59.199 --> 01:08:04.400
One uh number 10, and then I got one more question after that, just an off-the-cuff question.
01:08:04.719 --> 01:08:05.519
Number 10.
01:08:05.920 --> 01:08:17.119
Alan, if there's one thing that you hope our listeners will remember most about our conversation tonight, what would you want it to be?
01:08:17.520 --> 01:08:24.079
Oh, without a doubt, always PMA, positive mental attitude.
01:08:24.399 --> 01:08:25.119
PMA.
01:08:26.319 --> 01:08:28.880
Always positive, always happy, Pat.
01:08:29.199 --> 01:08:31.279
Never empty, never empty.
01:08:31.680 --> 01:08:32.239
Love that.
01:08:32.399 --> 01:08:33.520
I absolutely love that.
01:08:33.680 --> 01:08:39.199
And as you know, this is the Better Never Stops podcast, and I want to thank you for coming on.
01:08:39.520 --> 01:08:45.199
Ellen, what inspires you to want to be better every day?
01:08:45.359 --> 01:08:50.720
I ask all of my guests this because again, this is the Better Never Stops podcast.
01:08:50.880 --> 01:09:02.399
What I always ask my listeners to do, one of the things I like to talk about, is just try to get one percent, one percent better at one thing every day.
01:09:02.640 --> 01:09:12.720
What do you try to do, or what do you try to lean on, so to speak, that you feel helps you be better than the day before?
01:09:12.880 --> 01:09:13.920
How do you do that?
01:09:14.159 --> 01:09:30.000
Oh um, I'm gonna just say first and foremost, being kind, be kinder, be more caring, listen more, um, be engaged.
01:09:31.039 --> 01:09:53.680
Um, I am and in my store, my I would say every day what I try to do, and even in my life, is uh Maya Angelo had a wonderful saying people won't remember what you said, people won't remember what you did, but people will remember how you made them feel.
01:09:54.000 --> 01:09:54.960
That is fantastic.
01:09:55.680 --> 01:09:56.560
That's a great quote.
01:09:56.720 --> 01:10:02.560
It's a really trying, this is not, you know, oh yeah, sure, lady.
01:10:02.800 --> 01:10:09.119
No, I really try when you're in my home or I meet you on the street.
01:10:09.439 --> 01:10:22.720
I try to be a the better per better person, better caring, and especially if they're in my store, I want them to walk out of my store feeling like, well, you know what?
01:10:22.880 --> 01:10:28.319
This shop owner really cares and is really kind to their customers.
01:10:28.560 --> 01:10:29.199
That's wonderful.
01:10:30.720 --> 01:10:33.279
So that's what I try to do each day.
01:10:33.439 --> 01:10:37.439
I I hope I I hope I can continue to achieve it.
01:10:37.520 --> 01:10:39.359
There are those days though, Pat.
01:10:39.600 --> 01:10:40.000
You know?
01:10:40.479 --> 01:10:41.600
Oh, we all have them.
01:10:41.840 --> 01:10:42.800
We all have them, my friend.
01:10:42.880 --> 01:10:43.199
Yes, sir.
01:10:43.439 --> 01:10:48.319
You go home, you pull up the big girl pants, and you start over again in the expression.
01:10:49.920 --> 01:10:56.479
My friend Ellen, let me uh go on ahead and plug all of your information here for you.
01:10:56.800 --> 01:11:01.439
My friends, uh, again, my good friend, the wonderful Ellen Glassman.
01:11:02.239 --> 01:11:12.720
You can see Ellen at her website at www.artistic creations of LG for Long Grove.
01:11:12.800 --> 01:11:14.000
Again, let me repeat that.
01:11:14.319 --> 01:11:20.319
www.artisticcreations of lg.com.
01:11:20.960 --> 01:11:28.159
Her Facebook, you can go to artistic creations of Long Grove, and her store is in Long Grove.
01:11:28.239 --> 01:11:36.720
The address is 405 Robert Parker Coffin Road, Long Grove, Illinois, 60047.
01:11:36.880 --> 01:11:37.840
I'm gonna talk to you.
01:11:37.920 --> 01:11:39.039
Hang on for just a minute.
01:11:39.119 --> 01:11:45.680
I'm gonna talk to you for just a second after we're done here, but I do want to make sure that you know I want to thank you very much.
01:11:45.920 --> 01:11:52.399
We have become very, very uh uh um consistent friends here on our text messages.
01:11:52.560 --> 01:11:55.359
Uh, my wife and I have been very concerned for you.
01:11:55.439 --> 01:11:57.279
Like I said early when you jumped on.
01:11:57.439 --> 01:12:04.640
She says to say hi, and that we are so grateful uh that you are feeling so much better because you've been to a five.
01:12:07.039 --> 01:12:07.279
Thank you.
01:12:08.159 --> 01:12:09.920
I want to thank you for coming on.
01:12:10.079 --> 01:12:10.399
Thank you.
01:12:10.560 --> 01:12:12.319
I know we've been talking about this for months.
01:12:12.399 --> 01:12:13.199
So do me a favor.
01:12:13.359 --> 01:12:15.600
Once again, my friends, this is Ellen Glassman.
01:12:15.760 --> 01:12:19.920
Uh hang on for just a second, Ellen, and thank you again, my friend.
01:12:20.399 --> 01:12:21.359
Thank you, Pat.
01:12:21.760 --> 01:12:22.640
You got it.
01:12:22.880 --> 01:12:27.439
I would like to thank my wonderful friend Ellen Glassman for joining us on the podcast.
01:12:27.600 --> 01:12:38.319
I was so excited that she decided to go on ahead and join us on the podcast to share just an incredible story, so inspiring, and so motivating.
01:12:38.479 --> 01:12:41.119
This is what this podcast is about, right here.
01:12:41.520 --> 01:12:44.960
These types of stories, unbelievable.
01:12:45.520 --> 01:12:59.520
Here is a wonderful woman who had to deal with loss, reinvention, courage, entrepreneurship, and then finding a new purpose when life threw a wrench at her.
01:13:00.560 --> 01:13:02.000
Just threw a wrench at her.
01:13:02.399 --> 01:13:03.680
And here she comes.
01:13:04.000 --> 01:13:05.439
She's coming out of it.
01:13:06.159 --> 01:13:10.399
She gets diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer.
01:13:11.279 --> 01:13:15.680
She's got a 75% chance, her doctor says.
01:13:20.399 --> 01:13:21.439
Unbelievable.
01:13:21.920 --> 01:13:23.600
And she never stops.
01:13:24.159 --> 01:13:25.439
She just keeps going.
01:13:25.600 --> 01:13:27.760
And some of the points I I wrote down here.
01:13:28.479 --> 01:13:35.279
When she went on her first date with her soulmate Marty, what did Marty tell her when they sat at the table?
01:13:36.000 --> 01:13:41.920
If you feel like you want to stay, open the menu, and then I'll know.
01:13:42.159 --> 01:13:43.439
That's I mean, come on.
01:13:43.840 --> 01:13:45.600
That's movie stuff right there.
01:13:46.159 --> 01:14:02.319
Another thing Ellen talked about was when she got down, when she didn't know what was gonna happen, when she was having tough days, she relied on what she called PMA, a positive mental attitude.
01:14:02.640 --> 01:14:04.000
She leaned on that.
01:14:04.640 --> 01:14:06.079
She leaned on that.
01:14:06.560 --> 01:14:07.920
And what did she say?
01:14:08.159 --> 01:14:09.520
I'm not going down.
01:14:10.399 --> 01:14:12.239
This cancer isn't getting me.
01:14:12.319 --> 01:14:14.000
I'm gonna be okay, everybody.
01:14:14.159 --> 01:14:15.039
You watch.
01:14:15.600 --> 01:14:16.560
You watch.
01:14:16.880 --> 01:14:18.319
I'm gonna be okay.
01:14:18.800 --> 01:14:19.600
PMA.
01:14:20.479 --> 01:14:22.159
Positive mental attitude.
01:14:22.560 --> 01:14:23.199
I love that.
01:14:23.359 --> 01:14:25.920
Ellen Glassman is a wonderful friend.
01:14:26.479 --> 01:14:28.399
I only wish her the best.
01:14:28.560 --> 01:14:30.239
God bless Ellen Glassman.
01:14:30.479 --> 01:14:31.840
She's so fantastic.
01:14:32.000 --> 01:14:38.960
If and when you guys ever get out to the northwest suburbs of Chicago, about 40 miles northwest of Chicago.
01:14:39.199 --> 01:14:40.720
Head over to Long Grove.
01:14:40.880 --> 01:14:43.279
I'm so lucky it's not too far from my home.
01:14:43.600 --> 01:14:50.960
Head over to Long Grove, downtown Long Grove, and hit up Ellen at Artistic Creations of Long Grove.
01:14:51.279 --> 01:14:57.840
Right on the intersection air of Robert Parker Coffin Road and Old McHenry Road.
01:14:58.000 --> 01:14:58.640
Right there.
01:14:59.279 --> 01:15:03.760
Stop in and say hi to Ellen and tell her Patrick sent you, my friends.
01:15:03.920 --> 01:15:08.239
Once again, I want to thank Ellen Glassman for coming on the podcast.
01:15:08.640 --> 01:15:10.800
I am proud to call her my friend.
01:15:10.960 --> 01:15:12.000
Thank you, Ellen.
01:15:12.399 --> 01:15:16.159
My friends, next week we got another great podcast episode.
01:15:16.479 --> 01:15:24.399
My good friend Bill Cunningham is going to be on the podcast to share his story, to talk about his journey.
01:15:24.880 --> 01:15:30.319
Bill played college basketball for Bobby Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers.
01:15:30.640 --> 01:15:38.640
He also played college basketball for Jerry Tarkanian and the UNLV running rebels out in Vegas.
01:15:39.119 --> 01:15:40.960
Two Hall of Fame coaches.
01:15:41.199 --> 01:15:43.840
Bill's going to tell us all about that.
01:15:44.159 --> 01:15:50.800
All about what he's doing now to help inspire and motivate kids out there, athletes out there to be better.
01:15:51.119 --> 01:15:56.319
Bill Cunningham's going to be here next week on the Better Never Stops podcast.
01:15:56.479 --> 01:15:57.199
Can't wait for that.
01:15:57.680 --> 01:15:59.600
My friends, thanks again for tuning in.
01:15:59.840 --> 01:16:13.680
Hey, listen, you can catch us anywhere as far as on our podcast, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, wherever you're at, just type in Better Never Stops.
01:16:13.840 --> 01:16:15.199
You'll find us, my friends.
01:16:15.439 --> 01:16:28.399
And if you're on the Spotify app, if you've got a story that you'd like to share that you think would inspire and motivate our listeners, hit us up in the comment section on the Spotify app.
01:16:28.880 --> 01:16:30.640
Let us know if you'd like to join us.
01:16:30.880 --> 01:16:37.680
Or if you have a friend or anybody you know who might have a story that would inspire and motivate our audience.
01:16:38.000 --> 01:16:40.079
Hit us up, let us know what's going on.
01:16:40.720 --> 01:16:43.520
Everybody's welcome on this podcast.
01:16:44.000 --> 01:16:54.079
My friends, when I have guests on the show, I always ask them to give me three of their favorite songs that I can share with my audience on their episode.
01:16:54.319 --> 01:16:57.520
We started off with Fleetwood Mac Rihanna.
01:16:58.079 --> 01:17:01.680
We also went on ahead and played a little ABBA, dancing queen.
01:17:01.920 --> 01:17:03.199
Ellen likes to dance.
01:17:03.439 --> 01:17:04.960
Ellen wanted some ABBA.
01:17:05.359 --> 01:17:07.039
And we're going to end it.
01:17:07.119 --> 01:17:09.520
And I've got a little surprise for Ellen.
01:17:09.680 --> 01:17:17.920
I've got Blackbird, but I got a really special version of Blackbird by the Beatles with Paul McCartney on the lead vocal.
01:17:18.000 --> 01:17:20.960
We're going to play that out as we fade out of this episode.
01:17:21.199 --> 01:17:25.840
My friends, once again, next week, Bill Cunningham, my good buddies on the podcast.
01:17:26.000 --> 01:17:28.159
I want to thank everybody for tuning in.
01:17:28.319 --> 01:17:36.159
This is Pat Garcia, and we'll see you again next week, right here on the Better Never Stops podcast.
01:17:36.319 --> 01:18:23.520
And I am out of the way for this moment to be free.