Annabelle Russell marks 66th birthday today

Annabelle Russell, one-half of the Mediocre Music Makers based in the Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, Okla., marked her 66th birthday today.

Usually birthdays are no big deal in Route 66 corners. However, because Annabelle and her husband Harley have been entertaining Route 66 tourists for more than a decade, her 66th year has a certain synchronicity to it.

Harley and Annabelle Russell on Oct. 5, 2011.

Also, beginning another year in life becomes more significant for Annabelle in the wake of her diagnosis of ovarian cancer in early 2011. She underwent four hours of surgery and was in intensive care for three days. After that, she underwent aggressive chemotherapy throughout the spring and summer.

The “hardcore” chemo, as she put it during a telephone interview, ended a few weeks ago. Although ovarian cancer is essentially incurable, Annabelle said recent blood work and others tests revealed the tumors have been reduced to a minimal size. Annabelle says her strength is gradually returning, and her hair is growing back.

“And Harley and I have been working on the guitars again, although I’m sitting down,” she said.

So her birthday today served more than turning a page on her personal calendar.

“It gives me a lot of think about, all the people we’ve met on Route 66 over the years,” she said.

Although the news is encouraging, the experience (“an absolute living nightmare,” as Harley put it) has been so draining that Harley and Annabelle have learned not to become too elated. And Annabelle still faces 13 months of “maintenance” chemotherapy every three weeks.

The Russells have lived in Oklahoma City at the house of Harley’s parents during the treatments. They remain hopeful they can return to Erick and resume their Mediocre Music Makers act for tour groups. But it will take months for Annabelle’s strength to return. They also acknowledge they’ll have to “revamp the act and downscale the insanity” to a more-management length.

Still, Harley says he’s grateful for all the support during Annabelle’s fight.

“I can’t say enough about the prayers we received from all over the planet,” he said.

Harley and Annabelle’s Facebook page can be found here.

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