Lilacs for Mom

A few years ago Kathleen gave me a small lilac bush to plant in my little yard.  I was so excited because they are so beautiful and smell so amazing.  They were also my mother's favorite flower, and I was looking forward to one day being able to show her my lilac bush in bloom.

The bush didn't bloom for a couple of years, and in the meantime, mom passed away.  Since then, growth has been slow, but sure, and this year the bush looks really great.

So, mom, these are for you!  Happy Mother's Day -- I know you are in God's hands!

And a Happy Mother's Day to ALL the mothers out there!
  

Embarrassing Moment

OK, we all have embarrassing moments.  But I had an interesting one today.

We have some really windy days up here in Prescott [elevation 5368 feet].  But it didn't seem so bad, so I set out to Red Robin for my free birthday burger.  I decided to wear a wig [still have very little hair], and since I wasn't going anywhere else I didn't bother using tape to hold it down.

The burger was GREAT!  Red Robin sits up a little high and the wind was REALLY whipping around there.  As I walked out of the restaurant, my wig went flying!  Thankfully, I was able to get it quickly.

And, thankfully, no one saw it, but I still was embarrassed!
 

The Invasion

Last night when I came home late from my birthday karaoke party, I discovered that the strawberry plants I planted earlier this week had been munched on, as well as a kale.  All of them were out of their containers [I believe the aggressors were havelina -- they tend to be really messy].  So today I put everything back together.  They look pretty pitiful, but I'm hopeful they will survive.
   

This reminded me of my current situation.  In the past few months, I've been invaded by cancer, a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and now radiation therapy.  I've suffered several side effects from these, and I'm not exactly feeling up to par right now.  But I know I WILL survive.

No, I will THRIVE!

Spring

I love that it's finally Spring.  This has always been my favorite season, when everything comes alive -- including me!

I love working in the garden, even the dirty spring cleanup stuff.  I love feeling the breeze across my face and the sun on my skin.

I especially love planting flowers and getting my hands in the dirt. It's those times I really feel grounded and connected to Mother Earth. I love watching the new growth.

And I really love sitting back after it's done and enjoying the beauty God has created.

I love listening to the birds with their chirping and singing.  They like to gather early in the morning in the pyracantha bush outside my bedroom window -- it usually wakes me up, and I love even that.

I love sitting on my patio in the busy quiet stillness going on around me.  And just BEING a part of something so much bigger than I could ever imagine.
 

The Decision - Pt 3

Gee there are a lot of decisions to make through this process.

I've been putting off the decision about whether I should have radiation therapy, even though my doctor has been highly recommending it.  So I gathered information from several sources, and I finally decided to go ahead and do it.  It will start within the next 2 weeks.  The bottom line -- I'm at high risk, and I don't want to go through chemo again!  At least this process will be easier than the chemo.

There's a risk that the radiation could damage the tissue expanders I have in my breasts (part of the reconstructive process), but my plastic surgeon recommends that I don't put off medical treatment.   [Gotta respect a plastic surgeon who puts medical care first.]

Wonder if I'll glow in the dark?!!!

[PS.  Radiation therapy starts on Monday, April 11 -- every day for 8-9 weeks.]
  

  

I Wish...

I wish I could have just one day without pain, discomfort or other physical limitations.


And I wish that just one person gets something from this blog.

The Change in Direction

Finally, the last chemo treatment is over.  Thank God, I don't know how many more of them I could have taken.  In between treatments I would try to build up my strength, but before I could completely do that it was time for another treatment. It was like knocking someone down when they're already down, and it just seemed to get worse every time.  Now it's time for a new direction!

I've adopted a song to illustrate where I am in my life right now -- it's "Cool Change" by the Little River Band.  Here's a great video with dolphins dancing to the song: Cool Change

As the song says, "it's time for a cool, cool change."