2024 Update

Long time since I have posted on this blog. Just thought I would catch you up to date. My cancer journey is never far from my mind. It is a part of me, and when you ask how I am doing, I want to say that I have been clean now for a year and three months. My hair is growing back although it is baby fine. Slowly, the chemo drugs have stopped affecting my system. I have more energy, and everyday I thank God that I am alive and well.

Gladly, the oncology clinic and my primary has followed up many times, making sure my blood levels are where they should be. I've had frequent mammograms. They frighten me every single time. But I take a deep breath, pray, calm my blood pressure and try not to be preoccupied.

One day you may understand, especially if you have walked the breast cancer road. There's this lingering fear that peeks its ugly head periodically. I focus on other things so that it doesn't grab ahold of me and win. My life has been so busy since I've finished chemo, surgery and radiation. My busy-ness pulls me away from worrying too much.

What have I been doing? My husband and I tent camped last summer with our little dog, Claire, to the Adirondacks in New York State and in several state parks. We have funny stories to tell. Memories fill us. Our getaways were a kind of celebration of life together.  We are thankful always that the days were ours to enjoy. No matter whether we were gifted sunshine or rain, we thoroughly loved campfires, exploring, even finding some unique ice cream parlor to memorialize our successful adventure. 

I continue to teach quilting. The contacts with quilters locally and globally fill me. There is always a project ahead that is exciting. And their positive thinking buoys me in my down times. I am so grateful for these wonderful Zoom pen pals around the world. And in the good weather I spend a good deal of time riding my bike. It feels so good to have the energy to do that again. 

Believe it or not, I have also finished writing a book. It is quite simply about me, something that my family and friends will have always, so whenever they want to feel I am chatting with them, all they need to do is open my pages and read away. It's a story of sorts about the window in time that God is gifting me. I pray daily that window stays open for many more years because I am not ready to close it. There is still so much I want to do. Stay tuned. I'll keep you in the loop.