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reflection |
day in the life
Highlighting
the everyday life of a couple living well with a slow-growing cancer.
Life isn’t
always easy, and there will certainly be sorrows and losses
along the way. But being alive is good. It is very good.
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Wednesday,
April 28, 2010
Technology and pedicures
Ever wonder about the
days when married kids packed up their households and their
children and rolled west in covered wagons, perhaps never to
see their parents again ... grandparents never to see their
grandkids again.
Three years ago, our son-in-law packed up
his household and headed east in a covered U-Haul. He took our
daughter and grandkids with him. Without our permission.
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Fortunately, there are
cell phones and jet planes and Web options that our forefathers
and mothers didn’t have.
For example, our
almost-two-year-old granddaughter—born in Jersey after her family
emigrated there—finds her big sister’s orange nail polish and gives
herself a pedicure. |
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Toddler-designed
pedicure |
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And then, not too long
afterward, same almost-two-year-old masters the fine
art of tattooing and gives herself a full arm sleeve.
Thanks to amazing
technology, our daughter snaps a digital photo, probably
using—get this—not a camera, but a phone … and posts it to Facebook.
Technology. How else would we keep up with the antics of a toddler halfway around the
world?!
Comment
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Full
arm sleeve tattoo |
Sunday, April
25, 2010
Idaho ranch hands
Ever pay big bucks to go
to one of those working dude ranches? We haven’t either, but
yesterday we visited an Idaho ranch and had to work for our
supper. I’m thinking we ought to be billed for the sheer
pleasure of the experience (not to mention my sis-in-law’s cooking).
Gary and I spoke on
Wednesday at an event in Boise sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society, and then stayed over to spend some
time with family.
Based out of my
mom-in-law’s place, we spent a
day at Gary’s oldest brother’s ranch in the high green hills
north of Boise. One of my favorite things to do is ride the
perimeter of the ranch, which takes a good hour in the back of
an old Jeep.
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Where
the deer and the antelope play |
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This time we took the
4-wheelers. I laughed out loud more than once from the joy of being alive and being outdoors,
flying along with the wind, hanging on to Gary for dear life – snow
on the distant mountains, wildflowers poking up through the
green grasses, deer running in packs, getting splattered by mud
and enjoying every minute of it.
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Ridin’
the range |
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We stopped at a spot
where Gary’s brother had been trying to find a leak in one of the lines
that waters the cattle. He dug several holes along where the
line was buried.
My job—because I accidentally
mentioned that I have good hearing—was to stick my head down
into each of the holes and listen for the sound of water running
through the pipe.
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Ranchland plumbers |
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I’m pleased to announce
that through the combined genius of the four of us, we were able
to pinpoint the general location of the leak, which means Gary’s
brother will fire up the heavy equipment and dig even bigger
holes.
My sister-in-law, at
right holding up the shovel (I’m thinking she may have
worked for CalTrans in a former life), had put
a turkey in the oven to roast slowly, so you can imagine the
aroma that greeted us after a hard day riding the trails and
working the ranch. |
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Quite
possibly a former CalTrans employee |
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Quality time with family
(including dinner at the ranch of Gary’s younger
brother) ... good conversation and
much laughter ... delicious food ... time
outdoors in the natural beauty and fresh air ... an
opportunity to present to a group of people dealing
with cancer and the healthcare professionals who
serve them – it just doesn’t get much better than this.
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Backyard views from the log cabin
designed by my sister-in-law |
Comment
Monday, April
19, 2010
Blonde moments
Gary has kept me laughing our entire married life. I love his
dry sense of humor.
And then there are his blonde moments, some of which are cancer
drug-induced
– as in
when he’s surfing the world wide web and forgets where in the
world he’s going.
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We usually do our grocery shopping tag-team style.
Three items is about the most Gary can handle –
“Honey, can you get eggs, tortillas and juice … and
meet me in produce?“
We get home and no juice, but enough milk to last us
quite some time.
“You
said, eggs, tortillas and milk, right?“
Come to think of it, two items is about the most he can handle. ;) |
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Enough milk to last some time |
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And then yesterday I misplace my phone. A little embarrassed—because
I give him such a hard time about his memory—I
nonchalantly pick up his phone and dial my number.
My phone starts ringing nearby, but it’s nowhere in sight. And
then Gary realizes his pocket is ringing. He had my phone
stuffed into his pocket. Great hiding place, hon.
Long before any cancer
meds, though, we had weekend company and I threw together a
breakfast soufflé – one of those recipes that calls for ham and asparagus
and bread cubes layered in a casserole dish
soaked in an egg/milk mixture that sets overnight in the
refrigerator.
I’m headed to the shower
Saturday morning and ask Gary if he’ll bake the soufflé. Thirty
minutes later, I walk out of the bedroom to a smoky kitchen that
smells like burnt plastic. Gary baked the soufflé, all right,
only he forgot to remove the Glad Wrap.
This is the man I
married who has kept me laughing for over 36 years! Am I the
luckiest girl alive or what?!
Comment
Saturday, April
17, 2010
Being in community
What do pink skirts and skis, chocolate as a healthy choice, and
physical activity options have in common? They’re all components
of our Central Oregon cancer community.
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Kelly Harroun - pretty in pink |
Riders for the Cure is this fun ski and snowboard
event—participants are encouraged to wear pink, in
case you hadn’t already figured that out—hosted by
Mt. Bachelor to raise awareness and dollars for
Sara’s Project, one of our Cancer Care funds.
Kelly Harroun, young adult survivor, braved the
trick hill and the “fun box” at this year’s event.
The fun box is 6 feet in length without snow
covering. The idea is to head downhill to gain
momentum, load onto the box and ride its length –
jumping off the end.
I don’t make these things up.
Lizzi Katz, my partner in crime in St. Charles
Cancer Care, a survivor and snowboarder herself,
says Kelly is her hero: “She’s so brave and positive
in how she lives her life.”
Lizzi is my hero. I’ve heard her say that “once
you’ve faced cancer, there’s little you can’t do.” |
And then there’s chocolate as a healthy choice. This past
Tuesday, with 82 attendees at our DEFEATcancer meeting in Bend
and another 15 or so in Redmond connected via live broadcast, we
enjoyed nutritional info about this month’s Harvest 4 Health
pick: chocolate!
Carol Schrader, our
most excellent nutritionist, arranged for veggie chili with
cocoa powder, a chocolate vinaigrette for the salad, and
samplings of a
dark chocolate brownie sweetened with Fruit Sweet. Healthy
eating just doesn’t get much better than this!
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As for healthy movement, we’ve been conducting
monthly hikes for our survivors and caregivers since
2007. Today for the first time, though, we provided two
trail options: the Badlands hike led by fearless
leaders Mike Gibson and Jeff Scott ... and, for
those not yet ready to take on the wilderness, an
in-town hike facilitated by Gary and his trusty
sidekick (that would be me).
A
total of 19 people participated in today’s two
options, followed by lunch at a local restaurant.
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Gary and 7 lovely ladies on the Larkspur Trail
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I love seeing survivors join community and establish new
friendships ... because there is something so
encouraging about hanging out with people who are
living well with cancer.
Pink skirts and skis, the chocolate/nutrition
connection, volunteers like
Mike and Jeff, physical activity
options – these are just a few of the components that make our
Central Oregon cancer community so amazing.
Comment
Wednesday,
April 14, 2010
Live strong
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Denise running a 10K in Central Park |
Our daughter-in-law,
Denise, is running for TEAM LIVESTRONG in the
2010 New York City Marathon. She’s never run a marathon
before.
LIVESTRONG team
members will ride, run, walk and swim in 21
different athletic events around the globe to raise
awareness and funds to fight cancer.
“We are the cyclist facing a long uphill climb in
honor of his mother,” their Web page declares.
“We are the runner finishing a first marathon in
memory of her brother” … or, in Denise’s case, in
honor of her father-in-law.
“We are the cancer survivor crossing a 5K finish
line after completing treatment.” |
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Denise’s
goal is to raise $3,500 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation … and
every little bit helps.
Click here to visit her page at the LIVESTRONG Web
site.
If you’ve
never read the Lance Armstrong Foundation Manifesto, it’s
pretty compelling.
Here’s my favorite part:
We believe in life.
Your life.
We believe in living every minute of it with every ounce of your
being.
If there’s
one thing cancer has taught Gary and me, it’s
to live life while we have it, which seems like a no-brainer
except sometimes we humans get so busy with the daily stuff that
we forget the obvious.
Live on purpose. Live strong.
Comment
Thursday, April
8, 2010
Cutting edge
We’re on the return leg of a triangular route that began in
West Palm Beach yesterday afternoon, headed south to Miami last
evening, and then across Alligator Alley to Tampa.
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We’ve
only been a short time in Florida, and have already come to the conclusion
that Floridians are gracious people.
We’re
also impressed that the three cancer communities we visited are
on the cutting edge of survivorship as they offer education,
support and services that enable people to live well with and
beyond cancer. |
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Palm Beach view from the Sari Asher Center |
Tricia Tran and her team at the
Sari Asher
Center are located on the 8th floor
overlooking Palm Beach Island and the Atlantic
Ocean beyond. (Personally, I’d
never get any work done with all the
views.) Tricia spent a good deal of time helping map out their
integrative cancer care center in an office the size of a broom
closet while the facilities were being constructed.
Peggy Rios and her staff at the
Miami Wellness Community
have created inviting spaces in an office complex across from the University of Miami. Their “living room” is the heart of the
multiuse building – tastefully decorated with warm furnishings
that
invite survivors and their caregivers in. One of the attendees
at last evening’s event lost his wife to cancer on Monday. He brought his two young adult children
to introduce them to the community of support that he and his
wife had been privileged to be a part of.
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Lizette Robles with the Moffitt Cancer Center took us on a tour of their comprehensive center—and we
do mean comprehensive. Lizette gave up a career as
a young news producer at a television station for the more
personal, rewarding work at Moffitt.
Located on the
University of Southern Florida
campus, the support and services offered at Moffitt are amazing.
They even have valet parking for their
patients. We watched as more than a dozen USF students
hustled back and forth
parking and collecting cars so patients and caregivers
could have curb-side service. |
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Moffitt Cancer Center - USF campus |
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Following our presentation at Moffitt, we met
Bob Samuels,
the founding chairman of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition.
He just happened to be at Moffitt as a patient. We struck up a
conversation and exchanged business cards. In his work as a
prostate cancer activist, Bob has rubbed elbows with the likes
of General Norman Schwarzkopf, Bill Cosby and NFL Hall of Fame
quarterback Len Dawson.
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Waterside lunch in Tampa |
Before
leaving Tampa, Gary and I wandered along the River
Walk,
enjoying the warm sunshine and admiring the yachts.
We stopped to have lunch at one of the waterfront
restaurants
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blackened salmon with
veggies and a chicken Caesar salad. Funny
how food tastes better outdoors ...
especially if there’s
a body of water nearby.
On the
drive back to West Palm, I was thinking about all
that is being offered in this cross-section of Florida cancer
communities, as well as the good work being done by
people like Bob Samuels on behalf of cancer
survivors and their loved ones. |
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None of these centers or organizations would be around if not
for the contribution of others – whether that shows up in daily, hands-on interaction with patients; through
advocacy work; or through something as simple as parking cars.
It’s amazing what the power of
thoughtful and compassionate service
can do in helping ease the burden of cancer.
Comment
Tuesday, April
6, 2010
Florida in April
If you spot an alligator your first day in Florida, then no
matter what happens after that, it’ll be a great visit! Gary
and I are at my brother and sis-in-law’s home, spending some
time with my mom before we head out on a couple of mid-week
speaking engagements.
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West
Palm Beach neighbors |
Yesterday we took Mom to nearby Grassy Waters Preserve - very
non-touristy and no entrance fee. My kind of place.
We strolled along the boardwalk through a cypress swamp where
Gary captured a great blue heron and an alligator on camera.
Gary tried to talk us into dangling our feet in the water so he
could get some action shots, but my mom and I were on to him.
Temps were in the 70s when we woke up this morning. Gary worked out
on my brother’s gym equipment and then went for a swim while Mom
and I had a leisurely chat over bagels and hot tea. (Mom and I
are on vacation; I’m not sure where my over-achieving husband
thinks he is.)
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We’re now on Juno Beach near the beautiful aqua
waters of the Atlantic. Gary’s never seen the
Atlantic before. I’m thinking I need to get him out
more.
We brought a picnic lunch, spread out our towels and
rolled up our pant legs
– our feet bare in the warm
sand.
As
much as I love the snow—and
I heard it snowed in our hometown on Easter
Sunday—I’d have to admit we’re enjoying the balmy
temperatures of Florida in April. |
Juno Beach blog-writing opportunity |
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Comment
Sunday, April
4, 2010
Easter blessings
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We’re in heaven, and it looks a little like Jersey
and Pennsylvania and New York. Gary and I arrived on
the East Coast Wednesday evening, and we haven’t
stopped since.
Bike-riding and playing at the park with the
grandkids; burgers and sweet potato fries at Bobby
Flay’s Burger Palace (yum!), and a day trip into
the beautiful farmland that makes up Amish country. |
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Happy
grandkids |
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Yesterday, we made an early morning trek into the
city to cheer on all four of our kids as they ran a
10K in Central Park. Our son, son-in-law and
daughter-in-law all did cross country and/or
track in high school, and our son-in-law ran in
the New York Marathon last November.
And
then there’s our daughter, the girl who has been
known to call runners psycho as she passes
them in her car. |
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Pre-race photo op in Central Park |
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Call
it peer pressure, or maybe just an opportunity to do
something healthy
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but our daughter ran the furthest she’s
ever run in her life.
Spring is making her entrance to this part of the
country. Temps have been in the high 60s/ low 70s,
and Central Park is starting to bud in pinks and
yellows and spring greens. Amazing metro beauty. |
At
mile 5, the
girl who used to call runners psycho |
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We
attended church this morning as a family, celebrating the
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There’s
a cool breeze blowing through the house even as we speak, but it
doesn’t
vanquish the smell of an Easter ham and sweet potatoes baking in the oven.
Our daughter-in-law made Easter cupcakes last night; our
daughter just took brie out of the oven; and our oldest
granddaughter is making roasted asparagus wrapped in prosciutto.
Earlier this afternoon the grandkids helped me cut up a fresh fruit salad.
Two-year-old Lydia’s contribution was sampling strawberries and
grapes: “More please,” as she stuffed fruit into her
mouth.
It just doesn’t get much better than this.
You know what they say, though, about all good things coming to
an end. Five days with children and grandchildren will end this
evening in a lovely Easter feast. And I will enjoy the conversation and
all the laughter, and I will relish the grandkid goodnight hugs
and kisses ... because who knows when we’ll all be together next.
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March 2010
Heading east
March Madness
Welcome to spring
Half birthdays
Destinations
Most romantic bridge
Stellar team
Talent
Upgrading into the 21st
Century
February 2010
Uncles and nieces
Blue skies in Portland
The subject of
heroes
Caliber of our friends
Courage walking
Only in Southern California
Well trained
Diversity
Cream of the crop
January 2010
End of the tunnel
Disturbing the snow
Good things come to
an end
American mobile family
Get moving
Any excuse for a date
Much more than a sports flick
December 2009
All the facts are true
No-el, No-whale
Mountain snob
Going to Hawaii
Finding our own way
It's just a number
Seasons of Christmas
Civil War in the CTC
My life in France
November 2009
Empty cafeteria trays
A few of my favorite things
Counting eagles
America’s best and brightest
Thinking about
Large amounts of hope
Memories, milestones
Married to a very patient man
October 2009
Healing reins
Trail to nowhere
Above the fray
Knitting connections
Touching everything
Modern technology
Hot date spot
Red sock day
I got all my sisters with me
September 2009
Tenacious like a bulldog
Best years of my life
Now we should live
Across the high desert
50 things to do before you
die
Anticipation
Summer past and random
thoughts
Running to win
August 2009
Far cry from canned chili &
peas
Knight in shining armor
Berry-Peach Cobbler
Roller coaster rides
Celebrating life
Dan in Real Life
Ridiculous
Gift of life
Grant-writing retreat
July 2009
Heartsore
In the moment
Extended birthday present
River traffic
Munch & Music
Dealing with the paparazzi
Midnight cruise
Behind red doors
June 2009
Happy kind of exhausted
4:30am blog
Fat checkmarks
One of the benefits of cancer
Calm before the storm
Big picture thinking
May 2009
Back to the real world
Quick trip to the EC
Audacious living
Connecticut adventure
April 2009
Flat Stanley in Ory-gun
Baby steps
Four-day weekend
Soaring on wings
Sunbathing
C.O. style
Real men wear pink
Fun in the CTC
March 2009
Live like you were dying
Day jobs
Connected
CAN Cancer
The power of one
February 2009
It's official
Fun with the medical professionals
To my valentine
Moments in Jersey
January 2009
Leaving on a
jet plane
Scans ordered
Welcome to life
Insane residents
Back in high school
Engaged crowd
Out of the mouths of babes
Divine intervention
December 2008
Christmas
via webcam
A merry little
Christmas
Somewhere on purpose
Adventure and
romance
Celebrate life
Imagine
Men and menopause
November 2008
My Thanksgiving list
Thanksgiving
Eve
Roundabouts
How Starbucks
saved my life
Training for
Switzerland
Radio interview
Super colon
Thoughts on
being invisible
The speed of a turtle
October 2008
Obligation of
the cured
Cancer Adventures – the book
Blue and orange town
Hope Couture
First snow
Simple
pleasures are the best
128 quilts
September 2008
Whale watching
and kite flying
The new and relaxed Gary
The scenic
route
Packing the essentials
One step at a
time
PSA count celebration
August 2008
Frost in August
Reading list
Soaring Spirits
Checking in
9:30am rock band
Lingering
July 2008
Grand for a reason
Mickey Mouse
pancakes
Survivorship is all the rage
Follow your dreams
Birthday weekend
Only in America
Unrelated goose incident
June 2008
Geese
Road trip
Friday night date
Tough day on the job
Best dad
Confession
Light bulb moment
Homesick
Amazing volunteers
May
2008
Countdown
Extended family
Testing the limits
Trailblazers
The last lecture
Mother’s Day thoughts
Welcome to our world, Lydia
Personal touch
April 2008
Dispensing goodness
Cancer community – Part II
Cancer community
Barn
door analogies
Homemade soup day
Mice and tumors
Waiting room magazines
Weekend date
First entry
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