reflection

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Heading east

It’s 5:13am. Gary and I are sitting in a Central Oregon airport bound for Philly … and grandchildren! You don’t even want to know what time Gary rolled me out of bed this morning.

We have 5 glorious days ahead with kids and grands … and then 5 days in Florida with three speaking opportunities – a cancer center in West Palm Beach, The Wellness Community in Miami, and the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
	Leaving on a jet plane

We’ll base out of my brother’s home in West Palm for the week. He says the temps are in the 70s and the humidity has set in. This does not compute. My smart phone tells me it’s 25 degrees here with no humidity anywhere in sight – just beautiful white snow on the nearby mountains. I think I’m in for a rude awakening.

Speaking of awakening – signing off for a short snooze before they begin boarding.

Comment

Sunday, March 28, 2010

March Madness

Gary, my computer geek husband, comes up with the idea for a little friendly family competition. Which means we’re in the middle of March Madness and the stakes are high – a large candy bar and trophy presented to the winner at the annual Johnson family reunion in May.

Before WVU’s big win yesterday, Gary’s brother e-mailed: “Wendy said to tell you she expects a HUGE candy bar,” to which I replied, “Don’t count your candy bars before they hatch!” (The nerve of some people.)

This is the sister-in-law who has started all the water fights at the family reunion, who loves competition and loves to win. I’m thinking if I show up at this year’s reunion as the winner of the Johnson Family March Madness Pool, I'd better be wearing rain gear.  

Go, Mountaineers!

Comment

Friday, March 26, 2010

Welcome to spring

I just popped a pan of Pumpkin Cornbread into the oven (think soft gingerbread with a touch of crunchy cornmeal). The smell of molasses and cinnamon baking puts me in mind for the winter holidays. Of course, it helps that snow is falling and the fireplace is blazing.

Pumpkin cornbread with molasses & cinnamon

Welcome to spring in Central Oregon. A couple years ago we hosted a barbecue and Easter egg hunt in our backyard with temps in the low 70s … and then woke up the next morning to 3-4 inches of snow. Which is one of the things I love about living at the base of the towering Cascades – you just never know what the weather will bring and since Gary and I are up for adventure, today’s snow flurries suit us just fine.

Someone in a neon green jacket with black tights just rode by on his bicycle. Another thing I love about Central Oregon – the die-hard outdoor enthusiasts. Snow?  Phssw … I can still ride my bike to work. Watch me.

So on this spring morning – my day off – we’re enjoying pumpkin cornbread and hot tea for breakfast, snow falling, fireplace light, and writing projects. It just doesn’t get much better than this!

Side note: Speaking of breakfast, Gary, my knight in shining armor, braved the blizzard to fill the birdfeeder on this frosty morning. “The things you do for me!” I beamed as he came back indoors. To which he replied with a straight face: “No one ever said I was smart.” Comment

		Monday, March 22, 2010 Half birthdays Occasionally Gary tries to re-write the rules. And occasionally I let him. Take, for instance, his “Eat whatever I want on my birthday” rule that he made up a couple years ago (as if what I’m feeding him isn’t nutritious and delicious). And then there’s the rule he made up to go with the first rule: “Every half birthday I get to eat whatever I want.” I indulge him in this new rule, as well. Sigh. So, with Gary’s half birthday today, we celebrated on Friday at a local steak house of his choice – the Tumalo Feed Company.
	Cowboy Gary with Cowboy Bob

The Tumalo Feed Company, just a few miles north of Bend, was featured in Sunset Magazine as one of the 11 “Top Steak Houses of the Great West.” Well deserved. The décor is warm and inviting and definitely cowboy-ish. Our friendly waitress was wearing a short denim skirt and cowboy boots, and Dale Evans and Roy Rogers were crooning on the overhead speakers.

Gary orders a juicy steak that comes with a salad, onion rings, country potatoes, beans and garlic bread. Being the self-disciplined girl that I am, I order a salad and the trout with asparagus, although I may have helped Gary polish off the onion rings and garlic bread.

We ask for a take-out box because we’re saving room for dessert. After all, what good does an “Eat whatever I want” rule do if you can’t order dessert?  Being the self-disciplined girl, I order Marionberry Cobbler, topped with vanilla ice cream (minor detail) while Gary gets a piece of Chocolate Thunder Cake that is so rich it takes him three days to finish it off. (Either that, or he was flaunting his chocolate cake in front of me all weekend.)	Tumalo Feed Company

If you visit the Tumalo Feed Company Web site, you’ll learn a little history about the place and its owners, John Bushnell and Robert Holley. Apparently they met while working in a popular steak house in Northern California and then later Bushnell recruited Holley to work as manager of a well-known California restaurant. “Robert was the only available restaurant manager in town at that time,” says Bushnell.

“It was a town of seven, and the other six were in jail,” recalls Holley.

You see why it’s a fun place to eat.

Back to rule making: One of the rules is not to let the guy make up too many because then he thinks he’s the official rule-maker. A girl has to draw the line somewhere. Earlier last week, Gary asks what I’m getting him for his half birthday.

Half birthday presents? I don’t think so. Right there – that’s where you draw the line.

Comment

Friday, March 19, 2010

Destinations

Our original destination this morning may have been the little meadow at the base of Three Fingered Jack, but the true destination was getting outdoors and participating in life.

With shorter work hours that usually mean Fridays off, we awoke to blue skies and sunshine. The webcam on Santiam Pass showed clear roads with a bit of snow along the sides, so we took the chance that the road up to the Jack Lake trailhead was open … and that there wouldn’t be too much snow on the trail.

		It’s about 12 miles from the highway to the trailhead. We made it to mile 11 before our little 4-wheel drive vehicle couldn’t maneuver the snow-covered uphill road. No worries. We’d just hike the rest of the way to Jack Lake, and then see how far up the trail we could get. We were layered for brisk weather with plenty of water and snacks.
	Three Fingered Jack straight ahead

The skies were clear and deep. We heard sounds of a woodpecker working his way through a tree, and stopped a couple times to peer at wildlife tracks and decipher what activity had taken place there in the night.

And all the while, we snapped away at glorious mountain views – Middle Sister, North Sister, and Mt. Washington to our left; Jefferson to our right; Three Fingered Jack straight ahead. The further we hiked, though, the deeper the snow. Because we weren’t outfitted with snowshoes, we eventually had to turn back.
	North and Middle Sisters

So even though we set out to reach Canyon Creek Meadows at the base of Three Fingered Jack, if the idea was to get outdoors and enjoy each other’s company and the physical activity, then I would have to say that we reached our destination today.

Comment

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Most romantic bridge in the world

One of the things Gary and I talk about in our cancer survivorship presentation is the importance of having an attainable goal (or two or three), determine the first steps and then work in the direction of your dreams.

We figured we probably ought to practice what we preach ... so, with our dream of hiking the Swiss Alps in mind, we set up a fun savings account, Gary applied for a passport and I got mine renewed. And now – a year or so later with a few detours along the way – we have enough saved.

Swiss Alps hiking goal

I love it when other people believe in your dreams. Our daughter and son-in-law sent us a couple of books—one entitled Switzerland’s Mountain Inns: A Walking Vacation in a World Apart. And recently we got email from a doctor in our community who completed a 35 stage, 42 night trek across Switzerland. I spent some time browsing through the links he sent and checking out his recommended reading list – a wealth of information.

A guy we met this past weekend who hiked in the French Alps had some good tips, and a nursing student at one of our presentations wrote down the names of three must-see places in Switzerland with good hiking trails.

So now that we have a cheerleading squad, we figure we’d better not let anyone down. We are shooting for the last week in August and the first week in September, after the European vacationing crowds have returned to their respective cities.    

The Kapellbrücke in Lucerne, at right, has been called the most romantic bridge in the world. I’ve visited on a couple different occasions, but what good does it do to cross the most romantic bridge in the world without your sweetie? So, in addition to venturing out on some alpine hiking trails, guess where I plan to take Gary!
	Kapellbrücke in Lucerne – most romantic bridge

Comment

Friday, March 12, 2010

Stellar team

Gary drags me out of bed early this morning – my day off, I might add – to attend Grand Rounds at the hospital. The guest speaker is Dr. Tomasz Beer, Professor of Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and Director of its Prostate Cancer Research Program.

We first met Dr. Beer (pronounced “bear”) in September 2009 at an OHSU prostate cancer conference where we were on the agenda as presenters. I blogged afterward about how we immediately liked him—“I was struck with the thought that we are ordinary people stepping outside our comfort zones into the presence of greatness.”

		So this morning, we asked His Greatness how much he would charge if we could have our photo taken with him. Apparently he’s never considered charging for photo sessions, but the thought struck him that it might be a great way to raise funds for prostate cancer research. (I’m pretty sure he’ll be looking into that further.)
	Dr. Tomasz Beer The Great (at left)

Gary is a radar-screen patient of Dr. Beer’s, which means he gets his hormonal therapy treatment locally and sees Dr. Beer once a year to stay on his radar screen – a really great place to be since Dr. Beer is on a mission to find a cure for prostate cancer.

So there you have it, part of our stellar medical team. Personable, brilliant … and vigilant when it comes to cancer.  

Comment

Saturday, March 6, 2010 Talent Central Oregon’s got talent! Our date last night was at the Tower Theater in downtown Bend for the annual St. Charles Medical Center Talent Showcase. Gary and I clapped and hooted for fellow employees along with the rest of the boisterous crowd. The highlight of the evening was the Cancer Treatment Center’s very own Dr. Bleyer playing “Rhapsody in Blue” on the piano. His dog, Cookie, was supposed to accompany him, but Cookie was too busy sniffing under the piano to watch for his cue.

Bend’s historic Tower Theater

Today, with temps soaring into the 40s, we hiked up to Misery Ridge at Smith Rock and ate our lunch in the glorious sunshine, entertained by the talented rock climbers making their way up Monkey Face.

When it comes to rock climbing, talent isn’t optional; it’s a matter of life or death.

Eating lunch, easily entertained by the rock climbers on Monkey Face

In case you’re wondering where our talents and abilities lie – I’m quite gifted when it comes to discerning a good cup of Chai tea and Gary has become an amazing amateur photographer … only sometimes it feels as if paparazzi are following me around. A girl can’t even take a bite to eat without the photographer clicking away. Nothing is sacred.

Comment

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Upgrading into the 21^st century

So, Gary and I finally joined the 21^st century this week. By upgrading our existing cell phone plan to include wireless connection, discontinuing our landline Internet service and taking advantage of my hospital employee discount—an advantage I had not taken heretofore, and one that follows me the rest of my life—we now have phones that are smarter than we are.

As for smart phone applications, don’t get me started. Did you know there’s a coin toss app? This will come in handy the next time I’m asked to referee a football game and forget my coin.

	Don't you hate it when your phone is smarter than you are?!	And then there’s “Steamy Window” – an application that covers the entire phone screen with steam that you wipe off with your fingers. (Why you would want to do this, I don’t know.) Or “ColorFlashlight” that allows you to find your way in a theater or dance to a strobe light. Here’s one that might be good to install now while I’m thinking of it – “Find My Phone.” It sends a message to ring your phone loudly, even if it’s in silent mode.

Of course, my all-time favorite is the “Find Starbucks” application. Self-explanatory. I just now clicked on “Show all stores” and there are 9 in our hometown of Bend. What a country!

Comment

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