day in the life
Highlighting
the everyday life of a couple living well with a slow-growing
cancer.
Life isnt
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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Saturday, February
18, 2012
Grand Canyon,
and I do mean grand
Hubby with camera:
Hon,
go stand out on that ledge.
Me, taking camera from hubby:
You
go stand out on that ledge.
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They call it
grand
for a reason |
Just a
big crack in the ground. So whats
all the fuss about?
(Kidding.)
We had a grand time at the Grand Canyon today.
Love being tourists in this great ... big ... beautiful
country.
Comment
Friday, February
17, 2012
Perfect day
The end to a perfect day
an inexpensive, homemade meal at a location high above town
looking across to amazing red cliffs.
For homemade soups and desserts, sandwiches on
artisan breads, and pastas
(had a hard time deciding between Salmon Alfredo and Butternut
Squash Ravioli)
we enthusiastically recommend
Wildflower Bread Co in Sedona, AZ.
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Photo courtesy of
Wildflower Baking Co. |
This particular perfect day began with an early morning hike
past high red cliffs, along a dry creek bed deep into a canyon
...
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... and then up to a vista point. |
Unexpected wildlife along the trail turned out to be javelina
three of them. Members of the pig family. (Had never heard of
javelina before; I love learning new stuff.)
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One of three
javelinas along the trail |
The rest of the perfect day was spent playing Words With Friends
with hubby while drinking Chai tea overlooking more beautiful
scenery and editing some writing (what you would call your
multi-multi-tasking).
I
do have to report, though, that after hubby beat me twice at
Words With Friends, were
no longer friends.
Side note: Apparently Sedona has a
southwestern-desert-adobe requirement for new buildings. We
drove by this restaurant and it looked strangely familiar ...
and yet, not.
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Home of the green arches |
Comment
Thursday, February
16, 2012
Arizona in
February
For those of you who know my husband, it shouldnt
surprise you that we arrived nearly an hour early for our
speaking engagement at the Univ of Arizona Cancer Center today.
Which gave us time to look like tourists in the beautiful dessert
garden planted to the side of the cancer center (I know ...
patients were coming for medical appointments and here we were
snapping photos).
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The Peter and Paula Fasseas Cancer Center-Univ of
Arizona |
Little bridges over a dry creek bed,
strategically-placed benches, cacti and wildflowers
most of it in full bloom on this warm February day.
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Found this handsome guy while looking through my
viewfinder |
Son Jeremy and DIL Denise lived in Tucson a few years back. The
first time we visited, we were surprised to discover there were
mountains nearby.
Isnt
Arizona just one big flat desert? Whered
the mountains come from?!
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Mountains in Arizona? |
AZ truly is a beautiful state and we have only begun to explore.
More to come!
Comment
Sunday, February
12, 2012
Springtime?
It was forty-seven degrees when we headed out, bundled up in
layers with ear muffs and gloves, knowing thered
be a wind coming off the river.
Have to say that I didnt
expect to see kayakers and stand-up paddle-boarders today.
This is a snow-fed river, people ... and its
February!
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They must think its
June |
Theres
a trail in town that follows the Deschutes River. On the north
side of the bridge, a park with covered patio areas, plenty of
grassy spaces for frisbee-throwing and places to put in kayaks
and stand-up paddle boards.
Cross under the bridge and you find yourself in the wilderness.
At least if feels wildernessy.
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Headed into the wilderness |
For the most part, the Deschutes is shallow and wide. There is a
place where it narrows and from a rock ledge above, hubby tries
his hand at slowing speeds and opening apertures (have no clue
what that means).
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Thirty feet above the Deschutes - slowing speeds and
opening apertures |
Have to
say Im
impressed, though. But then, I impress easily.
Comment
Sunday, February 5,
2012
Super Bowl Sunday
Weve hosted our share of Super Bowl parties through the years,
most of them involving teenagers and plenty of finger foods.
There was usually a television playing in the family room, and
one in the living room ... and kids sat in the hot tub or tossed
a football in the backyard or strummed on guitars. Until a Super
Bowl commercial came on. Then they all shushed each other so
they could hear the commercial.
Today,
we hosted a quieter version of a Super Bowl party. Out at
Todd Lake. No television blaring, no unhealthy snacks lined up
on the kitchen counter. Just egg salad on whole
wheat, oatmeal cookies with raisins and hot orange spice tea.
And our guests flocked in by the dozens (or maybe it was the
same dozen that flocked in over and over again).
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And then there was this little guy |
Its
not that we dont
like a good Super Bowl game, but with the sun shining and eight feet of snow at the base of
Bachelor, who could resist a day outdoors on snow-shoes?!
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Trek from Mt. Bachelor to Todd Lake = Good work-out |
Side note: Good thing I didnt
need to use the powder room at Todd Lake.
Comment
Friday, February 3,
2012
Favorite audience
You can spot a nursing student a mile off by the color of their
scrubs. Green, as in go-gettum green.
Yesterday hubby and I spoke to a first year class of nursing
students. Enthusiastic; smart; laughed at all the right places
in our presentation. You can see why nursing students are our
favorite audience.
I
noticed a few students that looked older than college age.
Starting a new career? Pursuing a latent dream? Who knows, but
good for them for choosing less sleep, less time for a real
life, and the discipline to cram a lot of good stuff into their
brains that will hopefully keep patients alive on their watch.
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First year nursing students |
I
work with some pretty exceptional nurses in the cancer center.
And I was thinking about hubbys
night nurse when he had cancer surgery. She happens to be a
close friend of our daughters,
mom to five beautiful children with one more on the way, a
marathon runner, started her nursing career a little later in
life. (Are all nurses over-achievers?)
Over-achievers or not, heres
one patients
wife who is grateful for quality care provided in central Oregon
by Americas
best and brightest ... and now another class of students intent
on joining the ranks.
Comment
Sunday, January
29, 2012
Something in
common
Hubby with the camera:
Honey,
go stand near that tree.
(Youd think after all these years Id start wising up to him.)
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Extra large vanilla ice cream cone |
Theres
a minor scene in the 1972 western, Jeremiah Johnson,
where the main character shoots a buck.
The Utah forest ranger who actually shot the deer (you didnt
think
Robert Redford had that good an aim, did you?); a
70-year-young cancer survivor;
a couple of guys working their way through a rehab program;
someone who had bilateral knee replacement surgery just last
year.
What do they have in common?
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Eclectic mix of
people with at least one thing in common
(photo courtesy
of Mike Gibson) |
They were all part of our snow-shoeing posse yesterday.
Seeing
how physical activity is good for your physical, mental/
emotional and spiritual healthespecially
if it involves snow and tall treesI
have just three words:
Get moving, people!
Comment
Thursday, January
26, 2012
Some system
Hubby and I make a great team. Take dinner dishes, for example.
He stores leftovers in ceramic containers (perfect for
workday lunches); I load the dishwasher; he puts food back in
the fridge.
Our system works quite well. Or at least I thought it did.
The other day, we both noticed an odor coming from the corner of
the kitchen to the right of the dishwasher. Odd, because the
only food in that area is a drawer full of pasta,
beans and rice ... and a lower cabinet with flour, cornmeal and
oats. Nothing that would give off a rotten food smell.
For two or three days we tried to pinpoint the odor. And then I
had a brainflash. Sure enough, one of the ceramic containers
stacked neatly in the cupboard
exactly where it belonged
had
leftover Chicken Divan in it.
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The guilty party: second container from the
top |
I
wont
attempt to describe the color. Or the full odor once the lid
came off. And I wont
point any fingers (but
hubby is the one who puts the food away).
Maybe our system needs a little tweaking.
Comment
Wednesday, January
18, 2012
In such a community
They brought a check by today, these grocery store managers who
hosted a
round
up
fundraiser for Saras
Project this past October.
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Peggy Lukens, Breast Cancer
Nurse Navigator; Lizzi Katz, my office
roomie and Breast Health
Educator; Allison McCormick,
Cancer Center Dir; and Lisa
Dobey, St. Charles Foundation Dir,
accept a check from Rays
Food Place managers. |
Eight-thousand-something in loose change, for if you round up to
the nearest dollar, its
almost the same as giving your loose change.
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No small
change |
Love that the funds will stay within the community to
support and assist local women dealing with breast cancer. We should
all be so lucky to live in such a community.
Comment
Thursday, January
12, 2012
Coming home
Our mid-day appointment with the esteemed Dr. Tomasz Beer at
OHSU didnt
go exactly as we had hoped, but it also didnt catch us by
surprise.
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Floor seven for hubbys
appointment |
With hubbys
rising PSA, the discussion centered around the options for the
next level of treatment.
There are a couple different chemotherapies, said the good
doctor. Also a new
drug that runs $4-5K per month. And a
clinical trial, which would mean a monthly trip to Portland.
Not today. Not next week. But sometime in the next months a CT
scan will be ordered and some decisions will be made by those in
the know.
I
dont
want hubby to go to the next level of treatment; Im
quite attached to this level. Next levels represent loss
in quality of life.
A
quiet drive over snow-covered mountains to arrive in time for
our monthly DEFEATcancer meeting. Exactly the shot in the arm we
needed for this day.
Performing during the dinner hour were nearly a dozen beautiful Liberian and Peruvian children.
Their enthusiasm = catchy.
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Members
of the Matsiko World Orphans Choir |
Our guest speaker was Brad Ludden, Nike athlete and founder of
First
Descents, a program that
provides adventure therapy for young adults with cancer.
Quite inspiring what Brad has done with his young life so far.
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Me with the 2008 hottest bachelor in
America |
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Not your
average kayaker |
An uplifting evening with a group of 80+ people from our cancer
community. Contagiously joyful Liberian and Peruvian children. Hottest
bachelor in America. Peace and knowing that all will be well. It
just doesnt
get much better than this.
Side note: For those of you that are interested in
such trivia, Brad was named Hottest Bachelor in America by
Cosmopolitan in 2008. Almost as hot as hubby!
Comment
Tuesday, January
10, 2011
Headed for OHSU
Nine oclock.
He said nine oclock
and I believed him because hes
never lied to me in all these years of marriage (well, maybe
except when I was pregnant and asked him if I looked fat).
So at 7:30am, hes
putting away the puzzle, packing up his camera, taking things
out to the car. What happened to 9:00?
Its
the
end of a long, lovely weekend on Oregons
rugged coast. Glorious sunshine especially ordered for a walk
along the waves; meeting an old friend in Nye Beach;
intermittent rain and hunkering indoors with our books and a pot
of homemade soup; blackened salmon at Mos
one evening.
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Pacific view from our deck - waves catching the sun |
As we speak, our car is headed in the general direction of
Portland for Garys
annual check-in with Dr. Beer at Oregon Health & Science
University.
The thing we keep forgetting about big cities (coming from our
small town of Bend where heavy traffic is five cars in a
round-about with the tourists circling) is to factor in traffic.
You know where Im
going with this, dont
you?
We leave the coast almost an hour ahead of schedule. Just in
time to hit Portland morning traffic. Good planning, hon!
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We werent
the only smart ones catching some rays this weekend |
Comment
Friday, January 06,
2012
Checklist
for the coast
Camera, hiking boots, warm outwear.
Packing for the coast on this frosty
white morning with the thermometer
reading twenty-six degrees but no snow (what a waste of cold
if theres no snow).
On our way to Portland for hubbys annual check-in with the
acclaimed Dr. Tomasz Beer at Oregon Health & Science University.
But first, a slight detour to the Pacific Ocean for the weekend.
Books, knitting project, writing project (remember the
50,000-word novel in one month undertaking last September? Met
that goal, and have added thousands of words since; almost
finished with the first draft, will polish it up and look for a
literary agent. I know ... crazy, huh?).
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Packing for the coast |
Recipes, food stuff, 1000-piece puzzle. Hubby will supervise the
puzzle construction, which leaves the recipes and food stuff for
me. Good thing I love to cook. Simple, hearty offerings this
weekend homemade soups and breads, seafood at Mos one
evening.
On our way soon!
Comment
Sunday, January 01,
2012
Welcoming
Twenty-Twelve
Some of you may find this hard to believeespecially our
children who ask when they call after 8:30pm: Are you
awake?but hubby and I stayed up to welcome in the New Year.
In an effort to convince ourselves that were still young and
hip, we managed to stay awake until midnight last night. One of
usthe more fun and adventurous onewanted to bring in the New
Year on Dutchman Flat. In snow-shoes.
The other of usknown for his safe and common-sense waysthought
we should stay home since there would surely be inebriated
drivers on the road.
Safe
trumped adventurous.
But fun was still had. A Barnes & Noble date; a late dinner, our
fireplace burning cheerily; beating hubby at Rummy; and bundled up outdoors at the stroke of midnight.
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iPad indicating one minute after midnight |
Welcome, Twenty-Twelve!
Comment
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January 2012
Something in common
Some system
In such a community
Coming home
Headed for OHSU
Checklist for the coast
Welcoming Twenty-Twelve
December 2011
Snow in town
Filling Christmas weekend
Socks
Coolest date night ever
Dressed in pink
Butternut squash day
Making connections
Painted hills
November 2011
Beauty from junk
Taking nothing for granted
Grateful for - part 4
Grateful for - part 3
The child in all of us
Shepherd's House
Grateful for - part 2
Marathon epidemic
Unconquered
Grateful for - part 1
October 2011
My orthidontical twin
Last wilderness hike?
The view from 7,800 feet
Colonoscopies and fall colors
Welcome back
To make a life count
On our way to the Poconos
The Parents
Autumn day in the city
A few numbers
September 2011
Country girl signing off
Off the grid
What are sisters for?!
Try something new
For a limited time only
On the NCI web site
August 2011
I dont
make this stuff up
Brothers
Addictions
A lifetime
Club membership
Detours
Date night cant
get much better
July 2011
Misguided group
Neighborly times
Choosing life
Not as it appears
On my list of heroes
The more you have
Choices
Happy birthday, America
June 2011
Have a nice trip
Easily entertained
Turtle and Maple Nut
Celebrating Fathers Day
(week)
Walking the butte
Notorious list maker
The happiness project
Well played
Airport lessons
May 2011
Rain or shine
Pink tennis shoes
I am an orphan
Playing it safe is risky
Skid marks on the runway
Nothing could be finer
If its
Mothers
Day
Idaho wedding
April 2011
Wicked
Quintuplets!
Busted
Tough day at the office
McKay Cottage
Snowy April day
Thai food and amazing grace
March 2011
Silk stockings
Cabin in the woods
Entertainment committee
Any excuse to celebrate
Ultimate cheerleader
Drum roll, please
Ordinary blessed weekend
Whats
stopping you?
Nuh-uh
Texas hospitality
Mean guys like Mike
February 2011
Texas = What a country
Just to be on the safe side
Mudpies and lullabies
Christmas Valley
Getting plugged in
Blurring the lines
What goes around
January 2011
Might as well dance
Mexican-Peruvian marriage
Some attitude
For the birds
Glass castle
Small
town America
Family seasonings
Dads coat
Off to a great start
December 2010
Sharing your story
The night before Christmas
Christmas movies
Happiness studies
A years span
Stormy detours
Another black eye
Snooded
Winter play
November
2010
Adventuring
Feeling healthier already
Heart wide open
More fun
Private marathon tour guide
Choosing quality of life
Geese and GPS units
Thanksgiving month
October 2010
Knitting up a snow storm
Third times
not a charm
The verdict is in
Resourceful assignment
High school audience
Accidental tart
Pepsi ... or not
Custom cakes
September 2010
Hundreds of quilts later
Wedded bliss
Teach a girl to fish
Rainy day chili
Living fully
Photography 101
No drop in the bucket
Family of elk
Scenic route
Red rocks and blue falcons
Alpine hiking
August 2010
Outdoor town
Perfect weekend
A big little life
Once in a lifetime
Summer weekend
Take five
Twenty years from now
July 2010
Beauty in the high desert
Another shot at life
Happy Hour
Almost perfect
Enjoying the journey
Birthday week kick-off
Ive become my mother
Bobby McFerrin + OBF
50 things to do
Part II
June 2010
Like what you do
Colorado wildlife
Life
is good
wisdom
Sad day
Rocky Mountain high
Cowboy sing-along
My kind of town
Please dont feed the bears
Naming buildings
Low expectations
Heaven Can Wait
Because nice matters
May 2010
Dont get to pick your
family
Its in the bag
Only in Hawaii
Japanese-Hawaiian wedding
Meeting Yoshi
Happy campers
Gearing up for Hawaii
Hitting a rock wall
Love story
Oversized check
Extraordinary ordinary life
April 2010
Technology and pedicures
Idaho ranch hands
Blonde moments
Being in community
Live strong
Cutting edge
Florida in April
Easter blessings
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
Americas 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
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
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
Mothers 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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