Strive to be Happy

I took my last walk on the beach yesterday, right before throwing the dogs in the car and hitting the road.  It is always so hard for me to leave...  

As I was driving South, the smell of wet dog in the air and searching for a good radio station, I tuned into "Desiderata" being recited.... enough said.

After cheering on the Irish tomorrow with these two (and T who arrives later tonight)  Big T, B and I head to Florida for a few days.  I will tell you all about it at the end of the week.  In the mean time....be Cheerful:) 

C takes the Continent

While we are watching our last sunsets up North for the season, Big T is praying every night for C's safety.  She is traveling around Europe and he worries.  I just wish I was there.

Her first stop was London for tea.

On to Amsterdam for a boat ride.  

Then to Paris for the Eiffel Tower...

Now she is in Switzerland. 

 Big T , C and I took a trip there together when she was in the 8th grade....

Same spot, a decade later... sans moi.  C'est la vie.

House Report

Most of the exterior decisions have been made--its time to move inside.

The party is over.  I am now in interior decision making hell.  

Friends, there are too many choices.  Do you like that handle on the far right?  Please say yes, because  I really need to move on.  I have about 5,986 more hardware decisions to make.

I have chosen appliances, cabinets, tile, sinks, faucets, marble (this will be my kitchen island---now it looks too grey and not white enough....I remember it being whiter than this....)

I did research, I made the notebook full of magazine clippings...I thought I knew what I wanted.  But now I am waking up in the middle of the night wondering if I have made the right choices.  I think it is time to hire a decorator.

Hope, Fight, Win

Friends, yesterday I received two emails from women diagnosed with cancer.  The first was from a survivor that I met 3 years ago in the chemo lab.  She is doing great...has her last PET scan this month.  She just got back from a trip to Germany (no small feet for a colo-rectal survivor to make it through that plane ride!)   The second was from a newly diagnosed woman who is trying to decide if she should take medical leave during her treatment.  The entire protocol has her head swimming. I encouraged her to not feel guilty about focusing on herself and her healing, take it step by step, and know that she is strong enough to endure.  Thankfully, a healthy life is waiting for her on the other side...and maybe even a trip to Germany.

Welcome Fall

Friends, autumn has finally arrived on the peninsula, and my up North season is coming to an end.  Time sure flies when you are having fun. 

The maples are turning red in a beautiful blaze.

My neighbor's apples are ready.  I am all about an apple a day, preferably as applesauce bread, cake, crisp, pie...it is one of my favorite fall foods.

Another favorite of fall is football, and there is nothing better than your high school's homecoming parade....this one is circa 1982.

  Go Vikings!

I drive by this every time I head across the peninsula to Suttons Bay.  I love the change of seasons.  I am going to really miss fall on the peninsula.

Birthday Bash

Today is Sister No. 4's Big 5-0.   She was born when I was 18 months old, we shared a bedroom growing up, and even lived in the same dorm in college.  Almost all of my childhood memories include her.

Friends, the last time I spent No 4's big day with her, we were both in grad school.   Too. Long.

 I was delighted to be able to make her cake for her this year.    Check it out at www.addapinch.com: 

 The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (Ever).  This cake is amazing (the espresso powder makes it), but being with my little sister on her birthday was the very best part of the day.

Narrative Medicine

Last weekend I met up with my college roommate.  She lives on the west coast, so we don't get to see each other as much as we would like....but every time we get together, we pick up right where we left off...as if no time has gone by.  She and her husband are both cancer survivors.  Invariably, part of our conversation will veer toward the big C.  I used to try NOT to talk about cancer.  I used to try to pretend it had never happened to me...  Not. Anymore.

Everyone has a story to tell and sharing your story is healing.    Medical science has finally, officially, recognized this fact and given it a name:  Narrative Medicine.  Columbia University Medical Center even has a Program in Narrative Medicine.  Hallelujah!  Surviving cancer is part of my story.