The New York Report

Our first mission when we hit Manhattan was to finally see Jersey Boys.  We loved all the Four Season's songs.  

 Next stop was one of the best dinners I have had in. my. life.

The interior was beautifully decorated for fall with mums, pumpkins, gourds, etc that I meant to photograph for you, but the food distracted me...

The cookie plate dessert was amazing.  We were in heaven.

Thursday morning sister number 1, C and I walked to my favorite breakfast place.  We needed to fuel up for a big day of shopping.

C has inherited my addiction to Mackenzie-Childs.

Big T didn't think we could get close to Tiffany's because of the protestors outside of Trump Tower.  Challenge accepted....

I love the snowflakes that hang over 5th Avenue every holiday season.

Laduree is C's life....the new flavor, Vanilla Pecan, is my new favorite.

Central Park was absolutely gorgeous--sunny, sixty, and ablaze with color.

The colo-rectal event was a really fun way to raise a ton of money.  Hoda Kobt spoke beautifully about her life before and after cancer....LOVE her.  Life is good after cancer...

especially with sister number 1 and C!

New York, New York

Today Big T and I are meeting C and sister number 1 in NYC.   

Friends, for the last three years, every trip to the Big Apple has included a visit here.

But this trip is all pleasure!  "Buying Time", the brain child of an ND teammate of Big T's, supports colo-rectal cancer.

So once I figure out what to wear, I am headed to the airport.  I will tell you all about it when I return.  Have a great weekend!

It Is Time

Friends, Big T and I were excited to finally have a weekend at home in KC.  Sixties and sunny made for the perfect chance to get some gardening finished in anticipation of Thanksgiving festivities.  While we checked off the jobs on our list, I kept thinking about what I would be doing on Monday morning.

Today was my first day volunteering at the KU Cancer Center.  I kept wondering worrying about whether I would have an anxiety attack when I walked through the doors.  I chose a clinic where I did NOT do my treatment....and I think that made a big difference. I  absolutely loved it.  The patients and nurses were very grateful and the other volunteers were so welcoming.  

It is time for me to start giving back...to say thank you for letting me live.

Back to Reality

Over the last couple days I have been wishing I was still here....

...but instead I have been here. Friends, you gotta do it....and mine was clean!  I left the medical center with a heart full of gratitude and a gut full of gas.

Big T knew just what I needed.

Needless to say, I have had a little down time lately, so I finished some Needlepoint North business...

...while I listened to this.   I think it is, well, boring...a lot of minute details without giving the big historical picture.  I guess Larson assumed I paid better attention in my US History class.  But what do I know?  Big T loved it.

Florida Friends, Food and Fun

I just returned home from a week in Seaside. Friends, you know that travel and eating out are difficult for me, but I am determined to keep practicing until I get better at it.  

Here is the Florida restaurant report:

great mojitos, grouper and friend green tomatoes

eat in or carry out

Cafe 30A -- pricey, but delicious

off the beaten path, but worth it

shrimp roll heaven

Bud and Alley's...have fun guessing the time the sun sets.

unique and delicious

We stopped at the bar in The Pearl...

...where I had the best Old Fashioned of my life (made with Traverse City Cherry Bourbon, of course.)

I love chocolate, so...

...can someone get me the recipe for their molten lava cake?

In the middle of our time, we headed over to Jacksonville, where we worked up quite an appetite watching the Midshipmen sink the Irish.

Best seafood of the week was at The Blue Fish in Riverside.

Across the street at Biscotti's, Big T wisely chose the bread pudding. 

Beach walks, sunsets, good friends....definitely worth fighting for.

C-Fighting Treats

Friends, I hope you had a Happy Halloween with lots of treats and no tricks.  Speaking of treats... lately I have had a lot of people ask me what to do when a friend has been diagnosed with cancer.   First of all, just do something.  It doesn't have to be perfect...the gesture is what counts. Here are some treat ideas: 

Treatment often dries out your lips, so.... this is my absolute favorite lip balm.

A small case to bring the necessaries to the infusion clinic-- my neighbor and dear friend gave me this when I was diagnosed.  Her thoughtfulness made me feel loved!  And it reminded me of happy days in London.

Chemo is rough on your mouth. ( Make sure  the candy has only real sugar.) 

In the chemo lab, sometimes you simply do not want to talk to anyone...you just want to escape with music, an audio book or video.

An easy reading book helps with the aforementioned escape too....and is perfect for resting which is so important to healing.  My BFF Wendy, who shipped me so many wonderful books during that time, recently told me about this great English author---love her.

As they say, your presence is the best present.  When I was going through treatment I treasured the time my friends and family took to be with me...and this sweet thing was always by my side...I think she knew....