A WEEKEND TO BE THANKFUL FOR

What a weekend! On Saturday morning I went to let our dog Oscar outside as normal. But on this day something seemed to be beckoning me out there so I stepped out onto the patio. What a gorgeous day it was. It had to be close to 70 degrees. The sun was flooding the yard. I love a nice warm sun. I sat out there for a while just soaking it all in. I looked around the yard at the buds on the trees, the shrubs that would soon need my attention, a cherry tree that Terry and I planted last year that seems to have survived its first winter, and a nice big planter I built several years ago that is now waiting for my mother and I to fill it with marigolds. It was September-October last year when I was diagnosed and began treatments. Not only was the warm weather disappearing but I was in no condition to enjoy what little was left. Frankly, I didn’t think I was going to be given a chance to enjoy it again. This was the first time I was absorbing the sun in what seems like a long, long time. So as I sat there bathing in this gift from God I really appreciated being alive and looked forward to the spring and summer. Later that day we were visited by my old friend Bruce and his wife Rhonda. Bruce and I were very close more than 25 years ago but drifted apart as often happens when lives take different turns. By the way, when I refer to Bruce as an “old” friend I mean it in both senses of the word. Holy crap Bruce you make me feel young. But he is in much better shape than me so kudos to him. Bruce and I talked like we had never left off. He brought pictures of his kids (and grand kids) who are now adults with careers and families of their own. I remember them as little children running around my house or Bruce’s as we and our wives were playing Hearts or Bruce and I were battling out a game of Chess or Mastermind. Bruce and I are both remarried now but I think the four of us connected nicely. Bruce and Rhonda are both retired now and both doing volunteer work. Rhonda is a hospice volunteer which makes her a very special person. I had to question Terry to make sure this wasn’t her way of sneaking hospice in for me. They brought lunch and made it a great day. On Sunday we were again visited by our friend Charles from Toronto. Charles and I go back a good 20 years. Charles was clever enough to recruit me to “help” him run the bingo program at our children’s school and then promptly moved to Canada leaving me to run bingo alone. Do you think I was set up? Charles is a compassionate intellectual with excellent social skills. This makes for great conversation and very enjoyable interaction. He is one of the finest men I know and his visit capped off the beautiful weekend. There’s not much to report medically. Last week I had my 10th chemo treatment along with the accompanying blood tests. The blood test results show that my liver is hanging in there and I’m still tolerating the treatments reasonably well . Next Monday I will get my 11th treatment and then I’m going to take an extra week off from chemo. Terry and I are going to take a short trip in that third week when I hope to be feeling better from the time off. Weekends like this last one make it very easy to carry on. So we do.