Hello all, it’s been a while! Did you miss us? Val was in Montana, but she’s back now. And I have just returned from nine days away, first visiting my Rhode Island family and then at a training in North Carolina. I brought you a mystifying souvenir: I took this Continue Reading
a few other things that are good
The bushtits have found the suet I put out. Bushtits are tiny feathered mushrooms of birds, very chatty and always in little surging groups, like teenagers. They show up suddenly and in force, little avian flash mobs, shouting squeaky dumb jokes back and forth as they hang by their claws Continue Reading
like shaved chocolate, like magnetic filings, like fragments of the whole
Here are some things that happened today and yesterday, both very fine and decent days. Yesterday Valerie called me from Montana. She and the dog were (she explained) sitting on a hill in the back pasture, regarding the sky. Only Tuley did not think they should sit still when there Continue Reading
the stranger becomes familiar
It’s so different now, entering the chemo world. At the beginning, in June, we were crashing along in the dark, trailing our abraded fingers along the cold stone walls, straining to hear every sound, trying to get oriented. There were words words words pouring over us in buckets, menacing and Continue Reading
blood and love
First, I would like to apologize for my lack of communication in the last couple weeks. I am experimenting with new ways of being in the world and it turns out to be very time consuming. Plus, I had company. Also, I have been eating beef which takes a great Continue Reading
Next up: chemo on Friday
Hey kids, if you’ve lost track (it is a bit of a shifting target): Val’s next chemo (number 4 of 6) is this Friday, September 5. Chemo 5 is currently scheduled to be on Thursday, September 25. Her next scan (scan 2 of 3; they happen every 2 chemo cycles) Continue Reading
the saving graces of life’s messiness
I’ve been thinking about names for things and the stories we tell ourselves. Recently a friend of mine wrote a bit about stories in her blog, Words of Love. I listened to the word “awful” as it came out of my mouth when someone asked me, “how was your trip?” Continue Reading
doing fine. no particular news.
hi all, the short-short health update is as follows: everybody feels quite okay right now. val was pretty tired the first week after chemo this time but now she’s feeling mostly rather bouncy (you know, like Tigger). now that the olympics are over and everybody is getting more sleep i Continue Reading
skyrider
Hallo. Here we sit watching the men’s water polo. Now, first let me say that I recognize the athleticism, power and not-drowning skills of the players. And my own niece is a water polo player so I know how much work it takes. It is still hard to take them Continue Reading
Nourishing Val (and the rest of us too)
Dearies, the excellent Miz Liz has tracked down some more nutrition specifics for anyone who wants guidance in helping Val eat really healthfully (or indeed, do so yourself). This info supplements the nutrition info in an earlier post. Val’s old friend Amy also pointed us to the CTCA site (Cancer Continue Reading