We saw so much beauty and variety on our trip from Seattle to Alaska, but the predominant color was most definitely green.
Yes, I know I should label all the pictures with the specific locations where they were taken. Maybe next time I take a trip, I’ll take better notes to accompany the photos. Or, even better, I’ll have a camera that records GPS coordinates in the photo’s metadata. I’m all for technology that allows me to be even more lazy.
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If you haven’t already heard, we have some pretty awesome news: I just completed my treatment for breast cancer!
I am so ready to get on with my life, but first I want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who helped get me through the past 16 months since my diagnosis.
Look at that face. She is such a powerful motivator. And sweet, too.
No matter how rough things got, she was enough to get me out of bed – Even if that meant just going to the living room, and cuddling up with her on the floor.
It’s amazing how much she has grown up through this ordeal. Here she is just a week before I was diagnosed:
Aaron is my biggest cheerleader, the one who kept telling me that I CAN do this. He was the one who held me when I cried, and told me he would still love me no matter what, and made me feel sexy even missing a boob.
He wouldn’t let me get depressed, and he fills my life with music.
My mom was the one I could count on to drop everything, and come running at a moment’s notice
Kristen, Mary Jane, Diane, Sommer, Carrie, Candice, Tim, Mel, Sharon, and Perry – I can’t begin to describe how much you helped me. From bringing meals, to babysitting Gem, to washing dishes, to just sitting with me or taking me outside for a walk, you really helped to carry me through.
It’s one thing to experience sympathy and empathy, but nothing helps like meeting others who understand because they’ve been there. I have written about the Young Survival Coalition before, and I’m sure I will do so again and again and again going forward. These girls are my confidants, my hand-holders, my glass of wine with a side of giggles, and my sneaking out from a vegetarian retreat to bring back a side of bacon.
A breast cancer survivor herself, Debbie started The Pink Daisy Project to help other young women deal with the overwhelming facts of everyday life that pile up while battling this disease. She came to my rescue by sending grocery cards so I could buy diapers, and hired a cleaning crew when I was too sick to deal with housekeeping. Debbie is truly a hero. Stay tuned: I’ll have more to say about Debbie in future posts. 🙂
Dee is one of my oldest friends, and she’s been there for me through thick and thin. When I was diagnosed, she flew out to be here with me during my mastectomy. She helped whip my house into shape while I was recovering, and watched the baby, and helped in too many ways to list in one post. She’s another one of those people that I can count on no matter what.
Social media is an amazing phenomenon, and it has had a profound effect on my life. It’s brought me back into contact with old friends I haven’t seen in more than two decades, and it has introduced me to new friends, some I speak with every day, but have yet to meet face to face. These friends have followed me through the ups and downs, provided encouragement, hope, sometimes a little gift or cash, an ear, a shoulder – and often at 3 in the morning, when normal people aren’t available.
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So now I’m done with treatment. I’m still contending with some of the side effects. I have some neuropathy, the fatigue is still slowing me down, and I’m typing with one hand because my arm is bound up to treat the lymphedema. But these are little, non-life-threatening issues, and we can deal with that.
Right now, my heart is just full of gratitude.
Now, we are looking forward. We are looking forward to Aaron getting a job. We are looking forward to me finishing my degree. We are looking forward to Gem being potty trained, and learning to read, and getting ready for pre-school. We are looking forward to a long, happy, and healthy life together.
Love to you all.
Chicken stewed in a gravy of pomegranate and ground walnuts
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large leek
2 lbs chicken (I like thighs because they’re juicier and more flavorful, but breasts will also work well)
1 tub Knorr Chicken Homestyle Stock concentrate
2 cups pomegranate juice
8 oz walnuts
1/4 tsp cardamom
Notes:
This isn’t a pretty dish, but it’s yummy. In fact, you might even find yourself closing your eyes as you enjoy it.
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FTC disclaimer: I received free product from Knorr for use in creating this recipe.
Here we are somewhere between Alaska and Seattle, most likely over Canada. This was baby girl’s first flight, and she spent most of the flight in this posture, watching Curious George on my computer.
She did peek out the window a few times to make sure we were still up in the air, and then she would announce to me that we were “flying in an airplane.”
Wish I could sit that comfortably in an airplane seat. There are benefits to being that short.
1. If I see it, it’s mine
2. If I think about it, it’s mine
3. If I like the show I want to watch it 30 times. In a row.
4. If you suggest it, I don’t want it. Until I forget you suggested it, and think it’s my idea.
5. Stolen food tastes better
6. That baby in the mirror is pretty awesome
7. Mommy and Daddy are all-powerful
8. I can wrap Mommy and Daddy around my little finger
9. If that fails, there’s Grandma
10. Everything is amazing
