Skiing

I went cross-country skiing this morning for the first time this year. We tested out our ski legs on the flats of the Gatineau parkway and it was GLORIOUS!What I'm grateful for today: Peggy, for organizing Friday hike & ski days, and all of the wonderful women who participate in these activities.

PS: I'm missing my buddy, Anka!

Latest sweater

My sweater making has slowed down to just custom orders. A friend wanted me to make one for her 2-year old granddaughter. I quite like the colors.

Death Can Wait

“Facts and details about cancer in its many forms are readily available. What is not that available is true, unvarnished insight into what goes on behind the scenes, behind the outer facade. What goes through peoples' minds when they get the shattering news? What feelings and emotions do they wrestle with as they cling onto life? What attitudes are helpful, what attitudes are destructive? This is a book that addresses these issues.” – Amazon.ca
“Death Can Wait” is a book full of survivor stories, including those written by Alice McClymont, Barbara MacIntosh, Cheryl Kardish-Levitan and local newscaster Max Keeping. All profits from the sale of this book support cancer research, with a goal of raising $1 million. You can order it through Amazon at the link above.

What I’m grateful for today: That I am able to stay indoors today and don’t have to go out and brave the storm that is brewing outside my window.

All I want for Christmas

Santa sure had his hands full this morning! After seeing the movie Amelia, the Toonie Tuesday gals stopped off at Santa's workshop to let him know what we want for Christmas. I hope he has a good memory because when I told him that I wanted a new car, he didn't write it down...

What I'm grateful for today: Honey mustard. It really is better than regular, don't you think?

Car break-in

This is a picture of the keyhole on the front passenger door of my car. Notice the hole in the side? That's how my car was broken into without me even noticing. I parked in the Blanchet Beach parking lot in Gatineau Park a few Fridays ago to go for a hike and locked my purse in the trunk of my car. When I went to use my Visa card on the weekend, it was missing from my wallet. I blamed it on absentmindedness and figured I had misplaced it or left it behind when I made a purchase. Nothing else was missing from my wallet, or from my car for that matter, so it didn't occur to me that my car had been broken into.

When I called Visa to report my card missing, they said there had been a charge to the card at a Gatineau Loblaws for $140 that same Friday. I was still thinking that I had left my card somewhere and someone found it, until Jennifer mentioned that she had read online that there have been a rash of car breakins in Gatineau Park. The thieves take only one credit card, so you don't notice it right away. They mainly use it for purchases at grocery, liquor and electronic stores.

I still didn't think my car had been broken into until I noticed what I first thought was a rust spot next to the keyhole. It took a few weeks, but I've finally pieced it together and figured out how my credit card went missing.

What I'm grateful for today: That Visa covers charges made with a stolen card.

Crap and what I'm grateful for

I knew that the chemo room was moving to the new building at the cancer centre but I didn’t know they are now up & running. The new digs are lovely and spacious and I actually had privacy for my injection today. (I once received my shot in the chemo room washroom because it was the only place available!)

I had a look at my chart while I was there and I was right, the tumors are in the lower lobe of each of my lungs. I thought that’s what my onc had said, but I wanted to read the report. What I missed was that the nodules on my chest are also slightly larger.

So I paid $139 today for an injection that isn’t working ... although I am hoping that it is at least slowing things down.

In the midst of crap there are always things to be grateful for. So I’m going to try and write “What I am grateful for today” at the end of my posts. Here is my first one: What I am grateful for today: Friday hikes. We had a larger than usual turnout this morning and we hiked to Keogan cabin for lunch. What a wonderful day, wonderful surroundings, wonderful friends.

Hot Chick x 3

After another look, I realize that there are 2 other ‘hot chicks’ in the picture. I’m thinking this looks like the work of Mary O…