Checking In

Checking in to say hello. I have not been feeling wonderful these past 5 or 6 days. Headaches, nausea, and sinus pressure add to my exhaustion. And mix with that the level of moodiness one associates with PMS, which is not fair because I went through menopause at age 36, when I was first diagnosed!

And now I am on the chemo pump until Thursday, (which happens to be my birthday).

I received some discouraging, but not surprising results from my recent CT scans. It just makes me want to live life to the fullest. Taste all the good tastes. Spoil my son until he's the happiest brat in North Carolina. Not only with things, but with my time. He can have all my time, except I do want to travel to places that are still more nature than man made. I want to read the best books. I'm not going to waste my time with books I can't get into. I want to spend time with as many friends as I can too, even if it has to be a play date, or just a 2 hour paint class. I want to make those moments treasurable. And I hope everyone likes ornamental yarn balls or trees, because that's probably what I am giving you before I depart. And dammit, even if I have to go by myself, I am going to see the new Star Wars movie. 

I seriously wish I had the perseverance to write a novel. I just can't seem to get into a writing routine. I ordered When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. He was also 36 when he found out he had terminal cancer, and lived 2 years after. In his memoir he asks what makes life worth living. I can't wait to read it. 

Right now I am reading A Man Called Ove and so far loving it, although there should be a limit on metaphors. I LOVE a good metaphor but there is only so many ways to compare the way a man looks at another person or object!

Around here . . .

We love board games. As long as we are winning. The life lesson of good sportsmanship is a hard sell for my child. Not easily accepted at all. We all want that kid who just goes with the flow. Trust me, as a teacher, I have had many students who just go with the flow, win or lose. Then again, many children act differently at school then they do at home. 

Waiting outside the door for my turn . . .

I needed a new keychain and this Lego one fits me perfectly:

My sweet ninja, wearing a polar bear wearing a scarf and a hat:

And I love experimenting with adding text to my pictures. I try to take pictures knowing beforehand where the text will go, which gives a whole new twist (for me) to picture taking! I know this is nothing new, but I love the way it looks. I just wish I could figure out how to do it on my laptop, and not just with phone apps!