I am bad at this blog writing thing. I truly enjoy writing and sharing, but my consistency is awful. That really speaks to the rest of my life (nervous laughter). But who really knew time would fly so quickly??
But the point is that I’m doing it and I’m here with a lot of updates!
The Bitter Sweet Update
We’ll start with the bad/sad first. You may recall that in February of this year I visited my friend Pam in Oregon, who I had met in Facebook’s Whipple group. We were both thrilled to see one another and I was happy to comfort and encourage her as she had done for me.
She passed away May 4th. And while we both knew the day was coming, it was still difficult news to hear. I am motivated and proud to carry on her spirit of adventure and love of the outdoors.
And we are comforted to know she is worry and pain free with Jesus, having all sorts of hiking adventures!
‘Ello, love!
London is my most favorite city in the world (thus far). The history and diversity wraps around you like a warm blanket, inviting you to explore every corner and settle in with a cup of tea.
Last fall there were a couple of deals to fly across the pond in the spring so we took advantage of it. I was excited to visit London again!
After further inspection, I eventually realized the dates we would be in London overlapped King Charles’s coronation weekend.
It was incredible to experience that at the beginning of May. And while it rained on Coronation Day, the British took it all in British stride. Hundreds of thousands showed up and showed out, singing Jerusalem and Monty Python. And later that afternoon, Nelson and I partook in a classic high tea service at a very royal location.
I need lots of pinches to assure me it all wasn’t a dream.
Pursuing What Really Matters
In June I resigned from my position as graphic designer from our local university. This was a tough AND easy decision. I had been blessed with 19 years with the state, I enjoyed my work, and I was able to work from home which made my recovery and every day medical needs easier to handle.
BUT, it wasn’t my true passion and it wasn’t something Nelson and I wanted for us long term. The greater passion and focus is on our family business. We both saw how the business could benefit from my involvement and it gives me a lot of variety and control over the day and our own futures.
It’s been a great move mentally and more of a challenge physically. However, those physical challenges have taught me what I can and can’t handle. I think I’m finding a much better balance with how active I can be versus sitting at home on the computer.
On another note, perhaps we’ll revisit what it’s like to work with your husband in a future post (more nervous laughter).
A Retreat
I don’t recall how the thought entered my mind, but I became intrigued about attending a cancer retreat. There are many options all over the country which is great! But as I did my research, there weren’t many options that appealed to me. Several of them were pretty adventurous (white water rafting, camping, hiking, fishing, etc). Others focused on breast cancer or specific cancers. Some were for children.
But I found one that seemed right up my alley. A three day retreat filled with art, yoga, meditation, and connection with other cancer patients.
So at the beginning of the year, I applied to attend Harmony Hill cancer retreat in Union, Washington. Although they had several sessions planned for the year, it’s a small gathering and I didn’t have great expectations of being accepted.
To my surprise, I received an email a few months later saying that they had availability for me at the end of July. I felt blessed and honored to have the opportunity.
Last month, I flew by myself to the retreat and then spent a few days on my own at Mount Rainier. I was shocked and proud of myself for doing that.
Scan Time Again
Even though my time between scans has increased, it still seems to sneak up quickly. My next scan is this Friday, August 18.
I’ve been feeling good mentally and physically so I’m confident in Jesus that it will just be another lovely day I get to spend seeing my favorite nurses. I’ll report back!
I will certainly share more about Harmony Hill and my solo trip! I had a lot of time to think and process and cry with other cancer patients. I learned some things I’d love to share with you so stay tuned . . .