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A Better Day

Sherryl feels better today and is hoping it was a fresh nectarine that might have not settled well in her stomach yesterday rather than "chemo barf" as originally believed.  She continues to rest, is looking forward to skipping chemotherapy this week, and is optimistic her energy will pick up over the next few days.

Since Sherryl's feeling a bit better, let's continue our virtual vacation together.  We asked Annie to choose our next destination, and, smart young lady that she is, she chose a good one.  Grab your beach towel, flip-flops, and sunscreen.  A very sweet voice and perfectly tuned ukulele, just like the one our Uncle Ross used to play, are about to take us all over the rainbow to Paradise.  Aloha! 

Mom and Patchwork Fields of Green

Sherryl had a very restful weekend and spent Saturday night at Arleen's house.  She tells us she's tired, which is in keeping with the cumulative affect of chemotherapy, but she also tells us she is not feeling one bit of pain.  Hurray!!!  This next week is Sherryl's week off the chemotherapy cycle, so she is hoping her energy picks up.

She did feel well enough to get out and about this weekend; much time was spent in the isles of Trader Joe's.  A host of Sherryl's favorites were on the shopping list, including seasonal fruit and vegetables.  Artichokes were the main course for dinner Saturday night and a three-bean salad with a tangy vinaigrette dressing rounded out the menu.  Sunday's outing included a visit to Powell's Sweet Shoppe which recently opened in downtown Novato.  A visit to this store is a trip down Memory Lane as viewed through the lens of assorted confections -- nearly all the candy and gum you can possibly remember from your childhood are there, including chocolates Sherryl enjoyed when she lived in England.  Very nostalgic.

Today would have been Mom's 76th birthday.  Amazing to consider since both our parents were always so very youthful.  We know they never ever would have seemed elderly regardless of their biological ages; "forever young" is a more appropriate measure of time for them.

Let's continue our virtual vacation together.  This time we'll visit a place near and dear to our mom's heart, and one she visited a few times in her life.  Mom and Sherryl were there together, along with Dad and Nadine.  Arleen was a student at Cal at the time, so couldn't join the rest of the family.  Mom's traveling companions on an earlier trip included her own mother and father as well as our Auntie Pattie. 

Enjoy with us now the lilt of fiddles and flutes, the patchwork fields of green and jagged coasts of blue, and the faces and culture of a land our maternal grandparents once called home.  Happy Birthday, Mom. 

Chemotherapy Continues

Sherryl feels tired this week and is experiencing some nausea following last Friday's round of chemotherapy.  She will receive more chemotherapy tomorrow, this time with Avastin. 

As referenced by Sherryl's good friend Janet in her comments a few days ago, this is the time of year when Richard and Sherryl head to Trinity for a well-deserved vacation.  Sherryl will miss this year's camping trip very much, and will miss spending time Janet and her husband Mark.  We are hoping she feels well enough to join many of us in Tahoe next month.  For now, it's one day at a time.

When Sherryl was in the hospital for pain management, she was navigated by one of the angels in the cancer unit through an adventure by way of virtual imagery.  She later described to us in detail the images and feelings she experienced, and told us, "It was so awesome." 

Readying ourselves for the same wonder this imagery evoked in Sherryl, let's all grab each of our children by the hand, step carefully into one of the perfectly painted little boats designed to appeal to everyone's inner child, and take a virtual vacation together . . .