2008

What I Let Go Of In 2008

1. My hair.
2. Most of my comfort zones.
   
3. Getting up early every morning.
4. A clean house.
5. Pants that fit right.
6. The ABC-Along, after the letter J.
7. Sleeping curled up on my stomach.
8. A ten-hour work day.
9. Reading books that require an attention span.
10. Doing almost anything that requires an attention span.
11. Spontaneity and some of my independence.
12. Living beyond this moment.

What I Found In 2008

1. Endometrial cancer.
2. Open eyes and heart.
3. The benefits of patience.
4. Dr. Michael Pearl.
5. The blessings and kindness of an army of knitters.
6. That there is always good news somewhere.
7. Compazine.
8. Love and care from my friends.
9. Chocolate milk.
10. New ways to trust.
11. Precious times with my sisters and nieces.
12. Acceptance of most everything that has come my way.

Thank you all for making this strange, powerful journey with me. You're wise and wonderful, every single one of you.
May 2009 be filled with hope and health for all of us!

Still here

I grew something.

What else I have been up to: A little knitting (gifts), working at the bookstore (as often as I can), resting (more often these days), having tests and scans and chemotherapy (good results), preparing for a minimalist Christmas (I've taken "keep it simple" to a new level), and watching my collection of holiday movies (I never tire of "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Love Actually," and "Christmas in Connecticut").

Next week, in between Christmas and New Year's Day, I'll be treated to a visit from my nieces Amy and Sophie. They're coming to stay with me during my next round of chemo (what a thrill, eh?). I haven't seen them in forever!
~:~
With best wishes and blessings and peace to all of you on this Christmas Eve --
Love, Jane

Emerging

My Christmas Cactus bloomed on Election Day this year -- a good, healthy omen. The flowers looked like angels, or birds. This plant astonishes and delights me every single year!

Life is so hectic these days -- with work (busy as we prepare for Thanksgiving weekend), and chemo (going well; four down, three to go), and the Knitter's Review Fall Retreat (I've started sorting and packing, and I can't wait to get on the road!) -- I don't know where the time has gone.

I have a little knitting on needles, but nothing to show and tell. My goal is to have something simple to knit while I'm at the Retreat (socks, of course), along with an idea for a more complicated project to start while I'm there. I'm on the way to finishing up a pair of socks that I might take along. There's a little spinning going on, too -- some Spirit Trail Targhee/Silk/Alpaca/Cashmere roving that's been marinating in my fiber stash for long enough. We'll see.

My sister Ellen came to stay last week, while I had chemo. I love having my sisters around me. I'm surrounded by so many wonderful people all the time, but there's something special about being with a sister, who can giggle with me and tell me that now that I don't have any hair, I look just like our grandmother (no, she wasn't bald!).

There's a little more packing I can do before it gets dark, and before I lose the rest of my momentum. All is well enough, and I'm so pleased that I can travel a little, work, and enjoy the good days. I wish the same for you!

Swirling

My (very late) Rhinebeck report:

This is the only picture I took. We had a wonderful time! I managed to maintain enough energy to make it up and down and around the fairgrounds on both Saturday and Sunday, and the four of us enjoyed our meals at the Eveready Diner and Gigi Trattoria (best calamari ever). There was some consumption of maple sugar cotton candy, but no artichokes. We'll take the cotton candy.

Short but very sweet visits were had with the crew at Spirit Trail, both during the show and back at the motel (oh, those scones Lanea made!). I didn't make many purchases -- a bit of fiber from Botanical Shades, a Grafton corriedale batt, and some pretties from Lavender Trifles -- but I did come home with a beautiful pair of Sheila and Michael Ernst's glass knitting needles. Now to find something worthy of knitting on US 7's...


Back at home, I finally photographed the Honeycomb Hat I made before I left. It's so comfortable and warm that I'm wearing it right now. It's cold today, even indoors.


This is the neckwarmer I'm knitting to match. It's a simple Mistake Rib, round and round, which is all my chemo-brain can handle right now. Chemo brain explains everything if you want it to, and it's as good an excuse as any for being forgetful and distracted!


I like the way the trees outside my house look woven, like a basket. The colors are almost at their peak here, and the wind blowing the leaves on these stormy days gives off an energy that's hard to resist. I'll take some, store it up, and use it later, thank you. It seems that Autumn is whirling and swirling past at a crazy pace -- or is it just me?

It's time to move on to thoughts of the Knitter's Review Fall Retreat -- in just a few weeks I'll be in Williamstown, MA for a weekend with my peeps. Better get started on that class homework!