Life as it Unfolds

Tears Falling

For some reason, todays scan left me feeling more vulnurable than ever before. My best friend drove me to the hospital and stayed with me throughout, but as I laid in the tube some sad feelings emerged. As tears streamed down my cheeks, I felt alone and a little bit frightened.
I gave myself permission to to cry just a little today. It's been a while...

It's that time again

The six month checkup. The dreaded tests. MRI, PET scan and Mammogram. It's that time again. To look over me with a fine toothed comb. I cannot say that doing all of this is without anxiety but I will keep my chin up while I wait for the results which I won't receive for another week or so.
Today, I am getting the PET scan where a radioactive isotope is injected into my little veins and then I lay quietly in a tube while my entire body is scanned for tumor activity. I pray there is none.
The last three six month checkups have been clear, so why should I worry about this one? I guess I am human.

Spirit Room

Yesterday afternoon, we drove up the winding road to Jerome, a great little old mining town carved in the mountain just five minutes away from my home to see the Cadillac Angels play. We arrived in the smoke filled bar called the Spirit Room and I felt right at home dancing to the music I am so familiar with. In all the years I have watched them play in Santa Barbara, I have never seen a performance like that. Perhaps it's his local back up band. Maybe it is his audience. Tony say's the energy in the Room is amazing and he just let's go. The place was full of bikers, tourists and locals and I was "flipped" twice (jitterbug style) by a young dancer who sported a top hat and cool looking tennis shoes. It was such good fun, that I plan to go back to the Spirit room with my best friend this afternoon. What a great way to end a remarkable weekend.

Happy

The sound of my grand daughter's giggle makes me happy. I am very blessed to have her with me in my new home.
Today, we visited our friends in Prescott and drove up a beautiful mountain and watched people panning for gold dust in the peaceful creek. We skipped on slippery rocks and we climbed bumpy hills. I am the happiest I have been in a very long time.

Home

Today, I explored Prescott, just 45 minutes south of me with a new friend and again, I am amazed at the diversity and beauty of the place I have landed in. I feel like a kid in a candy store. I want to savor everything. The moon was beautiful tonight in the clear sky as I drove up the winding road over Mingus mountain and it was great to see the flickering lights of the Verde Valley below that I now call home.