Up on Mt. Hood, my son is testing equipment and shooting video for Nimbus Independent. There, at elevations exceeding 7000 ft., the thermometer climbs to 50+ degrees. The sky is clear and blue. Skiing aficionados refer to this phenomenon as Juneuary: spring conditions in mid-winter. Down here, in the foothills, most days repeat the pattern of overcast … More The Certainty of Uncertainty
“Genes are like the story and DNA is the language that the story is written in.” Sam Kean, The Violinist’s Thumb Recently, I traveled to Portland, OR for my monthly multiple myeloma support group meeting. In the course of the last 3+ years I have solidified friendships with several other members. We know much of … More Care Giving
A week ago Sunday, I awoke early as usual. But the ordinary did not awake with me. Lights glowing on my computer’s printer spun in circles. My forehead was damp. Queasiness played with my belly. I closed my eyes and took some deep breaths. Outside, the wind chimes sang with customary sparkle. Their sweet sound … More Don’t Worry About Every Little Thing
Last fall, snow came early to the valley, and then stopped. The foreshadowing of a long, gloomy winter evaporated with a succession of sunny December days. The New Year heralded more of the same. In front of the Post Office, snapdragons I’d planted last March stood tall. Customers marveled at blooms so late in the … More Stormy Weather
Recently, the cat who keeps me company at the Post Office, Curly, disappeared. She adopted our office as her home seven years ago. She spends her day sleeping in a chair atop a red, white, and blue blanket knitted for her by one of our customers. At night and when the office is closed, we … More The Cat Came Back
Trees “Keep a green tree in your heart and a singing bird will come.” Chinese Proverb In November, the deciduous trees on our property cover the lawn with a radiant multi-colored blanket of leaves. Each fall, I spend several hours raking them into piles. Then, I haul them to my flowerbeds where they act as … More Trees
I could be handy, mending a fuse When your lights are gone. You can knit a sweater by the fireside, Sunday mornings go for a ride. Doing the garden, digging the weeds, Who could ask for more? Will you still need me, will you still feed me, When I’m sixty-four? The Beatles-1967 As a … More When I’m Sixty-Four
Everyday, I think about having cancer and everyday I forget that I have cancer. Reminders of my illness abound. It does not take much to make me hesitate and ponder the calculus of my future. For example, because we live in a remote area, I often shop on the web. Just last week, I procrastinated … More Everyday
Spring is a time of rebirth, new growth, and graduations. Last week, my family traveled to California and celebrated my oldest son’s graduation from the University of California, Berkeley Law School. This marks another significant event in an odyssey we have all traveled since December of 2002, when he broke his neck in a vehicle … More Graduation
On January 14th, I put my beloved cat, Buckwheat, to sleep. Since my last post when I mentioned her claim to our household as a private domain, she deteriorated rapidly. She stopped eating and moved from her perch on the couch only to sip water. When doing so, I observed that her back legs, particularly … More RIP
Good Blood, Bad Blood 