Update from Golden Pond

Mom had her first chemo yesterday, and thank God, her initial reaction seems to be okay.  She was not able to get a port (for taking blood and administering the chemo) like she had  hoped, but she will have that procedure done next week.  Mom also had a CT Scan done this past week to look at her lungs, abdomen and pelvis area; the results showed that no new spots had appeared.  We were grateful for that for so many reasons, including keeping Mom's spirits up before her first chemo.

Speaking of Mom's spirit - she has been taking a few yoga and tai chi classes at the oncology center and she loves them.  We thought it was so terrific that she went to the first one a whole week before she "had" to be at the center for her regular treatments.  She really likes the message of summoning and drawing upon the positive energy of the present moment. (She inspired me to take a yoga class this past week. It was a nice way to connect with Mom and I thought I could use some help on focusing on the moment at hand.) Dad continues to enjoy his aquatic exercise class, even going this week when it was so bitter cold outside.

When Mom and Dad moved to Tiverton fifteen years ago, Mom called their new home "Golden Pond" due to their great view of Stafford Pond. (Side note: Mom has always enjoyed naming things; for instance, she named our coal stove in Baldwin "Prometheus.")  From their living room and deck, Mom and Dad love watching how the light on the pond changes daily and seasonally.  When she sees those beautiful pink clouds in a sunrise or sunset, she says, "there is a Nana cloud!" - a reminder of her mom, our grandmother, who loved the soft colors of pink.  (Mom's friend Mary At emailed me a photo of a beautiful sunset in Maine to share with Mom.)

Here are some images of Golden Pond that Mom has sent from her new phone she is trying to master.

PS I did change the Comments settings to hopefully make it less confusing for folks to leave comments if they wish.  If you tried, last time and could not, please try again.  At the end of a post, you can click on the "No Comment"s link or on the "# of Comment"s link to leave your own comment.  Mom has enjoyed reading the comments on her phone - and she LOVES going to the mailbox everyday to see what letters people have written.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.