Three years later??

CATCHING UP
I've been on this journey for almost 4 years (really??!!), figuring out the next segment of my life.  The cancer came back in Sept. 2010, requiring another surgery.  More chemo until April 2011.  I have been cancer free since then. Cancer survival requires starting life over, in many ways, or picking up the pieces; re-evaluating and re-creating much of what was lost in those years of fight and illness.

I am sure other cancer survivors have experienced the same.  Fighting cancer consumes you.  You go through the days, the motions of being alive, but everything evolves around recuperating from the last treatment and then counting the days until the next one.  You feel foggy, tired, achy and out of sorts - that's the GOOD side, for some.  I know it could have been much worse -  I could have lost my hair, had complications from chemo, blood cell count issues AND at the end, it might not have worked at all!!

Then we lost our first grandchild - Lucy - she was anacephalic and did not survive much past birth.  I think her death took me equally long to recover from.

How very fortunate that I have been given TIME!  Time for gaining strength - emotionally and physically.  I had another setback as a result of scar tissue - it started to grow around my intestines - so yet another abdominal surgery in 2012.  But NOW I'm on the road. 

So, many changes in 2013 - I've sold my house, moved closer to New Orleans and started exercising at the Y.  AND I have a beautiful grandson (8 months)!! I am in love with this happy, adorable little boy!!

Dec 2013

I've found quilting and a community of wonderful people of like minds.  It has opened my world and it is helping me find something fun to grab on to!!  So at age 60, I now have an avenue for creating!  I'm so excited, you'll think I'm crazy.

Quilts started - a baby quilt for Lucy.  I just started cutting and sewing - it's wonky and wrong in so many places, no guidance, instructions or much knowledge at this point.  I've made the sandwich and have now started hand quilting.  The batting is too thick, but I'm persisting!

I also took a class in 2011 for hand piecing a sampler quilt.  That is also still in progress and have no photos of it yet.

Then I found Bonnie Hunter  - quiltville.blogspot.com.  I read her posts every day for months, read and watched and borrowed books - everything quilting.  I was so excited, but unsure where to start.  Bonnie has a Mystery Quilt that she blogs every year.  I decided to join in/DIVE in!  Every week for 5 weeks starting after Thanksgiving, she posted clues - instructions on making a piece of a block.  On New Year's eve, she posted the reveal.  I started sewing them together.  I have a long ways to go, but I think the colors and design are beautiful!!

Keep warm and safe, everyone!