Our cruise ends tomorrow in Cape Town

Last Thursday all I wrote in the blog was--IT IS SNOWING!!  It was a ten minute flurry.  This Thursday is Thanksgiving and a wet snowy mix has left the trees and ground white while it mostly melted on the roads and driveways.  It is the pretty part of winter and I always say, if it is going to be cold at least there should be snow.

Today we are thankful for our friends and family who have poured out an enormous amount of support in the last five and a half weeks.  It seems like a lifetime ago that this journey began but it is really just a blink of the eye.  I am running out of words and ways to say thank you, just know how important you have all been and how grateful we are that you are part of our lives and have touched our hearts.

A friend asked if today was a good day--yes it was.  Sue and I got up early to get the turkey in the oven for an early meal.  A morning spent getting ready, resting, peeling potatoes, sweet potatoes and apples, and finishing up the cooking.  Guests Lin, Gabe and Hannah arrived at noon and we put Gabe and Hannah to work decorating the Christmas tree.  All the finishing touches on the meal and we sat down to eat around one.  I took a little bit of everything and slowly made my way through a full plate.  Sue thinks it is the most she has seen me eat in 6 months.  So good food, good friends and family and good conversation.  Between dinner and dessert came a few rounds of Catch Phrase which added more laughter to the mix. Pie and ice cream and the end of a very enjoyable Thanksgiving dinner.  Today could not have been better.

Having no chemo last week lulled me into thinking I could leave cancer behind for a few days.  No such luck.  Intermittent nausea kept me focused on trying to eat and wondering why this is happening so long after chemo.  No answers yet, but hopefully tomorrow will mimic today.  The other major chemo event was the coming of day 19.  That is the day Leslie told me I would lose my hair.  I woke up and took a shower and then let Sue know the time had come.  Clippers in hand she gave me a 1/8 inch buzz cut.  We both shed a few tears and when I looked in the mirror all I could say was, "uh-oh". I still see my reflection in the computer and/or mirror and am surprised I have no hair.  I am not yet  used to the look as part of my identity.  It is cute though and I am amassing a collection of wonderful hats to keep me warm as winter settles in.

We had a good week, Gopher Women's basketball, they won again, The Wizard of Oz play at the
Children's Theater Company--which was wonderful!!  Lunch with Kim Koeppen with stories of Hamline, family and even some cancer talk.  I got to walk outside several days which is more motivating than the treadmill. We saw the Hunger Games movie, ok but not great, lots of grocery shopping, baked some cookies--a recipe from the chef on our tug boat adventure this summer. Driving by Day by Day Cafe at lunch time led to an impromptu lunch out--hooray for grilled cheese!

I have a plug for Delta airlines--we cancelled next years trips and with that called to cancel our air portion of the trips.  Non-refundable, they offered to wave the change fee and give us a year to rebook.  That seemed unlikely so with a note from Nancy's doctor we sent off a letter, vowing to use Delta when we are cleared to travel.  Got word yesterday that all the flights would be refunded--including 2 international business class trips.  They did not have to do it, but we are grateful that they did.  We always hear about the bad things that happen with airlines, so thought we would share a good story.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!