5 Days and 5 Years

“Peace to all within these walls.” 

I’ve mentioned before that the hospital is right down the street from us.  More buildings related to healthcare are scattered about this area; the home health/hospice offices are right next door.  Well, not right next door; there’s a good-sized grassy area and ditch (both nicely manicured) separating our properties.  Anyway, the hospital is within walking distance and is on my walking route, so I pass by it all the time.

Marquee last night, all ready for today’s event.

Tonight is the celebration for the new Cancer Center being built; we can see the construction from here.  There’s a picnic, program and beam signing, the latter being the reason I wanted to attend.  So, I strolled down the street a bit ago, chatted with a few people and then signed the beam with the phrase at the top of this post.

We all want a cure for every cancer.  We don’t want anyone to hear the words, “I’m sorry, but you have cancer.”  We don’t want anyone to have to endure the path of being diagnosed with cancer at any point in their life.  We want everyone with such a diagnosis to come out the other side hearing the words, “No evidence of disease.” Every. Year. Thereafter.

Sometimes, though, all one can hope to attain is peace.  Peace when struggling to come to terms with one’s diagnosis.  Peace when undergoing treatment.  Peace when resuming life after treatment.  Peace at end of life.

Hence, the phrase I chose.

Today is the fifth “cancerversary” of hearing my second cancer diagnosis.  The synchronicity could not be ignored.  I felt a need need to sign the beam, my inscription being instilled with energy of hope, strength and … peace.

This Cancer Center is going to be great!  All services – oncologists, chemo center, radiation therapy and so forth - will be under one roof instead of being spread about the neighborhood.  A boutique for cancer patients will also be part of the new Center.  Kudos to Sanford Health!

Five Days

We are in the late afternoon of Day 5 of our vacation-at-home holiday.  It sure is/has been a great one, and we’re not done yet!  For the sixth day in a row, Dave was out on the bike this morning after watching a bit of the Tour de France.  I did a few things around here while he was gone, and then we treated ourselves to a late lunch at Mi Rancho, the amazing Mexican restaurant here in town.

A bit after our return, I went down to the Cancer Center celebration, as above.  My sole purpose in going, really, was to sign the beam.  Mission accomplished, I returned home shortly after that.  I’m about to wrap up this blog post, and I suspect there will be a chess session on the porch in a wee while.

We have really, really enjoyed our holiday.  We haven’t spent a bunch of money, there was no travel to a destination, we did a few things but weren’t rushing around with a schedule, and it was all done in the comfort of sleeping in our own home every night.  Such a deal!

There were a few home improvement things done – a few “nesting” activities – and we’re just about set for Winter when it appears in what will seem like a short few weeks.  Yes, I know it’s July, but this is Minnesota!  Ha!  We’ll need to add some winter outerwear geared for this climate, but house-wise, we’re settled in, looking and feeling cozy.

I totally like our cottage/townhome – not just the floorplan and location, but the way it’s shaping up, the way we’re making it “our own.”

Life is, indeed, guid!

Thanks for stopping by!  Stay safe out there, okay?