A Christmas state of mind

A former colleague called me just before Christmas to tell me she passed the CPA exams and asked me to present her at the convocation in February.  I was so pleased to hear she'd finished the CPA journey - she is a remarkable person who always carried a very calm and empathetic energy with her. Not your average (I can say this as I am one) type A accountant.  We spoke about each of our Christmas plans, and she shared that she loves the week between Christmas and New Years' Eve, for the opportunity to reflect on the year, what she learned, and how she can be a better person in the new year.  I love that - what an excellent angle to look at this week from.  It gave me some energy to get this post up before the apple drops on Saturday.

As usual, life has been full since the last post.  The fullness - both good and bad - at times overwhelmed me, knocking me over even, requiring the use of a few strategies to get back up and keep walking forward.  I know everyone can relate.  I'm sure if we all shared our strategies we'd have common methods.

My health thankfully continues to be less dramatic than in the past :) Quarterly bloodwork has shown no signs of the leukemia returning, and just this month my breast surgeon confirmed no issues on that front. I continue to manage my chronic and "leftover" issues to a decent level through various medications and methods.  One of the drugs I likely have to take indefinitely has suffocated my hair's ability to grow - or perhaps it's the accumulation of so many hits of hard chemo that the hair follicles are just sick of trying.  In any case, I got some new hair to shake things up.  Everyone knows how good that feels!

Work continues to be interesting with a couple different roles - one where I support PwC firms in our global network implement data auditing technology.  Most are in the South/Middle America area so have been continuing my daily Spanish lessons and enjoying it.  The other is focused on process improvement methodology in our audit practice which I also find interesting and challenging.  That has taken me to Toronto a few times this Fall - one trip was timed perfectly to meet up with Kelsey, someone who became a good friend 10 years ago in Austin, TX as she and others cycled from Calgary to Texas to raise funds and awareness for Cancer and flew survivors down for the final weekend.  She recently returned to Toronto from about 6 years in South Africa and it was her birthday - her boyfriend had arranged a whisky tasting (!) at which I was surprised to enjoy the whisky as well as a rare chance to celebrate with her.

CIFF opening night

I continue to volunteer on the Strategic Clinical Network core committee but wrapped up my work on the Provincial Advisory Council - Cancer in September after 4 years.  I truly loved that work, but in an effort to balance my cancer efforts, I joined the audit committee of the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) and enjoyed screening over 30 films in late September.

Light the Night - with my
 long-time trotters Alex and Morgan

Amazing Dr. Boulad

Mom, Colleen and I and
our Chrysler building

In October we had a great team of trotters for Light the Night - including Tasha's family (including dog Ivy!), mine (including Lucy!) and some friends who have ventured out nearly every year.  Right after that I spent a few days in NYC with mom and Colleen, celebrating with other bone marrow transplant survivors and my docs at Sloan Kettering.  Always an energy booster for me, we connected with some friends and even family.  I will always love NY.

My blogging has been sparse this year, partly because life evaporates so quickly with all the action, but partly because when I have a "chunk" of time to blog, I've been painting and writing more.  I finished a large painting earlier in the year for a colleague at work who "purchased" my services for a painting for his wife last year at our PwC United Way auction, and have been creating several visuals and writings that reflect some of what I've learned about life over the past nearly 20 years.  A reflection.  I'm hoping to create a small collection to share by about a year and a half from now.  Stay tuned.

We celebrated Christmas this year on Christmas Eve with Brandon, Jacquie and the boys - and then I had Jack and Davis overnight at my place Boxing Day for a night of Skipbo, making sugar cookies (from scratch through to rolling and icing - hard work!) and watching movies.  Another friend recently described Christmas as a state of mind, not a day.  To celebrate life with friends, family, to visit, to share stories, food and to be thankful for everything that we have.  The simpler it is the better it gets.  I like that idea. I am also very fortunate to be escaping the cold weather we are about to experience in Calgary again, as Tuesday I head to Maui once again with mom, dad and for the first week of our trip Davis! Jack has a hockey tournament he doesn't want to miss, so I'm going to do my best to party like a 10-year old in his place.

Happy New Year everyone - may the Christmas state of mind be with you for all of 2017.  Cheers.

The Thunder and the Belle

We have had a lot of electrical storms in Calgary the past couple of months.  Stampede week was a mess - incredible the rodeo and chucks were able to run and complete amongst the mud and lighting zaps threatening what seemed to be every day at some point.  Even through July to last night it now seems normal and common for a few rolls of thunder.  Amazing how we can get used to things that we once thought of as threatening or frightening.

A lot of time has passed since the last post I realized and given I flipped my little calendar (a new pic of Mireya and Kinsley is a wonderful way to start the month) to August today, my delay in posting seemed to blink brighter ;) Quickly on health - big picture health looks good.  Still take the daily pill that tries to prevent a breast cancer recurrence, and a couple others that are to keep the scleroderma to a dull idle. The few bumps in the zoomed in picture are manageable...ear still in "darth vader" mode (I sound like him when I breathe - luckily only I can hear it!) since last year's ear infection, apparently something I have to get used to (no surgery option) but the CT a few weeks ago did show an improvement from last August so there's always hope, so my acupuncture visits will continue just in case!  Neck wound while closed has a not-so-pretty scab that seems like it's making a permanent home - I'm now using lavender and tee-tree oil to help urge it to fine alternative housing.  I've even found some other blend of essential oil is limiting my leg cramps at night!  My physio, pilates and cupping appointments continue to improve my strength and overall range of motion. My hair which did come back since last year, seems to be thinning again, so I have been wearing my "blonde" again lately and may look for another look - I've attached Jack's favourite from my search in Jan last year for fun.  I won't go that long but maybe something in between would be interesting.  Stay tuned. 

I mention the bumps only for my "stakeholders" who want to know. But like the latest weather, I really don't notice them much anymore. Since last post I've been doing some very interesting work - a Canadian role focused on process improvement and a global role assisting other PwC territories with implementing data auditing technology.  I've enjoyed learning, sharing and interacting with people from all over the globe, including presenting at a workshop in Miami in June. As many people I deal with are in South America and Mexico, I have even learned a bit of Spanish thanks to a little app called DuoLingo - free and very effective if you want to try (20+languages available)!

As usual, my highlights of the past months often include travels.  Mom, Colleen and I passed on the usual Vegas trip and instead, along with Joelle, checked out Whistler, White Rock and a quick dip below the border to Washington in a whirlwind April trip.  It was great to see them as well as the boys and the pups - Grady's height is overshadowed by Chloe's length ;)

May certainly included a trip covering a couple "firsts" - Mexico and an all-inclusive.  Yvette and Andrew's wedding at the Finest in Playa del Mujeres was an amazing experience - their event was truly magical and it was so fun to celebrate their happiness and the week with a wonderful group of friends and both of their families.  I lived in the moment the whole time - and took limited pictures unfortunately as a result!

Right before Miami, Shelley and I tasted the wonders of Okanagan wine as we enjoyed 5 days at the Summerland resort.  Sipping wine, watching Sideways when it rained, catching up as only friends from forever (our moms were friends before we were born so literally forever) can do and enjoying the sunset on the lake should really bump out some of those typical "bucket list" items. 

In between these trips, I continued to enjoy my weekly visits with Tasha, Andrew (yes both Yvette and Tash have married Andrews - I am assuming the third Andrew is coming for me soon;)) and their family.  Talyn is now 11, Ruby just turned 10 and Brodie will be 13 in the fall.  Great kids. And Ivy, well she's still a (big, fluffy) pup.  I also love hanging out with Jack and Davis almost every week when they stay over at Nana and Papa's (who I also love spending a lot of time with)  - hard to imagine they are now 10 (picture note - Jack had a concussion so only wanted a small cupcake that day...extremely rare occurrence).  

In early June I also attended a fundraiser where the SkyPainters (check out their site www.theSkyPainters.com) raised $200,000 with their amazing skies of hope gala.  The painting they did for me went beyond my budget to an anonymous bidder  - when I got back from Miami, I found it hanging on my office wall, with a Happy Birthday card signed by about 20 partners from PwC.  Yep.  Incredible group of Sherpas helping me to continue climbing the mountain.

Speaking of amazing people, in April the world lost an incredible woman, my great aunt Marj.  She was a strong, intelligent, beautiful and loving person who I was lucky to have known, loved and to have been loved by.  I was honoured to be a part of her celebration of life, and to spend time with Ellen, Pat, Amy and family to laugh, cry and recall moments of a life well lived. As the song goes.... "She is handsome, she is pretty, she's the Belle of Belfast city." Love you Aunt Marj.

Sunny and colourful days

It's a sunny Easter morning...always nice for a day marking new beginnings.  The bunnies and chicks like the sunshine too I'm sure ;) Hope things are sunny where you are too.

I was lucky to start 2016 in the warmth of the Bahamas with mom and dad.  We enjoyed a lot of relaxing, playing cards and an amazing day on the boat which featured lobsters, fish and sharks (yes, that's my foot on the edge of the dock) and a magical lunch at Highbourne Cay in the middle of the ocean. 

For the most part, my health has been sunnier too.  No more IV treatment...just a daily pill for a few years to reduce the risk of recurrence of breast cancer.  A few small clouds moved in as my immune system strengthened and the schleroderma I had after my 3rd transplant appeared again in February - just means going back on some Gleevec to counter.  My body seems to be adapting to side effects now after a few weeks of transition. This week I'll see a specialist about next steps to resolving an ear issue I've had for about 9 months - so hopefully get a plan for that soon.  In the bigger picture, it's mostly sunny with a few clouds - I no longer have to go to the breast cancer clinic.  Done and done.

So happy to say the reason I haven't blogged for a while is not really health-related.  It's that life has been busy in a good way. Work continues to be interesting, and my volunteer work with improving cancer care is always inspiring.  Lots of visits with family and friends. The pictures speak for themselves. On one of my weekly visits with Tasha, Andrew, Ruby, Brodie and Talyn they created a tasty treat for me for Valentine's Day.  Each week I get to play games with the boys or watch them play hockey. A wonderful visit from Ed and Deanie prompted a gnocchi day - you can see pics of the creators - no picture of mom and I stressing over capturing the pillows from the boiling water ;) Final product was well received by the dozen or so Antonini's tasting.  

My valentine cookie from Tasha and her family!

Jack and Davis enjoy hot chocolate with their friend Maxim

Yummy little pillows

Taste testers

Final product

I loved colouring eggs yesterday with Jack and Davis, cheering for the Flames last night with Mom (and intermission visits with Yvette and Andrew), watching an Easter Facetime musical production this morning by Mireya, Kinsley and producer Amy, and later today I'll enjoy a delicious meal with family.  I've been painting a bit more lately, and love it, so will continue that in coming months. And instead of Vegas, mom, Colleen, Joelle and I are going to do a night in downtown Vancouver in April while I'm there for a weekend.  Life is good.  I am good. And very thankful.  Easter is a time for new beginnings, and I'm happy to start another colourful chapter.
Cheers and Happy Easter.