April in Indiana

April in Indiana is all about color.

Yellows, purples, oranges, pinks, and the greens that transport me to Ireland.

I can't really breathe well with all the trees in bloom, but it's totally worth it for the color.

Here's a few pics I've taken while walking the neighborhood this past week...

Outside the kitchen window

Winding creek

Last week we had a great day with our friends Kevin, Kathy and Stan catching up on life and enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.

Kevin, Kathy, Stan, Diane and Mike

The guys

And who doesn't love celebrating their birthday?  Yesterday was a great day of food, friends and music!  First of all is the best chocolate cake in the world.  Taylor's Bakery in Indianapolis makes a fantastic chocolate ganache cake!  Wow!  Even I can get chocolate overload from this cake.

We enjoyed lunch in Broad Ripple at one of our favorite restaurants: The Monon Food Company.  It was a great day to sit outside and enjoy people watching and of course our favorite tacos: Jerk Chicken and MoFoCo Pork!
















Our good friend Chuck joined Mike and I for a birthday dinner (thanks for cooking, Mike!), and then we made some music with Chuck and me on guitars and Mike on keyboards.

And then there were the  weird signs I see along the way...

Best stick figure decals ever!  

I had some time for a bit of craft work this week...

Another wreath

Some bead work

Another wallet

What can I say?  Potato chip with a hole in it!

And just because I celebrated a birthday, do I have to act my age?





















I hope you are enjoying a beautiful April wherever you are!

Diane

December highs and lows

I'm not sure that I even took a breath in December.  I thought about writing my blog, but I was so busy  living life that there was no time to write.

December was a month of highs and lows. But I guess a lot of people may feel that way about the holiday season.

The month started with my outpatient breast surgery. I was anxious, nervous and afraid, and it brought back many emotions from my 2010 breast cancer surgery. But the surgery went as planned, and the results were awesome-NO CANCER!  And with that news I began to heal, both physically and emotionally. Once you've had cancer, I'm not sure you ever escape the "fear zone" of whether cancer will recur.  It's always in the back of your mind. But I'm able to say I'm 4.5 years cancer free!  And I realize how fortunate I am...

Recovering with my trusty duck...

But the most difficult news was that our friend, Mary, has ovarian cancer.  She had her first chemo treatment on her 55th birthday on December 5th.  And one week later, she had a stroke and was hospitalized.  She experienced many more strokes in the days to come, but the great doctors at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis found a way to stop the strokes with a powerful anti-coagulant.  We visited her twice in the hospital, and we believe she recognizes us and is able to understand our words of hope and love.  She has a tough road ahead: recovering from the strokes and resuming chemotherapy.  She is now at a rehab hospital/bootcamp receiving physical, occupational and speech therapy.

We pray for her daily, and I welcome your prayers and positive energy for Mary.  She is never very far from our thoughts...

Mary and her husband Stan during our trip to Kansas City in August

And my mom continues her treatment for lung cancer.  She is very tired from the radiation treatments, but that doesn't slow her down much.  She has an amazing attitude and ability to bounce back.  

We celebrated her 83rd birthday weekend in December with a cooking baking extravaganza!  

Mom with my brother Gary and sister Pam

Lunch with Mike, Pam, mom, niece Alex and sister-in-law Peggy

Cookies

Cookies

And more cookies!

 The month has been an odd mixture of sadness and joy.  We are painfully aware that we can't take a single day for granted.  And we realize how blessed we are to share Christmas with wonderful family and friends.

Here is some of the joy we've experienced this Christmas season...

Nephews Dane, Jeff and great-nephew Rhys in the middle

Rhys, Iron Man and Dane

Sister Jude, brother-in-law Ron, sister Ange and mom opening gifts

Enjoying a moment with niece Diane and great-nieces Violet and Alice

An evening with Kevin and Kathy at the Little Nugget in Danville IL

With nephew Adam

Annual Christmas Event at the Red Key Tavern with Pat, Bryan, Melanie and Chuck

Sharing Christmas Day with my sweetie

It's a new year now.  Though we don't know what it will bring, we live, love and cherish every single day.  And we know that faith and prayer will help us through the tough times.

Diane

4 years cancer-free!

It's a subject I don't talk much about, but I am a breast cancer survivor.  As I told a friend yesterday, it doesn't define me, it's just something that happened to me.  I continue to travel to Des Moines annually for my mammogram, blood tests and appointment with my oncologist even though it's 450 miles away. I don't know, but there's something very comforting about the doctor who has seen you go through all of this.

So last week Mike and I trekked to Des Moines for this annual check up, and all is well!  No signs of cancer!  I don't think about cancer a lot, but when this appointment approaches each year, I start to get nervous.  And on the day of the appointment, I'm sure I'm holding my breath playing all the "what ifs" through in my mind.  And when the doctor says "the mammogram is fine", I start to breathe again.  If you or a loved one has been in this situation, I know you understand.




And I push cancer to the recesses of my mind for another year, or until some other health issue where my brain immediately goes to cancer.  I am getting used to this sub-process that continually goes through my brain.

Emily and Brian

The other good thing about the trip to Iowa is I get to hook up with my pals from working days.  It made for an action packed week, but it was so much fun to talk and laugh and catch up on life.


We visited with Brian, Emily and Maggie and got to meet the newest addition to the family, Brody.  They are very busy with two small children, but they still manage to have fun!

Maggie, Emily and Brody

Dinner with Kristi

I had a great dinner with my friend Kristi at a new restaurant in Ankeny.  We reminisced about our car-pooling days which seemed like yesterday (actually 3 years ago).  We talked for hours, and it seemed like I had never moved away.

I enjoyed a quick breakfast with Joyce, and we packed a lot of talking into a short hour.  And I lived vicariously with her upcoming travel to London, Spain and Morocco.

Mike, Gary and Joleen

Then it was on to drinks and dinner with Gary, Roby, Joleen and Randy.  We laughed and laughed about everything from jobs, to raising kids to Mike and I learning to live together 24x7.


And  we had breakfast with Ruth and caught up on her new summer job in a greenhouse.  She is having a blast working hard and learning lots of new gardening stuff.





I am reminded that everything continues to change.  My friends and their lives keep moving ahead, but I am comforted to know that our years of working and playing together is a common bond that doesn't go away with a few hundred miles...

And so we're back in Indy now.  June has arrived, bringing Mike's "summer vacation" and a clean slate of time.  I'm sure new adventures await...

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.  I appreciate your interest in my crazy life, and I welcome your comments any time!

Diane