Yesterday, on Saturday, Pete and I met with friends Mary and Mike  in Cambria that we knew in our early marriage. Pete worked with Mike at their company years ago. We have all since gone on to other work. We met at Linn’s in Cambria and had lunch and talk about the changes in our careers over the years and grandchildren and everything. I did tell them my current season of breast cancer, and they didn’t even seem surprised. Everyone knows someone who has cancer and knows that it is indeed not a death sentence, so it was refreshing to even talk about it like it is just another phase of life and how we will carry on with life at the end of it. They of course said they will be praying for me. It was so fun getting together with them and they come up from time to time, so we plan to get together again when they come up here again. I really enjoyed visiting with Mike and Mary. This seems to be a season of renewing relationships and starting new ones too.

It was a beautiful day, albeit windy, but it so good to be out for a while. I think it was the first day I had been out for an outing for a whole week since I had such a rough week. I just don’t plan much for the week after chemo since it thrashes me so much. One more chemo this Thursday, and then I will be onto the next phase of my treatment which is surgery in August.

I debated about trying to get some doggie clients for the time before my surgery to generate some monies, but then I thought it through again. I will be trying to build myself up after my chemo, and those two weeks after I will trashed with my energy level anyway, so it will only be a month in-between; so rather than trying to build my business, I should be building my health back up. I decided I should try some of the classes that are offered to cancer patients and survivors that the Hearst Cancer Resource Center offers. I did a couple and we are attending the support groups with my husband currently, but I should do some of the fun stuff as well. They have some odd sounding ones, but I think I should go check them out anyway, and definitely do the creative art class. I do art and would like to get back to doing it again. I will do that during this period too. I was going to do it earlier, but it was always scheduled on my chemotherapy days, so it hadn’t worked out.

There is an exercise class at the Avila resort for cancer patients, so now is the time to check it out. It is free for me and I can take a guest. I need to see if it is the same guest all the time or if I can take different people each week, because everyone’s schedules are so different. I would have access to the pool as well. I wonder what I do about my bald head at the pool though. I sort of would want to cover it up so I don’t shock people, but then I suppose I could be a symbol of awareness in a manner of speaking. I think exercise is in order to build my strength back up, so I will need to ask them if this next month would be a good time to start, or if I should wait until after I recover from surgery. I will not be able to exercise for at least six weeks after my surgery.

Just writing about a plan of activities and exercise makes me feel happy. It gives me a hope of doing something that is a part of life again. My life right now is really just going to treatments and doctor visits, and trying to get through the side effects of the chemotherapy, with an occasional shopping trip to the market, or going downtown with someone on my better days just to get out of the house.

Yesterday morning before we met with our friends, Pete and I went downtown and I used some coupons that were going to expire this month, and one top I bought with the $10 off I actually got totally free because the top was on sale, and the coupon covered the price in total. That was a delightful surprise. There was the annual shoe sale at Charles’ Shoes that I always miss every year because this seems to be the time we are always out of town, so I went and took advantage of that and actually found some new sandals. Not just one pair, but three different ones. I will have buyers remorse now when the credit card bill comes. What was I thinking!! But I don’t buy shoes very often, and these were a good brand and they are very comfortable, so I will be wearing them all often.

All in all, I had a great day yesterday on Saturday, and even though I was tired at the end, I was glad to be able to feel better and enjoy the fellowship of another couple. Today I will go to church and enjoy seeing some people and worship together with them. I am bless with such wonderful friends and family.