Picture from my Garden

Hey All - just a quick blog before my next treatment. I go for Round 14 on Thursday. Side effects this week have been "as usual". So, when I have energy, I'm still puttering in the garden. I've been growing a special hybrid daisy - see picture. It's an odd variety but very photogenic!

I've also been doodling a bit with photography and am going to try to teach myself some photoshop. I've also been editting some film from Evans photography (the family biz). When I get it sorted out, maybe I'll share some. In the meantime, the weather's warm and I hope you are all enjoying it! Best, BB

Round 13

Just a quick note since it's been a while. I had chemo (Round 13) last Thursday. More importantly, I got the results of my scan. It shows no change. While I will admit I was hoping for more, Dr S pointed out that cancer's goal is to grow. So, showing no growth means that the chemo is working.

Round 13 marks my six month anniversary of being on chemo. It's still a grind but I suppose I'm getting used to it. In a couple of months, I may be given a "chemo holiday" to rest my liver (evidently chemo is hard on your liver but my levels have been stable from the start). Anyway, I thought I'd let you all know that no change is good and I'm still here. In the meantime, I am switching from short term disability to long term disability and social security disability. This means a lot of forms to fill out but I don't expect any issues. It's a little odd being out of work for so long - and I'm not sure how long it will really be. But, when I have energy, I have been doing a little gardening - see pic above from the garden. Be well! BB

Prom Night

Vicki is going to the junior prom tonight! See pic with doting father. She looks great and is very excited to go. I kidded her that her date would need to pass a test on Yankee and Giants trivia in order to take her but she said it would only serve to embarass her -so I have to trust the guy (yikes!)

As for me, I had a scan on Thursday to check on progress but I won't hear the results until next week. Perhaps even not until I go in for juicing on Thursday. In the meantime, I'm filling out forms with the insurance company and social security, applying for long term disability. I'm having the usual side effects - most annoying as usual is the fatigue and neuropathy. I had to bail on going to a bar mitzvah today because it was a long drive and I just wasn't up to it.

For those of you interested in birds - I set up our hummingbird feeder this week and instantly got a ruby-throated visiter. We've named him Arnold after Arnold Swartzenegger since he looks like a tough little hombre (and hummingbirds are notorious for vigorously defending their turf!) I also need to print a retraction for my earlier blog about the beavers in Burnham Pond. I got a close up look at them a couple of weeks ago and they are not beaver - they are muskrats. But I haven't seen them in a couple of weeks and I'm wondering if the park service trapped them. In the meantime, three swans have settled in the pond much to the consternation of the canada geese! They were fighting a lot the last couple of days but seem to have settled into a truce. In addition to them, the population seems to have gotten into a rhythm - the red-wing backbirds, barn swallows, boattail grackles and cormorants are all co-existing peacefuly!

Wishing you a great week and good weather...BB