No new pictures, but I thought you might enjoy this one of our 'kids' on Christmas morning.

Life is not about praying for the storm to end.

Life is about learning to dance in the rain.

- Author unknown

My friend and yoga teacher, Bill, shared this saying with me recently. It rings a chord with me on many levels, and is certainly accessible to those of us living in the Pacific northwest. To enjoy life here and to live this life to the fullest, you certainly need to embrace all weather. What a fine metaphor for life.

I have been living the leisurely life of a retiree, slowed down a bit by my current medical issues, which at this point are primarily needing to be close to a bathroom and to food. I go to the MAC for yoga, hot showers, and coffee with friends, several times a week, and walk as often as I can, yes, in the rain at times. I have found that there really is quite a lot of light outside even on a cloudy day, and that it feels much better to be outside in a light drizzle than to be inside wishing the sun were out. Much of the day, I am preparing food, eating food, or thinking about what I will eat next. I eat an enormous amount of food, and I have been able to stop my weight descent around 100#, I hope. Ben's work has been sparse, which has allowed him a lot of free time to hang out with me, walking, having coffee in bakeries, planning our next short trips, learning about dog training, planning the bathroom project, and watching movies. In a few weeks, we are driving to Gig Harbor and Tacoma, see some Chihuly glass and Point Defiance Park (I think that's the one). The next weekend we will spend in Seattle, all for the boat show being held in Seattle at the end of this month. Thanks to the generosity of Stanley the main US. distributor of Beta Marine engines, we have fine accommodations in Seattle so we plan to take the train up. I will explore Seattle on foot, and read, knit, and nap in the hotel, until Ben can leave the show and play with me.

Medical update: Unfortunately, my oncologist didn't think it wise to start my chemo sessions today. Maybe next week.