On Word & Upward!

A Reason to Keep Going     Some days are harder than others in Cancerland.  And some days are so good that they remind me to be thankful for all that I have.  For instance, attending the National Balloon Festival in Indianola, Iowa with my granddaughters. Emma was so excited. “One! Two! Three! Four!” Her thin arm stretched toward to the sky where the hot air balloons were flying over a Morton building that serves as a museum about the National Hot Air Balloon Festival (held each year in Indianola, Iowa), a souvenir stand, and a bunch of food trucks. “Five! Six! Seven!” she said, giggling with each count. At first, I thought we’d see maybe ten balloons.  Then I saw a chalkboard that stated that there were twelve balloons. Okay. Good.  “Eight!  Nine! Ten! Eleven!” But they kept coming, and my granddaughter who is four, stood from the blanket we’d spread in the field and then recounted from the beginning, lengthening her count with the sighting of an...

  Nancy’s blogging challenge 2021 I read a lot of cancer blogs.   One of my favorite is Nancy’s Point.   During August she asks those of us who blog to answer some questions, place those answers in our blogs, and then she prints them in her blog. I appreciate Nancy so much.   She was the first blogger who ‘spoke’ to me about what I was going through and she is constantly reading and sharing information with her readers.   If you are in the cancer world, I urge you sign up for her weekly blog.   I guarantee you will get valuable information. So here’s my contribution to her 2021 Summer Blogging Challenge: My  2021 Summer Blogging Challenge Answers: Who are you? Tell us your genre, how long you’ve been at it, who or what inspires you or whatever you want us to know.    I am a 66 year old in the Second Act of life, a wonderfully loved wife and mom, an oldest sister of seven.       Oh, and I hav...

  She isn't really a new author to me, but I do love her writing! Several years ago I found her on FanFiction and fell in love with the story sbout Aidan and Elisa.  Elisa was an international student who wanted to stay in the U.S.  Since I was an international student advisor, this called to me.  But the man she falls for is everything I wanted in a Book boyfriend - rich, terribly handsome, and prepared to give up everything he has for her.  But he has HUGE issues and they get in the way.  Not telling you any more because it would spoil a great story.   This book was published in 2015. Ani took a bit of a break, but alerted those of us who loved her that Elisa was calling to her to write book two.  She's writing it chapter by chapter, making it available on her  blog  all the original characters are there and some new ones.  The angst is still there, too, and it pulls me back week after week because I have to see this couple m...

  Never think you’ve dodged a bullet Posted on Nancy's Point, a blog about breast cancer and loss        My mom used to say, “Never ask if things could be worse, because they can.” So, in my cancer-world existence, I try to avoid even thinking about what could be worse (because metastatic breast cancer is worse, believe me).   But I wish she’d advised me to never even think that I’ve dodged a bullet.      I thought I’d dodged the lymphedema bullet.   WRONG. I’m enduring another wonderful Cancer side effect (or effuck as my cancer siblings refer to it).      First, let me say that I am not a doctor, or a lymphedema therapist, or an expert on it.   So, if your hand, arm, breast, chest, or back on the cancer side of your body is swelling up, get to your doctor. It could be another medical condition if it is not lymphedema.      I will admit that I didn’t really understand what it is, and I didn’...