Hello sunshine

Nothing feels better than warm sunshine on your face and Otis loves it as much as I do.  Finally, we're getting some lovely springtime weather.   I'm not sure how long it will last but for now we are enjoying it.  

I am puttering in the garden today, weeding, and digging up soil with compost and getting beds ready for planting, cutting back liriope and pruning some shrubs.  Aren't the petite purple violas so pretty with their little faces to the sun?  

It feels so good being out in the sunshine after the cold icy weather we've been having.  It sure has been a long winter.  Praying spring will be here before we know it!  

Hope you all have a lovely day.  

Welcome spring

finally...

spring has sprung and we've been basking in the warm sunshine here in the south, temps have reached into the mid 80's this week.  I am hoping the gray days of winter are now over and gone.  

My new red Jolly Clogs came in the mail last week just in time for some spring gardening.  I am loving these new clogs.  The last pair of Jollys I had lasted over ten years.  

So I've been digging in the dirt.  It's always great therapy being in the garden, something I've really been needing lately, since the last few weeks I've been feeling out of sorts...thinking post breast cancer thoughts, I guess, and not very happy, trying to stay positive and letting go of last year.  Maybe it was just the bad weather.  

Things seem better now and sunny days ahead.  Otis and Riley are loving this warm weather too!  

Sunshine, flowers and warm weather 

can do absolute wonders for the soul.  

Searching for a sunny spot....

...and he found it.  

Our December garden

You'd never know it was December by the warm weather we've been having.  

Flowers are blooming in the garden like it's still summer.  

....just enjoying the warm sunshine while we can.  

Hello sunshine! I did it!

Yes, I did it!  

It's been a long journey.  
Now I plan to get on with my life   
finally....
My last day of radiation was Friday.  Jen, my daughter and my granddaughter, Maddie, came along.  Galen was with me too, as always.  By the way, I got to hit that gong behind us!  Then I was officially discharged.  

My family has been with me and supported me through all of this and I know I couldn't have made it without them.  

We had a nice celebration afterward at a nearby restaurant with more family (that's my sister and me and Galen in the photo).  Check out that piece of chocolate cake!  

After a few days and time to settle in, 

I have found that little things mean more to me than ever before....like my old routine.  

I have a new appreciation for life.  

I'll have more time to spend with these guys.  

And to all my dear blogging friends that followed me during these last ten months of this long journey, I want to say thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers that kept me going.  I appreciate and love you all.   

Hello sunshine and cooler weather

Hello everyone!  How are you?  This morning was one of those beautiful chilly fall-like mornings here at Mourning Dove Cottage.  I grabbed a sweater, poured myself a cup of coffee, and walked out on the back porch.    

Otis was curled up in a blanket snug as a bug in a rug.  

How about a stroll through the garden?  

We still have some summer color.  The purple Liriope looks pretty against the pink Encore azalea.  

The Virginia Creeper hanging over the garden fence will eventually turn a bright red in the fall, and below it you can already see the red berries of the Nandina bush.  

Do you remember the gourds I told you about?  We have quite a few and they are getting big.  I can't wait to make colorful crafty bird houses out of them!  

This cooler weather makes me want to start decorating for fall.....like putting blankets on the back porch, chrysanthemums in pots, a colorful fall flag on the porch, and an autumn wreath on the front door.  

~~~~~~~~~~~

In case you're wondering how I am doing, well, I am doing fine.  The healing is coming along, the pain is tough to handle at times, but I am hanging in there.  I have been working on my exercises for my arms as that is very important right now.  I need to get my arms up over my head.  Next week I have an appointment for the radiation simulation which will show where I need to have the actual radiation.  Then radiation will probably start the following week.  So again, onward we go and hoping and praying this will soon be over.  

Welcome sunshine

I love the early morning sunshine coming in our kitchen window.  

I love the shadows it makes on the floor when I open the back door.  

I am thankful for little things these days.  

Sometimes I find myself thinking ahead to the day when this long journey will finally be over and feeling that that is when I will truly be happy again.  
Then I tell myself not to think ahead, just enjoy this day.  Today I will be happy.  Today I will enjoy it's beauty.  


I have one more chemo treatment to go.  I'm feeling pretty good right now, almost normal.  My taste buds have returned and I can eat everything I used to.  My fingers are a bit numb but I am thankful I can paint and do my regular housework and gardening.  My toes are numb but at least I can walk.  


Often times it's hard to focus on the right now and enjoy what we have.  I will do that today and enjoy this lovely summer morning.  

Onward we go

After a really good and enjoyable week (thanks to my chemo being cancelled last week), and my neuropathy has gotten better with the medication, it's now time to head off to the cancer center tomorrow for my 7th chemo treatment.  

Ugh, I'm not looking forward to this at all.  I'll be down for about 5 days.  The good thing......after this one, I only have one more.  Thank Heavens!  


I cut some yellow day lilies and brought them in from the garden this morning to brighten up the dining room.  The garden is filled with these big yellow blooms, it's like sunshine everywhere.  


I picked the first of our "Better Boy" tomatoes today.  I think we're going to get quite a few this year.  Tomato sandwiches, yum!  

I'll be back soon.  


Thank you again for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers.  
It means so much to me.