A Lotta VERMONT, a Little Canada and benign mammogram!!!

My friend Karen and her daughter Emily joined me as I checked off yet another bucket list item…spending time in Vermont during the Fall!! 

We started out immediately after my last infusion on October 3rd and ended up on that day getting soaked under Niagara Falls then turned the steering wheel north and east! Our first destination was exactly there…the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont! Folks there said that because of the drought, the fall colors were not the bright pinks and reds like usual, however🍁, it was still beautiful! This first photo is sunset over the maples on Mount Mansfield near Stowe! 

We glamped in an Airbnb tent for the first week where the temps did dip into the high 30’s one night but mostly 40’s and the days were 60-70s…so perfect weather for hiking and a little biking! 

As we meandered on the windy mountain roads we all fell in love with the bucolic rolling hills and mountains Vermont offered. Traveling with Karen and Emily was easy! They’re spontaneous, pleasant, Christ-like, positive minded, laid back, fun, adventurous and our personalities worked really well together. So grateful! Our 2.5 weeks together mostly consisted of hiking, including our favorite on Spruce Mountain near Montpelier where we definitely stretched Karen beyond her comfort level however the payoff was worth it as we ascended a fire tower overlooking the entire 360 view of the valley below us! 

We got to find the hidden gem local markets in Vermont where we indulged in the local fare: in Vermont…maple syrup, maple creemees, and fresh goat cheese…in Montreal, Canada which was only 2 hours away.. French pastries and poutine! 

We found a few rails to trails bike paths to ride but unfortunately Karen’s bike went kaput so our pedaling excursions were limited. We did rent kayaks on Lake Willoughby one day where we absorbed some fall sunshine and rested. 

The red barns, covered bridges, waterfalls, winding road through Snuggler’s Notch and white church steeples amongst the green hills were living postcards around every bend in the road. 

There were so many favorite moments with these special friends that it’s challenging to capture the actual beauty, gift of laughter and a little crazy we got to share however there was one moment that was totally impromptu and blew me away… at one of our first steeples there were stained glass windows that were intact and colorful mosaics that I wondered if there was a way to go in and a kind woman unlocked the sanctuary for us to go in and have the place to ourselves. It was a silent space that needed a song and Karen’s family is musically gifted so I asked her to “sing something” and little did she know that she and Emily gave me the treasure of singing and harmonizing my favorite hymn! Click my YouTube link and Enjoy…How Great Thou Art!

While we only spent one day in Canada, the Notre Dame Basilica did not disappoint!

On our last few days of the trip we started back south and west toward Ohio by going to the NY finger lakes. We probably were there a day too long but we found beauty and rest in the famous Watkins Glen where their waterfalls did not disappoint mostly because we arrived early before the crowds. 

Ithaca’s Farmer’s Market was my favorite and provided my best meal of the trip…Yum Samoon Phrai! And the sweet owner, Joy, shared the recipe with me!!!

Then upon arriving home I loved hiking and hanging out with my bestie, Liz! She’s a source of wisdom, laughter, comfort and creativity that fills me up! It’s a good day when you can just pop into a puppy store to pet them!

The infusion today was easy again as I navigated a mammogram first, which came back negative, then rang my own gratitude bell in thanks to God for my continued miracle of healing!

Grateful to Report So Much Healing

My friend Karen invited me to ride the bike path along the Little Miami River a few times and we are getting so conditioned that we can easily ride 15 miles now, which is just a beautiful time to be in nature and talk while pedaling along and moving my body! I’m developing habits of daily self care and my health in every aspect is becoming stronger! 

My friend Doni joined me for my first ever yoga classes where physical flexibility and slowing down my mind were welcomed as I consider this new rhythm. Loved the class and got to enjoy it outside at Sun Sprouts, the newer organic cafe in Corwin, OH along the Little Miami bike path. 

My goal this month is to love myself well and take care of Tricia. It’s been well over 7 years since I had a massage so I decided it was time! In fact, I’m scheduling one a month and taking advantage of this local masseuse.  A friend recommended this Waynesville, OH, Nature’s Edge Wellness and Spa where the owner, Amy, provided my 1.5 hour long relaxing massage! 

Then to my absolute surprise, my bestie, Liz, and her family who grow these beautiful flowers and sell them at, Under The Pines Flower Farm, in Springboro, OH threw me a surprise birthday party with Tricia friendly food including dark, delicious brownies made with avocados! Feeling the love all around me! God is so good! They even had several friends and family members send in a birthday wish videos and messages to me which was touching. Thanks to everyone who participated!

I’ve had much needed solo riding at John Bryan Mountain Bike Trails, too, where I talked to God the whole time as I took in His beauty. I let the sun warm my face as I paused on my favorite trail, Frankenlight! Grateful for these precious Jesus moments of acknowledging the life He has given me. 

Last week I finished trimming the branches on the spruce trees and removed vines and some weeds using my beloved chain saw and trimmer. Other than a little poison ivy breaking out on my back and tummy from crawling under the trees, I had perfect weather and a little helper who worked very hard helping me collect branches!

After trimming the trees, I had a literal blast by power washing my sidewalks and driveway! It’s a retired hygienists dream job! Plus it looked so amazing when it was finished! 

It seems that I have more info in my blog entries about my day-to-day life and travels vs cancer stories, which is such a blessing to say that I can actually do that…and I am most grateful to say that there haven’t been any major complications with my journey with breast cancer to report of late. Yes, I still receive my every 3 week infusions that are going easily. 

Out of the blue 2 weeks ago I did receive an email from my oncologist’s office informing me that the Signatura blood test I had done back in August to check for traces of cancer DNA that might be detected in my bloodstream came back and I am praising God that it was NEGATIVE just like every PET scan I’ve had for the past two years has shown NED (no evidence of disease). While this doesn’t prove to the doctors that I’m completely free of cancer, I see it as a gift of mercy and encouragement from the Lord. Each clear result is a reminder to keep trusting Him, living fully, keeping my life stress free and giving thanks for the blessings of today. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

In my recent blog posts, I shared about the relational work that I am committed to doing and will spend hours doing every day that which fuels my body, mind and spirit. Being at home alone this past month has provided the exact sanctuary I’ve needed. It has allowed me to rest in a sacred space of my own, where I can play worship music loudly, do yoga in the living room, sit down and listen to podcasts or teaching videos, engage in somatic breath work, journal and read without interruption or navigating conversations I’m not prepared for or willing to engage in quite yet. One of the most interesting modalities I have been learning about, besides EMDR, is one called IFS and I had never heard of these modalities until recently. I’m so grateful to have discovered them and have found practitioners that work with me where I can better protect myself in my mind, heart, body and spirit in a way that doesn’t allow injury by others. I am open to learning new skills, I’m developing much stronger boundaries, and choose to reframe that which I allow to affect me. As I learn how to have healthier boundaries, I may not always get it right so I’m learning to give myself grace as I grow this new muscle.

I learned that one of the yoga teachers I joined this last month has a no-profit called Hope Wanders. The owner, Jess, raises funding for women in difficult situations to provide outdoor adventurous experiences at no cost to them. I was able to join them on a fundraising kayaking trip down the Great Miami River which felt wonderful to get on the water for the first time this year! I love that there’s a local organization I can participate in to help others and utilize my strengths and personal interests like paddling, hiking and camping. Finding purpose again in serving others my own way is very important to me and these last many months I’ve not been in the best heart or head space to be able to do it. So as I heal, I see that my capacity to give back and serve others is finding space in my life again and for that I’m so grateful!

My friend Liz’s daughter, Zoey turned 13 this month and she had a smash up of a party with family and friends where her parents honored her as a beautiful daughter of God. With my Italian heritage and love for cooking they asked me to make homemade, from scratch fettuccine Alfredo, so with my favorite Italian jams playing, we made 7 lbs of fettuccine and made the most yummy Alfredo sauce with a pinch of nutmeg as the not so secret ingredient! Sadly since the ingredients are basically heavy cream, butter, Parmesan and spices, its enjoyment was by others and not me because of my food preferences…but I admittedly had to taste it as I made it and that teaspoon of sauce was buono gustoso!!! 

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year and while in the past, I have thoroughly enjoyed making wreaths with my friend Linda in Wyoming, this year I got to enjoy the arranging of beautiful dried flowers from Liz‘s farm Under the Pines flower farm where we arranged several of these beautiful wreaths, including zinnia, gumphrena, sweet Annie, and a number of other treasures from their gardens! 

For the later part of this blog I joined my beautiful adult kids with their significant others in Florida for a birthday celebration because I made it another trip around the calendar and this year I turned 59 on September 29th! My time with them this week was so loving and peaceful and thankfully the Florida weather was more enjoyable as we start entering into the highs being a cooler mid 80 degrees! I have discovered my favorite legal delicious cake that they made for my birthday. The “1” candle meant I’m 1 year away from 60!!! Looks much more friendly than 59!!!

While in Florida, I had the purest joy of babysitting my grandkids!!! The gratitude goes very deep around this issue and I’m so thankful my daughter ands son-in-law allow me this gift of time! 

Today, Friday, October 3 marks a most special moment as it’s my eldest’s birthday. Then after another infusion it’s the beginning of checkmarking another bucket list item off my long list. Immediately following today’s treatment I’m driving to Niagara Falls en route to northern Vermont for a fall foliage leaf peeping girl’s trip!! 

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