The Bread of Life

The dust has settled after that whirlwind month of traveling out West in April and the Wonderlys are “all hands on deck” now working on the a WonderVan!! 

I did sneak in a trip to see my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter last week and got to play with Saileigh at the beach and did all the fun Grandma (Granita, as I’m hoping to be called) things like reading new books, playing chase, cuddling in the mornings, etc.

 

My grandma name has become Tata which cracks me up. Perhaps as the Gra and ni are easier to say it’ll morph into Gra-ni-ta but for now she has the ending of ‘Ta’ perfected and therefore the Grandma with the breast cancer diagnosis gets to be Tata!!

With Mother’s Day on the May calendar, I couldn’t wait to spend more time with my own Mama, aka Babbs! This lady is the glue in our family and always a joy to be around.  She generously gives and gives. I’m immensely grateful she is as spunky, active and mentally sound as she is. 

Getting older can be such a challenge and watching her own friends lose what they once had both mentally and physically must be a step in our lives we all will take if we live long enough and this lady does it with such grace. Thank you, God, for giving her to me!

On our arrival back to Ohio, John and I have been diligently working on the WonderVan every day and into the night. He is continuing to finish all the custom cabinets and is applying olive ash burl veneer on the facings while I am working on a big boo-boo! Most unfortunately, the epoxy that was poured into the ash rounds on our van floor prior to us going out West did not set properly and is like stale taffy. It needs to be heated and picked out with chisels, inch by inch, until it’s removed and will need to be re-poured!

It’s a good thing I was a dental hygienist in my past life!!! It’s like scaling plaque and tartar off people’s teeth, only there’s no blood, schedule or complaints! I figure it’ll be cleaned out within 2 weeks and next time it’s poured up we will be sure to get that ratio of epoxy and hardener perfectly measured!! 

As per my usual schedule, I’m writing this blog entry following my most recent infusion of Herceptin & Perjeta up in Columbus, OH. It was an easy infusion…Oh how thankful I am for that!! I did have to explain all the nitnoid side effects for Dr Johnson that I experience from the medications ie. skin issues that don’t heal and dryness, numbness in one toe, tingling in my fingertips, digestion issues, etc., but they all seem so minor to deal with that I feel like it’s not worth telling him. I have friends with WAY more physical pain and challenges that really have something to complain about! I guess that’s another reason to ring my Gratitude Bell…which I did! The nurses up at the Stephanie Spielman are magnificent! A shout out to them all!! 

Yesterday I got to catch up with one of my favorite dentists, Eric Henize!! I had the privilege of being his hygienist for exactly 10 years and I’m glad we get to catch up on each other’s lives at Northstar Café every so often. I love how God knits people into our tapestry of life and make it pop with beauty and rich friendships. 

Spiritually, I’m in a place of peacefulness. Most mornings I read Scripture from The Passion Translation which keeps my mind daily engaged and interested in God’s Word. I only wish I could recall it better throughout the day! However, it is one of my simple pleasure rhythms.

Mentally, I’m reading a thick booked called ‘How Not to Age’ by Dr Michael Greger and learning more and more about the importance of eating exclusively a plant-based diet! This week I discovered about the barberry! One of the highest antioxidants berries out there! And thanks to Amazon.com, I’m now the consumer of them daily. They taste like cranberries and have a lovely sour flavor. Here’s the link to another guru in the field of WFPB, Dr Joel Fuhrman, who is helping to shape my new pathways of educating myself in the science of how food truly is my medicine! 

I love it when God is so good and I discover new favorites like my whole wheat, stone ground, organic wheat bread that’s crusted with toasted sesame seeds from Dan the Baker in Columbus!! I swear I’ll stop in for the rest of my life to buy this bread after every infusion!! Then I get to savor the most delicious avocado toast every day!!

So my reader friends and family, until next time…smile at a stranger and greet them with a genuine hello, look into the eyes of someone you love and tell them why you think they’re special, stop and smell a beautifully scented flower, pause and take a deep breath while thanking God for your lungs, forgive someone who has hurt you, live today truly as if it’s your last day, have no regrets and most importantly.. entrust your soul into the Hands of Jesus who is crazy in love with you no matter who you are or what you’ve done! May His peace be yours.