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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