Prairie sunset

Kidneys, Chemo and Camping

2 Comments

Alberta Children’s Hospital. Children’s Oncology in-patient rooms is called Q cluster. The patient rooms are situated in a square with the nursing station in the center. You can enter a patient room at the back from an outside hallway or, from the front where the nursing station is. It’s early morning and the nurses have just started their shift. A sweet brunette pokes her head in the door. She sees Nick is sleeping so in a whisper she asks how his night was. I’m sitting up in a cot near his bed. I whisper that he slept well. Nick is stirring under the covers when Dr. Anderson taps on the door. I really like this doctor. His face reflects he has a heart and treating children with cancer … [Read More...]

flower-petals-stem_w520

Spiritual Journey with Venus Art by Shannon

Leave a Comment

I went to a Spiritual Art Workshop, joining with a few friends and a couple of new peeps I hadn't met before. Lovely raven haired Shannon Breadner of VenusArt by Shannon made us comfortable on blankets on the grass. I lay down and watched white clouds drift across the sky. In a comforting, soft voice she began to lead us through a meditation. She took us on a journey, painting pictures in our minds with her words. She invited us to imagine the force of our inner selves, a turning in so to speak towards peace in a place that lives inside every one of us. A place I need to visit on a daily basis in my life that is sometimes too busy and with discontent. Shannon began by inviting us to … [Read More...]

Carlie's sunset

Shadow Horse

6 Comments

I’m in front of a sink full of dishes. For most of my day thoughts I’ve been mulling have sucked on my energy. I don’t like this part of me that lets stupid, useless things I can do nothing about, things I can’t fix, whirl around and around inside my head. Outside the window the sun begins its descent onto the backs of the mountains, and for a second the sight permeates the fog inside my head. I know how to stop this thought train to nowhere, but it’s become a habit and a hard one to break. It’s like when I was quitting smoking. At first, every minute I had to push away the urge to smoke. This is the same thing - I have to push away the urge to worry. My heart knows what is good for … [Read More...]

Nick & Charlene. Now I see Charlene's expression and I see sadness. She knew Nick’s prognosis wasn’t good.

Welcome to Alberta Children’s Hospital

5 Comments

The Ronald McDonald House in Calgary has rooms with private bathrooms. We didn’t see anyone as we dragged our suitcases through hallways and sitting areas. It’s clean and quiet and our room is like a small apartment, but without a kitchen. I’m sure we’ll meet people when we cook our meals. I think people are more inclined to stay in their rooms instead of mingling like we did at the House in Vancouver. I’m already missing that big, beautiful place. August 30 Alberta Children’s hospital has its oncology clinic near the main doors. Nicholas has a chest X-ray and then is admitted to Q cluster. August 31 Today Nick has a CAT scan, bone marrow biopsy, and lumbar puncture. A man wearing a … [Read More...]

image011

Carrots or Apples Please

6 Comments

My horse comes when I walk into the pasture. I stroke my hand from between his eyes down his long face to the smattering of white on his nose. He sniffs at my hands and my pockets, his big leathery lips fondling my fingers, smelling, searching for the odor of a juicy orange carrot, or a sweet red apple. He’s snuffles over me, then probes the left pocket of my jacket, if he could just get his tongue inside then he’d have what he knows is in there. I slip my hand between the coat and his nose and produce the carrot. He chews with an expression of sheer bliss. The carrot has been inhaled. He drops his nose into the tray of brushes and hoof picks just in case I’ve put something in there for him … [Read More...]

Featured Pages

Two buddies sitting in the wheelbarrow

The Lion King and Nick

Watch a short clip from The Lion King The young cub called Simba from the movie The Lion King evokes the memory of a little boy I used to have in my life. He was as lovable, or, as wild when provoked, as a lion cub. His adventures included taking one of our dogs, hiking into the woods, and climbing the hills behind our farm to explore. Often, I would look out the window into our back yard, and depending on what time of year it was, I would see Nicholas in the snow or on the grass wrestling, himself still a puppy, with the dogs. He left this life when he was of the age that he swung between the business of childish play, and an adolescent spending quiet time in curious ponderings. The Heroes in our Lives Nicholas and Simba are heroes in their own stories. They both were mere youngsters; innocent and pure, still believing in the power of hope when their lives became painful. They became warriors with the depth of courage that is valued, spoke of and passed on through the ages. In The Lion King, the young cub loses his father in a violent death and his world is upended. Simba’s survival is hinged on his drawing from the courage he saw in his father. My son developed an aggressive leukemia. The chemo therapy protocol waged a vicious battle against the disease, and physically Nicholas became a shadow of the boy he used to be. But his spirit, the light that burns deep inside every one of us, rose to the challenge. Like my son, Simba was felled to his knees and robbed of … [Read More...]

The first entry in the Journal – The Beginning of the End

BC Children’s Hospital March

Click on the photograph for the first entry in the Journal

Barney: Late for Lingerie and the Forgotten Place