Category Archives: hope

my sister susan

21 Saturday Feb 2009

Posted by in friends, health & happiness, home, hope, life stuff, love, morocco

≈ 11 Comments

sister-sue

This is my sister Susan (aka Pipocas)

There’s the family you’re born into and the family you choose. It started off as kind of a joke, telling the doctors at the private hospital that Susan was my sister so that they would let her visit that first night I was admitted for observation last May. Then we decided to maintain the ruse after I was transferred to Virgen del Rocío hospital for the emergency colon resection. Sometime between then and I’m not sure when, it turned out that we actually were sisters…

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situation normal…

06 Friday Feb 2009

Posted by in cancer, computers, friends, gadgets, health & happiness, hope, hospitals, work

≈ 27 Comments

scream-thumbs-up-lg

Yay! My CT scan and blood test results came back normal!
So that means a happy thumbs-up “all clear” until next time (in 3 months).

It was such a relief when Ricardo called me late yesterday afternoon with the good news.  And today he is going to set up an appointment with his oncologist friend Ana so that I don’t have to go back to those other oncs I’ve been seeing. I was a bit confused because I thought each oncology group was for a specific type of cancer, and I’ve seen all three oncs in my group. Well, it turns out that Ana is not only a specialist in breast and colon cancer, but she’s also the second in command of the whole department.  And I’ve been told she’s a very no-nonsense kind of person, so I hope I feel more comfortable with her.

So … should I go get that mini ‘puter now?

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multi-tasking az

28 Wednesday Jan 2009

Posted by in blogging, cancer, friends, gadgets, geekiness, hope, internet, life stuff, work

≈ 9 Comments

multitasker

I’m so busy these days it’s just crazy!

At last count I have four “jobs” … or at least four projects I’m working on that I hope will turn into money-making ventures.  The only one actually bringing in any cashola at the moment is teaching, though since I started back in mid-January I’ve only had three classes a week. I should double that amount next month, with Ricardo and Pilar (from The Team) and maybe Bosco coming back.  But even though this is not nearly enough to live on, Pip & I have already decided that the focus for me in February should be Health and New Projects.  To wit, I plan on expanding on my morning gym time next week to include working out on the machines a bit after yoga classes (M-W-F) and also starting back with Pilates classes (T-T). Monday to Thursday I’ll have English classes at home between 6-9 pm. And the rest of the time? It looks like I’m going to be crazy busy…

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baby steps

19 Monday Jan 2009

Posted by in cancer, clothing biz, computers, food & drink, friends, home, hope, life stuff, photos, sevilla, tapas, teaching, work

≈ 14 Comments

baby-stepsStarting off again one small step at a time …

My very dear friend Lizzie in Bristol – who has been running the very popular Folk House Café for many years and is now in the process of revamping family run Quartier Vert – recently sent me a list of ideas to research in order to turn a couple of my personal projects into money-making ventures. She thinks that both the Sevilla Tapas blog and azahar natural clothing have potential and so I now have a list of instructions to help me get started … except it turned out I have become so bad at thinking in even a remotely straight line that I also needed to enlist the help of another clear thinker and straight shooter, none other than my “hermana de alma” and international woman of mystery, Pipocas. We got together on Saturday afternoon for a lunch and brainstorming session here at casa az and here is how it went …

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birthday girl

07 Wednesday Jan 2009

Posted by in animals & pets, birthdays, cancer, food & drink, friends, health & happiness, home, hope, life stuff, love

≈ 37 Comments

birthday_cat

Yay! I’m 52 today!

I’ve always loved birthdays and have never understood people who fret about “getting older” because, as I’ve always said, it sure beats the alternative. And of course this year that statement carries a lot more meaning for me after everything that’s happened since last May.

So today I will be quietly celebrating.  Starting off with going back to yoga class! Then I’ll be going out for lunch with Pipocas – haven’t seen her for three weeks because she’s been away on holiday, so I’m really looking forward to that. And at some point during the day I’ll open the cava that Pablo brought over on Christmas eve.  Otherwise and that, I’ll probably just hang out at home with Nog and the cats and play with my iPhone … and just really enjoy being here.

So help yourself to a glass of bubbly and welcome to my birthday!

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