::thankful – for hair!  I got a “haircut” on Saturday – a trim on my neckline and around my ears. My hair may be uber short, but by gosh, it’s neatly styled!

::praying for – Ramona, for healing; for my kids – for an awesome school year; for all the things.

::remission – Isn’t that a grand word?  I rode my bike today – 12 miles at a 13 mph pace.   Yahoo!!  12 miles isn’t all that far, and 13 mph could be considered to be on the slow side, but by golly, I’m well enough now to get ON MY BIKE!!!  Time to start working back to full strength so that I can ride the Hotter ‘n Hell ride next year!  I’ve ditched the wig and scarves since my scalp is now covered and the temperatures are over 100 degrees.  It’s quite liberating to have wash and go hair!

::fun – Biking this morning with Mr. Pea and DirtBike.  Cruising the mall yesterday afternoon.  Wow.  I haven’t been to the mall in eons.  There’s a lot to see nowdays.

::delicious – 

• Grilled Salmon, Saffron Rice and a Tossed Salad
• Roasted Chicken (Grill), Veggie Salad
• Ratatoulli
• Beef and Been Burritos
• Ginger Chicken,
• Veggie Soup, Parmesean Muffins
• Visit to Oklahoma – Dinner with Family!

::this week – Work and school.  A rain dance if I can work it in!

::captured – 

Keep the Faith.

::thankful – for my baby sister, Twyla!  This week is her Birthday!!!

::praying for – all the things.

::fun – Well, Let’s See.  What fun things happened last week?  Princess Pea popped in for a surprise visit!!  Actually, she was in town to greet her Sweetie who returned from his job training at Goldman Sachs in the Big Apple.  She stopped by my office for a little while to visit.  I love it when my big kids come home for a visit!

::delicious – Yesterday I was feeling particularly perky, so I made a Costco trip and spent the afternoon packing up several dozen meals for the freezer, something I haven’t done since my cancer diagnoses last fall. (We were abundantly blessed by friends and family who kept our freezer stocked while I was in treatment!)  I’ve been doing this for years – prepping multiple entrees and keeping them on hand has made getting dinner on the table so much easier after long days at work, school and other activities.  It has become exponentially easier since the kids all learned how to cook.  With everything assembled and ready to go, whoever gets home first starts cooking dinner!

• Cedar Smoked Tilapia, Tomato Salad, Peas
• Ground Beef Gyros, Sautéed Baby Squash
• Pepper Steak, Potato and Rutabaga Hash, Green Beans
• Leftovers
• Cobb Salads
• Pasta with Roasted Veggies
• Dinner Out!!

::this week – The boys are back in school.  DirtBike is all excited about taking a Physics class. The Architect is loving the prestige of being a Senior, and is still working on plans for taking over the school during his term as Student Body President. There’s a dentist appointment on the calendar, as well as hair cuts and fetching school supplies and books that were not listed on the school website before classes started.

::captured – Yes…that’s The Architect.

Superstar!  Keep the Faith.

::thankful – for a marvelous trip to the beach, for continued healing, and for Mr. Pea cleaning the carpets yesterday.

::praying for – Cherry Ames as she settles into life as job-holding, rent-paying adult;  for Princess Pea starting her Junior Year at Texas A&M; for the Architect as he fills out college and scholarship applications; for DirtBike as he starts his Sophomore year; for myself as I continue to heal and embrace living again.

::Kill All the Cells! –  Well…there’s been a minor setback.  I had my port removed at the beginning of July, and it never healed quite right. Last weekend the incision site became exponentially more painful, so I checked in with my surgeon on Monday morning.  He took a look with a sonogram and confirmed that there was a nasty abscess forming.  He admitted me for surgery that day, opened it up and cleaned it out. (gross)  It’s now a slightly weird hole that’s packed with silver infused ribbon, healing from the inside out (double gross).  I’ve learned how to change my own dressing, including the packing, because it’s just too inconvenient to drive into the city every day and have someone change it for me. Cherry Ames talked me through the first time – after that, easy peasy.  It’s comforting to know that I’ve learned yet another useful skill.

::fun WHOOOP!  We snuck away to Destin for a week to celebrate my remission!

The kids learned how to paddleboard…
…and surf!!

I was celebrating not just remission, but also the Return of the Hair!!

::delicious

• Burgers on the Grill, Baked Beans and Zucchini Salad
• Baked Ziti and Spinach Salad
• Tuna Salad Sandwiches with Fresh Tomatoes
• Turkey Mufaletta Sandwiches, Cucumber Salad
• Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa,
• Shrimp Tacos and Black Beans
• Pulled Pork Sliders, Coleslaw, Green Beans

::looking ahead – School starts this week.  Seriously!  School! Already!  I may be just slightly more excited about the return to a regular schedule than the boys are.

Enjoy Life.  Keep the Faith.