On 01.02.02, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Too late for surgery, I had chemotherapy, which failed. In May the chemotherapy was changed and I was soon in remission which was celebrated and welcome and lasted nine years - until October 2011. There was progression in 2011 so more treatment was indicated and I am now back in partial remission. But I'm not only a cancer patient - I also enjoy my family, walk my dogs and am learning to draw and paint. Life is good!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Sociable in spite of myself

One of my New Year's resolutions has to be to attend more social occasions because I avoid so many and then find that I had a pretty good time after all. This week we went to our adult daughter's Christmas program offered by her day program. While we were waiting for Santa to arrive I sketched the centerpiece on our table. Just as I was at the 2/3 point, someone reached over and gave it a twirl so she could see how it was constructed -- and that's sort of how that party went. But Youngest Daughter sang a heart-filled rendition of "Silent Night" and was graciously received. I was glad because she's been practicing in the shower for months!



Yesterday Demi graduated from Assistance Dog Institute as a Social/Therapy dog. She still has one final evaluation, probably in January, but we've gotten past another hurdle. It allows me to take her into hospitals and nursing homes, libraries and other facilities which want to offer canine assisted interactions and therapies. I'm hoping our local library will start a reading program early in the new year -- the kind of program where kids sit on the floor and read to the doggies. I am training Demi to move her eyes across the page so it looks like she's following the story. It involves holding a colorful book with treats behind or by rubbing liver treats across the text so she can sniff her way through each chapter. So fun!



And this morning I drew my way through the fourth Sunday in Advent, a lovely service with the last candle lit on the Advent wreath. The reason you see only half a dog is because Demi was on the floor and I didn't want to duck down to see the rest of her! But I'm trying to take my sketchbook with me everywhere and to add a page at every opportunity.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous8:14 PM

    Barbara, a wonderful, beautiful, peace-filled and light-brimming Christmas to you!

    (: love!
    Pippa

    ReplyDelete

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