6 Years Post Whipple Surgery...and Doll Blankets!

Six years...and so much life has happened.  Adam and Alicia got married when I was finishing up chemo.  Faith and I went on a train trip across the US to Whidby Island to see an amazing friend from my high school class.  My sister Meg and her girlfriend, Darlene, Noah and I drove across the country to Colorado to see two of my brothers the following year.  Noah and Alex both graduated from college.  Ava was born and is now 3 1/2.  My Mom died at almost 92.  Both boys have moved out and into their own apartments...one in Mystic, CT and the other in Brooklyn, NY.  Along the way I lost several very, very special friends including my heart horse, Dommie...and my little pancreatic support group, Chris and Cindy...my Braveheart (oncology camp) friends Jude and more recently, Rebecca.

Dommie (photograph by Melanie Kimbler)

Gary and I took a trip to Florence, Italy and another to Maui to see Adam, Alicia and Ava.  I have two new horses.  We had to put down my little 14-year-old Obie and my 19-year-old Lucy kitty this year.  I have a new puppy, Hannah.  We were adopted by an outdoor barn kitty, Sammie.

Sammie

They gave me two years after the Whipple.  That's the average.  3% make it more than 5 years.  I just remember we were so blindsided.  I was so sick.  It took a couple of years to recover.  Though recovered is a relative term.

I am happy with my life.  I am proud of the men my boys have become.  My Alex is getting married this coming summer to a girl he has know his whole life.  I am still weaving and creating and riding and playing.  My Hannah is a wonderful companion during the day and gets me out for a walk every day as well.

So.  Here's to 6 more...or 66 more!  I'll take what I can get!

Meanwhile I did a couple of samples for a baby blanket...My idea is to have big blocks about 5 inches each...9 of them and weave them square with the same colors.  These blocks are 1 1/4 inches but I thought it would give my customer an idea of what it will be like.  And now that I have taken these two off the loom I am thinking these make good doll blankets!

Plus that was fun!  Meanwhile I am finishing up a couple of scarves...maybe tomorrow I can photograph!  I truly love the new year!

xo