Monday 14 March 2016

how I spent my spare time!

I thought I'd show you what I did with all the time I had to fill in Saint John. 
I went out for daily walks to explore the area, I read and actually watched t.v. (This is novel as we don't have one at home) and did a jigsaw. I decided I wanted to do something I used to do when I was much younger and had so much more time on my hands, painting! I asked for canvases and paints for Christmas in preparation.

I dug out an old sketch pad and played with ideas first before deciding on my final 4 picture designs.


Playing with ideas around Whitby beach huts

Beautiful piggies of course!

More beach huts

Radom flowers experimenting with charcoal and watercolour

More beach huts! 

Famous New Brunswick covered bridges

Different beach huts! Ok so I like beach huts!

Canvas 1: this one is called radiation, as you lie in the machine you look up at a ceiling which has glass panels lit from behind with a picture as though you are looking up through spring trees to a beautiful blue sky. This is my interpretation of it.

Canvas 2: poppies of course, I love poppies!

Canvas 3: my chosen beach hut became very stylized

Canvas 4: Whitby lighthouse

I had lots of fun doing these and maybe when our farmhouse is complete I may do more.

Sunday 13 March 2016

Milestones

Once again I've left it far too long to update the blog I have no idea where the past 3 months have gone!

After my final chemo treatment in January I had 4 weeks to rest up before starting radiation therapy in Saint John. There are a number of routes for us to take to Saint John but all are 1.5 hours or more. My daily appointments for the month were very short, sometimes as quick as 10-15 minutes. We decided so that David could work as much as possible and because February is usually the worst month for snow storms to rent an apartment for the month. The apartment was 5 minutes walk to the salesforce office in Saint John where David worked from for the month, and 5 minutes drive to the hospital where I had daily appointments. We didn't really want to be away from home all week so we drove down most days and I had the apartment as a base to chill, sleep, eat etc while David was at work. There were some stormy days where we stayed over and by the end of my treatment we were getting very tired of the travelling so we stayed over a couple of nights per week to break up the week. I was looked after very well by the radiation department, they do as much as possible to make it a positive experience. As the treatment progressed I got more sore and tired but on the whole I found it much easier than chemo. To celebrate finishing treatment I got to ring the bell, it's funny how the little things get to mean so much! I've finished all my major treatment but I do have to go in for my herceptin once every 3 weeks till October. I also start on hormone therapy next week for the next 5-10 years! I will be followed up by my oncologist and surgeon very regularly for the next 5 years or so. I am returning to work next week which I'm looking forward to.

Harriet has been busy, she started working at the local gas station a couple of shifts per week which she loves. She enjoyed volunteering at Greenhill Lake Camp last year and decided to apply for a summer job there this year. She got the job and will have a very busy summer between both her jobs! This week has been March break it instead of taking a break from studying she enrolled on a drivers Ed course for 4 days then went and sat her written test which she passed. This means she has 8 months to practise driving with us and have lessons before she can take her road test and drive by herself. As you can imagine she is wanting to practise at every opportunity!

Josh is coming to the end of his second semester at UNB. so will  be taking his  final exams in April. He is also working towards his level 1 firefighters qualification which he finishes in May. He is applying for coop summer jobs as part of his course.

Isaac is keeping busy working for Degree Technology and doing projects up at the farm.

We have started to renovate the farm we bought. It needs such a lot doing on it that it's easier to take it right back to basics which is the current project. We are very thankful to have help with this project.

Spring is already here in Harvey. We have had very warm unseasonal weather and lots of rain and some freezing rain all of which has melted most of the snow. The sun is shining and we have plus temperatures most days giving us hope that soon the grass with turn green and we may see flowers. The clocks went forward last night so it's light till nearly 8pm this evening.




Harriet with her beginners licence


Upstairs in the farmhouse


Downstairs in the farmhouse


Suz ringing the bell