46 Years

July 2, 2012

46 years ago  tomorrow, July 3,  Leland and I promised before God and some of you to love and honor each other in prosperity and adversity, in sickness and in health.  We have happily kept that promise.  Every year for at least the last 30 years, we have taken at least a day and often several to celebrate our anniversary. This year will be different, as we never know how Leland will feel from one hour to the next. So we will celebrate quietly at home, and if he feels well enough, maybe drive down to Mary Hill Park for supper and a change of scenery. 

Last week was really hard, tough on both of us.  I did not post for that reason, as we have tried to face this with courage and faith and reflect that in this blog.   But honestly, sometimes that is just not how either one of us feel.  It is really difficult when Leland is so sick he can  hardly eat or drag himself down the road for his 20 minute walk.    It is hard when he weighs himself once a week, then tells me he has lost two more pounds.  Not that he needs to tell me, I can see it.  I don’t want to whine or complain, but this is the most difficult era of our lives;  there is no end in sight, no guarantee, nothing to hold onto except each other and the knowledge that God really does care and has our best good in mind.  And that has to be taken on raw faith which sometimes staggers under the day to day reality of dealing with a Stage IV cancer. 

Sabbath we started out for church, but turned around about halfway there, as the nausea reared its’ familiar head yet again.  We spent a quiet day at home with him resting while I read aloud to him. 

Dr. D has changed the protocol again, hoping to alleviate the nausea, and perhaps that is working as this morning Leland felt well enough to run the rototiller across a garden bed for me.  But then he was sick all afternoon.

Our garden is producing wonderful organic strawberries for which we are thankful and enjoying very much. I have been able to put 8 quarts in the freezer, give a few away and eat all we want fresh. 

 Del and Chuck went to Mary Hill Orchards to pick cherries and apricots and also picked some for us.  Thank you, we have really enjoyed the cherries, and are anticipating the apricots getting ripe.  Alice brought by a couple dozen eggs this afternoon, much better than the store bought, even the organic supposedly free range range ones.  We are using eggs again because some animal protein is necessary with the Protocel Protocol. 

The roses are all in bloom, our favorite being a lovely red climber we see out the kitchen window gracing the garden shed trellis. A beautiful sight!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.