It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

It's so much easier to feel positive when I feel good like I do today. Lady and I were able to walk along part of the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail. Getting there and back involves going downhill and uphill. It's a much better workout than walking on the flat and today was the first day after chemo round #1 that I have felt well enough to try it. We walked past the beaver pond and there were scores of mallard ducks. We waited at the ponds edge and watched them. They streamed over to see if we had any food. We started walking off and the ducks gave up on us. It's a good thing too. We didn't have anything for them. The trail is so beautiful this time of year. The deciduous trees still have all their leaves and form a canopy overhead.

After the walk I dropped Lady off at home and drove to the clinic for my last Nuepogen injection this cycle. It's just a little subcutaneous poke. The whole visit takes about 10 minutes from check-in to needle stick. Now I'm at Starbucks playing with my computer. I haven't been able to stomach coffee since my chemo treatment but I can do plain black tea. Ohhh, that and a pumpkin scone, mmmm.

Each day I have a little more energy than the day before. This cold or flu or whatever it is has really knocked me for a loop. I did feel well enough to hop on the bus with Lady to the Uptown Espresso for our morning outing. I drank my coffee and Lady kept me company. We just missed the bus home. The bus stop had no shelter and it was pouring rain. Since walking in the rain is warmer than standing in it I decided that we would walk home. I was a little worried about my stamina but we made it back on foot dripping but happy.

Today is the start of Lent, Ash Wednesday. I am going to mass tonight and will have the sign of the cross marked on my forehead in ashes. "Repent and believe in the good news." It's a good time to get closer to God. I'm participating in an online retreat called Days of Deepening Friendship, an online retreat. It's based upon a book by Vinita Hampton Wright. You don't have to own the book to participate in the retreat. Ms. Hampton Wright provides the chapters that pertain to the weeks meditation online in pdf form. I worked on the first one today and it is helping me get ready for the six-week marathon that is Lent.