Dragonfly Eyes: Take 5

Lin McJunkin, who was one of the artists joining us at the Dragonfly Eyes week-end in early May, sent me (for obvious reasons) a photo of one of her pieces, which is called "Healing White Light".  I asked, and she said it was okay, if I posted it on the blog.  I promised to give her appropriate credit.  Here's the photographs:

Here is a detailed close up:

Thank you, Lin!  And, here's a link to Lin's website, McJunkin Glass.

Lin also had us create our own tiles, using pieces of glass, which she then fused in the kiln.  Here is my piece, which is my nod to Picasso.  It's a face.

Sorry, it's a bit out of focus.  Enjoy!

Coming to Terms

A week or two ago, I was feeling a little sad about the limitations I have been experiencing with regard to playing volleyball and/or doing other activities in the evening. I was mad that I'm having to give up something I enjoy. I resented cancer for taking that away.

I'm trying to let go of that disappointment and sadness. It's sorta like regret for a past action - it's comparing myself now to what myself was a couple of years ago.

A lot of what I'm reading these days, like Deepak Chopra's "Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul", Thich Naht Nanh's "The Miracle of Mindfulness", Ernest Holmes's "This Thing Called You", Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love", and Cheryl Richardson's "The Unmistakable Touch of Grace", advise people to learn to live in the moment, to be aware of what you're doing, to be present, etc. Also, in the book "Anticancer" by David Servan-Schreiber, the author states that cancer thrives in an inflammatory "terrain" (that is, your body). He advocates a variety of activities that are designed to counteract the inflammation that cancer likes, which include diet, physical activity, a healthy emotional state, and a peaceful, serene environment.

So, with that in mind, I'm letting go of the disappointment - that emotion doesn't need to stay in my body to increase the inflammation. I decided this morning that I needed to focus instead on the positive and on what really matters, my priorities. At this particular moment, my focus is on my health, my family, and my work.

I'm excited about the things that I'm reading about health and spirituality. I'm trying to incorporate some if not most of the strategies discussed in the books. It's interesting reading and it makes me think about a lot of things. It's not only interesting for my health but also from an anthropological perspective. I can probably use some of what I'm learning for work-related research. The book Anticancer seems to corroborate what the UW immunotherapy trial is trying to do.

I'm also excited about my family: I've enjoyed having my folks and my brother in the house. I never particularly liked living alone and now that they are here and we've adjusted to the new living situation, it's nice. Dad has been doing work on the yard; mom and dad have been cooking (yay!); my brother's around to help with computer stuff and we watch NCIS together. So, projects are underway here - and I finally finally finished grouting my mosaic and I put sealant on it tonight. It may soon be in my yard on the pedestal! Now, on to the next art project: I found out the other day that the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is coordinating a beadwork quilt in which cancer survivors bead squares as part of the design. I think I may work on that. Eddie is also doing well in school; he enjoys having my family around. My parents' dog is sleeping with him, too. He likes that.

And, I finally got my head into work. There's a lot of things going on with my department (mostly good), and several of my projects are moving forward. I still have to work on two particular projects which enabled me to have this term off. But there's been good news - I have a fellowship for next winter that buys me out of two classes - I will use the time to work on a book. I'm excited about my research projects . . . now I just need time to work on them!

In the end, it's a matter of using my energy to heal and to enjoy life. I still enjoy life if I don't play volleyball. Volleyball isn't the only thing enjoyable about life. So, focus on what I can do and what I enjoy and what I'm excited about. It's all good.

Lazy Saturday

Today, we didn't really have any plans ... and we couldn't come up with any that really sounded interesting. Dad had a head-ache. Scotty went to the Alice in Chains concert in Salem. Mom and I ran a few errands. Then, after lunch, I took Eddie to Wacky Bounce. We came home and ate dinner - mom made hamburgers.

This evening, I made Eddie's Valentine's Day box for his Valentine's party next week. He "helped" me by decorating it. I thought that because he enjoys his wii so much, we'd make a "kart", as in Mario Kart. I tried to find stickers of racing, but in the end, what I found was stickers of roller coasters. So, I made "Eddie's Coaster Kart", complete with a roller coast made of pipe cleaners on the lid. In the end, I enjoyed the creative process to make the kart - from the roller coaster, to seat belts for Mario and Luigi, to the wheels. Mom and dad even got into helping me figure out how to do things.


Here's one side . . .


And, here's the other!



I had fun. A good way to spend an evening!

The Artful Bras Project

One of my friends, Brenda, sent me this link - apparently a group of women quilters in South Carolina put together an Artful Bras exhibit touring South Carolina. Then, they will auction the bras off to help low-income women after they've been diagnosed with cancer. Aren't they great?

My favorite is "New Life" for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the message it gives.

Here's the link:

http://www.quiltersofsc.org/artfullbras/artfullbras.htm