Autumn Fires

At present we've been experiencing some pretty amazing autumn days in Southern New Zealand; with cold crisp mornings and stunning blue hot "its too good for work" sunny afternoons. We've had the odd fire at night in our old fashioned open fire which most often these days you only experience on movies. We especially like the first Autumn fires when early season storms come through. In front of it is a favourite spot for our cat, dog and teenage son Zach who compete for the best position and them flop around on their backs making blissful noises.

We've had some woodwork angels turn up last weekend and they chopped down a tree on our property plus spilt wood and made a big stack of firewood for winter. We've had a lot of woodwork angels in our life over the last couple of years making a positive difference. Often the primary reason its a great opportunity for getting together and mate-ship.

Life is going along very smoothly for us at present; it's very normal and we love normal. We've had too much drama in our household in the last two years which impacts everyone not just the patient. We're hoping to have a clear run in 2012 with no further significant medical procedures. I was meant to have a routine monitoring scan in March but no invite has been sent and I'm not in a hurry to chase them.

Kat has returned to psychiatric nursing and is doing great and I'm very proud of her. She is enjoying it and making a positive impact on people's lives who struggle with mental illness and all that that brings. It saturday morning here and she is just off to the market to get provisions for the week; I'm kicking back having a nice breakfast and about to watch sport on TV. Life is good.

:-) Gary

Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the dread of Death

I have just finished reading this book written by Irvin Yalom and found it very good and if the topic is of interest or you have these fears I recommend that you read it.
"Ideas have power ... insights of great thinkers and writers .. help us quell roiling thoughts on death and discover meaningful paths through life." - page 77.
"Staring at the Sun is a profoundly encouraging approach to the universal issue of mortality. Dr. Yalom helps us recognize that the fear of death is at the heart of much of our anxiety. Once we confront our own mortality we are inspired to rearrange our priorities, communicate more deeply with those we love, appreciate more keenly the beauty of life, and increase our willingness to take the risks necessary for personal fulfilment"
Here is a very good book review of Staring at the Sun... thethinkingmother.blogspot.co.nz
Or buy the book here.. Amazon

About the title: "le soleil ni la mort ne peuvent se regarder en face" (You cannot stare straight into the sun, or death) Francois de La Rochefoucauld, Maxim26

10 Ways to Help a Friend With Cancer

I came across this blog and they make some amazing observations on cancer and life. It is well written and worth reading.

If it takes a village to raise a child, you might say it also takes one to care for the sick. Cancer is at once personal and communal. Disease lives in the sufferer’s body but the experience of illness is shared, often intimately, by our loved ones. And yet, caring for the sick can feel like writing a travelogue about a country you’ve never visited. You can’t know where you haven’t been.

“What can I do to help??..Click to read more”...