Um, didn't you have chemo or something?

I kick myself for not appreciating every single day of my childhood that this was the view from my bedroom window. (Usually there's only one sun...hopefully my photography skills will improve.)

Day two and other than a metallic taste in her mouth (which could be from either the chemo or the cancer), my mom is showing no big signs of illness. We even went on another walk today (though she doused herself in sunscreen and I made her wear a hat since chemo makes people more sensitive to the sun). I have read that some people don't get sick until several days after treatment but I've decided she's going to be one of the rare few who only experience mild fatigue. The oncology nurse said that if she was going to get nauseous it would likely start up in the first 24-48 hours after treatment, so hopefully she's dodging that bullet. She also said it's possible that my mom's hair will only thin versus falling out completely with the particular chemo cocktail she's on. I'm starting to wonder what will happen.

My mom is getting frustrated with the no sugar/no flour plan we have her on (I'd like to ban bread on the whole but she doesn't seem agreeable to this) and I'm not wavering. It's like dealing with a teenager. I keep thinking, "You can be mad at me if you want to be but I know what's best and I'm doing this because I love you." (I don't remember my mom saying that to me even once when I was a teen but then, as I remember it, I was the perfect child.)

So, the day was relatively normal and, dare I say, uneventful? Actually it was uneventful in terms of cancer, but in terms of life, it was great. I spent a couple of hours having birthday cake and tea with my sister and nephew tonight, a chance I don't often get. And earlier, I even went on an invigorating motorcycle ride with my dad through Tiverton, a beautiful town that sits across the river from my parents' home. My dad and I had a a cup of coffee at a sweet little spot that sits right on the river and watched the sun sparkle over the water, this time from the west. Witnessing the sun rising and falling over the same river, watching my nephew blow out my sister's birthday candles, seeing my mom enjoy a cup of green tea on her porch in the fresh spring air; tonight, I feel nothing but gratitude.

First day of spring: Drink, l'chaim, to life!