At the end of April, prairie crocuses in bloom, I planted pansies and car­na­tions in planters, and then another winter storm dropped more snow on us – our version of April showers! Now, two weeks later, and after having some warm and sunny days, my garden is springing back to life. Little bulbs, such as Siberian squill, are in bloom, and the daffodils are in bud.

It’s hard to believe that two months have passed already since I last wrote …

A three-story high evergreen grows in the corner of my yard. The majestic tree shades a small patch of the front yard and continually drops loads of pine needles, creating an acidic soil. The second story of our townhouse looms over the little yard, so little rain reaches the soil. 

In the 30 years we have lived here, I have battled these adverse con­di­tions to try and grow flowers. After many failures, only four perennials return each spring to provide …

Apparently I’m not content to let life settle into a routine. As I wrote last month, I’ve entered a very happy holding pattern with my disease and maintenance therapy, but life is never that simple.

We’ve decided to sell our family home of 26 years and move. The move will be short in distance (only a few miles north), but far in change of life. The process has consumed a great deal of my time, energy, and attention.

We raised …

A major portion of my job as mediator at our juvenile court is holding attendance mediations in the four school districts and career center in this county. The school year around here runs mid-August to late May. I am in the schools medi­ating by late September and go until mid-May as a rule. The busiest months are December through April.

My coworkers and I have come to call this period of time “the attendance season.” “I’m sorry, it’s attendance season …

Ever since I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, I have found that I’ve sort of redefined the feeling of being fortunate.

If you are going to get multiple myeloma, then I have been fortunate. I have had excellent treatment and excellent support. I had a good family, a fine education, a happy marriage, sufficient money, and so on. So, when this unfortunate diagnosis came, I was in a great position to get superb care.

When I was diagnosed, I was …

On a morning walk recently, I was impressed by the brilliant blue sky and happy to see more people and their dogs out walking than there were in the really cold weather. Overhead, magpies were gathering twigs to build nests, Canada geese were honking as they look for nesting sites near the river, and woodpeckers were drumming into trees, power poles, and even roofs of houses. Snow geese have been seen flying north, and a porcu­pine was spotted walking on …

In February, I endured a record run of “lost days.”

If you are a cancer patient, you know what a lost day is. It is a day you feel groggy, unfocused, and you sleep a lot.

I can’t accomplish anything on a lost day. Really, I can’t remember many details of a lost day. This phenomenon could be due to a medical pro­cedure, the myeloma treatments I receive, or even trauma.

For four months, I would experience a lost day …