Tag Archives: Vacation

Addicted to….Candy Crush!!

Adrenal Cancer, Cancer, Travel, Writing March 15, 2014 Comments: 2
Banzai Pipeline Oahu

Banzai Pipeline Oahu

I’m not certain how much longer I can keep up this blog now that my granddaughter, Haley, has introduced me to CANDY CRUSH! How I have remained in the dark about this game for this long is beyond me. It’s a good time to provide an update on everything I’ve done since my last post as who knows how long it will be before I can tear myself away……

This past Sunday I attended a workshop at Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe, “Writing About Illness,” presented by Thomas Larson. He’s written The Sanctuary of Illness and The Memoir and Memorist. I went there with no intention of writing a memoir about my adrenal cancer but now I may be inspired to write about my journey. As Eleanor has reminded me, you can always learn something from any writing workshop.

Prior to that we spent ten days on the islands of Maui and Oahu. The vacation of a lifetime….until the next one! Highlights of Maui include a whale watch, the Old Lahaina Luau, Maui Theatre’s Ulalena, Haleakala National Park (volcano), La Perouse Bay (Maui’s last lava flow and wild goats), THE Road to Hana, and a bright blue Ford Mustang convertible! Our splurge was our anniversary dinner at Mama’s Fish House in Paia.

On Oahu, organized tours, taxis, and our feet took us to the Dole Pineapple Plantation (pineapples do not grow on trees!), USS Arizona Memorial/Pearl Harbor, the Banzai Pipeline (the Pacific was wild so no surfing), the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (the Punch Bowl), Duke’s, a hike up Diamond Head (I tried to make it to the top), and the typical tourist attractions (the school President Obama attended, etc.)  We even attempted to search for my childhood home from when I was 2 to 4 years old.

I read James Michener’s Hawaii before, during, and after our trip (it’s a long book!), which helped immensely with understanding the history of the islands, as did our visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu. We were surprised at the number of Asian tourists in Oahu. (Much of the signage in Waikiki Beach is written in both English and Japanese.) Actually, we were surprised at the swell of tourists in Oahu compared to Maui.

Jen, Jeff, Laurel, and Alex were able to visit us in Arizona to celebrate both Valentine’s Day and our 40th wedding anniversary. We enjoyed dinner at our favorite East Valley restaurant, San Tan Flat, on our actual anniversary. It was crazy busy due to President’s Day holiday but that just gave us more time to drink Margaritas and dance.

Other than that we’ve enjoyed reading the Facebook posts of our friends back in NH and VT complaining about the terrible winter they have been experiencing–as we bask in the sunshine and 70-80 degree temperatures. We’ve read a variety of books–I am juggling four currently. Put jigsaw puzzles together. Walked around the Nature Park. However, one thing I haven’t done much of is write. Too many distractions. And now….Candy Crush!

Thank goodness for NaNoWriMo

Adrenal Cancer, Cancer, My Novel- Anne, Writing Group October 26, 2013 1 Comment
My "almost" done quilt

My “almost” done quilt

Gearing up for NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month—when I am committed to writing the first draft of a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Starting November 1, less than a week from today!! I did it once, in 2011, and that was while I was working full-time.

Shouldn’t be so hard to write about 1,667 words a day now that I’m retired, right? Unfortunately, I’ve turned into one of those retired people who can’t imagine how I even managed to fit work into my busy schedule….lunch with the ladies from my writing group….Pilates once a week and yoga sometimes…..submissions for my writing group…..noontime walks with Judy….How did I do all those things and work?

Let’s see—I do more laundry than I used to….I vacuumed the other day….I take more naps….and, um, has much of anything else changed?

I am writing this blog—that’s new, something I committed to after my surgery. I took a quilting class at Seams Sew Easy Fabric Shoppe and am sort of close to having a finished product. (Thank you, Chrissy Steeves, for your patience!! I’m not done yet…) I spend more time at DHMC at doctors’ appointments and I go with my mother and Steve to their appointments. And I’ve made more of an effort to do things for friends who could use some help. (Mainly I make batches of turkey chili.)

I try really hard to write more. I was working on my umpteenth revision of “Anne,” after vowing to complete that version before the start of NaNoWriMo. Well, that never happened. Not even close. But I worked at it, every day, which was good preparation for NaNoWriMo. Then our wonderful vacation to Arizona disrupted the flow. Totally worth it, however.

The big change is in my attitude, in my approach to the daily tedium of life. I’m less hyper, more relaxed, as others have felt free to point out. Yet sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t be the opposite. With my adrenal cancer diagnosis and the remote chance that I won’t live to be 90 years old, shouldn’t I be more amped, more energized, more productive? Shouldn’t I try to cram as much living into every day, every hour, every second? Nah, I think I’ll just take it as it comes, do what I feel like when I feel like it.

Thank goodness for NaNoWriMo.

It’s always nice to come home

Adrenal Cancer, Cancer, Family, Writing October 16, 2013 Comments: 4
I love this place even though I am a rock 'n roll kind of girl!

I love this place even though I am a rock ‘n roll kind of girl!

Just spent ten days in Arizona on vacation with our daughter Joy and her family. I thought I would find time to work on my blog and on my book, to think about adrenal cancer. I didn’t end up doing any of that. OK—I did spend some time thinking about ACC, how could I not? It’s my life now, even in my Facebook news feeds. Listened to a podcast from MD Anderson of a Stage 4 ACC survivor on the trip home from Boston. Encouraging!

We were busy all of the time and I loved every minute of it. Especially the constant warm temperatures (90’s!), blue skies, and sunshine, which I blame on preventing me from sleeping. That would have been a good time to write but I didn’t–blame it on Ken Follet’s long book, “World Without End.” I can only dream about writing a book that keeps someone up until 2 a.m.

Vacation with the grandkids is always go, go, go. Football practice. Football games. Shopped at the malls, so many to choose from, so close, not like at home. Celebrated Joy’s birthday. Skipbo marathon with Haley. Yoga with Joy .

Breakfast at Liberty Market with Haley followed by the splashpad while Joy taught a class at Gilbert Yoga. Lunch at Queen Creek Olive Mill. Dinner at San Tan Flat—a blast and I indulged in one of their awesome margaritas. Not all on the same day–but we do tend to eat out a lot while we are on vacation!

Went on a trail ride at MacDonald’s Ranch in Scottsdale with rattle snakes, a rabbit, a coyote, and a runaway horse—Haley’s, not mine! My horse, Holiday, and I were a perfect match. Nice and easy……My buddy, Holiday.

Swam in the pool fully clothed with Haley. Hiked a new trail (to us) in the San Tan Mountains. Toured the Phoenix Zoo.

Met with Dave and Toni Bellin, travel agents (yes–they do still exist!) at Sunrunner Travel to plan our trip to Hawaii. (So exciting!)

Finally arrived in Boston after a disappointing boarding of our flight in Baltimore on Southwest. After several elevator rides elicited the assistance of a Massport employee to find our truck in the Logan parking lot. Rain and 47 degrees when we finally headed out onto I-93.

Vacations are great but it’s always nice to come home.

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