At times when one’s prayers have been answered, and your faith reinforced, you can almost physically feel your spirit lifted.
I have had that feeling in the past, and once again with the second opening of a cancer treatment center in Poulsbo. The first was Harrison Cancer Clinic, and now with Peninsula Cancer Center, we are doubly blessed. You can’t imagine what that means for the people who have had to make that long, round trip to Bremerton for cancer treatments. Or some to Seattle from farther areas.
Most of us don’t think much about the time spent driving back and forth for other types of appointments or just shopping. We watched our daughter, Sylvia, make that trip many times a week for her chemo sessions for leukemia. She not only spent hours in a chair hooked up to a machine for her treatment, but dreading the trip home when feeling weak, tired and ill. How many times she told me “mom, I dread the trip home, it seems longer each time.”
Sylvia vocalized her complaints to anyone who would listen, that something needed to be done to get a cancer clinic in the North End. She wrote letters, made phone calls, and complaining to the personnel at Harrison Medical Center. She was in and out of the hospital for a year before passing.
It wasn’t just for her case she complained, but the many people she met in treatment along the way. Her heart and tears went out to them. How proud Sylvia would be to think that possibly her relentless complaining to just one person may have had an effect. I’m sure it had been in the planning for some time because things don’t happen over night. Only I’d like to think it’s people like Sylvia who may have helped speed these plans up.
By the time this October issue comes out, I should be home from a day-or-so trip to Harrison, and a little uncomfortable, doing a little complaining of my own. But nothing too serious. Many of you will sympathize, knowing it’s the tricky gall bladder.
Every time I even mention the subject to someone, they tell me “yep, been there, done that.” Is anybody walking around with a gall bladder any more?
What a beginning for fall with this weather. The evenings have been beautiful here on the acres with a cool breeze.
The smell of the old apple tree and ripe plums reminds me of my grandmother out gathering fallen apples in her forever apron for the next day pie, or apple dumplings. She, and Grandpa Bob, had fruit orchards in Yakima, when I was a youngster.
With our apples we get Mr. Bear. He really cleaned the tree last year. Not one apple was left on the ground or lower branches. Old Bear never bothered another thing. With the sun and dry weather we should have a beautiful autumn with maples trees turning their magic colors of rust and gold. Also the Japanese maples in crimson dress putting on a show.
Enjoy my friends.
