Vacation Postcard

The long-awaited and much planned-for summer has not only arrived but is flashing by.  Autumn is in the air in the early mornings despite the heat that arrives during the day.

Besides planning for vacation time with our grandchildren, one of our big events on the calendar was receiving the results of my complete battery of exams (PET scan, IRM, heart-functioning, etc.) from Dr. D in late July.  The good news is that the metabolic activity of the “mini-tumors” has been significantly reduced, some even going to “zero”, although the physical size has not been significantly affected.  We continue the current treatment with Caelyx which is one of the easiest treatments that I’ve had so far:   treatment once every month,  short drip time, and essentially no side effects.  This excellent news allowed us to dive into the summer with few worries and much hope.

Another big change for me has been my forced retirement, with invalid status, which allows me to have full retirement benefits even though I had not accrued enough years for full benefits.  Although I knew that I would never return to work, the fact of actually breaking that contract and moving on to retirement was more like closing an entire book rather than just turning a page.  I feel a bit nostalgic about the end of my professional life, but am so grateful to have so much free time and to feel strong enough to enjoy it.

Summer has meant lots of gardening, spending time with Émilie, Charlotte and Lola (all the same week!) in Heuchin, and then vacationing in Brittany with Mr. T and Charlotte.  We ended our trip in Bovenant with Alec, Virginie and Jasmine.  I stayed on to baby-sit Jasmine while Alec and Virginie undertake their big project of erecting the two 40-meter greenhouses that will be the heart of her organic vegetable farm.  Family and friends come to give a hand just like an old-fashioned barn raising.  This whole experience allows me to see the role that grandparents play, and have always played, in a tribal sense:  holding down the hearth while the younger generation works hard to put the food on the table.

Life goes on and I’m so thrilled to still have a part to play.