What a weekend!
After some frustrating conversations and confrontation with medical folks, it was decided that my mom's next surgery will wait until Tuesday. She wanted to participate in the Cancer Survivor's Picnic, an event held annually in Monterey where the medical professionals do the cooking and serving giving the survivors a chance to meet and mingle. She was thrilled she would be able to attend.
My brother was able to drive down to spend the weekend with her. He hasn't been able to visit and help care for her as much as he would like so this weekend enabled him to be present and to be there when she was having fun.
With all of those pieces handled, I was able to keep my plans. I jumped on a plane and headed to LAX where I caught up with cheshlthr for a weekend we planned months ago. Hotels.com helped us find a room a block from the beach and NO LA freeways were required to get to anywhere we wanted to go.
Friday night was picking a convertible for the rental car, getting to the hotel and meeting J. for dinner. Great food, wonderful company, relaxing conversation for a few hours and time to wrap up the day. I love how spending time with good friends means never really feeling like we are catching up, even if we haven't seen each other for months.
Saturday I checked out that IHOP was 2 miles away (IHOP is some sort of weird tradition for me and cheshlthr, long story). We decided if we walked to IHOP, it would justify eating anything we wanted *heh*. So, 2 miles there, yummy food, 2 miles back.
It was while we were walking back, talking about what we wanted to do during the day when we saw the kayak rental place, $25 for an hour for a tandem kayak. What the heck! Let's! :) Ask cheshlthr about spinning in circles!!
Saturday night found us at the WNT vs Finland. We hooked up with boibev, yelled, screamed, rooted, high fives as USA won 4-0 as they get ready to head to China for the Women's World Cup.
Sunday found us kicking around the beach, deciding we wanted to play in the water and spent the better part of the morning jumping waves, goofing off, giggling like kids. Eventually, quick showers, back to the airport and we head to our respective homes.
Great connections with great friends. The "stuff" out there is still the stuff. Mom is having another surgery to take care of some mistakes made during the mastectomy. Challenges with work, challenges with communication. None of it went away, all of it took a break.
Thank goodness for remembering that every moment counts, all I can do is my best, that speaking my needs assertively and not owning anyone else's stuff helps to stay in joyful moments. I am so grateful for my mom and her humor, my brother's desire to be present when he is able, my friends and their laughter, spontaneity and love of the outdoors, big hugs, loving phone calls. I am grateful for beaches, rain and funnel cakes.
I am grateful, I am grateful, I am grateful
My brother was able to drive down to spend the weekend with her. He hasn't been able to visit and help care for her as much as he would like so this weekend enabled him to be present and to be there when she was having fun.
With all of those pieces handled, I was able to keep my plans. I jumped on a plane and headed to LAX where I caught up with cheshlthr for a weekend we planned months ago. Hotels.com helped us find a room a block from the beach and NO LA freeways were required to get to anywhere we wanted to go.
Friday night was picking a convertible for the rental car, getting to the hotel and meeting J. for dinner. Great food, wonderful company, relaxing conversation for a few hours and time to wrap up the day. I love how spending time with good friends means never really feeling like we are catching up, even if we haven't seen each other for months.
Saturday I checked out that IHOP was 2 miles away (IHOP is some sort of weird tradition for me and cheshlthr, long story). We decided if we walked to IHOP, it would justify eating anything we wanted *heh*. So, 2 miles there, yummy food, 2 miles back.
It was while we were walking back, talking about what we wanted to do during the day when we saw the kayak rental place, $25 for an hour for a tandem kayak. What the heck! Let's! :) Ask cheshlthr about spinning in circles!!
Saturday night found us at the WNT vs Finland. We hooked up with boibev, yelled, screamed, rooted, high fives as USA won 4-0 as they get ready to head to China for the Women's World Cup.
Sunday found us kicking around the beach, deciding we wanted to play in the water and spent the better part of the morning jumping waves, goofing off, giggling like kids. Eventually, quick showers, back to the airport and we head to our respective homes.
Great connections with great friends. The "stuff" out there is still the stuff. Mom is having another surgery to take care of some mistakes made during the mastectomy. Challenges with work, challenges with communication. None of it went away, all of it took a break.
Thank goodness for remembering that every moment counts, all I can do is my best, that speaking my needs assertively and not owning anyone else's stuff helps to stay in joyful moments. I am so grateful for my mom and her humor, my brother's desire to be present when he is able, my friends and their laughter, spontaneity and love of the outdoors, big hugs, loving phone calls. I am grateful for beaches, rain and funnel cakes.
I am grateful, I am grateful, I am grateful