The Holiday Season is Here

Saturday morning welcomes us with a brisk 31-degrees in Marietta, and high, soft clouds that look like they were taken straight from a painting. The red maple off the back porch is covered in fiery red leaves. The yard is littered with leaves.

Freckles tears about with one extra-large clump of hair left on his back. He's almost completely shed into his winter coat now. I think he misses Summer for similar reasons to me. We both like to sit out back, feeling the warm breeze gently blow in from the river, watching the birds and squirrels who visit us on the porch.

I'm feeling pretty good. I still wrestle with some fatique, some digestive stuff. My skin has suddenly started drying out pretty good. But I'm sure that's contributed to by the start of the furnace and the closing of all the storm windows.

In my world I worry about everything and nothing. So many "things" have come and gone you kind of take it in stride. At least through the past few months everything I've dealt with seems to be related to treatments rather than being caused by the disease itself.

And the feeling in the cancer world seems to be "I'll gladly take a punch in the stomach today if you don't punch me in the head." Or in other words I'll gladly deal with side effects from treatments as long as the cancer stays away.

Thanksgiving has arrived. It's my favorite holiday, all of the friends, fun and food . . . none of the presents. Plus it's a holiday of fine tradition that we haven't completely commercialized yet . . . outside a little football.

I certainly have a lot to be thankful for this year. Everyone around me has shown such incredible support that I will never be able to match it in return.

Before long Christmas will be here. I've never felt like much of a qualified Santa Claus. I have no problems with generosity and giving. It's just giving what to whom that I've far from perfected.

But this year, because of a laptop computer and generally more time on my hands I've actually ordered two Christmas presents already. They both arrived last week. This is by far the earliest I've ever shopped for Christmas. It's completely unheard of for me.

And I've already given both of these presents to Barb already (commercial strength coffee maker and new sneakers). LOL

Like I said, I never felt like much of a qualified Santa Claus. I don't even have the patience to hold the presents until December 25th.

But then I've always felt that unexpected gifts at unexpected times were a little more special than holiday gifts.

Keep your eye out for those unexpected gifts. Sometimes it may be new sneakers. Sometimes it may be as simple as a smile.