Marvelous

 Brain cancer is...

...marveling.

Every day we marvel about all there is to see and what a great day it has been.  

So many components just come together each day recently:  

• Coffee while watching birds breakfast
• Andi work (Why is it taking so long?  I do not know.  But it's good.)
• A highlight like a hike
• Mocktail hour by 5:30
• The appearance of The Emcee shortly after dinner
• Turn in early to hotel bed
• Repeat.

Here's today's Forest Loop hike in 40 seconds flat:

 Happy Marvelous Saturday, Dear Friends.

 

Andi's Book Travels Report

Not included in our list, above, because it's a habit, like brushing our teeth, is Reading Adventure Time.  I read at night, and Darrell joins me in the literary journey as we discuss the books in daylight hours.  Here are our recent book travels:

• Eastern Europe, 19th century:  I finished War and Peace.  Alone.  Smallest book club ever.  
• North America, 21st century:  For a change of pace and location, I read American Dirt. Different continent, different century, but some similar painful themes, such as inequitable distribution of resources and the misuse of people in power and control of the resources. It was hard to sleep each night, putting this one down. Fortunately there were positive themes like kindness and hope too.
  
• Last night we hopped back to early 20th century England for Erik Larsen's Thunderstruck.  So far more this one is more conducive to sleep.
  

 

Today's Bloom

 

 

The New Guy in Our Lives

 Brain cancer is...

 

...coming clean.

We've been holding out on you, Team D.  A new guy came into our lives a couple months ago, and we are just now telling you.  The new guy is The Emcee.  You see him above, providing a tantalizing trailer for the show we were about to watch: An episode of Columbo.

We don't have cable or dish, and we don't use our limited Internet to stream video on our computer here at the cabin.  Instead, each evening, we watch one of dozens of movies or episodes we have on disc (also seen above, under the TV).  Until a couple of months ago, we entered daily negotiations about what to watch each night.

Then we met The Emcee. He just appeared on day.  The Emcee spends time during the day choosing the evening's program.  No questions asked.  

 

At show time, The Emcee announces that it's time to be seated by dimming the house lights.

Then he waits and monitors behavior as the audience gets seated.

He engenders respect.  Don't talk while he's talking, unless you're ready for a reprimand.

Then The Emcee provides an introduction to the flick and invites us to push the button on our chairs if we need refills on snacks or beverages.

Darrell and I are both just a little intimidated by The Emcee, but on the other hand, he saves us time spent on marital negotiations by making nonnegotiable viewing selections each day.

Welcome to the team, Emcee.  Happy lucky Friday, Friends!

Today's Blooms

Shadow takes time to smell the roses on World Kindness Day.

Sun Seeker

Brain cancer is...

...seeking the sun.

We walked near the campground today, knowing we’ll avoid that path starting tomorrow—for the weekend.

You know that, because of Optune, Darrell is usually a shade seeker (as in this 2016 post).  It was glorious to see him sun seeking today.

Also, we are appreciating our hikers (hiking shoes), above and here:

We bought them for—and haven’t worn them since—our big February southwestern road trip hikes. They bring back happy memories of beautiful places and hikes like Bryce National Park (here).  And they go crunch, crunch, crunch through the snow.

The sun Darrell sought so diligently set beautifully near the marsh.

Hope your Thursday had some sun, crunchy noises, and happy memories too,  Friends!

 

Today’s Blooms

Experiment Day

Brain cancer is...

...experimenting.

Before rising, we plan our days.  (Yes, even here.  Don't judge.)  Today Darrell announced, "Today is Experiment Day."

Yay!  We love experiments!  Imagine a day full of them! Here are our three experiments:

1.  Above you see the One-Click Cabin Experiment.*  Darrell is determining whether Amazon will deliver here in a timely fashion.  He made an inexpensive, durable purchase as his first experiment:  Binder clips.  Don't ask.  It's in the name of science.  

 

Results? Success questionable.  The delivery date went from "tomorrow" to "November 23."  Good thing he didn't order a puppy.  Thus, he tried a second one-click experiment:  Vacuum cleaner bags.  We'll just see.

2.  The Half Caff Experiment.  I really love coffee, or as Darrell calls it, "Magic Sauce."  I can drink a whole pot of it.  But as Kristine is teaching me, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should."  Today Darrell made me a pot of half caffeinated, half decaffeinated. 

 

Results?  Complete success.  I drank the whole pot, had no shakes, and didn't look over my shoulder with caffeine paranoia even once.

3.  The Lily Experiment.  This experiment took several days. When we purchased lilies for the table, we divided them and put a smaller bunch in the bedroom for our guests, a room that is cooler and darker than the dining room.  We wondered whether lilies would last longer in a cool dark space.  Today we analyzed our data:

Results? The smaller bunch (left) from the bedroom aged at approximately the same rate, upon visual inspection.  Good to know.  Actually, this is barely good to know.  Not like the Half Caff Experiment.

We hope you had success in all of your quests today, Team D!

*For the very observant among us:  It is true that Darrell is using my iPad for the One-Click Cabin Experiment.  He has recently committed to building Apple skills.  Impressive!

 

Today's Blooms

 

See Experiment #3, above.

Fragile Beauty

 Brain cancer is...

...contemplating the loveliness of impermanence.

These are the days of fragile beauty.  They are the days following the gift of an unseasonal snowstorm and a warm, dry place to witness it.  They are the days of appreciating the glistening sparkle of the snow against the deep blue of the sky and the lake, knowing that each morning this white beauty will have faded to make way for the next loveliness.

The chance to witness impermanence and find its beauty is really on our minds these days.  Our family liked this photo that Beth took during the first day of snow:

Family members liked the joy in our faces.  And the hats.  LuAnn loved what we love...that our joyous faces are faces that revel in the unlikely opportunity to grow older together. We don't regret a single wrinkle or gray whisker.  We feel nothing but deep appreciation for the fragile beauty of human forms, living intertwined.

 

Power Update

The power came on last night in time to watch some Columbo before bed.  A drone evidently crashed into a power line.  How 2020.  No fooling us tonight!  We kept the candles out and bought more cheese, just in case.

Today's Blooms

 

Again? Really?

Brain cancer is...

...alive and smiling.

We slept upstairs last night, in the warmth of our foldout couch. Power was restored at 5:30 this morning.  

I can’t be sure of the time at which Darrell sprouted the antlers you see, above.

Shadow also survived the night, no doubt aided by this comfy throw. 

We got lots done today, with our restored power.  Grading, Book club, work out, vacuuming, eating hot food...so much!

But how quickly we forget:  Our power just went out again. (No news yet on the cause.)  We took for granted that we’d have power tonight.  How ungrateful!

One night without power? Romantic.  Two nights without power? Annoying.

Actually, annoyance is a bad choice on our part.  We’ll make it romantic.  It’ll just take more effort.  

Count on us, Team D!

Today’s Blooms

It seems only fitting to show the icicles blossoming some more today.

Mountain Romance

 Brain cancer is...

...without power.

The Szabos put chains on their car and headed down the mountain after breakfast.

 

Above is our current view, looking out the window to the forest beyond the deck as we

soaked up the remaining daylight. Reflected you see the fire in the fireplace and a candle flame.

 

Our power has been out all afternoon. Fortunately, we have the fire in the fireplace, a gas furnace, and plenty of sharp cheddar cheese.

 

We're just enjoying the last predicted snow day with a very quiet, romantic evening.

Happy Sunday, Team D.

 

Today's Icy Blooms

 

Thanks for thinking broadly with us here!