A Birthday in Perris

 Brain cancer is...

 ...you know.  Just piloting a boat around a lake.

Today was LuAnn's actual birthday, and she chose a day of boating on Lake Perris.  Fortunately Melanie and Gail could make that happen.  What a great idea!

Darrell and I couldn't believe that I had time to teach this morning, hit the lake, and then work when we got home.  That's how close the lake is!

We had fun studying the shoreline, tracking the birds (grebes and ospreys, most notably), eating birthday snacks, and marveling at how cool a state California is with its varied recreation venues.  

Here are a few pictures from the day, in case you need convincing.

Launch Ramp Six

Birthday Girl

High Speeds

Said Grebes and an Osprey

The Hosts

The Landing Team:  Tessa and Sunny

Not bad for Thursday, Team D!  Happy Birthday Mom!

Today's Bloom

We can always count on you, backyard hibiscus.

 

This IS Our Formal Look!

 Brain cancer is...

...looking pretty snazzy...from the waist up.

Tonight we had the privilege to participate in a wonderful brain cancer event on Zoom.  We were fancy--and nervous--from the waist up.  But our comfy feet said, "thank you."

You may recall that we've been a little concerned about the twins' behavior these days. Today Christine and we took them to check out the playground at Yorba.    Here's how it went.

 

You can see how much fun they had.  They were very well behaved, so that was reassuring.

You know Darrell is the cautious one at our house.  He made sure the twins sanitized before leaving the park.

We hope you washed your hands today too, Team D!

Today's Blooms

Sometimes What's Important about a Picture Is What's Missing

 Brain cancer is...

...surprised at what we didn't see at the park, either here:

or here:

What we didn't see was yellow caution tape or netting wrapped around the gazebos and play structures.  They are open again!  We feel slightly confused.  Risk assessment level?

You see a sign, front left, in the playground picture giving the rules for safe play in the newly reopened spaces.

We hope all your surprises were pleasant today, Friends!

Today's Blooms

The backyard butterfly irises just keep on saluting the morning sun.

Were You Kicked in the Face by a Horse?

 Brain cancer is...

 ...so grateful, all over again.

That's Meridyth, above, on her second and final day here.

Meridyth is and has always been an avid horsewoman.  She has owned, cared for, and shown horses all her life.  She is an expert.

On June 16, an unpredictable foster horse kicked Meridyth in the face.  The kick shattered her orbital bone, broke her nose, and damaged her right eye severely.  Now look at her picture again.  

 

Meridyth has spent the past four months working and caring for her family and home (as always) while she simultaneously underwent two surgeries and healed her broken body.

 

One of the reasons we were overjoyed to be with Meridyth last weekend is that COVID forced her to pursue healing without her California family.  That was difficult for all.

 

We know you can share our gratitude in Meridyth's great progress.  She faces just one more surgery, a final eye surgery:  Vitrectomy and cataract removal.  Her approach to pursuing her healing has been fierce and positive--really, nothing short of amazing.

Her medical team agrees that she is very lucky to have survived the accident.  If the kick were placed one inch differently, it probably would have been deadly.

 

There's nothing like a near-fatal accident to make us grateful...all over again...for the gift to this world that is Meridyth Munns. 

Then, when we're finished celebrating our gratitude for Meridyth's survival and healing, we are grateful for all the things that do not wrong in any given day.  Let's take today.  We ask ourselves, "So you didn't get all your work done, but were you kicked in the face by a horse?"  We aren't laughing when we ask.  We are in awe.

 

Meridyth shared her healing with us via regular selfies.  Thank you, Meridyth, for allowing us to share the "Meridyth v. Horse" battle in a video. Here it is.

Warning: It's graphic. A horse kicked her in the face.

YouTube Link

We are grateful every day for not only Meridyth's and Darrell's health and happiness, but for how many things go well for all of us...every darn day.

 

Today's Morning Blooms

From Melanie, with bee

From Roene, with red glow:

It's only funny till the half, Skelly.

 Brain cancer is...

...unsuccessful at helping Skelly keep his head in the game.

The Packers lost an ugly one today.  There went their 4 and 0 record!  After a great first quarter, Skelly  got cocky way too soon.  You see, above, that Darrell couldn't even get him to eat the necessary game day cheddar.  Sorry the Guillaume house let everyone down, Packer Backers.

 

We hope you had a good Sunday regardless, Team D.

Today's Blooms

Knowing how much we love basil, particularly Thai basil (here), Gail gave us her Thai basil plant in a beautiful pot.

Your timing was impeccable, Gail!  I can't post the image of what our planted and potted Thai basil samples look like currently.  It's too graphically horrific, even for this crowd.

Thanks for bringing this spot of purple to our day. 

Love: Getting and Giving

Brain cancer is...

 ...hoping, when it comes to love, that we give as much as we get.

Above is the great ending to another joyful day.  We celebrated LuAnn and Madison’s birthday around LuAnn’s fire pit.  

Behind the camera was John.  From left are LuAnn, Andi, Darrell, Meridyth, Madison, Levon, and Katrina. All other family members were there in spirit.  It was wonderful to sit together—first time since COVID—and, well, sit together.

We packed more fun in today.  Our magic porch recognizes Meridyth.

 

The park gifted us with a pelican.

LuAnn came, bearing fresh laid chicken eggs, for breakfast.  The eggs were perfect with Christine's banana bread.

 Pedicure and manicure? Real things.

 Strength training party.

Sunset.

 

  

Meridyth leaves tomorrow at sunrise.  Boo.

Love:  Giving a Fraction of What We've Gotten

 

This selfie kiss is for Kim Case.

Kim and Mike Case have been selfie-kissing with us from the beginning.  Their latest blog selfie kiss was at the Grand Tetons in July (here). Here's a Mexican vacation selfie kiss, back in 2017.  

 

Not only have the Cases been sharing their love with us through their smooches, they've been praying for Darrell, as in this post in 2016.  

 

In fact, Kim's influence in our lives is reflected throughout the years of entries in this blog.  Here's the post when Kim earned her doctorate, for example. And here's when her daughter graduated with me directing her master's project.   Here's the very first post with Kim's smiling face, just one month after Darrell's diagnosis.

Kim was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which she tells me is highly curable.  Today we received the great news that Kim's surgery and pathology report were positive.  

Kim, we hope you can feel us sending you all of our love right now, love that pales in comparison with all the love, prayers, magic porch holidays, and selfie kisses that you've showered upon us for the past years.  Team D would be nothing without K.  You deserve the best, Kim.  Team K.: put us in Coach! Can't wait for the next round of good news.

When it comes to love, Team D., we hope we give as much as we get.  Are you feeling it?

 

Today’s Blooms

 

Q:  When is grass a bloom?

A:  When it's pink!

Muhly grass from Roene

We Want it All!

 Brain cancer is...

 

...famous for packing in the fun.

LuAnn often gives us credit for squeezing massive fun into minor time allotments.  Meridyth is only here for the weekend, so we're packing in all the fun we can into 48 hours.  

Above is the one thing I envisioned as a must-have:  Morning coffee on the patio, for as long we liked.  Check!

We count the five miles we did at the park next as our first training walk for Super Bowl Stroll VI, scheduled for 2/07/21.  Check!

 

Even a turtle turned out to see Meridyth.

Next up? A Nordstrom shopping trip!  The first since COVID struck.

Where was Darrell?  Also at Nordstrom, of course.  Making suggestions.

I didn't say they were good suggestions.  (But look at the twinkle in his eye in the tee shirt pic.) He's a great shopping buddy.  

LuAnn came for Thai food on the patio. She was so happy to see her daughter for the first time in eight months!

We want it all...and today we got it!

Happy Friday, Team D!  What's next?

Skellys Run Amok

The Mayfield twins seemed so sweet when they joined the family last year (here).  

This year?  They frighten us just a little.  Christine, did you not get suspicious when you caught them scheming?

Poor Rascal!

Kids will be kids? We remain concerned.

Today's Bloom

More Bird of Paradise