The last dose

For the last six months these blister packs of pills have been a big part of our existence. For two straight weeks Harry took the contents of a blister every morning and evening, with a week off in between. Tonight he took the last dose of the chemotherapy pills.  Hooray.

To celebrate we had Prosecco and appies at our place and then went out for dinner with our dear friends Liz and Ritchie. Our destination was Zambri's, a wonderful Italian restaurant downtown. We feasted on three and four-course dinners and lots of wine. Tomorrow Harry will start to recover from the treatment.

Actually the pill form of chemo is less intense than the usual infusion type. Harry has experienced huge fatigue and a few minor side effects. But he didn't lose his hair and he wasn't throwing up. It was a manageable six months. Nonetheless we're so happy that it's over. And we have confidence that it will be a clear path forward.

Thanks to all of you who have helped and supported us along the way.

The pond on Mountain Road

Last weekend we spent a few days in a magical spot on Saltspring Island on a house exchange. The home was beautiful, set on eight acres on a knoll. And the best part of all was the pond. I spent some magical time there with my camera at dusk and again the next morning finding gorgeous reflections in the still water. Here are some of the photographic results.

This first one is to show the view across the water to the trees on the other side.

The rest are closeups. Sorry to include so many. I simply couldn't select from these amazing reflections.

Laura's watercolours

My friend Laura took up water colour painting about a year ago and has made great progress. It took her a while to find her niche but she's now excited about painting village scenes.

Wow! I'm so impressed with her cheerful and charming paintings.  Take a look.

Laura and her husband went to Wales and England last year and you can really see the inspiration in her village scenes. I love the vibrancy of the colours and somewhat folk art feeling she creates. 

Wouldn't you love to have one of these paintings for your home? If so, let me know and I'll put you in touch with Laura.