Want to lower your blood pressure? Try spending a weekend on top of the Blue Ridge, surrounded by these views. Magical.

Thanks to my very accommodating oncologist, I was able to delay Round 5 a week so I could attend my quilt guild’s annual retreat weekend, held at the Wildacres artist retreat near Little Switzerland, N.C.

Surrounded by 22 other quilters and a vast array of textile colors and shapes, and buoyed by a room full of creativity, energy and enthusiasm, the weekend was everything I’d anticipated…and more. I even managed to finish one project and start three others!

Clearly the weekend was “good medicine” for me. I had my pre-chemo labs yesterday and all my numbers were great — even that pesky hemoglobin (red cell) level that had been low for the past month was back into the acceptable range. That seven-day  delay really made a difference!

So I’m all set for chemo #5 on Thursday. My final chemo is scheduled for May 24 and trust me when I say that I’m counting down the days until I can close this chapter and focus on radiation…and then book our trip to Vienna.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying spring. I think it’s finally here! We are starting strawberry season in S.C. and I’ve already made a batch of Strawberry Lime Jam. Picked up another gallon of berries on the way home from the Cancer Center yesterday so I can whip up another batch of jam — this one will be allocated for holiday gifts.

It’s never too early to work on holiday projects and since last December was such a disaster (I’m calling it “Our December to Forget”) between my cancer diagnosis, the septic issues and the car accident, I’m ready for a GREAT holiday season this year. I know we will have MUCH to celebrate.