Author Archives: Susan Rink
Third time’s a charm
Three days from today, we will be on a plane. Wanna know where we are headed? Here’s a clue: That’s right — our long-overdue and twice-cancelled month in Europe is actually happening this time. For those of you who don’t remember, Mom and I were headed to Italy in early March of 2020 to spend […]
Travel in the Time of COVID
(With apologies to Gabriel Garcia Marquez) It used to be so easy; you searched for a deal on a flight, booked accommodations, dug out your passport and any foreign currency leftover from your last European adventure, went to the airport and subjected yourself to screenings and pat-downs, got on the plane and woke up in […]
The Girl from Lymphedema
So this is a new wrinkle. It’s been 3 years since my hysterectomy and my first round of chemo. And a bit more than two years since I entered remission. Up until now, I’ve been riding high on great bloodwork, clear CT scans and positive check-ups with my oncologist. Now this. I’ve had issues with […]
Irv’s Ties: Embarking on a new quilting adventure
While I started out as a traditional quilter, I’ve found myself increasingly drawn to art quilts. Now I have a project that will challenge my abilities and tap both my technical and creative skills.
Pitching in during a crisis
These days, it seems like the whole world is fluctuating between obsessing about toilet paper and trying to find ways to help neighbors and friends. While mom and I are doing little things for others — ordering meals and groceries from local businesses, dropping off groceries and supplies for neighbors and friends, etc. — it […]
Countdown to Italy 2020
Five weeks from today, mom and I will be in a last-minute frenzy of packing for another adventure. That’s right, we’re heading back to Italy! This time, we’ll spend the month Lucca, a town in western Tuscany about 30 minutes from Pisa and 40 minutes from the Mediterranean coast. We weren’t planning on doing another […]
A year of blessings
I met my GYN oncologist exactly 24 months ago. Our first appointment with Dr. Puls was filled with fear, uncertainty, dread and sadness…probably a pretty typical first appointment in his line of work. But despite the heaviness of our conversation, when he basically told me that even if I were to go along with his […]
‘All Clear’ until September
Had my 9-month check in with the oncologist today. Despite getting the results of my CA-125 blood tests the week before (the numbers continue to be in single digits, which is excellent) and the lack of any physical symptoms, I still find myself anxious and unsettled as these appointments approach, and have a hard time […]
Of neighborhood palaces and apothecaries – Day Four in Vienna
Full disclosure: I’m writing this blog posts (and will write the next few as well) from my home office in South Carolina. Due to a rather slow internet connection in our hotel room that made it TORTURE to upload images, and a few other circumstances that I’ll talk about in this post, I never got […]
In and out of the tourist zone – Day Three in Vienna
How do you know you are in the tourist zone of any European city? Pickpockets and tricksters abound. Well, I guess there are enough of them to compel someone to post this outside one of the major churches in the city. You also know by the number of horse-drawn carriages (or in Venice, gondolas) ferrying […]
Everyday Discoveries 