The Landscape of Cancer: Of Pain, Art and Europe

The last time I wrote about Mark's cancer was six weeks ago. Since then, he has experienced increasing levels of pain and decreasing levels of energy. He is no longer able to do any sort of exercise, and in mid-July, we canceled our cycling trip to Italy in September.

Mark now spends most of his time on his art - painting, drawing, and sketching. He's quite talented, and he enjoys branching out and learning new techniques and working with different mediums. In July, he spent quite a bit of time on a drawing of himself and his sister, based on a photograph taken in 1955, just before the family moved to Japan. He presented it as a gift to his sister, Deb, when we were visiting in Portland earlier this month.

We cancelled out cycling trip, but we're still leaving for Europe on August 31st. We had to rearrange some things and fill up the time we would have spent cycling with other activities, but we're going. We will see some sights, and Mark will likely do some painting while I write or read. Mainly, however, we will simply enjoy each other's company, have fun and create memories amidst the beauty of Europe.

Rocky Mountain Weekend

I had just been saying to my daughter last week how I've always wanted to go a cabin in the mountains or woods for a fall weekend. Sitting by the fire, reading. Taking walks. Writing. Just being.  There just seemed something so quintessentially comforting and relaxing about it. Not that we couldn't be at home and do the same things; but at a cabin there wouldn't be the temptation of going to the gym or yoga or a movie or watching some television.

This weekend, we are having the opportunity to fulfill my long-held desire. Mark needed some recovery time from his outpatient surgery, so we decided to drive to Colorado to visit friends and family. Our first stop was the cabin outside Steamboat Springs that belongs to the family of a friend of ours from Salt Lake. It so happened that he and friend of his had previously decided to head up the same weekend to close the cabin for the winter.

We arrived in late afternoon, and as we enjoyed cocktail hour, we saw some elk saunter across the meadow pictured in the lead photo. The setting sun set the tops of the trees on fire and tinged the clouds above. That evening, we listened as Mike and his friend Rich jammed, Mike on his banjo and providing vocals with Rich on his guitar. It was a fun evening topped off with pecan pie.

I slept soundly and awoke to dawn creeping over mountain tops, trees and meadows. This was the scene from the balcony off our room:

We enjoyed doing those things that morning that I had dreamed of. I wrote and read while Mark painted. He is actually a talented artist, though he hadn't in the past had the time or the desire to devote time and attention to developing his talent. Now that he is fully retired, he has picked up the brush in earnest. This is a little watercolor he did that morning as he sat looking out the window.

From Steamboat, we headed a few hours south to Fraser where Mark's brother and his family - Tim, Marie and Sophie - live. This was the scene that greeted us as we stepped out onto their deck.

It is now Sunday afternoon. We have been having snow flurries off and on throughout the day. I took these pictures this morning just outside Tim and Marie's home.

Right now, I'm sitting by the fire in Tim and Marie's living room, looking out the window and watching it lightly snow. Marie is upstairs, Sophia is in her room during homework. Mark is in the other room painting while his brother works on his computer. The dogs are scattered about. I take a deep breath, breathing in the now, loving life.