"Youth is the time for the adventures of the body, but age for the triumphs of the mind." Logan Pearsall Smith

So where do I fit in? Youth or age? Or both? I'm still young enough for adventure, and just entering the age where I can think deep thoughts with my mind. Just hovering between youth and age.

Enough of that philosophical debate. I can't solve it. Today was a good day. A few sighs and yawns, a few hot flashes (this is THROWING me into "MENOPAUSE!" which I'm not excited about, although Brenda says I should 'celebrate' it like tribal women in South America). The other day when she told me this, I did a little tribal dance of sorts to celebrate. Don't feel much like celebrating when my head wants to blow off in the middle of the night. Oh well, life presents its challenges, doesn't it? Isn't it enough that I've had a mastectomy (NB), chemotherapy, radiation and now menopause on top of everything else? Today I had a hot flash in the car, ripped off my winter jacket, hat and mitts and threw open the sash, sticking my head out the window like a caged dog on a hot summer's day. All the while scarfing down a Clementine because I feel faint at the same time (sorry for the big "C," my computer thinks Clementine is a person, and always capitalizes the word). It started to get quite cool in the car, to say the least. The OT director was a frozen statute in the back seat, and wondered why her feet were cold after realizing that Brenda also had the air conditioning on. Good thing I don't have a wig – it would be tossed several times a day when one of these comes on. Those of you who know, know what I'm talkin' about.

This morning three of us had crafts in the kitchen with "Dinah" (me), after Brenda and I did Pilates. Paper crafts – a Valentine craft, actually, sent to me by Rhea, from Martha Stewart's website. Thanks, R. What a great craft. Els will be thrilled to know I did this craft. We wondered whether Martha cared that we were way up here in little ol' NB doing her crafts. Said she probably doesn't even know where NB is. Perhaps we should email her and tell her. I love paper and pencils, and cutting and gluing and crafting of any type. I'll post a picture of it when I get it uploaded.

This afternoon we went to Zellers, my favorite shopping stop to pick up a couple of items (one of which was a pregnancy Pilates video, because I feel like I'm birthing something here), then on to the hospital to get my PICC line changed. I love having it changed and flushed out. It just feels so fresh to have fresh saline pumped in and a new sock on my arm. Went to Covey's BASICS for a couple of basics and home where my request for dinner was pan-fried haddock, broccoli and oven fries. Brenda is such a great housemaid and such an encouragement to us. Thank you, husband Paul, and two sons, Luke and Aaron for letting your mom come to me. She is going to stay until Wednesday. Tonight we are going to watch a I Love Lucy video that B.B. dropped off today. I think we should watch the one where Lucy goes to London on a plane. Brenda doesn't like to fly, so that should be good. See you tomorrow.

"A mother's heart is always with her children." -- German proverb. That's for you, Mom – from your three girls, and to Brenda's sons, and to my children, Jonathan & Natalie.