Life beyond chemo!
I went to market this morning to buy organic strawberries and to find a model. I was too late for the strawberries but witnessed the following scene at the organic veggie stall.
I meet a friend with her dog and I draw her attention to the rye bread that’s being sold for the first time at this stall. The seller is young, pretty with darting dark eyes. There are tiny tasters: wee slices of thin dark brown bread on top of which sit trianglar slices of fresh goats cheese. Yum. We taste, and my friend accidently tips the plate onto the ground. The cheese and bread hit the road. No pasenada. The girl is not bothered. I ask if I can buy half a loaf. No, sorry, she says firmly. Actually, I don’t think she said sorry!
I’m aware of a young, bearded man standing close by. He’s French. He shows the pretty young woman two 20c coins. They sit in the palm of his outstretched hand. He talks about the coins in a mixture of quiet French with a few even quieter Spanish words thrown in. Her eyes smile.
Then I witness a bag of bananas, pears and other fruits being filled and handed over the table. His face is expressionless. Hers is radiant. He turns away avoiding eye contact with me. I’m intrigued. It all happens so quickly. Wait, calls the young woman. She hands him half a loaf of rye bread in a clear plastic bag. Her eyes widen. He stuffs the bread into his backpack, which has the shell of the pilgrim attached to it, and disappears in to the crowd.
Half an hour later I’m sitting at the top café in the market enjoying breakfast. Yes, it’s 12.30 but it’s never too late for a tostada and coffee.
A lovely new friend arrives with her 4 year old son and the little boy greets me like a long lost pal !
He eats his 6 little sushi’s and declares his tummy is fuller than he’d like it to be, so he needs water now.
His mum agrees to model for me this afternoon.
Driving home it’s hotting up. I meet an acquaintance, a cook, who has 2kms to walk to work. I give her a lift. How did she know I’ve had cancer? I’m so glad you are well now she said. I believe she really meant it.
At 5.30, my friend arrives to model as arranged. We would do the drawings in the garden. I had collected flowers and had had half an hour to practice using them.
Drawing with flowers is different from drawing with feathers and sticks, which is what we use at the Monday art class.
I loved it. It's a whole new experience.
Kays’s dog was so taken with one of my drawings she decided to roll over on it ,repeatedly, and looked like she might even take a nap on it.
For the past 7 months Thursdays have been a day related to the chemo. Today, as if to mark this change, this freedom, the drawings came out WILD. One minutes sketches again, with ink and coffee using flowers as brushes and pencils.
Then, after Kirsten finished modelling , she gave me a wonderful neck massage. My neck feels new tonight.
Then Luscious Kate, as I call her, a local cake and pastie maker called, and delivered 2 sticky warm brownies and two delicious hot cheese and potato pasties, straight from her oven.
And there’s still a bit of today left to enjoy.
Life beyond chemo !
I hope your day has been equally blessed with magical moments.
I went to market this morning to buy organic strawberries and to find a model. I was too late for the strawberries but witnessed the following scene at the organic veggie stall.
I meet a friend with her dog and I draw her attention to the rye bread that’s being sold for the first time at this stall. The seller is young, pretty with darting dark eyes. There are tiny tasters: wee slices of thin dark brown bread on top of which sit trianglar slices of fresh goats cheese. Yum. We taste, and my friend accidently tips the plate onto the ground. The cheese and bread hit the road. No pasenada. The girl is not bothered. I ask if I can buy half a loaf. No, sorry, she says firmly. Actually, I don’t think she said sorry!
I’m aware of a young, bearded man standing close by. He’s French. He shows the pretty young woman two 20c coins. They sit in the palm of his outstretched hand. He talks about the coins in a mixture of quiet French with a few even quieter Spanish words thrown in. Her eyes smile.
Then I witness a bag of bananas, pears and other fruits being filled and handed over the table. His face is expressionless. Hers is radiant. He turns away avoiding eye contact with me. I’m intrigued. It all happens so quickly. Wait, calls the young woman. She hands him half a loaf of rye bread in a clear plastic bag. Her eyes widen. He stuffs the bread into his backpack, which has the shell of the pilgrim attached to it, and disappears in to the crowd.
Half an hour later I’m sitting at the top café in the market enjoying breakfast. Yes, it’s 12.30 but it’s never too late for a tostada and coffee.
A lovely new friend arrives with her 4 year old son and the little boy greets me like a long lost pal !
He eats his 6 little sushi’s and declares his tummy is fuller than he’d like it to be, so he needs water now.
His mum agrees to model for me this afternoon.
Driving home it’s hotting up. I meet an acquaintance, a cook, who has 2kms to walk to work. I give her a lift. How did she know I’ve had cancer? I’m so glad you are well now she said. I believe she really meant it.
At 5.30, my friend arrives to model as arranged. We would do the drawings in the garden. I had collected flowers and had had half an hour to practice using them.
Drawing with flowers is different from drawing with feathers and sticks, which is what we use at the Monday art class.
I loved it. It's a whole new experience.
Kays’s dog was so taken with one of my drawings she decided to roll over on it ,repeatedly, and looked like she might even take a nap on it.
For the past 7 months Thursdays have been a day related to the chemo. Today, as if to mark this change, this freedom, the drawings came out WILD. One minutes sketches again, with ink and coffee using flowers as brushes and pencils.
Then, after Kirsten finished modelling , she gave me a wonderful neck massage. My neck feels new tonight.
Then Luscious Kate, as I call her, a local cake and pastie maker called, and delivered 2 sticky warm brownies and two delicious hot cheese and potato pasties, straight from her oven.
And there’s still a bit of today left to enjoy.
Life beyond chemo !
I hope your day has been equally blessed with magical moments.
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