It’s a new year, a new decade and for me it’s been a whole new outlook on life. Peggy and I had a wonderful holiday season and we had some great seasonal concerts, and have so much new material we’ll be putting out a new holiday CD this year. It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since this blog had the first entry and comments and what a year it has been. We just returned from a two week trip to Punta Gorda Florida, where we had a lovely concert and got to see some wonderful friends again and soak up the warm Florida sunshine. It was a year ago while we were in Florida that I started the blog and being there this year really triggered a gamut of emotions. I was reminded over and over again of the uncertainty and confusion that we were dealing with last year at this same time. Just being able to be there this year was a real victory of sorts for Peggy and I, a goal that we set last year and we were both so thrilled to be able to spend time in the sunny South again this winter. Many thanks to Jack and Joan Osborne for all your generosity in making our Florida trek possible.
Yesterday, Jan. 24th was the nine month anniversary of finishing treatments. A landmark to say the least. And although I still have eating and swallowing discomfort I am so happy and thankful to have come out of the radiation and chemotherapy as well as I have. Each cancer free month that goes by is a milestone and just makes me grateful for all the support and help we have received along he way. I will see my ENT this week for my every other month visit and I look forward to getting his prognosis of my recovery. While in Florida I was able to walk greater distances and even was able to jog a bit too !! This gives me great hope for the spring to try to meet another of my goals of getting back to running . I am slowly getting used to my body post cancer treatments and with every passing day feeling my strength improve. I do realize that where I am today is the new norm and for every improvement that develops I am extremely grateful.
This winter and spring we will be doing some wonderful concerts and workshops close to home and doing some traveling too. We’ll be doing a concert in Cazenovia NY at the First Presbyterian Church on Feb. 6th at 3:00 pm and will be traveling to Raleigh NC. the weekend of March 19-21 for a few concerts with friends in the area and a hammered dulcimer workshop and concert on the 20th . If you would like more info on the workshop you can email Carol Radcliffe at jradcli924@aol.com. In addition to our performances Peggy is working hard at teaching woman’s studies at Oswego state and several on line courses for empire state this semester and I will be busy in the studio recording and producing several projects. I am so pleased that I have had the opportunity to speak with people who have found the blog and are dealing with or have a loved one going thru head and neck cancer. I hope that my story will continue to help others who are starting to walk this difficult path. Once again thanks so much for all of the support that has come our way in the last year, it has made an enormous difference. Lets all raise a toast to our one year anniversary, and to good health and much happiness in the upcoming year. As always I look forward to seeing many of you at concerts and workshops this winter and spring. I will keep updating the blog as my recovery continues. “Carpe Diem” Sieze the day !!!
