Chemo's done, yipee, let the pickling begin!

So, Day #17 of my last chemo recovery finds me feeling tired mostly, still trying to stay healthy (can't forget that all the usual cycles of low blood counts still occur even in this last treatment) and trying to let the light at the end of the tunnel of chemotherapy, bring joy and elation...but I'm not feeling it.  Sort of disappointed about that but, in some ways not surprised.  Perhaps when the energy starts returning I'll feel a bit more like I'm finished with this nasty phase.  In the meantime, I'll have about two weeks before I start my Radiation therapy.  I've come to peace about the proposed "double" hit that they'll treat me with, not only the surgery site but the upper lymph system at my collar bone as well.  Was a little worried about the effect of radiation on my left arm, but since it seems to be behaving very well without nightly tensor wraps or daily compression sleeves, I'm hopeful that it will withstand another hit with radiation. I'm thinking of radiation as a vinegar bath, which helps things get clean and fresh, eliminates smells and makes things last forever with the right storage...maybe that will be me :) kind of like a ... pickle.

So, to avoid thinking too much about myself and health stuff, I've been indulging in some quilting.  First of all, along with a few friends, I've finally started on the "art" quilt I wanted to do when I first started all this chemo stuff.  I'll be at it for a while, but love the dimensional tricks that I'm getting with colours!

 I also finished my annual benefit quilt for the Westgate Bursary Banquet auction and was quite happy with its turnout.  Stepped outside of the colour box and went white with a "2 1/2" charm pack" of VERNA squares and a fresh striped binding by Michael Miller.  Turned out to be a lot of fun, the white on white texture from the quilting was a hoot and gives me the itch to try out more radical modern techniques.  So here are the pics, not the greatest quality but I always seem to almost forget to take them before I give them away... I called it "Spring Thistle" (of course because of the thistle pattern quilted in).