Peek-a-boo!!!

Hellooooooooo!!! Peek-a-boo!

Everything all right over there?

Remember this?

Well, I was feeling a bit underdressed.

I needed something sharp looking to dare show my cute little face.

So that that's what was "cookin'" up there...

I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself! I'm Rafa, how do you do?

Well, what do you think of my outfit? Kinda cute, huh?

I'm staying here for a little while, visiting with my little friend Pascoalito, before we both go our ways :)

He's such a charmer, look at the flower he's picked for me!

I'm waiting to go to Rafaela's house (she's a little girl and I really hope she'll like me, because I can't wait to go play with her!)

So... I'll be seein' ya around :)

Have a good weekend, dear friends :)

XXX

New project

Hello dear friends!

Can you guess what I'm up to these days...? :) It won't take too long! And it's nice and bright and cheery (unlike the weather here, which seems to have suddenly stepped back to Fall weather! Much awaited rain and thunderstorms!)

Oh... and would you like to visit @ Facebook? I'd love to see you there!

XXX

The Sun...

Hello, dear friends

Just a few snapshots to bring you some sunshine...

The boardwalk

The ocean ahead

A stroll by the ocean

Sunset--on the other side of the river, Spain, the setting sun is reflecting off of some windows

Sunrise in Alentejo

I can't get over all the beauties around me...

Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

XXX

Yes, everything is OK! :)

My dear friends,

It's over, the stress, the fear. Until my next checkup (yes, we all know what that's like even if we try to be rational, rationality has nothing to do with this atavic fear!!)

Everything is in fact OK :) and I'm smiling again and feel like a ton has lifted off from my shoulders!

So here are just a few little flowers... and my THANK YOU for all your positive thoughts (even though I only got to comment moderation after lunch I did read all of your sweet messages before my exam, to fill me up with positive vibes :) )

Have a wonderful week!

XXX

"Everything is OK"

It's that time again. 

Time for my checkup and especially time for the mammogram. 


The last time I got one I got the bad news. A year and half ago. Since then I had surgery, chemo, radiation and a long recovery time. Now I believe I'm back to health, in spite of slightly tight movements and aches especially on my arms and shoulders. I've lost most of my weight water gain but still need to lose a few pounds that I have piled up since then. And aside from that, I feel good. Sometimes blue, sometimes sunshiny, but heck, who isn't?!


But I'm scared. 
Super, mighty scared. 
Out of my wits scared. 
Anyone who's been there (or has a loved one who's been there) knows what I mean. 


It's a cold, clamping fear that tightens our throat and the opening of our stomach and won't go away until you hear those words "everything is OK" and then you know you'll have until the next checkup to let go of that fear. 


Fortunately I get to know right away. 
It's scary to look at the doctor's face trying to decypher what she's seeing on the ultrasonograph and any time she clicks and records the image on the screen you flinch. It doesn't hurt. It scares the heck out of you. 


But when she's done you pray to hear those magical words. 
"Everything is OK". Because she knows I need to know right then and there, no matter what the words are. And you know you'll fight like a gladiator for you life, if the veredict is bad. But you don't want it to be. Again.


Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow to tell you those same words. With a smile.


Until then... XXX

Hoping this is now...

!!!

Hello dear friends,

I know, it's a nuisance and I don't like it either. I'm trying to figure this out so please, please let me know if it asks for word verification (I did activate comment moderation but maybe that'll change too...)

Thank you!

XXX

Pascoal part II

Much, much better in the daylight!

Pascoal came to work with me today and he's been quite active around here!

At lunch time decided to catch a bit of sunshine and enjoy the view...

Now tell me... who can resist this sweet little smile? :)

XXX