Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Accentuating the Positive

With the Russian madman causing mayhem in the world, I am really trying to maintain a positive outlook.

The war news is dominating and it’s difficult to avoid. But am very aware of how my mental health can affect my physical health, so I am attempting (and so far succeeding) to limit my news watching/viewing. I look at just enough to get a very superficial overview but even that is more than I want. I feel so sad for all the people affected by this megalomaniac!

Accentuating the Positive
Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Chemo is Doing its Thing

Time flies by, even the chemo treatments. Yesterday was #5 of the planned 6. The results of my blood tests continue to be good. The cancer marker went from 301 to 187 this week. But not low enough to move on to the next stage. Dr. McCleave said they want to see it at around 30 which is quite a long way yet.

Chemo is Doing its Thing
Susan Colby
There’s Hot, and Then There’s HOT

When I came back to South Africa in 2019, I naturally gravitated to where I was born and grew up. And actually ended up in the what we used to call the village of Kloof. (It’s no longer a village!) Kloof is about 18 miles/29km from Durban and just on 1600ft/500km above sea level, giving the area a more moderate climate than Durban, usually being a good 10F less which was the case when I took Rodney to the park this afternoon. Plus less humid.

There’s Hot, and Then There’s HOT
Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Chemo #4 Done, 2 to Go

The fourth treatment went as planned. Mick came with me so he was able to meet my doctor. It’s always good to have another set of ears in a consultation but this one was very straightforward because everything is going so well.

Chemo #4 Done, 2 to Go
South Africa
Susan Colby
A Massive Immune Booster

November 16 last year is the fateful day I got the definitive news that changed my life.

By then I ‘d been in hospital for 8 days going through tests and everything else that goes along with a cancer diagnosis. I’d just had laparoscopic surgery for a biopsy and the GYN/surgeon came to visit me after I had very gently been given the diagnosis. He’s a lovely man and from reading his bio, a pretty religious one as well. He said to me as he sat at my bedside, “Have you considered end of life?”

A Massive Immune Booster

CO

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Exploring Locally

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Downtown Greeley, CO As those of you who read this blog know, I believe in exploring and adventuring wherever I happen to be. Recently, I've been moving around a lot, which gives me great opportunities to get out and discover what's happening.

Arriving in Eaton, Colorado ahead of the snow that hit the Rockies the day after I wound my way through them, I quickly got settled at  Susan and Dan's, which is right in Eaton, a small, farming community. That doesn't mean bucolic, pastoral fields of cows grazing, corn growing and vegetable gardens in every yard. This is industrial farming. Miles and miles of flat, cultivated and irrigated land that is just now being turned and will soon be fertilized with heaven knows what! And with the oil and gas boom, just about every field is dotted with fracked wells. Not a pretty sight, but the locals are happy - megabucks pouring into the area and MacMansions popping up in place of corn.

Aaaahhh...progress...

However...

Susan on the patio of Margie's Blue Cup

Nothing is going to stop the exploring, so Susan and my first little adventure was into Greeley, a college town about 10 miles from here. Sunday morning and we got a recommendation for a good coffee shop (NOT Starbucks, or Charbucks, as I call it) and made out way into the University District to The Blue Mug @margies, a charming place that reminded us of Port Townsend. Funky furniture, high ceilings with wonderful old tinned tiles and most importantly...good coffee. It wasn't too crowded, being Sunday and the college students were probably still sleeping off heavy Saturday night parties. It wasn't really warm enough to b out on the delightful patio, though. Once it warms up a bit, that will be the place to enjoy sit out  under the big umbrellas and enjoy the surroundings.

As I mentioned, Eaton is a tiny dot on the map, but one of Susan's favorite places is The French Corner, an antique-y store with some lovely stuff. It smelled so good, too as there are bowls of potpourri strategically places, as well as scented candles to brighten the dark corners. It's in an old building that lends itself to the decor. The prices, for the most part, were reasonable and there is a huge variety of goods. We spent a sensory-filled hour or so wandering, touching, smelling and just enjoying.

Eaton actually has two French Corners and we visited both, the second one appearing to have more of a "sale" appearance, although I don't think that is the intention. Either way, both locations are fun places to go.

Yesterday, we planned to go to Fort Collins, which is half an hour or so away as there is supposedly a Farmers Market right in Old Town. Well, we didn't find it, but Old Town is a place I plan on going back to explore. We found out later that the market was indoors! So no wonder we didn't see it.

We made a circular route back to Eaton, but as I had found a Groupon for a tea place in Greeley, we decided to do that instead.

What fun that was!

Cranford Cove Tea Tavern

For Susan, who lived in the area 30 years ago, it was an eye-opener, as the area has grown up so much, getting gentrified and moving beyond being an agricultural town known for its meatpacking plant (which is still here to handle the animals from the local stockyards). There are lovely old building, many brick ones that are starting to house a lot of restaurants, specialty stores and places like Cranford Cove Tea Tavern.

What a delightful place that turned out to be! The Groupon worked getting us in there and I know we will go back. It's in a storefront location and has a surprising twist to the tea theme. Of course, you can get a cuppa but the specialties are alcoholic drinks made with various teas and spirits! My libation was a hot spiced rum drink made with the special chai blend (I always go for rum) and Susan's was a Lemon Drop made with green tea and ...hmm I forget but it was delicious!

Making the Tea Tavern even more special is that it is not-only-for-profit enterprise, that benefits Love Made Claim, a non-profit with "a mission to reach those in the sex industry with the truth that they are loved and valued." I do like to support social entrepreneurs as I believe this is the way of the future.

 

The Blue Mug

931 16th Street, Greeley, Colorado 80631 (970) 356-6364

The French Corner Market

" A Vintage Shop" 108 Oak Ave ( Hwy 85 ) Eaton, Colorado 80615 970-454-2006

Cranford Cove Tea Tavern

823 10th St. Greeley, CO 80631 970-515-5527