Hiccup

Today was not as we had planned. When Jim woke up this morning he had a lump the size of a small orange under his right arm. Previously the area was tender and he noticed something was different but the transplant doctor looked at it Tuesday and had Jim have an ultrasound to rule out any blood clot which they did. But this morning things were worse. We called the doctor and they made arrangements for Jim to have another ultrasound. We spent several hours at the hospital. He also had a needle biopsy so they could get tissue to test. Around 3:00 we returned to the Hope Lodge. Today was our move out day. Today we were supposed to move into my new apartment. We were supposed to walk to Whole Foods in the beautiful afternoon sunshine and buy seafood and white wine so that Jim's "last supper" would be a good one. We both knew that this whatever it is around his armpit would cause a delay. Jim would not be admitted tomorrow.

We did move out of the Hope Lodge. We did move into the nice apartment near MSK. We did have a nice dinner. Tomorrow we meet with the transplant doctor at 11:30 to see if they have a plan. Jim might need to have another round of chemo to keep the cancer at bay. Who knows.

We really wanted tomorrow to be his admission date. Of course the sooner the better but April 1st has not been kind to us. Jim was diagnosed on April 1, 2014, hard to believe it has been two years. April 1, 1978 Jim's Toyota Corolla was hit by a train down by the New River in Blacksburg, Virginia. Long story but we were turning around along the side of the mountain and got stuck in a pot hole on the tracks. I was driving.

So to hell with April 1st.

Tomorrow we will have a new plan. We are in good hands up here, not to fear.

Two Days and Counting.

It was sunny and beautiful today. We took a long walk around the High Line area. The sky was royal blue which made a nice backdrop for picture taking. At the end of the trail we were down by the Hudson River. We passed a train yard where lots of subway cars were parked. We saw five paddleboarders out on the river.

There was a stretch of high-rises being built and all you could see for blocks were gigantic cranes. We passed a junky area behind a fence were someone had set up housing for feral cats. They turned rectangular igloo coolers into cat houses by placing the coolers upside down and cutting out windows with flaps for the cats to be able to come and go (kind of like a doggie door but for a cat). Jim had walked this way previously when I went home last weekend and he said he saw the biggest cat he has ever seen in his life. We looked for him but saw a different one.

There were a lot of food stands near the High Line trail. Halal trucks which sell meats/sandwiches where the meat is prepared as prescribed by Muslim law are popular in the city. There were nut carts and pretzel carts too.  

On our way home we walked to the front side of the church next door. There was a realistic bronze statue of a beggar next to the front steps. 

When we returned to the Hope Lodge we ate an early dinner. I was trying to use up the food we had in the refrigerator so the less we have to move out with the better. The rest of the evening was packing and doing laundry. Jimmy started reading the notebook of information he received yesterday from the transplant team. 

Tomorrow we move into the apartment near MSK.

So Much Information!

Today we gave our time to Memorial Sloan Kettering. It was a learning day. We were given a lot of information about the transplant and what to expect. When we arrived Jimmy had to have blood work (again). He is a difficult stick. Over the last two years all the chemo he has received has taken a toll on his veins. Luckily he got an excellent phlebotomist who found a vein the first time and he took seven vials of blood. Our second stop was meeting Chelsea the social worker. Jim has talked to her several times before but only on the phone. She was very sweet, probably 30 years old. She asked us a lot of questions about our support network. Proud to say we have a great one of those.  She also asked us questions about financial help, where I will be staying during the hospitalization time and other things. Chelsea is the one who will help us secure a place to live at the Hope Lodge after Jimmy is discharged from the hospital.

After meeting with Chelsea we met with the transplant nurse coordinator, Barbara. She was training a new nurse so we met with the two of them. The trainee went over the admission process and roughly what to expect during the first 30 days. They gave us a binder of papers to review. Luckily Jim and I have already read and researched what is involved with a bone marrow transplant so we were ahead of the game. Then Dr. Sauter came in. He is the transplant doctor. He told us he liked the results of the most recent PET scan. The only area he was puzzled about was Jim's right bicep. He didn't know why that lit up on the scan. Jim pointed out that the last day or so his armpit area was tender and a little swollen. Dr. Sauter examined him and decided to do an ultrasound to rule out a blood clot. One common side effect of one of the chemo drugs he was on was blood clots.

Next stop was the dental office. Jim had to be cleared of any cavities or mouth abnormalities before going to transplant. We had to call his dentist in Virginia to have his most recent x-rays faxed over. All was good. Lastly he had an ultrasound of his upper arm and chest area looking for a blood clot. Luckily the report was good.



Five hours later we finally left the hospital to board the shuttle back to the Hope Lodge. Jim and I like to sit in the same two seats each time. I guess it's a creature of habit thing. The shuttle drivers are all different. Today we had Malcolm the whistler. He tunes the radio to 80's rock music and whistles along when he is not talking on his cell phone giving dating advice to his brothers.
Then there is Louie. He is a talkative native New Yorker who was a stunt man for movies when he was younger. He has shown us pictures of himself with Johnny Depp and other actors.  Lastly there is Eugene, who is pouty and quiet. Eugene is very courteous though. He slows the shuttle down when approaching pot holes in the road and he always offers a hand when deboarding the shuttle.

Tomorrow is a free day. It is supposed to be nice. We will take a long walk.

Rainy Days and Mondays

We woke to the church bells of Saint Francis of Assisi next door. I know I have mentioned it before but what a wonderful sound to wake up to. I quickly remembered I was back at the Hope Lodge with Jim and not in the comforts of my home in Virginia. It was raining out. I looked out our 12th floor window at the street below. Lots of people in dark coats with dark umbrellas scurrying by on their way to somewhere.

I went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea but quickly turned around and returned to the room. You see there is this Asian couple who spend a lot of time in the kitchen. The wife is very sweet and her husband is recovering from a transplant. He is quiet and rarely looks up when you enter the room. I don't think they speak English very well. Anyway she cooks all their meals and they stay in the kitchen sometimes for two hours. She facetimes with her children on speaker phone. I can't blame her. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for her to be away from her small children for such a long time. I turned around because they crank the heat and it must have been 80 degrees in the kitchen and they were frying bacon and facetiming with their children. I thought it better to wait and go back later.

I went back to the room and checked on the DC eaglets. It was raining in DC and I went to the website right as both parents were in the nest. They were wet and the little eaglets were ready to be fed. Such an incredible thing to watch.

Jimmy was feeling good today. I think knowing that a date has been set has given us both peace of mind. We finally made it to the kitchen, had breakfast and then signed all our tax forms and walked to the post office and mailed them. The weather was mild, in the upper 50's, but the wind was beginning to rev up. We walked to Whole Foods and to Jim's favorite beer store before returning to the Lodge. I enjoyed a few signs of spring along the way. Some businesses have planted containers in front of their buildings. It's a good eye distraction from all the litter and dirt on the streets.

         TV tonight is all mine. Hello to The Voice. No NCAA basketball on tonight. YEA!!!

He Has Risen!

Happy Easter! There is much to be happy about. You wonder how can I say this when Jim is getting ready to undergo the most challenging medical procedures of his life. Well the reason is because I have faith. I trust that God has a reason for what Jim is going through. I don't know what that reason is or why he chose Jim to experience it but I am not afraid. I know that Jim will get through this and in time he will gain his strength back and we will continue with our lives. If you let fear overtake your emotions there is no room left for faith or hope.

When you experience difficulties in life you should look for the silver linings. I have found mine and I continue to keep my eyes open to find more. Here are some of the silver linings I have found:
* Jim has a WONDERFUL oncologist in New York. We trust him which is comforting in itself.
* Jim has Peggy, the nurse practitioner who really cares about him and is always accessible.
* Jim's previous nurse, Jennifer, back in Fairfax was a godsend. She took Jim under her wing and had his back at all times. Meeting healthcare workers who truly care about the outcome of your life helps alleviate a lot of stress.
*We are lucky Jim is able to be at Memorial Sloan Kettering, especially for this extended period of time.
*We are lucky he is self-employed and has wonderful colleagues and office staff looking out for him and his business.
*We are blessed to have a strong family network. Our daughters have been wonderfully supportive and they look out for each other so I don't have to worry. Sara's fiance, Richard, has been a source of strength for both girls which make us feel better. I have gained two sisters in Debby and Sandy who relentlessly have their baby brothers best interest in their hands. I feel I have grown closer to Jim's parents as I witness the incredible love they have for their son. Ashley (and Julian) will send us uplifting emails that always brighten our days. I communicate more with my father and stepmother, Maureen. Maureen's sister is a cloistered nun living in Portugal and she has the entire convent praying for Jimmy. One can't do much better than that.
*Our friends. If you want me to get emotional all I have to do is talk about how incredibly supportive our friends are. First we had the Light the Night Walk last fall when friends and family came to walk for the cure. Our friends that showed up touched our hearts in ways you could not imagine. We even had a few surprises (Ken and his son, Myles & Myrna, Dave & Kim). We didn't know in advance who would show because Skye had the list of walkers. Others contributed through financial donations.
Jane & John are taking care of our boy Boo. It gives us such peace of mind knowing he is in good hands. I hear he will come out of this a more well behaved dog. Thanks John!
Mike and Laura are taking care of the house, checking on things, starting the cars and watering the plants. We know we can call Mike in a heartbeat if there is a problem.
Anne & Matt next door are also keeping their eyes on the house and picking up solicitation flyers and checking on things.
Jeff is not only our accountant but an incredible friend. He gave Jimmy a new horseshoe which I swear has turned Jim's luck around ever since it arrived three weeks ago. It's a long story for another time.
Dave & Kim. Dave knows exactly when to text Jimmy. He and Jim have a special telepathy I can't explain and Kim knows exactly what to say.
Jim W. not only wrote and published a song in honor of Jim but he continues to make him laugh with his artistically written emails.
There are many more friends I did not mention who communicate with me through text or social media and I know how much you also care about Jim and me. You can't know how much I appreciate hearing from you. Please keep it up.

So you see there is so much to be happy about on this Easter Day. I am on the bus back to New York. I spent the last 48 hours back at home checking on the house and exchanging winter clothes for spring ones. We have at least four more months in New York before we get to come home. I had a great 48 hours visiting with family and friends. Skye came home from Charlottesville for the weekend and Sara and Richard also spent a lot of time at the house. I finally put the Christmas decorations away. I did not see Boo. We all thought it would only confuse him if I visited for just a brief time. Jim survived staying in New York without me. He had a good time taking walks on his own, visiting Beer Culture for a good beer and soft pretzel, NCAA on the TV and PIZZA. Now the old lady is coming back and cracking the whip. He has to do everything in his power this week to stay healthy so there are no setbacks to admission.

Happy Easter Everyone!
Be grateful for those in your life. Tell them you love them. Peace, Faith & Hope.

We Have a Definite

After three long months in New York of waiting, treatments, side effects and waiting some more we have a date. Yesterday the transplant doctor reviewed the scan and gave the OK for Jim to proceed to transplant. Admission date is April Fools Day. After we got his call we left the Hope Lodge and decided to take the Staten Island Ferry to get out on the water and have a change of scenery. 

The ferry is free and it was crowded. Unfortunately we walked onto the wrong side of the boat so it was difficult to get a good picture of the Statue of Liberty. It didn't matter. We were happy to just be out on this beautiful day. When we got back to the room we noticed a large wet spot on the rug outside of the bathroom. The cleaning lady had been in our room while we were gone so we thought maybe she spilled her bucket. But the spot was growing and then wet spots were seen on both sides of the bed. We notified the person on duty and they came up to inspect. We were moved to another room down the hall. For the next half hour we moved things back and forth. Like I said earlier I have a lot of stuff. We managed to move it all and lucky for us we didn't have to change floors. I spent the rest of the night putting things away and packing for my trip back home. We also worked on narrowing down where I am going to live when Jim goes into the hospital.

Today Jimmy had a lot of pre-transplant tests to do at the hospital. We were up early and he left on the 7:30 shuttle. I finished packing and solidified a place to stay. It is more than we wanted to pay but it is an extended living 1-bedroom apartment about 5 minutes from the hospital. No more Airbnb's for me right now. I locked in and the two of us will move our belongings on March 31st.

At 12:00 I left to walk to catch the Vamoose bus. I was lucky to get one of the few seats where I didn't have to sit next to someone. The key is to keep standing up and fumbling with your backpack and jacket as people walk by then they sit next to someone else. The bus ride was uneventful but it took longer than expected. Oh and the young girl directly behind me was bus sick and she threw up twice into her lap and bag. My internal alarm went off thinking what if it were the flu? I can't get sick. Not now with Jim going to transplant in a week. I gave the mom some sanitizing wipes and asked her if the daughter was car sick. Luckily she said yes. The bus took almost 6 hours. It must have been because of the upcoming Easter weekend traffic. Jane picked  me up and took me back to the house. It was so strange walking in. As if time had stopped. What little Christmas decorations I put around the house were still up. I also didn't thoroughly clean out the pantry and refrigerator before I left. There is much work to be done in my short time home.

Today is the PET

Positron Emission Tomography. That's a mouthful. We woke up at 5:45 this morning 
so we could catch the 6:30 shuttle to the Imaging Center. Strangely enough there 
was little traffic and since the shuttle driver was blasting through the streets as if he 
were on a race car track we arrived within 15 minutes. The shuttle has a very poor 
suspension system. We bounce around like kernels in a popcorn maker. Actually it 
is not good if you are feeling unwell and I have already heard from a resident how 
sick the ride makes her feel. We can't complain. It is a wonderful service MSK offers 
between the Hope Lodge and its different Manhattan locations. We just buckle up 
and hold on to our coffee cups.

So today was Jim's important PET scan to determine if the cancer is in remission 
enough to move forward to transplant. We will know the answer tomorrow and
if we are lucky we might know the results tonight. Dr. Horwitz and Peggy are so
on top of Jim's care. Peggy emailed Jim earlier today asking how the sore on his
arm was. She said for us to send her a picture so she could discuss it with Dr. H.
That kind of care would never happen at home. It's the little things like that which
add up.

We were back at the Hope Lodge by 11:00 and I fixed Jimmy a late breakfast. He
wasn't able to eat anything until the scan was done. Then we spent a couple of
hours in the lounge on our floor reading (on the laptops). Thank goodness Jimmy 
bought his own laptop since we have been in New York. He used to share mine but 
now we are both always on them. 

I checked in with the eagles. The juvenile ones in Florida have learned to fly but still 
come back to the nest for food and will sleep the night in the nest or on a limb near the 
nest. The DC eaglets are hard to see. Most of the time mom or dad sits on them to
keep them warm and safe. They get up to feed them and that is the window of 
opportunity when I can get a picture.

So around 4:30 we heard from Peggy, the nurse practitioner. She said the transplant 
doctor still has to look at the scan and make a decision but Dr. Horwitz reviewed it 
and it looks like Jim is ready. So at this point it looks very promising Jim will be 
admitted April 1st. We will have a definite answer tomorrow so stay tuned. Jimmy and 
I hugged after hearing the positive news from Peggy and then looked at each other like
"this is so strange we are rejoicing you are going to transplant" but in reality he has no 
choice. We will get through everything. We just have to take it one day at a time.

Food Glorious Food

Today we had a big breakfast. First warm muesli cereal, then I heated up leftover roasted potato wedges for Jim with a fried egg on top and toast. Yes his appetite is back. What is better than a big breakfast but to get back in bed for a nap. That's what he did. It gave me time to catch up on emails, eagle cams and a few other things.

In the afternoon we took a walk back to the High Line trail. This is the trail we walked previously. We passed four dogs tied up in front of an apartment building. I guess they were waiting for their dog walker. They were all so well behaved. That is one thing about the NYC dogs, most are very well behaved.

Last time we walked the park we were confronted several times by bogus monks asking for money. There are signs warning tourists about this scam. After the second "monk" approached us handing us a gold token Jim decided to have some fun. He took the token and thanked him but we continued to walk on. The "monk" kept following us saying "peace" and trying to solicit money from us. We kept walking and he finally gave up. Here are a few signs of spring we saw.

            


After the High Line we walked to Chelsea Market. This was a bonus we found while walking around the Meat Packing District. Chelsea Market is a food hall and shopping area built in a former Nabisco factory complex where the Oreo cookie was invented and first produced. There were vendors and every kind of food imaginable. Jim and I went into The Lobster Place for lunch. He ordered a lobster roll and I got an Alaskan King Crab Leg.

Jim didn't want his picture taken but he graciously posed for me anyway. Chelsea Market was really a cool place.  After Chelsea we walked back to the Hope Lodge and were both pretty tired. I made Asian Lettuce Wraps for dinner and we chilled the rest of the night watching the Voice.  We walked over 6 miles today.

It was a good day!

Today I woke up and checked on the eagles. I was greeted with both parents sitting on or near the nest. This is the DC nest. The second egg hatched this morning so now there are two little fuzzballs. Jim is now calling me the bird lady. I've officially gone from the dog lady to bird lady. Strange things happen when you are cooped up in NYC playing the waiting game.

After breakfast we walked to Starbucks for coffee. I only drink cold-brewed and just my luck they didn't have any. We walked to two more Starbucks before I finally found one that had cold-brewed coffee. We didn't get much exercise because there are four Starbucks all within .1 mile of the Hope Lodge.

Today we thought we would change things up a little. We took our coffees and our laptops and went to sit on the 6th floor. The 6th floor is the guest floor and there are lots of big comfy couches and places to sit. Usually very few people are there and the windows on one wall are floor to ceiling. We wanted to have more light than our room offered. Anyway we got settled and about 6 young people came in and sat close to us. I wasn't sure what was going on because it didn't look like they were visiting anyone. Long story short they started playing music and games and making a lot of noise. Normally it wouldn't have bothered us but we were looking for a calm, quiet area to have our coffee. We ended up going to the lounge on our floor. That was a good call. They have recliners and we sat and chilled for awhile.

Around 3:00 we had our big meal of the day. I made salmon, roasted red potatoes with rosemary and arugula salad with apples and goat cheese. Jim has his appetite back so ya gotta eat when you can.
The afternoon was spent watching NCAA basketball and I started to go through our things to see what I can bring back home to lighten my load.

For dinner Jimmy wanted to go back to the pizza parlor he visited yesterday. We walked over there and he ate two pieces of pizza. The Knicks were playing at Madison Square Garden and there were lots of people walking around.

Doesn't he look happy eating his pizza? There are three must try types of pizza so between yesterday and today he has tried the top three.

The spot on his arm is a lot better. The antibiotics must be kicking in. Tuesday is the big day. Jim will have a PET scan to determine whether or not he will be admitted for transplant. In the meantime we are just hanging out and waiting.

One last thing I will leave you with, the baby eagles at the DC Arboretum. They are so precious, vulnerable and sweet. I don't know if mom or dad is feeding them but I was able to screenshot a couple of good shots.

Ain't No Crowds Here

Where did all the people go? It was a good day today. I started off the morning making homemade pancakes. It's a little challenging but I brought from home a couple of ingredients and bought the rest up here. Luckily by the time I got around to making them everyone had cleared out of the communal kitchen so we had it to ourselves. After breakfast we went back to the room. I was on eagle watch while Jimmy got the tax information ready to mail Jeff.

When we finally left the Hope Lodge our first stop was the post office. It is the main one in the city and it is famous for bearing the inscription "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds". I can't take credit for the photo, got it off the internet. We walked past Madison Square Garden to get to the post office. We were entertained by all the interesting people on our walk. Every corner has someone begging for money. Most are sitting quietly with a cardboard sign stating they are homeless or hungry. It is very sad yet puzzling. Many of the folks are young and there are jobs to be found in the city. There are also quite a few mentally ill people walking the streets, yelling out and talking to no one in particular. We passed a man as we walked into the post office yelling to himself. Then there are a lot of religious peddlers. Different groups of people with signs that want to talk to you about God or ask you for donations to their cause. We also passed a man walking through the street with a portable microphone yelling Donald Trump is Donald Duck.

After the post office we started to walk to Whole Foods for dinner ingredients. A pizza parlor caught Jimmy's eye and he ducked in to see what it was about. He ended up getting a slice and it has been the best pizza he has tasted so far since being in New York.
NY Pizza Suprema has been family owned for 45 years. They only offered plain pizza by the slice until 1988 when they branched out. It has been ranked Manhattan's #1 pizza. I am excited because after transplant when Jimmy comes back to the Hope Lodge he will not be able to eat single slice pizza but will be able to eat from a whole pizza provided they do not cut it. Now I know where to walk to get him something he will like. Too bad they don't make a gluten free pie.

We eventually made it to Whole Foods and bought enough ingredients for two nights of dinner. There were no crowds in the store. Very unusual for a Saturday in the city.

We passed a few dogs on our way to the store. There aren't as many down around Penn Station. The white ones were 9 month old English bulldogs and the tan one was a French bulldog.
Speaking of dogs. Today is my precious Boo's birthday. He is 9 years old today. Jim and I miss him more than you can imagine. I'm sure time doesn't affect him like it does us. Thank the Lord for our good friends Jane and John, along with their dog JJ, who are taking care of Boo.

Baby Eagle Has Arrived

TGIF...That acronym doesn't mean anything to me these days. I used to be excited about Fridays and the beginning of the weekend. For now there is no differentiating between a weekday and the weekend. Every day is the same. It is strange because we are not busy, we do not have many scheduled appointments but we are not relaxed and chill like you would feel on vacation. Of course we are not on vacation.

I spent a couple of hours this morning watching the DC Arboretum Eagles on the webcam. Here are a few screen shot pictures I captured. One of the eggs hatched today and the little fuzzball emerged.

At 11:00 we took the shuttle to the clinic to meet with Peggy. Jimmy had blood work and also had Peggy look at the red spot on his forearm. The spot still looks inflamed and angry so they started him on antibiotics. He is a little dehydrated so we have to push the fluids. I'm glad we saw Peggy before the start of the weekend. We don't want to end up in the Urgent Care.

After the clinic we stopped for lunch. There is a sandwich shop called Lenwich which makes fresh sandwiches and Jim likes the corned beef/pastrami sandwich with coleslaw and Russian dressing. There is nothing for me there so we took his sandwich and went across the street to Le Pain Quotidien where I bought a yummy salad with gluten free bread and melted goat cheese. After lunch we quickly went to the post office and the grocery store before heading back to the hospital to catch the shuttle. Funny thing as I looked out the window of the shuttle as it approached the Hope Lodge there were 5 or 6 people walking down the street with Virginia Tech shirts on. The NCAA Wrestling Championship was going on at Madison Square Garden so I wonder if VT was represented? I wanted to scream "Go Hokies!" out the window but refrained.

Not much happened the rest of the day. After dinner we went back to the room for more NCAA basketball. I know I mentioned it before but our room is cozy and very nice. It is a nice place to retreat to.

If God sends you down a stony path, may he give you strong shoes.

Today we woke up with the luck of the Irish. Sounds good and it's St. Patrick's Day so I thought I would say it. We have to have luck on our side and good medical care too. By 9:00 we started to hear the rowdy people making their way from Penn Station to who knows where. The parade started at 11:00. Jimmy and I sat in the little study area of our room and watched the parade on television like two retired people. I hate to say it but we enjoyed some of it. Of course we were doing other things at the same time. Jim checked in with the folks at the office today. The ladies in the office make an Irish lunch every year and he was feeling a bit nostalgic about missing out on it.

At 3:00 we had an online webcam meeting with one of the nurses at MSK concerning transplant and what to expect during the process. It was an hour long meeting and Jim's parents and Debby were also able to sign in and listen from their homes.


After the webinar with MSK we walked outside to see what craziness was occurring on St. Patrick's Day. Jimmy had to have a Guinness for old time sake. We went into an Irish pub and it was like a flashback to the old college days. Crowded space, super loud music, drunk people, and a lot of beer spilled on the floor. Only this time a plastic cup of Guinness cost Jim $9.00.

I think we were the only ones not carded when entering the pub. Good thing because I did not think to bring an ID with me. Jim had his Guinness and then we left. I wish I could post the videos I took of some funny men attempting to dance an Irish jig.


The rest of the night...NCAA basketball.

Taking the High Line

I woke this morning to the sounds of the bells from the Catholic Church next door. What a pleasant way to wake up. It was 7:00. I pretended just for a moment that I was back in Europe. 35 years ago Jimmy and I traveled there and most of the churches had bell towers. This tiny church on West 32nd Street with the copper steeple sits squashed between giant high-rises but when the bells ring out it temporarily blocks the harsh noise from the streets below. Some of the rooms on the backside of the Hope Lodge face the steeple, unfortunately not ours. 

After we finally got going today we decided to explore and take a walk. Jimmy wasn't feeling it but he did anyway and he is glad he did. We walked to High Line, a linear park built on an elevated section of an abandoned portion of New York Central Railroad. We ended up walking 4 1/2 miles in all at a leisurely pace. 

When we got back to the Hope Lodge it was still so nice out. There is a terrace off the 6th floor guest area. It has been too cold in the past to stay out there for long. Today they moved the furniture back out. I walked out and sat looking at all the busy and sometimes crazy people below. I can see the Empire State Building in the distance and the beautiful copper Gimbels Bridge. It's prettier if you look up rather than street level around here. Pretty soon the pots will have plants growing and the patio will be more inviting for people. I still find it incredibly lucky that we will be able to stay in this facility after Jimmy is discharged from the hospital. When people give to the American Cancer Society this is just one example of where that money goes. The Hope Lodge will be a peaceful temporary home where Jim can concentrate on recovery.