springtime change and growth

from  blossoms to green nuts
from preop to postop surgery
from 300 to 600 to 1000 origami cranes

Change is abound everywhere!

Our tree with the beautiful February pink blossoms is now covered in amazing green almonds!  It was such a wonderful surprise.  We thought the tree was a crab apple tree. 

 

Our mulberry tree is covered in green berries too!

 

And the lemon tree just keeps on giving!

 

The lemon tree smelled so good I decided to bring a little bit of it inside.

The whole kitchen smells like lemons.

 

 

I finished folding my 1000 origami cranes the day before my surgery.  It felt good to finish them and it really put me in a positive space before surgery.  I had so much quiet contemplative time while folding.  It really was a very positive experience.  My surgery went well and I was home the same day.  It was a long day but I was glad to be able to not have to stay in the hospital.  The doctors said that all went well and they believe they were able to get all of the cancer and my ovaries are still intact.  We are still waiting for a pathology report which we will hear about at my first post op appointment next Wednesday but I feel good and am praying for the best.  Recovery has been quick.  I was off of pain meds before the first week and now I am just waiting release from restrictions.  I have been able to rest a lot and I've been working on my crane project.  I have been stringing them together to create a mobile and I now have 400 done.  Hoping Wednesday appointment goes well and I will be released to exercise, walk the dogs and drive again.  Driving again would be nice.

from 300

 



 

to 600

 

to 1000!

 

 

 

 

and now strung together

 

100

 

200 

300

 

Can't wait to put them together in a mobile!

 

 

 

 

                                    

 

 

1000 origami cranes

I can't believe it's already March.  And I can't believe I haven't posted in over two weeks.  I wanted to do a post a day for the month of February but then I got sick.  Flat on my back sick with the crud that everyone is passing around.  It totally wiped me out and it's still lingering. 

 

Two weeks has brought me closer to my surgery.  I had my preop appointment with my doctor last week and today I go in for preop lab work. 

 

 

After my preop appointment my surgery became much more real and I  realized I needed to do something to prepare for the loss of my womb and honor all that I am currently experiencing.  I came across the story of 1000 origami cranes in the months before our wedding when I was doing a lot of wedding project blog reading and after more reading I've decided it's just what I was looking for. 

 

Legend of the 1000 origami cranes tells that anyone who folds 1000 origami cranes can be granted one wish.  I found online that the cranes have come to represent many things for many people and they've been folded for many different wishes including peace from war, happy fulfilled marriages and recovery from illness. 

 

For me the most inspirational reading I found was by Stacie Tamaki on why she folds origami cranes:

 

"I think the wish for peace encompasses all of the other things people wish for, peace for our bodies, minds and souls. As is so often the case in times of war, it is the story of a single child that crosses national boundaries and touches the world. My inspiration comes from the hope that someday we will all find peace within ourselves, and by doing so, will create peace in the world."

 

I would like to find peace with my body and all that I am experiencing.  I don't want to be angry anymore.  The process of folding has been therapeutic and meditative.  It is helping.  My husband and friends will be folding cranes too.  We have lots of leftover programs from our wedding that my husband will be folding cranes from and friends will be using paper that is meaningful to them.