Traces - One artist's Breast Cancer Journey. Finding wellness through art, writing, photography, and travel.
 
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I just finished a little project I've been working on for a week or so. It was so much fun to do something creative!

Steve and I bought this little 20-drawer cabinet in St. George several years ago. He, of course, asked, "What are you going to do with it?" One of its cardboard (yes, that's what the drawers are made of) drawers had been severely rotted out by water damage, and the vinyl-coated fabric fronts were all crazed and brittle. the bottom of the cabinet was being held together with a ratcheted cable strap, and it was being used in the antique shop in this condition to store supplies like receipt books. It was covered in dust, so dilapidated, and I thought it was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. I responded to Steve that it didn't matter if I never used it for anything, it was just too cute to leave behind. I had to have it.

We negotiated a fair price with the antiques vendor, and stuffed the cabinet, dust-bunnies dirt, straps and all, into the back seat of our car. After being deposited unceremoniously next to our bicycles, yard gear, and camping equipment in the garage, the poor little thing was (by necessity) ignored for 3 or 4 years while I finished school and discovered breast cancer. Last week I got a bug in my ear, and this sweet little cabinet is now sharing its rightful square footage in our already-crowded-with-furniture house. I don't care! It has given me joy, once again, to see an old item be made over and loved. Steve fixed the problem of the broken base with the missing piece, which we found in the bottom of the cabinet (BONUS!), and it is now standing proudly. I refaced most of the drawers with new paper. I'm leaving 6 of the drawers as they were when I bought it, and the rest have been sturdy-fied and prettified. I need your opinions about whether or not to put paper into the side inserts. Please tell me what you think!

I just thought you'd like to see one of the ways I'm trying to keep out of trouble. And in case you're wondering about my cancer, I'd say I'm much better off than I was a year ago. I feel pretty good most of the time and I have twice the energy. Intestinal issues and a bout of nausea every so often is a small price to pay for having some of my life back. I'm not free of the cancer, and I'm still stage 4 (I continue to have some active cells on my bones and in my brain), but life is better right now than it was a year ago. Also, in the last year I got two new grandsons (it sounds like the measles or something, to say "I got", but I can't think of another way to put it at the moment), and they are so sweet. What more could I ask for?

I have another PET scan tomorrow, and I see the doc on Monday to find out where treatment is going for the next little while, since my brain tumors are growing ever so slightly, and my docs want that nonsense halted.

Thanks again to all of you who have been so supportive. We appreciate your kind words and prayers on our behalf.

~Jayna

P.S. Noah pretends to be shy on the left, and Jayce is showing off his two new teeth on the right.

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