We relocated nine months ago in Virginia and looking forward to share our next phase of managing cancer while enjoying life.
However, I have created a website that also has a blog, which I will be doing a daily journal with our experiences in our new environment. Please join me there and continue to support my writings. Go to https://www.thejourneytogoodhealth.com/blog-1
Until tomorrow, take it slow and give your soul a chance to catch up with your body.
This is Dan’s and my third Christmas here at Hotel Perico in Mexico.The start of the holiday was with our friends at Hotel Perico in the office celebrating the season with tamales.Tamales have been consumed here as far back as 8000 B.C.Afterwards we played picturnary, which my team won.It was fabulous for the Spanish and English speakers both played together without any trouble.
Dan and I then joined into the yoga class on the Terrassa on Christmas Eve day, which helped us to stay focus on the NOW, the moment.While in class I could hear in the background the birds chirping and the workers working.
After, we rode in to Guadalajara to get in the festive mood by visiting the Galleria Mall.In the center there is a huge Christmas tree with Santa nearby, this brought back memories when I would bring our daughter to the local mall near our home in the states.Look there is Santa asking a little boy what he wants for Christmas. As we were walking we stumbled across a Casino right there in the mall.
Dan and I could not believe it, that’s the first for us. We both enjoyed some Italian coffee at a café and then off to the central square.
We thought there would be lights and all, but to our surprise there was a skating rink right in the center of the square along with two Santa's.
Before this month, I always looked forward to the weekend,
but now I am very unsure. I am not looking ahead. The reason is that I do not
want to face the coming days.
With my
husband and daughter by my side the weekend came and went. We spent a quiet
time at the park and having a picnic. With nature around us, we stopped
thinking of our health problems.
It's the big day! The radiologist would be calling with
results. Ring! Ring! Ring! The caller ID showed the number for the hospital. I
picked it up and said hi. He responded, "Hello and how is your day
going?" I said great and then I asked him the same question. We were
making small talk and under my breath trying to avoid the real reason he
called. I spoke up, saying, “I hope you have good news.”
He replied, "Sorry, I do not." He explained the
findings--I had cancer and he would be contacting my doctor. The next thing I
can remember is handing the phone over to Dan. Now it was up to him to ask any
questions needed. All appeared silent for a while and then the hugs. I am not
letting this disease run my life.
That afternoon we received another call from our doctor. Dan
put him on speaker phone so both of us could hear what he had to say. He advised
me of a surgeon, who is the best in this area. His nurse would contact their
office and schedule an appointment. The clock kept on ticking and time kept on
going slowly, while we decided to come up with Plan B.
Wealth, what is it? Many of us are wealthy
in numerous ways although we simply do not recognize it. Enjoy the wealth you already
have in your family, friends, in your health, in your freedom, in your knowledge,
and most importantly within yourself.
FIVE YEAR LATER
12-11-2015
Today I am
feeling fabulous health wise.I am no
longer afraid of the word CANCER nor the disease.Through the years I have learned how to
prevent this from coming back.I woke up
today with a peace of mind and my husband acting silly.He put on my colorful comforter that I made and
acted like a ghost.I was not scared for
it was like a rainbow, the only thing that I wished was that there was a pot of
gold at the end.
Living here
in Mexico taught me more patience and that there are other places to discover
and appreciate. Where I live it’s in a
community of Americans and Canadians with of course Mexicans. I live on the grounds of Hotel Perico and see a
variety of people from all over.It is
never dull.Dan and I have enjoyed the
peaceful surroundings.We wake up to
birds singing and clean air on top of our hill.
I feel Christmas in my soul for down the hill
is a Walmart and like the states they have all the trimmings with Christmas
music.
So, this
Christmas is very special to Dan and I for I am very humble that the choice we
made five years ago not having surgery, chemo nor radiation was the best gift
that I could of received.Dr. Perez, Dr.
Garcia, Vera Lopez and the team taught me that you can heal yourself with the proper
knowledge without harming your body.The
gift that I cherish the most is the friendships and family from all over that
prayed and wished me positive feedback in healing.
May this
holiday season bring all a peaceful and worriless Christmas.Cherish the time and enjoy every moment for
the future we cannot predict, only the here and now.
It is the season to be jolly and for me this saying is so close to home.This month five years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and life was uncertain.We all have journeys in life and the road can turn at any time.I am so thankful and humble that choices along the path were good ones.For I am here today to write along with Dan, my journey of joy, peace and happiness.
We moved to Mexico close to three years ago, not knowing what our future would bring.Adhering to the culture and climate, I could not ask for a better place to spend our time healing from this awful disease.Even though Dan and I are cancer free, it does not change the fact that cancer is the word that will be stuck in our minds.We continue to keep up with the home program of supplements, meditation, exercise and eating and using organic products.This will be our lifestyle until the end, but more than happy to do this instead of surgery, chemo or radiation.
Dan and I have met several friends here in the Ajijic area, some are Mexican, Canadian and American.Our home is small, but it’s our home decorated with Mexican style furniture and handmade items.I am also creating different pieces that surrounds our space.I planted a garden and different vegetables and I pick to eat with pleasure.We have made this our home for a while and hope for others to come and see the beauty Lake Chapala offers.
Thanksgiving was fabulous, I made our turkey dinner and went over to Hotel Perico and we had a delightful dinner among our friends. What made it special, there was only about six Americans and the others were from Mexico and Canada.Before dinner we went around the table to give thanks and what we have been grateful for this past year.Of course, I said “LIFE”.There was this little boy and his was “GRAVEY”.Life is good!
The first year I arrived in Mexico that Christmas I picked up a unique tree.It was made from the branches of trees.The tree represents to me life and it is decorated with sparkling bright lights. My mother gave me an ornament before leaving, a heart with the words ~ FAMILY legacy of lifetime.This is hanging from the tree along with an ornament that my daughter and her fiancé mailed to us last year.Those items make up a tree of treasures and memories.
Let the holidays begin with all to be thankful that we have one another to love and treasure.
IT’S SAFE IN MEXICO
FOR HUMANS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BULLS?
Since we moved to Mexico, Dan has been wanting to experience
the culture around us.From time to time
we have been visiting different areas that are on Dan’s bucket list.Just three weeks ago we visited Mexico City
and was very surprised of the size and how easy it was to communicate without
speaking Spanish.It reminded me of New
York City, but larger.After visiting; we
realized that it is the sixth largest city in the world.
Well, getting off the track ~ let me tell you a secret.Dan and I was going to go to a bull fight in
Mexico City, but did not have time so when we got back to the Chapala area he
looked up the bull fight schedule in Guadalajara.They were still around!!!Dan said, why not this week end.
So off we went to Plaza De Toros where the famous bull
fights take place.So naïve, I did not
think about what it consisted of, just that it was a culture that we wanted to
experience while we lived in Mexico. Well the stadium was exactly how I had pictured it would be, however
when it came to the bull fight show I was shocked.
I am sure that the matador has talent and the skill of an
ancient tradition, but I saw it as torture on the bull’s part.It’s something that Dan and I will only
experience once. Now we can check it off our bucket list.
To understand why and how, I did a little of searching and
found this. Bullfighting traces its roots to prehistoric bull worship and
sacrifice in Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean region. The first recorded
bullfight may be the Epic of Gilgamesh, which describes a scene in which
Gilgamesh and Enkidu fought and killed the Bull of Heaven ("The Bull
seemed indestructible, for hours they fought, till Gilgamesh dancing in front
of the Bull, lured it with his tunic and bright weapons, and Enkidu thrust his
sword, deep into the Bull's neck, and killed it"). Bull leaping was
portrayed in Crete, and myths related to bulls throughout Greece. The killing
of the sacred bull (tauroctony) is the essential central iconic act of Mithras,
which was commemorated in the mithraeum wherever Roman soldiers were stationed.
The oldest representation of what seems to be a man facing a bull is on the
Celtiberian tombstone from Clunia and the cave painting El toro de hachos, both
found in Spain.
Bullfighting is often linked to Rome, where many
human-versus-animal events were held as competition and entertainment, the
Venationes. These hunting games spread to Africa, Europe and Asia during Roman
times. There are also theories that it was introduced into Hispania by the
Emperor Claudius, as a substitute for gladiators, when he instituted a
short-lived ban on gladiatorial combat. The latter theory was supported by
Robert Graves (picadors are related to warriors who wielded the javelin, but
their role in the contest is now a minor one limited to "preparing"
the bull for the matador.) Spanish colonists took the practice of breeding
cattle and bullfighting to the American colonies, the Pacific and Asia. In the
19th century, areas of southern and southwestern France adopted bullfighting,
developing their own distinctive form.
Mithras killing a
bull
Religious festivities and royal weddings were celebrated by
fights in the local plaza, where noblemen would ride competing for royal favor,
and the populace enjoyed the excitement. In the Middle Ages across Europe,
knights would joust in competitions on horseback. In Spain, they began to fight
bulls.
In medieval Spain bullfighting was considered a noble sport
and reserved to the rich, who could afford to supply and train their animals.
The bull was released into a closed arena where a single fighter on horseback
was armed with a lance. This spectacle was said to be enjoyed by Charlemagne,
Alfonso X the Wise and the Almohad caliphs, among others. The greatest Spanish
performer of this art is said to have been El Cid. According chronicle of the
time, in 1128 "... when Alfonso VII of León and Castile married Berengaria
of Barcelona daughter of Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona at Saldaña
among other celebrations, there were also bullfights."
The Spanish introduced the practice of fighting bulls on
foot around 1726. Francisco Romero is generally regarded as having been the
first to do this. This type of fighting drew more attention from the crowds.
Thus the modern corrida, or fight, began to take form, as riding noblemen were
replaced by commoners on foot. This new style prompted the construction of
dedicated bullrings, initially square, like the Plaza de Armas, and later
round, to discourage the cornering of the action.
The modern style of Spanish bullfighting is credited to Juan
Belmonte, generally considered the greatest matador of all time. Belmonte
introduced a daring and revolutionary style, in which he stayed within a few
centimetres of the bull throughout the fight. Although extremely dangerous
(Belmonte was gored on many occasions), his style is still seen by most
matadors as the ideal to be emulated.
Today, bullfighting continues traditions established in
1726, when Francisco Romero, from Ronda, Spain, used the muleta in the last
stage of the fight and an estoque to kill the bull.
Spanish-style bullfighting is called corrida de toros
(literally "running of bulls") or la fiesta ("the
festival"). In the traditional corrida, three matadores each fight two
bulls, each of which is between four and six years old and weighs no less than
460 kg (1,014 lb).Each matador has six assistants—two picadores ("lancers
on horseback") mounted on horseback, three banderilleros – who along with
the matadors are collectively known as toreros ("bullfighters") – and
a mozo de espadas ("sword page"). Collectively they comprise a
cuadrilla ("entourage"). In Spanish the more general torero is used
for the lead fighter, and only when needed to distinguish a man is the full
title matador de toros used; in English, "matador" is generally used
for the bullfighter.
Structure
The modern corrida is highly ritualized, with three distinct
stages or tercios ("thirds"); the start of each being announced by a
bugle sound. The participants enter the arena in a parade, called the paseíllo,
to salute the presiding dignitary, accompanied by band music. Torero costumes
are inspired by 17th-century Andalusian clothing, and matadores are easily
distinguished by the gold of their traje de luces ("suit of lights"),
as opposed to the lesser banderilleros, who are also known as toreros de plata
("bullfighters of silver").
Tercio de Varas
The bull is released into the ring, where he is tested for
ferocity by the matador and banderilleros with the magenta and gold capote
("cape"). This is the first stage, the tercio de varas ("the
lancing third"). The matador confronts the bull with the capote, performing
a series of passes and observing the behavior and quirks of the bull.
Next, a picador enters the arena on horseback armed with a
vara (lance). To protect the horse from the bull's horns, the animal wears a
protective, padded covering called peto. Prior to 1930, the horses did not wear
any protection. Often the bull would disembowel the horse during this stage.
Until the use of protection was instituted, the number of horses killed during
a fiesta generally exceeded the number of bulls killed.
At this point, the picador stabs just behind the morrillo, a
mound of muscle on the fighting bull's neck, weakening the neck muscles and
leading to the animal's first loss of blood. The manner in which the bull
charges the horse provides important clues to the matador about which side the
bull favors. If the picador is successful, the bull will hold its head and
horns slightly lower during the following stages of the fight. This ultimately
enables the matador to perform the killing thrust later in the performance. The
encounter with the picador often fundamentally changes the behaviour of a bull;
distracted and unengaging bulls will become more focused and stay on a single
target instead of charging at everything that moves.
Tercio de Banderillas
In the next stage, the tercio de banderillas ("the
third of banderillas"), each of the three banderilleros attempts to plant
two banderillas, sharp barbed sticks, into the bull's shoulders. These anger
and agitate, but further weaken, the bull. He tires from his attacks on the
horse and the damage he has taken from the lance. Sometimes a matador will
place his own banderillas. If so, he usually embellishes this part of his
performance and employs more varied manoeuvres than the standard al cuarteo
method commonly used by banderilleros.
Tercio de Muerte
In the final stage, the tercio de muerte ("the third of
death"), the matador re-enters the ring alone with a small red cape, or
muleta, and a sword. It is a common misconception that the color red is
supposed to anger the bull; the animals are colorblind. The cape is thought to
be red to mask the bull's blood, although the color is now a matter of
tradition. The matador uses his cape to attract the bull in a series of passes,
which serve the dual purpose of wearing the animal down for the kill and
creating an interesting display, or faena. He may also demonstrate his
domination of the bull by caping and bringing it especially close to his body.
The faena refers to the entire performance with the cape (muleta).
It is usually broken down into tandas, or
"series", of passes. The series (tanda) ends with a final series of
passes in which the matador, using the cape, tries to maneuver the bull into a
position to stab it between the shoulder blades and through the aorta or heart.
The sword is called estoque, and the act of thrusting the sword is called an
estocada. During the initial series, while the matador in part is performing
for the crowd, he uses a fake sword (estoque simulado). This is made of wood or
aluminum, making it lighter and much easier to handle. The estoque de verdad
(real sword) is made out of steel. At the end of the tercio de muerte, when the
matador has finished his faena, he will change swords to take up the steel one.
He performs the estocada and kills the bull with a pierce through the heart, if
all goes according to plan. Many times the bull does not get pierced through
the heart during the estocada initially, and repeated efforts must be made to
bring the bull down and end his life.
If the matador has performed particularly well, the crowd
may petition the president by waving white handkerchiefs to award the matador
an ear of the bull. If his performance was exceptional, the president will
award two ears. In certain more rural rings, the practice includes award of the
bull's tail. Very rarely, if the public or the matador believe that the bull
has fought extremely bravely, the event's president may be petitioned to grant
the bull a pardon (indulto). If the indulto is granted, the bull's life is
spared; it leaves the ring alive and is returned to its home ranch. There the
bull becomes a stud for the rest of his life.
2015-FERIA MAESTROS
de ARTE AT CLUB de YATES de CHAPALA
Last Saturday Dan and I experienced the talented art work of
Mexico.We not only seen fine art, but
the culture of Mexico through them. Before today we did not know that there was a yacht club here in
Chapala.The atmosphere was very
peaceful and the scenery was breath taking with the music of the Mariachi
Femenil Mujer Latina playing in the background.
Club de Yates de Chapala was inaugurated in 1960. Many of
the original Guadalajaran and local families who were members when the Club
opened, are still members today. Whereas the level of water in the lake was
once in peril, Lake Chapala has rebounded due to several years of heavy
rainfall, a local group Los Amigos del Lago applying for and being granted
membership in Living Lakes (a non-governmental worldwide project to save
lakes), and other intervention on the lake's behalf.
Located on the shore
of Lake Chapala, Club de Yates de Chapala's beautiful facility includes boat
launching and storage, restaurant, swimming pool, soccer field, and beautiful
grounds. Whereas, a few years ago, you would not have seen pleasure boats on
the lake, today the boat tours to Mexcala and Alacran Islands are up and
running from the Chapala pier, and members of the yacht club regularly take out
their sailboats, etc. to enjoy the lake.
Comodoro (commodore) Juan Luis de Limelette Farah is
dedicated to bringing culture and new members to the yacht club. The Feria was
delighted when in 2007 this facility became the new home for Feria Maestros del
Arte. The hope is to be there for many
years to come. The location is a beautiful one with all the white tents set up
against the backdrop of Lake Chapala.
The folk and indigenous art available at this show is
diverse and there are no middle-man prices because the artists pay nothing to
attend the show - no booth fee, no percentage of sales, they are housed with
local families and fed while at the show. The artists are very grateful to the
Club de Yates de Chapala for allowing them to use their facility.
My mother sent this article to me the other day. It hits close to home for Dan and I. For this is exactly what I have been fighting for the past five years. Stem Cells ~ it is a treatment that works and does not leave side effects and will kill the cancer. We need to wake up and fight for this to be covered and used to kill cancer and stop the chemo that is killing us. Please if you did not yet sign my petition to change lives without side effects and teach preventions go to
