"We ask justice, we ask equality, we ask that all the civil and political rights that belong to citizens of the United States, be guaranteed to us and our daughters forever." —Susan B. Anthony, Declaration of Rights for Women, July 1876

The year of the woman, 1876...or 2012?  Unbelievable we are going through all this again.  The gentleman from Wisconsin who is attempting to make the claim that women do not care about money because men are the breadwinners and this is why there is such a difference in pay between men and women, needs to come talk with me.  Sir, I am the breadwinner in this family.  In fact, I am the ONLY breadwinner in this family because my husband cannot work.  If you think for one moment that I do not care about money, you are sadly mistaken.  It is on my mind every minute of every day.  Yes, I make enough to pay our bills, but do I make enough to have saved for a rainy day?  No.  Do I make enough to have saved plenty for retirement?  No.  Do I make enough to cover any emergencies that are definitely going to arise as Sam progresses through his illness?  NO.  Am I making the same amount I would be making if I were a man?  Most definitely not.  Let me clarify, I am not complaining about how much I am paid, because I am paid very well for what I do.  That being said, I am not paid at the same level of my male counterparts for my level of education and experience.  Not even close.  It is a constant battle and it is extremely frustrating and very exhausting.  Let me tell you, though, I will never stop fighting for equality because not only am I fighting for myself, but I am fighting for every single female who comes after me.

Veggies at the State Fair last year.
Do these look like the veggies in your garden?

Ok, enough of today's rant.

Not having any current pictures to post, I decided to look in our "archives" and post a picture from last year's Alaska State Fair.  It is always amazing to us the size of the vegetables.  I thought seeing them might motivate the gardeners out there.  Did it work?

Things seem to be changing with Sam's health and I cannot decide whether it is mental, physical, or both. His activity level is much lower than it ever before and so is his energy level.  In some ways I am sure they are related (less exercise, less energy) but I also think that he is entering a new phase of the cancer and this is something I need to get used to.  Today he told me he feels that I am trying to get him to do things I want him to do and not encouraging and supporting him to make good decisions for himself.  Of course, being the person I am, I quickly denied it, but he is right in a way.  I want him to get out and walk in the fresh air and not just sit in his recliner all day. Exercise is very important for cancer patients, and he knows this.  However, I am slowly starting to understand that the pain is not only reaching a new and different level, it is also occurring in new places and he is trying to adjust to that.  It might be that his exercise is going to be limited to the weekends when I am able to convince him to go with me to the gym and use the treadmill and elliptical.  On the other hand, it might be he is bored out of his mind because he does brighten up and get excited when we talk about fishing!  I am thinking it is a combination of everything.  This is just part of the roller coaster ride of the cancer journey.

Work is extremely busy these days and for that, I am extremely grateful.  Makes the day go by faster and each day is different than the day before.  The best part is the people I work with. They are phenomenal and I truly enjoy being there.

Because work is so busy, I will not be posting every day.  I thought I better mention that if you have not already figured it out.  Sometimes by the time I get home my brain is completely fried and the last thing I want to do is work on the computer.  Please do not let that stop you from contacting us, though.  If any of you have a minute, and feel like chatting with someone, you can always call Sam.  If he is awake, he is always willing to chat, or at least listen.  Email me and I will be happy to give you his number.  Even better, if you live here, call him and see if he wants to go do something, but don't you dare tell him I told you to.  He does not read my blog so I am not worried about him seeing this...well...at least for now!

Make it a great day!

Ciao!