I think my bicycle was my best friend as a kid. It gave me incredible freedom. I was often gone from home for hours, pedaling all over town, playing and getting into slight tween trouble. There was a small dirt path behind the three large apartments on the main drag in town. The path was…

During radiation, I envisioned being on the beach with my family. I always had Hawaii as my destination of choice to celebrate remission or maybe I should aptly say “getting through treatment.” I thought of Chris, our three kids and me frolicking in the teal blue waves, playing together with the tan sand and lush…

It is crazy for me to process my cancer diagnosis only two years ago. It seems like a lifetime ago and yesterday at the same time. Cancer itself has been a whole blur of a journey inside another journey of simply living life. A detour I hope to never have to re-do. It has been…

Lately, I have been feeling more unsettled in my decision making. Constantly questioning if I am making the right choice. Questions big and questions inconsequential are all debated. Should I color my gray hair?Are we doing everything to help our youngest and his reading scores? Is this paint color too yellow? How should we furnish…

I was playing catch with my youngest a couple weeks ago. We were burning time while Dylan had her soccer practice. Recently, he has been wanted to work on pitching. Ok, no problem. I’ll catch. As I crouched down into a catching position a flood for diarrhea was unleashed. I stood up quickly hoping to…

I had a massage the other day. One of the “perks” offered at the cancer hospital are free massages during cancer treatments or up to 6 months after a last treatment. It is supposed to relax the body. A relaxed body receives treatment better and recovers faster. Currently, my feet are numb making my calves…

It’s safe to say that academics were not my jam. I am going to take you on a journey of my stellar academic career: One of my earliest pre-school memories is the toad tank. I wanted to touch the toad and there was a small hole in the top of the glass tank. When the…

I have always thought storms were cool…to an extent. A good thunderstorm while you snuggle deeper into your warm covers is amazing. Waking up to a beautiful, snow covered ground is also another favorite. Massive floods rushing away homes, cars and lives. Scary. And no thank you. Wild fires that lick thousands of acres and…

It has been a hot minute since I have posted any update. There have been a lot of things happening in the Martin household. First up: This past week, I wore a double strapped bra for the first time since May 10, 2024. I haven’t worn a double strapped bra because one of the straps…

My house growing up was not big or flashy. My parents built it in 1979 and it is a little over 2,100 square feet. We were the second house on the cul-de-sac. It was a simple two-story with gray siding and dark shutters on the second story. A small front porch and a great backyard.…