Dear Life, I’m reading MARROW, Love, Loss, and What Matters Most by Elizabeth Lesser. An excellent memoir teaching me about cancer, family, intimacy, life. Each day, I embark on my Journey, inner and outer, experimenting with curiosity that sometimes is promoted by restlessness and big questions: Am I cancer-free? Can and will my desire for intimacy be met? What will I impart to my daughter? Will I travel to new places in the world? Where will my creativity land on when I sit at the painting table? Golden stem Cells. Will they proliferate and keep me alive in order to live and do a new body of work? Have a new life? A glimpse of what wakes up with me. Imprint.
Yours Truly, Pamela Rose

Dear Life, The blood results were good, holding at the low range of normal. I’ll happily take it! Stem Cells are miraculous. They multiply in the bone marrow then permeate my bone walls to morph into whatever cells my body needs. It’s the mystery of life going on inside of each and every one of us. I’m celebrating new freedom: safely masked and careful of contact, I can go to a store or a restaurant off hours when there’s not too much traffic. Outing today: I need a broom so I will go to ACE Hardware. YAY! A little late for Halloween but here I go! Thanks for all the positive vibes!
Yours Truly, Pamela Rose

• 

• 

Dear Life, Meet my upstairs neighbor. We are enjoying a visit in our outdoor common space and affirming “sisterhood”. I am grateful to make new friends, walk new roads, and be feeling better. At 8:15am today, I’m getting important blood tests then see Dr. Snyder. Please send out those powerful good vibes, prayers, and thoughts. I’m hoping to see improvement. Thank you for the support.
Yours Truly, Pamela Rose

Dear Life, This question came into the collage and it is good to ask, “Where am I?” First, I look at my feet. Physical: Keep it real, in the body, and answer honestly. More energy each day, peach fuzz on my head, occasional setbacks coupled with fatigue. Mental: self-awareness and focus otherwise the ego-mind can take me to places I don’t want to be: cacophony instead of clarity. Emotional: being present, loving and careful about future calibrating. Live in this moment, in this day, and it’s manageable. Restlessness needs to be met with engaging quarantine activities: a walk in the new hood, reading that satisfies my soul, cooking healthy meal, binge-watching Apple TV series for night-time distraction. Spirit is in it all. Joy, tears, laughter, anger, solitude, curiosity, fear, faith, connecting with others.
Where am I? Alive and reporting from bed!
Yours Truly, Pamela Rose

• 

• 

Collage

Dear Life, There’s a lot going on inside of me. Acceptance is key to inner peace and a fulfilling life regardless of circumstances. Sounds impossible, I know for anyone, especially when grief, loss, health or financial problems loom, but it’s not impossible. I have come to know peace when I don’t judge; neither good nor bad; this is. No dangling modifiers like “this sucks”. Although, it’s been said, cancer sucks.
Learning a lot in the School of “This is” Living.
Yours Truly, Pamela Rose

Dear Life, Less is more today. Grateful to wake up, be alive, sober, and be loved. Love right back at you.
Yours Truly Pamela Rose

Dear Life, I immersed myself in a collage that had many elements. Adding more images felt better as each piece fell into place. Life is like that, too. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Letting people, places and things come and go makes a difference at the table. The unexpected happens. I’ve been feeling physically good then had a night of uncomfortable symptoms that reminds me, I’m still very much healing. I have to bring care and concern, love and compassion to myself every morning. Then to others. Health first.
Yours Truly, Pamela Rose

• 

• 

Dear Life, These are two studio tables set up squarely in middle of front room. Nice light, space to move around and do table projects. I’ve been collaging. Projects are percolating. It’s wonderful to be living in a central downtown location. Robert Stivers, friend and photographer, stopped by with a roasted chicken. We sat at the kitchen table for an hour discussing new studios, art, and life. There is a long tradition of artists hanging out together in studios and at kitchen tables. Long live the eat-in kitchen and home art studio. Long Live Me!
Yours Truly, Pamela Rose

• 

• 

Dear Life, I loved brightly colored, wooden, building blocks as a child (pre-legos). Captured my imagination and kept my hands busy, important for a girl who is a Gemini. I also love old printing presses that used blocks like these. Found this image in a magazine. The green heart represents life and healing and love. Green Satin and Red Sequins. Look for the Sparkles In Life. Often, we glimpse them out of the periphery of the eye but today, pause, turn and look with Eyes Of Curiosity and Love. See how Life lights up each Sparkle.
Yours Truly, Pamela Rose