So much gratitute ~ and SO many butterflies!

My mom's surgery yesterday went great! The sentinal lymph node (the main mutated one) tested negative, so they didn't even have to test the others ~ so the doctors just removed the offending lump, sewed her up and sent her home. It was pretty much the best-case scenario :-)

Thank you all so much for your good thoughts and positive vibes! I know she was surrounded by so much positive light and so many angels. We just went on a 1-mile walk with her boyfriend and the dog (the most adorable Rottweiler ever!), so it's clear that things are already on the upswing.

We are all hugely grateful. It's a little beyond words. What a crazy thing ~ and now, on to healing and a speedy recovery!

It just so happens that the Tucson Botanical Gardens is right now having their annual butterfly exhibit ~ I could hardly believe it when I heard! I rode my mom's bike down there this afternoon and spent an hour surrounded by HUNDREDS of the most beautiful tropical butterflies! It was AMAZING! I took about a hundred pictures and some video, which I'll post as soon as I get back to SF. Suffice it to say, I felt incredibly blessed sitting in there surrounded by these beautiful creatures and their good spirits! So much thanks, so much deep gratitude ~ so many reasons to be happy and thankful and surrounded by beauty and love and joy!

My Advent calendar image yesterday was an image of three ornaments, grouped together ~ it was clearly symbolic of me, my sister, and my mom's boyfriend as we grouped together all day yesterday, in support of my mom ~ who, of course, was the tree. Just like a regular pine tree needs ornaments and decorations to "become" a Christmas tree, my regular mom needed her surrounding support to get through the day and become a breast cancer *survivor* rather than *sufferer*. Today, the image was of a smiling, happy girl doll sitting in a red boot (or stocking, maybe) ~ very cute! She even has black hair, just like me! I think the happy doll symbolizes my happy, grateful soul and the red boot symbolizes my foundation (feet/shoes/foundation). My soul is happy sitting within my solid, colorful foundation. It's true, but I also think that metaphor might need some more thought. I'll ponder it for a while and if anything new comes up, I'll write about it.

A bit of yoga, stretching, bike riding, walking ~ this place is healthy. Thank you to the Universe for all of the good things in life!