# 93 Back to the Sunshine

No news is good news and when you have cancer, that is great news.  Home now after a less than a 48 hour trip spending it with not only with my favorite oncologist, but also with my favorite friends and family.

A quick health update:
Dr. A.'s advice was to enjoy India because everything he is concerned about seems to be a non issue right now.  Yay!  I love this man and told him I will be dancing at his retirement party. The following conversation took place:

Him--Oh, that won't be for a very long time.
Me--Exactly what I want to hear...

Thanks for reading #93 of 7777.

#92 Reflections from the Best Daughter--ever!

My body has not been frozen and stuck to anything metal since being back in Madison despite the media portraying this wonderland as a frozen hell. Actually I was pleasantly surprised by the extremely mild temperatures for January, so thank you.  My favorite daughter will be spending the day with me at my appointment and I will honor her with her tenderhearted blog entry.  I could write volumes about what my middle child and only daughter means to me but instead you will get a glimpse about her sweet personality in her own words.  I love you, Miss Magpie.

What Color are You?
 By Margaret Gooze

Color plays a big part in our lives. If it is dark and damp outside, we mostly will be down and depressed. If the yellow sun is out and the grass is green, then we are in good moods. Or in the winter if the sun is out and there is a pretty white blanket of snow on the ground, we are feeling pretty good at the moment (unless you have to drive in it, then not so good). They can represent our moods; some people see blue as a sad mood, some people see red and angry. But everyone has a different opinion, that’s what makes colors so versatile! 

Just recently in my last Community Practice class, we had to get in groups and say which color we think our classmates are and why. The responses to each of my classmates and myself truly amazed me and I saw each of us differently than before (in a good way!).  Some classmates were bright colors, full of energy and positivity and some were darker colors, serious and driven. When it came to my turn as to what color my classmates described be as, I was told I was grass green, blue and light pink. I thought to myself  “green? That is different, but I’ll go with it. But pink? I am not a pink person, but my fellow classmate had a beautiful answer and it just made me glow inside”. I won’t bore anyone with the list of explanations of each color, but if you are truly interested, let me know and I will share!

When I think of my mom and the colors that represent her, I see her as the same colors I was given! 

Ocean blue, because she can go with the flow of things, but when there is something she is passionate about, she will stir things up! 

Light brown, because she is the support everyone needs! She is always there for her friends and family and even the random people who call upon her help at the WYMCA. Like the dirt and soil, she is the “nutrients” for our family, for her friends and even that support a random customer at WYMCA needs! She enriches us with her wisdom and inspiring thoughts.

Grass green, she is comfortable to be around. You can spend hours on end with her and never feel uneasy. She “tickles” you with her funny jokes and sense of humor, and she keeps “growing” with each new adventure she encounters. (This is similar to what I was told about myself, no wonder I am her daughter!)

Bright purple, inspires you to be the best you can be, empowering and bright. (No wonder she was a teacher for 30 years!) 

Colors are amazing things, with each meaning they hold, a new story is told.

Now I challenge each of you to think about a few things:

1) Ask someone (a friend, co-worker, family member, etc.) what color(s) they see you?

2) What color(s) do you see my mom (Mary)?

3) Post your responses to this entry, would love to hear people's thoughts! 

Thanks for reading #92 of 7777.

#91 Turn on the Heat, Please

This is an early entry as I get ready to board a plane to leave this sunny 75 degree weather and head to the frozen tundra in Madison.  What was I thinking?  Actually it is a necessary trip to visit my favorite oncologist and get the required once a month injection for my sorry little bones.  Could we suddenly have a January thaw for a few days?  Wishful thinking so I will "woman up" and quickly get this thing done so I can return to the sunshine of California.  (I know...whine whine whine)

A big plus will be seeing family and friends along with a Packer and Duck win.

Thanks for reading # 91 of 7777.

#90 I think I Can

What's not to love about Deb?  Energetic, fun and a friend for life.  Enjoy her thought provoking first of many entries.

“I think I can, I think I can”

One of my favorite books to read to our kids when they were young was, “The Little Engine that Could” by Platt and Munk.  I began to think about this after Mary’s plea for help with her blog because I am quite confident that writing is not a strength for my left brain science minded self.  The “mantra” that is repeated in the story is , “I think I can, I think I can” , which is what I decided would be my “mantra” in helping Mary with this daunting task of writing a blog.  Ask me to list the muscles, bones and/or discuss orthopedic injuries etc… no problem, but write?!?! 

 “I think I can, I think I can”!  

What I found out as I googled “The Little Engine that Could” was that it was initially written in the early 1900’s and has been published by many authors over the years.  The lesson learned from the story is optimism and hard work, both good lessons for all of us.  The story ends with , “I thought I Could, I thought I could”.  My blog ends with, “I thought I could, and I did”.

respectfully submitted by Deb Moyer 

Thanks for reading #90 of 7777.

#89 A Horse, Of Course

 Unique and a spectacular type of friend would aptly describe Christine and the real plus is that she always makes me laugh.  Enjoy her first of many entries.


                                                          Christine Johnston

Favorite Childhood Memory

I grew up in Kentucky – horse country.  I was very lucky in that my best friend’s mother purchased a farm in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains when we were third or fourth grade and the farm came with horses!  As far as we were concerned, the horses were JUST for us – siblings?  What siblings?

In addition to being in horse country, I had what I have heard referred to as a “free range” childhood.  We took those horses out just about every morning we were on the farm – there were pastures on that farm as well as neighboring ones that we could ride through and over.  We raced each other.  We re-enacted Wild, Wild West episodes. We just sat on, with or by those horses doing all the things young girls enjoy doing together.  We invented our futures.  We designed our Hobbit Houses.  We invented new families.  We invented spies that were tracking us.

Every December 2 I think of the best memory of these days.  And I smile.

We had taken the horses to the farm “next door”.  Getting there involved riding along the bottom of the hill to the gate, through the gate and along the tractor path in the woods.  This trail led us to the bottom pastures along the Red River (or, more likely, a creek that flowed to the river).  We had brought lunch with us (sandwiches and fruit) and left that by the creek as we raced back and forth again and again across the two pastures.  We always rode bareback.  Mare (my horse) always won the first half and Diamond (Page’s horse) always won the second.  I think it was an agreement between the animals as Diamond could be grumpy if he didn’t get his way (typical male, eh?).

After the morning races, we went to the creek to get the horses water and to have our lunch.  Diamond decided to try an orange and took a big bite of it.  I don’t think I will ever forget the look on his face when all the juice squirted back in his face!

Thanks for reading # 89 of 7777.

# 88 The Other Gooze Woman

A sweet and tender entry from my sister-in-law.  Thanks for the memories and kind words.


From Martie
I was attending a local choir concert recently and one of their songs immediately brought Mary to mind.  Mary is my sister by marriage ( oh, those wonderful Gooze men!), but she is far dearer to me than "in-law".  These words from a traditional song, author unknown,
exemplify Mary's loving giving and strong spirit.

             "After all the things I've been through, I still have joy in my heart.

Mary, you inspire joy in us all.

I hope you like this, for you are the younger sister I never had to talk, laugh and play with until you became another silly Gooze!

Thanks for reading # 88 of 7777.

#87 A Little Break

“Every person needs to take one day away.  A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future.  Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence.  Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.  Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” 
― Maya Angelou,

 Thank you Ms. Angelou, and with company arriving, I will be absent from my--every single day and can't miss one--blogging entries.  You, on the other hand, will have the absolute pleasure of reading  submissions from my growing list of guest authors.  I am amazed at their talent and willingness to help me out with my daily writing.  I love a little break and according to Maya, "every person needs to take one day away. "  This hiatus for both you and me gives us all a new perspective on life.

BTW--Don't be shy...give it a try and submit one today!

Thanks for reading # 87 of 7777.