Firefly Time 2026

 

Blueberry Season

Well, it's been quite a month. There's been a lot of work and much has transpired.

I'll update on Bob first because that's probably foremost in your minds.

He had his liver biopsy which went well. The results were that he has a malignant neuroendocrine tumor. Only about eight percent of pancreatic cancer patients have this type of cancer. So, he has the dubious honor of being a special case. This type of tumor results from the pancreas going wacky and overproducing a particular hormone (or hormones). 

The treatment involves hormone injections rather that chemo. The injections aim is to turn off the receptors which produce the excesses. Hopefully this will stop the tumor growth, and with luck begin to shrink the tumor. It doesn't kill the growth or "heal" it. Other later treatments may include targeted radiation and other oral medications. This is all an effort to give him relief and extend his remaining time. This is my layman's (and possibly lame) presentation of the situation as I understand it.

He received his first injection three weeks ago. He will receive one injection every four weeks, but we don't yet know for how long. He was nauseous for eight days (but does have two antinausea medications), was extremely fatigued and had other gastrointestinal issues.

His oncologist doubled his digestive enzymes, so he is beginning to eat a little more and has a little more energy most days. We need to try and keep his weight from slipping down further.

His next treatment is on August 11, so keep him in your thoughts.

A sampling of produce

Now, on to Thistledown.

We've been busy here. When able, Bob's been on the computer and phone researching and arranging for our next situation. I've been doing the more physical chores.

Kale

 The portion of the garden that we got planted has been producing. Since Bob cannot eat very much, and I won't have a huge freezer, most of produce has been going to friends or the local Food 4 All pantry. 

Chard ready for the Pantry

They say the patrons really like the greens.

Collard greens for the Pantry

The garlic has been harvested and is drying in the shed.

Garlic all harvested

Most of the garlic and shallots will be heading for the Pantry, too. Yellow and green beans are coming on. Bob's been enjoying those, so I have frozen some for later. I'm sure the Pantry will get some before long. Cucumbers are doing what cucumbers do, so the Pantry has gotten some of those, and squash season is ahead, so Lodi folks will be introduced to Patty Pans soon.

Blueberries

Blueberries were great this year. Those, too Bob has been enjoying. We shared quite a few of these with friends.

Surprise Shiitake bloom

Shiitakes. Wow! Our old logs, which we thought were pooped out, were taken into the woods and propped up to make way for new ones. One day when I was dumping weeds back there, I noticed the logs were starting fruit. A lot of fruit! I kept checking on them and by week's end I harvested 107 mushrooms!! We ate fresh mushrooms, shared many with friends and I froze 21 small containers.

95 Shiitakes harvested

This was really unexpected treat.

A poignant end to my gardening life came this month when I handed my entire seed stock over to our "Egg Lady", who is starting on her own garden adventure. The torch is passed and I wish her success and joy in the journey.

Tidying the garden

Since my back seems to be healed, I spent a hot week working to tidy up the unplanted garden beds. I wanted the garden and grounds to look a little more inviting to prospective buyers.

I weeded; moved the rest of the compost onto the beds and mulched with as many leaves as I had. Then I spread our remaining amendments around, sowed grass seed where the compost and leaves had been piled and overseeded the lawn. I want Bob to teach me how to run the weed wacker. Our lawn service is supposed to be doing it, but they're not. 

Moving Sale Crew (outside branch)

We had our moving sale on the 11th and 12th. The weather was perfect and it was a great success. We had many helpers before and during the sale. Our niece and nephew even drove from Michigan to help us and to visit. Their help was invaluable and we all had a wonderful visit. They really raised the spirits of their uncle.

Kyle managed the garage

We sold nearly all of the garden equipment and home renovation tools. Three trips to the resale shops has taken care of all the rest. Many people stopped by to visit Bob and fortunately he was feeling quite well that day and enjoyed the company.

We have had friends come, some very often, to help with a variety of tasks, from sorting for the garage sale; to shifting this or that about and repairing little things; giving guidance and supplying Bob with eggs and THC oil. We are greatly indebted to all of you and thank you so much.

This past week I spent the time readying the house to go on the market, which is scheduled for Monday or Tuesday this week.

Finally! Sidewalk

 

We finally have a new sidewalk out front! The forms still need to be removed and the mess cleaned up. That was supposed to be done a week ago. Now he promises to come this weekend. This man's promises are of very little worth. The walk looks great, but that's the only recommendation regarding this particular individual.

Now for some exciting news. On Friday we submitted a quote on a townhome in Ithaca, and it was accepted. We have somewhere to go! It is in the South Hill section of Ithaca, in the Deer Run community. The neighborhood looks very nice, and Tompkins County has many more services and amenities to offer, especially for an aging population. 

On Friday evening, we accepted an offer for the purchase of 31 acres of our back property! It's to our advantage to break off this large section because our house will probably sell better without so much land. Now we need an eager buyer for the house and remaining seven acres.

Now that I know exactly where we will be living, I can pack and sort out possessions more precisely. This will be much of my focus now.

Bob has been working his magic on making all of this come about. He has done all of the real estate legwork and lining up how this will be handled financially; looked at listings and scoped out communities. He has also begun to spend time getting information from Pan-Can, the website for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. He needs to sign up with a social worker and nutritionist there to get tailor made advice on how to deal with this disease. We've already learned a lot.

So, this is what's been keeping us busy. Keep us in your thoughts.

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

After the Sale

Long Days Time 2026

 

Lovely Clematis

The days have been long. The nights, for us, have been even longer. The month began with the planting of the warm weather starts and string beans.

Lettuce looking good

The early starts were progressing well.

Due to my spinal fracture, Bob helped with much of the planting.

Planting sweet potatoes

My back has continued to heal and feels about 100% now. Marmalade made sure that I rested frequently.

Dr Pussy Biscuits

This is how the garden looks today.

Garden on July 1st

You perhaps noticed that this is only half of the garden. We were stopped cold in our tracks before the other half, the dry beans and corn, were sown.

Kitten therapy

In the last update, you may recall, I mentioned that Bob had not been feeling well.

The NP thought he had GERD. After four weeks of treatment, he was feeling worse and was sent to a gastroenterologist two days later. She too, thought it was GERD, but ordered more tests to make sure his gall bladder wasn't acting up. An ultrasound later that week showed something no one expected. He doesn't have GERD or gall bladder issues. What was revealed was a large mass in his pancreas and "innumerable spots" on his liver. He has pancreatic cancer which has apparently metastasized to his liver.

After this "gut punch" we decided to stop planting anything more in the garden. Other things have become much more important.

Tomorrow morning Bob will have a liver biopsy. This will show exactly what type of pancreatic cancer he has. After this is determined, a treatment plan can be devised. He will see the oncologist again on July 10th. At that visit we hope to get the official diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan. One of the problems with pancreatic cancer is that by the time symptoms appear, the cancer is generally well advanced. This is true in Bob's case.

Bob was losing weight very quickly, which you all know he can ill afford. He has been on prescription digestive enzymes for about a week now and is eating a little better. His weight has stabilized but is still far too low. He can only eat a little bit at a time, so I encourage grazing throughout the day. His palette is also "off" so I'm tempting him with special things like cherries, pistachio nuts, peanuts and pineapple juice. Even eggs. I try to have him eat tofu and drink protein shakes made with soy milk.

Solstice at Taughannock State Park 

Because Bob needs a lot of rest, we had to forego our usual hike on the Solstice. Instead, we sat by Cayuga Lake and had popcorn (he'll eat that).

Another Clematis

    

In light of the severity of Bob's cancer, we have decided to close this chapter of our lives. Thistledown Gardens has run its course after nearly 15 years.

We began this adventure to live a life by our own design, closer to nature and away from monotonous suburbia. Overall, we have enjoyed the experience.

We will be putting our house and land up for sale, probably within the next month. I cannot even consider continuing here by myself. Our goal now is to relocate to a condo or apartment where someone else is responsible for all maintenance. It needs to be closer to wherever Bob's treatment will be, and where services like transportation, health care facilities ... are readily available.

I would like to have him settled in as soon as possible so that he will be more relaxed and we can concentrate on enjoying what time we have left together.

To prepare for the sale, I have been busy sorting our possessions. It takes a lot of equipment to grow a garden the size of ours, process food for storage and renovate an old house.

We have given quite a bit away to the folks that have shown up to help us. Our thanks go out to them for the lawn and garden work, shrub trimming, shuffling things to resale outlets and egg and grocery deliveries.

I'm using fresh what I need out of the garden. Any extra is going to the local food pantry on Saturdays. 

Walkway half done

  

We're hiring professional help where we need to. The front walkway has been started. We hope they will finish it by the end of the workday tomorrow.

Today we're having the house exterior power washed. A white house begins to look very grubby.

I will be having a moving sale on the 11th & 12th, 9am-5pm. If you are local, please come. If you are local and could help out, please let us know. We have hand and power tools for home improvement and garden work, garden structures and helps, some vintage furniture, kitchen and decorative items, European fermentation crocks, a quality food dehydrator and other food processing equipment.

Stop by, even if only to visit Bob. He's had to step back from all of his volunteer positions due to his fatigue. I'm sure he could use some interaction with friends.

I know some of you will be as surprised by this news as we were. Sometimes life can change in a moment, just as they say. Remember to live each day, not always placing hopes in the future.

I'll try to continue these updates so you can stay informed. Don't forget about us.

Kathleen and Bob

Luna moth came to visit 6/30

Flowering/New Leaves Time 2026

Apple blossoms

Spring moves forward with the end of Flowering and New Leaves Time. Isn't it amazing how quickly the leaves grow from tiny, pale and fragile things to full size and darkening green?

We've had some lovely flowers this month.

Early Clematis

This is the earliest of our three Clematis vines. From this point, it has gone on to be covered with blooms.

Not to be outdone, our woods have also put on quite a display.

Forget Me Nots

White Form Forget Me Nots

Jack in the Pulpit

A new Trillium!

Wild Geranium

It has been a challenging month for us. The weather continues to be primarily cold and wet. We are still having many nights in the 40 degree range so the weather has been a struggle. The upcoming week appears to be improving.

Personally, both Bob and I are dealing with health issues which are greatly affecting our endurance. 

Bob is being treated for digestive issues which are causing fatigue as well as discomfort.

I mentioned in the last update that I was dealing with a sore back. Further testing revealed that I suffered a spinal compression fracture. No surgery is needed, just time to heal. I'm currently very limited in what I can do. No walks or yoga and I miss them both. There's only so much pain management that can be done. I find the best approach is to lie flat on my back and rest two or three times a day.

With both of us ailing, it has been difficult keeping the house clean and preparing the garden for the season.

Early planting

We finally got the cool weather crops planted.

Bob and friend planting

Bob's learning how to plant the starts. The cat is on hand to offer guidance. Bob has never actually done the planting. He has always been busy with other tasks. This is the year to learn.

We plan to plant the warm weather plants today and tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will stay more seasonal from now on.

Last month I mentioned the new strawberry bed. It's all done now. Here's the foundation.

Strawberry bed foundation

 

I helped a little by setting bricks in place.

Setting bricks in place

 
Then I showed Bob how to plant the strawberries. He did all of the center plants to save me the reaching.

Planting the berries

All of the materials used for this project were repurposed from other projects around the place.

Bob has done quite a bit of work on his mushroom garden.

He brought the inoculated logs out of the cellar and buried them in the soil/woodchip bed. (Inoculated with Chicken of the Woods spawn.)

Inoculated log segment

Setting them in place.

Placing the log segment

Finished placement.

All in place

After they were all buried, he got some free wood chips from Ithaca to place around the logs.

Gathering wood chips

This is how urbanites and suburbanites transport the woodchips.

Loaded up

Since we sold the van and trailer last year, we have joined their ranks.

Shiitake logs fruiting

Last year's Shiitake logs have given us over two pounds of mushrooms. We thought the logs were all spent.

A nice harvest

 Most of these have gone into the freezer.

Because of our health, we haven't done much to get away this month (not counting doctor's visits). However, we did go to a free concert near Ithaca.

Young Artists Concert

This group of young musicians was very good, and the female vocalist was phenomenal!

Of course, we had to go to the big book sale in Ithaca. (Just loaded up on the pain meds!)

Early visit

We went the first weekend and got four books.

The larger haul

Then we went again on Senior's Day when the prices are much lower. That time we got 14 books, 17 CDs and four DVDs.

I focused on CDs of original cast recordings of Broadway musicals. I grew up listening to these, borrowed from the public library. They are like old friends to me, and at fifty cents each, who could resist. While I am lying flat on my back, I have been reading. So far, I have finished six books. It's a good thing we got new ones at the sale.

We certainly hope to have better weather and be in better health by the next update.

We hope that your season is less problematic than ours has been. 

Enjoy and we'll be in touch next time,

Kathleen and Bob

Bouquet of fresh herbs

 

Shoots Show 2026

Hepatica

Spring has come, but the weather apparently didn't get the memo. Cold, wet and dark here. I usually have the early crops planted by this time. It's been so cloudy here that I haven't even finished hardening them off yet.

Winter lettuce

I have sowed peas, spinach and lettuce. I have picked some winter lettuce which seeded in last fall, and the peas are just coming up.

Bob has been busy in the garden. He dug out the two large currant bushes because we just weren't using the fruit anymore.

Transplanting rhubarb

After the currants were removed, he dug and divided our two rhubarb plants. He replanted four crowns of each variety where the currants had been. The remaining crown pieces were given away. Hopefully our rhubarb will produce better in this space and because of their division.

Rhubarb and strawberry bed

At the end of the rhubarb bed, he's building a new raised bed for the strawberries. Once he has finished with the surrounding brickwork, we will fill the bed and plant new strawberry plants.

I've been nursing a bad back and unable to help with any of this project.  I did the planning. Poor Bob has got to do all of the physical work.

Blood Root

In our woods, we have had Blood Root and Colt's Foot blooming. The May Apples and Jack in the Pulpits are just coming up now.

Colt's Foot

So far, we have found just two small Yellow Morels. Hopefully a few more will pop up.

Very small morels

 

While we were in the woods, we found a sneaky little invasive trying to get a toe hold - English Ivy.

English Ivy removed

Luckily it was a small patch, and we were able to pull all of it up. We will still need to keep an eye on the area in case more emerges.

Hardanger Finished!

I finished my large hardanger piece. It took me 14 months to complete. It looks very nice on our dining room table.

Corner detail

It was a very nice day on April 14th, so we walked the upper trails at Taughannock Falls State Park. Wildflowers that we found in bloom were Hepatica and Spring Beauties. 

Hepatica

Spring Beauty

We are looking forward to the weather turning around and enjoying more walks in our State Parks, in addition to getting the garden going full force.

Hoping that your Spring is a bright one.

Till next time,

Kathleen and Robert

Taughannock upper falls

Come on Spring!