Song Time/ Falling Leaves Time 2026 -Transition

 

Beautiful Autumn

We have had a stint of absolutely gorgeous weather here. There have been a few frosts, but the days are warm and sunny. The fall colors have been beautiful!

Perfect Maple coloring

As of 3:20 pm today (Monday 10/26/26) we no longer own the Thistledown Gardens property. We actually moved out on October 12th, using the rest of that week to finish moving boxes and cleaning up for the new owners.

Bob is able to lend a hand

Before moving out, we cleaned up the garden, except for the flowers. Those were left for the benefit of the bees.

Final flowers

During that time, Bob's sister, Rachael visited for the weekend.

A walk at the park with Rachael

While she was visiting, we went to Taughannock Falls State Park and enjoyed just spending time together.

Time to leave, goodbye

 
And so, we have said goodbye to that home and property; that way of life. So much of ourselves will be left with that place. We will miss so much, especially the earth friendly place which we made it into. But change begets change and moves the wheel of life along.

I don't think that we could have picked a more beautiful time to move to our new location.

We are now settled into our new home. The move was a busy time, but all went smoothly. We did all of the packing but hired a company to move the furniture and heavy boxes. They placed all of the furniture exactly where we specified, and that was very helpful.

Bob and I especially benefitted from the priceless assistance of our niece, Angela, who sacrificed a week's vacation to come from Michigan to help. She was an invaluable addition to the team, providing muscle, cooperative effort and a much-appreciated sense of humor. We cannot thank her enough. We not only emptied and cleaned the old house, but got the new one all set up within that seven day span.

The townhouse is half the size of the Lodi house, but we feel it is generally cozy. (Alright, the kitchen is just small, but I'll adjust.)

The great room

 
The great room is done,

Book room/Movie room

...as is our book room/movie room.

Harp room in the works

The harps and the computer occupy a room together now. We still need to put up wall decorations in here. The new room begged for new and better lighting for the harps. This seems to do the job nicely.

Before Angela left, we took a day off and went to Buttermilk Falls State Park.

With Angela at Buttermilk Falls

The day started out drizzly, but the scenery was still lovely.

Buttermilk Falls

The city of Ithaca is surrounded by hills. We live at the top of one of those hills. The views up here are spectacular.

Here's the view from our back balcony.

From our balcony

And this is the view from my harp room.

View of the far hill

Our garden space here is limited to an area about 5'x8' with governance by the HOA. Our place name, "Thistledown Gardens" just doesn't fit here. We believe we'll adopt the place name, "High Land" for this home. We hope you'll join us on this new journey as we flesh out a different way of life on this high land. Our situation has changed, but our core beliefs remain the same. We may just be learning to live them out differently now.

Now, regarding Bob's condition. Lots of good news. His PET scan showed that the tumors have not grown and may have begun to shrink. The therapy is working!  The goal was to stop the growth and shrink the tumors, if possible.

He has also received counseling from a Registered Dietician. This has been very helpful. She has given him a target weight and a daily target for calories and protein, as well as many good ideas for increasing both. She also told him to begin exercising so that those extra calories can become much needed muscle. As of this week, he is halfway to his weight goal. He's enjoying the "prescribed" ice cream, but his sense of taste is still off and may never right itself. He finds that a problem.

First nap at the new place

He still becomes fatigued and needs a daily nap. While Angela and I hustled boxes, Bob rested as needed and set up the electronics or hanged pictures.

Setting up the DVD player

Yesterday's weather was so delightful that we went for a walk in Sapsucker Woods for Bob's exercise.

October 25, 2026

It's a flat walk and good for a recuperating person. He did need a substantial nap after we got home.

Another outing was the semiannual Senior day at the library booksale.

Selections from this sale trip

 

Just 13 books this time, but enough to keep us busy this winter.

Enjoy this marvelous season and begin to prepare for what's ahead. You know it's coming.

We'll see you next time from High Land,

Kathleen and Bob

At the top of Buttermilk Falls

Buttermilk Falls

Harvest/Ingathering 2026

Last big harvest

The summer passed by us in a blur. The Autumnal Equinox has come and gone. It's the first marker that we've celebrated since the Vernal Equinox. Our life has been discombobulated.

Our weather too has become autumnal with cold nights in the 40s and cool days. Soon rainy days will become the norm.

Sweet potato harvest

The sweet potatoes have been harvested. I am keeping some. The rest have been given to the Food Pantry.

Potatoes for the Pantry

My "Irish" potatoes are all harvested. Like the sweet potatoes, I have kept some and given the rest to the Pantry.

Final bean harvest

This morning I made my final picking of green and yellow beans. Most of these went to the Pantry along with tomatoes and bell peppers. This may be my final pantry donation. The garden is emptying out.

In the spring, I was only able to plant three types of drying beans: Christmas Limas, Succotash (a new black bean) and Cave beans. This week I harvested some of the Limas and almost all of the black beans. The Cave beans are nowhere close to ready. They will probably be left hanging or be pulled down and composted.

Before lunch today, Bob helped me pull down the green beans and five of the eight tomato plants. Now he's taking a nap to recuperate.

Dumpster ready for pick up

 

We had a dumpster delivered on a Thursday afternoon. Two days later, on a Saturday morning, three friends came and helped me fill it with junk from the garage, cellar and yard. We were finished before 11 am. They're all real "get the job done" folks. Thanks so very much to them and to the friend who made a final scrap metal run for us.

Richard and Riffat sort tomatoes

We've had company this month. Bob's brother, Richard and sister-in-law, Riffat came for a week from their home in Oregon. In addition to visiting, they helped me harvest beans and tomatoes, and Riffat cooked us some excellent Pakistani food.

Shequaga Falls

We took a couple of quick trips to see Taughannock Falls in Trumansburg and Shequaga Falls in Montour Falls. We also drove into Ithaca to look at our townhouse and stroll through the neighborhood.

And, we had other company too. My youngest brother's grown children, Danielle and Aria came to see us. Danielle has taken my dollhouses under her care. This has been a very special chance to get to know them, since I've never had that opportunity. We're hopeful that a positive future relationship may develop here.

Bob this afternoon

Bob continues to feel a bit better. He still deals with fatigue but has maintained the weight he regained at the end of the last update. Still, he needs to gain more. The new medications seem to be keeping him on an even keel.

On the 28th, he will have his annual physical. The next day he will have his second PET scan. Hopefully this scan will show if the treatment is having the desired effect of stopping the tumor growth. His next Oncologist visit is October 5th, where he should get his test results and his next injection. FYI, each injection costs $28,000. Thank goodness we have medical insurance through his Cornell retirement plan!

Colorful Zinnias

Now, about our vast real estate dealings.

We're still in the Lodi house. Paperwork tie ups are to blame. Things seem to be moving ahead again now. Yesterday afternoon we signed off as seller on the back property and the house property. The buyers of each still need to sign off. We're hoping that the back property closing will be completed this week. We need to use some of the proceeds from that sale to return to our IRA account before we incur some nasty penalties! We're also hoping to close on our townhouse very soon (specifically, before this house is closed on).

For now, we're sitting among boxes. There's more to pack, but we're at a bit of an impasse. We need to use some things before we move, so we can't pack them yet. Already we've had to unpack some things we've needed because of the delay, like clothing for the cooler weather. I'm sure there's going to be some fancy last-minute hustling going on.

That's where we are now. We hope you're settling into your autumn routines. Enjoy the season and prepare for a time of rest ahead. I know I'm going to!

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

View across Seneca Lake on my walk

 

  

A Wood Frog

  

Abundance/Ripening 2026

Seneca Lake, August 14th

It's been another busy month here. Progress has been made on all fronts. 

First, Bob.

Bob and Dr Pussy McWhiskers

Bob had another nasty spell of nausea (and consequently, not eating) before his second treatment. He wanted to postpone the injection, but the nurse said this wasn't a good idea. They didn't want the lesions in his liver to get an advantage on them. She did change his anti-nausea medications, and that helped right away. His weight had dropped to 133# by that visit. Now, with the new medications he's able to eat much better and is up to 142#. This also means that he's feeling better and has more energy. Keep him in your thoughts. His next treatment is September 8th. He also will have more bloodwork done and another PET scan at the end of the month to see if the treatment is having any effect. 

Finishing the sidewalk

 The sidewalk contractor finally came and removed the forms and some of the mess he left. I worked like mad to finish the cleanup and fill in the trenches he left along each edge of the walkway. 80# of topsoil and some grass seed made it look much better. This is important because our house went on the market August 3rd. We had three showings within the first four days.

Mission Accomplished!

 We received two offers and on August 16 accepted the better offer. Just 13 days on the market! We're very pleased!

We are scheduled to close on our new place September 16th. The buyers are tentatively scheduled to close on this house, October 23rd. That gives us a nice long window to move out.

Seneca Lake

 During the showings and open house, we were able to spend our time in nature. Twice we waited at Lodi Point State Park on Seneca Lake. The day of the open house, we went to Montezuma Wildlife Refuge.

 Montezuma Wildlife Refuge

 These were good opportunities to take a break and get outside.

Harvest, August 21

 The garden continues to produce in spite of minimal attention.

Shallots

 I got all of the shallots cleaned up and took most of them to the food pantry.

Garlic

 The garlic was also cleaned up and found its way to the food pantry. The volunteers were awed at the size of the heads. Good old compost!

Preparing to freeze beans

 Green beans are still coming. I've got quite a few in the freezer. This week the food pantry will be getting squash, cucumbers and green beans.

Potato harvest begins

 I harvested more potatoes last weekend. There are six more hills to harvest.

Since we will have access to this property until late October, I should be able to complete the harvests and get the garden cleaned up for the new owners. (Our average first frost date here is the second week of October.) I'll do what I can.

As you can imagine, much of my time now is spent pitching and packing. Shelves have been emptied and boxes are everywhere. Bob continues to handle the logistics. That's a full-time job in itself.

 

That's the news from here. We hope that your summer has been enjoyable.

Till next time,

Kathleen and Bob

Another shot of Seneca Lake

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