We don’t know how to thank all of you for all the caring thoughts, support and love you’re sending our way. We’re pretty private most of the time, so it’s a little difficult to let others in. We will let folks know how they can help out, but for now just being there and sending good thoughts our way is a big comfort. If we don’t return emails or phone calls right away, please bear with us.

We decided to take a break from all the recent chaos and bad stuff, and go to Maui. This was a trip we had planned a year ago, and were ready to cancel. But, the advice from doctors and friends was to go for it.

If you don’t know, both of us are avid botanists and over the years we’ve been looking for and photographing plants in California, Hawaii, New Mexico and Wisconsin. One of the plants that we’ve had our eye on for the past 35 years is a Hawaiian Silversword. It’s a very striking and rare plant, but we’ve never seen it in bloom. It only blooms after 20-90 years. We finally got to see it today after hiking down from 10,000 feet into the Haleakala Crater. Yes, it was grueling, but we did it. We don’t know if it was harder because of what’s going on medically or maybe it’s just that we’re a lot older than the last time we did this.

We both have a lot to face when we get back home in a few days. More tests, more meetings with oncologists, more decisions about what to do and when. It’s all happening pretty quickly. We hope this trip helped invigorate us and prepare for the next steps. As much as possible, we’ve tried staying in the moment -- enjoying the tropical breezes and seeing that amazing SilverSword in bloom.

Just when we were getting geared up to face the coming week back home, not 1 but 2 hurricanes are on their way to Hawaii. The first one Ignacio is due to hit just as we leave. If it wasn't for all the medical procedures and appointments we have waiting for us every single day once we get back home, we might look upon this as an adventure. Hopefully we can make it out and keep our appointments. Postponing things would just add to our anxiety and stress.

Aloha.