Tribute to Betsy

Dear Betsy,

Your blog titled “Loving What Is” was one of the first I came across relating to the experience of chemotherapy. The image you posted has changed my perspective towards it. Granted, I am only two treatments in and on a different regime of drugs than you. I might also have a visit from the men with spears down the track, but thanks to you, I’ll visualise them as the Ooompa Loompa’s stirring their chocolate river. Every time I think of the dark clouds surrounding me as I feel the drug’s side effects or lament the temporary changes to my life, I imagine your joyous striped socks and your shiney Minnie Mouse shoes and it just switches the mindset. Click here http://comfortmewithfood.com/2013/01/31/loving-what-is/ to read Betsy’s magic post about finding the good in something that is pretty shitty. A great message to carry through all of life, don’t you think?

So thank you Betsy! x

Betsy, lives a mere 25,000 kilometres from my house. (Google actually said 25,470 km’s by a car. But a snorkel is required for much of the distance!) And yet through the awesomeness of blogging we connected. A few days ago, she privately emailed me and ever so kindly offered to post me a brand new pair of her illustrious socks from Chicago.

The only connection that I ever had with Chicago was that Oprah’s Harpo Studios were there, and occasionally I would get a glimpse of the city outside when she filmed those episodes where she had some crazy and mad materialistic giveaways to people. Apparently called the “Oprah’s Favourite Things Giveway”, Oprah really liked a lot of “stuff”… come to a filming of Oprah and go home with 60K worth of kitchen goods and a new car! Woweee! Oh and I also really liked that Sufjan Steven’s song “Chicago” off his awesome (2005) “Illinoise” album as well click here to listen. I’m digressing aren’t I?

Betsy’s offer of striped socks has meant a tremendous deal to me.

So as a tribute to Besty, I rummaged through the depths of my sock draw and found an odd pair that I bought about 12 years ago in a moment of whimsy. Toe socks. Love them! The sock draw is filled with woollen hiking socks and running anklet socks and it doesn’t get opened much these days, pretty much just in winter as I plonk around for most of the year in Birkenstocks. Though I do attempt to wear socks with Birkenstocks throughout the colder seasons, but just not out in public much!

Except yesterday. Yesterday to the chemo ward “health spa” visit number two, while making my small tribute to Besty.