Hello folks. I thought I’d drop a line or two just to fill you in on what’s been happening and just to say hello.

First, I want to say how much I have missed writing my column As I See It. As some of you have known I have been very ill.

Last October I was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. The doctors gave me a short time to live unless I started treatments soon. Once a week, every month, I get chemo therapy treatments. As of this writing, my blood work is still low but in the normal range. I will have to take the treatments for the rest of my life. The treatments make me very tired and for the first week after the treatments all I wanted to do was sleep. I have been lucky that I have not had a lot of the side effects from chemo.

All of this started last October and I have just passed the six months that the doctor had said may be my life span. With the grace of God I am still here. When all of this started I was angry and just a little bit scared. Now that six months have past my confidence has come slowly back.

I thought I would say a few words to others that are going through this illness. You have to try and look on the bright side of life. It will not come easily, it has not for me, not all the way anyway.

One other thing I have learned is that no matter how you feel you should try and get back into your everyday life. The hardest thing I have learned to do is to let go of thinking about the illness and what will happen down the road. Thinking about the illness is a sure road to depression as I have found out.

Between the race for the White House and looking at the problems in Jefferson County is enough to make anyone depressed but at least I am not thinking about my illness.

One last thing you should try to do is to make plans for things you’d like to do down the road. My plans include seeing Arizona once again. I use to love going to baseballs spring training games. I love Tombstone and I love going into Mexico and seeing those small villages that have town squares were you can sit and smoke a good Cuban cigar and drink a Mexican Coke while listening to a mariachi band.

Well I have run out of words to say except that I miss you all. With luck, you’ll hear from me down the road. Thanks again for all of you that have read my words over the years–it has kept me going. Take care my friends. I’ll see you on the flip side.The winter has been a long one