By Sally Gracie
Jennifer and Richard Edwards were at Hank’s Harvest Foods the other day. I’ve been writing about Richard Edwards’ fight against cancer off and on this year. Though I’ve known Jennifer, I hadn’t met Richard before. But there he was, right next to the tangerines, smiling and looking healthy indeed.
Jennifer says that although Richard has finally come home to the valley, he has not finished his battle.
His is a chronic illness at this point.
Richard has had to continue taking a drug to keep his bone marrow donor graft from rejecting “host” Richard. Because the drug depresses his immune system, he is eating a carefully controlled diet. He can’t drink well water from their well, or spring or mineral water. Richard is drinking only processed water to avoid any pathogen that might attack his immune system.
Richard and Jennifer Edwards are thrilled to be back in the Methow Valley.
Jennifer admits that it’s hard on her husband, who looks so healthy, to spend most of his time indoors. A trip to Hank’s, where he doesn’t encounter crowds of people, is kind of a big deal.
Richard sees an oncologist in Omak or Wenatchee each week. That doctor keeps in close touch with the Richard’s doctors on the west side.
Despite these restrictions, there is no denying that Richard and Jennifer were happy to be at Hank’s together. Being back with his kids full-time is a blessing.
Richard cannot work. Neither can Jennifer, who is at home as her husband’s caretaker. She says that disability insurance keeps the roof over their heads. The couple has been overwhelmed by the generosity of the community. They are extremely grateful. (A bank account to benefit Edwards is still open at North Cascades Bank.)
It was just a day or two after I met the Edwards at Hank’s that Jennifer’s stepfather Hank Rogers died on Nov. 26 at Mid-Valley Hospital in Omak. He was 78. Our sympathy goes out to Hank’s wife and to Jennifer’s mother, Chris Rogers, and to all the family.
The trees are here. The trees are here. Noble firs and a few grand firs are for sale in the tent at the Hank’s Harvest Foods parking lot. Sizes run from 2 – 4 feet to 10 feet and the trees are priced at $25 – $100.
Keith Strickland, John Doran and his sidekick Yoplait, Michael Dunn and Keith Rowland are volunteering their time to help you pick the best of the best, fresh Oregon trees, each day from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. until all the trees are gone. The proceeds from the tree sale go to the Methow Valley Community Center.
Huge weekend coming up: On Saturday (Dec. 5), the annual Pancake Breakfast and Santa Claus visit at the Twisp Valley Grange on Second Avenue, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m., $3 or $7.50, kids under 3 free; second edition of the Christmas Bazaar at the Methow Valley Community Center, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Christmas Shop open at the Senior Center; Handmade for the Holidays — a local artisan gift show – at YardFood ( formerly Local 98856), 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily through Christmas Eve.
Winter Wonder II opens Friday (Dec. 4) at The Merc Playhouse, and Methow Arts presents “The Second City: Holidazed & Confused Revue” at the Winthrop Barn, on Saturday only at 7 p.m. I’ll see you there!
