Relay for Life

This weekend all over the country was Relay for Life- a 24 hour marathon of fund-raising, support and information about cancer. The cancer survivors all wore purple t-shirts with Survivor on the back. When I see that, I am always struck with the idea that it is the true "reality show"- getting diagnosed with cancer and seeing if you can beat it, living your remaining days to the max.

I also spoke with a neighbor yesterday who has just been re-diagnosed with cancer. He is grappling with his mortality and wishes that the doctors would give him an expiration date, if you will. I don't think anyone has that- I mean, lives are so fragile, that any of us could go at any minute. With a diagnosis of terminal cancer, you have time to worry, plan, enjoy and say good-by. It's a terrible way to go but there is progress in prevention, cure, comfort and care. Bev, this blog's for you- you've done a lot to support cancer patients and their families and you've taught me a lot about resiliency and the power of positive thinking.

At the rally was a Dance4Fun group doing line dancing- what fun! On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the group just dances for a few hours. Most of the dances are pretty simple with a good rhythm and lots of movement. Maybe in the Fall.

Yesterday was the day to visit with neighbors. Eric came over and told us that he spent 5 of his childhood years in Taiwan and gave us a set of images from the 50s. His father was a research parasitologist and traveled all over the US. I'm excited about seeing them and taking them with us.

Oh, yes. Our trip to Taiwan starts next weekend. Ben is sharing his plans on Tuesday when he has them worked out. We're for sure (pretty much) going to Green Island off the SE coast. We might also be hiking to the top of the tallest mountain in Taiwan. Is that a good place to be if there is a typhoon?

Here is a question to ponder: are peanuts without shells considered to be shelled or unshelled? Not deep, but interesting.