Living with Cancer

I admit to being a bit lazy with this site. Catch up news is that Angela's writing goes steaming ahead. She sent a great photograph of wee Kelric. I really do like when people write so please keep in touch. I have a bit of back trouble at present which can make me a touch grumpy and your words and suggestions for sites really cheers me. Also, I stop feeling sorry for myself!!

Pat McRee's  lovely poem about holding out our hands to others is found in poetry 9. Pat describes herself as a 2-time breast cancer survivor. She is also the author of Support to Go, The Unbook for the Journey Through Breast Cancer. I have looked  this up and like what I see. You will find it at www.supporttogo.org

Mike Hall has been writing more poetry and I have fallen in love with two lines in particular. Our friends are so very important.

In This Life
You'll have days of bright and blue
with good friends and laughter....enough to see you through.

I love when people write to me about their experiences, whether about themselves or their loved ones. Very often I shed a few tears because of the emotion which comes through the words. I love receiving poetry and I love to discover that a photograph has pleased someone enough to be downloaded. I thank those of you who have contributed to my site and thank  the unknown people who browse.

I love these words given to me by Sheena McCombie. They really do remind us that we are not all the same. We can all be correct.

There's lots of ways of doing things
As everyone supposes
For some turn up their sleeves to work
And some turn up their noses.

I have added quite a few pieces lately. I was very happy to write a poem for James Powell, in memory of his Aunt Patty. The poems by Sandra Lovegrove and Mike Hall are great additions to this collection.
I am really finding photography studies rather difficult, especially as I broke my left hand recently, but I am determined to manage. Every time someone contacts me I feel very privileged.

I am busy taking photographs and writing poetry. The photographs are the best of the two! I did go on a course for a day at Wanlockhead and have been making wee books of things for precious friends.

I have been browsing the American Cancer Society site which is linked from my 'information, page and there is a very interesting article on Herceptin. It fits well with other things I have read. You can find the link here.

All right EVERYONE, lets do this! We need you who are great at forwarding information to your e-mail network. It will be wonderful if 2005 is the year a cure for breast cancer is found! This is one e-mail you should be glad to pass on. The notion that we could raise $35 million by buying a book of stamps is powerful! As you may be aware, the US Postal Service recently released its new "Fund the Cure" stamp to help fund breast cancer research. The stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland. It is important that we take a stand against this disease that devastates many of our mothers, sisters, and friends. Instead of the routine 37 cents for a stamp, this one costs 40 cents. The additional 3 cents goes to breast cancer research. A "normal" book costs $7.40. This one is only $8.00. It means so much. If all stamps are sold, it will raise an additional $35,000,000 for this vital research. Just as important as the money, is our support. What a statement it will make if the stamp outsells the lottery this week. What a statement it will make that we care.
I urge you to do two things:
1. Go out and purchase these stamps.
2. E-mail your friends to do the same. We all know women and their families whose lives are turned upside-down by breast cancer. It takes so little to do so much in this drive. I think we can all afford the additional 60 cents the new book costs.
Please help & pass this on.