Elmwood School Runs for Life

Taken from Daria's Living with Cancer blog (who in turn found it on the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation website):

Ottawa's Elmwood School has a proud tradition of supporting and participating in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure.



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What I'm grateful for today: Warm oatmeal cookies

The prodigal son returns in: 70 days

Happy Mother's Day

Adam is coming home for a week in May.

And he's arriving on Mother's Day!

Only 72 days to go...

What I'm grateful for today: I think that's obvious!

Gratitude and attitude

It’s 5 a.m. and, after tossing and turning for about an hour, I gave up trying to get back to sleep. I take a ½ a sleeping pill every night (I call them my ‘happy pills’ and yes, I’m probably addicted) but every once in a while I wake up really early. I guess this is just one of those times.

When I can’t sleep it’s usually because my brain is filled with ‘monkey chatter’: my to-do list, what book I want to read next, things I want to write about on my blog, etc.

Maybe this morning it’s because I’m going for a CT scan of my lungs at 8:20. I’ve had a cough for 2 months and can’t seem to shake it. I’m hoping that it’s just a nasty lingering cough from the cold I had at Christmas, or maybe the plague, but at 4 a.m., it can mess with your head.

One of the things that popped into my monkey brain in the wee hours was that I haven’t been posting my “What I’m grateful for today” footnote. So as a sort of catch-up, here’s an expanded list:

What I’m grateful for today (i.e. things I like): My new old parquet floor, the TV shows The Office and Modern Family, my bed-hog dog, fresh ‘powder’ (is it still called ‘powder’ if you only ski the bunny hills?), PC products (I have a platonic crush on Galen Weston), Jockey underwear, Toonie Tuesdays at the Rainbow cinema, $20 student massages, Value Village, Dollarama (it sounds like I’m cheap, but I just like a good bargain), frozen blueberries (although I do prefer fresh in season), my electric blanket, Indian food, my ‘sisters-of-the-heart’ (you know who you are) who make non-onion dishes just for me at our potlucks (am I spoiled or what?), my cozy TV room, the long phone chat I had with Adam yesterday about the possibility of us going on a trip together, and using brackets for related thoughts that don’t really fit in the sentence (see what I mean?).

Just for balance, here’s the flip side.

Things I’m not grateful for today (i.e. things I ‘dislike’): onions, painting stipple ceilings (and just stipple ceilings in general), clothes that are too tight, wall-to-wall carpet, beige baseboards and door trim, making small talk, carpel tunnel syndrome, people who don’t pick up after their dogs, when someone says “Hold on a minute, I have another call”, trying on bathing suits, chemo brain (what day is this again?), bad customer service, disposable vacuums (more on that at a later date), stupid movies (e.g. The Informant), low rise jeans, buying a new car, sappy chain emails, paying bank fees or interest, my messy car, and cancer (not necessarily in that order).

Cheryl - Thriver profile

In addition to ‘Cancer heros’ (women who have had their cancer return), I’m adding a new category called ‘Thriver profiles’. I plan to post pictures and words of inspiration from women who are living their life with meaning and purpose, after a diagnosis of cancer.

My first post in this category is from Cheryl.

Length of time since diagnosis: This June will be 10 years. Diagnosed June,2000
Type of cancer: Invasive Ductal Carcinoma tubular tumor
Treatment: Lumpectomy and 6 weeks of radiation therapy every weekday

Cheryl's advice for others:

"Appreciate every day. Life is worth living to the fullest and seize the moment to enjoy it. Give back and don't sweat the small things."

Here are a few articles I found online about Cheryl. (Isn’t Google great?)

Runners won't take breast cancer in stride
Running to cure breast cancer
Cancer on the Run
The battle goes on

You can read about other Thrivers and Cancer Heros by clicking on the labels below.

Politically Incorrect

OK, I admit it. Sometimes I am. But I don’t mean to be.

I have at times found myself hesitating when searching for words that won’t offend someone or make me sound like insensitive ‘white trash’ (surely a politically incorrect term, but one that I accept, given my humble beginnings, my sometimes crazy family, and my love of tacky Christmas ornaments).

In my 20s and 30s, I would never have referred women as 'the girls' but have to admit that I now kind of like it and think of my group of friends that way. (Maybe it makes me feel young).

I remember a few years back describing racial tension between the ‘blacks and whites’ of the Halifax of my childhood. My son pointed out that I should use the term ‘black people’, although I sincerely didn’t mean any disrespect.

I should also have known better than to describe someone of eastern Asian descent as ‘oriental’, although I felt better when I heard a friend who’s adopted son was born in Korea use the term herself.

While I do have several lesbian friends, I’m never sure if it’s OK to refer to them as ‘gay’ or does that just describe homosexual males?

I saw the author of Middlesex on Oprah and learned that ‘hermaphrodites’ are now ‘intersexed’ and ‘sex change’ is now referred to as ‘gender reassignment’.

I could go on and on. There really should be a manual for this! (And don't even get me started on 'Christmas').

So, I put it out there. If I ever use the wrong term, please understand that I mean no disrespect and forgive me for my ‘political incorrectness’ (or is there a new less offensive term for that too?).

Red wine and dark chocolate cancer killers

"Cabernet and chocolate are potent medicine for killing cancer, according to research presented Wednesday."

Guess what I'm having for breakfast? :-)

Read the full story

What I'm most grateful for today: Cabernet and chocolate, of course! (Although, I must admit, I'm not a big wine drinker. But my arm is easily twisted, especially when in wine country in the Czech Republic!).

Books and Recipes

I'm always looking for content for my book and recipe blogs.

Books on the Edge: Have you read a good book lately? Send me a short review to share with other book lovers.










Edgy Recipes: I don't cook often but I love to have quick access to tried-and-true recipes, even when I'm travelling. Send me a few favorites and try recipes recommended by others.






You can email me your submissions at christine.lynds@rogers.com.