I so agree, Sandy. We can all so easily be humbled when we start to feel sorry for our situations by just looking around at how much worse so many others have it, and what great attitudes and high spirits many in terrible health and/or who undergo repeated, painful procedures have. I had major reconstructive surgery on both of my feet in 2000 (four different procedures on each foot at once, 6 months apart), and can tell you that was no picnic, but I imagine what you went through with your back last summer and what Sharon is about to have done is even -- I'll try to be positive -- more of an opportunity for growth. :) As for the smoking battle, I used to make fun of folks who talked about what a SERIOUS addiction it was until I REALLY TRIED to beat MINE... Here I am 6 years and 13 days later, still chewing the nicotine gum, BUT the last tobacco I smoked was Nov. 1, 2003 (after waffling back and forth quite a few times between May 1 2000 and Halloween 2003)... However, the longterm effect of all my on-again, off-again affair with the nicotine-gum substitute was that when I FINALLY kicked the cigarettes for good, I found I was no longer able to wean off the gum (I had been completely nicotine-free for a year before 9/11, when, like Peter Jennings, I relapsed and began the cycle of a couple months of smoking followed by a couple months of gum... for the next two years). Aside from the cost of the gum (which is less expensive if you buy store brand), the doctors say it's pretty safe to use and have NO PROBLEM with me chewing it longterm -- Even when I had a heart attack Feb. 21, they didn't have a problem with me having my nicotine gum in the hospital... Nicotine is chemically similar to caffeine -- it's all the OTHER STUFF in the tobacco smoke that kills ya... the TAR, the CARBON MONOXIDE, the HYDROGEN SULFIDE, the HYDROGEN CYANIDE and about A THOUSAND OTHER TOXIC CHEMICALS, or so they say. So if you're fighting the smoking battle "solo," Sandy, perhaps you should give nicotine replacement a try... you may not save any money vs. what it costs to smoke, but you'll certainly save your health... There's only ONE downside, for me, at least when I'm not in closed quarters... when I smell someone else's cigarette it often still smells GOOD to me... I was helping dig holes to plant tomatoes and peppers at the local Master Gardener vegetable garden this morning and the guy who's in charge of it this year smokes... He passed me at one point with a cigarette and I caught a whiff and it smelled good and I told him so -- and he asked if I wanted one... Not THAT foolish I said NO THANKS, I'll stick with the gum, lol. Good luck to EVERYONE with your health issues! Jeff

Mere, glad to read the good news. I know you have to be stressed about the whole situation, how could you not be? I doubt you are the 1st to need a cool cloth; anyone having to have a biopsy would be stressed. I would think that anyone with a family history; well all the more stress. To go in for a procedure to see if it registers the "big C" well that in itself would make anyone puke. Now that I can put off the actual surgery I probably will till after that. It depends on what all it involves and recuperation, really. It can't be much, so we'll see. Did you ever get to check out the cure magazine site? I wonder if you have other options. I remember reading about one breast cancer study where they were given a drug that worked. Might be worth the time to look into. The article would have been from the time dad was sick - July 2005 to January 2006. I seem to remember it as a fall issue - so Fall 2005. I might still have it but it's packed in a rubbermade with dad's stuff.

I'm so glad you've made it back, MM. Tho sure been a rough road you've traveled. I'm glad your Mom is doing better, and hope your DH is getting over being sick. It seems you made a good decison... to do what is best for YOU. Stress sure can wreck one's health, so I hope you relax now and take care of yourself. hugs to the Pugs ;o) and you, Karen

Thank you all for the lovely comments :). It feels good to get back here and hopefully get back on track as well as after several busy months, get to decorate for fun instead of tossing something together for the sake of entertaining someone. The "chargers" are actually big plastic platters from the dollar tree. I think they are probably meant for cookies or other treats but they were just the right size for plates to. The s/p shakers & pillar candle holders on the table, I found at Michaels on a stop we made after going out to lunch post wedding. I went in for scrapbooking stuff and couldn't help myself. lol The skulls under the domes are styrofoam so a cloche was neccessary to protect them from evil demise at the hand of Mr Kitty. He's terribly rotten when it comes to foam *sigh*. I'll have to snap a pic of the outside though I'll warn you, it's not pretty as we dug up 2 large flower beds and still have a straw covered front yard until the grass grows back. My sister says it's taking fall decor to far, I say ewww. LOL Now, off to see what everyone else has been up to :-).