As many of you know, I worked with the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry for about 10 years--from the late 90's until we moved to Orange County.  During that time, the Food Pantry grew in many ways.  Computer systems were overhauled to better track and serve clients.  The number of clients we served and the locations at which we served them grew.  The Board of Directors grew (in more ways than one!) and we went from a part-time manager to a full-time Executive Director.

Oh, and we bought our building and expanded our warehouse.

My work with the Pantry is one of the most fulfilling, challenging and meaningful "jobs" that I've done.  We asked ourselves a lot of questions as we grew.  Should we provide assistance to "illegal aliens" (or as I preferred to call them "undocumented workers.")  Our former President, Pat Rose had the answer to that one.  Any time we received a complaint about feeding these folks, Pat would ask the person complaining to come down to the Food Pantry "and pick which child we shouldn't feed."

We asked ourselves if we were in competition with other pantries in the area or if it was possible that since we all had the same concern, we were working together.  We built bridges between organizations and shared excess inventory with other nonprofits.

One question we never asked ourselves, however, turns out to be the one question that's changed the way an entire city manages the issue of food insecurity/hunger.  Is adequate food a basic human right?

The city of Belo Horizonte in Brazil answered that question with a resounding "Yes!" and then changed the way they approached hunger issues.  With a population of 2.5 million people, 11% of whom were poor, and with 20% of their children going hungry, Belo Horizonte established a policy that sufficient food was a basic human right.

Once they'd decided the question, they set about finding solutions based on the idea that we all deserve, rich or poor, to have sufficient food.  They put together a multidisciplinary committee and revamped the way food was produced and accessed, bringing local farmers into the process.

"The City that Ended Hunger," an article by Frances Moore Lappe', is eminently worth reading, imo.  It details the process and the changes that Belo Horizonte went through to meet its commitment that all citizens deserve to eat.  Belo Horizonte started with a problem and asked how to solve it in a new way.

Today, their success is an example to us all.

Apologies, apologies for not blogging in a few days.  First off, Weebly had some indigestion over some new features (or so it seems); then I was stuck in the neverending CAT scan day; then today...well, as most of you know I got the good news that my largest tumor (Fred...on the Left side, not the right as I had long assumed) has shrunk by almost 50% over last 5 chemo treatments.

I rewarded myself (and my strong, faithful, fearfully made) body with a walk at our local park; a delicious lunch; many phone calls and emails from friends celebrating the news; and just now a yummy marsala pork chop dinner with Dan.

I may even have a piece of really dark chocolate for dessert.  And you can bet, when I lay me down to sleep tonight, I'll be thanking the Creator for this latest blessing.

Back to our regular programming, if all goes according to plan, tomorrow.

I have a wonderful little journal designed by Laurel Burch that Mom #1 gave me a few years back.  It contains little snippets, quotes, Chinese fortunes and thoughts I've gathered along the way. 

Dan and I attended services at St. Georges' Church, an Episcopal church in our area, today.  I find myself a bit more meditative than usual on a Sunday morning as a result of the services, the letting go that needs to take place when one is participating in a high church ritual as opposed to the clamor and bustle of, say, Baptists or similar houses of worship.

Particularly for those of us from the Christian background, and especially during Lent, there's a sense of letting go and giving over.  So when I ran across this quote in my Laurel Burch book today, I thought it would be a good jumping off point for the Sunday question.

:Never say of anything that 'I've lost it.'  Say only that 'I've given it back.'"

Which leads to the Sunday question:  Is there anything you feel you've lost lately that you need to give over, give back, surrender?

Well, this is my traditional "crash" day, recently retermed VLE (for "very low energy") and it's 1:05...which finds me ready for my first nap of the day.  Had a good day yesterday; even went for a walk despite it being the day after disconnect.

Monday I will have my scan and we hope to find out some good news later in the week (Thursday should be the day they go over results with us).  Prayers appreciated.  I can't help but believe we will see progress since my pain has been reduced to almost nil and my energy levels (even on vle days) seem to be increasing.

I'm looking forward to 9 holes of golf tomorrow afternoon with friends, a walk in the "back bay" with Hal and Charlie next week, and a little spa/spoiling of self time over the following weekend when Dan will be back in North Carolina with his folks.

So...off to fold laundry and watch some British TV from the couch.  Hope wherever you are today, you are of still mind and hopeful heart.

A lot has been written lately about America's current crises: economic, energy, education.  There are doomsayers all around us--many of them with the bully pulpit of the media, who are declaring a losing battle...or at least a long morass before we pull ourselves into some semblance of the America we've been.

And I believe that last part of the message is one of the obstacles we face in our road to recovery.  I believe it is a common trope of our national concept of self that there's a better day, a simpler day, that we left behind when we left the 1950's.  While I believe there are some values from the 50's that can serve us in our approach to these crises (thrift, community service, assigning a high value to innovation and exploration), the way forward is not through nostalgia.

We are facing some daunting challenges.  For the newer generation of Americans, this is an unprecedented experience.  For many, the loss of home and the reality of parents working hard and not being able to keep up with bills despite these heroic efforts has been their first taste of adversity.

Students at the Village Academy High School in Pomona put together a video that amply and poignantly demonstrates the emotional effects of confronting adversity.  Called simply, "Is Anybody Listening?" the video consists primarily of students talking about the way the economy is impacting them and their families.  It's worth a look.

A while ago, my mother-in-law, Dotty Morefield, said the following:  "If you're not prepared to deal with adversity, you're not prepared to deal with life."

Adversity is something I've learned a lot about in the last three months.  And the most important lesson I've learned about dealing with adversity is that what matters most is what I tell myself about my situation.

I have Stage IV Colon Cancer.  That's adversity.

From there, I can (and do) choose the story I am weaving around that adverse situation.  Literally from the moment of my diagnosis, I have been choosing between living with cancer and fighting it...or giving up (as some statistics would imply is the more reasonable option) and counting out the rest of my days like too few beans.

Since I'm busy living (as opposed to busy dying), I have found many blessings in my path.  The depths of the family and friend relationships I have continues to astound me.  The beauty that surrounds us every single day (sunny or rainy, cold or warm) enlivens my heart.  Even the low energy days after discontinuing chemo have their own lessons to instill.  Lessons about being content with what I have rather than mourning what I had.  Lessons about letting go of goals that belong to the non-chemo weeks and making my d/c days about resting the warrior.

I recognize that there's a big leap from my dealing with this adversity and the nation dealing with our adversity.  But there are some compelling parallels.

Our road to recovery involves many of the same things:

1.  Coming together in communities to meet the needs of those who live near us, who are facing more difficulty than we are.  Such an approach is a retelling of the loaves and fishes where the crumbs of many fed the bellies of all.

2.  We can be content with less.  We, as a nation, can change our habits of overconsumption to habits of contentment with sufficiency.  We don't have to have bigger houses every two years, brand new clothes for each school year, the latest bag or the hottest new t.v. set.

3.  We can take the "hangover" that comes from bursting economic bubbles and use it like post-chemo time--to redirect our priorities, to rest from our frenetic pursuit of an ideal that was never real to begin with.  We can engage our creativity, our warrior spirits.  We can replace our sense of America as a guaranteed easy ride with the truer sense of America:  that we are a work in progress.  That we choose our path.  That adversity is part of the warp and woof of history, and we are prepared to battle through it.

All day long I promised myself three things:

1.  Time for journaling.
2.  Time for a meaty blog.
3.  Yoga tonight.

It looks like two out of three ain't bad.  I'm leaving for yoga in 14 minutes and meaty is not part of a 10 minute blog.  Ah well! 

Instead, I will share with you a lovely response that I got to the 1-11-09 Sunday Question.  My mom's friend, Ellen Tufts, responded to my question asking "What is your favorite musical."  I loved her response so much, I asked permission to post it on the blog and then that idea got buried under mounds of other "stuff."

Here's Ellen's beautiful and poignant response:

What a lovely idea, What's Your Favorite Musical?!

 

After pondering, at this time:

Favorite is my first, "Where's Charlie?"  seen on Broadway in (imagine) November ' 48 when, as a college freshman during Thanksgiving vacation. My date, a Dartmouth sophomore, took me  along with his roommate and date to see the great Ray Bolger weave his magic on the Broadhurst {?} stage....."Once in Love with Amy......."

I was happy and at 17, much in love. We all wore faux Hawaiian leis from a  previous party for Punahou School alums at the Lexington Hotel and they reeked of old crepe paper; my date's Burberry coat smelled musty after a walk in the snow and  I had doused myself with "Le Galion" cologne which I felt was part of the Dior New Look.  All this sensory stuff I remember.

The show was superb and we were filled with joy just watching Bolger. Now, 60 years later, I know, sadly, that my friend, a lifelong beau, died several years ago in Minneapolis; Bill, his roommate, was injured in the Korean conflict and  later moved to teach high school in Australia. I don't know about his date. 

Right now I can't locate the "Where's Charlie?"Playbill in my years full of flotsam-jetsam boxes

But  I know this: We were profoundly naive.

 

This being colon cancer awareness month, I am updating the Colon Cancer Blog a little bit more frequently than usual.  Bop on over there (tab's at the top of the page, sweethearts) and check out the many links.

I don't want anyone I know and love (or anyone I don't know who is loved by others) to find themselves in my situation if it could have been prevented by knowledge, awareness and a little pushiness at the doctor's office.

Off to go buy exercise equipment.  TTFN.

Had quite a day today, including 9 holes of golf with my friend, Renee'.  I shot a 49 and was quite pleased overall.  Again, the course was nearly deserted and so we played without any pressure at all.  It was a chilly day but not too chilly to play!

I also did a bunch o' chores getting ready for chemo week and chatted with my sister-in-law, Cindy.  One of the topics we covered is what my therapist, Anne, calls "gems in the mine," after a metaphor I was using about dark days feeling like I was down in a mine.

Cancer has, believe it or not, been a source of blessing in my life.  I've slowed down, experienced more joy in the moment, found out that I have an amazing cadre of family and friends who love me more than I'd imagined possible for this ol' gal, grown even closer to the man of my dreams and my best friend...really, the list could go on.

Not that I'd recommend this path to anyone...and I'm eager for the day I'm off this path and recovered from cancer.  And even so...

So as I toddle off to fold laundry and watch DVR'd shows, I will just share with you that one of my friends wished me a "Happy Chemo Week" this week.  And he was right on.  It's going to be a Happy Chemo Week indeed.  I have my high school buddy, Jean Marie, coming up tomorrow to take me to the office and sit with me tomorrow afternoon.  I will see Erik again on Wednesday evening and through Friday.  Renee' will check in with me on Tuesday to bring me lunch.

I'll be as active as possible and concentrating on kicking the bejeebers out of Ed, Fred, Earl and their cohorts.  Surrounded by friends and covered in prayers and good wishes.  Sounds like a Happy Chemo Week to me.

I had a fabulous visit with my niece, Amy, yesterday.  We went purse shopping in the morning (a guy that comes over from Hong Kong twice a year and makes designer-style bags without the logo in a variety of colors and materials...quite fun) and had a delightful lunch at P.F. Changs.

After these very fun girl-bonding activities, we stopped by my brother's house (I won't name him since I didn't ask permission to use him as blog fodder...but those in the family will have a good guess).  We played with nephew, David, and I got to see Amy's husband, Jay, which is always a delight to me because I so enjoy his company.

Midway through play and the project that Jay and my brother were working on, the activities turned to building forts for David out of couch cushions.  There was  a jingle from one of the couches and Jay investigated.  He pulled out from the crevice behind where the cushions met the following items:

--Uno Cards
--Over a dozen pens
--Keys (quite an impressive set of keys, too)
--Two flashlights
--A package of firecrackers

Seriously.  I have the photo of the items below.

Which leads to the Sunday Question:

What's in your couch cushions?

(I also admit to a certain curiousity about whose keys these are.)

Dan and I had just a fabulous day yesterday.  After running errands in the morning (which is one of my favorite things to do with Dan, believe it or not), we played a round of golf (18 holes!) in the afternoon.

It was supposed to rain on Friday afternoon according to the forecasters, but as you'll see from Jon Stewart in a moment, predictions of weather, the stock market (and even how "healthy" one is), can be WAY off beacon.

As a result, we had a sunny if windy day...a few clouds here and there...and a golf course that felt like we were the only two on it.  We started the round with a single ahead of us and no one behind us that we ever saw.  We had a relaxed (if somewhat less than stellar from a score perspective) round.  I shot a 105, which is about average for me...7 strokes over my index.

There were lots of wonderful things to see on the golf course.  Wish I'd taken my camera!  There was a gorgeous tree in full pink bloom, set off amongst palm trees and just to the side of one of the lakes (the one I didn't go in).  There were coots, ducks and geese aplenty.  Flowers are starting to bloom and the course is in excellent shape after recent rains and the diligent efforts of staff.

I find golf even more enjoyable than I did before because I take it a lot less seriously (and maybe take myself as a golfer less seriously).  As I told Dan's brother, Bill, cancer sort of puts golf in perspective.

(He laughed uproariously, fellow golfer that he is, and I was quite pleased.)

And speaking of perspective, my friend, Erik, forwarded a link to me of Jon Stewart talking about CNBC's financial "advice" over the past year or so.  It's worth a look so I embedded it below.

Hope your day is sunny and your endeavors all pay dividends today, gentle readers.