News on Cancer

These are from the American Cancer Society's "Hot Mission News" for October, 2006. "Hot Mission News" is published once a month for constituents, volunteers, partners and all interested in cancer news.

Tobacco Companies Test Marketing New Smokeless Products
Recent media reports have focused on the U.S. tobacco industry's test marketing of new smokeless tobacco products, including snus, a smokeless tobacco product popular in Sweden. The plan to market these products in the U.S. has prompted a discussion among the tobacco control community on how these products will affect tobacco use in the U.S.

Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2003
The Report was released in early September and provides an update of cancer incidence rates (new cases), death rates, and trends in the United States.
This year's report shows that the long-term decline in overall cancer death rates continued through 2003 for all races and both sexes combined. The declines were greater among men (1.6 percent per year from 1993 through 2003) than women (0.8 percent per year from 1992 through 2003). The data reflect continuing progress in prevention, early detection, and treatment.

Benzene in Soft Drinks
A story making headlines in the US and overseas raises concerns about the cancer-causing chemical benzene in soft drinks. Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) initiated a survey of over 100 beverages after receiving private laboratory results reporting low levels of benzene in a small number of soft drinks.
The FDA says of its survey: "The vast majority of beverages sampled (including those containing both benzoate preservative and ascorbic acid) contain either no detectable benzene or levels below the 5 ppb limit for drinking water. FDA believes that the results of CFSAN's recent survey indicate that the benzene found in soft drinks does not pose a safety concern."

Cosmetic Makers to Remove Chemical from Nail Polish
Several cosmetics makers have announced plans to remove the chemical dibutyl phthalate from nail polish because some groups have expressed concern about the chemical's possible carcinogenic effect.

Post-Katrina news of Hope Lodge, New Orleans

Post-Katrina: Hope Lodge New Orleans Brings Cancer Treatment Close to Home
The American Cancer Society has now opened the doors of the American Cancer Society Patrick F. Taylor Hope Lodge in New Orleans to patients. At the one year anniversary of Katrina, the Society encourages staff to spread the word that this Lodge is now open and accepting patients. Since July 24, the Lodge has provided 109 night of free lodging to ten guests and their caregivers.
--From Hot Mission News, American Cancer Society

Volunteering - MAC & NAPS

Volunteering
I volunteered for 4 hours yesterday at The Second Harvest Food Bank. Most people know that the food bank distributes food to the food banks in our area. A service is provided by them that I don’t believe everyone knows about. Two programs, MAC and NAPS, are administered by them. I have written a post below explaining what these programs are. MAC stands for “Mothers and Children” and NAPS stands for “Assistance Program for Seniors”.

Yesterday I was one of the volunteers that helped to pack boxes for these two programs. These boxes are packed once a month by volunteers. Some of the people are there to help every month, some come on the months they are able. Yesterday the staff person in charge, Sandy, was afraid that there would not be enough volunteers, as she had only 9 that Rsvp’d, so she set up some volunteers to work on Wednesday evening, and a student group from Merritt Creek Academy to come yesterday afternoon. As it turned out, close to 20 showed up, so instead of working 4 hours, the amount of boxes to be packed that she planned for, were finished in 1 ½ hours. Since I had already registered 4 hours on my time sheet for “Community Service” at my job, I asked if there was anything else I could help with. I finished my 4 hours by doing filing in the office.

This was my first experience at helping pack the boxes for NAPS and MAC. It was fun. My job was to break down the cardboard boxes that contained the cans that those packing the boxes were finished with. After breaking down the boxes, they were put into a huge box to be hauled off for recycling. The guy directly across from me that was packing made lots of jokes that made our work more fun, he teased about them throwing the boxes at me, I said that was fine, just please don’t hit me in the head with them! It turns out, after we were finished and having some donuts and coffee, that I realized this man lived on the street behind us, and our back yards face each other! I told him “I thought you looked familiar!” I haven’t seen him since they first bought their house there. He told me they have lived there 15 years! Wow… where does the time go? One of the women on the assembly line packing was a friend from our church. I worked with a nurse from St. Luke’s breaking the boxes, and then she was sent over to tape up the boxes. It was the first time she had volunteered also. She works the 3 – 11 shift at the hospital. I found out several of them worked a 3 – 11 shift. One of the men asked me after, if I ever volunteered at the Daminio Center, I told him no. He told me that help is desperately needed there, especially in their soup kitchen and gave me the name of the person to call. I told him I would pass that need on.

If you have some spare time to volunteer, please consider the Second Harvest Food Bank or the Daminio Soup Kitchen. CHUM Drop in Center run by CHUM (Churches United in Ministry) is also a place that looks for volunteers. There are many opportunities in our community for those that want to serve.

MAC & NAPS

MAC & NAPS

Mother and Children Program

MAC is a program for income eligible Minnesota women who are pregnant or have had a baby in the last year; and children under age 6 (not served by WIC).

Monthly a supplemental food package is given that often contains ready-to-eat and/or hot cereal; instant potatoes, rice or pasta; canned juices, fruits and vegetables; canned beef, chicken, beef stew, tuna, peanut butter or egg mix; American cheese, dry milk and/or evaporated milk. Infants receive special boxes including formula, infant rice cereal and juice. MAC is a supplemental food program and is not intended to be their only food source.

Nutrition Assistance Program for Seniors
NAPS is a program for income eligible Minnesota residents over the age of 60.

Although menus vary, monthly supplemental food package will most often contain ready-to-eat and/or hot cereal; instant potatoes, rice or pasta; canned juices, fruits and vegetables; canned beef, chicken, beef stew, tuna, peanut butter or egg mix; American cheese, dry milk and/or evaporated milk. NAPS is a supplemental food program and is not intended to be their only food source. These foods are chosen because they contain nutrients needed for growth and repair of body tissues as well as maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. The NAPS programs supplies this food to registered participants and is not intended to feed other household members. Recipes for the commodity foods are available. “Nutrition News” publication is given each quarter, to help provide resources to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle!

NAPS is not considered when the senior applies for food stamps, energy assistance and other programs.

The monthly boxes that are given to those on the MAC & NAPS program are packed by volunteers who come to the Second Harvest Food Bank once a month. 15 -20 people are needed to accomplish this task, and volunteers are always welcome to come, even if they can't be there every month.
The staff member that runs the program sends a card each month, and requests an rsvp, so she will know how many volunteers she will have. If you are interested in helping with this worthwhile community service, please call Sandy at the Second Harvest Food Bank, it is located in the Airpark off Haines Road by the airport.

Interesting

Interesting
The Duluth News Tribune reported some interesting things this morning. It was just announced that the Republican convention is going to held in Minneapolis in 2008. Minneapolis beat out New York and Denver. Who would have thought that the GOP convention would be held in a largely Democratic state? (Although, I’ve heard that Minnesota being known for being Democratic, may be changing). We have become a “purple” state according to the Republicans view that Minnesota could be a “winnable” state. I can see the decision was political, choosing us over New York or Denver.

It is the first time a national convention has been held in the Twin Cities since 1892, when Benjamin Harrison was nominated for president. They say the convention will bring in 20,000 people and $150 million to the Twin Cities metro area. It also could impact the Northern part of our state, as people may explore the Boundary Waters and recreational opportunities in Northern and Southern Minnesota (yea, right, they are going to take their time to go beyond Minneapolis?).

Another interesting thing – since I wrote the other day about the Blatnik (High) Bridge, the spokesman for the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation reported in the Tribune this morning that the lights on the bridge will be relit tonight, it was apparently dark the last few nights due to a faulty electrical box. Did you know that the bridge has beautiful decorative lights that are lit from sundown to midnight daily? I didn’t realize that the bridge has only been lit with those lights since 1991. It has 220 decorative metal halide bulbs and lighting the 50-watt bulbs costs about $40 - $43 per day. Duluth hotelier and businessman Monnie Goldfine proposed the idea to Senator Sam Solon.

“Tokyo Rose” died at age 90.

SMDC has a “Robodoc” since 2004, it is the only robotic surgery system in the Northland. (read more about it in the News Tribune).

A 21 year old man was arrested early yesterday when his joyride caused $8,000 of damage to the 16th green of the Northland Country Club’s golf course. What would have possessed him to do such a thing on a golf course?

Jim, one of our local ACS's Ambassador's to the Celebration on the Hill event last week wrote a letter to the editor, that was published in today's Opinion page of the News Tribune. Take a look at his letter if you have a chance. (News Tribune link to the left on this page).

I’m writing later this morning because I will be going to the “Second Harvest Food Bank” this morning instead of going to work. I will be putting in 4 hours of my community service that my employer (American Cancer Society) wants me to do. We need to do 8 hours a year of service. If we don’t complete the 8 hours it rolls over on to the next year, thus giving you 16 hours to do the next year. It's preferred that we do the service during work hours and we can choose where we want to do the service. Since I actually have a little down time at work these last two weeks, more than I have had in two years, I thought I’d better try to get some of my community service in.

Cancer Survivors Network

Cancer Survivors Network

For all of you that are survivors of cancer, struggling at this time with cancer, going through cancer treatments, or know someone who is going through cancer, I want to let you know about The Cancer Survivors Network. It is has something of interest to anyone touched by cancer:
· newly diagnosed survivors
· survivors in recurrence
· long-term survivors
· caregivers
It offers a comprehensive selection of stories and discussions among survivors and caregivers on a variety of topics such as:
· Facing fears of recurrence
· Living with late and long-term effects
· Pain and fatigue
· Family relationships
· What to do when someone you love has cancer
· Listen to, read or download pre-recorded personal stories and discussions among
Survivors and caregivers
· Create a personal homepage to share stories and get connected to others
· Find and communicate with other survivors and caregivers vial secure e-mail
· Search suggested books, articles, web sites, support groups and organizations
· Much more… all free
· Easy to use, and accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week
· through the web site www.acscsn.org (also accessible through www.cancer.org).
· See my direct ink on my web site to click on (see the left side – www.acscsn.org).
· If you do not have a computer, it can be reached via touch tone or rotary telephone. Dial 1-877-333-4673 (HOPE). There will be prompts to navigate you through the segments you are interested in. If you have difficulty navigating through the telephone, call the ACS 24-hour line: 1-800-ACS-2345 for help.

From diagnosis, cancer becomes a part of a survivor’s life and a caregiver’s life experience. The Cancer Survivors Network unites all people touched by cancer. Survivorship can be an opportunity for personal growth and renewal of spirit.

No matter how cancer touches your life, the Survivors Network can help – log on or call right now! Tell others about the network, help to spread the word.

Rainy Day in Duluth

Linda's Thoughts from Duluth

The Canal

Duluth Weather

Duluth Weather

For some insite into Duluth's weather for all my out of town and out of state readers, read Sam Cook's article in today's Duluth News Tribune. I have a link to the newspaper to the left, click on Duluth News Tribune and then click on columnist Sam Cook (on front page of web page today).

Out of Season

Linda's Thoughts from Duluth
I am not a shopper, I don’t really enjoy shopping, but sometimes I need to do it. I really
need a new bathing suit. The chlorine in the pool at the fitness center is very hard on suits, and mine is in bad shape. I should have looked for one last month, but didn’t because my friend gave me one that she didn’t use. I tried it, I don’t like it, doesn’t fit real well, and it has a skirt to it that keeps flying up when I’m in the water. Yesterday, my daughter told me that Younkers had their Goodwill sale, for every piece of clothing you turn in to them for Goodwill, they give you a 20% coupon to use, through tomorrow. She told me I should go do some Christmas shopping with the coupons. I decided that I would do some Christmas shopping and also look for a swimming suit. So, I gathered up a large bag of clothing to give to the Goodwill and off I went. I couldn’t find things for Christmas presents, I guess because I’m not used to Christmas shopping in September. I’m usually a last minute person because I hate to shop. Two of my guys are so picky that to try to buy clothing for them is usually a bust. The one son that isn’t picky doesn’t complain about what clothes I buy him, he just never wears them…he’d rather stick to his old grungy things, than something new! I’ve bought him so many nice things since he’s an adult, and most of them sit in his closet! The others that I buy gifts for are all pretty fussy too, so I didn’t come home with any Christmas presents.

There were no swimming suits to be found anywhere…I looked in three different department stores, after Younkers didn’t have any. I guess I should have known, why would there be swimming suits in the fall in Duluth? I should have been looking last month, or earlier this month. I guess I will have to look in a catalog, but hate to buy through the mail, in case it doesn’t fit and I hate returning things!

However, I did come home with some new purchases. I bought some new clothing, I don’t do that too often, but when I do, I get on a roll and buy more than one thing, because I know it will be 6 or 8 months before I go shopping again. Now, I did this in spite of what my daughter and husband has told me. Dawn told me this summer that I should never shop for myself for clothing alone, because I make poor choices. Nice comment from your daughter, huh? Well, I told my husband what she said, and he told me he agreed with her! Oh well, too bad, I shopped alone this weekend! I do hope that I made at least a few good choices. I'm practicing an affirmation this afternoon "I am able to shop by myself and make good choices"! and "I feel better, knowing I have some new things to wear to work". Also, since the only gift I got for my birthday was a rose, I guess I can consider that the shopping spree was my birthday present! (note: my daughter did tell me she will buy my birthday present when we shop together the next time I visit her).

A Birthday

Yesterday I had a great birthday. The kids all remembered, and called me, greetings from friends and family, making me feel loved and remembered.

My best friend here in Duluth called me early and wished me Happy Birthday, and asked if I had time for lunch. Well, of course I did. Bob would be at the UMD Football game and Rob would be working, I was delighted to go for lunch with my best friend. We haven’t had much time to talk, as both of our lives have been busy. We’ve only been seeing each other this month at the water aerobic class that we both go to, and we try to talk with each other at the same time as we are jumping around in the water! Often when we don’t see each other, we talk several times during the week by phone, but we haven’t done that as much as usual this month.

She had arrived at the restaurant before me, and when I got there, she had this gigantic Birthday card and a beautiful long stemmed peach colored rose waiting for me. She treated me to a delicious meal, and even brought two “noise makers” like they use on New Year ’s Eve, and she insisted that we blow them. We took our time and had a leisurely almost 2 hour lunch, talking and catching each other up on the month’s happenings. She and I both have the empty nest with a son being gone, so we commensurate with each other on that. She told me about her trip to the Chicago area to visit her son that just moved there. He too, is living with his girlfriend there, (what is it with this generation not wanting to get married, we both want to know!). She also has one son living at home yet, like we do. As friends, we have so much in common, but yet we are so different in many ways. She is 100 % Finnish, and I'm 100 % German, but we both come from large families, although I am the oldest and she is baby of the family. Our personalites are opposite in some ways, but the same in other ways. We both have two sons. We have become as close as sisters over the year, in fact my husband calls her “your sister”. I have to say she is my “Duluth sister” (read in the post below how we met).

What a great birthday I had. Love was all around.

Duluth Sister

Duluth Sister

It’s wonderful to have a best friend who is like a sister to you, especially when your sister is 1250 miles away from you. Sharon and I are like sisters. We share each other’s joys, troubles, pains and all the things you would share with a close sister. I am also close like that with my sister in PA, but having a “sister” nearby to talk with and be with is truly a blessing.

It was like she and I were supposed to meet and become close friends. When our boys were both Boy Scout age, her boys were in boy scouts and so was one of our boys. I used to see this woman always sitting by herself at the scout meetings. I noticed that she didn’t talk to anyone else. I would smile at her, but the occasion didn’t happen that we talked with each other, as after the meeting, I would see she was gone. Anyhow, after that, I would see her at different places in the community, like at the grocery store, the drug store, and again I’d see her sitting at the Boy Scout meetings. I always smiled at her, and she always smiled back. Neither of us ever talked to each other. This happened for a good 6 – 8 months. Finally, one day I was at the local drugstore in our neighborhood. Again, I saw her. This time I decided to say something. Instead of just smiling, I went up to her and said hello, and I introduced myself. We both commented that we’ve often seen each other in the neighbor-hood. Anyhow, that was the start of a great friendship.

I believe that this happened at a time when both of us really needed a good friend. I had lots of “friends” in my life in Duluth, and when I had worked at the bank for 7 years, I had a best friend there. But, this was a time in my life, where I wasn’t employed out of the home, and wasn’t seeing my best friend from the bank too often. My neighbors, who were good friends, all had gone back to the work force about the time I left the work force and stayed home. Sharon confided in me later, that she had been going through a rough time in her life, she was getting over a bad car accident, and had been dealing with pain from it’s aftermath. She was feeling blue during that time, which is why she always looked sad. She told me that finding a friend who was happy and upbeat with life was just what she needed at that time. That’s why I say “we were meant to be friends”.

Sharon and I started talking to each other on the phone. She had recently become a Tupperware dealer, and I had recently become a “Mary Kay” consultant. We decided to work together on an open house to promote our fares. Working together in that way really “cemented” our friendship. We started doing other things together, visiting with each other and introduced our husbands to each other. So, now, Sharon and are not just best friends, Sharon and Jerry are one of our best “couple” friends to Bob and I.

All it took was smiles, and being brave enough to say hello and make an introduction to find my sister in Duluth!

Affirmation

Affirmation

This morning I awoke with a word on my mind. That word was “affirmation”. One evening this week one of my friends was telling that she often writes words or a line of affirmation to herself in the morning to help her through that day or week. She gave some examples. One example really struck me as an affirmation that I’ve been working on for myself, especially for this last year, but probably more like the last 2 – 3 years. That affirmation is “I flow with change”. As I’ve told you in past postings, there have been a lot of changes in my personal life these last few years, and a lot of changes in my working life. I think my friend’s example of giving affirmations to ones self is a good practice, and I’m going to try doing it.

But, even better, is getting an “affirmation” from others and that is what we all search for in our relationships, it’s what gets us through hard times. However, if you don’t get affirmations from others, then you do, indeed need to give them to yourself once in a while. I received a nice birthday present yesterday. My supervisor at work gave me my annual review. If you are employed outside of your home, you know what I’m talking about. An annual review that you go into wondering what will be said about your work that you do throughout the year on a daily basis. You have “goals”, you personally access how you did with your “goals” and then your supervisor accesses them and you come together to “talk” about the review period, and you anxiously wait to hear what she/he has to say. That is the process at our organization. Well, I am happy to say that she affirmed to me that my hard work this past year was of worth. She told me she realized with the changes that it hasn’t been easy, and that “you worked through and accepted the changes with grace”. She told me that I was a great asset to the organization, (something all of us want to hear), and I believe she was sincere. I told her that I felt that the challenges and changes have strengthened me and that I appreciated her affirmation. It was indeed, a good birthday present.

So, last night I was thinking about that “affirmation” and feeling good about my job again. We don’t always get affirmation about the work we do at our jobs, and it was just what I needed at this time.

Then this morning, I woke up thinking about the word itself, "affirmation", and then I realized that in my personal life I have been getting affirmations too. We all get affirmations, we just need to take time and recognize them. I am affirmed each day how much I am loved by my husband, when I talk to my siblings, with my family members and my children, I get affirmation of their love. I get affirmation each day from my friends. When I attend worship and pray I get affirmation that God loves me. Affirmation when I look at nature, that God loves all of us. Giving and receiving love is what this life is about. What more affirmation can I want than the affirmation of LOVE.

The High Bridge

The High Bridge

Night Photo is the High Bridge (Blatnik Bridge)Day Photo is the Bong Bridge

We’ve had rain all day. It really poured this afternoon. That’s alright, we need it badly, and it will reduce our fire threat for the forests and woodlands.

For my readers who are not from Minnesota, I will explain that Duluth, MN and Superior, WI are “Twin Ports”. The cities are right across from each other, by Lake Superior and the St. Louis River. There are two bridges that cross between the two cities, The Bong Bridge (named for a fighter pilot from Hayward, WI that died in World War II) and The High Bridge, which was called the High Bridge, until about 20 years ago or so, when the name was changed to The John Blatnik Bridge, to honor our Duluth Congressman who was instrumental in getting the funding for the bridge.*(see note below) Now, most of us that are older than 40 still refer to it as “the high bridge”.

I crossed the “high bridge” on my lunch hour to meet our son, who works in Superior, and my husband for lunch. Scott usually comes to the Duluth side when lunching with me; however, Bob had a car appointment over there, so we decided to meet with him over there. The bridge gives a beautiful view of the city of Duluth, especially the hillside when coming from Superior to Duluth. It's an especially beautiful view at night. On the way to Superior there is a lot to see too, the ships, shipping, ore docks, river, etc. Both bridges are beautiful to be on when the weather is clear and dry. But both can be very treacherous when the weather is bad.

Before entering onto the bridge today there was a lighted sign that said “High winds on the bridge”. Whew, they weren’t kidding! We had a rainy day and with the rain, were blustery conditions. Now, I’m none too keen about driving that bridge anyhow, because it is rather high, but driving it in the wind was worse. Whenever I drive over there, all I can think about is that there are a lot of people who live in Superior or near Superior, that drive over that bridge every day to work in Duluth, (and I guess vise versa too). I always think how glad I am that I don’t have to drive over it on a daily basis. (There are three in our office who live in Superior). Now if the weather is bad, I might take the Bong Bridge because it’s longer, but down lower, however I’ve heard people say that bridge is no picnic either in bad weather. Today in taking the high bridge, it was foggy and not very pretty, the water was dark and murky. I had to concentrate on keeping the car on the road and bridge, rather than “sight see”.

I just want to repeat, I’m glad I don’t have to cross either bridge on a regular basis, especially in the winter!

Note: I'm adding to this post this morning because I was just reading in last week's Budgeteer a story about the High Bridge. It opened Dec. 2, 1961, after three years of construction. It replaced the Interstate Bridge, a toll bridge built in 1897 which had been damaged by ore boats several times. As I said, Congressman John Blatnik came up with the idea of the funding, after the Interstate Highway system was approved, he proposed that the interstate system fund the building of the bridge as an offshoot of the Interstate 35 Highway that would connect Laredo, Texas, with Duluth in the future (which it now does). When the bridge opened it offered drivers on both sides of the harbor the first chance of crossing the harbor uninterrupted by ships or trains. The bridge was renovated beginning in 1992. The restoration provided road shoulders and a center median for safety reasons.

The Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge - our other bridge crossing the harbor: This bridge is on US Hwy 2, followed the Blatnik opening in 1984 to replace the Arrowhead Bridge, which was built in 1927 and operated as a toll bridge until 1963. The highway department saved a portion of both the Interstate and the Arrowhead bridges, lowering them further into the water as boat launches and fishing piers to preserve some of their history.
- From The Budgeteer News, Duluth, MN

2006 Duluth Relay For Life Results

2006 Duluth Relay For Life

One more thing about Relay For Life and Celebration on the Hill, then I will get off the subject for all of you that think that I will never stop talking about it. I must tell you about the outcome of our 15th Annual Duluth Relay For Life event, as I haven’t done that yet. I am very proud of all those who participated in it, team members, survivors, workers, the committee, everyone who had anything to do with the event, all who contributed to making it one of our best years ever! It was also our best year for raising funds that will be used for fighting cancer. The money raised will be used for RESEARCH, PROGRAMS, EDUCATION, PATIENT SERVICES. Our organization, our Relay Committee thanks everyone!

The total was $120,593.30. A very nice increase over last year’s $105,000! We had 50 teams, 200 survivors, 2000 luminaries lining the track. We had one team that raised $20,000, up from their $15,000 last year.
Some other statistics:
$10,000 plus Raised by: 2 teams
$ 7,500 plus Raised by: 2 teams
$ 5,000 plus Raised by 2 teams
$ 2,500 plus Raised by 2 teams
$ 1,000 plus Raised by 10 teams
$ 500 plus Raised by 23 teams

My team that I captained, from our church, HOPE UMC, raised over $7,700.00. I have some very enthused team members who want to start already, raising funds for 2007’s relay, which will be July 13, 2007. We will have a goal of $10,000. I raised over $1,700, so my personal goal will be at least $2,500. If you give to the American Cancer Society throughout the year, please consider giving the donation through me or someone that you know that is relaying, for credit to the relay event, the money all goes to the same place.
Our event will once again be online, so you can donate to me through there also, however it is not online as of yet, give it about 2 weeks or so, we are working on finalizing the web page, it will be accessible through our web site: www.cancer.org You can also find relay information there.

Please remember, Relay For Life isn’t about the money, though we do get excited over the money raised, it is the celebration of Cancer Survivors and remembrances of those we have lost to cancer, and those that are in the midst of cancer.

Consider joining a Relay For Life team in your area for 2007.

Eyewitness Report

Eyewitness Report
My friends Jim and Peg were two of the Ambassadors representing our legislative district at the Celebration on the Hill in Washington, DC., along with Joe, Larry and Diane. This is an excerpt from Peg's blog (she will be writing more, I have her blog on my link). This is from her first post, describing Wednesday's activities:

-"On Wednesday we manned the Minnesota tent at 7:00 a.m., we took a cab over to the Celebration on the Hill event in front of the reflecting pond, in front of the Capitol. There was a tent for every state. Our theme was the Land of 10,000 lakes. Did some of those people decorate their tents or what? Many tents had games or free give aways. I was touched by one tent that had their own memory wall of people who died of cancer in their state with pictures and stories of those who are still living. The signatures from all across the United States covered many, many blocks with pictures and large stories of individuals who had died of cancer.
It was very touching, and sometimes hard to read. I felt at times that we were in our own personal holocaust.

-I did the Survivors Lap with Larry at 10:00 a.m. as we needed to meet with our represenative in the afternoon. We walked by states around the reflecting pond. I cried half way around the pond as people cheered in celebration for our lives and tried to shake our hands,touch us to give us hope and strength, and give us the high five. I cried for those struggling with cancer, those who died, and all the ages of people with cancer. I cried for Arlie who lost her life to metastic liver cancer, for Joyces's sister in law, who read my book 2 times, who died of breast cancer. I cried for Faye, I cried for Dr. Young, newly diagnoised with liver cancer, I cried for the people I met who shared their stories. It was so touching. I felt embarassed that I couldn't control my emotions. The media was everywhere and the cameras were flashing. I am so hoping I am not in any of those pictures. I lost it by the end." -- Peggy

PURPLE POWER

Purple Power Takes Over Capitol Hill


10,000 Volunteers
500 + Meetings with Member of Congress
300 + Signers of the Congressional Cancer Promise
3 million plus signatures on Wall of Hope Banners
to comprise of a Wall of Hope Monument

Nearly 10,000 cancer patients, survivors and their families from every Congressional District in the country gathered yesterday on the Mall for the successful Celebration on the Hill, a unique grassroots event celebrating cancer survivorship and urging Congress to make cancer a national priority. It was a successful and inspirational event.

The Congressional Cancer Promise* was signed by 6 of our 10 Minnesota Lawmakers. Those that signed were: Sen. Dayton, Rep. Gutknecht, Rep. Ramstad, Rep. McCollum, Rep. Oberstar, and Rep. Peterson.
*The Promise is a commitment by Members to support our federal legislative agenda
(ie: More funding for Cancer Research, National Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection)

Go to the www.acscan.org web site and read the blog notes written by those that attended the Celebration on the Hill event. You will be awed. You will also see photos of the event. Look at the Wall of Hope Monument on the Mall. When the Luminaria Ceremony was held, a “Beam of Hope” filled the night sky as a symbol of hope and possibility to all who saw it. The beam reached 2,000 feet into the sky. When viewed from the steps of the U.S.Capitol, the Washington Monument appeared PURPLE.
*Special permission had to be granted by the Federal Aviation Administration

The Celebration on The Hill Event was sponsored by The Cancer Action Network of the
American Cancer Society. (www.acscan.org)

WALL OF HOPE

Wall of Hope Monument, Wash., DC

5,000 banners spanned three city blocks, stacked three banners high with the Washington Monument in the background.
Wall of Hope Facts:
--Includes more than three million signatures and stories
--If all the banners were placed side-by-side, the monument would span nine miles, 85 times the height of the Washington Monument
--More than 37,000 pieces of steel were needed to build the monument
--More than 8,000 community sponsors, along with three national sponsors, made the Wall of Hope monument possible.

“As I walked through the Wall of Hope monument this afternoon, I think the thing that struck me the most was that people were not talking, or if they were, it was very quietly. It must have been what the monument represents to each of us – those who have fought and those who are still fighting – that drew the hushed tones.”
- Colleen McDonald, Midwest Division Staff

Wish I Were There! Washington, DC - C.O.H.

I wish I could be there! (See my previous posts below)

CELEBRATION ON THE HILL – Today! September 20, 2006 – 10 am – 10pm
WASHINGTON, DC - On the Mall - Capitol Hill

Go to www.acscan.org to see the LIVE WEBCAST today 10 am - 10 pm

· Number of luminaria sold to date – 7,369
· Number of total attendees registered – 6,049
· Number of Ambassadors (including staff Ambassadors) – 3,504
· Number of Guests, Supporters and other staff – 2,545
· Number of banners within the Wall of Hope – 4,200


Excerpt from our CEO’s message regarding the celebration:
Dr. John Seffrin, American Cancer Society CEO
“While we will all enjoy this opportunity to celebrate survivors in a unique forum, we also will have a specific legislative agenda to promote – one we feel certain will ensure equal access to lifesaving prevention, early detection and treatment advances for all people. We have three specific asks that ambassadors will encourage their Congressional representatives to endorse:
· Increased funding for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, a CDC program that provides breast and cervical cancer screenings to low-income and uninsured women.
· Increased funding for the National Cancer Institute, which the current budget proposal would cut for the first time in more than a decade.
· The Congressional Cancer Promise, a written commitment to actively support legislation that will help the nation achieve its 2015 cancer goals.

We are confident that the resounding voices of more than 10,000 Americans who care passionately about the cancer cause will make a lasting impression on our nation’s lawmakers and will inspire them to support lifesaving cancer legislation.

Celebration on The Hill Live Webcast 9/20

Live Webcast Wednesday - Celebration on The Hill
I just found out that tomorrow there will be a live webcast from Washington, DC, covering the Celebration on the Hill that I just wrote about below. The opening ceremony is at 10 am and it will be live coverage throughout the event. There are also participants that are blogging from the event. Go to:
www.acscan.org
for the blogs: Click on Blog tab
Be part of the excitment! The Wall of Hope "Monument" will be 3 banners high and stretch 3 city blocks. They are in the process of setting things up this afternoon for tomorrow's event. You can read all about it on the web site.

Later: Oh my gosh, this evening I spent time looking at the blogs from those that are in Washington, DC at the Celebration on the Hill. (read my posts below). All you blog readers, take some time to read some of them, log on to www.acscan.org . See the LIVE webcast tomorrow from 10 am to 10 pm of all the activites, click on the blog tab to read the blogs. Look at the photos from the last 2 days, as they set up the event.

Our Ambassadors are representing all of us! These are the issues they will be talking to our lawmakers about:

The Congressional Cancer Promise
The Promise is a commitment by Members to support our federal legislative agenda.

More Funding for Cancer Research
Increase funding for the National Cancer Institute by at least 5% per year.

National Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
Ensure that all women have access to mammograms
Learn more about these issues by logging
on to www.acscan.org (link on the left)

Uniting in the Fight

Uniting in the Fight
Starting today through tomorrow, nearly 4,000 American Cancer Society “Celebration Ambassadors will gather in Washington, DC for Celebration on the Hill 2006 – a unique event that will show our country’s lawmakers how the American Cancer Society is waging the fight against cancer in communities nationwide.

Our Ambassadors want to convince our national leaders to increase their commitment to battling the disease on all fronts – research, education, advocacy and patient services. They will meet with their members of Congress and let them know that fighting cancer is a priority to their constituents back home.

The Ambassadors will be joined by thousands of additional survivors and volunteers from across the country and they will all unite on the National Mall for a Relay For Life Celebration from 10 am – 10 pm on September 20th.

One tent for each state will line a track, in true relay style. The stars of the event will be the courageous cancer survivors who will be honored in many ways, including special victory laps and ceremonies.

At dusk, thousands of luminaria purchased by individuals throughout the U S will be lit around the nation’s Reflecting Pool to honor all people who have triumphed over cancer and to remember all those who have been lost.

Banners from each relay throughout the United States will be placed to cover many city blocks. The banners represent "The Wall of Hope". The banners were at each relay in St. Louis, Carlton and Douglas Counties. People from each relay and community signed the banner. These "Wall of Hope" Banners represent our area and send the message to congress that we are committed to the fight against cancer.

There is an Ambassador for each legislative district. The Ambassadors from Duluth are Joe Westerberg, Jim and Margaret (Peggy) Anderson, Larry and Diane Takkunen. Joe, Peggy and Larry are all cancer survivors. Larry was the co/chair of the 2006 Duluth Relay, and chair last year. All the ambassadors have been long time ACS volunteers and are perfect to be ambassadors. We are very proud that they are representing us and taking our message to our lawmakers!

See a LIVE WEBCAST Wednesday, Sept. 20th of the event starting at 10 am - 10 pm. Go to the web site: www.acscan.org

Change a Comin'

Linda's Thoughts from Duluth
Well, the last few days have felt like fall, and yesterday the temperature struggled to reach 49 degrees. It was nippy in the house this morning, but we refused to put on the furnace. The leaves have turned more colorful over the weekend, we are seeing some beautiful reds. The lake was a murky looking bluish/gray. Dark clouds looming over the water, it rained earlier and was trying to rain more.

I know the signs are all here, summer is over, fall is upon us. But, I still refused to wear a jacket or coat this morning, and will put off wearing one as long as I can!

Happy Birthday Tim!

Happy Birthday Tim

I think I was very lucky when it came to brothers and sisters when I was growing up, because I remember the day each of my two youngest brothers and my sister were born. I was 13, 14 and 15 years old when each of them were born. I remember the day each of them came home from the hospital. There's something really special and close to the heart when you have seen your siblings from "day one", helped to name them, changed their diapers, and watched them grow up.
It's also amazing to realize after they are grown that they are adults. It's the same feeling you have after you have raised your own children and realize that they are adults.

The reason I bring this up tonight is because the “oldest of the youngest” of my siblings
has his birthday today. (Remember, I there were two brothers next to me in age…I do NOT remember them coming home from the hospital!). Happy Birthday Tim! I won’t say exactly how old he is today, but let’s say it’s the other side of 40. It was hard enough thinking they were in their twenties, now all three of them are over 40! I just can't hardly believe it! And next month when the youngest brother has his birthday, I will be saying the same thing!!!

This is the brother who bought Mom and Dad’s farmhouse, who would have thought 40 years ago that he would be living there. I am thrilled that he and his family are there.

Today is also one of my Dad’s sister’s birthday, Aunt Sara. So, happy birthday too, to Aunt Sara!

Come Saturday, another brother celebrates a birthday, the one closer to me in age. His birthday is also very special, because he shares it with his "Big Sister".

Quiet Weekend and Change Ahead

Nice quiet weekend. Yesterday we had a very cloudy, dreary type day, rain in the morning. But a perfect day for doing not much of anything, and that's about what I did, not much of anything!!!

Today started cloudy, but the sun came out and the middle part of the day was a beautiful fall day. Now, it is clouding up again, and they say it's to get colder tomorrow. I think this afternoon was a perfect fall day. I sat outside on our back deck and read a book I started reading back in June. I figure we won't get too many more nice days like this.

Bob and Rob went golfing after the Vikings game. Bob is trying to get as much golf in as he can. I told him I wanted to do something outside since it was so nice, he told me "well, you can go pull the weeds out of your flower beds" (Notice he calls them "my" flower beds)..Ha ha... that's NOT what I had in mind, so I sat on the deck instead and read my book! My poor flower beds sure didn't get much attention this spring or summer. To work on them now, seems silly, with a frost coming soon. I'll try to do better with them next year!

Speaking of quiet, last week was the quietest week I had at my job in about 9 months! In fact I was able to leave every day on time,imagine that! I'm almost afraid to say that I'm finally getting caught up, we finally have a little lull, but it won't last long... come October the staff and I will be gearing up once again for all the 2007 program and events!

Changes abounding at the job as always, seems whenever we think things are settled in one way, something gets changed. One of our staff will be leaving, happens to be the one that is my supervisor and supervises the two staff in the office that I do the most work for. Fortunatly, the organization is going to a "common salary review system" this fall, and she will be giving me my salary review before she leaves. (It's hard to be reviewed by a supervisor you only worked a short time for...that has happened to me). My review will be one day before my birthday, hope I get a good one, it's been a very difficult year, right about now, I'm feeling that I need to have some affirmation of my work. Both of the staff she supervises are applying for her position, so it will be quite interesting, one of them could be my new boss! If one of them gets the position, then that means a new person in their position! Either way it means another person coming onboard. We will have to adjust to another personality on the team.

I'm trying very hard not to worry about it. I'm telling myself that I will have to just "roll with the changes" like I've been doing for these last 9 years there! After all, one thing I've learned is that "there is one constant in life and that is change".

Second Cousins

How many of you are close to your second and third cousins? Most everyone is close to first cousins, but I am very close to quite a few of my second and third cousins (and believe me, I have a lot of them). Anyhow, I was thinking that probably the reason I’m so close to them is because my Mother and Dad were very close to their cousins. Also annually, there was a family reunion on both my Mother and my Dad’s side, so I was able to get to know my relatives when I was growing up.

Now, the reason I’m thinking about second cousins this week, is because I just lost a second cousin. My cousin, Mary, from Pennsylvania passed away a week ago, Thursday. I have been thinking of her and her family all week. I haven’t heard if she was sick or if it was unexpected. I tried calling her sisters, but wasn’t able to reach them. I’m going to try again today. I wrote to her sister, who I had an address for, in July to let them know I was coming home in August and told her I’d like to get together. I didn’t hear back from any of them. I chalked it up to everyone being busy. I wish now, that I had tried calling when I was there, but the time goes by so quickly when I’m there. Over these 40 years I have lost two other second cousins that I was close to when growing up. They were both on my Dad’s side also. Roger “Chip” and Rodney.

I’m glad I was able to get together with my second cousins on my Mom’s side when I was home, and hope to stay in touch with them.

Mary is the cousin I have talked about in my blog, she and her sisters and one brother grew up on a large dairy farm. She is the one that I told you used to be envious that, though I was a farm girl, I never had to milk cows, clean gutters, feed calves, etc. like she had to. (Yes, I was fortunate, but I would remind her that my Dad’s farm was no where near as large as her Dad’s). Her Dad and my Dad were close as they were growing up, and remained close as adults. We often visited them. Even if the girls had company, they still had to do their chores, their Dad “cracked the whip!” After we were both out of high school, we spent some time hanging out together with her friends, until I realized they were not the best influence on either of us. She didn’t agree though, so we parted ways.

I only saw Mary two times since I was married. Once was in the early 90’s when on a visit home, her Dad arranged for us to get together. I had supper with him and Mary and her sisters. Then the three of them came to my Mom’s 80th birthday party in 2005.

Mary was my age. Her Mother and my Mother often shopped together for school clothes. Mary and I always went with them. (I’ve also written about that on one of my postings.) Mary and I spent a week at my church camp upstate Pennsylvania in the mountains, three summers in a row. I have great memories of those times. I had my brownie camera that I bought from money raised picking strawberries, and I took pictures at camp of lots of the girls that we were with. Isn’t it funny though, that I have no photos of Mary and I at that camp, I didn’t take any pictures of the two of us. I wish I had. In fact, I don’t have any pictures of Mary, except one taken with her sisters at my Mom’s 80th birthday party and the time we were together for that supper with her Dad.

A funny thing is that the week she died I was thinking of Mary, thinking how I missed getting together with her and her sisters when I was home. I even thought to myself that I would write her a note on the weekend. Then my brother called and told me on Sunday that he saw her obituary in the paper. I realized that I was thinking of her on the same day that she died! On Tuesday evening I asked my covenant group at church to pray for her family, and told them about how I was thinking of her probably the same day she died, and they told me that was most likely a “spiritual prompting”, and that she probably felt me thinking of her. I sure hope so.

Hope Lodge Coming to Twin Cities

“Groundbreaking for American Cancer Society Hope Lodge
in Twin Cities Set for Sept. 14

Groundbreaking is set for Thursday, Sept. 14, at the future site of the first American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in the Twin Cities. Former Hope Lodge guest and Woodbury resident Dick Olender will join a representative of The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, American Cancer Society Midwest Division CEO Jari Johnston-Allen, and Dr. John Kersey from the University of Minnesota to break ground on the new Hope Lodge.

The 40-room Hope Lodge will be constructed on land provided by the University of Minnesota Cancer Center, near the east edge of the University of Minnesota campus. The American Cancer Society, in partnership with the University of Minnesota Cancer Center and the University of Minnesota Medical Center, will open the facility to cancer patients in 2007. Hope Lodge guests will be referred to the facility from cancer centers throughout the Twin Cities.

When construction on the Twin Cities facility is complete, Minnesota will be home of two Hope Lodges. The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Rochester, which opened in the 1999 and has since accommodated nearly 2,000 cancer patients who received treatment at Mayo Clinic, is currently expanding from its original 28 rooms to 60 rooms. That expansion project is slated for completion in early 2007."

--From American Cancer Society's Employee Newsletter

"Feet of Faith"

Pastor Michelle Hargrave has her sermon posted from Sunday, please click on my link to the left for a great message! This will inspire you!

Another Anniversary

“Experience a new spirit of hope through worship
and caring for all generations.”

Sunday was the 5th Anniversary of the merging of two churches in our community. Woodland United Methodist Church, on Winona Street and University United Methodist Church on St. Marie Street by UMD. The two congregations merged together after much discussion at many meetings and a visioning study done by both congregations. My family and I were members of Woodland, just a block and a half from our home. I was employed as church secretary at University, so I knew both congregations. I was thrilled that we would become one. Both had their struggles and it was decided that the merger between the two would make one strong church to further its mission.

Rev. Sunny Kang and Rev. Elton Brown, Woodland and University ministers did a wonderful job in leading us to this decision, along with the help of Rev. Pam Barbour, who led our visioning process. We also credit our Northeastern District Superintendent Paul Bosshardt, and our Conference for their help.

The congregation of Woodland moved to the University building. Over the past 5 years, we had a major renovation of space, did maintenance projects, new roof and best of all, added an elevator. We have also added new members, and new programs and our Sunday School and youth programs and involvement have grown.

In order to become fully one, we changed our name. We have been Hope United Methodist for a few years now. (Our by line – where there is hope, all things are possible). Elton and Sunny told us that it would be in our best interests if they would leave and that we would get a new pastor to guide us, after their job of merging us was done. The conference also thought this would be best. A lot of members did not want to see either Elton or Sunny go, as we valued their leadership, where they brought us, and felt that it would be very hard to change.

Fortunately, conference gave us a wonderful, vital, energized leader when they sent Rev. Michelle Hargrave to us. Due to her leadership, we have continued to grow and be a vital church in our community. She has also had us grow in our outreach to the poor and homeless through her work with Churches United in Ministry (CHUM) in our city. Her message each Sunday is relevant to our lives in this world today, our worship experience has been enriched. She brings with her a young family of two boys and a wonderful husband. We are very blessed to have Michelle, Kelley, Zane and Theo with us.

Bob, the boys and I are very blessed to be a part of Hope UMC!

To read her sermon messages each week, click on my link "Michelle's Sermons". I also have a link to her blog “Michelle Hargrave’s Blog”, and to our Churches web site. (see left)(Sept. 10th's may not be posted yet - it was the best one ever,
though I've said that before!)

9- 11

Let us remember all those who lost their lives on Sept. 11th 5 years ago, and remember their families and all those who loved them. Let's remember too, all those that have died during the war that we are in, and their families and loved ones. We have had many losses in these last 5 years.

But a thought to remember - love never dies.

9 - 11 Duluth, MN

A question asked on the 5th Anniversary of 9-11 is where were you when the news came of the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. I was at work. My co/workers and I just sat around the table in the office, speechless and we were all scared. We didn't know what to say or do. We all called our kids. Our VP of our region called our office wanting to know if we were all there, or if some were on the road. He was all concerned about us. He told us to close the office and go home to our families.

5 years later, my thoughts go along with what one of my favorite columists in our newspaper has to say today, on the front page of the paper. Log on to my link (left side of blog) for our Duluth News Tribune and click on Sam Cook’s article. Its a good one for today’s 5th Anniversary of 911. He talks about our “war on terror”, I want to quote some excerpts from his article:

“Tell me this. How do you know when you’ve won the ‘war on terror’? Is it when you’ve built and staffed new Homeland Security buildings in Duluth and Grand Marais and International Falls? Is it when we no longer ban toothpaste in carry-on baggage? Is it when we capture Osama bin Laden? How will we know? The answer is, I’m afraid, we will not know….. As long as there are people who oppose the actions of our government and who are willing to die as martyrs, we will live with terrorism. We have a couple of choices. Either we will have to figure out a way to make a lot fewer people dislike us, or we will have to keep getting better at playing defense against the terrorists. Right now, we’re exercising only one of those options.”

Read Sam’s full article: www.duluthnewstribune.com Click on Sam Cook's column (which is on the front page today).

Brighton Beach

Ah, yes. The Fresh air, a walk along the rocks by the lake and watching a departing ship. Does wonders for the spirit! The temperature was 62, sunny, but very blustery. I enjoyed walking in the wind and seeing the waves come up over the rocks. White caps, almost looked like ocean waves. The lake was deep blue-green color. Beautiful! I was reminded of the times that the kids and I were there, in their younger days. The boys loved to skip stones from the rocks. I was always worried they would fall in, with all their running around. They loved it, just as I loved it today.

Making Your Own Fun

Today after church I was visiting with a friend and she told me that in reading my blog last weekend, she noticed that “you were feeling sorry for yourself”. Yes, I told her, I guess all last weekend I felt that way, and during the week I did try to change my attitude. Yesterday, after spending the morning just being lazy and vulnerable to those “sorry” feeling again, I decided that I needed to make my own fun, so I would feel better. So, I took off to the Bayfront Festival Park downtown to the 13th Annual Harvest Festival, sponsored by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota, Lake Superior Chapter. Bob was off having fun at the golf course. I couldn’t find anyone to go with me, but decided I’d go anyway!

I have never been to this event, but have heard about it. It was very interesting. I walked around looking at all the booths, and resisted the food vendors, which tempted everyone with corn on the cob, blooming onions, cheese curds, etc. One food vendor I couldn’t resist though, was the homemade ice cream stand from a Mennonite family. The ice cream was made in old fashioned ice cream machines fueled by a generator from a John Deere Tractor. Three flavors, vanilla, chocolate and BLACK RASPBERRY! Well, I have never had homemade black raspberry ice cream since an ice cream parlor in East Berlin who made homemade ice cream, served it. Oh, it was delicious, just like Lau’s homemade ice cream!

Farmers from Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin were there selling their harvest. I brought home freshly dug potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and sweet corn. I even brought a treat for my son, hot pepper jelly and homemade hot salsa.

There was a booth there with all kinds of Pennsylvania Dutch and German items. I asked if the family had relatives from Pennsylvania. The booth was run by a Mennonite family from up the shore. She told me, no relatives, but they have lots of friends from Pennsylvania. You see, the reason I asked, is the area I grew up in had Mennonite families. Mennonites are an off shoot of the Amish, who are in Lancaster County, a county bordering my home county of Adams. I didn’t buy anything there, because I had brought some of those same items home from PA when I was there in August! Now, I know where I can go to get my PA Dutch fix in Minnesota!

I’m glad I went, the weather was so beautiful, not hot, breezy and just the perfect Duluth Day. It was good for me to be out in it, instead of holed up in the house! It was good for my spirit.

This morning we went to church, also good for my spirit. We had a Bluegrass group do the special music and play along with our hymns. They were great. I always think Bluegrass is not my favorite music, but I have to say when I hear the great songs like “I’ll Fly Away” that are done in Bluegrass, I’m a fan.

This afternoon, while Bob golfs, I think I will take a drive down to Brighton Beach by the lake, I haven’t been there all summer. It’s a great place to walk around, meditate and enjoy nature.

Duluth Rose Garden/Lakewalk

The Leif Erickson Park Rose Garden includes over 3000 rose bushes representing more than 100 varieties, among its flowering landscape plantings. Besides being one of the midwest's few formal English style Rose Gardens, the park is architecturally significant for being constructed over Duluth's I-35 expressway. As you stroll around the beautiful park, little do you know that below your feet trucks and cars are streaming along!
credit: SuperiorTrails.com

Excitement at the Rose Garden

What a difference in the weather at the Rose Garden yesterday when I walked there at lunch. It was 64 degrees and cloudy. But, it was still nice walking weather.

Today I went there after work, and it was 86 degrees and sunny again. There was a beautiful breeze and it was wonderful! I enjoy walking there with the lake so close, and looking out over the lake, especially today when the water was so blue.

I read one of the informational plaques, and discovered that the garden was started in the spring of 1968. Gee, I thought that it was there a lot longer than that, in fact the garden is only 1 year older than the years that I’ve lived in Duluth! The large fountain in the garden originally sat at the corner of Superior Street and London Road, and it was there for watering the horses.

I’ll tell you something that happened yesterday during my walk there. My friend Sharon, works close to the garden, so she stopped over and walked with me yesterday. Her son took a trip the whole way around Lake Superior two summers ago in a kayak. So, she was very sensitive to something she spotted out in the lake that she thought looked like a kayak and it didn’t seem to be moving, and sometimes it looked like maybe someone was hanging on. She said if you fall out of a kayak, it’s very hard to get back in. We kept looking and she kept worrying. We were wishing we had binoculars. Then we noticed two men who also were looking and thought it looked like maybe a kayak or a boat too. It was pretty far out, so it looked small. Another woman was looking and she thought maybe it was a log. Well, everyone was speculating, but no one seemed to consider doing anything. Sharon thought maybe the coast guard should be alerted, or something. Someone suggested calling 911. So, just before we had to leave to go back to work, she called 911 and reported it. As we were getting in our cars to leave, we heard and saw the police cars and the ambulance coming, sirens, lights and all! We didn’t have time to stick around, but hoped we’d see something on the news. I didn’t see anything on the news, and we were surprised that her call brought all that to the garden, after all it was something way out in the lake, not the garden! We had imagined that maybe the coast guard would take a boat out there and look or something… gee… they asked her for her name and number, she said she sure hopes she doesn’t get charged for any emergency service charges!

Trying Again

Well, I’m going to give another try to get back on track with exercise. I walked at the Rose Garden today at lunch time. I took a short walk after I got home. I had a commitment for this evening, so couldn’t go to the Fitness Center, but tomorrow night, I will hit the pool for water aerobics class after work. I am also going to walk at lunch each day. It means a drive to the Rose Garden, but it’s so much more interesting to walk among the roses and see the lake, than it is to walk downtown, it’s worth the drive. Thankfully, I have an hour for lunch. There were a lot of people there today. The sun was hot, about 80 degrees, but there were some shady places to recoup by. I must give another serious try to losing weight and getting healthier.

Linda's Thoughts from Duluth

I guess I have come off the high I've been on the last 2 weeks after my trip home to PA.
I have been feeling very down all weekend. I was looking at my photos from my PA visit, that didn't help. I talked to my brother yesterday, and my sister twice. It was great talking with them, but made me miss them even more.

I should be happy that we had a three day weekend. I think maybe if I could see the son I miss and my daughter and grandchildren this weekend that might have helped. Bob is off golfing every day, most all day. I've been alone trying to keep my mind off of missing the kids and loved ones from PA. My friends are off doing fun things, so don't have them to talk with. I don't have anything "fun" to do. Also, depressing to think that summer is over and winter will soon be upon us. I even saw some leaves that turned colors yesterday already!

I've been "sleeping in", cleaning drawers and cupboards, and going through summer clothes, putting them away, since fall is upon us, getting out the fall and winter clothes. It's good to get time to do those things, but they certainly aren't fun to do on a "holiday" weekend. I even tried to do a bit of shopping yesterday, but unlike some people, shopping does not provide a high for me. It depresses me more, because I know when I shop, I am spending money I shouldn't spend! So, I shouldn't have tried that! This morning I took a walk, hoping that would help. Of course, since I'm so out of practice of exercising, you can imagine I didn't walk very far. Now, before I know it, I will be back at work tomorrow. So, writing is often good "therapy" for me...so here I am writing.

I must admit, one thing that this all proves is that: I just must get moving again by putting excerise back into my life. I have been off the track with both excercise and eating and I guess that doesn't help my mood. My husband is so good at going every day, I wish I had his discipline. I have to give it a good try again. Others will be going back to school this week... I will be back to the gym... I just must do it!

A Stinging Statement

“Your son is like you are; you never want anyone to be mad at you”. What does this statement mean? Is it a bad thing to “not want anyone to be mad or angry with you?”
I took this as a criticism of my son and me. Was the comment meant to be criticism? The person that told me, when I questioned her, told me that she didn’t mean that this was necessarily a bad thing…but didn’t explain any further. I heard this statement last weekend, and the statement has been in my mind ever since. I’ve especially been thinking of it this week, wondering if it is just me, or is it just human that we don’t want people to be mad at us. I know there some people that are naturally able to get along knowing someone doesn’t like them, or is angry with them, but I believe they are the exception to the rule. I think it’s human that we want to please and want to get along with everyone.

My Mother was one that never worried if someone didn’t like her or would be angry at her (though I can never think of anything she ever did that would have made anyone mad), but when I would tell her that someone didn’t like me or was upset with me, her famous saying was “Well, they may be mad now, but they'll get glad again”. She always told me not to worry over it. But I always did.

Once I saw a book titled “The Need to Please”, it was about people that have the need to please others. I didn’t buy the book, but from what I saw of it, it was saying that people that always try to please others, cheat themselves.

I admit it, I hate to have anyone mad at me, I hate if I hurt someone, it makes me feel bad. I go out of my way not to hurt someone or get someone mad at me. I go out of my way to please people. I want to get along with everyone, and yes, it's true, I do want everyone to like me. If not, I try hard to make them like me, I try to get along with everyone. Am I wrong, am I wasting energy? There are others like me, aren’t there? I’m not the only one am I? Was this a bad thing to pass onto my children? What are some of your thoughts on this?

Lake Meade

So, the lake, 40 years later, by now, I don’t know anyone that lives there. I’ve been gone too long. I had property there at one time, before I was married. After marrying and being in Minnesota, I sold it to my parents, for just what I had in it. My Mother’s idea was to build a house there and retire from the farm. Ha, Ha, that was HER idea, but not my Dad’s idea. He went ahead and built a house there, thinking it was silly to have a small piece of land just sitting there. My Mother could not convince Daddy to move to the house. His idea was to build a house there and sell it. My Dad was stubborn, and no matter how persuasive Mom was, it was no go for Dad. Soon after the house was built and Dad wouldn’t go back there, one of my brothers got married. They then rented from my parents. This was during the time our daughter was young. We would go back to the lake then and use the swimming pool when we were visiting. From the entrance you could see the lake, it was beautiful. Years later, my brother bought their own place, and Mom and Dad sold the house. After that, I never visited the lake when I went home.

On this visit, my brother in law knows someone who has a beautiful lake front home on the lake, and he offered him the use of his pontoon boat to take a ride on the lake when I was there. Wow, going into the entrance looking from the top of the hill, after 40 years, I could not see the lake anymore, all I saw was trees and houses. I then noticed that those that had lake front property, after 30 – 40 years, did indeed have an advantage. There are very few lots there now that do not have a house on. They are their own community and even have their own fire department.

We took a nice quiet ride all around all parts of the lake. It was beautiful. The access areas actually had boats docked, the marina had boats, there were beautiful homes everywhere. Of course the waterfront homes were the most elaborate, but there were modest homes away from the lake also. The trees, which were non-existent 40 years ago, were 40 years old and mature. The old farm house that housed our office was long gone; they even replaced the restaurant and swimming pool with a new swimming complex and community center. It was neat too, to ride by the dam and know that I watched the dam being built that was holding all the water. Just think, I was there before that whole community existed… I remember the farms, and the people who lived on those farms.

40 years… gee … so many changes in 40 years. None of us back in 1966 would have imagined the lake would look as it does today.

Another Lake

I live in the city that has the largest Great Lake at our doorstep, Duluth. Lake Superior is so beautiful. I’ve told you before that I love how it can look different each day. Thursday on the way home it was a deep blue-green color with small white caps dotted all over it. Yesterday it was a very, very pale blue on the way to work, and on the return trip home it was gray. The colors of the lake are one thing, I think, that keeps it so interesting to me.

When I was visiting my home in PA a few weeks ago I want to tell you about another lake that I saw and took a lovely boat ride on. In 1966 a company from Memphis, Tennessee came to our little rural area of farm land and bought up, well I can’t remember how many, but at least 4 or 5 farms, just up the road from our farm. Their plan was to build a man made lake of 291 acres and to sell real estate lots to those interested in owning lakefront property or property by a lake. They made it more attractive by telling the prospective buyers that there would be a swimming pool, tennis courts, lake access areas, a marina, a restaurant, and that all these things would be available only to the property owners. When all of the lots were sold, the company turned everything over to the property owners association that was formed by the property owners.

Now, you can imagine the skeptics there were in our area about this company from out of state coming in and doing something like this. Many people were suspicious, many were upset by such development, and thought it would never work, and for sure, couldn’t believe they could every build a lake that would be full of water someday.

The company thought that people from Washington, D. C. and Baltimore, MD would make up the majority of the buyers, and that they would come up just for vacation and weekend property. They were wrong. We had many people from Harrisburg and York area buy, and instead of vacation and summer homes being built, year round homes were built. Even many people from our area bought property. Pretty soon it became like a community, and mostly year round residents.

When the company first came in, before there was even an office set up, my Mother pushed me into applying for a job there, she was sure they would need a secretary. The project manager hired me as soon as he had a vacated farm house to set up an office in.
I was there on the “ground floor”. I watched the demolition of the buildings, the land being surveyed by the surveyor crew, the roads being built by the constructors, and the dam being built to hold the water for the lake. A marina was built, water towers, a restaurant, pool and pool house and I saw it all from nothing but farm land to a community of homes. I remember two ambitious property owners, the first two to build
before the water line was put in, and remember that their homes were finished and they
had no water…they were not happy! I remember the drama of them coming into the office complaining everyday until they finally got their water! After those two homes went up, that was the beginning… homes were going up before the dam was even finished.

Speaking of the dam, I remember so well the grief that the inspector that was there for every step of the dam being built, gave to the company day after day, making sure to keep the company in line and that the dam was built properly. People buying lots there could be well assured that that dam was built properly!

For those skeptics who believed the 291 acre lake would never be full, when the lake filled, the manager had me send out to all owners on letterhead that looked like a telegram with the big headlines of 4 words: “The lake is full”. I will never forget that.

Those were interesting years. I worked there for over 4 years, throughout all the construction. When I left there, the company was in the process of turning everything over to the “Lake Meade Property Owners Association”. I learned a lot, learned how to set up and run an office, gained many office skills, and learned how to deal with people.
I grew up, and the job expanded my horizons and gave me a lot of experience to go out into the world.

Tomorrow I will write about my experience of seeing this lake 40 years later.

Holiday Weekend

I haven’t had energy to write the last few days. This past week was the last week of the fiscal year for our organization - Thursday, August 31, the big day. Many of you will under-stand what that means. It meant for me lots of hectic “researching” of last minute things for the staff that I support, checking that all the event monies were in and all the proper papers that needed to be sent to finance were in, that all bills were paid, etc. Boy, was I glad when Friday came. Everyone else was glad too, in fact they all took vacation days except for three of us! It was a nice relaxing Friday, for a change.

We are all happy that we have Monday off. Our family is not planning anything for the holiday, just to be home and to relax. That’s what I am doing today. We were to have a rainy day, and the morning was very cloudy, but it brightened up this afternoon. Now there is a beautiful breeze and a beautiful evening.