congrats to Nawleansdarlin!

Hi Springolife, Is the Poppy you mentioned in your message the same Poppy who used to manage the self-injury board and who lives in Indonesia? If she is, then I know how great a friend she is. We used to have great discussions about all sorts of things on that board--things like religion, for example, because she's Muslim and I'm Jewish. we skyped each other a few times. btw--Karen and I compare Catholocism and Judaism. I love finding about other faiths and sharing mine. Anyway, if it's the same Poppy, sned her my regards when you talk next. I also found your message really inspiring. I also have had a lot going on in my life, but when I read your message, I thought: "wow!" and you're still out there doing things. Fantastic. As for myself, I've been hit with a lot of family changes in the last year--my husband had a serious accident that's left him unable to walk without help, his father died just about the time of the accident--a little afterwards, (he was 90), his mother had a stroke almost a year-and-a-half back, and moneywise--we"re running out of it. I find it hard to do anything beyond what I've committed to, which is teaching a few religious classes a week. So it gave me hope when I read your post. If you can do that, despite everything, great. I didn't mention that my husband is a kidney transplant recipient and has also had cancer twice--a sie-effect of the cyclosporine gave him skin cancer on his feet, and he once had a growth on his ear. So, I've been there, too. btw, I subscribe to a great health newsletter called: Cancer Defeated, which talks about the latest in terms of cancer and other related medical issues--it emphasizes making known alternatives or adjuncts to mainstream medicine, things, (it's presenter claims), aren't talked about in the mainstream medical community. Just a suggestion you might want to check out.