beautiful hair?

i really can't say much more today. i had a nice time at the beach while my friend and i let our dogs run until they were worn out!  so were we!  we were talking about how much we love our kids and how tricky this mom thing can be sometimes with teens.

we covered the gamut ...from parents and watching them get older....being there for our parents and allowing them dignity and respect....being respectful to our kids and expecting respect in return....big topics....for just a walk on the beach!

we stopped for tea at a great little spot for tea in town...a sensitive new age type starbucks of teacups. it was like a tea bar...no, not a tiki bar.....not a bar bar...not a coffee bar....a tea bar.  groovy!

then, i ran to stop and shop to get a little crabmeat for my little appetizer for the chili party that we would like to be at....unless we just can't drag the kids...even though it is awesome good times for kids...snow and sledding and lots of other fun kids.

of course, i saw the friend i just had tea with....we were just stopping in for a friday speed shop.  i bumped into other frantic friday moms in to speed shop and some to prepare for next weeks school lunches.....that planning is way too intense for me on a friday.  besides, whatever i buy for school snacks and lunches will be gone before monday....logic?  sure!

i got all caught up in my crab dip recipe and the three gallons of milk and oh! t.j.'s o.j. request.....i turned a corner and saw another nice friend.  she had just come back from 3 weeks visiting her daughter in the peace corps in africa....my friend went over for the second trip.....she had been so moved visiting kate the first time, she went back to bring books and teach the women to read.this woman has boundless energy and enthusiasm!


i have a picture i took of kate with her mom when kate was home at christmas.  they had a big party to welcome kate home....from africa.  i never e-mailed the photo.  i was so excited to see her....i wanted to hear about the trip....i wanted to get together to see more pictures.  these women of africa really touched her deeply.


she asked me about the picture.  she asked me to e-mail it...i was babbling about my e-mail inadequacy when she stopped me....and said...."oh, stop....it doesn't matter.....listen.....i was just diagnosed with breast cancer!"

breast cancer!  this woman looked healthier than most.  whe had just been to africa to help women...women who did not know how to read....she was helping women to be independent.  she flew around the world and with kate and now she was home....with her husband, youngest daughter and two older sons. she had been around the world.  she came home to find out she had breast cancer.

breast cancer is so common that people break the news to others in stop and shop.  it's so common that i was hearing it at the check out counter.  there were headlines behind my friend about tiger woods and jon and kate plus eight and martha stewart's good home cooking magazine and better homes and gardens book of healthy soups.....and by the way, my friend has breast cancer.  she was standing with her 16 year old daughter....checking out...telling me she had been wanting to call me.....and tell me about her breast cancer and wanting the picture and talking about africa.....and all i could do was say,"what can i do?"
http://www.avonwalk.org/

and she checked out her groceries.  just like that.

cancer.  how stinking is that? a mom.....in the store with her daughter...back from africa...she had just had this big open house sharing her daughter kate with all of her friends.  her house was lit up with lights on the tree and with people.  we had just taken family photos....we all laughed about the funny family clowns in the pictures.

and tonight, while i'm missing a little chili party and watching the olympics, my friend is thinking about cancer and chemo and recovery.  oh, and by the way, did i mention she has beautiful hair?