Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for...

1. Where is your cell phone? Top left-hand drawer of my desk
2. Where is your significant other? Cambridge at the moment; with me down here on the Cape this weekend.
3. Your hair color? Red/brown
4. Your mother? Yarmouth Port
5. Your father? Passed away
6. Your favorite thing? chocolate
7. Your dream last night? I slept too deeply to dream last night!
8. Your dream/goal? Diagnosis and cure for pancreatic cancer
9. The room you’re in? My "pod" office at school
10. Your hobby? knitting!!!!!
11. Your fear? fire
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? In a law office/ courtroom
13. Where were you last night? on my couch, knitting
14. What you’re not? shy (any more!)
15. One of your wish-list items? my house to be fixed!
16. Where you grew up? Glen Ridge, NJ
17. The last thing you did? finished my 4th cup of coffee
18. What are you wearing? jeans, hand knit socks, fleece jacket, long-sleeved shirt, velvet scarf
19. Your TV? at home
20. Your pet? Lab/ Great Dane mix (Cooler) and black and white kitty (KitKat)
21. Your computer? Dell desktop, HP laptop (from work)
22. Your mood? anticipatory! (it's Friday!)
23. Missing someone? Yes!
24. Your car? Honda Accord
25. Something you’re not wearing? my Clapotis!
26. Favorite store? Sage Yarn!
27. Your summer? my vacation time!
28. Love someone? yes, but he doesn't know...
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? about 10 minutes ago!
31. Last time you cried? last weekend

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Please, if you are thinking of giving to a charity this holiday season, I would ask you to consider including the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research (www.lustgarten.org) on your list. They raise funds to support independent, non-government funded research into the causes and a potential cure for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), in 2008 an anticipated 37,680 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and 34,290 will die from the disease. For all stages of pancreatic cancer combined, the overall survival rate is less than 5%. For patients with advanced (metastatic) disease, the overall survival rate is less than 1% at 5 years. Most patients with advanced disease die within a year; average life expectancy is 6 to 9 months. Unless surgically removed in its earliest (localized) stages, there is no cure. Less than 20% of all cases are found in a localized stage.

The disease is highly aggressive and resistive to standard cancer treatments. Despite the high mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer, its etiology is poorly understood. No tumor-specific markers exist for pancreatic cancer.
Source:
Pancreatic Cancer Treatment (PDQ®) from The National Cancer Institute

Let's increase funding for and awareness of this disease. I've written letters to editors of local papers in support of The National Plan to Advance Pancreatic Cancer Research Act (H.R. 7045). Would you consider doing the same?

http://www.pancan.org/Public/take.html

Thanks.

VOTE

That's it. Vote. Really. The country doesn't work if we don't participate. I could go into a riff about how our ancestors fought for the right to vote, and how democracy is expanded every time one of us exercises our right/ responsibility, and especially how so many people in other countries walk miles and wait hours for the privilege of voting..... but you know all that, don't you. So, I'll keep it to one word:


VOTE