Things Past, Present and Future

Dear Blogger Family & Friends,

As always, I welcome you with a big smile and a warm hug. Hope you are all doing well and feeling as wonderful as you are!

This week I had the pleasure of attending a "big-girl" slumber party, hosted by my friend Rosemary. It was so much fun to turn back time and become 12 years old again. Try to imagine 8 grown women running around in pink pajamas, wearing tiaras, eating pizza, making friendship bracelets, and doing each other's nails! And, let's not forget learning to "Belly Dance in 10 Easy Lessons"........First, there is nothing "easy" about it unless you can move like Shakira or Brittany Spears. Second, we danced like we were having a group seizure. And Third, we all needed chiropractors by lesson six! It was a night for the record books and I thank Rosemary and company for the fabulous (and outrageous) experience. In fact, I think the world would be a better place if more people had pajama parties on a regular basis.....(tiaras and belly dancing optional).

If you're tired of the winter weather and in need of a "feel-good" experience, I highly recommend a heavy dose of "Dream Girls." This movie is a sure-cure for the winter blues! It's a groovy combination of Motown, disco and funk! (It's also a great retrospective of all my hair-do's and hair-don'ts from the 60's - 80's. Yes, the good old days before chemo turned me into Uncle Fester.) I now want to buy the cd, because I can't get the music out of my head!

There are many upcoming events in our future, and special thanks to all who contributed this week. I encourage more of you to share your stories, comments, words of wisdom, or newsworthy items with other members of the cancer community. Just send me an e-mail and I will post it right here in my weekly update.

VALENTINE SPECIAL: If you have a special message for that special someone in your life, and want the world to know, let the "Pink Crusader" publish it in the holiday edition of this blog spot. You know where to e-mail your mushy, gushy, words of love! thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

FYI: We continue to have technical problems with the "COMMENTS" section of the blog, but I can manually post comments if you send them to this address: thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

O.K., get your pen, take notes, and add the following to your social calendar:

From Cheryl Donlin:

I wanted to alert you that the stamp info previously posted on your blog is outdated. The value of this stamp today for first-class mailing is .45 cents. Of that, 6 cents goes to breast cancer research. I actually went to the post office to check it out, because on the usps website, it says this stamp is not available. That is incorrect, according to the post office personnel, who sold me a sheet of the stamps.

There is quite a history on this stamp. It originally came out in 1998. According to the usps website: "The Breast Cancer Research stamp is the first U.S. stamp in history to have its net proceeds above the cost of postage earmarked for research organizations. It is called a "semipostal" stamp."

Interestingly, after receiving a request from Hungary in 2005, the U. S. Postal Service agreed to share this design with Hungary for use in their breast cancer fund raising. Check out this link for more on this: www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/2005/sr05_048.htm.

For background on the original stamp check out: www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/2006/sr06_024.htm.

Note to Cheryl: Thank you so much for bringing this error to our attention. I apologize to our readers for posting outdated information.

From Rosemary Barr:
Mark your calendar and plan to attend:

Rosebuds II Meeting
Thursday, February 8, 2007
5:45 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

See you then!

From Marsha Yeager:
Hi, ladies,

I just wanted to give you a "heads up" about the next S.O.S. meeting. Since it is the day before Valentine's Day (meeting date is Tuesday, February 13 @ 7 p.m.), we are planning something special. More details will follow in the upcoming newsletter. Please plan to set aside time for the meeting and join us.

From Rosemary Herron:

Be Empowered! Eat Chocolate With Breakfast

Who: Jan Bethancourt
When: February 17th
Time: 9:30 – 11:30 AM

To Register: call Adele (281) 265-5774

Cost: No charge and breakfast is included.
There will definitely be chocolate for breakfast!

Place: St. Lawrence Catholic Church
3100 Sweetwater Blvd.
In the Religious Education building across the street

Presentation is based on the author’s book

Be Empowered! Eat Chocolate with Breakfast

which contains encouraging sayings about attitude, confidence, courage and compassion. Jan’s goal is to prompt women to slow down and notice the little delights of life, to appreciate themselves and to allow others to appreciate them.The talk is focused on each woman as a unique individual, apart from every other role she takes on.


From Sandra Gomez:
Hi Ladies,

The 2nd Annual Cancer Patient & Caregiver Conference will be held on Friday, May 4, 2007. Registration: 9:00 am Program begins at 9:30 am - 2:30 pm. Dr Michael Keating from MD Anderson will be the keynote speaker.
Location: United Way Building 50 Waugh Drive.
To Register: 713-520-9873 Contact Person: Elizabeth Wilson
www.cancercouseling.info
4101 Greenbriar, Ste 317
Houston, TX 77098. PLEASE INVITE OTHERS TO THIS CONFERENCE.

On with dance! Let joy be unconfined;
No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet.

- George Gordon Byron


This concludes this week's edition. As always, stay well, stay strong, and keep on (belly) dancing!

Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

POST SCRIPT: Several people have questioned my husband's reaction to the belly dancing lessons......Well, knowing me, he was not surprised. However, he did wonder why the neighbors didn't have us arrested for public indecency or disturbing the peace. I explained that Rosemary's neighbor was a cop.....who sent his wife over to take pictures. End of story.