We were blessed today, in that our news was good. Still, as we left the doctor's office parking lot, we reminded ourselves that there are millions out there that were not so blithely leaving their situations.

In gratitude for our blessings, I "speak" my blessing for all that face suffering, in the practice of Tonglen, as taught by Pema Chodron:

"May I be free of suffering and the root of all suffering. May my loved ones be free of suffering and the root of...

My husband found a lump. Being "take charge" people, he immediately tried to make an appointment with a specialist under our insurance company's list of approved providers. There are 14 listed in Bangor, but no one would talk to him without a physician's post-exam referral and ultrasound test results.

Today we drove north to get both during a visit to a hospital emergency room, as recommended by one of the specialists we called. The doctor there examined him, but did NOT...

We're now chillin' on the Atlantic shore. With a direct view of Harrington Bay, and NO RAIN, I am already starting to feel more relaxed.

Not that the scenic loop drive, the walk along Bar Harbor, the kayak trip on Acadia's Jordan Pond, and the twelve mile bike ride on the Carriage Roads around Eagle Lake were not relaxing, but -- one can run around TOO MUCH. (Whew! I'm almost grateful for the rainy forecast coming up.)

Even with today's overcast skies, this is a true "vacationland."...

My long-time friend's sister was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer -- no, she's NEVER smoked, and recently completed her ten-month round of chemo/radiation treatments. At present, during this three-week wait to learn whether her fight against this awful disease was successful, she's gone to some R&R with her kids in CO. God bless her. She understands that no matter how much time she has left, it is time to be enjoyed, give and receive love, and relax. She's 62.

My best-friend...

I loved Portland, ME for its old houses & buildings, the port, the parks, bookstores, and coffee shops. What a nice place to visit.

We were "stuck" there an extra day, yesterday, getting work done on our RV. In the RAIN, after watching it from a park overlooking the bay for awhile, we decided to find a coffee shop. We found a GREAT one: Hilltop Coffee Shop. The coffee was good, the clientele seemed very friendly, and there was a sense of community there that I really liked....