Check This

Alyssa playing chess - sorta.

The Fourth of July

Once again this year we enjoyed Bedford fireworks from the VIP section of the city's park, thanks to Carol's employment as the local health inspector. It was quite a show, preceded by a dinner, and we enjoyed it in the company of Andrew, Julia, Ben, Emily, Alyssa and Brooke. Here are some star-spangled Bennetts.

All Tied Up

The score is tied between me and cancer. Last Friday morning, I received test results from a blood sample taken earlier in the week, and there has been no increase or decrease in the cancer for the past month (a month ago, I made the decision to discontinue chemotherapy for a while because the chemo was actually doing more damage than the cancer, and I needed to give the body a chance to rebuild).

This means that I will go at least on more month with no chemotherapy, and it is good, very good, very, very good to have the medicine, but not have to take the medicine

Thanks and love to all/

Father's Day Favorites

One of my all-time favorite individual comic strips was a strip years ago from "Rose is Rose." Jimbo, the husband/father in the strip, was musing about how the family would stay up late on Fathers' Day eve, watching the celebration in Times Square, then get up the next morning to enjoy parades, a big dinner, and football games. When informed that Fathers' Day wasn't celebrated in that manner, he replied, "Well, it should be!"

The favorite Fathers Day gift I ever received was a few years ago. At the beginning of June, I told all of my kids, kids-in-law, etc., that the only Fathers' Day gift I wanted was for each member of the family to read through the Book of Proverbs (in the Bible), one chapter a day, for the month of June. Nothing else, no physical presents on the actual day, I insisted, just read the Book of Proverbs.

When they said something akin to "That's dumb, what kind of a present is that?" (only they said it much nicer), I pointed out two facts from the Book of Proverbs itself:

1. Wisdom is to be gained from the reading of the Book of Proverbs (Prov. 1 & 2), and
2. A wise son will bring joy to his father (Prov. 15:20).

What could be a more appropriate gift for a father on Fathers' Day than that, I asked? My family gave me that present that year, and it remains one of the most cherished gifts I have ever received on any occasion. On Father's Day, we all got together and talked about things we had learned from reading the Book that month.

I will testify to the veracity that a wise son (or daughter) brings joy to a father. I am proud of the adults my children have grown into, though it would be wrong for me to claim credit for their spiritual or temporal success. I've just been a simple gardener in God's garden where He brings the growth, but it has been and is a delight and a joy.

Happy Fathers' Day (by the way, is it Father's Day or Fathers' Day, singular or plural) to all!

Ben's Important Question

He asked her to marry him...



... and she said "yes."



I knew I should have put that brick on her head when she was 8, but it rejoices a daddy's heart to see his children marry well.

Washing my truck

Saturday, Alyssa came over to help me wash my truck. I had a dry area and a wet area planned. She was to stay in the dry area, with sidewalk chalk and her little car, while I would wash my truck in the wet area. Silly me. It was a wonderful morning, and the video clips don't begin to do it justice.

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Cancer Wars

The cancer war rages on. Last Friday, a sample was taken of my blood and today, Carol & I went in to discuss the results with the cancer doc. The cancer remains at a low level, but showed a very slight increase over the last sample, taken two months ago. After a very lengthy discussion and evaluation of the various options, I made the decision to discontinue the cancer medication for at least a month, perhaps longer. The rationale is that at this stage of the game, I consider the medications to be doing more overall harm to my body than the cancer. The decision was 100% mine, but Carol and the doc were both on board with it. We will monitor and re-evaluate on a monthly basis, and see how it goes. It was not an easy decision to make, there are potentially serous consequences on either path.

Two things to keep in mind:

1. The cancer is not in remission. It is at a low level, but still very much there.
2. Although I am discontinuing medication for an undetermined period of time, this is not a "break" in fighting the cancer. We are not retreating; we are simply attacking in another direction!

Thanks to all for your love, prayers, and expression of concern!