Singin' in the Rain

Is this one of the most adorable little girls you have ever seen, or what? I literally had to stop a conversation I was having with someone at the market to shoot this. Those little shoes, and that dress just make me smile.

I felt much better today, I think the slight temperature drop helped. But then again, who knows?

Tonight we watched Singin' in the Rain and I loved it. I could not believe how smiley all the characters were,in particular, Gene Kelly. Wow, the dancing and singing were just incredible. Lately I've been nostalgic for our mom and this added to it. She used to be a tap dancer when she was young; even still had her tap shoes until I wore them some years ago as part of a Halloween costume. Times like these when I would love to ask her about it....

You will be happy to know that I got a 100 on the midterm in that class. As well, the responses that I bitched about were 100s. I imagine you are thinking how couldn't you get a good grade in that class, apparently there were those who didn't. He is trying to be creative and come up with a way for students to earn points to add to their grade.

No word from Mr. Roger yet on their son.

It is so challenging for Bruce right now; I feel just terrible for him. Typically he calls me nightly at 9 to chat when he is on the road. These days I can't even keep his whereabouts straight, nor his schedule. He is up weird hours and sleeping when he can. Sad.

I've just completed The Power of One. I saw it at the library and thought for sure my sister-in-law Judy recommended it. You may know that she is a venerable high school English teacher in town. Anyway, it is a good story about a persecuted young boy who aspires to be the welter-weight champion of the world. The setting is South Africa, beginning in the late 1930s. 500 pages later, give or take a few, I'm torn. Africa is a big continent-- it was just a little too pat for me, with him re-meeting his persecutor years later etc. You may like it.

I always need something to read because I don't watch television--on our bookshelf I found a book of short stories by the wonderful Canadian writer, Carol Shields. The first two stories were remarkable. I believe she died of breast cancer several years ago.

Speaking of which--Pink October. It's importance has gotten way out of hand in my book. It started years ago quietly and has grown to gargantuan proportions. I know I sound like a cynic, but the media, and marketplace have turned it into a circus. No amount of money raised will solve the riddle. What happens is some research is done, people jump on that bandwagon because they don't want to sound like dissenters. Eventually that theory is proven to be hogwash, another replaces it, and the cycle continues. What isn't said is that MOST women will never get breast cancer!!!!!!!
I can't say that often enough. Another fact is that most of the breast cancers that are discovered via mammograms are tiny, tiny, and probably would never threaten a woman's life. It is just that they don't know for certain (although some researchers are working on this) if you left it alone what would happen. Most women are not willing to be guinea pigs, so the minutest cancers are treated aggressively. I'm even hearing of young woman opting for double mastectomies. This is pure craziness.
I liken it to skin cancer. There are three kinds, basal, squamous, and melanoma. Only melanoma kills, the others are a dermatologists bread and butter.

For those of you who have known someone who died from breast cancer, I sympathize. I do as well. It's just that the industry has taken on a life of its' own way out of proportion to the actual problem. I read an article a few years ago in the New York Times about how much is actually donated and it's not much. It has just become a big marketing campaign. Alright, I'm done ranting on this subject.