DD loves MUSE.

DW is in year 26 and hoping to make it to retirement. You're right, it's nuts and getting worse. With the new PARCC paperwork, she just had to do over 60 two-page evals for her classes -- had to deliver it to the office in a box. I can only say the private schools do not seem to be hampered by the testing craze, but perhaps the trade-off is wealthy, self-absorbed parents and snooty kids. Then again, I'm in a high COL area in which private school runs about $30K a year. I've also worked with a few brilliant private school kids.

America's Test Kitchen ZITI goes a long way, and you can add meat to it just to bulk it up a tad. I've done it with beef or de-cased sausage. Freezes well too. They have a lasagna that's the same idea. THIS recipe calls for cubed turkey, but I usually make it with ground. Anything with a grain like barley is filling, which stretches your meat usage. Stuffed Peppers use meat in a filling that is also bulked up with rice and beans. I usually end up with more filling left over that ends up in flour tortillas for lunch over the next several days. Chili can have as little or as much meat as you want, and you can still bulk it with beans (I do one with three beans). Actually, a lot of the AICR recipes use meat as a "condiment" since that is the main idea of the site's approach, so you can take what is mostly a veg or grain based meal and just extend it with a comparatively small about of meat.

A great site to bookmark is OWL -- the Online Writing Lab at Purdue. I also love Grammarphobia, although it's in blog format and not really a reference site.

No, but I'll let it go at that.

One thing for caregivers/friends of patients to know is that there is a place for everyone to provide some sort of service to the patient. You might be the one who brings over a lasagna, or the one walks the dog. Being the one who prods someone to get scans is also invaluable. You may have just prolonged a life. Bravo!

I would refer you to the article paragraph that says: Will your school music program turn your kid into a Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft (guitar)? Or a Woody Allen (clarinet)? Probably not. These are singular achievers. But the way these and other visionaries I spoke to process music is intriguing. As is the way many of them apply music’s lessons of focus and discipline into new ways of thinking and communicating — even problem solving.

A valid question. The answer is that not all cancer treatments are created equal. Melanomas, in particular, tend not to respond to systemic (whole body) chemo, so I haven't had any the classic side effects like hair loss. I did have chemo, but it was pumped into my liver and sucked out again before affecting other parts. I have found that having a rare cancer means receiving treatments way out ahead of the mainstream. My biggest treatments have centered around stimulation of my immune system to kill the mutinous cells. What radiation I've had has been loco-regional, and while it made me tired, the side effects were far from what might happen with radiation over a wider area. It could also be that I'm just lucky. At least one treatment I had does regularly kill people! I could go on and on, but the takeaway is that treatments vary greatly, and many of the newer options are nothing like what people think of as cancer treatment.

That's actually an enlightened view I wish more people had. "Chronic Metastatic" or "Chronic Stage IV" is such a new concept, that it really hasn't even gained traction among oncologists yet. That's why I'm not fond of the word "cure" being thrown about. Don't talk to me about cure -- I'll be thrilled when cancer becomes HIV, or diabetes -- manageable over the long haul. On the other hand, people do still die. I'm three years into a statistical life expectancy of 5 years, but I also know survivors of my little bug who have been "terminal" for TEN years. I've found that to be the worst part of responding to treatment -- there's still a continual string of friends who do not survive, even as some of us do. Whether they can cut it out might depend on location of blood vessels and whatnot, but that kind of thing warrants a second opinion. Not all docs are well versed in all types of surgeries, so perhaps there is someone out there who can do such a procedure. Worth researching, anyway. I do believe a plant-based diet (see New American Plate site and cookbook) can reduce cancer risk, BUT..... There are genetic cancers that may or may not be prevented by diet. My little bug is one of them -- ocular melanoma, completely different from cutaneous melanoma (skin cancer) in that it has nothing to do with sun exposure. I also know life-long vegans with OM, and a woman who died a month after doing a triathlon, so it ain't just diet and weight. Cancer is a funky thing; your own cells alter and grow out of control. It's not something you get, but something your body does, so cancer should be a verb. We'd also like to think it's controllable through will alone, or at least will, mediation, herbs, food, etc. Ask Steve Jobs how well that worked. Not that any of those things are bad IF used in conjunction with aggressive conventional medicine, which is why complimentary medicine is a better term than alternative medicine. I love my music therapist; I've had great experiences with acupuncture and meditation; I also see the best oncologist on the planet who specializes in bleeding edge therapy for OM. Anyone trying to be among the early members of the "chronic metastatic" club has to get comfortable with some ideas that scare the willies out of most people. Sometimes you get used to it sometimes not. Cancer is like that.

Yes, metastatic cancer is still the original cancer when in another part of the body (e.g. breast cancer in a bone). 2.6 cm isn't either big or small. We can live with bigger masses, as long as they don't grow or interfere with vital organ functions, cause pain, etc. Likewise, bone lesions only become a real problem if they cause pain -- I've lived with a few for a while with no problems. Little or no growth is a good thing. With Stage IV, the goal is control. I had an aunt who was Stage IV, and chose not to treat it aggressively -- the complete opposite of my own approach. It's frustrating to witness, but every person makes his or her own cancer journey in a unique way, and that's OK, even if it seems less than ideal.

It is true that an older generation seems to have more difficulty viewing their doctors less as deities and more like hired guns, so she needs an advocate to ask the questions and take the notes. As for scans not picking up tumors -- yes, that happens. I've had docs find more spots than showed up on scans. Some lesions are just too small to register; one MRI machine is different from another; and still other lesions show up better on x-ray or CT scans. Hopefully her doc appointed an oncology social worker to guide her through the mazes. If he didn't that wold be something to suggest as well. So yes, speak up.

Not that we really need any, do we? DW just forwarded this from work: Is Music the Key to Success? I like this article because its focus is on collaboration and creativity, rather than the tired old "Mozart Effect" or math-music sort of rehash that usually makes the news. A good read.

We got DD a factory refurb off eBay and it has worked fine. If taking this route, be sure to go with a reputable seller.

It's also possible to upload to the cloud on Google Music and then access it via the app of the same name.

Well, as long as we're exploring sadistic methodology, why not read the first two sentences of Finnegans Wake? riverrun, past Eve and Adam’s, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs. Sir Tristram, violer d’amores, fr’over the short sea, had passen-core rearrived from North Armorica on this side the scraggy isthmus of Europe Minor to wielderfight his penisolate war: nor had topsawyer’s rocks by the stream Oconee exaggerated themselse to Laurens County’s gorgios while they went doublin their mumper all the time: nor avoice from afire bellowsed mishe mishe to tauftauf thuartpeatrick not yet, though venissoon after, had a kidscad buttended a bland old isaac: not yet, though all’s fair in vanessy, were sosie sesthers wroth with twone nathandjoe. Rot a peck of pa’s malt had Jhem or Shen brewed by arclight and rory end to the regginbrow was to be seen ringsome on the aquaface. Yeah, ah......no. :banghead:

So, wait.....My long lost uncle emailed me from Nigeria. We must be related! Call Dr. Whatshisname from Harvard - the guy who does the celeb geneology on PBS!

I had three scans last week, and all of my tumors are smaller. It's only millimeters, but I'm in a game of millimeters, so I'll take it! My brain is also still clear, which leaves me little excuse for the steady loss of my marble collection.

Had no idea there was such a thing, but that sounds REALLY neat!

Cheaper by the Dozen is not only set in Montclair, New Jersey, but my Grandmother knew the family growing up! Penny from Heaven, is a Newberry book also set in New Jersey.

True about Narnia, but I can't imagine the PTSD of going back to 1940's British boarding school after being a sword-wielding king two decades older. Remember, there's always the Babelfish.

I'm also looking for luggage -- well ONE piece. We need a sturdy gown-length garment bag for DD's choir dress -- hopefully something washable that hold up for the next six years of bus and backstage grime. WallyBags look robust. Any experience out there?

Great Books for Girls breaks suggestions down by age, category, etc., and gives notes about the content, and if anything might be scary. We found it to be a great resource. I also find that reading aloud is different, and DD will listen to material that might seem scary to read.

There is the funky BBC series on body systems called "Once Upon a Time in the Body" (I think). One particular user isgota, seems to have uploaded a bunch of them to YouTube. Discovery Streaming is also an excellent source.

I'd say "Dean of Curriculum and Instruction at a small, exclusive private school." I'm fine with "homeschooling father" because it's weird enough to either start or prevent a conversation, depending on the listener. "I homeschool by day and teach SAT prep by night" is useful if I think I can get a referral out of someone.

Not to be a complete killjoy, but there was a great article (somewhere) that listed the things no one ever talks about with time travel. Three I remember are: 1. No one will understand you, even in an English speaking country -- I can attest to this, having had to learn to pronounce Middle English and read Canterbury Tales aloud (sadistic professor, that one). 2. You can't eat or drink -- modern guts can't handle the parasites and other assorted nasties of old. 3. You age faster -- if you spend, say 6 months in ancient Rome, you don't get those 6 months back when you return, so you're six months older than everyone around you who didn't make the trip. Not bad, but if you go hopping around like Doc & Marty McFly, you'll suddenly pop into the present again possibly decades older (but I guess you couldn't really tell with the Doc). Of course, Time Lords prob figured work-arounds for all of this.