is clean scans (oh, and maybe that countertop rotisserie I saw at Williams-Sonoma)!

Yes, it’s that time again — Monday the 15th we will do a quick chest CT to see where we (meaning me and all my resident cancer cell buddies) are. I feel really good, so I am not too worried, although there is a weird lump in my neck that I can’t decide if I have felt before or not…it’s right above the incision mark where they biopsied my lymph node, so I think it might just be a little lump of lymph scar. Jack doesn’t seem to be too concerned, so I should probably relax. And take my blood pressure medicine so that I don’t have a heart attack over all this cancer business…it’s a good thing I didn’t have strong hypochondriacal tendencies before this, because I have certainly developed some.

Speaking of the upcoming holidays, if you are stuck for a gift for someone, check out www.glassybaby.com. Lee Rhodes, the founder, waged a 7-year battle with lung cancer. Her husband started making these votives to cheer her up (and she makes them too, now), and it has turned from a garage-based operation to stores in Seattle, Bellevue and New York. And of course, online. They are gorgeous!

This is what they say on their site,” are useful in many ways. But their real use is lifting bad moods and loneliness. Their warm and colored light flickers like we do in everyday life.  serve as a metaphor to symbolize hope and are humble in spirit but not beauty. Whatever your mood, a  can keep your home inviting and full of spirit.”

They always donate some of their profits to cancer charities, but right now,if you mention the promotional code “GRACE” 10 percent of your purchase price will go to Dr. Jack West’’s non-profit, Global Resource for the Advancement of Cancer Education, a really great patient and caregiver resource — there’s a link on National’s main page, next to the blog, or just go to www.cancergrace.org to check it out.

Happy start to the holiday season!