when you get cancer and lots of people love you, you are sometimes so bombarded with all that love and concern that eventually you can't handle it. Barb has been so overwhelmed with phone calls and e-mails and notes and pop-ins and pot roasts and casseroles that she is freaking out and really sick of repeating the same story again and who can blame her? I say she needs to get better at throwing people out of her house. So she decided to start sending an e-mail update to all her "peeps" and Kipster set her up with a listserve thingy. Here's a bit of the latest:

"I go for my blood work on Friday. Maggie is my keeper for this one. We are going to mass and breakfast first, then blood work and on to school for a half day. We have a long Labor Day weekend. I am sooooooooo looking forward to it. I need to give my body a rest.

John needs a rest too. He is very tired and worn out. I hate to see him like this, but the statement "cancer strikes the whole family" is really true. He said his teeth hurt from gritting them so much. He is a quiet worrier and that is how he reacts. So, peeps, throw in a good prayer for John too while you are at it.

Love me."