For my cookware, I am completely happy with All-Clad d5 Technology, which is made up of five layers-a stainless steel exterior, aluminum layer, thick copper core, aluminum layer, and stainless steel cooking surface. It is important to have both stainless steel surface and nonstick surface cookware since recipes can require different ways to cook. Even heat distribution makes cooking consistent.

Another addition to my collection: LeCreuset Cast-Iron Cookware and Stoneware. Many sizes and colors are available, but I prefer the Marseille Blue. This collection can go on for years.

Now for the knives. Run, don’t walk to pick up the fabulous German Wusthof knives. I prefer the Classic design, which is not even their most expensive. Then there are those specialty knives-cheese knife, parmesan knife, tomato knife, cheesecake slicer—so many knives, and yes, I use them all.

Ready for a few of my favorite, can’t-live-without kitchen items?

1. Cuisinart Food Processor - It does everything! Chops, shreds, mixes, kneads dough, and on and on. Nesting bowls stack inside each other for storage. Cutting tools store in a safety container. Video and cookbook included. Love it!
2. Vitamix Blender – Greatest invention! There is no end to this imaginative blender, complete with a cookbook and video. It makes everything from frozen desserts to piping hot soups. It even cleans itself. Sweet!
3. Stainless Steel Triple Breading Trays - These are shallow trays are invaluable to use for mixing, dipping, and breading. Trays are perfect for recipes with multiple steps.
4. Dual Magnetic Measuring Spoons - Spoons magnetically snap together so you never lose them. Each spoon has a narrow end for getting into small areas and a rounded end.
5. Boos Block Board Cream - Keeps your wooden cutting boards in perfect condition. It beats anything I have ever tried.
6. Chef’n Green Sleek Scrape Collapsible Scraper - Scoops so you don’t have to chase cut veggies and fruit all over the cutting board and collapses for easy storage.
7. Kuhn Rikon 11-Inch Watermelon Knife - You’ll never fight with the watermelon again. Cuts perfectly! Also available, Melon Knife for cantaloupes with scoop on one end to get rid of seeds, equally fun.
8. Frig Binz 14-Compartment Egg Holder with Lid - Stores and protects porous eggs from absorbing refrigerator odors.
9. All-Clad Stainless Steel Measuring Cups - Sizes-1/4 C, 3/4 C, 1/3 C, 2/3 C, 1/2 C, 1 C, and 1-1/2 C. Wow! Can you believe it? I can measure my way through multiple recipes for one meal.
10. Egg-Perfect Eggtimer - Place plastic tempered timer in the center of your pot of eggs while boiling. The timer lets you know when the eggs are ready by turning dark at the level of doneness you choose. Never mess up your hard boiled eggs again.
11. Pancake Pen - Dispenses batter perfectly every time and is easy to fill and clean by openings at the fill end and the dispensing end. Throw away every other pancake dispenser. I have.
12. Stainless Steel Soup Spoons - Hard-to-find traditional soup spoons with rounded basins. I have never come across such useful spoons before these.
13. CHEFS Mesh Colander Set - Set of three sizes of stackable colanders. After every grocery shopping trip, they are heavily used to clean and drain fresh fruits and veggies.
14. Thermapen Digital Thermometer - Registers exact temperature of meats while cooking. No more guess work or dried out meats from overcooking.
15. Wellness Mat - Plush & cushioned kitchen floor mat that takes the pressure off your feet so you can cook for hours without getting tired. My Christmas present this year.

Enjoy cooking your way through the holidays! It’s the best time of the year.

Thought for Today:

“No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.”

–Laurie Colwin

Live Life,

Janelle

In the distance I saw a man strolling along the fairway with his white husky dog. Someone whispered, “That’s Pete Dye, one of the most famous golf course architects in the world, who designed this golf course.”

“What? He is here on the grounds?”

“Yes, he lives here.”

“I can’t believe he is here,” I said as I turned my head for one last look as we drove further away.

A couple of golf holes later, we stopped the cart in time to see none other than Pete Dye up close with the most beautiful, well-groomed and well-trained dog I have ever seen. My son, Brent, got out of his golf cart and walked over to Pete Dye to introduce himself. The next thing I knew, Pete came to our golf cart to meet my husband, Neal, and me.

If you could meet one of the most influential golf course architects in the world, what do you think you would say to him? Keep in mind that this man has won numerous awards such as the PGA Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2008. He is known for designing the world’s most terrifying tee shot, known as the “Island Green,” which is the 17^th hole located at TPC Sawgrass at Point Vedra Beach, Florida. Even Jack Nicklaus speaks of the great influence Dye has had on his own approach to golf course design.

Life-Lesson:

Here’s what I asked: “When you first conceive an idea of a golf course, how do you get started?”

His answer was surprising and rather profound. “I have never started with a plan in my life. When I design a golf course, I just start digging.”

Do you realize how stunning that philosophy is? When he started building the 17^th hole at Sawgrass, the water was supposed to be on the right side of the hole, but by the time he finished digging, it became an island. He adapted to the changing environment and went with the flow of movement of the land.

My heart was pounding by this time. He said to me, “Do you see all of these trees? They weren’t here when we started digging. We put everything in place.”

Here I was talking to the master builder of some of the most astounding golf courses ever built, and he was giving me a life-lesson. All I could do was smile and pat his dog, Sixty, who was nestled up against my leg.

How Will You Build Your Life?

You will never go through an experience like breast cancer by having your entire journey planned out. In fact, you will never even go through life with a completed plan. Though the tears may fall upon your diagnosis of breast cancer, and you may feel like you are stumbling around in the dark while tripping over obstacles, there is only one thing to do. Take a deep breath and start digging. You may not know where you are going when you start, but you will find your way out and look back on your journey with satisfaction of the soul as you see the landscape of your life filled with friends and loved ones who care for you and a plentiful life of rich experiences. My friend, don’t give up yet. Keep digging!

Thought for Today:

“When you build a golf course, I always use the example of Pebble Beach. If you took the ocean away from the 18^th hole, it’s a good golf hole. But what makes it a great hole is the next thing out of bounds is Japan.”—Pete Dye

Live Life,

Janelle

The night before, I heard the cheers of happy Spaniards who celebrated a 4-0 win over Italy in the Euro 2012 as my family and I rode on the overnight train from Paris to Barcelona. Upon arrival in Barcelona, the victory of Spain seemed to be accepted as a natural way of life, as though defeat had no part of them.

The next morning we visited the 110 year old Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, that reaches 600,000 people. We toured the hospital as the guests of welcoming hospital officials, while visiting on behalf of National Breast Cancer Foundation and as representatives of MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The hospital hallways were filled with hopeful faces of patients who desperately sought answers to their health needs. We met with dedicated doctors who refused to bow to the defeat of diseases as they worked tirelessly to treat the illnesses of their patients.

Throughout the tour, we could observe the new medical school under construction, with magnificent columns and statues that contrasted the old deteriorating structures, yet the old and new seemed to proudly stand side by side, each claiming their rightful places in history.

The Old Makes Way for the New

What is it about the people of Barcelona that makes them so full of life? They have been called the most sleep-deprived people in Spain, yet they are driven to fill their days and nights pursuing their interests. They stroll the walkway of La Rambla that leads throughout the city with derivatives of dozens of winding streets stuffed with small, charming stores. Night and day the streets are crowded with hundreds of people. One direction of La Rambla leads to the Mediterranean Sea and the other to the mountains.

Seventy degree cool breezes at night from the sea reminded me that back home in Dallas the temperature had climbed to 103 degrees.

Two years earlier, I meandered through those same streets looking for a store that sold Spanish shawls. My sons, Brent and Kevin, were with me at that time and navigated with the help of GPS to the exact store I had read about on the internet. Ten minutes before closing time, I searched through beautiful mounds of lace to uncover a delicate black and gold shawl waiting for me to take it home.

I think the people of Barcelona enjoy living so much that they can’t get enough of it. They linger for hours over meals with family and friends as they sumptuously dine on perfectly seasoned food and some of the most delicious fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and delicacies that I have ever eaten in Europe. I didn’t notice any fast-food except for one hot dog stand in front of a building and ice cream stands wedged between souvenir shops.

I have so much admiration for the people of Barcelona. They draw upon the culture of ancient times while building for their future.

Hope for Your Future

For the 2 ½ million breast cancer survivors that are alive in America today, I want to take you to your present circumstances. Your future may seem frightening and uncertain, yet the undergirding of your strength comes from your faith and family bonding. Keep your hearts strong as you hold onto those things from your past that sustain you while reaching for hope for your future. Joy comes in the morning!

Thought for Today:

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”—Maya Angelou

Live Life,

Janelle

I was almost out of breath explaining why there was blood on the arm rest, dog hair flying around inside the car, and mud in the front floor board in the summertime. It looked like Neal and I had dragged a body through the front seat.

By the attendant’s lack of response, I figured he either didn’t care, had seen it before, or spoke another language.

We Had Gone to a Wedding, For Heaven’s Sake

The five-hour drive to Kansas to our friend’s wedding was relaxing. I was in the backseat propped up with a giant reading pillow behind my back, a neck pillow, head pillow, arm rest pillow, cushioned comforter to lay on, under-the-knees pillow, three books, seven magazines, iPad, earphones, DVDs and 20 hours of music at my disposal, just in case I needed them.

The wedding was unique and charming, located at the bride’s family farm in front of their 100-year-old red barn, which is a rustic, historic landmark in Wichita, Kansas. Impending rain held off until the vows were spoken, then it came down in torrents. Guests were darting inside the barn and multiple buildings waiting for it to stop so we could enjoy a bar-b-que dinner, Texas style.

Sporadic rain stopped and started for an hour and a half. At one point I managed to follow a lighted path to the outdoor Deluxe Porta-Potty. It was an ideal way to keep over 100 guests from traipsing through the owner’s house dripping water and muddy footprints all over their floor.

The only problem was that the steps up to the door of the Porta-Potty were a little steep. One woman on the way down the steps, who had enjoyed a little too much of the bubbly from the red barn, slid off the bottom step and plopped seat first into a mud puddle. She must have been having a fun evening, because she didn’t even seem to mind her re-entrance into the party.

At this point, Neal and I thought we would make a run for our car at the back end of the parking area and get out of the rain. By the time we spent a few minutes in the car, we were so comfortable that we decided to go ahead and leave the reception a little early.

A noticeable trail by our car had car tracks that led to the main highway not far away. I gunned the engine and took off. Everything was fine until we reached an incline leading to the main road. Since I never drive on dirt roads, let’s say my skill level was undesirable.

As the car rolled back down the incline, it landed in a deep mud puddle. I went forward. I went backward. But, all I did was sling mud everywhere and bury the car half way up to the tires in mud.

Not to worry…we have a Navigator System in our car. We had subscribed to the Lexus Safety Connect Services, which included an Emergency Assistance SOS Button and Enhanced Roadside Assistance. One push of the button and we would be on our way out of our dilemma. Only, we found that we did not qualify for the Lexus roadside service. We were considered to be an emergency rescue, so they had to call a local tow truck to pull us out.

Moment of Truth

Two hours later…as we sat in the darkness waiting for the tow truck, we would flip the lights off and on every time we hopefully spotted the lights of a passing vehicle.

To the left of us was a hospital. We could almost see into the patients’ rooms, but couldn’t make out the name of the hospital. I don’t think an ambulance would pick up two able-bodied people that were just stuck in the mud, anyway.

To the right of us was the laughter of happy guests in the distance and no way for anyone to get to us.

Twenty feet in front of us was the highway. It looked like we could step right out and walk to the road, but we didn’t think bogging down ankle deep in mud was a good idea, either.

After a long pause, I said, “Neal, do you remember the movie, Dumb and Dumber?”

“Yeah, we could have starred in it. You know, there are three levels of dumb,” he said.

“Yes, there is dumb, dumber, and mud-dumb,” I said. “We qualify for the last one. Do you realize there is luscious bar-b-que just across this field? Is there anything in the car to eat?”

He rummaged through the glove compartment and came up with a half-eaten peanut patty. As I reluctantly choked down my half of the mound of sugar stuffed with peanuts, I said, “This is absolutely awful.”

He gave me a look of disbelief as he said, “You gripe about survival food?”

At that moment we saw lights from the tow truck and frantically flashed our car lights to signal. Of course, it would be hard to miss us—a white car angled downhill backwards. Within minutes we were on our way back to the hotel. I’m sure no one noticed we left early.

On the Road Again

The next morning we were headed home. Our son, Kevin, asked if we could take an eight-minute detour off the main highway to pick up a rescue dog he had located through the internet. He wanted to surprise his children.

No problem. We picked up an adorable Terrier and were soon on the road again. Of course, the little guy was nervous with a new owner and a car full of strangers.

He stayed in the back seat with me most of the time, then once sprung off my knees with his short Jack Terrier legs toward the front seat. His claws scratched Neal as he landed on all fours on his arm. That’s where the blood came into the picture.

A few hours later, a bit weary and frazzled, we arrived home. The next morning I rehearsed the trip to the car wash attendant. Somehow, I don’t think he believed me.

Living in the Moment

The moral of this story is that you never know where the turns in life take you. If you have wound up in a mess with breast cancer, don’t get stuck in the mud. There are resources and people to help you throughout your journey. Don’t be mud-dumb and try to make it alone.

NBCF offers a valuable resource for those diagnosed with breast cancer. Beyond the Shock gives education to the multitude of questions one has about breast cancer and opportunity to network with other survivors. Breast cancer survivors, dig deep into your inner being and discover how incredible you are.

Thought for Today:

“Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs.”—Malcom S. Forbes

Live Life,

Janelle

Let’s Talk: How did you turn a bad situation into a positive one?

For several years I have tried to figure out motherhood. When I was pregnant with my first son, my husband was finishing his last year of college at Texas Christian University. We lived in Dallas, Texas, and drove 30 miles twice a week to Fort Worth in the evenings so he could attend classes at the University.

While Neal was in classes, I studied in the library, reading every book I could get my hands on about pregnancy and babies. I was sure that by the time our baby was born, I would have all the answers I needed for years to come.

Finally, I came upon a book written by one of the world’s leading experts on motherhood, Erma Bombeck. She put it all in perspective when she said, “One thing they never tell you about child raising is that for the rest of your life, at the drop of a hat, you are expected to know your child’s name and how old he or she is.” Thank you, Erma. Someone finally said it.

Son number two came along and soon we were at little league baseball games, enjoying sports for years. One question Erma brought up was, “Who in their infinite wisdom decreed that Little League uniforms be white? Certainly not a mother.” Mothers are why Clorox bleach has stayed in business so long.

Then son number three arrived, and I remembered Erma’s suggestion on how many children one should have, “It goes without saying that you should never have more children than you have car windows.” It sounded good to me.

So, here is my question to the mothers of the world, “Why try to figure out motherhood?” It is the most demanding, exhausting, and wonderful self-discovering journey in the world. With every sleepless night when they are babies, every sleepless night when they are teens, and every sleepless night when they leave home and you don’t know what is going on with them, you never get over being a mother. Special moments in life morph into memories you never forget. I can truly say that the greatest lessons I have learned in life have come from being a mother.

Motherhood teaches you to turn the tears into laughter, to turn the hurts into smiles, and to always know that tomorrow will be a better day.

Our nation was built through the strength of mothers helping nurture  children into fine young men and women. I am proud of all three of my sons and their sense of justice and caring for people who need a helping hand.

So mothers, wherever you are, enjoy your day. You deserve all good things that come your way.

Have a blessed day!

Thought for Today:

“Children make your life important.”—Erma Bombeck

Live life,

Janelle

Let’s Talk: What special life lesson has motherhood taught you?

It was getting on the plane that started a crazy trail of events. As I walked through security at the airport, the bells and whistles went off with TSA. I thought it might be my knit shirt with sparkly decorations or my metal jewelry, but that wasn’t it.

“You must have lotion on your hands,” said the TSA security attendant.

“Yes, I always have some hand lotion on,” I said.

Internal dialogue, What in the world are they talking about? My mother taught me never to leave town without my hand lotion.

At that moment, the roller bag I was carrying on the plane set off a warning. TSA agents started an intensive search through my bag, which included an iPhone, a camera (in case my iPhone battery is too low to take pictures), car navigator system (because Hertz doesn’t try hard enough), makeup bag (which would be disastrous if lost, heaven forbid), Laptop, iPad (to back up the Laptop) manicure set (because my nail polish won’t last four days), pills (extras in case I get stranded in a blizzard even though it is summer—you never know when you might get rerouted to the North), eyeglasses (one to wear with contacts, one to wear without contacts, and expensive sunglasses that I don’t even trust TSA to handle), magazines (three styles in case I get bored), book (should we have a get stuck at the airport for days), and manila folders stuffed with work to do on the plane (so I won’t feel guilty enjoying my magazines). Everything was properly packed in easy to examine containers, so they proceeded to zip and unzip every one of them three times.

The attendant suspiciously looked at me and started telling me what she was going to do to me in the back room, where I would be examined further. This is after I went through the body scan machine.

Then TSA called my husband over to interrogate him about me. He tried to explain that I am about as innocent a person as they could find with no criminal record—grandmother, CEO of a large non-profit organization and on our way to Los Angeles where we help provide free mammograms to women who cannot afford them. I was overhearing him describe me and was rather touched by his kind comments until I heard him say, “Does she look like a terrorist?”

Thirty minutes later, a bit rattled and proclaimed to not be a security threat to the airway system, they concluded that their machine must have been too sensitive.

Just get me on that plane, I thought. All of this ruckus. Four of us are about to miss our plane.

On the Plane, But Not Out of Town Yet

The flight was almost ready to take off, and the last call from the flight attendant to buckle up and turn off electronics had sounded. I reached for the end of the belt to find the metal insert was covered with a wad of chewed bubble gum.

What is that noise I keep hearing? I thought. It sounds like a barking dog. Oh my goodness! It is a yelping little dog in the cargo hole. It went on and on and on.

Here We Go

The flight took off, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Now I could lean back in my seat and unwind, only the seat would not lean back. It was broken. The flight attendant walked by and noticed my struggle. She was a light-weight, tiny-framed brunette. The plane had a slight bump and she lifted off the ground and nearly fell into my husband’s lap as she leaned over to help me.

Do you think I am making this stuff up? Believe me, I couldn’t think of all these things. The reason I carry plenty of supplies is so I am prepared for everything, so I brought my own man-made relaxation. My neck pillow and spa music were a welcomed relief for the rest of the flight. Some days the rest of the world gets up on the wrong side of the bed.

When Preparation is Not Enough

The thing about life is that it never goes as smoothly as you plan. Sometimes, everything gets so ridiculous that you have to laugh. This was the wildest flight ever. By the way, on the way home from our trip, I went through security without a glitch.

Breast cancer survivor or survivor of life itself, keep moving!

Plan, plan, plan, then roll with the punches! The ups and downs, bumps and side-tracks in life are filled with interesting happenings. A blog may even come out of it. Just keep moving forward and keep your eyes on where you are going. Temper tantrums and angry outbursts will get you nowhere but more upset. (I didn’t do any of that…remember, I am the innocent one). When all is said and done, don’t become a part of the ridiculous by your behavior. That will only take your eyes off your goal and will cloud your thinking.

Now, where am I going next? Does that mean I have to fly?

Thought for Today:

“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”—Yogi Berra

Live Life (with a smile),

Janelle

Let’s Talk: Have you had a travel experience that made you want to give up flying?

What if you focus all of your attention and direction this year on searching out the best qualities of the “old you,” by remembering the highlights of your personal success? What characteristics do you possess that are extraordinary? Yes, you do have them. You may have to stop and think your way through the trail of your life for milestones of happiness. This became clear to me as I observed something fascinating related to the 2012 Golden Globes.

The Golden Globes

Two great directors were featured on the Golden Globes. Each with different styles used the same approach to casting stars for their movies.

Woody Allen won Best Screenplay for Midnight in Paris
at the Golden Globes. In an interview I heard a few weeks earlier, he talked about casting roles. His approach is to cast the most authentic actors for the roles and to leave them alone to be themselves—natural and at ease. Some actors have begged him to tell them what to do, but he fully trusts his instinct to let the right people immerse themselves into their roles and creatively emerge on their own as astounding characters. Who can argue with his success?

Steven Spielberg‘s movie, War Horse, was nominated at the Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture-Drama. Spielberg chose an unknown stage actor, Jeremy Irvine for the lead role, after interviewing hundreds of young boys. Spielberg said of Irvine, “His performance was very natural, very authentic.”Spielberg says he likes to cast unknowns or those new to the business because they don’t know anything but to be themselves. Irvine had come to the audition two or three times a week for two months. To show his delight in offering this fresh face to the movie world, Spielberg had a mock script written, in which he told Irvine to read to the camera to check his accent. The piece he read was telling him that Spielberg wanted him to play the role. Authenticity brings joy to those who watch.

The Result of Authenticity

The focus of these two directors is uncanny. Each one of them has allowed his authenticity to step into worlds of imagination and creativity unique to the world.

Woody Allen, during his difficult family issues a few years ago would go to court one day and come back on set with a mindset locked into his art. He compartmentalized his mind to attend to the important things as they arose and blocked out those things that did not pertain to his immediate situation. Actors who work with him say he is a genius. He truly is an authentic personality who transfers his authenticity into the casting of actors in his movies. Where would we be without one of his favorites, Diane Keaton?

Steven Spielberg dropped out of California State University Long Beach to pursue his passion. As a young man, he directed Jaws. His reckless abandon to the normal catapulted him into a world of movie-making special effects that had never been seen before and was credited as starting the tradition of the summer blockbuster. He recognized talent such as Liam Neeson, whom he directed in Schindler’s List, and by recognizing his unparalleled acting ability, set him into a career of playing the leading man.

Will You Allow Your Old Self to Emerge?

There was a sweetness and innocence in the early years of your life. Then life happened to you. Your hopes for the future may have turned into broken dreams. Somewhere along the way you forgot how pure and clean your character and values were. Can you take yourself back to the time when you were happy and filled with wonder? As you begin the year 2012, dare to follow your passion. It will change your perspective on life and revive those latent qualities that were in the best version of yourself. What if you didn’t worry about having enough money or a better job to fulfill your dreams? What if you could move past tragedies like breast cancer or hurts of the past and lay those things aside? Perhaps the goal this year is to allow the old you to become new. You have a world of unrealized dreams waiting to explode within you if you dare to let the best of the old you emerge.

Thought for Today:

“Every man has in himself a continent of undiscovered character. Happy is he who acts as the Columbus to his own soul.”—Sir J. Stephen

Live Life,

Janelle

As the dedication of the 9/11 Memorial commemorates the HOPE of our nation today, we take pride in the words that are engraved on the memorial site, “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” On the morning after tragedy, it is time to look forward. We can do nothing about the past but can do everything about the future.

In the past 10 years, many of you have faced a diversity of losses. Perhaps you have lost loved ones as I have. My own mother died on 9/11 a few years ago. Many have felt the fear of death with the diagnosis of breast cancer or have even lost someone you love to breast cancer. At a time of great loss, there are steps you can take toward hope.

Step 1:

Ten years ago, Rudy Giuliani, Mayor of NYC, took the first step toward hope and healing for New York City and our nation by being present in the aftermath of 9/11. He was everywhere assessing the damage, feeling the heartbeat of those who suffered, and standing with families who lost their loved ones. He was an example to us all as we face tragedies in our lives. We must take the first step of healing by opening ourselves up to the reality of what has happened. Though sometimes painful, there are those moments of truth when we have to take everything into account.

Step 2:

The second step occurred on 9/11 when President George W. Bush reminded our nation of who we are as he said, “Great tragedy has come to us, and we are meeting it with the best that is in our country, with courage and concern for others because this is America. This is who we are.” When he stood at the 9/11 site in the rubble of twisted steel, he spoke words of hope to those first responders, “I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” President Bush reminded us that we are a people of courage who would hold onto our faith and each other as we established the ground rules for going forward.

When everything within us is crying out in distress, that is the time to stand up and declare who we are. We are victors in the midst of our tragedy. We will not be victimized. We will be fearless.

Step 3:

Step three toward hope is to move forward. The people of NYC did not stop. They linked arms and moved forward. Our nation did not allow fear to overtake us. And, we cannot be overcome by any loss in our lives. Remember who you are. Hold onto those around you, even if they have to hold you up for a while. Then, step forward into your glorious future. Nothing can stop you with God’s help.

The Morning After

Yes, it is the morning after 9/11. It is a day of new beginnings and new hope. Look through the eyes of hope at your future. You will see it with new vision and clarity. It is the morning after, and we will become the nation we hope to be. It is the morning after, and we will turn our personal losses into strength. With that strength, we can move forward. God bless America, and God bless every one of you today.

Thought for Today:

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.”—Karen Ravn

Live Life,

Janelle

“What is it that Johnny Depp has that makes people crazy about him?” said Charlie Rose, broadcast journalist.

Director of the movie, The Tourist, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck made a quick mental assessment and answered, “I think it is that he makes it so easy for us to love him. We appreciate him for that. Everybody likes to feel loved, and he allows us to feel that. He is almost a teacher of love that allows us to access that feeling.”

Henckel von Donnersmarck gave us an inside look at the making of The Tourist on the DVD’s Director’s Commentary. He shared how Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie gave a flawless performance and explained how acting is the purest form of art. “You can’t hide behind the camera with your body and emotions,” he said. “You create art for the consumer who is watching.”

As a director, he said he wanted to create every scene as though it was a beautiful painting. He accomplished that in one of the most perfectly directed movies I have ever seen. “Nothing is easier to create than random ugliness,” he said.

His directing opened my eyes to the vulnerability of actors and how on screen they allow you to take a peek into their souls. I thought about how a breast cancer survivor feels when she loses a part of her body so connected to her femininity. There is a raw vulnerability that is exposed, leaving that woman visible all the way to the core of her being.

Vulnerability and unguarded emotions do not have to become a display of random ugliness. As a survivor, myself, I understand the delicate emotions one feels upon being diagnosed with breast cancer. It seemed to me that every unpleasant emotion I could ever feel rolled up into a giant ball and knocked a hole right through the middle of my heart—a big, black hole. I wondered if I could escape the emotions and ever feel like a woman again.

The Rest of the Story

I founded NBCF out of my desire to help other women, first of all with financial help to provide free mammograms if they couldn’t afford them, then with the educational and emotional help to restore them to their full womanhood. As I did these things, the black hole filled up when I wasn’t even looking. Turning my eyes outward toward others instead of inward toward my own inadequacies, changed my life. I found precious jewels of emotions inside myself that were deeper and more valuable than the pain and emotional scars of breast cancer.

The first time I hugged a woman who was provided a mammogram through NBCF’s help was like holding love in my arms. She was a real person who had been rescued from despair.

Then there was the short, Italian man who spoke no English, and I spoke no Italian. He, too, had received NBCF’s help and had his life spared. He carried a malignant tumor around in his breast for a year and was directed to the hospital by a nurse navigator, who told him of our help at his hospital. We hugged with no language barrier and cried with happiness. These were the tears that bathed away my emotional scars.

When I started writing my blog, I moved from in front of the camera to behind the scenes by opening my life to the innocence of vulnerability and the beauty of allowing myself to feel the necessary emotions that propelled me toward being a fulfilled person. Please join me in sharing your experiences on BeyondTheShock.com, where you can learn about breast cancer, see videos of other women, and create your own videos and stories.

Today I live my life with hope for my future and want to share those experiences with you on my blog. Take a look at the Follow Janelle tab at the top of the page for pictures I took in Paris at the very site where Angelina Jolie sat in an opening scene of The Tourist.

Reverse your pain and embrace the newness of life.

Thought for Today:

“Stimulate the heart to love, and all other virtues will rise of their own accord.” –W. T. Ussery.

Live Life,

Janelle