And on another note:

After our Northside Strippers meeting on Monday evening, my good friend Angela pulled me aside to give me a prayer shawl she had knitted for me--just for me! I can't even describe how special it is. That's Angela on the left in the photo. She is a fellow quilter and knitter and part of the Prayer Shawl Ministry group in her church at Davidson United Methodist Church in Davidson, NC. She prayed the words "faith, hope and love" as she knitted, and she wrapped up the shawl in a special tote bag that she embellished with beautiful batik fabrics and included a luggage tag that she had designed especially for my shawl. She said that she wanted me to know that she was still praying for me even though she couldn't be with me every day to help out. What a special gift! I will always treasure the shawl, but more than that, I will always treasure my friendship with Angela--that's the best gift of all!

In case you don't know me or my family, here is the some history (so you'll understand why Angela knitted a prayer shawl for me): My husband, Gordon, was diagnosed with three different kinds of cancer in March of this year. It has been a challenging, even difficult, year for us. He has undergone surgeries, radiation treatments, and chemotherapy treatments. Now we believe he is cancer free, thanks be to God and the wisdom and capabilities He gave to Gordon's medical caregivers. I probably don't have to tell you how many times we have prayed for his complete healing and recovery, but I should tell you that we have so many friends who have prayed for us that we couldn't begin to count them all. I should also tell you that Gordon received a Prayer Quilt from our local Prayers & Squares group when he was first diagnosed with cancer. I will be posting photos soon so you can see the shawl and the quilt for yourself.

And if you haven't done this, do it now--count your friends. I've heard it said, "you have to be a friend to have a friend." Isn't this true?

Now I'm on my way to meet another friend, Robbin, to go see "Dancing with the Stars" in Charlotte tonight. I'll give a full review later. I hope you're dancing!