Once again I am not sitting in the sunporch. Today I have the pleasure, and I mean that sincerely, to be sitting with my brother-in-law, Byron, as he goes through his cancer infusions. Today he will go through two and we anticipate it will take a minimum of five hours. We have been here for almost three hours now. He is gently snoozing in the chair while the I V drip does its magic.

This trip has given us a chance to "talk about stuff" and catch up with visiting. Ms. Kate is at my sister's place and I suspect they are furiously gabbing too. This evening my nephew and family, and my niece and family are coming over for a fish fry. Byron is cooking the fish.

The view from this room isn't too bad. There are some houses and a lot of trees across the street. Traffic is fairly light. It is a warm day out there and there are a lot of tall clouds with dark bottoms crowding the blue sky. It stormed a lot last night here in Springfield, Illinois. I don't know how much rain we actually got but I know it was significant. It appears it could storm again. I'd as soon it didn't, especially if Byron intends to cook the fish on the grill.

Tomorrow we will head back home. I need to get home soon enough to mow the yard, assuming the rain from here has not moved southeast and is over us. However, we could use some.

Coming here to this facility certainly opens a person's awareness of just how  widespread and impartial the cancer disease really is. There are people older than Byron, (74) and people that appear to be in their early twenties. Many have that "cancer look", meaning they have lost their hair because of their chemotherapy treatments, and others, like Byron appear healthy with the exception of looking a bit tired. What I see though mostly, --- is a look of positivity on the faces of the patients. I haven't heard anyone complaining, or being bitchy with the staff; and every patient that has left has had a smile and friendly "thank you" for the staff as they leave. I'm not saying that the opposite doesn't occur; but I did not see it.

So, today, I lift up my prayers of gratitude for the doctors and health care workers who take their profession with an attitude of spirituality. I thank God for people who do the research, invent the procedures that they use, and treat their patients like people with a sense of compassion. I also thank God for the warmth of God's healing arms as he wraps them around these folks who need to feel the Holy Spirit's touch in their life. God's blessings come in so many forms.

Have a blessed day!