Sunday, June 18, 2006

Food+Croquet=Good Times


The summer is fun. Last summer I was afraid of the sun so I didn't much enjoy myself. I prayed for rain or cloud cover most days. Plus, I was on Interferon (that's the chemo I was on for 11 months) so I was super tired and dazed most of the time.

Anyhoo, this summer is different. My second summer with melanoma (well, actually my third, but I was unaware it was growing inside me in Summer '04) and although I don't plan on baking at the beach, I also don't plan to let the sun ruin my summer. I have to be practical about it. The sun can do no more damage to my current state of affairs. It isn't going to make my disease progress. It could give me a second melanoma, and although my chances are slightly increased for this because I've had one, it is still unlikely. And even if I had a second primary down the road, I am so aware of my skin I'd definitely catch it early. Melanoma is 90% curable if caught early, before it spreads downwards into the lymph system and blood. I fear not a second melanoma. I fear the cancer that is already in me, because it is so advanced.

So, to celebrate the coming of summer, Derek and I held the First Annual Vegan Potluck and Croquet Tournament in our backyard on Saturday! Mmmmmm.... everyone brought delicious food. I made stuffed baked mushrooms with vegan cream cheese, onion and cilantro, a fiery mexican bean salad, and roasted veggies. Others brought hummus, babaganoush and pita, fattoush salad, an asian noodle salad, fruit salad marinated in booze and fruit kabobs. We have so much left over too, no one felt like carrying their leftovers home.

The croquet tournament was a hoot. We had three heats. I was in an all girl heat and we totally sucked. The rule became, if it goes thru the wicket, over the wicked or beside the wicked, it counts because the game was getting too long. I laughed my arse off though, it was pure comedy. Ben was the grand champ of the tournie and his grand prize was a beach ball, bubbles and a New Kids On the Block hip-sack circa 1989 in its original packaging!

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