A bunch of blogging goodness

      I intended to blog a bunch of blogging goodness last night. I made a plan, life made a plan, and guess whose plan happened? So I will try to make up for it tonight.
      My sister-in-law's father is doing somewhat better. He's still in serious condition from acute pancreatitis and things could go downhill quickly, but the news is better. I spoke to my brother last night, and he said that his father-in-law's kidneys and other organs were working again. The current concern is an infection of the lower intestines. So please remember him in your prayers and thoughts.
      I'm doing okay. The pain is much less. I still have restricted movement in my left arm, but that's getting better each day. The incision seems to be healing as it should. I return to the doctor next Tuesday to get the stitches out. I've decided to tell people that the scar was from a bullet wound. Makes it more interesting.
      'Cause I've been asked a few times already, I'll share the cost of my surgery: $3,600. Depending on your income, your response is either: "Wow" or "That's not as much as I expected." I was in the hospital for about four hours, which breaks it down to $900 per hour ... and I didn't even get a sponge bath from a cute nurse.
      Speaking of cute nurses, Crystal asked me a couple of days ago if I had been writing. Crystal has a cruel streak in her. But slowly I'm picking up the story again. That is one advantage that I have over people who write fulltime; I can stop writing and still have a paycheck coming in. Lots of people talk about how they'd like to write fulltime, but what they're really saying is that they want to write fulltime and get paid for it. That getting paid can be a bear with jagged teeth. My sympathies are fully with any writer who's trying to support a family with the written word. Drop by Holly Lisle's Silent Bounce for a day-by-day account of a good writer who battles with the bear daily. I believe in talent, though, and Holly will be wearing a necklace of bear claws real soon.
      A site I visit regularly is Event Horizon. You'll find a balanced, interesting look at current events. EH doesn't post as often as I'd like, but I find his short, pithy commentaries are right on target usually. I've always been surprised that he doesn't get more comments. Perhaps Erudite Redneck will drop by soon and bring his brand of rough-n-tumble commenting.
      Speaking of Erudite Redneck, he continues to rack up the comments by being his usual outrageous, funny self. I haven't been able to drop by much lately and I missed a lot of interesting debates so let me give my takes on the various issues he's brought up: Yes, No, Could be, I disagree, Blue, Voltaire would laugh, Good point, and Yeah, but what will Uncle Fester think? I hope that makes everything clear.
      Over at Trixie's Home, we're hoping that Silver Lining will manifest soon for Trixie who continues to make Trixie's Home feel homey, while Frenzied Feline is in a ... well ... frenzy over her new home and selling her old home. FF, by the way, is shining proof that not everyone who lives in California is a loon.
      I almost feel guilty telling everyone to drop by Soul Patches. Michelle shares so much of her emotional life that it reads like a diary, not that I've EVER read a girl's diary despite what my sisters claim. Anyway, Michelle's journey makes interesting reading, and she blogs daily, a good thing. I used to blog daily and hope to again someday ...
      Joel has been blogging almost daily at Words, Weights, Whatever. It's good to see that he takes seriously his responsibility to keep me entertained.
      Kitty is enduring her confinement like the true Southern Belle she is. Well, that makes it sound like she's pregnant or in prison. Neither is true; she broke her leg and is having to endure that, armed only with grit, humor and red-hot access to shopping channels. Drop in and send her a get-well wish.
      Jean isn't Ranting and Raving right now. She's on hiatus until around May 25. I would complain, but she's in the military and has a higher calling than keeping me from being bored ... although not that much higher. Come back, Jean, come back. And bring your polar bear, who is a nice bear entirely different from the previous bear mentioned.
      On a healthy note, Jaime at They Melt Away continues to inspire me with her commitment to lose weight and get healthy. Her impetus for weight loss has to be one of the most interesting ones I've read: She wants to lose weight because she wants to have a baby. In her own words: " Of course, occasionally I wonder why I'm losing weight so that I can do something that will make me gain weight again..."
      And Three&Eight of My Race Space is right: They did do Gunther wrong. He deserved one kiss with Rachel. Actually, I think we all deserve a kiss from Rachel. Particularly me.
      Finally, night-rider, my favorite blogger from Down Under (Do they call us Up Over?) has started posting again after too long an absence. NR needs to blog daily and post some more great photos, too. Someday I'm going to make it to Australia and get the Sweet Sweat tour of all those fascinating places.
      Well, that's the blogging roundup ... but wait, there's more! Thought I was finished didn't you? No, not yet, now it's time for a ...
      Harbor Street Health Moment: Have you heard the latest about olive oil? As reported by WebMD, a study by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine researchers show that a fatty acid found in olive oil may reduce the production of a protein from a gene associated with breast cancer. The study found that oleic acid significantly lessons the levels of a protein produced by a breast cancer gene, which occurs in more than a fifth of women with breast cancer, and is connected with tumors of a particularly aggressive nature. Olive oil is the richest natural source of this fatty acid. The study may explain why the Mediterranean diet, which is loaded with olive oil, appears to protect against breast cancer. A different study, this one by research team from Barcelona and reported in the medical Journal Gut (No, I'm not making up its name), showed that olive oil may prevent the development of bowel cancer. And finally, a few months ago the U.S. Food and Drug Administration credited olive oil with decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease. Sounds like adding olive oil to your diet is a good thing. At least until the next studies come out saying it isn't.