[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Hi All!

In response to your post Idelle -- I use Vitacost.com for almost all my supplements. Their prices are excellent and I find the quality to be very good!

Some things that I cannot get at Vitacost I get from VITAHEALTH HEALTH APOTHECARY. My Manhattan onc -- who is into supplements, meditation, guided imagery, sound therapy and more (I absolutely love him since the moment I read his book, Healing Essence on the closed toilet seat in my bathroom at 5 AM one very long night in '95) -- recommends this place, also in Manhattan.

Their prices are like Vitacost and my onc loves the quality of all their products. And he is fussy. Particular.

VITAHEALTH is -- 212 -- 628 -- 1110. They've been shipping to me in Florida since '98. Fast. No shipping costs or taxes.

Vitacost is no shipping over $50 (which I manage easily) and no taxes.

Did someone say something about babbling????? I like to think I am friendly, open... I talk to everyone. Strangers, people I am ordering stuff from on the phone. We strike up the most amazing conversations. I learn a lot. And they are delighted to have met me. I make them laugh. And that is joyful!

I have always -- btw -- kept a 5 x 7 piece of paper for each day. Todays has Friday, June 6th on it. In the right hand column I list all the calls I have to make. In the center column I list all the places I have to go (and note BR, which means BRING in appropriate places). That's cause getting to the dry cleaner without the clothes I want to drop off has happened. I try to learn from my mistakes. I don't want to get to a store to return something and find I don't have the item. Been there, done that, as they say. In the left column I list all the things I need to do in the house.

I put red lines next the most important things. Most urgent. I never do all the things. I move things to tomorrow's list.

My point -- I basically know what day it is. Though I have showed up at a restaurant to meet friends a week early, finding no reservation of course and no friends. Oh dear.

PLEASE LET ME DIGRESS FURTHER. SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS THAT BEG TO BE SHARED: Yes, my Mom had Alzheimer's and I am trying to keep my brain active and organized. I go to extremes, but then I am OCD. I have always been known for being super organized. Virgo...

Laughter has also helped me in the worst of situations and daily! Put that on your list of things to do!!!!!!!!!!

I agree that cancer hits "really good, smart, giving, good-hearted people" KS. Is that for Kansas?????

I have met so many people in chemo rooms in NY and Fla since '95 and they all fit the bill. There's Type A personality and there's big C personality, I noted many years ago. So many incredible people!

In the Nursing home, where my Mom lived for 9 yrs, after 3 yrs of me arranging a mini hospital for her at her apartment 24/7, they would announce each day -- TODAY IS FRIDAY, JUNE 6th. Not sure if they included the year. Of course, my Mom did not benefit from such announcements. She honestly didn't know her own name. And Heaven knows who she thought was President. But she had her moments.

One day, watching Phil Donahue at 4PM with her, I had chattered on and on in my monologue as she could not speak -- the first woman President of NHI (National Health Institute) was on and saying she had initiated drug trials on women which was unprecedented. She pointed out that women responded differently to drugs than men and it was important to research this! I repeated it all to my Mom who as usual starred blankly at the screen.

And my Mom said, haltingly -- IT'S ABOUT TIME! Wow! She totally got it. And she made my day.

Keep smiling and laughing Ladies! Oh, and sharing your thoughts. They're really important!

Andi