From this great podcast from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which I watched live, I learned more about OncoMap, a test that generates a detailed profile of tumor mutations that can be used to better diagnose disease and determine treatment options.
Dr. Garraway describes it all in very accessible terms, here!
I learned how to make jam!
Caren taught me how to make blueberry and strawberry jam! I learned how to mash and cook the fruit, how to sterilize and fill the jars, how to heat them in boiling water, and how to listen for the “pop” that seals them.
I won’t be telling my mom about this adventure, because this would push her over the top with her relationship with Poison Control, but I’m confident that we did it all right!
Thanks, Caren!
I have learned that it’s possible to wear something that is a nice work outfit, and even downright pretty, without being at all flattering.
Oh well.
You would think I would know this by now, but sadly not yet. I learned that even if my car gets 39 miles to the gallon, I still need to put those gallons in, and to do it way before I head into the Big City to meet a bus on a busy weekend evening.
After an adrenaline-filled workday, I was calmly on time to drive into Boston when the gas light came on.
Here’s another lesson: Never try to use the GPS (which wanted to tell me that newsstands in downtown Boston sold fuel – like what? lighter fluid?) and Yelp on the iPhone while driving alone! As I watched the “range”/miles remaining indicator head for single digits, I took a wrong turn onto the Mass Pike and had to drive in the wrong direction before doing that Boston-U-turn exit to come back and find the gas in Charlestown. All with a deadline. And traffic.
Very very stressful.
My very wise sister pointed out that the bigger lesson was to learn to skip the adrenaline even while doing the rest of the adventure. And if I’m going to that, I might as well skip the daytime dose as well.
Linda sent this to me in an email chain and it’s filled with lessons/gems!
I am so far behind in blogging my lessons learned that I am tempted to post each of these individually… but will resist.
I looked for the source and I’m getting many conflicting ones, with some modifications. If you know it, let me know!
Which of these are your favorites??? Post a reply!
Jane
2011 Handbook
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2010 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree…
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Sally learned that backpack straps can rub off enough sunscreen to let the rays burn you badly, on a wicked sunny day!
Last night I learned something from another customer who jumped in to help us convince the High Tide Restaurant to make us food when they wanted to call the food window closed and move to ice-cream-only mode.
She said that when she comes on a summer night and the line is long, she pulls out her cell phone and calls in an order! Fair? Maybe not, but funny anyway. And potentially useful.
And YES they did eventually agree to make us lobsters and fries. And YES I did have to invoke Birthday Privilege in convincing them. And YES I realize that our children would have been mortified it they had been there. And it was delicious.
Here is the place. We once witnessed the “steps falling down” under full commerce it became part of family lore.
OK, previously, I figured out how not to burn my house down while making tea. Now I’ve moved on to the potentially more dangerous espresso machine. This is a great design, but it lacks an automatic shut-off switch, so it just keeps building up pressure. Whoops.
I’ve learned to set a kitchen timer for ten minutes, when I start making my espresso. It’s such a quick process that you might think that if I can remember to set a time, I could remember to turn the darn machine off a few minutes later. But you would be so very dangerously wrong. Each time the timer has gone off, I’ve said “Oh! Right!” and been surprised all over again. And then I turn the espresso maker off.
From Cousin Kate:
“Note to self: spray toaster oven pan with non-stick spray before making frozen french fries. 😦 ”
The good news is that she learned this lesson all in one meal and the next batch of her fancy-pants sweet potato fries came out great!
I’ve learned that the florescent light over my desk is hot enough to melt the chocolate stashed in the compartment above it.
Darkness now reigns on my desktop.
Jane's Lessons Learned 