"The Lord keeps all His promises, and shows love to all His creation." (Psalms 145:13). One of my favorite verses. I have it in a Thomas Kincade painting hanging on my wall.

And for proof that it's true, you need look no further than this past week, when my oncologist, Dr. Wilkinson, pronounced me "cured" of breast cancer! Then we sort of smiled at each other, because he had told me months ago that no one can ever say he is "cured" of cancer. But Dr. W. found no discernable signs, so for all intents and purposes, I am cancer free! Hallelujah! But we didn't celebrate or cheer. No, Jenny and I just said a silent prayer of thanks, and remembered what we had been through the past 24 weeks since learning that I had the disease.

But that was just the highest of several high points last week. On Wednesday, a team from Channel 10 came out and recorded some of my thoughts about going through breast cancer and finally returning to work (next Monday!!). Then Gary Schendel and Bill Roland edited them together into a series of short "promotional spots" which will air on Channel 10 until then. That was quite an honor for me.

But it also proved fortuitous for one of our puppies. Bill fell in love with little Jerry (the chubby black and white one), and got him for his mom. So we know Jerry has a great home where he'll be spoiled rotten! And Ben's new owners, Sue and Ernie, picked him up on Sunday. So things are a lot quieter around here -- and less fun. Those little guys really helped Jenny and me get through the past two months -- their exuberance was contagious. To be honest, we're going through some "separation anxiety," but we know the wee ones will be well cared for.

But there's more. I had the privilege of meeting Rosie Gonzalez and her husband, Vic. For more than 14 years Rosie has run the fabulously successful "Rosie's Calico Cupboard" quilt store in East San Diego. And for the past six years she has organized and financed a program which donates 300 quilts a year to local children with cancer, and their siblings. I first learned of the tremendous program when Jenny and I visited Camp Reach for the Sky this summer. Every one of the 130 children there with cancer had his or her own quilt. Many had several -- one for each year they've survived.

Rosie began doing it to "give back" to the community, and she acknowledges she couldn't continue without the scores of volunteer quilters who work all year to assemble these heirloom-quality comforters. She also gives $25,000 a year to the Komen Foundation to sponsor the local Race for the Cure. Many of you are thinking, "She should get the Channel 10 Leadership Award." Well, we beat you to it -- many years ago. Now Rosie wants her volunteers to get it. I agree. You can find out more about Rosie and her cancer donations - which include free "chemo caps" for kids, and free tote bags with matching pillows for ladies with BC -- at her Web site, www.rosiescalicocupboard.com.

And there's one more cool thing I want to share. As I've said before, one of the things which helped me most to get through this summer's ordeal was this journal, and your response to it. There were many days when I wasn't well enough to go online, that Jenny would read me your e-mails to encourage me. And on the days when it was most difficult to write the entries, knowing you were waiting to read them gave me the strength I needed to do it. Channel 10 management (i.e. G.M. Derek Dalton and News Dir. Mike Stutz) allowed me the unfettered opportunity, and "Web mistresses" Jenn and Courtney made it possible. I can't thank them enough. And because of the way it helped me, there were many times I wished that there was something like this available for others facing health trials like mine. Then I found out, there is!

It's called CarePages.com. It's a free place where a patient or his family can "post news and updates about the patient, exchange messages of support, without intrusion, post visiting hours and contact information, and share photos with friends and family members."

I strongly urge anyone facing a lengthy illness to look into it. I'm going to find out more about it when I get back to work (next Monday!!).

For now, I'm going to take a few days to "decompress" and enjoy some of "God's creations -- which he loves so much." But I'll check in once more before I get back to work (next Monday!!)

-Bill