I had several moles removed a few weeks ago and one of them turned out to be melanoma. Stage 0 - 0 non metatastic in situ. The melanoma never left the boundaries of the mole it was sitting on. Its been removed, the site has been dramatically excised and I may never have another one. But my newly increased risk factor, along with that of my children and my siblings, weights heavily on my mind.

This news scares the ever living bejeezzes out of me. Did I say, last year on this very blog, that the sun is a healthy good thing? So it is. However, you won't catch me basking anywhere ever again. I've bought hats and long dresses, and I cut the collar out one of my husband's old work shirts. I am now, officially, one of those old women who is always covered. It took me a few weeks to come to terms with my new fashion, in a pouty way. I had a lot of time to sit and think about it while the incision on my leg has been healing. Today I went grocery shopping, covered head to toe. Guess what? No one cared. It was fine. I am an old lady who moves in the world covered up. So Be It.

If you have a strange mole: GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST. Get it checked. A general practitioner looked at my mole a year ago and said it was fine. He was wrong. The dermatologist knew at a glance.

Today I bought some plants: an aloe, basil, thyme, and hyssop. My son turned my herb bed and we weeded together. Later the kids set the plants for me. Gardening in a long dress, long sleeves, and a hat felt just fine. I am so lucky and so grateful and so frightened all at the same time. Thank goodness my children have been protected from the sun their whole lives. Take Care <3