Four or five months ago, when I was bald and proud and a fixture at my local Starbucks, a young woman came up to me while I was waiting for my drink and said "You make me wish I still had cancer" while smiling broadly.

Had I not been bald and proud and in the belly of the beast of my cancer treatment I would have not known what she meant or why she felt entitled to address me so brazenly.

We had a nice little chat and for me it was very pleasant to talk to a breast cancer survivor who had long, pretty hair and did not seem deeply, permanently, tragically, scarred by her experience. Then I found out that she is a hair stylist at California Ave's nicest salon and well, people who have known me a long time know that I am now getting free haircuts.

Meanwhile, I am now a blonde and as it happens, having more fun! Hence not writing inspirational emails about how cancer has made me a better person. As a matter of fact I think I may be slipping back into pre-cancer "what me worry" snarkiness. Could be the blonde hair, could be better health. In any event, I feel good and am happy to have the year of "Cancer 24/7" behind me.

It has now been MORE than a year since this saga began. I remember all the events of last year so vividly, even thought I have been through so much since the beginning. One irony is that "diagnosis week" was the worst of it. Between the time when I found the lump and it was pronounced to be cancer (six days) was the hardest. I would go to sleep crying and I would wake up crying. How is it that I even slept?

Soon I will be back to work. I am not going to publish an exact date as I am still working that out with my doctor and my boss. But the next post from me should be about my return to the workplace.

It's a good thing that I didn't "quit my day job" as the dahlia society has not cashed my check. Flora thinks that this serves me right for not letting her dig in my plants. My assessment is that I need to save my energy for my real job and my real life so I will not be crashing one of the dahlia society meetings and demanding an explanation. Still, I can't help but feel the sting of rejection. I am no Luther Burbank but my garden really did improve this summer and my dahlias (in their heyday) were spectacular.

Okay. That's it for now. November: Enjoy it!