tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12725467.post-31042411910101126292008-01-06T09:32:00.000-05:002008-01-06T10:39:33.691-05:00Last Friday, a few days before the new year, I received a phone call from the <a href="http://www.blood.ca/CentreApps/Internet/UW_V502_MainEngine.nsf/page/Home?OpenDocument&amp;CloseMenu">Canadian Blood Services</a>, asking me to come in and donate blood.<br /><br />For some reason, I was elated. It has been a while since I've given blood, even though it was always on my to do list this past year. My feelings probably had a lot to do with Patry Francis from <a href="http://simplywait.blogspot.com/">Simply Wait</a>, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Although this is not direct help to Patry (and in hopes she will never need such help), giving blood helps not only trauma and surgery patients but many cancer patients too.<br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_kUfnlz6m_YU/R4Dz5UFR-nI/AAAAAAAAADE/Uxee_Khcs14/s320/IMG_5806.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152386139680799346" border="0" />Unfortunately, due to being in a malaria-risk zone as I roamed through a certain Latin American / Caribbean country jungle, I was ineligible. I will have to wait until a year had passed since my swim under the falls. That would be in March.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Laura Benedict has come up with the idea of <a href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&amp;friendID=110312492&amp;blogID=343910523">blogging for Patry</a>. The date set is January 29, when her novel, The Liar's Diary, will be released in paperback. So far it seems that a large group of bloggers will be part of this as <a href="http://litpark.com/2008/01/03/weekly-wrap-making-a-difference-in-2008/">Litpark</a> lists them. Anyone can join.<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">Categories: <a href="http://del.icio.us/melly/personal" rel="tag">personal</a>, <a href="http://del.icio.us/melly/cancer" rel="tag">cancer</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/12725467-3104241191010112629?l=allkindsofwriting.blogspot.com'/></div>Mellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17461471128865537538noreply@blogger.com4