Support for LateToSchool

Kelowna · March 6, 2008, 4:46pm

LTS - another lurker here that thinks of you daily.
YOU CAN DO IT!

latetoschool · March 6, 2008, 6:45pm

Thanks to everyone for all of your kind posts, I sincerely appreciate them very much. Had my first day of the new chemo today; have been tied up for eight hours. Thank heavens for my blackberry and modern technology that allows me to work from just about anywhere.

Northstarmom, one of my issues with whole brain radiation is that I am reasonably certain that once you’ve had it, you’re done; you cannot have any more radiation to the brain. Small cell comes back over and over and over; pretty much the options are gone if you have whole brain radiation and then have more mets show up. I think some of it depends on where the mets are, and how large, but, it’s not a gamble I want to take…it seems like that step would foreclose my options…

I had two more doctors come to see me today while I was receiving chemotherapy. I actually had to interrupt a conference call to talk to them. They kept remarking how amazed they were that I look so good and that my stats are so healthy, considering the cancer I’m fighting. They said I was not at all what they were expecting. It’s really weird, how one can be so “healthy” and yet so sick all at the same time.

For whatever it’s worth, my advice to anyone fighting this sort of battle might be something like (1) trust your instincts, and take action - even drastic action - when necessary; (2) ignore what is said, instead, read every report, and investigate both the science and the writer behind it; (3) get negative, parasitic people out of your life asap, and surround yourself with supportive, loyal people; (4) try not to become overwhelmed with fear. Listen to fear because it’s your friend and an important warning signal, but, do not let it consume you…

SouthJerseyChessMom · March 6, 2008, 6:51pm

Thank you LTS, you are amazing …

ivoryk · March 6, 2008, 7:01pm

and perhaps 5) join a crazy internet support group! (No college content required!) We’re pulling for you…

epistrophy · March 6, 2008, 9:03pm

"‘Sharing Miracles’ Television Program to Feature Mountain Climber and Cancer Survivor Sean Swarner"

This month, Sharing Miracles – a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients – will feature Sean Swarner, a two-time cancer survivor who has climbed the highest peaks on each of the seven continents.

Swarner was first diagnosed with the fourth – and final – stage of Hodgkin’s disease at age 13. Despite being given merely days to live, he survived, only to be diagnosed several years later with the rare and deadly Askin’s sarcoma. Against all odds, he defeated the Askin’s tumor, and is believed to be the only person to have been diagnosed with both of these cancers.

Following his second conquest over cancer, Swarner challenged himself to take up mountain climbing in the name of cancer patients worldwide. Since then, despite having use of only one lung, he has climbed the highest peaks on the planet, from Mt. Everest in 2002 to Mt. McKinley just last year. He has become an advocate for cancer patients and survivors, carrying a flag atop each summit that reads, “Dedicated to all those affected by cancer in this small world!! Keep climbing!!”

In this month’s Sharing Miracles show, Swarner speaks of the importance of hope, whether the struggle is against cancer or against a harsh mountain terrain: “The human body can live for 30 days without food, the human condition can sustain itself for 3 days without water, but no human can live for 30 seconds without hope.”

[‘Sharing</a> Miracles’ Television Program to Feature Mountain Climber and Cancer Survivor Sean Swarner](<a href=“All News Releases and Press Releases from PR Newswire”>All News Releases and Press Releases from PR Newswire)

[Sharing</a> Miracles](<a href=“http://www.sharingmiracles.com%5DSharing”>http://www.sharingmiracles.com)

LIMOMOF2 · March 6, 2008, 10:14pm

latetoschool, I love your attitude. Keep on fighting - it sounds like it’s working for you. I really admire that you have been able to take charge the way you have - the strength you possess. I am truly in awe!

I will keep you in my prayers. Stay strong.

epistrophy · March 7, 2008, 5:12am

Jacque Painter Training for a marathon

I was diagnosed with Stage III A non-small cell lung cancer in April 2004. I had my last treatment on Nov. 1, 2004. I am back to work full-time and doing more than I did prior to my diagnosis. I am currently working on improving my overall health and rebuilding my endurance and lung capacity. My goal is to walk the California International Marathon.

This has been a strange journey for me. The fear and uncertainty that come from receiving a diagnosis of cancer are indescribable. However, from the first time I found out I had cancer, a whole new world opened.

I realized an all-new relationship with my family. We have always been close and I knew they loved me, but I was in for a shock when they exposed the extent of their commitment to me. They were my rocks during all of the initial tests, through the treatments, and as I got back on my feet. We discovered each other in new ways. They kept me grounded and focused during those times when I just wanted to crawl off and cower and cry.

I found out friends and co-workers can and will do more for you than you ever think possible. I have a mirror filled with note cards, e-mails and letters with words of love and encouragement. I still read and use them to make each day count.

A very wonderful revelation was the army of doctors, nurses, technicians, radiologists, pharmacists, clerks and others who help you. I met the most caring, concerned, intelligent, interesting people. I still wonder at the number of people it actually took to fight my disease, from the chemists developing the new drugs, to the scientists working on cell mutations, to the developers of new X-ray equipment - and it just goes on.

I once heard life described as tinted with color prior and Technicolor after a life-altering event. For me this is true. I have found friends and comrades in arms in my support group. I have experienced a new enjoyment of life, and, like a lot of people who have a life-threatening illness, a renewed focus on what is important. I no longer put things off. I am no longer afraid to try new things. I take the trips, visit the gardens and call that friend. I am doing volunteer work, which I always wanted to do, but just couldn’t seem to find the time for.

So for all the vicious and terrifying things cancer brings, for me it also brought some very wonderful changes in my life and for that I am very thankful.

[UC</a> Davis Cancer Center: Survivor Stories - Jacque Painter](<a href=“http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/Survivors/jacque.html]UC”>http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/Survivors/jacque.html)

Mimi Arfin Standing up to stigma

Did you smoke? It’s the first question everyone asks when they learn I have lung cancer. I think non-smokers ask because they hope I’ll say yes, so they can feel safe. But none of us is safe.

I was about to celebrate my 30th anniversary of being treated for and cured of Hodgkin’s in April 2005, when I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I was shocked. I’ve never smoked. I eat well. I work out. I’m 49 years old, an attorney, and the mother of two young daughters.

After that initial shock, my husband Bob and I went to work researching our options. We are fortunate enough to live close to two leading research institutions, Stanford and UC Davis, which both have very active research programs for my type of lung cancer. I chose to enroll in a clinical trial at UC Davis of a new molecularly targeted agent, Erbitux, in combination with standard chemotherapy. Bob and I drive from the Bay Area to Sacramento every few weeks for treatments. My last PET/CT scan, in January, showed my cancer is in partial remission. There are no new tumors and those that showed up on the scan were stable or receding. Our hope is to stay close to the cutting edge of research so that we can continue to take advantage of new treatments like Erbitux as they are developed.

These advances might occur more rapidly without the stigma attached to lung cancer. Because people regard lung cancer as a disease of smokers, and because smoking is a modifiable behavior, it engenders less sympathy than breast or prostate cancer. The stigma is unfair to lung cancer patients like me who have never smoked, but it’s also unfair to patients who were smokers. Modifiable behaviors can contribute to heart attacks, but people who have heart attacks aren’t blamed for their heart disease. Perhaps if more people realized nonsmokers also get this illness, there would be more support for research to find a cure.

Roughly 10 months into this process, I am ahead of where I started. Each day, Bob and I try to balance realism and optimism. It helps that I feel very well. I enjoy volunteering in my daughters’ classrooms, taking family bike rides and seeing friends for coffee, lunch and walks. We feel fortunate to have found a lung cancer support group, Legacy, in Sacramento. My situation can change quickly, but I’m in a good place right now.

No, I’ve never smoked, I tell the people who ask. But you don’t have to smoke to get lung cancer.

[UC</a> Davis Cancer Center: Survivor Stories - Mimi Arfin](<a href=“http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/Survivors/arfin.html]UC”>http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/Survivors/arfin.html)

Angie Lee-Ow Living each day with hope

Nothing could have prepared me for the diagnosis of lung cancer last May. Working for almost 30 years as a pharmacist, most of them at UC Davis Medical Center, did not prepare me. Actively participating for 15 years in clinical trials and research protocol approvals did not prepare me. Everything I knew about diseases and pharmacology went out the window when the tables turned and I became the patient instead of being the health professional.

After the cytology on the fluid drawn out of my right chest came back definitive for non-small cell lung cancer, my husband and I were thrown into the whirlwind of multiple lab tests, chest x-rays, scans and appointments. The shock of my diagnosis was baffling to me and my family because I had never smoked and although my father was a heavy smoker, I had not been exposed to secondhand smoke for more than 35 years. The questions of how, why and what causes lung cancer in an otherwise healthy, nonsmoker go unanswered.

For two weeks following my diagnosis, I couldn’t find anyone to talk with who was a lung cancer survivor, who could help me sort through my shock and fear of what was in store for me. But God sent an angel in the form of Carol Sill, a six-month Stage IV lung cancer survivor, who was willing to call me, comfort me and help me make a decision about participating in a clinical trial at UC Davis. Carol was about to launch a lung cancer support group. I’ll always be grateful to her for making that call. Today, I have had a good response to chemotherapy and cetuximab, a non-FDA approved therapy for lung cancer, and continue to participate in the study.

Legacy, our UC Davis-based lung cancer support group, has encouraged me and given me hope and a sense of caring that only other survivors can offer. At our twice-monthly meetings, I have learned that twice as many women die from lung cancer than from breast cancer. I have become aware of the discrepancy in research funding allotted to lung cancer because of the smoking stigma associated with the disease. Less than $2,000 per lung cancer death is spent on lung cancer research versus $18,000 per breast cancer death.

Through Legacy, we want to be available to talk to any newly diagnosed lung cancer patient who needs that special call of reassurance and hope. We want to be the forum for the many survivors needing understanding and support as they battle this deadly disease.

I am determined to help Legacy join forces with organizations wanting to change the face of lung cancer (the five-year survival has barely budged in 30 years). Dr. David Gandara and his outstanding medical staff (including my oncologist, Dr. Angela Davies) have such a mission: to help find a cure or make the disease one we can live with for a very long time. I thank them and the dedicated, attentive clinical trials nurses and research associates for their labor of love to fight in the trenches with us daily.

With the love and support of my husband, the encouragement and care I’ve received at UC Davis Cancer Center, the friends we have made in Legacy, the love of a close family, friends and most importantly to us, the many prayers on my behalf, I am prepared to be stronger than cancer, to fight a good fight and live each day with hope, joy and thanksgiving.

[UC</a> Davis Cancer Center: Survivor Stories - Angie Lee-Ow](<a href=“http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/Survivors/lee-ow.html]UC”>http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/Survivors/lee-ow.html)

Maxine Enjoying travel, grandchildren

My name is Maxine. I am a four-year lung cancer survivor. My doctor once told me I was a member of a very select group - lung cancer survivors. Most of us don’t live very long past our diagnosis, especially those of us who have some of the more serious lung cancers. Mine was non-small cell bronchioalveolar carcinoma, one of the nastier ones, with a very high recurrence rate.

<hr>

My sons were my care providers during and after surgery. If I haven’t thanked them before for their tender, loving care, I am doing it now. Many of my dearest friends from as far south as Glendale called me or sent me gifts and cards. I healed. I resumed exercising.

And now I am a retired environmental scientist and busier-than-ever world traveler, college student, mother of five, grandmother of seven, avid theater-goer and art lover, and most importantly, a lung cancer survivor.

[UC</a> Davis Cancer Center: Survivor Stories - Maxine](<a href=“http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/Survivors/maxine.html]UC”>http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/Survivors/maxine.html)

latetoschool · March 7, 2008, 8:52am

Epistrophy, thank you so much for those links, it helps more than you can imagine.

curiousmother · March 7, 2008, 10:16am

Latetoschool,

This cannot be said too many times: YOU ARE AMAZING!!! Keep up the fight…We are all pulling for you!

lorelei2702 · March 7, 2008, 10:31am

LTS: we are grateful that you have found the time and energy to let us know what is happening, because we all are worrying and hoping for you. How is your daughter doing? I hope she is finding support and strength where you are. Lorelei

yorkyfan · March 7, 2008, 6:11pm

LTS, cherry blossoms are coming! Keep up the fight!

sueinphilly · March 7, 2008, 6:46pm

LTS, my eyes well up with tears every time I visit this thread.

you are more inspirational than you can imagine.

Chemo, conference calls and the blackberry.

I have to remind myself that no matter how bad my day is, it’s nothing compared to yours.

If ever a person was deserving of divine intervention and a miracle it is you.

epistrophy · March 7, 2008, 8:12pm

a cancer “survivor” in Colorado:

“GJ cancer survivor runs marathon, inspires many”

Dave Massey is glad he had cancer.

After his diagnosis the second time he found out he had cancer he started eating healthier. He became active. He quit working 60 hours a week. He started writing poetry.

I learned to make my life better the hard way, said Massey, 50. I would go through it again to live the way I live now.

On Feb. 24, Massey finished his first marathon, the Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans, La., in 4 hours, 59 minutes and 15 seconds with one lung, no feeling on the bottom of his feet and on legs one doctor believed needed amputated.

Massey wants to inspire people fighting cancer and those who know someone with cancer, he said.

He started a nonprofit called A Good Day Inc., based in Grand Junction. He wrote two books, the first is titled, A Good Day Anyway: My Poetic Journal of Cancer Survival. It is a collection of poems Massey wrote to his daughter, then 11, about his struggles against cancer for a second time.

Massey was diagnosed with cancer at 29 after a mixed germ cell tumor formed in his hip. He was diagnosed again 11 years later when a mixed germ cell tumor got tangled up near his left lung.

I cant even tell you the names of what I had, you know, the big long names, Massey said.

He received 19 courses of chemotherapy and 14 radiation treatments, forcing him to relearn how to walk and write. He still has no surface feeling on the palms of his hands or the bottoms of his feet. He relies heavily on his sight and lots of practice.

<hr>

Obviously my legs were tired, but otherwise I felt terrific, Massey said. How many 50-year-old people can run a marathon? People ask me, Are you tired? Are you worn out? I cant wait to run again.

Massey and his wife Karen have a permanent residence in Grand Junction, but she is a traveling occupational therapist, so the couple travel often.

Karen Massey is a distance runner, and Dave Massey often tagged along on her training runs.

Her drive inspired her husband to run a marathon.

After trying out 20 or 30 pairs of shoes to find the perfect pair that wouldnt give Dave Massey sores, he trained for six months for the marathon.

He spoke to the Relay for Life organizers in the New Orleans area while in the city for the marathon. He received a standing ovation from the group.

I am glad I had cancer because of how wonderful my life is now, Massey said. Make every day a good day. That sounds pretty simple. To me a good day is when you are healthy and happy. If you keep yourself healthy and happy and keep that a priority, everything else works itself out.

[GJ</a> cancer survivor runs marathon, inspires many](<a href=“http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/features/stories/2008/03/04/030408_14A_HF_massey.html]GJ”>http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/features/stories/2008/03/04/030408_14A_HF_massey.html)

one in Ohio:

“Lucas celebrates each day
Cancer survivor shares message with lecture at Smart Talk series”

Geralyn Lucas is pumped about coming back to Cincinnati.

Even though morning sickness left her queasy for much of her last visit here a few years ago, when she talked to breast cancer survivors, she has fond memories of the Queen City.

“It was borderline hilarious. I had to bring a bag to the luncheon, just in case,” she said. “But everyone took really good care of me in Cincinnati. You’re so organized about helping your survivors and helping women without insurance.”

<hr>

Diagnosed with breast cancer at 27, she wrote her 2004 best-selling memoir, “Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy” (St. Martin’s Press, $12.95), to focus on keeping a positive attitude and finding the beauty in everything - even a bald woman who just lost a breast to cancer. The book was made into an Emmy-nominated TV movie in 2007 starring Sarah Chalke, and was just translated into Japanese.

Now 40, the New York resident spoke about motherhood after cancer and the strength she gains from other survivors.

Question: You have two kids, now (Skye, 8, and Hayden, 20 months). Were you worried at all that motherhood was off the table after cancer?

Answer: Definitely. Most of my doctors told me I never would (have kids), because I would go into early menopause after the chemo. Frankly, I don’t think anybody thought I was going to live to have kids. There’s a group now called Fertile Hopes that I work with that focuses on helping women with cancer preserve their fertility.

<hr>

Q: You seem to gain a lot from other people who’ve been touched by cancer.

A: I talked to a group of oncology doctors’ assistants a while ago, and that was amazing. Each had a story about why they did what they did. Most of it was, “I watched my mother die of cancer. I watched my father die. I saw my friend die.” They want to make a difference for people. It’s kind of incredible to see people turn a hellish experience into something positive.

<hr>

Q: You just turned 40. How did that feel?

A: All my friends are stressed about turning 40, and all I can say is I’m so happy to grow old. I can’t wait to get wrinkles.

[The</a> Enquirer - Lucas celebrates each day](<a href=“http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080307/LIFE/803070328/1035]The”>http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080307/LIFE/803070328/1035)

and a Hall of Famer who speaks out about lung cancer:

“Baseball’s Ironman Remains Honorary Spokesperson for Lung Cancer Alliance”

Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) proudly announced the continuation of its Face in the Fight campaign featuring Hall of Fame Orioles’ Shortstop, Cal Ripken, Jr. Ripken continues to headline a nationwide awareness campaign focused on educating the public about lung cancer.

Ripken, known as the Ironman because of his consecutive games streak, lost his father to the disease just weeks before Opening Day in 1999. Ripken joined LCA as a spokesperson in 2007 and renewed his commitment to bring much needed attention to the disease for 2008.

“I am proud to work with Lung Cancer Alliance to help reverse the stigma surrounding the disease,” said Ripken. “For too long, lung cancer has been ignored and those diagnosed have been blamed. Lung cancer survivors deserve to be treated with compassion and support regardless of their smoking history.”

Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer, killing more Americans each year than breast, prostate and colon cancers–combined. It will take the lives of twice as many women as breast cancer and three times as many men as prostate cancer. Over 60 percent of those diagnosed with lung cancer either quit smoking decades ago or never smoked at all.

“By speaking out about lung cancer, Cal Ripken, Jr. will help bring about the compassion and support so needed for this community,” said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, LCA President & CEO. “We graciously thank him for his leadership and commitment to this cause.”

The Face in the Fight campaign includes print, broadcast, and radio Public Service Announcements. For more information and to download the PSAs for distribution please visit [Lung</a> Cancer Alliance](<a href=“http://www.lungcanceralliance.org%5DLung”>http://www.lungcanceralliance.org).

Lung Cancer Alliance ([Lung</a> Cancer Alliance](<a href=“http://www.lungcanceralliance.org%5DLung”>http://www.lungcanceralliance.org)) is the only national non-profit organization dedicated solely to patient support and advocacy for those living with or at risk for lung cancer. LCA is committed to leading the movement to reverse decades of stigma and neglect by empowering those with or at risk for the disease, elevating awareness and changing health policy.

[Hall</a> of Fame Shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. Renews Commitment to Lung Cancer](<a href=“http://www.foxbusiness.com/article/hall-fame-shortstop-cal-ripken-jr-renews-commitment-lung-cancer_495831_1.html]Hall”>http://www.foxbusiness.com/article/hall-fame-shortstop-cal-ripken-jr-renews-commitment-lung-cancer_495831_1.html)

mountains · March 7, 2008, 8:44pm

LateToSchool,

My prayers are with you for your complete recovery. My best friend has survived three cancers, and the lastet one was lung cancer 2 years ago. Being a survivor of two previous cancers, she has the CEA (tumor marker) blood work done every three months, and that is how her doctor caught her lung cancer so early. She is 100% cancer free today. Her attitude, like yours, is simply admirable and amazing. There is absolutely no room for negativity in her life and her sense of gratitude is overwhelming. Thank you, LTS, for sharing your courage and allowing us a glimpse into your wonderful soul.

momof2inca · March 8, 2008, 12:21am

Thinking of you, LTS, and praying for your peace of mind and complete healing. You are incredible and so very inspiring.

epistrophy · March 8, 2008, 7:32am

“Intrepid [lung] cancer survivor, 75, skis to top of the world
May be 1st black woman to make it to North Pole”

The bone-numbing trek to the North Pole is rife with perils that would make a seasoned explorer quake: Frostbite threatens, polar bears loom, and the ice is constantly shifting beneath frozen feet.

But Barbara Hillary took it all in stride, completing the trip last month at the age of 75. She is one of the oldest people to reach the North Pole, and is believed to be the first black woman on record to accomplish the feat.

Hillary, of Averne, N.Y., grew up in Harlem and devoted herself to a nursing career and community activism. At 67 and during retirement, she battled lung cancer. Five years later, she went dog sledding in Quebec and photographed polar bears in Manitoba.

Then she heard that a black woman had never made it to the North Pole.

"I said, ‘What’s wrong with this picture?’ " she said. “So I sort of rolled into this, shall we say.”

Hillary made the trip through Eagles Cry Adventures Inc., a Georgia-based travel company that leads thrill-seekers like Hillary to the farthest corners of the globe.

Paying customers can be taken to the North Pole in various ways, including cross-country ski trips from four to 18 days, polar skydiving jumps, or simply being dropped off at the Pole via helicopter. The trip costs about $21,000 per person.

Hillary insisted on skiing, even though she had never been on the slopes before. “It wasn’t a popular sport in Harlem,” she quipped.

So she enrolled in cross-country skiing lessons and hired a personal trainer, who finally determined that she was physically fit for the expedition.

“She’s a headstrong woman. You don’t tell her ‘no’ about too many things,” said Robert Russell, founder of Eagles Cry Adventures.

Her lack of funds didn’t stop her, either. Hillary scraped together thousands of dollars and solicited private donors.

On April 18, she arrived in Longyearben, Norway, where it is common for people to carry guns to ward off hungry polar bears.

“Before I arrived, the word was out that soul food was coming,” she joked.

The travelers were then flown to the base camp – which is rebuilt each year due to melting ice – and pitched their tents.

On April 23 Hillary set off on skis with two trained guides. Russell, fearing for her health, had persuaded her to take the daylong ski route to the Pole in lieu of the longer trips.

As the sunlight glinted off the ice, distorting her gaze, Hillary struggled beneath a load of gear and pressed on. In her euphoria at reaching the Pole, she forgot the cold and removed her gloves, causing her fingers to become frostbitten.

Standing at the top of the world, she couldn’t have cared less. The enormous expanse of ice and sky left Hillary, for once in her long life, speechless.

[Intrepid</a> cancer survivor, 75, skis to top of the world - The Boston Globe](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/05/07/intrepid_cancer_survivor_75_skis_to_top_of_the_world/]Intrepid”>http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/05/07/intrepid_cancer_survivor_75_skis_to_top_of_the_world/)

latetoschool · March 8, 2008, 9:38am

Yorkyfan, thank you so much for your post, it made me smile. I have been dreaming of the cherry blossoms and I cannot wait to see them again!

Thanks again to Epistrophy and everyone else for the posts and most importantly the stories of hope, and survivorship. These things help me more than you can possibly imagine. Never have I felt so sick, or imagined that I could possibly be so sick. It is sometimes hard to imagine that I could possibly get better, or even feel good again. Stories of survivorship help a lot…

northeastmom · March 8, 2008, 9:44am

I am so sorry to hear that you are feeling so ill. Keep trying to think about those good relaxing, peaceful, thoughts. I love thinking about cherry blossoms. They are so gorgeous.

epistrophy · March 8, 2008, 10:29am

In the 1960’s and early 70’s, Lee Friedlander’s black-and-white photographs sketched a complex urban world of disarray and alienation. In the last decade, however, the 52-year-old photographer’s work has evolved toward a more serene, contemplative stance.

Instead of social complexity, he now offers us formal delicacy and a rich sense of the natural world’s resiliency.

The 25 recent images on view at the Lawrence Miller Gallery (138 Spring Street, through Dec. 13) show Friedlander at his most lyrical. Taken in Japan during cherry blossom time, they are meditative landscapes full of visual delights. Tree limbs trace elaborate patterns in the sky, while cherry blossoms seem to bob and weave across the surface of the prints like sailboats on water. To Friedlander’s eyes, nature is no less complex a visual arena than Times Square, but it offers considerably more solace to the spirit. This is true even though the nature depicted here is not entirely natural, bearing as it does the traces of human care and management. Nevertheless, harmony prevails.

The prints have a luscious surface and voluptuous range of tones that recalls turn-of-the-century pictorialism - and for good reason. They are hand-pulled gravures, printed with great skill by Thomas Palmer. (Together they comprise a limited-edition book, called ‘‘Cherry Blossom Time in Japan,’’ a copy of which is also on view in the exhibition.) The combination of craftsmanship and a nearly Zen-like vision suggests that these pictures are about not only the Japanese landscape, but also the Japanese spirit.

[CRITICS</a>’ CHOICES; Photography - New York Times](<a href=“http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE2DE143AF935A25752C1A960948260]CRITICS”>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE2DE143AF935A25752C1A960948260)

[Amazon.com:</a> Lee Friedlander: Cherry Blossom Time in Japan: Lee Friedlander: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Friedlander-Cherry-Blossom-Japan/dp/1881337200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204989644&sr=1-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Friedlander-Cherry-Blossom-Japan/dp/1881337200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204989644&sr=1-1)

Kelowna · March 8, 2008, 11:26am

Cherry blossoms - it should happen soon:-)
Is your D with you LTS?

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