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Last night's dinner at Mom's was excellent - a shrimp/mussel/clam boil with cajun sausage, red potatoes, onions, corn, hot peppers and other goodies with grilled bread. She also had a tray of tender marinated artichoke hearts, earthy yellow beets, snappy carrots and crisp asparagus. Her spicy fried okra appetizer was phenomenal, as was a fresh strawberry, custard and creme dessert with a shortbread cookie. The wine selection was on the upper end for us ... it was Anne's birthday so we uncorked the good stuff. Anne's good friend, Kristin, who Dori and I really like, joined us. I hope the photos do the meal justice.

So obviously, I'm glad I ran eight miles yesterday. I planned an 11-miler, a double out-and-back on beautiful Belle Meade Blvd. The boulevard was packed with runners getting in their final long run before the Country Music races in two weeks. The cool, sunny day was perfect for training. I felt fine the first 5.5 miles, running in 49:17 or an 8:57 pace. However, I wasn't into it completely. The indecision about running April 26 continues; my mind seems to be telling my body to chill out for a little while. So I stopped at the halfway mark, rested and drank Gatorade, then did two miles of sprints since it was so cool. The first was a hard .75 miles at 5:15, a 7:00/mile pace. I also ran a half miler and several quarter mile sprints to build a better threshold.

Both Dori and Anne have friends coming in to run the half marathon. It would be fun to run with one of them or someone else I know. Race organizers have suggested an entry deadline of April 18. Today, I'm a no for April 26. Maybe, I'll change my mind by mid-week.

Dori is clearly in a transition period. Her energy level is generally higher. She's off most of the meds. She's resuming prior duties. The memory of long hospital stays and physical pain, however, aren't far from her mind. Coping with the threat of relapse is always with her and us. You don't go through the hell she endured without accumulating mental scar tissue. We talked about all of that this morning, and she had a good cry about it.

Like all of you, I think Dori looks absolutely beautiful. Does she look exactly like she did 12 months ago? No, of course not. How could anyone? But I've seen her progress physically by leaps and bounds. That will continue, Lord willing. But frankly I could care less if she's ready to enter a beauty pageant in a few months. Her beauty - anyone's beauty - is from within. I married a beautiful girl in 1994, and I'm married to an even prettier girl today.

I've encouraged Dori to take stock of everything she has today. I'm not in her skin, but I am aware she's in an adjusting and coping phase as she emerges from the cloud of medications, physical pain and dizzying analysis from doctors and nurses. She still has side effects like tight shoulders, occasional itching, foot swelling and fatigue. Some days, she has to do a whole lot more than you or me to get through her day. Some days are easier. The approach is the most important part, and that requires a renewed effort to be patient, calm, reassuring and stronger than ever. The positives clearly outweigh the negatives. Press forward, not back. That's my prayer for today.

Speaking of prayers, Dan, my Mom's husband, is having hip replacement surgery this week. Please say one for a successful surgery and recovery. He's a big part of our family, so helpful to all of us and someone our kids (and Pepper) just love. Good luck this week, GranDan!