Life in Cayuga

 I went to the dermatologist today.  Because I’ve had previous skin cancers, I have to go every 6 months to get a full body skin check.  Today they found another suspicious spot on my face and took a biopsy.  I’ll get the results next week.  Even though it’s a tiny spot, easily treatable, and easy outpatient surgery if it’s positive, it’s still pretty gut-wrenching to get the call saying you have cancer.  I’ve gotten 3 of those calls and I hope I don’t get number 4.  I’ve had 3 skin cancer surgeries, all on my face. The last one was less than a month ago. If this comes back positive, it’ll be number 4.  I asked why they all seem to be on my face and she said that it gets the most sun exposure of any part of your body. Since I grew up on a farm and worked outdoors as a farmer in my younger days, along with thousands of miles in trucks with my arm propped on the window, I’ve had more than my share of sun. The surgeries I’ve had were called Moh’s sur...

 Back in February, I told you about my friend Robert’s suicide.  Until now, his wife has been unable, mentally and emotionally, to have a memorial service. But she rallied and the service was today.  I was asked to give the eulogy.  A few years ago, Robert called me and asked if I would cover for him at the funeral of a friend.  He was to deliver the eulogy and had a last minute emergency and couldn’t do it so he asked me to read what he had written. I did. The theme of his eulogy was “A Perfect, Devoted Friend”.  I used a variation on that theme today. I told how we had been friends since we were 3 years old, how we started school together and went through 12th grade together. I told of some of our “adventures” as teenagers, (at least the ones I could talk about in church!)  and how we bonded even more after the deaths of our friends Reuben and Tim. How even though he was halfway around the world, he never forgot his old friend. I said I hope he knew ...