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Wednesday, June 21, 2000 — North Shore News - 15

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NORTH SHORE NEWS HOME, GARDEN AND LIFESTYLE

Accentuating

the positive

Hang on to beautiful thoughts

setsererenees I met an extraordinary
woman last year.

Her name is Toben
Anderson, and sae spoke at
a fundraiser for breast cancer
that I attended. Toben is a
breast cancer survivor, and
she told us the remarkable
story of how she managed to
get through the diagnosis
and treatment of the disease.

On ihe road to recovery, she climbed the highest moun-
tain in Antarctica to raise awareness and moncy for research.
And in the process of training for her climb, she met and
married a fellow mountaineer. Her story is awesome, and
when I heard her tell it, it changed my lite.

Toben has a very positive outlook on fife. She tells of
how, when she was going through chemotherapy, and she
was sick and frightened, she made sure that before she got
out of bed cach morning, she thought about one beautiful
thing about the day. She carried that beautiful rhought with
her through the day, and at night, when she climbed back
into bed, she revisited the thought. Toben figured that if she
did that, and then stacked one beautiful thought from cach
day on top of another, she would have a beautiful life.

Now I’ve never faced death myself, but Pve been through
a few major bummers in my life. And even we relatively
cheerful types get bogged down with the negative side of
things from time to time. Perhaps it was just a function of
good timing, but Toben Anderson touched a nerve with me.
If she could keep herself feeling good about life when she
was undergoing treatment for cancer, then surely her beauti-
ful thought routine could work for someone like me.

I resolved to try it inunediately.

The next day I woke up early. It was a pretty typical fall
morning, overcast and a little blowy. The leaves on the trees
were in the midst of turning yellow and orange, and it was
still warm cnough to be ourside with just a sweater. Part of
my morning routine involves taking my dogs for a walk
before I go to-work. As I stepped out of bed, I resolved to
soak in the beauty of nature on that walk. And I managed to
convince myself that it was going to be terrific before I even
got there. Toben’s routine was already working.

In fact, the back road along Ambleside, where I often
take my pups, was spectacular that particular morning. The
wind had leaves aflutter on the limbs as well as in flight
above me. At one point, just behind the pitch and putt golf
course, the sun broke through the clouds, and the colours
licerally exploded around me.

Sce Birds page 23

. NEWS photo Terry Peters ..

Sweeter than honey

NORTH Van's Taren Urquhart creates backyard habitats for the beleaguered Mason bee. The bees sport a
bluish biack coat rather than the stripes of the honeybee, and pollinate more than twice as many fruits, veg-
etables and flowers than their famous cousin, the honeybee. See story, page 16.

Get Materialistic

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Whether it's draperies, re-upholstery, duvet covers or pillows, come into Arlene's Inceriors where their creative staff can
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And since Arlene's has the Lower Mainland’s largest selection of in-stock home decorating fabrics you'll be
amazed at the wealth of choices available to add colour and beaury to your home. °
Arlene

Get materialistic. Visit Arlene’s Interiors.

Uf you can drvam it, we can do it.

Burnaby, just south of Lougheed. Open 7 days a week. Call 291-6922. > www.arlenes.com

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