Yesterday I visited the High Points Monument at High Point State Park. It was a fitting day to visit the monument -- Memorial Day. The monument was built and dedicated to the memory of New Jersey's wartime heros. Construction was started in 1928 and completed in 1930.

My husband and I climbed the stairs up the 220- foot structure for a breathtaking view of the ridges of the Pocono Mountains, the Catskill Mountains and the Wallkill River Valley.

The high points in my life can come unexpectedly. I think we should all think about what the high points in our lives have been and cherish the memories. A camping trip in an RV, my husband and two dogs this weekend was definitely a high point in my life. High points don't have to be something monumental -- no pun intended. High points can be small things that make the day a joyful one.

Find as many high points in your life as you can.

Director Robert Altman, one of the most influential forces in American cinema, died of complications from cancer on Monday. He was 81.

A five-time Academy Award nominee and 2006 Lifetime Achievement Oscar recipient, Altman just recently directed A Prairie Home Companion -- while at the same time battling the cancer that just took his life.

Altman worked while fighting cancer for last 18 months. No one expected he would die. His death was a surprise.

Not surprising is the collection of quality work Altman had under his belt. He is known for his work on the dark war comedy M-A-S-H, the Hollywood farce The Player, and the British murder mystery Gosford Park. Altman is also known for his method of assembling large casts and weaving in and out of storylines. A Prairie Home Companion modeled this approach, featuring a cast including Lily Tomlin, Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, Kevin Kline, and Lindsay Lohan.

Altman was born in 1925, served as a World War II pilot, and studied engineering before entering the film business. Married three times, Altman is survived by his wife, Kathryn Reed Altman, and six children. He also has 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

My port -- that thing that pops up from under the skin on my collarbone, that thing that by default stays in place because I can't decide whether or not to remove it -- is now officially in maintenance mode, now that my treatment for breast cancer is complete. My last Herceptin infusion was on June 28. And my first port flush was today. For as long as I keep my port -- and for as long as it has no real use -- I must have it flushed one time each month. So today, I strolled into the cancer infusion center where I've spent many hours and this time spent just a few minutes -- enough time for my usual chemo nurse to puncture the skin on top of my port, push through a rather large needle, and inject a dose of blood thinner into the lines of the port to keep clots away. The whole procedure was harmless, painless, no big deal at all. And I will return one month from today for a repeat performance.

One day these once-a-month visits may become a hassle. After all, I have to find a place for this appointment in my already-busy schedule and find childcare for my kids and find a place to park. I have to numb my port and endure a needle stick and sometimes fight traffic to get home. And the whole trip to and from the cancer center takes longer than the procedure itself. Clearly, this may be a waste of time for a port I don't even need right now. But at the moment, this visit is just what I need while I sort out the details of my post-treatment world. I need to go back to the infusion center. I need the comfort of the drive. I need to feel part of the chemo community. I need medical people swirling around me. I need a bit of hand holding. For now anyway.

Sunscreen products containing Mexoryl SX or ecamsule, an ingredient designed to block the sun's harmful UVA rays, have been sold in Canada and Europe for over ten years, but have not been available here.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved the over-the-counter sale of L'Oreal Anthelios SX sunscreen product containing ecamsule to consumers in the US.

While UVB rays are known to cause sunburn, UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and are associated with an increased risk for basal and squamous cell cancers and melanoma skin cancer. Anthelios SX is made by the French cosmetics company L'Oreal. Mexoryl SX is owned by L'Oreal, and is only available in L'Oreal products.

Sunscreens might provide some protection from the harmful rays of the sun, and should be used when going out in the sun. Still your best bet is to shade yourself when spending any length of time in the sun and staying out of the sun during the peak hours of 10 AM to 4 PM when sun can cause the most skin damage.

Kaycee Marie Macdonald, now 12 months old, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in May. So far, Kaycee has had 2 operations, one because her kidneys were failing and another to implant a tube in her chest for chemotherapy drugs. Every three weeks, she undergoes three days of chemotherapy. Friday, July 7, was just another day at the Jimmy Fund Clinic for Kaycee and her mother Kerri Macdonald, as Kaycee would be getting chemotherapy.

But that day would be different. As Kerri said in a CBS4 Boston television interview, "It's nice when the adrenaline rush is because of something happy and not for fear." The adrenaline rush of happy had to do with a surprise visit from Sheryl Crow. In town to perform at Fenway Park with Dave Matthews that night, Crow stopped in to visit with children being treated for cancer at the clinic. There she met baby Kaycee, where both cuddled and spent a little time together. For Kaycee's mother, it is a bright moment that she can hang onto in memory for the continued dark journey of worry and concern.

Not only that, but Kaycee, by being featured on the evening news, has captured the hearts of a whole new large family of viewers who will keep her in their thoughts and prayers -- and perhaps help the family out with donations as they struggle to get the care Kaycee needs to survive her cancer. With the visit from Crow, Kerri has started blogging about Kaycee. Kaycee is such a sweet little girl. You can watch the CBS4 Boston television interview video here.

According to Medline Plus, neuroblastoma is a form of cancer that occurs in infants and young children. It is rarely found in children older than 10 years. The cells of this cancer usually resemble very primitive developing nerve cells found in an embryo or fetus. The term neuro indicates nerves, while blastoma refers to a cancer that affects immature or developing cells.

In the second part of the two-part exclusive interview with ABC's Good Morning America Diane Sawyer, Sheryl Crow shares she is cancer-free and feeling great as a breast cancer survivor. The diagnosis of breast cancer came as a surprise as she is not a smoker and has no family history of the disease. She received enormous support from her family and friends during treatment, whom she refers to as "this incredible tribe of women." Before Dana Reeve died of lung cancer, she gave Crow advice on dealing with the emotional aspects of being a newly-diagnosed cancer patient and dealing with the recent separation from Lance Armstrong by telling her that the only way to go through grief was to grieve.

Crow talked about meditating and changing her diet. "I kind of went into a full-on Eskimo diet, where I ate a lot of salmon. In fact, I'm salmoned out of my brains ... and really green vegetables, just eating really clean, organic food. Listen, I haven't had a doughnut in I can't remember when."

Breast cancer forced Crow into an introspective place of self-realization in facing and overcoming fears -- and the wisdom that comes with that when she said she tried to at least address her fears and not be overcome by them. "The fear of things not always working out. You come to a point in your life where you realize it's not my job to prove to my parents or to my record label or to the world or to my lover that I matter. The fact is that you matter."

"It's not a good place to be concerned with always being right with everybody, always pleasing people, because ultimately you wind up betraying yourself a lot."

Crow shared that she sees her breast cancer diagnosis and being a cancer survivor as part of life's deepening experiences where obstacles are removed and opportunities come in.

Last Friday night, Crow joined the Dave Matthews Band in a concert at Fenway Park. But before she went onstage -- in part of giving back as a cancer survivor --  she made an unannounced surprise visit to Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to visit children with cancer at the Jimmy Fund Clinic.

It's Fourth of July weekend, and this year is a long one! Traditionally, celebrations for the Fourth of July include picnics, camping, boating, hiking, backyard barbeques, free concerts in the park, a stroll by the river, a day at the beach. Basically, most activities this weekend involve being outdoors enjoying good times and the warm summer sun.

Before you, friends and family head out the door, here is a sampling of posts we have done about spending time in the sun -- skin cancer facts -- and tips on practicing sun safety.

• Skin cancer prevention kits for kids.
• Shading kids from the sun.
• Pediatricians need to educate parents about sun exposure risks.
  

• Skin cancer myths debunked by dermatologists.
• Global warming skin cancer warning.
  

And the sun, with the right exposure, is not all bad.

• Vitamin D: sunshine as cancer prevention.
  

For a complete listing of the posts regarding skin cancer and sun safety, visit The Cancer Blog's melanoma and skin cancer categories. The Fourth of July is a great time for celebration of our freedoms and all the wonderful warmth and brightness of summer days. Enjoy! every minute but be sun-wise and sun safe.

There are all sorts of gifts for dad on Father's Day -- shirts and ties and books and coffee mugs and golf balls -- and many of us have already spent money on the stuff we can wrap up and deliver or mail off to dad on this special day. But some gifts -- the ones we can't wrap up -- have an appeal that is priceless because they focus on the moment, they build relationships, and they promote mental and physical health. And here are just seven simple but everlasting gifts to consider sharing with dad on this Father's Day.