Every year you hear me go on and on about how great our Fair is.  I am not sure if it is the cotton candy, the lights, the rides or a combination of all the sights and sounds… but I am ADDICTED!  I truly get as excited as Edie Grace does.

Probably the main reason would date back to my childhood.  Each year, my Grandmother Edith (Edie Grace’s namesake) and her husband, my granddaddy Harold, would take me to the fair.  My granddaddy passed away the first week of my Senior year in High School which is sadly over half my life ago now.  He ALWAYS shared my excitement about the fair.  Something about being the first-born grandchild and still the only girl, may have played a little role in that.  Going to the fair transcends me back to those outings…holding their hands loving every minute of the experience.  I still wear a hand-carved "dog" necklace on a leather rope from time - to - time that my granddaddy bought me there one year.  Just holding it in my hand…oh the memories!  People always warned me that you get a little nostalgic when you get my age…guess they were right!

Anyway…be sure to visit our booth (the pics are a sneak peek…boy I need to clean the lens of the BLOG camera!!!) when you go to the fair this week.  And if you happen to see me with cotton candy in one hand and a corn dog in the other…just smile and remember some happy childhood memories of your own!

p.s.  the other reason I am so nostalgic about my granddaddy is that we made our annual pilgrimage to Memaw Edith’s church yesterday and to DeWayne’s family church last Sunday for both of their Homecomings.  I told you the story about the well my great-granddaddy put in at the grave-site on a BLOG last October.  Well, the wasps are STILL there…arrgghh!!!  Anyway..here is this year’s picture of Edie Grace visiting the cemetery.  (she is getting soooo tall!)

Edie Grace and I ventured out in the rain to a Halloween party hosted by the family of one of her classmates this weekend.  The rain was a little challenging for an outdoor event but Edie Grace was a trooper.  She was so excited about wearing her costume already that she was going with the mailman’s motto!

A special thanks goes out to Rori @ The Sugar Plum Fairy for helping Edie Grace select the perfect gymnastic outfit.  Rori has tons of great stuff to make any little girl’s dreams come true!  From tiaras to tutu to toeshoes…she can get you fixed up.

After some games, a hotdog and some sand art we called it a night.  We weren’t quite "trooper-ey" enough to go on the rainy hay ride.      

13 has always been my lucky number and today it doubled as my place in line to go into the brand new TJ Maxx that opened this morning at 8am.  I always work on the day after Thanksgiving so I never partake in the Black Friday craziness…but had always wanted to.  I felt like this was my chance to enjoy a little "shopping frenzy".                            You know…it was pretty fun!

Me and my fellow line-mates got to the store around 7:30ish.  I guess, since I was #13 some may have gotten there much earlier.  (not up to "that" much frenzy!)  We enjoyed watching the new employees go through some employee kind of things before the big moment.  They seemed as excited as we were!  The rain didn’t dampen any spirits.

Once the ribbon was cut, the mad dash was on.  I saw so many of you out shopping this morning.  The first 400 of us received free shopping bags.  Those were all gone by the time I checked out at 9:30am.  Speaking of checking out…I didn’t quite think through over 400 people trying to check out at relatively the same time.  That took a while but everyone had a great time chatting and comparing bargains. 

Statesboro has hit the "big time" now with Hobby Lobby, PetCo, Rack Room Shoes, TJ Maxx and soon…Books a Million.  From all the people in line checking out…it didn’t look much like a recession to me!    

Have a mammogram during the month of October and we will give you a free bonus 8×10 from your session.  Edie Grace LOVES PINK.  She modeled for me for a sample album for the studio.  These "a day in your life" albums are great keepsakes and make incredible gifts. Remind me to show you this album the next time you are in the studio.    Don’t forget to take care of yourself while you are busy taking care of everyone else.  And take a note from Edie Grace and have fun EVERY DAY of your life!

 ONLY FOUR AVAILABLE - BOOK NOW!  We have scheduled a family (or just the kids) express session day outdoors, Tuesday, October 14.  This is during the week of the fair which is also fall break for Bulloch County schools.  We don’t have enough hours to offer express sessions during October and November so we thought we could make an exception for just one day.   These $299 express sessions will include the session fee, 25 Holiday cards and two 8×10’s (includes two poses–additional poses $25/pose).   Of course, as usual, we will take more than two poses and we won’t rush you through.  You will have your own scheduled time - so no lines.

For you persistent blog readers - you made it on the Santa list.  The Santa event ALWAYS sells out - but this is the first year we ONLY promoted it on the blog.  Our plan was to send out a newsletter with the information and give our blog readers an early opportunity to book.  We have established a waiting list of clients who can not pass up on Santa.  After much consideration - Santa and Mrs. Claus have agreed to come a day early.  This will be IT.  There will be NO MORE Santa appointments once these are committed to.  SO DO NOT PROCRASTINATE - please BOOK NOW. 

Here is the 411 on Santa: Santa has agreed to come a  SECOND day since the FIRST day has ALREADY SOLD OUT!!  He will be here on Monday, November 10th in addition to Tuesday, November 11th.  The 30 minute session will include a VIP Santa experience.  There will only be you and your family in the studio with Santa.  No lines - no disappointments!  You will come at your scheduled time and enjoy your time one on one with Santa and Mrs. Claus while I photograph the experience.  The package is $349 and includes the session and your choice of 4 8×10’s OR 25 Christmas cards plus two 8×10’s.  You will need to schedule your session and place order when you call - to insure you will get everything back for Christmas.

This VIP Santa experience is very limited and DOES SELL OUT!  Please call 912-764-7274 today to book your appointment with Santa.  (He may even give you a hint about which list you are on for 2008…naughty or nice…I bet EVERYONE that comes will make the "nice" list!)

Many of you have emailed and called about updates on Beverly.  From previous blogs you have read the story about this amazing couple and her shocking diagnosis of breast cancer at 30.   Many of you have asked for ways to help them.  A group of her family and friends have put together this event in her honor.  This will be a great event to help them and bring awareness to how cancer can strike at any time.

We hope to see you at the event on January 31st.  A special thanks to Abbigails and Emma’s (Chef Jason Scarborough) for the leading role you are taking in this event.

You can follow Beverly’s progress and learn more about this event by visiting her blog by clicking here.

As you will read in previous blogs - this couple have really touched my heart as I know they will yours.  They are a special couple that I believe God is using in an unbelievable way.

The popular women’s magazine published in Savannah Skirt - includes a half page ad this month featuring Downtown Statesboro.  Several key downtown merchants have joined together to help share some of the secret charm of downtown Statesboro that many of you have already discovered.  Keep watching for this and future ads telling our story.  Free parking, NO CRIME, No Peddlers and store owners very eager to serve you.  Best yet, we have boutique shops that are equally as charming as our downtwon.  Plan a fun girls trip to to the Boro soon and find out what all the buzz is about!

Cervical Cancer Action would like to congratulate Dr. Harald zur Hausen on being awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize for Medicine.  Dr. zur Hausen’s lifetime commitment to understanding the role of viruses in the development of human cancers and his breakthrough research in cervical cancer has shaped our efforts to eliminate cervical cancer globally. Dr. zur Hausen’s scientific vision and leadership has laid the ground work for the development of HPV vaccines and new screening tools that have the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives each year.

In addition to his Nobel recognized scientific achievements, Dr. zur Hausen has been an advocate for global access to these new tools.  He has been an outspoken leader in global cancer prevention through his role as chair of the International Union Against Cancer’s cervical cancer initiative and editor-in-chief of its International Journal of Cancer.  Whenever possible, Dr. zur Hausen has supported global advocacy efforts and called on scientists and policymakers to ensure that all women and girls have access to life-saving vaccines and screening tools.

We salute Dr. zur Hausen and thank him for his extraordinary contributions.

Cervical Cancer Action

***Press Release***

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2008/press.html

6 October 2008

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet http://www.mednobel.ki.se/   has today decided to award The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2008 with one half to Harald zur Hausen for his discovery of "human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer" and the other half jointly to Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier for their discovery of "human immunodeficiency virus"

Summary

This year’s Nobel Prize awards discoveries of two viruses causing severe human diseases.

Harald zur Hausen went against current dogma and postulated that oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV) caused cervical cancer, the second most common cancer among women. He realized that HPV-DNA could exist in a non-productive state in the tumours, and should be detectable by specific searches for viral DNA. He found HPV to be a heterogeneous family of viruses. Only some HPV types cause cancer. His discovery has led to characterization of the natural history of HPV infection, an understanding of mechanisms of HPV-induced carcinogenesis and the development of prophylactic vaccines against HPV acquisition.

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier discovered human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Virus production was identified in lymphocytes from patients with enlarged lymph nodes in early stages of acquired immunodeficiency, and in blood from patients with late stage disease. They characterized this retrovirus as the first known human lentivirus based on its morphological, biochemical and immunological properties. HIV impaired the immune system because of massive virus replication and cell damage to lymphocytes. The discovery was one prerequisite for the current understanding of the biology of the disease and its antiretroviral treatment.

Discovery of human papilloma virus causing cervical cancer

Against the prevailing view during the 1970s, Harald zur Hausen postulated a role for human papilloma virus (HPV) in cervical cancer. He assumed that the tumour cells, if they contained an oncogenic virus, should harbour viral DNA integrated into their genomes. The HPV genes promoting cell proliferation should therefore be detectable by specifically searching tumour cells for such viral DNA. Harald zur Hausen pursued this idea for over 10 years by searching for different HPV types, a search made difficult by the fact that only parts of the viral DNA were integrated into the host genome. He found novel HPV-DNA in cervix cancer biopsies, and thus discovered the new, tumourigenic HPV16 type in 1983. In 1984, he cloned HPV16 and 18 from patients with cervical cancer. The HPV types 16 and 18 were consistently found in about 70% of cervical cancer biopsies throughout the world.

Importance of the HPV discovery

The global public health burden attributable to human papilloma viruses is considerable. More than 5% of all cancers worldwide are caused by persistent infection with this virus. Infection by the human papilloma virus is the most common sexually transmitted agent, afflicting 50-80% of the population. Of the more than 100 HPV types known, about 40 infect the genital tract, and 15 of these put women at high risk for cervical cancer. In addition, HPV is found in some vulval, penile, oral and other cancers. Human papilloma virus can be detected in 99.7% of women with histologically confirmed cervical cancer, affecting some 500,000 women per year.

Harald zur Hausen demonstrated novel properties of HPV that have led to an understanding of mechanisms for papilloma virus-induced carcinogenesis and the predisposing factors for viral persistence and cellular transformation. He made HPV16 and 18 available to the scientific community. Vaccines were ultimately developed that provide ≥95 % protection from infection by the high risk HPV16 and 18 types. The vaccines may also reduce the need for surgery and the global burden of cervical cancer.

Discovery of HIV

Following medical reports of a novel immunodeficiency syndrome in 1981, the search for a causative agent was on. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier isolated and cultured lymph node cells from patients that had swollen lymph nodes characteristic of the early stage of acquired immune deficiency. They detected activity of the retroviral enzyme reverse transcriptase, a direct sign of retrovirus replication. They also found retroviral particles budding from the infected cells. Isolated virus infected and killed lymphocytes from both diseased and healthy donors, and reacted with antibodies from infected patients. In contrast to previously characterized human oncogenic retroviruses, the novel retrovirus they had discovered, now known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), did not induce uncontrolled cell growth. Instead, the virus required cell activation for replication and mediated cell fusion of T lymphocytes. This partly explained how HIV impairs the immune system since the T cells are essential for immune defence. By 1984, Barré-Sinoussi and Montagnier had obtained several isolates of the novel human retrovirus, which they identified as a lentivirus, from sexually infected individuals, haemophiliacs, mother to infant transmissions and transfused patients. The significance of their achievements should be viewed in the context of a global ubiquitous epidemic affecting close to 1% of the population.

Importance of the HIV discovery

Soon after the discovery of the virus, several groups contributed to the definitive demonstration of HIV as the cause of acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Barré-Sinoussi and Montagnier’s discovery made rapid cloning of the HIV-1 genome possible. This has allowed identification of important details in its replication cycle and how the virus interacts with its host. Furthermore, it led to development of methods to diagnose infected patients and to screen blood products, which has limited the spread of the pandemic. The unprecedented development of several classes of new antiviral drugs is also a result of knowledge of the details of the viral replication cycle. The combination of prevention and treatment has substantially decreased spread of the disease and dramatically increased life expectancy among treated patients. The cloning of HIV enabled studies of its origin and evolution. The virus was probably passed to humans from chimpanzees in West Africa early in the 20th century, but it is still unclear why the epidemic spread so dramatically from 1970 and onwards.

Identification of virus-host interactions has provided information on how HIV evades the host’s immune system by impairing lymphocyte function, by constantly changing and by hiding its genome in the host lymphocyte DNA, making its eradication in the infected host difficult even after long-term antiviral treatment. Extensive knowledge about these unique viral host interactions has, however, generated results that can provide ideas for future vaccine development as well as for therapeutic approaches targeting viral latency.

HIV has generated a novel pandemic. Never before has science and medicine been so quick to discover, identify the origin and provide treatment for a new disease entity. Successful anti-retroviral therapy results in life expectancies for persons with HIV infection now reaching levels similar to those of uninfected people.

Harald zur Hausen, born 1936 in Germany, German citizen, MD at University of Düsseldorf, Germany. Professor emeritus and former Chairman and Scientific Director, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany.

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, born 1947 in France, French citizen, PhD in virology, Institut Pasteur, Garches, France. Professor and Director, Regulation of Retroviral Infections Unit, Virology Department, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.

Luc Montagnier, born 1932 in France, French citizen, PhD in virology, University of Paris, Paris, France. Professor emeritus and Director, World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, Paris, France.

Sarah Goltz Shelbaya

Interim Coordinator

Cervical Cancer Action

sarah@cervicalcanceraction.org

+1 646 623 4462

 Often my friends kid me about what Edie Grace’s wedding will be like.  Considering her first three birthdays got so out of control that DeWayne had to pull the plug.  He really did not think we could justify having Ringling Brothers put up a circus tent for Edie Grace’s fourth birthday.  Saturday night we attended and helped photograph the wedding of Ashlyn Winfrey and Ryan Reese in Washington, Georgia.  Ashlyn’s step father and mother are Mercer and India Harris.  Mercer and India own Mercer Harris Photography in Washington.  As a team, they have become one of the most sought after wedding photographers in the Southeastern United States.  If you have called me for a wedding photographer recommendation - they are the ones I probably referred you too.  I tell people that if Edie Grace were getting married today - they would be the Photographers we would hire.  The only problem with being the top photography team in the Wedding industry is that you see LOTS of INCREDIBLE weddings and get LOTS of phenomenal ideas.  Well, if you were lucky enough to attend the wedding of the century in Washington this weekend - you had the opportunity to see a wedding that could best be described as the "best of".    It would take hours for me to describe every incredible WOWING detail of this wedding.  I think the entire city of Washington attended - so don’t take my word for it.  Just call 411, ask for Washington and dial the first number you get.  I am certain they were either in attendance or knew someone who attended.  Ask them what they have heard about it and be prepared to spend an hour on the phone for the cliff notes.

The photographers, who were hand picked by the Harris’ to photograph the wedding, followed the "best of" theme.  I was honored to be included as part of the team of the most sought after wedding and portrait photographers in the south.  It is not often that a wedding in Washington gets the attention of the paparazzi - but if you were a guest - you saw lots of cameras at work.  Several of the south’s leading Wedding publications have already reached out for some of the incredible photographs.  While I will not steal that thunder here - DeWayne and I did take a few images with my blog camera to give you a feel of the event.  I am not sure if Cinderella herself could have dreamed of, or put together, a more incredible wedding.

Thanks, Ashlyn and Ryan, for allowing us to be a part of this incredible day for you both!