Back in May, we told you about Mike Rowe getting involved with Breast Cancer awareness through his partnership with Lee Denim Jeans.

With Lee National Denim Day quickly approaching, Mike’s mom, Peggy, has volunteered to help him spread the word about the cancer and in doing so, she’s shared her personal story. It’s a remarkable read. Peggy was diagnosed with Breast Cancer 14 years ago and she remembers every word from her phone call with the doctor.

“I have the pathology on your tumor, Mrs. Rowe.” I tilted the phone so that my husband could hear.

“It’s good news,” he said. John and I exhaled and exchanged grateful glances as I ran my fingers over the white bandage protruding from the top of my night gown.

“It was a ductile carcinoma, and we got good margins. My secretary will give you an appointment to remove the stitches next week. We’ll chat then. Bring your hubby along.”

With a spring in his step I hadn’t seen in weeks, John retrieved the medical dictionary.

“Ductal carcinoma…ductal carcinoma…ductal…”

As he read, I sat, stunned. At the age of fifty-nine, I did, indeed, have breast cancer. We wondered what the good news was.

Read the entire article here and please consider donating to the cause. It’s definitely a worthy one!

According to About.com, Mike Rowe will be a guest on the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” game show in September. He, along with other celebrities, will be raising money for charities.

Coincidentally, the two stars of Ghost Hunters, a show which Mike Rowe has done voice-overs for, will also participate in the festivities. Unfortunately, we don’t have a specific air date for Mike’s appearance, but it’s going to be sometime in September.

Check out About.com‘s article for more details on who is involved and when.

We’ve talked about Mike’s work with Cat in the past. He’s not only done several videos for the company, but he’s promoted boots, equipment, etc. Today, Mike and Cat, have announced a new line of Mike Rowe footwear.

The host and creator of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” is finally getting the chance to step into the shoes of everyday workers off the air. This fall, Mike Rowe will launch a line of workboots and casuals under the label Mike Rowe Works by Cat Footwear. Although Rowe admitted he doesn’t know much about fixing a leaky pipe, he wants to make sure today’s tradesmen have the right equipment to get the job done safely. Rowe is also a spokesperson for Ford and Viva paper towels. And while the deals are easy to come by — he said hundreds of opportunities are offered every month — before signing on the dotted line, he makes sure the company shares his views about supporting today’s workers. Through the MikeRoweWorks Foundation, he funds educational programs for the next generation of trade workers. But of all the jobs out there, which one would he want? “The engineer in the field,” said Rowe. “It’s the ultimate combination of artistry, math and brute force.”

Personal adviser: “My old man dispenses wisdom and common sense with a frequency that would shame Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain [at left].”

Olympic event you’d like to participate in: Javelin. I like the idea of throwing a spear as far as I can.

Favorite comfort food: “Lobster mashed potatoes.”

You’re never too old to: Make the biggest mistake of your life.”

Go-to casino: “I don’t gamble. My day job is exciting enough.”

Movie you’ve seen the most: “‘Jaws.’ It’s on so often, I’ve probably seen it 200 times. But only once on purpose, with my little brother in the summer of 1975.”

Courtesy of WWD.com

In July, Mike Rowe’s mom, Peggy, talked about her big move into a condo with her husband, John. Since then, Peggy’s been a busy little bee, penning two additional articles.

The first one was about some work she had done in her condo. She wanted to replace the vinyl floor with a wood floor, a job that she thought would be quick and simple, but as she would find out, it was much more involved. Luckily, she had a great craftsman for the job.

Peggy managed to one-up herself with this week’s all-new article about her husband’s domestic abilities, specifically his talents in the kitchen. I think it’s safe to say John won’t be getting a call from the folks at Iron Chef. Her article is hilarious.

On Tuesday, August 16th, Discovery Channel is re-airing the “Scrapple Maker” episode of Dirty Jobs. This was a recent episode, originally airing back in February. In it, Mike Rowe heads to Delaware to spend the day learning the process of making, wrapping and shipping scrapple. Then, he assists the best shoe doctor in town at the St. Francis Hotel.

This was one of my favorite episodes, in large part to the “shoe doctor” who took his job very seriously, but also had a sense of humor as Mike tried to make light of some things.

“Scrapple Maker” airs Tuesday, August 16th at 7pm EST on Discovery Channel.

I thought this was a pretty cute idea. Garrett College has developed a “Dirty Jobs” adventure camp for kids, inspired by Mike Rowe’s Dirty Jobs. Elizabeth Ray, the camp director, was inspired by the show to get children more involved in their local community by learning what it takes to feed animals, do some plumbing, etc.

Here’s a small portion from the article I found:

For most kids, summer camp means swimming pools, bonfires and toasted marshmallows, but not for about a dozen Garrett County children.

Participants in Garrett College’s “Dirty Jobs” adventure camp have learned about plumbing and landscaping and glass-blowing. They’ve even toured a landfill.

Mike Rowe would be proud.

“We watched a couple of clips from the TV show,” said Elizabeth Ray, camp director, who modeled the program after The Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe,” in which the host tries his hand at a variety of messy tasks.

“We saw an episode about pig farming and composting. Oh, and there was one about a monkey ranch. The kids thought that was really crazy.”

On Thursday, the group visited the BlueBell Alpaca Farm near Grantsville.

Bob Gilman, who owns the farm with his wife, Jo, got the group busy right away.

I really like the idea. I’d like to see more communities adopt these ideas and get children involved. I’m sure Mike Rowe would be pleased to learn of this program put on for the kids.

For the full article, click here.

Tonight marks the debut of Discovery Channel’s new thought-provoking series, Curiosity. It’s going to feature many well-known figures from the world of science, but also some familiar faces from the entertainment industry, including Mike Rowe.

Here’s Discovery’s description of this series:

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could live forever? What would happen if aliens attacked? Why sex is fun? Welcome to Curiosity. More than just a landmark television series, Curiosity is an adventure of discovery, an expedition to uncover the truths behind life’s most challenging questions. With an insatiable thirst for answers and experiences, we’re prepared to do anything, go anywhere and ask anyone to get to the heart of the matter. Whether it’s jumping out of an airplane to confront fear, having neuroscientists implant false memories, or donating tissue to test the possibility of regeneration, there is nothing stopping us as we embark on a global journey of learning and surprises.

Curiosity asks and answers the most fundamental questions facing the world today. Each episode of Curiosity will focus on a single enduring question in science, technology, and society. As is always the case, one single question cascades into several more, making each episode of Curiosity a rich and textured experience. From the micro to the macro, we tackle provocative and insightful questions. Is there a Creator? Is it likely there’s an alternate universe? Could you find out exactly how you are going to die and would you want to know? Are some people genetically prone to violence? Is time travel really possible? Why is it that we dream? What don’t we know about gravity and does it hold the secret for exploring the universe?

Premiering August 7th, 2011, Curiosity promises a television experience unlike any other. Join Stephen Hawking, Morgan Freeman, Michelle Rodriguez, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Spurlock, Adam Savage, Mike Rowe, Brendan Fraser, Eli Roth, Robin Williams and many more celebrity hosts on the journey for truth, as we go to extremes to uncover answers that will surprise even the most curious among us…

Tune in to Discovery Channel on Sunday nights at 8pm EST for new episodes of Curiosity.

With Shark Week still present on Discovery, you’ll be able to find Dirty Jobs’ two “Jobs That Bite Harder” episodes on this morning.

At 9am EST, Shark Week gets dirty! Shark Biologist, Herman Oosthuizen, one of South Africa’s leading experts on shark behavior will take Mike Rowe on a scientific hunt for the Great White Shark, where he will come face-to-face with these deadly predators.

And then at 10am EST, Mike Rowe joins forces with a team of shark experts that study shark feeding patterns and the different types of attacks they use to kill their prey. Mike will get dirty by making an indestructible seal decoy out of wire frames and neopreme center.

Today, Discovery announced their fall schedule and two of our favorite shows will be back in October with all-new episodes.

Here’s a breakdown of Discovery’s schedule. There are a few new shows in the list so pay attention to those as well.

NEW SERIES

September:

DINOSAUR REVOLUTION – Sunday, September 4 & 11: This four-part series will reset the standard for immersive, inside-out dinosaur storytelling, providing an insiders’ view into the private lives and strange behaviors of dinosaurs. Combining the talents of the world’s best dinosaur illustrators and animators with the latest paleontological research, the series’ cutting-edge animation and gripping storytelling is front and center, dropping viewers directly into the Prehistoric era. DINOSAUR REVOLUTION will premiere Sunday, September 4 and Sunday, September 11 from 9-11PM ET/PT each night.

October:

CARFELLAS: This series lifts the veil on the used car business through the eyes of reformed convict Mikey D. and his crew, Tommie and Mario of Broadway Motors in Amityville. Mike runs the lot and is obsessed with moving inventory. Mario knows cars inside and out and is a skilled appraiser. Tommie is the muscle of the operation and admits his love for Cadillacs, cannolis and girls. These knock-around guys are experienced at getting money out of people — but this time, they are out to make an honest living…selling used cars Long Island style.

GUNSMOKE (WT): Step inside GUNSMOKE (WT), one of the oldest gun shops west of the Mississippi, where a third generation family of dynamic gunsmiths crafts blocks of steel into beautiful, but deadly works of art. Leading the operation is Rich Wyatt, a successful business owner, loving husband and devoted father. Though a master firearms trainer and former police officer with more than 22 years of experience in law enforcement, Wyatt’s real gift lies in gunsmithing and his shrewd negotiation skills, which have led his Colorado business to immense success.

PENN & TELLER TELL A LIE: Show-stopping iconoclasts Penn & Teller bring their unique vision of the world to Discovery Channel with the new series PENN & TELLER TELL A LIE, slated to launch this October. Each episode will feature up to seven outrageous, hilarious and mind-blowing stories, told through a series of visual stunts, like: Is it true that a head of hair can lift a 5,000 pound car? Or, can you blow out a forest fire with a jet engine? However, in each episode, one of these stories will be a fabrication – an out and out lie! It will be up to Discovery’s intrepid home audience to discover the untruths aimed at them through an exclusive, real-time interactive companion experience, synched to the show and available at Discovery.com, on the Discovery Channel App for iPad, and on iPhone.

November:

WEED WARS: See the now-legal business of the country’s leading medicinal cannabis dispensary from the inside as WEED WARS premieres this fall on Discovery Channel. Although it is a familiar story: a start- up business, demanding clients and the ever-looming possibility that it could all go belly up… this is not exactly a typical business. WEED WARS follows Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, the nation’s largest medicinal cannabis dispensary serving over 80,000 patients. The new series pulls back the curtain on a once illegal and still controversial world. In addition to founder and executive director Steve DeAngelo and his staff, WEED WARS follows the journey of the plant itself from seed germination to harvesting. Meet the growers and “patient farmers” whose job it is to provide the “medicine” – the buds – that will eventually be purchased and used by thousands of clients, many of whom feel their lives have been forever changed by the plant. From the earnest and knowledgeable front counter staff to the rigorous lab testing of the cannabis to City Hall protests and the constant police monitoring and security sweeps, WEED WARS offers a look at a world unlike any other.

RETURNING SERIES

September:

MAN, WOMAN, WILD – Friday, September 2 at 9PM: The Hawkes, a thrill-seeking married couple, must find their way out of the flooded Amazon jungle, make fresh water from raisins while lost at sea, navigate through a raging forest fire, escape from a glacial crevasse, trap wild boar and make fire with ice.

SWAMP LOGGERS – Friday, September 2 at 10PM: Fourth generation logger Bobby Goodson returns to work the murky, dangerous swamps of North Carolina in search of high value timber for everything from paper products to construction grade lumber.

AMERICAN CHOPPER – Monday, September 5 at 9PM: In new episodes, there is a potential breakthrough in the two-year legal battle between father and son, Senior and Junior… and suddenly hope of reconciliation.

SWAMP BROTHERS – Monday, September 5 at 10PM: The Keszey brothers put themselves on the line to protect even the most unusual of creatures – from pythons and gators, to wildcats and bears.

STORM CHASERS – Wednesday, September 28 at 10PM: Extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer, IMAX filmmaker Sean Casey and veteran chaser Tim Samaras are back tracking the monster tornados that made headlines throughout this past spring storm season.

October:

DIRTY JOBS WITH MIKE ROWE: Mike Rowe travels the country showcasing America’s unsung heroes – from landfill operators to scrapple makers to horse testers – serving as apprentice to these hard-working and skilled men and women who make civilized life possible for the rest of us.

MYTHBUSTERS: Hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, together with Tory Belleci, Kari Byron and Grant Imahara, are back to inquire, interact and get involved with science … by using experimentation to prove or disprove popular myths, misconceptions or legends.

GOLD RUSH: ALASKA – Friday, October 28 at 10PM: The miners, back with a vengeance, are headed north to Alaska to settle unfinished business and find the gold at the bottom of the glory hole. But unforeseen circumstances force them to come up with a new plan in order to salvage their season.

November:

FLYING WILD ALASKA – Friday, November 4 at 9PM: The unconventional Tweto family – Jim, Ferno and their daughters Ayla and Ariel – are back for a second season to rule Alaska’s most dangerous skies with their family-run airline, Era Alaska.

Mike Rowe’s mom took some time this weekend and wrote another excellent article about the big move she and her husband, John, made a couple of years ago. After living in a farmhouse for many years, the pair eventually decided to simplify their life by moving into a condo.

Here’s a snippet from the article:

I swore that I would never move again. Days of unpacking and organizing, and trying to stay positive as my husband’s voice floated in from the balcony:

“Hey Hon, where are the clotheslines?”

“How come we only get one numbered parking space when we have two cars?”

“I’m going to measure the parking spaces; I think ours is smaller…”

“I feel like a bee in a big hive…”

Be sure to check it out in its entirety here. It’s well worth the read.