Slacker

I've been slacking with my blog.  I've had plenty of time to type something up.  I just haven't made it happen.  So today's the day.

Nothing special going on in my world today.  Except that I got a picture of sweet little Xavier visiting with Santa.  That was the best part of my day.  So I'll share it.

In the first picture, he's checking Santa out.  Gotta know who's holding him.  In the second picture, he's probably clearing things with Mom to make sure all is well.

Personally, I think it's a very sweet first picture with Santa.  And I hope you get everything you asked for, little man.

I've been chatting it up with my big brother, Alan, about our plans to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra next week.  We're deciding where to do dinner and which route to take to avoid construction.  I'm starting to get excited.  It'll be me, Mom, and Alan.  Should be a good time.  And the start of another long weekend.  I like that too!

I've already started my fundraising for Relay for Life.  I've raised $385 of my $500 goal.  And last night, I finally mailed 20 donation request letters.  So I should get to $500 pretty quick now.  Then I won't have to worry about fundraising at all through the spring.  I'll be able to focus on the Survivor Dinners that I'm helping to coordinate.  One in Martin County on May 10th; one in Daviess County on June 10th.  Lord, bless those events.  Amen.

Hopefully I find the time, no, MAKE the time to blog a little more often.  And I won't have to call myself a slacker anymore.

Slacker

Man, I've really been slacking on keeping up with my blog lately.  It's been a full ten days since I posted anything.  I have a blog on the Nutrisystem site as well, that I have been posting to.  So I guess I've been getting my fix there and ignoring this one.  I'll try to redeem myself.

I had a doctor's appointment on Monday the 10th.  It was a follow-up concerning the change in meds for my depression.  I was looking forward to it because I haven't felt this good (depression-wise) in A VERY LONG TIME.  But instead of discussing how good I feel, we focused on how bad my test results were.  My sugar is slightly elevated.  My TSH (thyroid hormone) is even higher than three months ago.  My iron isn't going up anymore.  My blood pressure is too high.  And I need to lose more than 100 lbs.

I spent the entire day looking forward to discussing how GREAT I felt with my doctor.  Instead, I was completely dejected by the time I left.  [sigh]  He increased my Synthroid, increased my iron, and added an ACE inhibitor to my every day.  I'm supposed to take my BP three times a day and record it for him.  After a month, I'm supposed to let him know how things are going, so he can decide if he needs to make adjustments.

He also wants me to walk every day.  Nothing major until we can get my BP under control.  In fact, he only wants to see me lose 2-3 lbs per month.  Ugh!  I weigh so much I should be losing 1-2 lbs per week!  Hopefully I can make progress on all fronts that we're ALL happy.

I also had the Coaches vs Cancer game this week.  For whatever reason, I was really nervous about it.  I know I wasn't as prepared as previous years.  I know we didn't do t-shirts, so we won't have the profit from those sales.  But my stomach was tied in knots.  Ultimately, we finished the week with $800 in donations!  We were really happy with that!

Still, it was either the stress of putting that together, or maybe a bug, or possibly the increase in iron.  At any rate, I didn't eat for more than two days because my stomach just felt full and uncomfortable.  I just didn't feel well at all.  But I think it's finally passing.  I've been eating, just not as much.  And I hope to get back to 100% on my menu and workouts tomorrow.

We got more snow yesterday.  Again with the white-out conditions.  I think we got 2-3" total.  And I understand we could get another couple of inches tonight.  But by the end of the week, we're supposed to have 50 degree temps.  This has been a strange winter to me.  So windy and cold.  More snow than I remember in several years.  Looking forward to the warmth.

Until then, enjoying my three-day weekend! Happy Presidents' Day!

Seven Word Status

9-pin tap to support Relay for Life.
(ok, I didn't really bowl.  but I stopped by and made a donation!)

Seven Word Status

St. John's Lutheran Church Relay for Life Fundraiser!

 

I absolutely LOVE Hot Rod Relay Day!

Coaches vs. Cancer

[from the American Cancer Society website]

The Coaches vs. Cancer program empowers coaches, their teams, and communities to join the fight against cancer by participating in awareness efforts, advocacy programs, and fundraising activities. Guided by the Coaches vs. Cancer Council, participating coaches help people with cancer today and to find cures to end the disease tomorrow, and have raised more than $87 million to help the American Cancer Society’s mission.

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.  The initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of coaches nationwide to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.  Coaches vs. Cancer helps increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living among students, faculty and staff, fans, and the community at large through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs.

In Martin County, we're hosting TWO Coaches vs. Cancer events.  The first occured at Shoals High School last Friday.  The second is occuring at Loogootee High School tonight.  We are a small county with not much of a population.  But we've been attacked by cancer on many fronts and we have a lot of dedicated citizens that want to make a difference.  Way to go, Martin County!  You're doing good things!

On Any Given Day...

[from an American Cancer Society - Relay for Life site]

On Any Given Day... Cancer never sleeps. It does not discriminate, and no one is immune. Cancer can strike any family, in any community, at any time. And the only way to fight it is to be right there in those communities and with those families … every single day. That’s the great strength of the American Cancer Society. Thanks to our committed volunteers, we never sleep either. We are here to help every family … in every community … every day.


 On any given day in the United States, more than 4,100 people will hear the devastating words, “You have cancer.”

 On any given day, more than 1,500 families will lose a loved one to the disease in the United States.

But the American Cancer Society is doing everything within our power to change that. Because of YOUR efforts...

 On any given day, our cancer.org website will receive more than 63,000 hits from people looking for life-saving information about cancer prevention, treatment, and support.

 On any given day, nearly 3,000 people will find knowledge, resources, comfort, and compassion from a trained cancer information specialist at our toll-free call center.

 On any given day, the American Cancer Society will provide more than 1,500 people with cancer-related information and programs.

 On any given day, nearly 140 cancer patients and caregivers receive free lodging from one of the American Cancer Society Hope Lodges nationwide.

 On any given day, our grassroots force of more than 3 million passionate volunteers is tirelessly seeking to save lives from cancer.

 On any given day, nearly 180 women will be reminded that they are still beautiful – no matter what cancer does to them – through our Look Good … Feel Better® program.

 On any given day, almost 100 wives, husbands, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers and friends who have been diagnosed with breast cancer meet a trained Reach to Recovery® survivor and volunteer, who provides living proof that they can beat this disease.

And the proof that our efforts are working?

On any given day, more than 12 million cancer survivors are enjoying rewarding, productive lives.

The American Cancer Society touches so many people on any given day … because dedicated volunteers and supporters like you are committed to making a difference in the fight against cancer – EVERY DAY.

On Any Given Day.

Relay for Life 2013 Kick-Off

***** CARNIVAL FOR A CURE - FUN AT THE BIG TOP *****

WHO:     Anyone and everyone who wants to help put an end to cancer.  Anyone and everyone who wants to celebrate the Cancer Survivors in their life.  Anyone and everyone who wants to work with a great group of people and a worthwhile cause for the benefit of something bigger than themselves.

WHAT:     Martin County's Relay for Life 2013 Kick-Off

WHEN:     Thursday, January 31st, 6:00 PM

WHERE:     Martin County Learning Center

WHY:     It's a family-friendly hour (or so) of fun where you can learn everything you ever wanted to know and more about this year's Relay for Life event.  Help us kick off this Relay season with a bang!

This year's Relay event has a Carnival theme.

Our Kickoff will too.

Come check it out!

Help Me Fight Back

I just signed up for an event that's really important to me: the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life of Martin County, to raise money in the fight against cancer. Would you visit my my personal fundraising web page http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12National?px=19861467&pg=personal&fr_id=38401 and support me with a donation?

This year, over 1.4 million Americans will hear the words "You have cancer". ***Last year, my dad was one of them!*** I know too many people who have been touched by cancer, and that is why I choose to make a difference by participating in Martin County's Relay For Life. I hope you too will choose to make a difference by supporting me with a donation.

Your donation will help the American Cancer Society create a world with less cancer, a world with more birthdays.

Thank you so much for your help - I will keep you updated on my progress.

Relay for Life

It's that time of year again when we start planning for Relay.  Only this year, I am the Team Development Chair.  That's HUGE for me.  I'm a bit nervous.  No, I'm REALLY nervous.  And I'm not accustomed to being nervous.

I don't worry about singing into a microphone.  I have no qualms about speaking in front of a crowd.  I am the opposite of shy and timid.  And I've rarely struggled to find something to say in just about any situation.

But in this role, I have to motivate others.  I'll lead the meetings and keep everyone on track.  I need to find new teams.  I'm not so worried about finding new teams.  We've had LOTS of teams in the past.  We just need to tap into some of those sources again.  I'll start doing that this weekend...calling area churches and businesses, calling family members of cancer survivors.

My real concern is whether or not I can stay on top of this and keep the energy high.  This role is a balance between providing information and being enthusiastic.  I can do this.  I can DO this.  I can TOTALLY DO THIS!  I just need to stay focused.  And pray.

God, bless this event.  Everything from the kick-off tomorrow night, through every meeting and every phone call, all the way until we've turned in every donation and taken down every tent and honored and celebrated every survivor we've known.  With You, we can do anything.  With Your blessing, we will continue to fight this fight and honoring You in our efforts.  In Your most precious Name.  Amen.

Relay for Life 2009

Another year, another Relay.

Our final total came in at $56,800 something. I'll just round up to $57K. For a county of our size and population, that.is.great! Unfortunately, it fell short of our goal...by around $10K. Still, we're calling it a success.

We had GORGEOUS weather during the daytime hours. And the nighttime wasn't too bad. But it did get a little chilly and it was REALLY damp. All in all though, everyone survived just fine.

This is my last year as captain of Team #4. Next year, I'm joining the Committee. Whereas the team captains are responsible for guiding their teams, the Committee guides the team captains and organizes the event. I will be handling 'media', primarily writing articles for the local papers about what we're up to. So, I'll still be supporting Relay in a big way, but I'll also get to tap into my love of writing and share it with the community. I'm pretty excited about that!

During the 'Fight Back' ceremony, we learned that based on recent averages, 59 new cancer diagnoses could occur in the next year...in Martin County alone. 59! That's like everyone on the street that I live on. Or 3/4 of Jeff's graduating class. 59 people in our one county is HUGE.

So, we all were challenged to save a life. Knowing what we know about what causes the various types of cancer, we were asked to name just one thing that we would do for ourselves or someone we loved that could significantly reduce the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis. I chose two: to do whatever I could to get Jeff to stop smoking and to get more physically active and lose some of this weight.

So, what are you going to do?

Happy Mothers' Day!

I had a wonderful Mothers' Day. I went to mass last night, so I got to sleep in a bit this morning. That's how I start most Sunday's. And today was no different in that respect.

Then my friend Helen invited me over for brunch with some of her favorite moms. It was wonderful. We had goldenrod eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits with apple butter, and fruit with cream. There were other things on the menu, but I was SO FULL. And the company was so nice. Great stories. Lots of laughs. And her cute little dog!

I came home and walked two miles...WITH JEFF. I was really surprised when he took me up on the invitation. But we enjoyed the quality time.

Then I worked on thank-you cards for all those generous people who donated money to Relay for Life. More than 40! I know some very cool people.

Then Jeff and I did an early dinner. Now he's bowling and I'm catching up on computer time. What a lovely, lovely day.

Practically perfect in every way!

First, I survived my one-day-of-the-year car-hopping stint. And it actually went pretty well. The restaurant purchased a new computer/cash register. So, I didn't have to copy prices off the menu board and figure up my own tax. That was GREAT! And we had someone behind the counter all day entering things into the computer/cash register, making drinks, AND ice cream. THAT was GREAT! AND it didn't rain! There was supposedly a 70% chance of thundershowers. I thought for sure I'd be soaking wet in the first hour. But nope! Not a drop. It was a gorgeous day! THAT was great too!

I'm not sure how much we made. We left all of our tips at the restaurant. They're going into the pot with the night shift and then we're just splitting everything 50/50. So, I'll know after 10pm. I think we did pretty well though. And Jeff? He was SUCH a God-send. He wasn't all that excited when we first got started. But he warmed up to the idea and was a HUGE help. Thank God for Jeff!

After car-hopping for six hours, I sang at mass. That went well. I'm glad for that too. I never want to be a distraction while singing at mass.

Then I went to Grand March. I really wish Jeff would have gone to prom. Of course, he probably wouldn't have helped me today if he had planned to go to prom. But still. He's never been. And I think he would have enjoyed the experience. But the girl he wanted to take wasn't allowed to go. Too young. He didn't want to go with anyone else. So, he didn't. He didn't even go to Grand March to see his friends. He took a nap after car-hopping all day. He plans to go to Post Prom though.

But my point is, already once this evening, he's mentioned that he wishes he would have gone. I'm like, "no kidding, me too." I just feel like I'm missing out on so many experiences with Jeff because he chooses not to take part... like his going back and forth between walking at graduation or not. OF COURSE YOU SHOULD, if I had my way. But he's not going to do it for me. He has to want to do it for him. And honestly, there's no telling until about an hour before the event. Ugh! This kid, I swear!

Anyway, back to prom. I saw lots of shiny, shiny dresses and shoes. I saw animal prints! I saw several girls who appeared to be wearing high heels for the first time in their lives. (What were THEY thinking?!) I saw LOTS of curls! I saw LOTS of guys wearing shades. I saw some GORGEOUS dresses and some not-so-attractive dresses. And I saw one of Jeff's close friends crowned King. Congrats, Gage!

Now my day is all but done. I'm going to read a couple of hours out on the front porch with Linus Felinus. It's absolutely gorgeous outside and I'm looking forward to it...except that all those kids are across the street. Hopefully that's not a huge distraction. THEN I'm going to bed WITHOUT setting an alarm clock.

What a day! As Mary Poppins would say, "Practically perfect in every way!"