Nature's rainbow and us...

Someone posted a picture like this on instagram, so I copied it.  I had fun walking around my yard finding a rainbow.  The colors at this time of year are amazing, and this proves it.  

And,totally unrelated, Vic and I went to my cousin's wedding on Saturday.  It was a blast.  We danced up a storm, but then were exhausted and my body hurt afterwards.   We are not young anymore...

“Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear.”

It's Friday...

...raise your hands and CELEBRATE

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."

-Oprah Winfrey

I won't stop...

On Sunday I ran my third 5k and Little Miss and E ran their first kid's fun run.  It was for the Gloria Gemma Resource Foundation, so we all got decked out in our pink attire.

 When I picked up our numbers the day before the race, the sculptors were working on this.  There is some amazing talent out there in the world.

 The kid's race...there's E

 I was so happy and proud to see the two of them cross the finish line with smiles on their faces.

 Even though my shirt says "I won't stop", technically I had to stop running for about 30 seconds as I trudged up the last hill to the finish....oy, it was tough.  But we will just call that slowing down, not stopping ;)

“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.” 

― Dean Karnazes

Empowerment...

This morning I was doing my daily blog reads.  Nienie posted a video that a friend and her husband made shortly after her friend had her first chemotherapy treatment cleanse for breast cancer.  She was diagnosed at the age of 28, in October 2011, two months before me.

Here is the video.  It's kind of intense...well, at least it was for me.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you probably remember that I have a video of me shaving (well my friend Lauren shaving) my head too.  It's just not quite as polished as the one above. ;)
There's something to be said for taking control of a situation that is seemingly out of your hands...EMPOWERMENT.
"You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you." -Sri Ram

Hoopla...

So, it's October 7th, still the first week of the month and I am already overwhelmed with the hoopla of breast cancer awareness month.  For someone trying to put the past behind her, it's an everyday struggle for me when there is pink at every turn.

Don't get me wrong; I feel fortunate to be a survivor of a "popular" cancer, one there is tons of research on, one that is highly curable when detected early.  But, my goodness,I can't turn on the radio, TV, or computer without something "pink" making its appearance. Even grocery shopping among the pink ribbon foods is a reminder.

So, you may be asking, why did you turn your blog pink for the month, why are you talking about it, why did you make a new blog header with all things pink?  Well folks, when you can't beat them, join them.  

I'm looking forward to the day when looking back is a struggle for me to remember.  

Autumn...

The backyard is going through its annual metamorphosis.  

 I'm looking forward to taking the kids to the local reservoir to snap a few pictures.  I'm currently in the process of deciding how to bribe them.

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.

George Eliot

It's October...

Before the Big C, October made me think about cooler weather, pumpkins, mums and trick or treating.  Although I still think about those things, I'm also much more aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I've even made a new blog banner for this occasion.

If you're local, you may be interested in this article.  The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation is also sponsoring the annual Flames of Hope.  Last year, my wounds were still a bit raw, but I think I may be ready to check some of it out this year.  I'm even considering running in the 5k; I'd guess I'd better make a decision since it is coming quickly.

This Big C thing sucks, but, to quote my Memere, there isn't anything so bad that something good doesn't come out of it. 

Yesterday I got this message from my cousin with the following picture attached.  

"There is going to be a board breaking by Mastery Martial Arts at the Gloria Gemma Waterfire. They asked people to draw/paint on the boards first. Here's yours:" 

It made me cry.  I am humbled (still) by the outpouring of love and support and I am grateful for all of it.  

Having the Big C was scary and uncertain and being a survivor of the Big C can sometimes stir up some of those same emotions.  Life is a constant journey, with twists and turns, bumps (that sometimes feel like mountains) and life altering detours.   Thank you to all of you who have encouraged, supported and loved me through this and continue to do so on a daily basis. xo  

And, I'm going to try my best to avoid being sappy for the entire month of October, it's not good for any of us.

Thanks for reading...

...and because I needed a Melissa Etheridge fix on this beautiful day, I figured I'd share it with you!