No Posts in June??

Wow I really do suck don’t I?! I don’t really have an excuse, other than life, and my own neurosis at wondering how much of my life to put on here, etc etc.
So let’s start at life! I was going to do this great post on Alzheimer’s, but I just can’t bring myself to finish it. I started it, and for various reasons, it hurt, so I stopped. It’s there, waiting patiently. You see, my very best friends’ mom has Alzheimer’s…has for a few years now, but he told me that she was having a hard time remembering him sometimes, and it just breaks my heart! I’ve been there, and I don’t wish it on ANYONE, but certainly not him! He’s a good man, with a heart of gold, and he’s holding too much of his pain inside…I worry about him, and I can’t fix it. If you know me, you know those are hard things for me! So, I do what I can. I send him random messages, visit as often as I can, and I’m always there, ready to listen if he needs to talk. Unfortunately, there are no happy endings here, and that’s another horrible part of Alzheimer’s.

So if you read my previous post, you know, or guessed, that my laptop died. I got it up and running, and it seems to be happy as a clam. I only had to reinstall Windows twice. Thanks Microsoft :-/ I’m still getting programs reinstalled, either by memory, or as I realize I need to use them and they’re not there. It’s not a horrible process, but I’ll be glad when it’s over!

This is a busy weekend! Ariel and I are doing Relay for Life tomorrow(You can read about it here)! We also get our new puppy tomorrow! Yay, lots of exciting things this weekend As of right now though, Ty is sick, so I’m hoping for a speedy recovery so he can enjoy this weekend with us!!

I’ve been working out like a mad woman, and eating right. When I’m not working out at the gym, I’m working in the yard, planting flowers, digging the yard up to make flower beds. It’s turning out great BTW, and I’ll post some pics as soon as I get a chance to get on the computer for more than a minute! So, with all my hard work, I’m down 3.5lbs this week! WootWoot! I’m working on getting a picture of me when I was thin and hot, and I’m going to blow it up and hang it in the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen, so I have all kinds of motivation I also have a great support system of friends that are calling and messaging me every day to make sure I’m staying on track. It’s a fun experience!

Alright, better get back to it…Happy Friday!!

Walk With Me…

This is an email I sent out, and I’m posting it on here, because I’m shamelessly asking for donations to help support 3 causes that touch my heart…

A few months ago, I was approached to participate in a Relay for Life event through my daughters 4H group. One of our members had juvenile cancer and spent 2 years fighting for her life and being teased and shunned by her peers. Now, she’s 12, like my daughter, and you’d never know to look at her that she was hovering outside deaths door a few years ago!
This got me thinking…thinking about my mom, who has beat cancer twice, and about all of my family members that have died from it.
Around this same time, our dear cousin was well into her battle with breast cancer. The seed was planted, and I figured if I was going to walk for cancer, I better walk for breast cancer too, in honor of TC, Sandie, and everyone else we know that has been touched by this horrible disease. And boy, if you know me, you know that once I get an idea, I go all OCD on it…and this is where the Alzheimer’s walk came in. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss my Uncle! The physical pain in my chest when I think of him is still there, over 3 years later, and it doesn’t take much to bring on a flood of memories of what this disease did to him and to our family.
These are all diseases I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, and I’ve decided to do something about it! I’m going to link to the 3 fund raising walks I’m participating in this year, because I know everyone has their own passion for their own reasons. I also understand that times are hard, and I can’t stress enough that ANYTHING helps! If all you can spare is $1, please do, because if 100 people donate $1, we’ve raised $100!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and please feel free to forward to anyone that you think may be interested!

Arlene

Relay For Life http://main.acsevents.org/goto/mrsodell_dixon
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer http://main.acsevents.org/goto/mrsodell_sac
Memory Walk http://memorywalk.kintera.org/sacramento2010/mrsodell_sac

Speed Hooking

Sounds kinda dirty doesn’t it?

I decided I wanted to really start making a difference in things that are important to me…cancer, breast cancer and alzheimers. These things are all very close to my heart, and all for good reason. About the time I decided this, I was invited to learn speed hooking through one of the Meetup groups I belong to, and the plan was born!

So, I spend lunch time, movie time, and any other down time I may have speed hooking scarves of all different colors. Next month, when they open the breast cancer walks up for registration, I’ll start my Etsy page and all of the proceeds will go towards the 6 different walks I’ll be doing this year (2 for each). I’m excited, and I like feeling like I’m helping in some small way.