I Survived!

Well, I did it! Met my goals and didn't wimp out. (Warning, this is LONG!)

Stats are: 12 hours, 30 circuits of the track (1/4 mile per circuit = 7.5 miles), 34,368 steps. I am SO sore today - if I could I wouldn't move at all.

The weather co-operated beautifully - lovely and sunny with a cool breeze so it didn't get too hot.

Everything started at the registration tent

which was also the beginning/end of each circuit. When I checked in I was given a survivor shirt

a name tag

and a long thin loop of plastic thread to wear around my neck. More about that later.

At 10 a.m. was the survivors' walk - the opening circuit. We were led by 2 R.C.M.P. officers in full dress red serge and as we passed all the tents we got cheered and applauded. It was quite something to experience. Then the regular walking started. I walked a lot with with another member of my team, the Amazons. Lori has just finished her first year cancer free - still undergoing breast reconstruction - so it was pretty emotional for her.

I picked up a patch that I am going to put on one of my vests.

There was a stage set up

and there was upbeat music all day - sometimes live bands or singers, sometimes canned, but it really kept us going.

At lunch, 2 of the tents started to do barbecue - hamburgers, hot dogs, beef on a bun - all for a nominal price that was given back to the relay when they were done.

CityWest (our telephone/internet provider)

Overwaitea, a local grocery store.

And we walked the afternoon away. There were some challenges for people to have their heads shaved, but mostly we just walked. Then at supper time one of the local food trucks showed up, again all their profits going back to the relay.

About 9:15 p.m. they started to announce prize winners, which teams had raised the most money, etc.

I won a water bottle.

Our team got an honourable mention in money raising.

We were really pleased - we only had 5 members and we raised $1140.

Oh, remember the loop of plastic I mentioned? Well, every time you completed a circuit you "earned" a bead to put on it.

This was mine by the end. There was a prize given to the person with the most beads. The lady who won - a bicycle - had walked 93 circuits, 23.25 miles.

Then the final walk at 10 p.m. was the memorial walk. The track was lined with paper bags containing candles and on the outside the names of people who had lost their fight. We all walked around, read the names and grieved. It was an incredible circuit - there were 300+ people on the track and there wasn't a sound except for our feet hitting the dirt. Not one picture was taken - everyone was fully in the moment.

There were lots of tents, each one had a team on the track.

My team tent.

The survivors tent - lots of snacks and drinks.

Royal Bank of Canada. That's a cheque for $3,000 sitting on the grass.

Fight Like A Girl tent.

Jazzy Dragons - a dragon boat team.

Choices for Healthy Living.

The Lutheran church.

All in all, an exhausting, emotional, uplifting day. And I plan to do it all over again next year!

Yikes! What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Tomorrow is the breast cancer Relay For Life and I signed up to be one of the team of ladies from our Women's Cancer Support Group. It runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and we walk the track at the Middle School. I have no idea how long or how far I can walk, but I guess I'll find out. The first lap is for survivors and the last one is when the luminary candles are lit in memory of those we've lost and we walk passed/through them. In between, we just walk, along with family, friends and supporters. One thing I know for sure, Sunday I probably won't be able to move! Assuming I'm not as stiff as I fear, I'll tell you how it went.

WIP Wednesday 27 May 2015

Again, not a lot of stitching time, but some progress on my Wedding Sampler. Left it here last week:

and stopped here last night (or technically very early this morning!).

The blue border goes all around the outside of the piece and then there will be an Algerian Eye border outside of that. Once I get the side down to the Q-snap, I'll see what else I can fill in before I shift it over to the right and start working on that bird.

WIP Wednesday 20 May 2015

I actually have something to show this week! I've been working on the Wedding Sampler. Here is the picture of the area I was going to stitch on.

Here's what I have done.

Remember I commented that hopefully the satin stitch and long stitch would go faster? HAH! That definitely goes under the "don't make me laugh" category. I am pleased with my progress though and think the bird looks much better now that he is getting a full tail.

It's TUSAL Time!

Am I the only country music fan who hears Don Williams singing "Living on Tulsa Time" every time you write or read TUSAL time?

And what is TUSAL? It's the Totally Useless Stitch A Long - check out Daffy Cat's blog to see why I'm posting pictures of thread ends.

Here are my ORTS for May.

What!! Didn't I do any stitching? Well, not a lot to be honest, but more than this looks like. A lot of what I did was confetti stitching, so I didn't very often get to a thread end. 1 stitch here, 3 stitches there - takes a long time to reach the end of a length of floss.

And here's what my ORT container looks like with all this year's bits.

Happy stitching everyone - see you at the next new moon!

Garden Time

Let me preface this by saying I am not the gardener - I have 2 black thumbs and I can kill any plant in about 6 weeks or less. My craft partner on the other hand is a flower wizard. I swear she has 10 green fingers and it carries right up to her elbows. So, every year for my birthday she gives me a container garden that sits on the steps of my home. Since she comes over once a week for craft night, she keeps a wary eye on the plants and keeps me from destroying them..

And this year was no exception. This is what is waiting for me outside my door at the moment.

And on the other side.

I never know what she's planted - I just see what develops as the summer progresses.

And in last year's planters, 2 hardy little pansies managed to survive the winter and are blooming again.

These planters will just get cleaned out and given some fresh soil and we'll see what happens.

So, stay tuned! As things grow and bloom, I'll keep you posted.

It's Happened!

Warning, I'm being rather philosophical today!

It seems way too soon, but today I am officially a senior citizen! Understand, I am not one to get fussed over birthdays - they show up every year and you can't stop them, so you might as well enjoy them (or ignore them). But I've been thinking a lot about this one - maybe because it's a watershed one or maybe because there have been a couple of major changes in the last few years.

First one - in March of 2010 I was told I had breast cancer. I was one of the lucky ones - my yearly mammogram caught it very early while it was still tiny and hadn't spread anywhere. So, a modified mastectomy. a couple of months of daily radiation and in September of that year I was told "All clear. Go home and live your life". There have been 2 scares since then that turned out to be nothing serious and I'm 4 months away from 5 years cancer free and being an official survivor.

Second one - for more decades of my life than I care to admit, I've been morbidly obese. Not just fat, morbidly obese. An ugly phrase. I had all the problems associated with carrying that much weight - high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type II diabetes, hips, knees and ankles that had me in constant pain and I was a walking pharmacy - 15 pills a day spread over 9 different medications and that doesn't include pain pills. (Not good for the budget either!)  In February of last year my doctor sent me to a bariatric specialist who said he wouldn't do the surgery on me because he didn't believe I was capable of changing my eating habits. I was devastated. When I got home, I decided to prove him wrong and in March I joined Weight Watchers online - had no choice, there are no meetings here where I live. Something clicked. So, today as I turn 65 I am 87 pounds lighter, I take 7 pills a day over 4 medications. One of those will stop in September when I hit my 5 year cancer free mark. I am still classified as morbidly obese, but I now believe I can get myself out of that.  And I can walk again! I'm looking forward to what I believe will be some of the best decades ever.

Life, whatever you have planned for me, bring it on! I'm ready.

Some of Life's Pleasures

Walking downtown this morning, I passed a lot that is just a large hole in the ground and noticed the business next to it was trying to make the little strip of ground between the hole and the sidewalk much nicer to look at. There are more things at the "green and growing" stage, but these are the first blooms.

It will be interesting to see what else appears over the summer.

I love watching my cats - so different in looks and personalities. Usually they keep their distance from each other, but every now and then they decide they're "best buds".

Got to clean those ears!

And those paws!

Did you hear that?

The landlord is having the house re-roofed and one of the workers had just started an electric tool of some sort.

And Yoda decided that this week it was his turn to investigate the grocery box.

Last week Snowy was the curious one.

We've had some lovely sunny days over the last week and last Saturday there was a beautiful sunset.

Little scraps of joys to brighten my days.

The Wednesday Of Wasn't(s)

I should be starting this off showing my progress on the Wedding Sampler, but there weren't any stitches added this week. Well, that's not the complete truth - I think I got in 5 - but definitely not worth an update.

I blame part of it on a stitchy bug that refuses to stay home and the rest of it on my part time post-retirement job that has become much more than part time lately. I will be glad when Michelle sells the business and I can go back to being just a regular too busy retiree! LOL

And I should be declaring that it's IHSW this weekend, but Joyce is out of the country and has much more important things on her mind this month. Doesn't mean I can't stitch of course, but the blog hopping and looking at everyone else's pretties won't be happening.

So, sorry everyone, it's a bust of a WIP week!

WIP Wednesday 6 May 2015

Well, the wedding sampler got all of my stitching attention again.

Here's where I was last Wednesday.

Here's where I stopped last night.

The leaves are done!

I was asked by D1-D2 for a close up of the leaves, so here it is.

Sorry, that's the best I could do with my phone, and that's the only camera I have at the moment.

And here is where I stitch next.

Back to the top left corner. I'm going to work on the satin and long stitches together in each area as I go. Hopefully they will go a little faster than the lazy daisy.

It's been really busy at work, so my take-with-me Sweet Tulips is still waiting for some attention.

See you all next week!

Pet Update

I was working on the computer last night and got the uneasy feeling I was being watched. Since I'm the only human in the suite, it was a little disconcerting, so I looked up and I was! Yoda was watching me from the left

and Snowy from the right.

I then looked at the clock and realized I was late for 'treat time'! Not sure what clock they use, but it keeps much better time than I do.

So, treats were given and they both went back to their regularly scheduled nap time.