ArtGirlJen Walks for Breast Cancer

Training in Progress

2010-02-27T19:10:00.000-06:00

Only 24 weeks until the big walk. I'm back on track with training and hope to be able to complete all 60 miles! Any ideas for my cross-training days so that I don't get bored? Last time I was in training I was tempted to just walk every day, but after the event I realized that those cross-training days are really important! This year I'm walking at the end of my vacation so I won't have as much time to recover!!!

Please keep Susannah and Carol (Avon Walk in Chicago) and Wendy (3-Day in Seattle) in your prayers as they train and raise funds too!

Whew! I have really been busy!

2009-11-30T13:43:00.000-06:00

I was sick for a little while, did a craft show, doing custom orders, working extra hours...so much to do & so little time! I'm not doing very well with keeping up with posts or with training or anything! School will be out in about 10 days, so then I will get SERIOUS! In the meantime I'm trying to just hold it all together...

Welcome to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure:

2009-10-08T13:49:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure:

Posted using ShareThis

How could I forget???

2009-09-16T01:23:00.000-05:00

I was just reading back through past posts and realized I never gave any updates about how the walk went in NYC! Now that I am back in training I will try to put some of my memories and pictures up from that walk, which was an AMAZING experience. I'm sure it will be motivating for me to remember the emotion of the whole thing. I am starting back on my eating and walking plan on Saturday...less than a year until my 60 Mile Journey!

Gearing up for the next walk!

2009-09-15T00:29:00.000-05:00

I'm just getting plans started for my next walk! This time I am going to do the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure in Michigan, in August of 2010. I have 11 months to get ready!!!

Quick Update!

2008-05-30T00:35:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't given an update in awhile, but here's a quick one: I have been training like mad!!! I've lost about 30 lbs so far & I'm walking a TON! I'll try to post a link to my training plan soon so you can walk along with me! I'm on schedule for walking a marathon and a half (39.3) miles in October in New York City. My first walkathon is the Williamson County Relay for Life on June 13-14. I'm on the Neoplastic Eliminators team & we've raised a good chunk of money already. After that walk I will be working like crazy on my fundraising for the the Avon Walk! Also, my cousin Amber is doing the 3-Day in Atlanta this fall. I'll post a link to her info too. More memories, training info, etc coming soon! Let's KILL CANCER, huh?!!!

Taking an Interest...

2007-10-15T00:56:00.000-05:00

Something I learned from Aunt Lill is that one way to show people that you care about them is to take interest in them. When I became a vegetarian I met with a lot of resistance/disbelief/ anger/etc from the people around me. Aunt Lill was different. She asked a lot of questions & seemed very respectful of my decision. When I went through my Urban Cow(girl) stage in elementary school, she never teased me. She never blinked during my punk rock days. She never tried to change me even though I'm sure sometimes she must have thought I was a nut! (Which is undoubtedly true ;-) She had specific ideas about how to live & act, but never seemed to pull away from me no matter how different I was/am. I'm sure she still keeps an interested eye on me to see what's next!

Craft Shows

2007-10-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

Nort, Ricky, and I went to a craft show yesterday as research for my upcoming show. They had a lot of nice stuff, but it was $$EXPENSIVE&&. I was thinking about when Ma & Aunt Lill used to do shows when I was young. The reason they did so well was that their stuff was NICE AND REASONABLY PRICED. After their first show, I usually went along to help. Unless the whole show was a dud, they could count on being pretty much mobbed. I noticed yesterday that not a single vendor had stuff like they used to sell. Mom did tons of cool ornaments & Aunt Lill used to make the neatest dolls. Her dolls were all fabric and she embroidered the faces. They had giant eyes. I wonder if Amber or Heather still has one...

Angels

2007-10-03T22:48:00.000-05:00

One of the things I used to enjoy discussing with Aunt Lill was spiritual matters. She had a deep faith & many times when we were visiting each other Nort, Aunt Lill, and I would end up talking about God and angels. I think these conversations really had a lasting impact on me as I searched for God in my own way. No matter where I was on the journey, I knew there would always be at least a few people praying for me. Aunt Lill was one of those people.

When I visited her for the last time to say goodbye, I was really struck by how peaceful she was. I think her heart was clear and she knew everything would eventually be okay. I know she is somewhere nice now & saving seats for the rest of us...

Talking...

2007-09-28T18:42:00.000-05:00

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post..I've been sick.

So, I've noticed lately that with parts of my family spread out over several states & two countries we keep in touch mostly by e-mail. Back in the day we used to talk on the phone all the time. Aunt Lill was famous for her long phone conversations. As I grew up, my voice started to sound more like ma's (& Aunt Lill's, and Aunt Rainie's, and the rest of the tribe). It wasn't unusual when I was a teenager for Aunt Lill to call to talk to Nort & get me instead. Most of the time we'd laugh & I'd get Nort. At least once, though, Aunt Lill and I talked for 15-20 minutes before she realized I wasn't my mom & I realized she had called to talk to her! She & I talked quite a bit too, so I thought she had just called to chit chat... I wish we all did a better job of keeping in touch now too. I'm trying to do better.

Fall is just around the corner...

2007-09-13T00:09:00.000-05:00

It's starting to get cooler here at night, so fall is on my mind. I was thinking about Halloween... since we lived on a main road we never got more than a few trick or treaters. Aunt Lill's neighborhood was WILD with little ghouls running around. She used to put together awesome treats for the kids she knew & that included me & Ricky. One year she had these big cups FULL of candy saved for us. I think she just really loved kids...

It's funny, when I decided to start posting memories I thought I would have a hard time. I AM having a hard time, but just deciding which memories to share... I still can't believe she's really gone. Cancer SUCKS!!!

Delicious Desserts!

2007-09-07T21:06:00.001-05:00

One thing I will always remember about Aunt Lill is the wonderful food she used to make. Whether it was a holiday or just a visit, you could count on her to have made something tasty to eat. I especially loved her desserts! There was one she made with chocolate pudding & cool whip....pure bliss! When I look at Marie's chocolate-faced birthday picture I think of Aunt Lill...she would've just ADORED being a grandma & making treats for her grandbabies...

Lady in Waiting...

2007-09-06T00:24:00.001-05:00

One memory that has stayed in my mind recently isn't really much of a memory. It is an image of Aunt Lill dressed as a Lady in Waiting at a Halloween party at our house. She was very pregnant with Scotty and had a big pointy hat. I think Uncle Meryl was Robin Hood or something. I was young & had no idea what a "Lady in Waiting" was supposed to be. I kept asking Ma about it, but couldn't quite figure out what she was "waiting" for... My Aunt Della was a "floozie." I didn't quite get that one either, but she was also wearing a hat... Uncle Jerry was a Go-Go dancer--THAT was an image to behold!

Up North at Gramp's & Gram's

2007-08-28T23:44:00.000-05:00

Today I was thinking about going up to Gram's & Gramps' in the summer when we were younger. In Atlanta Phil was telling us how jealous he & Scotty were that they had to go to bed at their regular time & we got to stay up around the campfire. Aunt Lill was pretty strict. I was thinking of one time when she was hopping mad: We were eating our "Christmas" type dinner where we cooked a turkey over the fire & buried the potatoes underneath, etc. & one of Gramps' birds--a chicken or a turkey--came along & snatched Scotty's food right out of his hand. Besides the dirt factor, Aunt Lill was not happy about the birds running around stealing food from her kids! The dirt factor drove her nuts too! She was constantly sweeping out the trailer & washing all of her kids. If one of them got crazy & got too dirty there was trouble waiting for them from their mom!

Partners in Craft...

2007-08-28T00:46:00.000-05:00

Today I have a crafty memory about Aunt Lill. I'm not sure how old I was, maybe 10 or so, when Mom & Aunt Lill decided to help me redecorate my doll house. It was a pretty basic house and I don't think I even had any dolls that really fit inside, but it definitely needed an upgrade. I helped with choosing the "wallpaper," but Ma & Aunt Lill really got into it. Each time Aunt Lill came over she had new furniture or something else tiny she had made for my house. We would work on it each time she was over, but I think my contribution was mostly gluing my fingers together. I still had one of the coolest dollhouses ever & I am carrying on the crafty legacy.

BTW, my Ravelry status:

You signed up on July 10, 2007
You are #15397 on the list.
4930 people are ahead of you in line.
13747 people are behind you in line.
35% of the list has been invited so far

Memory...

2007-08-24T00:05:00.000-05:00

Since I'm walking in memory of Aunt Lill, I thought it might be inspiring for me to write about my memories of her. I will try to come here more regularly to post a little reflection...

The other night when I was looking at our family pictures at http://www.myfamily.com/ I was thinking about the New Year's Eve party we had at our house when Aunt Lill was pregnant with Amber. They had just been in a car accident not long before & she had a neck brace on. Everyone was being silly like always & she kept telling us to stop making her laugh because it hurt. Every time we got together we'd end up laughing like a bunch of hyenas. I can still hear the sound of her laugh in my head...

What a day!!!

2007-08-01T00:24:00.000-05:00

Man, am I glad this day is nearly over! I'm sick, which starts everything out badly, but then when I'd been at work for only about 2 hours I got a call that my mom & bro were in a car accident. I met them in the ER. They will both be sore but otherwise fine. What a shake-up though! Then back to work, which was pretty uneventful for the rest of the evening. When I left the parking lot I turned my windshield wipers on (my windshield was kind of dirty) and a note was stuck under my wiper blade. I pulled off the road to grab it, but it had flown away & was nowhere to be found. So then I was paranoid that something was wrong with my car (tire problem like the one I just replaced??). I stopped at the post office next & promptly locked my keys in my car. I did have my cell phone in my pocket (which I keep there now that someone is getting stuck in the elevator every week...did I mention my friend B got stuck in the elevator tonight??) so I called my bro to bring me spare keys. I'm home now, coughing and wired, and still paranoid about the note that was on my car... SOOOOO glad tomorrow is a new day! Wondering, though, should I try to train even though I am sick, or rest until I'm better? Less than 10 weeks until my walk!

Relay for Life - Davidson County

2007-05-20T00:05:00.001-05:00

Tonight I walked with the Phi Theta Kappa team from school. It was wonderful weather for walking, not too warm or too cool. The sun was still up when the walking started, but the lights from the luminarias lined our path when it got dark. There was a very touching segment where all the walkers stopped walking, gathered in front of the band shell, and were silent while a lone bagpiper played Amazing Grace. Then we all walked quietly behind him as he continued to play... There is always a lot of emphasis on the survivors at events like this, but we have to remember that not everyone survives.

After a long time...

2007-05-04T00:45:00.000-05:00

I'm finally back! I've been EXTREMELY BUSY with crafting & getting used to working second shift (which I LOVE!!!). Also my friend Beff had her baby on 4/24 (MadKat). Both mom & baby were quite delicate at first, but doing much better now. I will be starting my training regimen in FULL BLAST on Monday...if I live through my craft show Saturday ;-). More info coming soon!!! Happy BIRTHday & welcome home MadKat! Auntie Jen loves you!

Reasons We Must Fight Breast Cancer

2007-01-25T10:28:00.000-06:00

This information is excerpted from my participant's guide and based on 2006 statistics from the American Cancer Society:

A woman living in the U.S. has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.
A new case of breast cancer is diagnosed every 3 minutes.
Breast cancer kills nearly 41,000 people a year--that equates to one every 13 minutes.
No one knows what causes breast cancer or how it can be prevented.
Men can get breast cancer too.

Frightening, huh?! For more information see www.avonfoundation.org

Under the Weather

2007-01-24T09:34:00.000-06:00

Today I have no energy. I didn't sleep well due to terrible congestion. I also had trouble getting comfortable because I'm achy and feverish. When I got up this morning and saw the white, frosty world outside I wished I could just crawl back under the covers. But, alas, this I could not do. So I will try to drag through the day with the goal of getting to bed early and hoping that this persistent cold will one day end. I can't even begin to think of going to the gym, but I know I should...

My first donor!

2007-01-23T10:48:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I got the first donation toward my fundraising campaign! Auntie S. sent me some cash in the mail! She also included an article about the Red Wings stomping the Predators, which did hurt, but I got my first donation! I'm so excited that I'm looking forward to doing my training today! Thanks Auntie S.!!!

Training Woes

2007-01-22T11:48:00.000-06:00

Today I'm really struggling with my training program. I just don't want to do it! I'm focusing on building strength in my knees and ankles so that I don't have as much pain when I walk longer distances, but I'm just not motivated. I don't know what the answer is other than Just Do It! I'll try to force myself today and maybe ask some people at the gym how they stay motivated. I'll also listen to podcasts for answers while I work. Maybe that will help...I hope so!

Starting Out

2007-01-19T12:34:00.000-06:00

Well, I've finally done it! This will be my official blog for preparing for my two-day Breast Cancer walk in New York City this October. I'm training, planning my fundraising campaign, and collecting the items on my packing list. This is where I'll keep track of all my progress. Some of the sections I plan to add are To Do List, Breast Cancer Facts, link to Personal Fundraising Page, Packing List, Training Plan, Training Progress, Press Outlets, and more as they occur to me! I hope you will join me on my journey to New York!