Stitching For a Cure

Hello it's me!

2011-09-25T10:52:00.001-05:00

I know I have been MIA lately. Please excuse me. I have been incredibly busy with work.
Many of you followed me during my Aha Moment with Mutual of Omaha.
They are to the voting stage. If you are interested you can view the site. If you like please click on the Facebook "like" button or on the tweet button just below my picture before the stitching for a cure writing. Also if you will vote to the side of it where it says how you found the video to be.
I am now #21 most popular of 2011. The top ten will be looked at for a national commercial.
Thanks. The link is: My Aha
Donna

Memories

2011-08-21T16:59:00.003-05:00

When I made the decision not to work on any projects for ACS Stitching for a Cure project this year, I was afraid I would lose touch with all of you who have meant so much to me. Luckily for the most part, that has not happened. I have kept up with you all through your blogs, and FB.
I have thought a lot about you here lately. I have been so blessed with such good friends. I still can't believe how all of you responded to my request to help and sent such beautiful ornaments and quilt squares. We made such a difference in so many lives.
I was also looking at the beautiful quilt and pillow that many of you made for me. It is too hot to even think about wrapping up in it, but I am looking really forward to cooler days when I can. It is so pretty and it was such a surprise when I received it. Thank you again to all of you.
Next year I will be diving into more projects, both for juvenile diabetes and for ACS. And I will be looking to all of you to help.
I hope you know how much you all mean to me. You are truly God's special gifts!

2011-08-03T09:38:00.005-05:00

Hello All! This is Donna's daughter Jennifer. My mom said it would be OK to post this here so I hope it's OK with you all as well. As you all probably are aware, Stitching for a Cure switched to raising money for Juvenile Diabetes this year. My son, Craig, has Type 1 Diabetes and was diagnosed on March 23, 2011. I am running a small fundraiser to raise money for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).

I am selling Juice Gems (lip glosses). They are made by mark. the cosmetics and fashion company I work for. They sell for $6.50 a piece and $2.00 off the sale of each one will be donated to JDRF. My goal is to sell 50 lipglosses and raise $100 for JDRF.

The Juice Gems are berry and fruit flavored lipglosses with a hint of color. Perfect for any girl or woman even if they don't wear make-up. Think of them as gifts for teachers (back to school), daughters/granddaughters, anyone you know! You'll be getting them a cute, affordable gift and helping a great cause at the same time!

For more information e-mail me at jenny.markgirl@gmail.com or check them out on my eBoutique and use code 'WELCOME' for free shipping!

Thank you all for listening to me! I hope you have a great day!

Love,
Jennifer

Must check this out!

2011-06-11T14:22:00.001-05:00

My friend Marian posted this on her blog and I must share this brave girl's blog link. It is called Alice's Bucket List
Check it out.

My Aha Moment

2011-05-17T20:14:00.002-05:00

Well, my Aha Moment has been posted. Click on the words Aha Moment
It was interesting to see how they took the interview questions and made it into a video. Check it out if you like and let me know what you think.

What a day!

2011-05-10T18:59:00.012-05:00

Today was the filming of My Aha Moment. It was quite the day! They treat you so well and it was so much fun.
I got to tell them all about you all and the wonderful work you did. I knew one of the three winners of the quilts and I was able to borrow it for the shoot. And I had one ornament left and I showed it during the interview.
I need to tell you I have several photos to show you.
First, here is a picture of me entering the Airstream that serves as the studio:

Once you go into the end of the Airstream, you enter into one room that is the camera room, then into the interview room. They have a chair stool for you. Dave, the cameraman, goes back into the first room and closes the door. Jess, the interviewer, is in the room with you.
Here I am getting ready for the interview:

She asks several probing questions. What made you start SFAC? Why do you like to cross stitch? How did people respond to your blog? What kind of satisfaction did you get from helping bring others to help make a difference? What would you tell people to encourage them to do something like this?
I showed the ornament:

Then I showed the quilt:

I talked at length about the quilts and the meaning of the colors. We also talked about the center piece, the poem "What Cancer Cannot Do".
Then they take your picture like you are a model:

I felt very special. They said that in about 3 weeks they will send me the link to the place on the website where the interview is. After they go to the other towns (Waco was the first on the 25 town tour) they will chose 75 videos. From those, people (like you) can vote on your favorite and the top 10 are commercials in 2012.
Very exciting! Just the possibility is exciting.
Here is a picture of me afterward, standing next to the Airstream:

All in all it was quite the day! It was really nice going back to my very first post to see what had inspired me to go on this journey. And what a journey it has been!

Ready or not, here they come

2011-05-06T21:57:00.003-05:00

Well it is almost time for me to share my Aha moment. I checked the website and they have a blog.
Evidently Waco is the first stop in the 2011 tour.
I am somewhat nervous. I am used to public speaking, but not something like this, that will be viewed on their website.
In getting ready for the interview, I decided I needed to color my hair. My gray roots were showing and it needed to be done. And I wanted to go back to red. I have colored my hair a number of times and with few exceptions it has always turned out well.
I experienced one of those few exceptions on Wednesday. I had asked my stylist for some tips and she gave me a formula. I followed it to the best of my ability. Now remember, we had done some serious highlighting on my hair for my birthday in February. And those highlights were still on my hair.
So what do you get when you mix red with white? Well pink of course. So here I was. Red hair with pink streaks.
So tonight I actually visited my stylist who "fixed" my hair and gave me a great cut too. She is even coming in on Tuesday morning, the day of the shoot and styling my hair. And it is her birthday. And it is her day off. But she is doing it for me. And something about "if it goes to a national commercial, I will show everyone that I was your stylist".
So keep your fingers crossed I don't do anything else. I don't lose my voice, etc. And let's hope I can get across what this blog and all of you mean to me.
Talk to you on Tuesday!

Very exciting news

2011-04-24T19:46:00.002-05:00

Have any of you seen the Mutual of Omaha's "Aha moment" commercials?
In order to make those commercials, they seek out individuals to tell about their "Aha Moments". They travel to about 25 towns a year with a mobile studio, interview folks and then put their stories on the website above. Then people vote on the story they like the best and 10 of them are selected to be national commercials.
I had the surprise of my life when the marketing director contacted me and said the mobile studio was coming to my town in April and they wanted to interview ME! about my stitching for a cure project.
Of course I said yes and on May 10 at 12:10 I will be telling my story! It will then go onto their website (I will get a link for you all to see and if you like, vote on).
I have no idea where they got my name or my blog from, but it is all very exciting!
So stay tuned! I will be posting more as soon as I know.

So here we go...

2011-04-01T19:57:00.000-05:00

I am so excited, I can hardly contain myself. Vee, of VeeandCo Cross Stitch Designs has done it again!
We have a new design for our new project.
Oh, I didn't tell you about the new project? Well, as usual I am ahead of myself.
We are going to be making ornaments or floss tag rings (your choice) and will sell them to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes Awareness.
I do not have a venue yet to sell these at, but I am sure I will find one. I know my daughter's family will participate in a run at some point, so that might be a good place. We also have a healthcare alliance group here and they may be doing something also.
We are not on a huge deadline at this time, probably no earlier than October or November.
Here is a picture of the design:

The design, stitched as a 14 count will be about 2.8 inches square (design size). The total ornament will be around 3.5 inches square complete. It will be stitched on the stitcher's choice of color fabric, either 14 count or 28 count over 2.
Last time we did ornaments, some of you were concerned because you were finishing "challenged" (your words, not mine). So I will be happy to finish any ornaments that are stitched. I do ask that you cut your fabric at least 5 inches square so I will have enough fabric to wrap and finish.
I am also ordering some lip fabric to do the backs with. So if you would like some of that fabric to complete your ornament, shoot me an email. I found some on J&O Fabrics that I think is cute.
I will attach the pattern to the right top of the blog as I have done in the past.
THANKS VEE!
And Susan Ebright of Trail Creek Farm Designs has given us rights to use her Lip Love pattern, which is now out of print. It will be similar to the design by Vee. I want to keep everything with the same "look".
I am going to need a charter to help convert the Lip Love pattern to the new design. If you think you are up to the challenge, please email me at my email address, stitchingforacure@yahoo.com
So folks, here we go again. We are stitching for a cure for a new project. But always, always making a difference, one stitch at a time.

I think it is time for a change

2011-03-27T09:29:00.000-05:00

When I started Stitching for a Cure over 2 years ago, it was in an effort to raise money and awareness for American Cancer Society Relay For Life.
It was extremely successful, but very time consuming. We accomplished more than I ever dreamed of.
But for some time I have felt the need to step back and perhaps focus on some other cause. It has been a struggle. I have felt torn.
Things became very clear this past week. Many of you have seen my posts on both my blog, this one and Princess Pattern Collecto r about my grandchildren.
Both the boys visited me last weekend and I knew something was wrong with my youngest, Craig. He was drinking a lot and having to go to the bathroom a lot. He turned 7 while he was visiting and had long grown out of wetting the bed. But while here, he did.
My daughter told me these symptoms had just started a few days before she visited and that she thought he possibly had a bladder infection. But the discussion soon turned to diabetes.
As soon as they returned home, she called the pediatric clinic. We are glad she did. Craig was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. He was hospitalized until yesterday. He is still having difficulty with spiking blood sugars but is doing well.
Craig is handling everything wonderfully. But as a grandmother, I worry about his long term health.
So now my focus, at least for now, has turned to helping raise awareness and funds for Juvenile Diabetes. I am not sure how my stitching and how this blog are going to play into everything, but I am convinced God will show me a plan.
Please follow me as I start on this path. Stitching for a cure. Hmm... Seems like there is more than one meaning for that phrase.
I love all of you. Thank you for your support!

Taking time off

2011-02-03T16:37:00.000-06:00

Some of you have contacted me about what this year's project is going to be.
I have given it great thought and have decided I need to take some time off. This project has grown so big and last year was a tough year for me, both with my personal health and with the task of maintaining a Relay For Life team (make that 3 teams last year).
While I will still raise money for the Relay and while I am still dedicated to saving lives through it, I just need some time for my family and myself.
I will continue to post on this blog stories of survival and informational stuff. And I might even do a project or two for a later Relay. So stay tuned. I am not "going away". Just going to be in the background for awhile.
You all have been such an inspiration to me and I look forward to working with all of you again soon!
Thanks.
Donna

A Christmas Miracle

2010-12-27T18:03:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve brought good news. REALLY GOOD NEWS!
My director and his wife were at MD Anderson for nearly two weeks. If you read the post prior to this one, you know they found a mass on her pancreas but were unable to get a biopsy for it. MD Anderson had the technology to deal with it and so they went there.
On the eve before Christmas Eve I received a message that it wasn't a mass after all but rather scar tissue from all the pancreatitis she had been dealing with. So there is no cancer.
And it looks like they will be able to control the problem with medications!
They were able to come home for Christmas and are now back at MD Anderson for more tests and possible treatments.
What a wonderful gift we were given! Prayers have been answered.
What I have learned from this is that even when you think there is no way things can get better, God is BIG enough!
Just after they went to MD Anderson, I had a donor come into my office. She had called me earlier about a special patient and we had shared a moment-a moment that God could do big things.
She had a bracelet that her church was giving out in support of this young woman she had called me about. It said simply "God is BIG enough"
I took that bracelet and have worn it since then.
No matter what your religion is or your particular thoughts on prayer, remember that God is BIG enough to handle whatever we have.

Really, that long?

2010-12-19T08:22:00.000-06:00

Really has it been that long since I last posted? Can't be. But it has.
I haven't been stitching much at all. I haven't even thought about the next Relay For Life project.
The quilts went over really well. But the one request I get over and over is for something to sell as an individual item rather than a raffle.
So I think we will do ornaments again. I need to figure out which pattern. But generally any one of the several I have posted patterns for will work.
The past month or so has been really hard on me. My director's wife, who is an absolute angel, has a mass on her pancreas. No small mass. It is located on the valve where the blood supply goes from the pancreas to the liver. They tried to do a biopsy, but were unsuccessful.
They are now at MD Anderson in testing. The mass will have to be removed and that is no small task. And then there is the biopsy to see whether it is malignant or benign.
We have all been in prayer over this. She is such a faithful Christian and is just precious. I keep reminding myself this is why I Relay. But this is too close to home.
And it is so close to Christmas, which is her favorite holiday. Chances are she will be in the hospital for Christmas. Yuck. So Christmas will have to come to her.
Please pray for a miracle. We need one here. A big Christmas miracle.
Now, I refuse to end this post with bad news. It is Christmas. We have been blessed in so many ways. You have blessed me. You have brought joy to me. I hope I have done the same for you.
I found out recently that my youngest grandson Craig has taken it upon himself to pray for all the grandmas and great grandmas in his family. "Dear Looorrrrd, thank you for my family. And thank you for grandma, mo-mo, GG, abuella and all the grandmas. Please don't let a tornado or hurricane hit the house. And please don't let any space aliens come down from outer space. Amen."
At least we know we are up there with the big stuff, hurricanes and space aliens.
And to all a goodnight.

Stop childhood cancer

2010-10-30T08:59:00.000-05:00

A friend who lost her son to cancer posted this. I had to share it.
"Tonight, as you tucked your healthy kids into their own beds,or snuggled with them in yours,somewhere in some hospital,46 sets of parents were looking at their babies in shock after being told cancer had just invaded their lives. Tonight, 7 sets of parents are spending their first night without their children. IT pisses me off.STOP CHILDHOOD CANCER!"
Let's keep up the fight until we don't have to fight anymore.

Survivor walk, and Relay wrap up

2010-10-17T17:58:00.000-05:00

We had a great time at Relay last year, but I won't lie. This year's Relay For Life was tough. I don't know why. Maybe it is because I did 3 Relays. Maybe it is because of the health challenges I had. But whatever it was, I am glad we did it and glad it is over.
I finished up last night with $940 total. I came to Relay last night with $909 in the bag and got another $31 at Relay.
I was disappointed that we finished up $60 under our goal of $1000 for this Relay. Then an amazing thing happened. My friend Debra messaged me on Facebook and said, you got your $60. WOW! WE DID IT! WE MADE $1000 at the Waco Relay For Life!
That brings our total for all three Relays to $2276. OVER $2000 MADE FOR AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY RELAY FOR LIFE!
I didn't do this alone. I did it with a lot of help from you, my friends. A LOT OF HELP. And I love each and every one of you for all your help. I talked a lot about you last night.
God bless each and every one of you. You have made a difference!

Are you ready?

2010-10-14T19:53:00.000-05:00

New breast cancer awareness pattern

2010-10-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

There is a new breast cancer awareness pattern at By the Bay Needleart blog
Hop over there and check it out. It is really cute!
And don't forget that October is breast cancer awareness month. When was the last time you were felt up?
The Waco Relay For Life is less than 2 weeks away. I am excited, but really ready for it to be over with. This year has been a tough one. Hopefully we will raise lots and lots of money for all the good things American Cancer Society does for local cancer patients!

What could be better?

2010-09-16T22:13:00.000-05:00

What could be better than this ornament made by a friend?

Well, 5 more ornaments made by friends!

You might recognize the first ornament as the one I posted before stitched by Janice B. The others were stitched by Trudy E, Barb B., Laurie D. (breast cancer survivor also) and Shiela F.
These kind ladies heard my plea for ornaments for the breast cancer survivor volunteers and stitched these, with the request that I finish them into ornaments. I was very happy to do that.
And we had such a great turnout for the plea with more ornaments than needed for the volunteers, so I asked them if I could use these for fundraising for Relay For Life. They said yes, so this Saturday I will be selling these six ornaments for $10 a piece at our fundraising craft fair/garage sale.
I will also be selling these completed pieces, which you have seen with the stitching finished, but not completely done.

And last but by no means least, I have this beautiful ornament made by Lisa for the survivor volunteers:

Thanks so much for all of your help! We will be selling tickets for the quilt drawing this weekend at the craft fair also. I am hoping to raise the last $236 to bring the Waco Relay money raised to $1000 by itself from these projects. That will be about a total of $1700 so far for all three Relays together!
AMAZING!
So keep stitching and as we are bringing the 2010 Relay For Life to a close, think about whether we want to continue this project. I am thinking we could do individual ornaments that we sell individually rather than doing a drawing next year. You tell me what you want to do.
I will pop back in after the sale and let you know where we stand at that point!

The last

2010-09-06T21:55:00.000-05:00

I have finished stitching my last piece for the 2010 Relay For Life. I still have several ornaments from friends I have to finish off into ornaments and I have to put the trim around this one, but I am through for now.
Here is a pic of it. It is the same "C is for Cure" freebie I did before but in different colors.

My focus now will be the Sept. 18th Craft Fair/Garage Sale that I will sell the ornaments and finished pieces at and also sell tickets for the last quilt. Then on Oct. 16th is the RELAY FOR LIFE! That will be my last opportunity to sell tickets and then we will draw the winner that night. I am $341 away from my goal of $1000 for this Relay alone. We are well over that amount for the other 2 Relays held earlier this year. I expect we come in around $2000 total this year for RFL which is absolutely amazing.
So if you have anything out there you want to donate for this year's RFL please send it my way. And get ready for 2011. We are going to blow it out of the water next year!
I will pop back in with more updates!

Childhood Cancer Month

2010-09-01T22:28:00.000-05:00

Do you ever wonder why we are doing this project? I have to say that yes, at times, I have wondered why. Keeping up with everything, selling tickets, going to the Relays, sometimes it is overwhelming.
46 children will be diagnosed with cancer today. 9 of those children will die from it. Of the 37 who do survive, 25 of them will suffer from long-term or late onset side effects... things such as secondary cancers due to chemo treatment, fertility loss, memory loss, etc. Yes, they're sobering statistics. Yes, it's hard to read. But yes, it's reality. It's our reality. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Then I remember. DUH! We are making a difference. We are helping save lives with our talents. Relay For Life is the biggest fundraiser for American Cancer Society. So big that the theme "Relay isn't all we do, but all we do depends on Relay" has been the mantra this year.
So keep those needles flying. We are MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
And if you have a healthy child, hug them and say a prayer for those fighting the battle. Hugs to all of you!

A new ornament and a finsh

2010-08-31T20:14:00.000-05:00

I have finished off the C is for Cure. I put a cute little yellow polka dot bow in the corner of the finished piece and on the back I have the cutest fabric that has Hope written all over it. I attached a miniature photo frame on the back so whoever purchases the piece can put a picture of a loved one in it. Hopefully it will bring in some money for ACS.
I received several of the blackwork pieces by my friends in MD. They requested I finish them into ornaments or smalls.
Here is one of them that I finished as an ornament (the hanger hasn't been put on it yet, though). It was made by Janice B. from Baltimore, MD. She is a breast cancer survivor! HOORAY FOR SURVIVORS!

Hopefully I will have more to show in a few days.

Another ornament from a friend

2010-08-29T17:57:00.001-05:00

Karen stitched this beautiful ornament for the Reach For A Cure volunteers. I really appreciate it!
I have also received many other stitched pieces that need to be made into ornaments that we are going to sell the night of Relay For Life. I have ordered some fabric (it is that same Hope fabric that Jeanine used in my previous post) that I am going to finish them with.
I also stitched up the C is for Cure freebie by Lizzie Kate and Just Cross stitch magazine I talked about in my last post.

I used Strawberry Milkshake lugana by Silkweavers and changed the color of the threads. I think it is really cute!
Our last Relay in 2010 is on Oct. 16th. We will draw for the winner of the quilt at that time. Then take a deep breath and get ready for 2011!
Thanks again for everything. We really are in this together!

New pattern

2010-08-21T09:17:00.001-05:00

Just Cross Stitch Magazine, Sept./Oct. issue has a new pattern from Lizzie Kate, C is for Cure. AND they have posted the freebie on their website: Just Cross Stitch
While I very much encourage you to purchase the whole issue because it has some really cute stuff in it, you can jump over in the meanwhile and print off this freebie!
I am off to stitch!
P.S. I have been asked if we will be doing another round of ornaments. The answer is YES! They won't be due until at least March for the next year's Relays (I think I am doing 2). The request from Relayers is that they want to be able to purchase individual ornaments rather than do a drawing for a group of them. So I am responding to their request for next year.
We are still selling tickets for the drawing for the last quilt for the Waco Relay For Life. That happens Oct. 16.
We will catch our breath, enjoy the holidays and start another year!

Ornaments for breast cancer survivors

2010-08-12T19:00:00.000-05:00

I reached out to you asking for help making some ornaments for our volunteers who are breast cancer survivors and work on our Reach For Recovery fund raising luncheon.
And you responded! Last week and this week I have really enjoyed checking my mailbox.
I received this beautiful ornament from Meari

The back is so pretty and has a little charm that says "I made this for you".
And then yesterday I received this trio of ornaments from my friend Jeanine. They are so pretty, front and back.

The back of one of them has some really cute fabric that says "hope". I don't know where she got this fabric from, but it is just so cha-cha!

She also included 2 handmade bags. These bags are about 8x8 and have a nice little pocket inside. VERY, VERY NICE! I am going to sell these and raise even more money for Relay For Life!

I have had e-mails from a couple of others that they will be sending ornaments soon. The luncheon is in September so we are good on time.
Thank you is not enough for what all of you have done for this cause. We do make a difference with each stitch we take.

As always

2010-07-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

As always, you stitchers have come through for me. I have secured enough stitchers to make ornaments for the Reach for Recovery Luncheon volunteers. I may even have 1 or 2 more than I needed, but you never know when an ornament will come in handy!
It amazes me what kind of response I get when I put out a need plea. But it shouldn't surprise me.
Because throughout these projects I have found there are really good folks out there that want to use their talents to help others. Esp. in these economic times, I think we have all had to look at ourselves and at others in a different prospective. Many have been profoundly affected by loss of jobs, lower income and illnesses.
But yet we reach beyond our need to the needs of others. And many times that fills our heart with gladness, a gladness that we wouldn't have merely helping ourselves.
We have been blessed by using our talents to make a difference in our community. Thank you for being such a blessing to me.
And I have another request (if I may humbly submit another request). Many local blood banks are having a tough time this summer. A great deal of the blood supply is given by high school and college students. When they are out of school for the summer, the blood supply typically drops. This summer has been more dramatic nationwide.
So if you can give, please do so. If you can't but know someone who can, please encourage them to give. Remind them (and yourselves) to drink plenty of fluids, esp. water before giving and to eat a good meal high in iron at least 4 hours before they donate. Giving the gift of life is something so very important.
Thank you for allowing me to request this of you!

Some pics of the Gatesville Relay For Life

2010-06-29T20:27:00.000-05:00

I may not have been able to attend the Gatesville Relay For Life, but that doesn't mean my camera couldn't be there. Here are some photos of the Relay. Check out the pics of our Carter BloodCare Stitching For A Cure table. You can see one of the quilts and the pillows that people purchased chance tickets for!

And here is a picture of all the survivors that were out that night. And a picture of JoLeen and a committee member (Jo's in the purple shirt). JoLeen is a Hero of Hope and a breast cancer survivor. One of the pink squares on the quilt was stitched for her!

Also, don't forget to check my previous post for a new way to help! Now onto the Waco Relay For Life!

New opportunity to help

2010-06-27T20:52:00.001-05:00

I have been requested by the survivors chairperson for the Waco Relay For Life to stitch 6 ornaments to be given to breast cancer survivors who are volunteering for our Reach to Recovery Fundraising Luncheon in October.
I need the ornaments in my hand by September 1 if possible. We have selected the blackwork pattern on the right side of my blog.
The thread will be pink DMC and can be stitched on either 28 count lugana or 14 count aida in a white or off white color. I would be happy to provide you with the fabric if you decide to do it. There are a few beads on the design.
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE FINISHING IT INTO AN ORNAMENT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I can do the finishing for you but I have specific margin requests around the stitching.
Please email me at stitchingforacure@yahoo.com if you have questions or would like to stitch an ornament.

Last chance to help Gatesville Relay For Life

2010-06-25T18:40:00.000-05:00

Tonight I sit at home, on medical restriction, unable to attend Gatesville Relay For Life. I have come to terms with the fact that now is the time to take care of me.
But I can still do one last ditch effort to raise funds. From tonight through next Friday night, if you would like to donate to Relay For Life please go to:
Gatesville Relay For Life and click on the donate button. That will take you to my fundraising site for Relay.
You all have done so much for American Cancer Society and for me and the patients. I understand if you cannot do this and please do not feel obligated to do so. I am simply reaching out in the ways I know how to help.
Remember, cancer doesn't sleep and the Relayers will be walking all night in the Texas heat. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers! Thanks.
Donna

A sad end

2010-06-21T22:03:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, a few weeks ago I thought I was having a heart attack and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. It wasn't a heart attack thank God!
But I have had a couple of episodes of extremely high blood pressure (208/120) that had a sudden onset. Still have some chest discomfort.
The doctor has me on a blood pressure medicine and I have had a stress test and a non-stress x-ray. A visit to the cardiologist today told me that the stress test was clear except for an area he couldn't really see due to the shadow of my breast. At this time he is going to watch me and do a few more tests. Any more chest pain and we are headed for an angiogram, which is dangerous for me due to a clotting disorder I have.
But here is the real kicker. I have to slow down. And I cannot go to the Gatesville, TX Relay For Life this weekend. It breaks my heart.
My family and friends have been asking me not to go due to the extreme heat here in Texas and I was trying hard to listen to their advice. But when the Cardiologist said no go, I had to take his advice (which BTW my DH says he really likes this doctor because he made my husband's advice right!).
And I have to slow down on how active I am with the Waco RFL. I am the sponsorship chairperson and I am going to have to meet with the chairs for Relay and see what we can do to make this work.
But thanks to my co-worker, Terry and his beautiful wife, we will carry on. They are going to be out at Relay and will sell tickets for the quilt. Before they leave a name will be drawn and if the winner is there, they will receive the quilt that night and a picture will be taken.
But I won't be there. Life is not fair, but no one said it would be. And I need to take care of me in order to keep doing these things to make a difference in cancer patients lives.
So please think of me and say a prayer. And spend some time Friday night thinking of the wonderful souls that will be walking through the night because cancer doesn't sleep.
Onward we go...

We have topped $1000!

2010-05-28T15:28:00.000-05:00

Today we held a bake sale/chance ticket sale at work for Relay For Life. We made $256, much of it was donations and chance ticket sales.
What is significant about today is that it put the grand total we have raised so far for the combination of the three Relays For Life at

$1147.00

WOW! Can you believe this? And we still have two of the Relays to go. We will be selling chance tickets for the Gatesville Relay up to and including June 25th, the night of the Relay.
Waco's Relay isn't until October and we will be selling tickets up to and including that date.
So there is lots more time to raise lots more money! I really think we will see $2000!
Thanks to all !

Gatesville News Article

2010-05-13T08:48:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the grainy picture of this article. It was in last Wednesday's Gatesville Messenger, which is a small local newspaper for Gatesville, TX. I thought you might like to see it. They do not have the article online and so I scanned this:

I hope you can read it. The article itself was wonderful!

My time on Facebook isn't a total waste of time

2010-05-09T22:51:00.000-05:00

I have to admit it. I am spending waaaayyyy too much time on Facebook. But I find all kinds of neat stuff out there.
One of the things I found is this great blog about this great guy named Terry. He is going on a motorcycle run around the country to promote cancer awareness.
You see, Terry is a SURVIVOR!
Check out this blog for more info. Terry's big adventure
I wish him luck in his travels!

Colon cancer awareness fabric

2010-05-05T21:39:00.000-05:00

One of the things I am most proud of in relation to this blog is that it serves as a place that people can look for answers to different questions, particularly stitchers looking for cancer awareness patterns.
I hope to help educate and serve as a listening ear to those "going through" it.
Such is the case with a request I received.
A crafter that reads my blog is looking for some fleece fabric with dark blue colon cancer ribbons on it. She wants to make a blanket for her mother. We have both been searching the internet, but have found none. Now I know it is out there because there are ready made items with it on them.
Have any of you seen fabric such as this? If so, please let me know as soon as possible. Thanks.

Killeen Relay is a SUCCESS!

2010-05-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

Last night was the Killeen, TX Relay For Life! It was the first Relay of 2010 that I am participating in. It was a huge success!
We had 139 teams, 1518 participants and raised $176, 111!
I left my camera at home and didn't realize it until I was almost to Killeen, so unfortunately I have no photos to show you.
The Killeen quilt brought in $300! Amazing! And I believe this will be the lowest amount brought in on the 3 quilts. The Waco one is already at $435 and we still have until October to raise money for that! That doesn't include the $50 we made off of the photo cube, which brings the total to $485 raised for Waco! And then there is Gatesville which has already brought in $72 off of it's quilt and I just started selling tickets for that!
That means we have raised $857 so far! This is wonderful!
Now let me tell you some highlights from last night. First off it didn't rain. Which was a miracle from God because it was definitely forecasted for rain.
And the 1518 participants? That was just actual team members. It didn't include all the visitors who weren't on a team. At 7:00pm when the kickoff and survivor walk was occurring, there were a line of cars in the parking lot looking for parking spaces. You could see the line went on FOREVER!
And the survivor walk! What can I say? I walked the first lap as a 23 year survivor. Slowly, but I made it. The walking I have been doing helped prepare me for this. I was huffing and puffing but I made it.
And just as I got back to my seat, along came a survivor with a friend walking the track. She was walking slowly with a walker. It took her a LONG time to get around the track. But let me tell you she put us all to shame. She did it with STYLE! She would stop every once and awhile and do a little dance, she sang along with the music and she was so cute I just wanted to run to the track and hug her.
This Relay's survivor's lap was different. They had the survivors line up on the track. Just behind them, facing the opposite way, was the caregivers. When the survivors got around the track they were met by the caregivers, who then joined them on the next lap.
The first 3 survivors leading the lap were small children. I still tear up when I think about how sweet they looked.
Speaking of tears, there were lots of them. But there were also lots of smiles! Lots of "way to gos" and "you're doing great!".
Their luminary ceremony isn't held until around midnight. After being at the track from 3:30 until 9:30 I had to call it a night. A migraine sent me home and since I had to drive an hour in the dark, I decided to not let it get any worse before I headed home.
But it was so much fun! They had a national RFL photographer out there and he took a picture of our campsite, which was made up of my new double lawn chair with umbrella set, the quilt hanging from the umbrella and a table with our sign on it.
Maybe in the new RFL promos, you will see me!
If you have never been to a Relay For Life, I encourage you to find one in your area and GO! It is fun and will inspire you!
Now onto June 26 and the Gatesville Relay!
And speaking of the Gatesville Relay, the quilt is going to be featured in tomorrow's Gatesville Messenger. Be sure to check back here for the link!

Hope for a cure --UPDATED 04/26

2010-04-25T18:33:00.000-05:00

Today I finished a small project that I am going to sell chance tickets for tomorrow night at the Relay For Life, Waco team captain meeting.
It is a photo cube that I stained myself and then I stitched a little piece on purple 28 count Lugana with spring colors. It says HOPE in big letters, and then For a cure in backstitching.
I think it is quite cute. I framed the stitch piece with spring colored varigated rick rack and attached it to the top of the photo cube. I think it is perfect for a Mother's Day gift!
Here is a pic of it:

I am going to sell the tickets for $1 a piece or 6 for $5. Hopefully I will make $25 off of it! More money for Relay!
Hope you all have a fantabulous week!
UPDATE! WE MADE $50 OFF OF THE CHANCES FOR THIS LITTLE JEWEL! AMAZING!

Stories of hope & survival

2010-04-17T18:23:00.000-05:00

Today I went to Killeen for the Relay For Life garage sale. We had a table there to sell chances for the quilt, as well as recruit for our blood drive we were having.
First of all it poured. I mean, the heavens opened up and dropped an ocean on us. And the person at the garage sale didn't mark off spots for our blood mobile which meant we were at the back of the parking lot.
But that didn't stop people from coming to donate. Our numbers were lower than what we would have liked, but people responded to our need.
We made $45 on the quilt which was good given that this was a garage sale crowd and not a craft fair crowd. $30 of that was simply a donation from two folks.
I don't know what it is about me that people feel comfortable "opening up" to me, but I do consider it a blessing. Today was no different.
At the start of my day, a mother and daughter came by, looked at the quilt and when I told them about it, both started to cry. I asked if one of them was a survivor and the daughter said "it is too fresh" and walked away. So I looked at the mom, told her I was a 23 year survivor and whatever it was, she would get through it. She cried, and then told me she was a 5 year survivor--until yesterday. They found another cancer spot in a different part of her body. We talked briefly, I tried to encourage her and told her I would think of her as I walked in Relay in 2 weeks.
A little time passed and an older gentleman came and looked at the quilt. He told me he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and prostate cancer a few years ago. Basically, they told him there wasn't much hope, but that he should go to the VA since he was a veteran. He did and found out that the lymphoma was probably caused by agent orange during the Vietnam war. They told him they could help him and he has been cancer free for 10 years. When the doctor sees him, he calls him "his walking miracle". I shook his hand and told him I was proud to meet a miracle. About 20 minutes later, he came back, laid $20 on the table and told me to donate it to ACS to help others.
Just before I left, another couple came by and asked about the quilt. We talked and their son has lymphoma is is undergoing treatment. We talked for awhile, cried for awhile, and then smiled for awhile, assured the treatment was going to work. They left a $10 donation.
You know, I am truly blessed. God gave me the ability to talk with folks and to listen with folks and to try to understand what they are going through. I pray today I helped someone along the way on their journey. I know they helped me.

Songs of Love

2010-04-15T20:24:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! I just heard about this great site that helps children and teens going through treatments for cancer.
When I heard about it on CBS Morning Show I thought "wow! Someone is using their talents like we use ours to help cancer patients". It was amazing.
What these people do is to bring musicians together to record a song for a specific patient. The song is about that person, their hobbies, likes, dislikes, personalities, etc. Then they send the song to the patient to enjoy. It can help them get through nasty stuff like MRI's and getting stuck over and over again. Mostly they just know that someone cared enough about them, someone that didn't know them personally cared enough to do something just for THEM!
They have a website. It is called Songs of Love and the website is http://www.songsoflove.org
and is wonderful to read about what they do. And they need donations, so if you feel moved, do something to help!
Wow! Stitching for a cure, songs of love, what next?

Some recognition!

2010-04-01T21:59:00.000-05:00

Tonight I attended the Gatesville, TX Relay For Life team captain meeting. It was absolutely amazing! I love those folks there.
We sold $32 in "opportunity" (no raffle here, legal eagles) tickets for the quilt and for pillows. That means just on the Gatesville quilt we have sold $72 in "opportunity" tickets. That is just Gatesville. I have the Killeen one and the Waco one we have sold tickets for. And we are just beginning.
The best part is their hometown newspaper is doing an article on the quilts and on the wonderful part each of you have played in this fundraiser for such a great cause!
I have a craft fair on April 17 that I will be selling tickets at as well as another one on May 1st. So we have lots of time to raise money for Killeen/Gatesville and we have all the way until October for the Waco Relay!
I will post the article or the link to the article here when it comes out! Great job everyone!

The new quilt is in!

2010-03-20T23:45:00.001-05:00

I received the new quilt for the Waco Relay For Life today. I start selling raffle tickets for it at our Relay Kick-Off on Monday!
These are lousy pictures, but here is the front and back of the quilt. The editor on my Photosnap is not working correctly now.

Thanks again to all the stitchers who worked on this project and esp. to our quilter, Halina who did the quilting on both!
I will keep you updated on how much we raise with these quilts!

Why do you Relay?

2010-03-09T17:24:00.000-06:00

Or rather "why are you so involved this year in Relay? Last year and in the years past, all you did was go to the track the night of Relay" That was the question I was asked this afternoon by someone of me. I had to pick my chin up off the floor and just remind them that we are being a part of our community by participating in three Relay For Life walks this year. A part of the communities we serve.
And I realized that this person probably has no real idea of the time and effort I put into fundraising and volunteering for Relay For Life. And it is not just the night of Relay but for months before.
But on the way home, I thought about why I Relay. I Relay because most of the blood products we collect to help save lives are used by cancer patients.
I Relay because today a little girl named Layla Grace went to heaven because of neuroblastoma. And today, another child I don't know started treatment for cancer that might save them.
I Relay that we might find a cure for cancer in my lifetime. A CURE! Not another treatment, but an actual cure.
I Relay because I want to make sure that when a patient hears those words "you have cancer" and they don't know what to do, American Cancer Society will have the funds to be there to answer their questions and to help them.
I Relay because even though "bald is beautiful" most women don't feel that way and I want to make sure that the Look Good, Feel Better program is available to those folks.
I Relay because treatment clinics are not always in your backyard and the Ride to Recovery can help you get there. Gas is expensive and Relay helps with this.
I Relay because I can't do anything else but Relay. It is part of my soul, part of my heart and a big part of who I am.
Thank you for all your help in making these Relays successful. Because you are a big part of WHY I RELAY FOR LIFE!

Ok, you asked for it!

2010-03-05T19:38:00.000-06:00

You asked for more survivor stories and more education in this blog and I am going to do my best to give it to you. So here goes!
March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Here is a post from American Cancer Society:

American Cancer Society - High Plains Division, Inc. Getting tested for colon cancer can save your life. Colon cancer is one of only two cancers that can actually be prevented through screening.If you are 50 or older, talk to your doctor about getting tested, even if you have no symptoms. If you have a family history of colon cancer or polyps, you may need to get tested ...earlier than age 50. Colon cancer is highly treatable if found in its early stages.Visit cancer.org/colon for more information.

So ok. Are you 50? Do you have a family history of colon cancer? If so, go get tested NOW!!! Promise me you will do this because I want you to be around for a long, long time!

What now?

2010-03-03T22:19:00.000-06:00

Well, the last square of the last quilt is in. And the quilt is off to the quilter's (thanks Halina!).
So what now? I mean I still have three Relays to go to and I still have to sell raffle tickets for the quilts, the pillows and some ornies that were left over. But that is all stuff I do at the meetings and such.
What do I do about this blog? We won't be starting anymore projects until at least September or October for next year and even then I don't have a clue what those projects will be.
I will of course, keep you updated with pics of the quilt when it is finished and on how much money we have raised.
I have missed stitching stuff just for fun. So I guess that is what I will focus my stitching on. And I have a few charity quilt squares I am working on.
But you tell me. What do you get from this blog? Do you want more educational posts on different forms of cancer and what American Cancer Society does? Do you want more stories of the patients I know, both those that are survivors and those who aren't?
How can I make this blog continue until our next project? I really need your input on what to do. You have made all of these projects a huge success. Thank you to all of you, whether you have stitched something or simply followed along with our progress. You will always have a piece of my heart.

Calling all quilt blocks

2010-02-17T13:13:00.000-06:00

We have the date for the Waco Relay kick-off. It is March 22nd. I would like to have the quilt ready to go by then so we can start selling tickets. If you have quilt blocks at this time, please let me know how you are doing on them. Just shoot me a short e-mail.
If I can get it to Halina by Mar. 1, we might be ok to get it back by March 22. I just need to check with her.
I have shown off the Killeen quilt everywhere and they are loving it. I have sold a few tickets, but have the first big Killeen team captain meeting on Feb. 25th. So I plan on selling a TON of tickets there!
Thanks for all your help. In addition to the 3 Relays I am actually participating as team captain in, there are a couple of smaller Relays I will be attending as a survivor. So we will be busy, busy, busy until June. Then it all kind of slows down until around Sept. for the Waco Relay in October. You don't want to do a Relay in Texas in the summer, trust me!
Thank you all for your help!

We have some money!

2010-02-09T22:14:00.000-06:00

I sold my first 5 raffle tickets for the quilt. $20 for 5 of them! We are on the way!
Woo hoo!

Ladies and gentleman we have a quilt!

2010-02-08T20:26:00.000-06:00

First let me apologize for the lousy pictures. I tried to drape my board that I usually use, but it wasn't big enough. Since my comforter on my bed is all floral, I took it off and put it on there. Still not great.
But let me tell you this quilt is absolutely beautiful! I take it to my first event tomorrow night, a speaking engagement at a survivors group. Then on to a kick off for a local Relay I don't have a team at, but still want to be a part of it.
Tickets for this raffle are $5 a piece, 5 for $20. If you are interested, go to the Killeen Relay link on the right side of my blog. Make a donation of $5 or more and shoot me an e-mail. I will fill out the form and include you in the drawing.
If you had a part in making this quilt, stand up and take a bow!
With no further ado, here is the quilt:

Update on Cooper

2010-02-06T21:55:00.000-06:00

I just read Cooper's dad's blog. Cooper did well through surgery and the doctor was cautiously optimistic that he got all the tumor out! I will be keeping up with Cooper and let you all know how he is doing!

Prayers for Cooper

2010-02-01T12:40:00.000-06:00

This is from a local boy in our area named Cooper. I have verified all is true. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers on Feb. 5th. He has late stage Neuroblastoma. He needs a marrow transplant among other things to heal him. It isn't pretty. This is why we stitch for a cure.
Here is an excerpt from his dad's blog:
Its Time For Surgery
The time has come for Coopers tumor to be surgically removed. We set up his appointment for Feb 5 2010. There will be an incision in the left side of his chest, stretching from the front of his chest to his back, it will be in the middle of his ribs. I got a chance to see the actual tumor from the CT scans, its actually about the size of a baseball, between his heart and lungs, attached to his spin. Directly after the tumor is removed, Cooper will stay in the hospital for 3-5 days for healing, then start his 6th round of chemo. Since his bone marrow hasnt cleared from the cancer cells, we have to find a donor for the stem cells. This alone poses danger just like anything else he has been going through. During the transfusion, Cooper can develop Graph Verse Host Disease (GVHD), because of this treat Cooper will spend 3 Months in San Antonio. Due to the complications we are having with his progress, the San Antonio trip has not been set in stone yet.

I am sorry I haven't updated anyone for a while, life has been rough and I dont like to give people discouraging news. I had a chat with one of the doctors overseeing Coopers progress, he mentioned to me that since his bone marrow hasn't cleared, we have to find a donor. In finding a donor, Coopers chances of beating this decrease by 50%. His original odds where about 40%, with the donor....it is about 20%. The logic behind that was kind of a mystery to me as well. The reason it decreases is we have to find someone else's DNA, thus not being Coopers. Cooper using his own DNA is the most likely and promising path. We still have high hopes that Cooper will come out of this fight stronger than he ever was. It is had to see him turn from that sweet little boy we all came to know and love to a kid who has not the energy to do much. He is so strong. He has been through more medical procedures then most of you reading this post. He has probably been poked with more needles as well. How can someone so young withstand so much pain...

For everyone reading this, please pray for him tonight, pray for his surgery and the progress of his treatment.

~His Loving Father

I can hardly wait!

2010-01-27T17:11:00.000-06:00

Halina sent me the quilt layout with all the blocks on top of the sashing fabric. It looks absolutely beautiful! I can just imagine it finished, with the pretty pink printed fabric on the back with all the wonderful sayings!
Do you want a peek at it? Really, want a peek? Ok here it is!

Fabric for quilt #2 has arrived

2010-01-25T20:26:00.000-06:00

I am so excited! The fabric for the back of quilt #2 arrived today. It is even prettier than the first piece of fabric.
I had originally ordered this fabric but they were out of it. So I went with the other fabric and while it is fantastic, this is more what I thought about using. It is purple, which is the color of Relay. It has purple ribbons on it and swirls of purple with wording on it such as "be generous", "help others", "join the fight-care about a cure", "overcome", "live", "love", "pray for a cure" and "help with hope". These are all words that describe what we are doing with this quilt and with this project. I just have one more square to have stitched and that is a yellow square for bladder cancer.
It is amazing. Soon we are going to have all the squares in and can send it off to be quilted also.
Then what???? We will have completed all our projects for all three Relays! I have several pillows we are going to raffle off for the 3rd Relay and several ornaments we will do silent auctions for at the team captains meetings.
I know I will be busy going to team captains meetings, committee meetings and actual Relays, along with selling raffle tickets for everything.
But it is hard to think that our project is finished for now. We Relay in April, June and October and then start again. So keep checking back here for new projects. We will get started again probably in mid-summer.
Any thoughts on what to do next? I want to see how the quilts do and we may do it again next year. This has been an easy to manage project, unlike the Christmas ornament project. But of course that project brought in over $1100. Wonder what these quilts will bring in?
Thank you to all who have participated. If you are interested in doing the yellow square please e-mail me. Check back here frequently for pictures of the finished quilt!

Relay For Life University

2010-01-24T15:54:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending Relay For Life University in Austin. It is designed to give committee chairs and co-chairs the tools they need to do their jobs in helping make Relay a success. It is also a very large pep rally!
The music was loud, the Relayers were louder, the speakers were amazing and the decorations were great. We had a theme of "More Birthdays" so all the tables were decorated for birthday celebrations. And since you know how I feel about birthdays (mine is a National Holiday) it was perfect for me!
Here are pictures of my Relay committee chairs. Not everyone was there, but we did have a great turnout. We weren't as loud as Killeen (no one could be as loud as Killeen!) but we did a great job.

You know I am participating in 3 Relays this year: Killeen, Gatesville & Waco. So seeing everyone there at one time was fun. I have my work cut out for me. I am going to be on the Sponsorship Committee for Waco this year and also be the team captain for our Stitching For a Cure team. I am just doing the team captain thing at Killeen & Gatesville but it will keep me busy.
During the University, there was a time for caregivers to be recognized as well as survivors. We also remembered those lost. Sweet MaKenzie was mentioned and I don't think there was a dry eye at our table. I wonder if I will ever get through a Relay event without crying. Probably not.
I came away with a new enthusiasm for Relay. I am ready. More than ready. I also have an announcement to make on Feb. 4th, so check back here then.
Thank you for all your help. Everyone can hardly wait to see the first quilt!

Off to the quilter they do go!

2010-01-21T21:59:00.000-06:00

I received 4 squares in the past few days. So we are now ready to go off to the quilter tomorrow! Woo hoo!
I received this square from Marian. Blue is the color of colorectal cancer. She did a lovely job on it!

I received two lavender squares from Carolyn. Lavender is the color for general cancer awareness.

And I received this pink square from Cathy. Again, another lovely square!
This is why Cathy said she stitched this square:
"My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, father-in-law and grandfather have all battled various forms of cancer. I also have several friends and coworkers who have also.
I chose to stitch the breast cancer square for my sister-in-law (Dana) and a lady who's very active in our church and the chairperson of the board I'm on (Pat). Both are currently "cancer free". Besides 603 is my favorite DMC color.
Thanks for allowing me to help with this project.
Cathy"

So with that, this quilt can be "put to bed". I am sending it off to the quilter tomorrow.
We are still working on our other quilt. I am in need of a green, yellow, lavender & blue square, so if you haven't stitched yet or you want to stitch another, more fabric is on it's way! Just shoot me an e-mail at my SFAC Yahoo e-mail and let me know what you want!
Thanks to all! Keep checking back for pics of the quilt!

Another quilt block from a friend!

2010-01-15T17:49:00.000-06:00

This quilt block was stitched by Sandra in honor of her cousin Marshall, who just completed his second round of chemo for leukemia!
Woo hoo! Thank you Sandra!

A new update

2010-01-12T18:12:00.000-06:00

I received two purple squares from my new friends, Sheila and Barbara.
Sheila stitched the square in memory of her mother in law, Mary. She survived diabetes, heart attacks and even colon cancer, but in the end pancreatic cancer took her life.
Barbara stitched her square in HONOR of her husband who is an 11 1/2 year SURVIVOR of pancreatic cancer! Woo Hoo!

This is another centerpiece for our quilts (remember, we are doing two!). Janet did beautiful stitching on this piece.

This is the backing fabric for our quilt. I had some purple ribbon fabric all picked out, but when I went to order it, they were sold out so I took a chance on this fabric. All I can say is WOW! It is perfect! In fact I am going to use this on the back of the second quilt also. It has sayings like "Friends forever", "celebrate", "dream", "inspire" "beautiful, wonderful, lovely", "amazing" and "friends are fabulous".
The colors are right on with the thread colors I chose for the squares.
I have several people who are sending in their squares and I should have them this week. So by next week I should be able to send Quilt #1 to the quilter. Fantabulous!

Very disappointed

2010-01-12T09:29:00.000-06:00

You know I live in a beautiful world. One where kind people send ornaments and quilt blocks to help cancer patients they don't know. One where kind people I don't know make me a beautiful quilt.
So in this beautiful world, I cannot believe that someone would send out a prayer request for a cancer patient that didn't exist. Just for the heck of it. Make people like me cry over someone that doesn't exist. Make me pray for someone that doesn't exist.
In my past post (I left it up just so you can see how evil people can be), I asked for your prayers for someone. The friend that sent it to me believed it was real. I believed it was real.
But the hoax is on the original sender. Because you see, my God knew that. And he knew my heart and all of your hearts. And he just passed that prayer on to a real patient. One that needed true prayers.
Shame, shame on the original sender. I will pray for your heart, because that is true evil that lurks there.

We need prayers!

2010-01-11T08:51:00.000-06:00

I received this from a friend and I am forwarding it as requested.

Prayer request for Gary and Cindy Hogman by way of Faith Presbyterian
Church. Gary is serving in Iraq while his young wife is fighting cancer
here.
See his Request below.

Bobby S. Briggs, MSgt, USAF
823 ESFS/SFOC
Flight Sergeant
BAGHDAD AB, IRAQ

My name is Gary Hogman.. Some of you receiving this know me, some
do not. My wife, Cindy, is 32 years old and has just been
diagnosed with stage 4 Cervical cancer. Her chances for survival
are very slim. She was pregnant with our second child and had
miscarried recently at 3 Months; and now we know why. This is a
request for you to forward this e-mail to everyone you know
asking for prayer. The more people that pray for her to be
healed, the better. Pray and forward. It only takes a second to
hit 'forward.' Please do it and don't delete this. Your prayer
can, and perhaps will, save her life.. Please pray and ask
everyone you know to pray for the HEALING of CINDY HOGMAN And
the removal of all cancer from her body, so she may enjoy all
that life has to offer, and to continue to be the wonderful
mother to our 5-year-old son Michael. The power of Prayer is
unsurpassed. I want the whole world to have her in their prayers
The next few weeks. God will hear our cry. Please do not be offended by
my plea. This is only a request for your help. Thank you from the bottom
of my heart for reading this and helping with our request for healing! No
words can express the power we have when we each do a little to come
together.

Regards, Cindy's husband -
Gary

Thank you, and please send it to the far reaches of our world!

More quilt blocks & memories

2010-01-07T19:10:00.000-06:00

I received this yellow quilt square from Vicki today. It doesn't show up very well in my picture, but it is really pretty.
Yellow is the ribbon color for bladder cancer. She stitched the square in honor of her grandfather, who died much too early from bladder cancer.

I stitched this quilt block in honor of my friend Carolyn. Blue is the color for colon cancer.
Carolyn was a good friend. She passed away 10 years ago this year at the age of 57 from colon cancer.
I angry with her. That anger has subsided over the years, but is still there. Why? Because Carolyn had EVERY sign that she had colon cancer and did nothing about it. Her mother had colon cancer and it ran all through her family. For over a week she was in severe pain, with severe colon symptoms and did nothing. By the time she went to the doctor all they could do was take most of her colon out and do a colostomy. It had spread to her liver.
Carolyn lived several years more, but her life was limited. Limited in what that vivacious woman could do.
A colonoscopy done a few years before could have prevented it. Her doctor had recommended it. Her family had encouraged her to do it. But she didn't have one because of the "embarrassment".
I miss my friend. Don't let any of your friends miss you too soon. Check with your doctor and see if he recommends a colonoscopy. It could save your life.

What cancer cannot do

2010-01-04T18:01:00.000-06:00

As most of you know, we are doing 2 quilts this year for 2 different Relays. I have two stitchers doing the centerpiece of the two quilts.
Today I received the first one from Karen. Trust me when I tell you my picture does not do this piece justice. It is quite beautiful and will be a wonderful centerpiece to the quilt.
I have heard from some stitchers who are sending in their squares in the next few days. After those come in, I will just need to receive one more and we can send the first quilt to the quilter.
Woo hoo! I ordered the backing fabric today.
If you are interested in doing a square, please e-mail me and I can let you know what colors are available.
Thanks for all of your help!

January!

2010-01-01T19:50:00.000-06:00

Every month I am going to focus on a new reminder for all of you! I found this on the Facebook site, National Cervical Cancer Coalition and HPV Cancer Coalition.
Ok, so ladies what are we going to do? HINT: Involves stirrups and opened front paper robes!
I want all of you around to follow me on this wonderful journey, so make those yearly exam appointments and KEEP THEM!

A gift from my friends

2009-12-28T14:23:00.001-06:00

Aren't these amazing? Well, the story behind is more amazing.
Some of my stitchy friends, 8 of them plus my daughter to be exact, went behind my back and did this project for me.
Why I am deserving of this wonderful gift still eludes me, but it is a true blessing. Even my daughter kept it secret since Oct. 2nd.
6 stitched angels on the quilt, plus a stitched piece in the center plus a pillow with another stitched angel. All in the most beautiful shades of purple and pink.
Mary, Janet, Tara, Carrie, Ethel, Moma Judy, Georgena & Penny had a part in making the beautiful quilt and pillow. My daughter had the job of keeping it quiet from me. Mary did the most WONDERFUL quilting on the quilt. All in all it is spectacular!
Do you know they even set up a special Yahoo group for it? Stitching for Wooleybooger!
I have been very tearful over this gift. It is quite possibly the best gift I have ever received. I know it is the most beautiful one. I can't wait to show it off to my Relay friends and friends at work.
There are not enough words to say thank you. I haven't had a chance to read all the posts on the Yahoo group. I have my grandkids here and they are demanding that I not spend as much time as I want to look at it all. Makes for a difficult situation: pay attention to grandkids or read the posts! LOL.
I have been so blessed with my friendship with all of you. I wish you all were here to share in my joy! But via the net, maybe you can know that you have truly touched my heart. If you are judged by the friends you have, then I will be judged as a very fortunate person, a person who was and is loved very much.
Blessings to all of you! And thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Donna

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T04:30:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to all of you! You are such a blessing to so many, esp. me!
My dear sweet husband surprised me early with a floor stand Ott light! Now I can work on these projects at night and on cloudy days. Stitching on 28 count requires good light, as you all know and I could never seem to get enough light even with a regular lamp.
I want to take a moment to say thank you to my husband. While it is all of you who help stitch for this project, it is my husband who supports me with his love and patience.
He oohs and ahs at all the goodies that come through my mail. He watches me stitch and applauds me when I finish a project. And he bought me this light just to make me happy.
My dear husband also listens to me when I tell him about the patients we are helping. He is also there when there are losses.
This past year when we lost sweet MaKenzie, it broke his big heart. But he went with me to the family time, walked up with me to the little casket and cried with me. I honestly don't think I could have done that without him.
James, I love you so much. I need you so much and you are such a blessing to me. These past 5 years have been wonderful and I look forward to the next 5 years.
I pray each of you have all you want and need for this Christmas! I love you all!

Finally another square finished

2009-12-22T22:22:00.000-06:00

I stitched this square for the quilt. It was made in honor of a friend of mine, Paula, who battled breast cancer and has won! She had a relatively new procedure and is completely clear! Woo hoo!
She and her husband Donald live in a small town close by us and are the coordinators for our blood drive there. They both work so hard and are so appreciated. They were even our Circle of Life winners for last year.
I have had several squares turned in now. I will be ordering the fabric to go with the squares soon and will send it all off to the quilter so she can start on it!
Thank you all so much! 2010 is going to be a busy year. I have 3 Relay For Life relays and we are doing a quilt a piece for two of them and the pillows for the other one. So I will need more stitchers to do a few more squares. When I get it figured out what is needed I will leave a post!

Lots and lots of new stuff

2009-12-13T13:28:00.000-06:00

This past week my mailbox has had lots of goodies in it for me!
I received two stitched quilt squares.
This one was made by Linda:

I photographed it on an angle, so it looks a little crooked, but it is very beautiful in real life.
Linda stitched this in honor of her mother, Isabella (isn't that a beautiful name?). Isabella was a very crafty woman and loved to sew, esp. to quilt. Linda loves to cross stitch so she thought that this was a great way to honor her mother, who died Nov. 2, 2008 from pancreatic cancer. I think it is a great way also!
This square was made by Zerelda:

Zerelda stitched this in honor of Mac Parker, who died in 2006 of pancreatic cancer. Mac loved his family and his dogs with all his heart and is missed by many.
I also received 4 pillows made by Jeanine. She is the tumor register person at a major hospital in Texas. You have seen her beautiful ornaments and her quilt square. Now she has these wonderful pillows. Jeanine sees cancer at it's worst everyday. She says this gives her something to stitch for!

She also made this biscornu pillow. The stitching on both sides is just fabulous!:

I also received these ornaments from Olga. While the tree has already been raffled off, these will be great silent auction items for the team captains' meetings next year. Several people wanted an ornament, but didn't necessarily want the whole tree!

Thanks to all who have contributed! It makes my day, my week, my year to see how many people care so much for people they don't know.

A pillow or two

2009-11-30T19:29:00.001-06:00

Back when we were collecting ornaments for the tree, several folks weren't confident in their finishing techniques and asked me to finish them for them.
Terry sent me several of these. Two were the Lizzie Kate, Peace, Love and a Cure pieces. I instantly knew these would make great pillows rather than ornaments and after talking to Terry and getting her permission this is what I did.
I have a wonderful pillow maker, Bev, whose name is kyla1dog on Ebay. She has made several pillows for me and she is top notch. I don't sew, and she has been a lifesaver many times.
So I sent the fabric that Terry included and the two stitched pieces. Bev made them into pillows.
Here is a picture of one of them.

I am going to sell raffle tickets for the pillow. I think it will do well.
Terry also sent me a stitched "Never ending cup of hope for a cure" (pattern is on the right side of my blog). I am going to make a box that will hold tea bags and put her stitched piece on the top of that. We will auction this off at one of the team captain meetings and I am willing to bet we can get about $20 or $25 for it. You would be surprised at how much you get off of the silent auctions at team captains meetings.
Thank you too all. We are stitching for a cure!

A quilt square from a friend

2009-11-27T20:58:00.000-06:00

Jeanine, whom you may remember made many of the ornaments for the RFL Christmas tree, graciously agreed to make a quilt square.
She did the green one, which represents kidney cancer. My picture doesn't do the color justice. It is more vivid in real life.
I lost a dear friend, Charlie, to kidney cancer. I spoke about Charlie and kidney cancer in a previous post. To this day, I see the green ribbon and I instantly think of him. He was such a kind man and so giving.
Sometimes I worry that I have become obsessed with this project. Obsessed with helping to find a cure. Am I talking about the project too much? Am I thinking about the various RFLs and how much money we can raise for cancer patients?
The answer is yes. But then I think of Charlie, and of MaKenzie and Justin and Kim and Logan and on and on. I don't want to lose another person in my life to this disease.
And so I am obsessed. But in a good way.
Thank you so much Jeanine for your beautiful square. This quilt is going to be stunning and will raise lots of money.
And thank you to all of you out there, who are stitching for a cure or simply reading and passing along what we are doing here. We are making a difference!

1 down, 23 to go

2009-11-22T15:16:00.000-06:00

I have finished a quilt block! Hooray! Mostly hooray because I have not been in much of a stitching mood here lately.
We are working on the quilt for the Killeen, TX Relay For Life. But just a little after that is the Waco, TX Relay For Life and we will need another quilt.
I haven't put that request out on the blog yet because I know stitchers are trying to finish up their Christmas stitching and I didn't want to ask too much right now.
But we are going to need another 11 squares in the ribbon colors. I have someone working on the middle square right now and I will be starting one of the smaller squares today. So hopefully over the next few weeks I can get several done myself.
Here is the teal square I finished. It was made in honor of one of my directors' mother who died of ovarian cancer.

Hopefully all you who are stitching on quilt blocks are not having too many visits from the frogs. I had a meeting with the queen frog and explained to her the rule that no frogs are allowed to visit a stitcher working on a charity project. She agreed, but had a twinkle in her eye, so who knows what that means. Let me know if I need to speak with her again!

Go Purple in November

2009-11-15T20:43:00.000-06:00

November is pancreatic cancer awareness month. Purple is the color ribbon for pancreatic awareness.
I encourage you to go to the site below and check out ways you can help!
http://www.pancan.org/section_get_involved/pancan_awareness_month
Let's put an end to this terrible disease. Go purple this November!

New Yahoo Group

2009-11-12T09:20:00.000-06:00

Hello all! Our quilter for our new project, Halina, has a new Yahoo group. You might want to check it out and possibly consider joining the group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/QuiltsForCancer
Right now she and I are the only members, but it will grow I sure. Halina has been a part of the Yahoo group, Quilts for Breast Cancer and has put together many of the quilts for them.
On this new group, we can chat and do updates on the quilt squares and it will be another way to get out the message about what we are doing!
Thanks to Halina and all of you for what you are doing to make a difference!

Update on Trees

2009-11-07T23:27:00.000-06:00

With the new project up and running I realized I hadn't given an update on the trees. We have made $1100 so far with the trees. I think we will start seeing a little more money coming in closer to Thanksgiving when people really start thinking of Christmas.
It is quite a bit less than the $5000 I would have liked to have made off the trees but still think how far that money can go toward helping cancer patients. How much gas can it buy for the Road to Recovery, a program that helps cancer patients get to their treatments. How many wigs and cosmetics can it buy to help with the Look Good, Feel Better program? That helps cancer patients undergoing chemo and radiation to have licensed hairdressers and make up artists to show them how to look their best while dealing with the problems of chemo and radiation. How many cups of coffee will that buy for the support groups that ACS has to help folks while going through the fight of their life?
The answer too all of these questions is: More than they had before we started this project! And that my friends is a good answer.
We raffled off the small pink & white tree. The winner was a cancer survivor who is very active in cancer prevention in our area. She donated the tree to our local ACS office. So the tree not only made money for ACS, it will help bring a smile to those fighting the fight and those helping to fight the fight.
Thanks again to all. We are raffling off the big tree on Thanksgiving. I will let you know then our total numbers!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a quilter!

2009-11-04T13:53:00.000-06:00

One of my worries when I decided to do this quilt was that I did not sew or quilt.
I felt I could find stitchers to make the squares but I wasn't 100% sure I could find a quilter that would be willing to take on this project.
Silly me, I don't know why I worried about this. As with everything we have accomplished, the saying "if you build it, they will come" has been true.
So I am happy to announce that we have a quilter. Halina Miller from my Yahoo group, Quilts for breast cancer, has graciously agreed to do the quilting for us! Whew! Isn't that just fantastic?
The last two squares have now been taken as of 4:45 pm CST on 11/04:
Pink DMC 601 & 603 For Breast Cancer (TAKEN BY PIKE ON 11/04)
Brown DMC 433 & 436 For Colon Cancer (TAKEN BY RIONA ON 11/04)
They are done on 28 count Lugana with DMC. I will provide the fabric and the thread.
Thanks again so much for everything and THANK YOU HALINA!

Update on Quilt Needs (updated again)

2009-11-02T19:42:00.000-06:00

I have had a GREAT response to the need for quilt squares since Friday. Please read the post before this one for details!
Here are the squares that are left that need to be done. As of 9:45 pm CST on 11/02 we just need 2 more stitchers (I do have the other two listed below that still need stitchers for the pillows)
Pink DMC 601 & 603 For Breast Cancer (need one)
Green DMC 699 & 701 For Kidney Cancer (TAKEN ON 11/02 by Jeanine)
Brown DMC 433 & 436 For Colon Cancer
Lavender DMC 210 & 208 For General Cancer Awareness (BOTH TAKEN ON 11/02 by Carolyn)
We need 1 middle piece with the Gloria & Pat Design, "What Cancer Cannot Do". (TAKEN ON 11/02 by Janet)
I am also needing someone to stitch two more of the G&P WCCD pieces that will be made into throw pillows for the other 2 Relays in the spring.
The larger piece will be stitched on 28 count evenweave Cream Lugana and will have 2 shades of pink, 1 shade of purple, and 2 shades of green DMC (again, I will supply the DMC and the Lugana).
And if you are a quilter or know of a quilter that would like to put this 26x26 quilt together let me know.
As I mentioned below I will be supplying the fabric and thread for all squares. I need them in my hot little hands by Feb. 1 so please don't take a square if you don't think you can do it by then.
E-mail me at stitchingforacure@yahoo.com if you want a square and give me your mailing address.
And thanks to all!

New SFAC Project

2009-10-30T15:55:00.001-05:00

Hello all! I know we just finished with the ornament project and we are still raffling off the tree.
But we have 3 more Relays this spring and we need fundraisers for them all. The trees were so successful and many of you have told me you would like to continue to be a part of our ongoing projects.
Our first project is a quilt. A small 26x26 hanging quilt with twelve 5 1/2 by 5 1/2 stitched squares and a middle piece that is mostly backstitched letters.
Here are the details:
Each small square will be stitched with two shades of DMC on 28 count evenweave cream Lugana (I will supply the DMC and the Lugana).
The larger piece will be stitched on 28 count evenweave Cream Lugana and will have 2 shades of pink, 1 shade of purple, and 2 shades of green DMC (again, I will supply the DMC and the Lugana).
I need them in my hot little hands by Feb. 1 in order to have them quilted together (still need a quilter since I don't sew. If anyone quilts and would like to take on this project, please e-mail me and I will give you details. All fabrics, threads, etc. will be provided). The Relay is the end of April and I need to have the quilt itself finished by mid March.
The pattern for this project is located on my right sidebar under quilt patterns. The small pattern is the Dragonfly Stitches Breast Cancer pattern (I resized it for printing). The larger middle piece is the "What Cancer Cannot Do" by Gloria & Pat.
Here are the color options:
Pink DMC 601 & 603 For Breast Cancer
We need two pink squares (ONE TAKEN ON 11/01 by Janet)
Still need a pink square! (TAKEN ON 11/02 by Cathy)
Yellow DMC 725 & 727 For Bladder Cancer (TAKEN ON 10/31 by Vicki)
Blue DMC 824 & 826 For Colorectal Cancer (TAKEN ON 11/01 by Marian)
Purple DMC 333 & 340 For Pancreatic, Testicular and Thyroid
We need two purple squares (BOTH TAKEN ON 10/31 by Zerelda & Linda)
Green DMC 699 & 701 For Kidney Cancer
Orange DMC 900 & 947 For Leukemia (TAKEN ON 11/02 by Sandra)
Brown DMC 433 & 436 For Colon Cancer
Lavendar DMC 210 & 208 For General Cancer Awareness
We need two lavendar squares
I don't mean to be so specific on colors and fabric, but since it is a quilt it needs to all "match".
We also have a teal square that is being done by another stitcher.
We need 1 middle piece with the Gloria & Pat Design, "What Cancer Cannot Do".
I am also needing someone to stitch two more of the G&P WCCD pieces that will be made into throw pillows for the other 2 Relays in the spring.
SO, ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE? If so, please email me at stitchingforacure@yahoo.com
with your square/color choices. Please include your mailing address in the body of the e-mail so I can send your fabric and thread.
Since there are so few squares and fabric is so high, only sign up if you are sure you can fulfill this.
And thank you again from the bottom of my heart. We are going to STITCH FOR A CURE and make lots of money for American Cancer Society Relay For Life!

Big, big celebration dance

2009-10-27T19:48:00.000-05:00

Ok folks let's do a big, big celebration dance!
Are your ready? Drumroll please!

WE HAVE REACHED $1000.00 IN OUR FUNDRAISING FOR THE TREES! Combined donations, ticket sales and commitments put us at $1005.00 tonight!
And we couldn't have done it without you! We still have until Thanksgiving to sell tickets and get donations, so keep those prayers going up!
Until then, we are stitching for a cure!

A little angel goes to heaven

2009-10-24T18:52:00.000-05:00

Some of you remember MaKenzie, the little unknown cancer patient I stitched the zebra print ornament for.
The little angel went to heaven this morning at 3:00am. Her little body just could not hold her spirit anymore and she is now playing with the angels.
A memorial service will be held on Monday and a funeral on Tuesday.
Please keep her Mother, brother and family and friends in your prayers, as well as the precious hospice workers that helped her these past months.
Here is a pic of her luminaria from Relay last Saturday.

Personal Thank You from Donna

2009-10-18T12:53:00.000-05:00

The tree, Relay, and more

2009-10-18T11:25:00.000-05:00

Last night was Relay For Life and the debut of the trees! I want to caution you this will be very picture heavy.
I tried to get as many different views of the tree so you could all see your ornaments. If you don't see your individual ornament, don't fret. It was there. It was just hard to get pics of all 150+ ornaments. Let's just say the tree was fuller than full.
With no further ado, here we go:

I didn't raise as much money as I had hoped at Relay but we still have until Thanksgiving to sell these tickets and remember, I am pulling out all the stops!
Relay was AMAZING! If you wondered why we did this, I think this picture of some of the luminarias says it all:

And remember our little hero MaKenzie? Here are some lighted luminarias for her:

And one final picture after we moved the trees last night to our donor center where they will be on display:

Once again thank you all for your support. And this blog won't be going away. I will keep you updated on the final money raised as it comes in.
And, keep your eye out! I have THREE MORE RELAYS in the spring and there will be stitching opportunities for them.
All in all, EVERYONE who saw the trees were in awe. I had so much fun telling them about each and everyone of you. I told some of your stories, passed along messages of hope.
Thank you for giving so much hope to so many!

Today's the day!

2009-10-17T05:21:00.000-05:00

It is 5:20am and today is Relay day. I am about to go back to bed to see if I can get a couple more hours in, but I doubt it.
My DD & grandsons have arrived. We have pulled the ornaments and will load up later today.
Please think of us throughout today. This will be when we see everything start to "pull together". Remember, we Relay to give hope!
Thank you again and don't forget to check back Sunday or Monday for the amazing pictures!

Just one more day until Relay

2009-10-16T08:34:00.001-05:00

Well folks, it is really almost here. Tonight my family will be in from Houston to help me. Tomorrow (after taking Mom to the beautyshop of course!) we will load up and go to the track.
By about 2:00pm I will have both trees up and decorated. I can't wait. Please be prepared on Sunday and Monday for LOTS of pictures.
It has rained here for 3 weeks. Even as late as Tuesday it rained. But I am looking at the weather for this weekend and we should have sunny skies. Since a cold front came through yesterday so it will be quite chilly, but at least it will be dry!
Have you ever seen the Disney World tv ad? There are two kids giggling in bed. The dad tells them to go to sleep and they say they are too excited to sleep.
Well, I am too excited to sleep. The last few days have been followed by long nights.
But tomorrow is the day! Hooray! Let's raise a ton of money for cancer patients together. Are you ready to Relay?

Just 2 more days & the chimpanzee check up

2009-10-15T14:13:00.001-05:00

Just two more days before Relay. And I have 2 little reasons of my own to Relay for: My grandsons Trenton and Craig.
Did you know I am a cancer survivor? I am. 23 years now.
I had a non-melanoma skin cancer called a dermatofibrosarcoma. The doctors all thought it was a cyst and we let it go way longer than we should have. When the went to remove it in the doctor's office, they found out it was a 3 inch egg shaped tumor.
They still thought it probably was nothing and threw a few stitches in. But when it wouldn't heal after a week I went back to the doctor. That is when I found out it was a malignant cancer.
Another surgery to remove all traces and a couple of weeks recovery. And here I am today. Cancer free.
And here I am to let you know that not all malignant skin cancers are dark misshappened moles. This looked like a large pimple when it started and then just looked like a flesh colored knot on my lower back.
Have you ever seen chimpanzees checking each other for ticks? Well I call that the chimpanzee check up.
Only you aren't looking for ticks. You are looking for spots on your skin that don't look right.
Find someone that can do the chimpanzee check up with (your spouse, sibling, etc.)once a year. Do it head to toe, back to front. If they see something that doesn't look right, go to your doctor.
Let's all make out like monkeys and fight skin cancer together!

3 more days...

2009-10-14T07:20:00.000-05:00

3 more days until Relay. Funny. Why you may ask?
Because yesterday I signed up to do 3 more Relays this next spring in 3 towns close by. Two of them are just a weekend apart.
So yes, there will be more stitching. I have thoughts on what the projects will be and will be throwing some thoughts out to you after this Relay.
At our Relay For Life meeting with the manager of those towns, I think anyone hearing me speak would think I worked for American Cancer Society rather than Carter BloodCare.
Sometimes, my passion for saving lives crosses over into other areas.
Let's go walking...

Day 4 and counting

2009-10-13T09:14:00.000-05:00

4 more days! Amazing.
Why do I Relay you may ask? Well there are a number of reasons. A number of little reasons.
Little reasons called children who are battling childhood cancer. Childhood and cancer should never be used in the same sentence.

Do you remember my hero MaKenzie? She is still in the fight, despite the doctors saying there is no hope. The first part of August they gave her 2 weeks. She is still here. Has gone to Disneyland and saw Mickey and screamed "Weeee" on the rides. She is still giving hugs to her mother and brother.
Look at that face. There is no way I can't Relay. For all the little reasons.

5 days and counting

2009-10-12T16:55:00.000-05:00

5 is for $5000 which is what we hope to raise between now and Thanksgiving. The biggest portion of that will be on Saturday night at Relay For Life.
Make no mistake, I am ready to call in all favors to make this happen. Any media contacts I have, watch out! Any companies that can purchase tickets, get those checkbooks out! And any friends, family or enemies, well, there is this online site you can go and donate and I will finally leave you alone (look on the right side of my blog, hit Stitching for a Cure Relay team and then hit donate).
In the words of Bob the Builder "Can we do it, yes WE CAN!"
Now raise those checkbooks, debit cards and credit cards high and use them to help save lives!

6 days and counting

2009-10-11T12:51:00.001-05:00

Folks we are less than one week away from the debut of the tree. Woo Hoo!
Did you know that American Cancer Society is the official sponsor of birthdays? It is! And you know how I LOVE BIRTHDAYS!
ACS helps people have more birthdays through education on cancer prevention and through new technology to help save cancer patients' lives. They are working on a cure everyday.
They give hope to those who feel they have no hope.
This next year, on my birthday, I am going to have a birthday celebration like no other. I am going to do a fundraising ACS birthday party. I want all gifts that people feel they want to give to me to celebrate my birthday to be given to help others. That can be in the form of a blood donation to help cancer patients who are having chemotherapy or a donation to ACS.
Won't you consider celebrating another year of life by donating to our Relay For Life team? You can help someone have another birthday!
You can donate by going to this link
and clicking on the donate now button. A $5 donation will make such a difference.
Happy birthday to all of you, wherever you are and whenever your birthday is!

Day 7 and counting

2009-10-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

One week from today, at this time, I will be at Relay For Life setting up the tree. Pulling each ornament out of the box and placing it on the tree. Oooing and ahhing over each one, trying to remember each story. I have the notes you all sent me with your ornaments. I am sure I will read each one again and remember why you stitched it.
At Relay, if you have never been, there is a luminary ceremony at 9:00pm. All around the track, on both sides, are white paper bags with candles in them. On the bag is the name of someone special who has had cancer. Friends and families donate money for each one of these bags in memory of or in honor of a cancer patient.
The tree, with it's own lights, will be a giant luminary. Each ornament was carefully stitched in honor or in memory of a cancer patient.
In year's past I have walked the tree and took in each name, sometimes even remembering knowing the actual cancer patient. This year, I think I will simply sit by the tree, taking in all the precious time that was given to help others.
Did you know that we have 206 ornaments? 206. And more are coming.
Relay For Life is a time of reflection for me. A time to gather myself for the fight ahead. For the year ahead when I get frustrated in my job and wonder why I am doing this.
I walk and I stitch for a cure. And pray that this Relay will give hope to those who need it most.

8 days and counting...

2009-10-09T10:08:00.000-05:00

It is now 8 days until Relay. Deep breath, Donna, deep breath!
So what do you do if your doctor says those dreaded words "I think it is cancer"?
Well, first, you take a deep breath and remember that cancer doesn't mean death. It means you are going to be in a fight for your life and you are going to need all the strength you have and all the strength of your friends and family to get through it.
Now is the time to lean on others. Hard to do, but you are going to need them.
Second, go to www.cancer.org That is the American Cancer Society website. There you can type in whatever your diagnosis is and pull up a multitude of information.
But it doesn't stop there. They have an on call nurse that you can talk to and they can advise you in the next step. They have support groups at the local ACS offices.
If you have to have treatment & have difficulty getting to your appointment, they have a program called Road to Recovery where trained volunteers will take you for your treatment.
And while you are undergoing treatment, they have a program called Look Good, Feel Better. They provide wigs for folks if they loose their hair during treatment, make up tips, bras for breast cancer survivors, etc.
Most of all, they are in the "survivor" business. They are here to help you.
Let's keep stitching for a cure...

9 days and counting...

2009-10-08T16:04:00.001-05:00

Wow! 9 more days until Relay For Life.
Since October is breast cancer awareness month, today I will focus on that.
This is I found on the American Cancer Society site:
Overview: Breast Cancer
What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a malignant (cancer) tumor that starts from cells of the breast. It is found mostly in women, but men can get breast cancer, too. Here we will only talk about breast cancer in women.
Parts of the normal breast

A woman's breast is made up of glands that make breast milk (called lobules), ducts (small tubes that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple), fatty and connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymph (pronounced limf) vessels. Most breast cancers begin in the cells that line the ducts (ductal cancer), some begin in the lobules (lobular cancer), and a small number start in other tissues.

The lymph system

The lymph system is one of the main ways in which breast cancers can spread. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped groups of immune system cells (cells that fight infections) that are connected by lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic vessels are like small veins, except that they carry a clear fluid called lymph (instead of blood) away from the breast. Breast cancer cells can enter lymphatic vessels and begin to grow in lymph nodes.

Most lymph vessels of the breast lead to lymph nodes under the arm. These are called axillary nodes. If breast cancer cells reach the underarm lymph nodes and keep on growing, they cause the nodes to swell. The doctor needs to know whether cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes because if they have, there is a higher chance that the cells have also gotten into the bloodstream and spread to other places in the body. The more lymph nodes that have cancer in them, the more likely it is that the cancer will be found in other organs, too. This could affect the treatment plan.

Breast lumps that are not cancer

Most breast lumps are benign. This means they are not cancer. Benign breast tumors are abnormal growths, but they do not spread outside of the breast and they are not life threatening. But some benign breast lumps can increase a woman's risk of getting breast cancer.

Most lumps are caused by fibrocystic changes. Cysts are fluid-filled sacs. Fibrosis is the formation of scar-like tissue. These changes can cause breast swelling and pain. They often happen just before a woman's period is about to start. The breasts may feel lumpy, and sometimes there is a clear or slightly cloudy nipple discharge. For more on fibrocystic changes and other benign breast changes, please see our document, Non-cancerous Breast Conditions.

Breast cancer terms

It can be hard to understand some of the words your doctor uses to talk about breast cancer. Here are some of the key words you might hear:

Carcinoma: This is a term used to describe a cancer that begins in the lining layer of organs such as the breast. Nearly all breast cancers are carcinomas (either ductal carcinomas or lobular carcinomas).

Adenocarcinoma: An adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in gland tissue (tissue that makes and secretes a substance). The ducts and lobules of the breast are gland tissues because they make breast milk, so cancers starting in these areas are often called adenocarcinomas.

Carcinoma in situ: This term is used for the early stage of cancer, when it is still only in the layer of cells where it began. In breast cancer, in situ means that the cancer cells are only in the ducts (ductal carcinoma in situ) or lobules (lobular carcinoma in situ). They have not spread into deeper tissues in the breast or to other organs in the body. They are sometimes called non-invasive or pre-invasive breast cancers.

Invasive (infiltrating) carcinoma: An invasive cancer is one that has already grown beyond the layer of cells where it started (unlike carcinoma in situ). Most breast cancers are invasive carcinomas -- either invasive ductal carcinoma or invasive lobular carcinoma.

Sarcoma: Sarcomas are cancers that start from connective tissues such as muscle tissue, fat tissue or blood vessels. Sarcomas of the breast are rare.

Types of breast cancers

There are many types of breast cancer, but some of them are very rare. Sometimes a breast tumor can be a mix of these types or a mixture of invasive and in situ cancer.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): This is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. DCIS means that the cancer is only in the ducts. It has not spread through the walls of the ducts into the tissue of the breast. Nearly all women with cancer at this stage can be cured. Often the best way to find DCIS early is with a mammogram. If there are areas of dead or dying cancer cells (called tumor necrosis) within the biopsy sample (when tissue is taken out to be looked at in the lab), the tumor is likely to grow and spread quickly (be more aggressive).

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS): This begins in the milk-making glands (lobules) but does not go through the wall of the lobules. It is not a true cancer, but having LCIS increases a woman's risk of getting cancer later. For this reason, it's important that women with LCIS make sure they have regular mammograms and doctor visits.

Invasive (or infiltrating) ductal carcinoma (IDC): This is the most common breast cancer. It starts in a milk passage (a duct), breaks through the wall of the duct, and invades the tissue of the breast. From there it may be able to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. It accounts for about 8 out of 10 invasive breast cancers.

Invasive (infiltrating) lobular carcinoma (ILC): This cancer starts in the milk glands (the lobules). It can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. About 1 out of 10 invasive breast cancers are of this type.

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC): This uncommon type of invasive breast cancer accounts for about 1% to 3% of all breast cancers. Usually there is no single lump or tumor. Instead, IBC makes the skin of the breast look red and feel warm. It also makes the skin look thick and pitted, something like an orange peel. The breast may get bigger, hard, tender, or itchy.

In its early stages, inflammatory breast cancer is often mistaken for infection. Because there is no defined lump, it may not show up on a mammogram, which may make it even harder to catch it early. It usually has a higher chance of spreading and a worse outlook than invasive ductal or lobular cancer. For more details, see our document, Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

But breast cancer doesn't just affect women. Men too can be affected. You can find out more at www.cancer.org
Look for breast cancer in men in our document, Breast Cancer in Men.

Tomorrow I will talk about ways that ACS helps breast cancer and other cancer patients as we continue our countdown to Relay!

10 days and counting

2009-10-07T09:55:00.000-05:00

Today I begin the 10 days of counting before Relay. Each day I will focus on something different.
Today is a day of thanks.
First of all I have to thank all of you. Your support has meant more to me than you will ever know. Your stitching ornaments, messages of encouragement, prayers, etc. have kept me going through this year long journey.
Second of all, I must thank my husband. He has listened to me ramble on and on about this project. He has put up with me storing boxes of ornaments and keeping late nights on the computer, chatting with you all about the project and all that goes with it. He has had me stitching like a mad woman at times and talking to myself about batting, cording, and finishing challenges. He is my anchor and I couldn't do it without him. James, I love you!
Third, I have to thank my dear mother who has been my prayer warrior. I love you Mom!
Fourth, this project would not have even gotten started if it weren't for my daughter Jennifer's computer wizardry. She showed me how to get the blog started, how to post pictures and links, etc. She also listened to me ramble on and on about this. She encouraged me when I got nervous about everything and she will be here on Saturday night, October 17th to debut the tree. Jen, you are so precious to me and I love you.
Fifth, I must thank my co-workers. They too have listened to me ramble. They have had all the appropriate ooo's and ah's when ornies came in. They have supported me in this journey all the way. Thanks so much to all of them. Jim, Keith, Kristin, Stephanie, Dawn, Debra, Esmeralda, Janet, Lisa, Davena, Terry, Vicki, Colette, Yolanda, Carol & Sarah, thank you for not fussing when I presented this idea and all of it's challenges. We are a team and I could not do this without all of you!
Sixth, thank you to all of the patients who have told me their stories and thank you to the families who told me the stories of their friends and families when the friend and families couldn't. You are my inspiration!
Whew! Just 10 more days...

S is for stitching, stories & survival

2009-10-02T19:39:00.000-05:00

I received three ornies today. Both had written stories as to why and how the ornies were made.
The first is from Cindy Mae:

This is what she wrote: "I pray that you are able to raise a ton of money with it (the tree). I had a cousin who passed this year and this ornament was made in honor and memory of her. Her name was Nannette and she was born 1966 and had battled cancer 8 times since she was 16 years old. She was such a strong woman who touched countless people's lives through her battle with cancer. The thing I loved about her is that she felt in her death she was not loosing her battle with cancer, just winning because she would join her Father in Heaven. Awesome attitude! She had an amazing husband and two children that she left but she knew in her heart that she will meet them again some day."

The next two ornies are from Pamela and her mother Lois:

Here is Pam's story: "I sent you an email back in February about waiting in the waiting room with my mom while my dad was having a medical procedure. My Mom (Lois) had never taken an interest in stitching, but I was working on my ornament for you and she was very interested. She asked me to show her how to stitch. Since I had extra fabric and thread, we sat in the waiting room and I taught her.
Her very first stitched project-and finish- is one of the ornaments included in this package. The pink and white ornament is the one my mom stitched and we finished it together. This is particularly special because this year marks my mom's 10th year as a breast cancer survivor! She moves slower these days, but is doing well"

I have said this many times and I am going to say it again. When I started this project I thought we would make some ornaments, make some money for a good cause and then be done with it.
I will never be done with it. The reason is that you all have given me your stories, your hearts, your love of stitching and helping and I have taken it all inside. You are a part of me, much like my heart and lungs are a part of me. Thank you for all you have given me and given for this project.

We are almost to a countdown...

2009-10-02T12:39:00.000-05:00

Well folks, we are 2 weeks away from Relay For Life and the debut of the Christmas tree. We have collected $419 so far and we haven't even started selling raffle tickets for the big tree.
Starting on Oct.7, I am going to do a 10 day countdown. It will be fun & educational. So be sure to check back then.
In the meantime, if you want to do a financial donation for the Stitching for a Cure Relay For Life project please go to the link below and click on donations. Any amount ($5 is the minimum you can donate online) will help! Remember, we couldn't have and can't do this without you! Thanks.
Relay For Life

New ornies from friends

2009-09-29T20:33:00.000-05:00

Whew! The postman has been good to me this week. I have received ornies from Cindy, Cindy F., Yesenia, Peggy, Karan & Courtney this week. Here are pics of the ornies they sent:

Aren't they all just lovely? Everywhere I go there is a buzz about this tree. It is going to be spectacular!
Thanks to all. They are all beautimus!

An Honor

2009-09-23T19:31:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night I am speaking at the Relay For Life survivor's dinner. Carter BloodCare is the corporate sponsor for this event. I am honored to speak at this event.
Cancer survivors and their spouses or friends attend the event.
I have spoken at this dinner several times before. I speak on the need for blood in our community and how nearly 75% of the blood products used are used by cancer patients.
Each year I look out into the audience and I am in awe. These people have fought the battle or are fighting the battle now. They have fought the good fight. But we still haven't won the war.
Last night at our Relay team captain's meeting I heard a woman speak about her sister. She told the story of her sister's fight with leukemia, a fight she eventually lost.
Then the woman turned to me. Looked me in the eye and told me how important blood products were in her sister's fight. It enabled her at times to leave the hospital and spend precious time with her family.
As I speak tomorrow night I will remember that woman and her sister. I know my job is important. But not nearly as important as the blood donor's job. They are the most important people in my world.
If you are a blood donor, please give. And give often. If you are not, please consider giving or get someone you know to give. Blood donors save lives. It is that simple and that important.

Pink & White

2009-09-19T15:05:00.001-05:00

Today I displayed the pink & white tree for the first time at an ACS Craft Fair. We had a fair turnout, but not quite as much as we expected. We sold $59 worth of raffle tickets for the tree.
But the majority of the teams had their own booths and weren't totally able to break away to purchase tickets. We will probably sell quite a few more at our meeting on Tuesday.
The tree will now hang out in our donor center where we will continue to sell tickets until the night of Relay, Oct. 17th. Then it, along with the big tree, will be at Relay and that is where most of the ticket selling will occur.
I hope to make $500 off of this tree alone. It should be quite do-able. I am also going to have some media coverage after Relay.
The pink & white tree will be raffled on November 1. It is in honor of breast cancer awareness month. The other tree will be raffled off on Thanksgiving.
So we are still along way from the finish line on collecting money for ACS.
Here are a couple of pictures of the tree. The fair was outdoors and the colors of the ornaments don't show as pretty as they really are!
We did have a "fallen angel" problem with the tree topper. I will have to work on it. The wind played a part in the falling angel.

Thanks again Aunt Sue!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tree!

2009-09-17T21:36:00.000-05:00

We have found a sponsor for the big tree! It is going to be a pre-lit 7 1/2 foot tree. This means that there will be no money raised that will have to go to the purchase of either tree! Everything we make will all go to American Cancer Society.
Hatch Bailey, of Wilkirson Hatch Bailey Funeral Home is donating the money for the tree.
Hatch lost his wife, Yvonne to melanoma. Yvonne lost her dad and then her mother passed after her to cancer. Here is the link to the obituary that touched my heart:
Yvonne Bailey
On this Saturday, I will reveal the Pink & White tree at a Relay For Life Craft Fair. We will sell raffle tickets for it through Oct. 31 and will raffle it off on Nov. 1. It will be displayed alongside the big tree at Relay For Life on Oct. 17th.
I had started getting nervous again (I know, I know!) But God has put so many things in motion that I am sure we are going to raise our goal of $5000.
Thanks Hatch! You are a gem!

A Little Intermission from Jennifer

2009-09-14T07:46:00.000-05:00

Hello All. I hope you don't mind but, I decided to take a little blog break to give a big kudos to my mom, Donna, for heading this HUGE project. I remember the day she called me and started the conversation with "I want to auction off a Christmas Tree for American Cancer Society, do you think people will stitch some ornaments for it?" and my response:"I'm sure a few will and you can always do pink, purple and teal balls as fillers." It's amazing to me now that we were worried about fillers. I have been in the background, but, I am proud to say I have been able to be a part of this journey. Starting with that first conversation, setting up the blog, having the mid-way meltdown "Will we have enough ornaments? Are we going to raise enough money to make a difference?". I have the same answer now as I did then, Every penny we raise will be a penny more they didn't have towards the ultimate goal, FINDING A CURE SO NO ONE EVER HAS TO DIE FROM CANCER AGAIN! Everyone who has been a part of this project, even just praying for it, has made a difference. YOU ALL ARE WONDERFUL AND MY MOTHER AND I LOVE YOU FOR IT! On October 16, 2009, I have the grand privilege of attending Relay for Life with my mother and watching the grand unveiling of the tree. Yes, there will be plenty of pictures! I know I will get misty eyed. As every single one of the 167 ornaments was stitched for a special person in mind. Whether living or already gone to a better place, that person fought, that person struggled, and that person has touched our hearts. And now, we get to do something to thank those people. We get to unveil a tree, auction it off, and give every cent towards making a difference. As much as I have loved this project, I think I can speak for my mom when I say that I hope one day we have no need for this project. We will have no cancer victims to stitch for! And my mother. My dear sweet mother. Who has a bigger heart than could ever fit in my chest. Who deals with and helps cancer patients everyday and not just in this project. Who watches them have surgery, get better, get worse, and pass away everyday. I would be curled up in a ball in the corner if I had to hear about children dying of cancer everyday but, she does it and still fights on. Her motto: "If they can fight this disease, I can fight for a cure." I wish every single one of you could meet her. Extraordinary doesn't even begin to describe her. So, thank you to everyone involved in this project, thank you to the stitchers, the prayers, (the spouses of the stitchers for putting up with all the stitching), and to the woman who had a little idea that will make a HUGE difference, the woman I am proud to call my mother. Mom, you are fabulous, you are completely cha-cha, and you are remarkable. We're in the home stretch and every dream you had about this project will be surpassed. I love you. Let's see this thing through because if they can fight, so can we.

Calling all ornaments and the TREE TOPPER!

2009-09-13T17:41:00.000-05:00

I have been amazed several times during this project. Amazed that so many people would take their precious talent and precious stitching time to make these ornaments. Amazed that so many people would share with me their stories of themselves, family members and friends who have fought the battle with cancer. Some have won, some have lost and some are still fighting.
On October 22, 2008 I started this blog and asked those who wanted to participate to join me in the fight against cancer. In the past year, almost weekly, my mail has brought ornaments. Some in big boxes with lots of ornaments, some in an envelope with one or two ornaments.
Each one was made with love. Each one is so beautiful in it's own right.
I received a box of 64 pink and white ornaments from Cindy's "Aunt Sue". This included a pink angel tree topper. I decided then that we would not do one, but two trees. The big one and a smaller one with the pink & white ornaments in honor of October being breast cancer awareness month.
This pink & white tree will make it's debut at a Relay For Life craft show. Raffle tickets will be $1 each. After the craft show, it will be displayed in our donor center where we will continue to sell tickets. It will also be displayed on October 17th, the night of Relay. Again we will sell tickets. It will be raffled off on November 1.
The 6 foot tree will debut the night of Relay, Oct. 17th. Tickets for it will be $5 each or 5 for $20. After Relay, it too will be displayed at the donor center and tickets sold for it. That tree will be raffled off on Thanksgiving Day. I thought it was appropriate to do it then. One we will give thanks for all those who helped make a difference and two most people put their trees up on the Friday after Thanksgiving or during that weekend.
At some point during this project I wondered out loud if I would have enough ornaments to decorate a 6 foot tree.
I needn't worried. I just counted the ornaments and not including the 64 ornaments for the pink & white tree, I have 103 ornaments. Amazing. These ornaments will fill a tree. A tree like no other.
So now, I am calling all ornaments. If you have an ornament that you want to be on the tree, please send them in between now and October 17th.
And I am pleased to announce that Aunt Sue has made the tree topper for the 6 foot tree also. It is done in purple thread, the color for general cancer awareness.
So with no further ado, let me present to you the 2009 Relay For Life Stitching for a Cure tree topper:

Thanks to all, whether you stitched an ornament, shared this blog with friends or supported us with your thoughts and prayers. You have been a blessing to me!
I will continue to post as the trees make their debuts and I will post pictures of the trees.

MaKenzie, my hero

2009-09-08T13:39:00.000-05:00

This is MaKenzie. She is my hero. She is just 2 years old and is (I can hardly write this) most likely dying. The doctors give her a few weeks at most and days at the worst.
She is the little girl I stitched the zebra print ornament for. Just a couple of months ago they thought the cancer was receding and treatment was working. Now she is at home, all treatment stopped.
She has an unknown cancer. And it breaks my heart.
Not only does it break my heart, but my husband's heart also. My DH is a big guy, a tough on the outside, never show weakness and certainly never cry guy.
But little MaKenzie, on the only time she ever saw him, gave him the biggest smile and blew a kiss to him. I haven't seen that big a smile on his face since our wedding day. But now, I see sadness in his eyes. He talks about her often. And wonders why.
And now, every day, we pray. We pray for God's will to be done. We pray for the family to have strength. We pray that something can be done and we can see a miracle occur.
But I think that this little girl was given her angel wings long before she came to earth. I read that in the guest book on her website. And it fits. She is a little angel.
So please, tonight, say a prayer for MaKenzie and her family. And let's keep fighting and stitching for a cure!

Stuart Little

2009-08-28T11:49:00.000-05:00

I received this in an e-mail from a mother. It touched my heart. And it is the reason I have this blog. For all the Stuarts in the world. Please read this with an open heart. I had spoke on an earlier blog about how easy it is to get on the bone marrow registry.
A simple form, a simple swab on the inside of your mouth and you could be a true life saver!

This has become Stuart’s new role in life; he needs someone to be his match.
In 2008 a normal life changed when Stuart was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He had been a successful real estate agent with a promising future before the devastating news of leukemia. He had spent 6 yrs in the navy and fought in several conflicts. His last tour was in Operation Enduring Freedom. His navy career had been the most important and satisfying part of his life. He left the navy for the next aspect of his life. We don’t always know where that is.

His diagnosis has turned our family upside down. We have always been close and his diagnosis has changed our lives forever. He has gone through intense chemo treatments and many complications. He keeps his spirits high as his treatments take a toll on his body. He has completed his treatments and is doing well now.

This is where he needs your help to recover and get back to a well and productive life. He needs a bone marrow transplant. This procedure is one needed by thousands of people daily in order to save their lives. The need for donors has hit close to home for us since Stuart has been on the National Registry and has yet to find a donor.

Everyday new donors are signed up in the bone marrow donor program. If your not one of those who has signed up our plea is to you. The test involves a mouth swab to check for a match. The procedure is so simple if you’re a donor, one that can truly save a life and change yours forever.

Stuart, a person willing to put himself out to help wherever he could help, has always been there if anyone needed a helping hand. He needs help now from the person out there that could be his match. Do the right thing, sign up today. He might just be waiting for you.

Making Progress

2009-08-20T19:43:00.001-05:00

Well, today I found a sponsor to purchase the small tree that will be used to show off Aunt Sue's pink & white ornaments. We will display this starting Sept. 19th at a craft show where we will sell the first raffle tickets. Then it will be on display at our donor center and at Relay. We will raffle it off on Nov. 1. This tree is in honor of breast cancer awareness month.
It will give me a little idea of how the big tree will do. I hope we can work out any little "bugs" we find before we display the big tree.
I am going to try to find a sponsor for the big tree. If someone purchases or donates the tree for us, then that is less money being spent on it and more money for Relay.
The sponsor is Redwoods Inc. here in Waco. They sell, well, redwood. Along with other stuff! LOL.
By the way, if you are interested in donating for the cause, see the link on the top right hand side of my blog where it says Stitching for a Cure Relay Team. Follow the instructions to donate online or there is a form you can print off to send in a check.
Thanks to Redwoods and to all the stitchers who have been a part of this great program. We are getting down to the wire!

Aunt Sue's ornaments

2009-08-13T20:12:00.001-05:00

If you would like to see a picture of Aunt Sue's ornaments please go to http://lonestarstitcherandherramblings.blogspot.com
My dear friend Cindy, Aunt Sue's niece, has them on her blog and since my camera seems to not want to work, it is a blessing to see them posted somewhere.
We are going to display the ornaments on a 4 1/2 foot lighted tree. They will go up on Sept. 21st and will be shown at Relay For Life on Oct. 17th. It will then go back to our donor center and will be raffled off on Oct. 31st. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this is just a perfect way to raise money for cancer awareness!
Thanks again to Aunt Sue! And to Cindy, love you girl!

I know, I know

2009-08-03T21:16:00.000-05:00

I know it has been a long time since I posted. I am sorry. There is much to report.
However, I must have used my camera too much on my vacation last week because I can't get it to take a picture to save my soul.
So I will try to be as descriptive as possible.
First off, let me tell you that Jo's Bear and the Peace,Love & a Cure pillow made by Marian of Gumbo and Grits made $180 from the raffle we did for them! Wowie!
Thanks Marian! We are off to a great start!
Second, I have received many, many ornaments. I received some from Janet today that are beautiful and one from Bree today. All are just lovely.
Last week I received a box of 30 (yes THIRTY) ornaments from Wanda Neal. She participated in a contest with a Yahoo group and was the winner of the most ornaments made. They are just beautiful. Each one has it's own "personality".
Today I also received a box of pink and white machine stitched ornaments from Cindy's Aunt Sue from NC. There are 64 ornaments in the box including a beautiful angel tree topper. Some ornaments are 3 dimensional. Some go over pink glass balls. There are tear drops, ball ornaments, angels, Cure ribbons, just everything.
I have decided since these ornaments go so well together that we are going to do 2 trees! The one with Aunt Sue's ornaments will be a small tree, maybe 4 feet, maybe 5 depending on when I spread the ornaments out and see what size tree we need.
The other ornaments are going to go on a 6 1/2 foot tree. I think we will do $1 a ticket for the smaller tree and $5 a ticket for the larger tree.
My fear was that some people wouldn't want to risk $5 on just one ticket. But they might risk $5 on 5 tickets.
At this point the big tree is almost complete. I know Cindy and a few others have ornies they are finishing up and with those I think we will be set.
But if you want to make an ornament and haven't yet, please don't stop. Every ornament will be used to raise money. If we have more than will fit on the tree, we will sell the individual ornaments.
Prayerfully I will get my camera up and running so you can see some of the beautiful work that has been sent to me.
You all have been such a blessing. Right now our SFAC has brought in a total of $205 for cancer awareness (all to ACS). Our goal is $5000 and I think, no I believe, we will go over that goal.
You all are ANGELS. Your gift that has been given to you has been put to great use. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I may not meet all of you in person, but I can truly say I love you. Such generous, sweet people. Bless you all!
I will update you all along the way to the big day, the day before Thanksgiving when we raffle off BOTH trees! TWO TREES! Who woulda thunk it?

Vee did it again and a challenge

2009-06-30T20:54:00.000-05:00

Vee has designed two new ornaments for us! They are name snowflakes and the links are on the right side of my blog with the other patterns.
Vee makes these name snowflake designs for sell on her website: Vee and Co.
Check them out.
She has been so generous to us with her designs for our cause!
Now here is the challenge: Beth has this wonderful Sweetheart Tree "Find the Cure" pattern and is offering it for free to anyone that would like to stitch it for the Stitching for a Cure project.
Here is the link:
Sweetheart Tree:"Find The Cure"
If you are interested, let me know and I will contact Beth.
Thanks to Beth and Vee and you all. We couldn't do this without all the wonderful support!