Random Thoughts

Ok, here's something new!  I've noticed over the last week or so that my hair is thinning.  I finished chemo in March, so I have NO idea what's going on.  Of course, as do all survivors my mind immediately goes to "metastases" and "it's back".  But really, I don't see a connection.  I have a thick head of hair and this is pretty noticeable.  Hmmmm..................... stress?

We had to put our dog down this week.  Layla was a Bernese Mountain Dog.  We've had four of them -- the sweetest dogs you'll ever know.  She had lung cancer and she was so miserable!  Still at home is Marley, her litter mate.  He's a gentle giant.  I truly think he's in mourning.  He's acting very strangely, and he lies near the front door most of the time -- like he's waiting for Layla to come home.  It just breaks my heart!  Here's a picture of the two of them, Layla in front?

I'm really busy these days - Everest has become my full-time job!  I'm training like a madwoman (thank much, Jamie), tweeting, messaging, Facebook-ing, and planning a spring fundraising event. If it goes as planned it should be a rockin' party.  We're planning to hold a silent auction and have a celebrity MC along with some pretty good keynote speakers.  Of course, the best one will be..ME!

I've been flailing around trying to figure out how to make this happen.  I have two wonderful friends who are helping me and who know a lot more about this stuff than I do. I hope to add a few more friends to the mix.  The ideas just keep popping out -- way too many for a Parkinson's brain!

So I've mentioned how  this amazing series of events/coincidences/miracles surrounds the Everest trip, right? Chalk up another one!  A wonderful woman and stellar event planner has entered the fray via a request I made on a local e-mail network.*  She's going to help us pro bono.  How absolutely cool is that!?  We met yesterday over coffee and she just glommed onto the whole thing in about two minutes.  First order of business is to find a venue and nail down a date.  She (and my awesome team!) have some terrific ideas that we hope to chase down over the coming week.  While she does the "grunt work", as she called it (we'll pitch in, of course), the rest of us are going to work on the silent auction -- not a small task.   I  More to follow!




*neighbors-international.com.  The network, founded by Sharon Rainey, started as a small e-mail chain among parents of kids in our local elementary school.  Sharon has grown it into a thriving business that covers much of Northern Virginia!