Archive | June, 2013

Busy

22 Jun

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Where has the time gone? I apologize for slacking in my writing but, a)I feel like there’s so much going on that my head is spinning and, b)because there’s so much going on, I feel like there’s honestly nothing to write about. It’s ‘b’ that worries me. Yes life moves fast, but if we don’t stop to observe the smallest of moments, we miss the magic of simply living and breathing and I don’t want to miss that because I’m just trying to get through the day…get it? Anyhow, it’s only been about a week since school got out and my oldest made a comment, ‘Why do we seem more busy?’ Well, with a week of summer camp for my daughter, travel basketball for the oldest, baseball play-offs for the youngest, and me working full time? Yeah, we are busy. So, deep breath.

Today my daughter and I went to a wedding shower for a beautiful couple. I have known the bride’s parents for a long time because her dad used to accompany me when I sang awhile back. Fast forward about 15 years and the future groom happens to move here to be closer to his fiance and becomes a leader for my oldest son’s small group at our church. The future bride has had major health struggles over the past year which forced them to postpone the wedding, but now it is back on track and happening soon. What’s beautiful about this couple is that the ‘in sickness and in health’ happened before the wedding and the future groom stood by her side; not just ‘stood’, literally had fundraisers to help the costs of treatment, cooked for her, and cared for her. It was incredible to be a part of their faith and love journey up to this point and get glimpses of their sacrificial love. Today’s bridal shower was really a celebration of life too.

Well, on top of all the business of the past week I was sick, really sick. I just started feeling better yesterday. Body aches, exhaustion, coughing, and because of the coughing I lost my voice for about 4 days. You know what happens when a cancer survivor gets sick and stays sick over a week? They think they have some type of cancer again. I hate that cancer recurrance is where my mind goes first but it’s the truth. Until I started feeling better I thought that I probably had leukemia; not to mention my dog will not leave my side (you know what they say about animals sixth sense). Regardless, I am feeling MUCH better today and my voice is almost 100% back to it’s normal 50% capacity (from lack of vocal cord). Life keeps moving ‘in sickness and in health’ and I don’t want to miss the party. So, in all that busyness, close your eyes and stick your face in the sun or the rain or the clouds and smile. Just breathing is magic!

Today I wear Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Lollipop. This is my favorite drugstore lipstick right now because they have quite a bit of color and they do feel like butter on your lips! I have these lip butters in at least four different colors but Lollipop and Red Velvet are my faves. Lollipop is sort of a hot pink color (kinda still on my hot pink roll for now), it reminds me of summer and popsicles…fun! Until next time!

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What if…

12 Jun

sunrise

This week’s topic for my blogging group GBE2 (which, sad to say, I have been very delinquent in posting topics for this group, sorry) is ‘What if…’ First of all, I hate the what ifs because life keeps moving forward, and asking the question forces you to look backwards and maybe question some of the decisions you’ve made along the way. Every day, there are what ifs and whichever path we take or decision we make has a consequence that we just have to deal with, good or bad. Again, I hate looking backwards.

For today I’m going to think about an uncontrollable ‘what if’; a decision made for me. What if I never had cancer? It’s a big one because I have a hard time remembering who I was and what type of person I was before cancer. I don’t think I was much different personality wise, I think maybe how I see things has changed and therefore my heart and soul are little different. Ok, ok, too deep. Anyhow, there are some ‘solid’ things that have happened like if I hadn’t had cancer I wouldn’t have written a book, I wouldn’t have started a blog, and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet all the amazing people along the way and done all the cool things that I’ve done because of the cancer. So here’s the heart and soul stuff….I think I would be a little more selfish, maybe a little less grateful, maybe a lot more rushed through the day, not stopping to stand in the rain or close my eyes and stick my face in the sun. I am a little different, maybe alot different, like I said, I can hardly remember my old self. I love more, my heart breaks easier, I listen more intently, and I try not to take people or days for granted. On the other side I’m alot less tolerant of jerks, mean people, angry people, ‘life-zapping’ people…waste of time and energy. So was cancer a blessing? In some ways. Would I have chosen to get it….NO WAY. What if I never had cancer? Who knows, but I accept who I am today because of it and I keep moving forward. Enough of the what ifs! Everyday a new beginning!

But what if I fail of my purpose here? It is but to keep the nerves at  strain, to dry one’s eyes and laugh at a fall, and baffled, get up and begin  again. -Robert Browning

Today I wear Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Suspense which again is this purply hot pink shade cool for summer. These lipsticks are cross between a lipstick and a gloss, are moisturizing and you can hardly feel them on your lips. They have great colors but go on more sheer than what you see in the tube. I love them! I chose Suspense for both the color and the name. Life is fun and living with excitement and suspense at how the day goes and who you might meet sounds like a blast, doesn’t it? Cheers!

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Treasure

9 Jun

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What a day! This weekend I drove to Chicago to participate in the Esprit de She women’s triathlon and it was both an exciting and breathtaking day. My daughter came with me and I was able to participate with both my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law. The day started bright and early and I was asked ahead of time to sing the national anthem on behalf of all of the survivors participating in the race. The emcee shared a little about my story, book, and blog, and I was able to say a few words. I was also told the day before that Glo Minerals donated a lipstick called ‘Treasure’ to all of the survivors on behalf of Team Lipstick Journey! So to start the day, I swiped on Treasure, spoke a little and opened the event with the National Anthem in front of almost 2000 spectators. After the anthem of course, I cried like a baby. It is so overwhelming for me to still be able to sing that I always get emotional now when I actually pull it off. Well, the initially forecasted cold and rainy day turned out to be a sunny beautiful morning filled with fun and gratitude. My last blog spoke of strength and courage, but today I want to speak of hope and freedom. Once again, for me, it is so difficult to breathe so some may think I’m crazy,why even bother? Well, when I try to ‘beat’ my breathing problems caused by cancer it gives me hope and freedom for the future. I can feel my body working and pushing itself to the max and the outdoors and wind on my face gives me a sense of that freedom. Overcoming obstacles; the cancer, the breathing, gives me hope that I am not bound to the things that have happened in my past. We all have the choice and the freedom to always be moving forward. That’s the ‘why’…hope and freedom to move forward. So did Team Lipstick Journey win? Of course not, but we finished strong and smiling!!photo (6)

Today I wear Treasure by Glo Minerals. I have been wearing it all day long and I love it! It looks like a shocking hot pink in the tube but it actually goes on a soft raspberry color on me. I believe it would look great on any skintone! It is mineral based and moisturizing. I’ll close by saying what I said earlier in my speech, treasure today and treasure each moment of breath because you never know what tomorrow brings! Cheers!

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