Time to Start Again

Well, I did a pretty horrendous job of keeping this up-to-date, didn't I? Somehow, between work and home and training, I forgot I had even started this blog. Ooops. That would be my middle-aged mind (not) at work.

In any case, I am about to re-embark on my training for the Avon Walk in 2009. My experience last year was so exhilirating that I cannot imagine not doing it again. I was able to raise over $7000 last time, so I am setting my goal at the same amount this time.

Many people have asked me why I did this since no one in my family has had this horrible disease. I was originally motivated to do it when I learned that my second friend had died from breast cancer. She was 45 years old and left behind her husband and two little girls. My first friend was just over 40 and left behind her husband and three children. Then I learned about a woman at work, the sister-in-law of a friend, another Mom at my daughter's dance center -- all in their 40's, all with aggressive forms of the disease. At the same time, I saw one of those commercials for the Avon Walk on TV - you know the ones: For Two Days, We Walk as One. After I stopped crying, I signed up. And never regretted it. (Well, ok, regretted it a few times last March when I was doing 2-3 HOURS on a treadmill on Saturdays...that is NOT fun.) Please understand, I am not a group person. I would rather have root canal than play a team sport, and I do not do rah-rah very well at all. But this spoke to me, and after I finished the 39 miles through Washington, DC neighborhoods I never knew about, I felt powerful -- and I felt a community spirit the likes of which I have felt before.

So here I go again. Once again, I will walk in DC to honor the memory of my dear Shell, with whom I shared more memories that I can remember when we were at Georgetown. To walk there is to walk with her by my side, and to feel 20 again.

This time, I really will keep you posted.

And so it begins...

I am a neophyte blogger, although I have thought about starting one for a long time. I've recently decided to participate in the Avon 2 Day Walk for Breast Cancer, and I have been asked to keep friends/family up to date on my training and fundraising efforts, so a blog seemed like the easiest way to do it.

Along the way, I may throw in an extra thing or two about the usual stuff that occupies middle aged suburban moms, like kids, work, politics, local gossip, etc...

Thanks for reading, and here we go.