We Are T.O.P.S!

     Looking back through the years I don't ever remember a time when I was really skinny. I was always a little chubby as a kid and then as a teenager. In case you didn't already know, hormones suck... As an adult I had tried to do different diets and exercise to get to a healthy weight but it was really hard and nothing ever worked for me. When I had my peeps I gained even more weight and was never able to really lose that. Now, I look at myself in the mirror and I don't even know who I'm looking at. I am not that person I see in the mirror.
     I have known about TOPS since I was a kid. Years ago my Mom and Aunt were members of the local chapter and I can remember them always going to the weekly meetings. I talk to my cousin a lot and she has been in a chapter where she lives for a couple of years. She's had great success with her weight loss and is an inspiration to me. She is the leader of her chapter and earlier this year invited me to come check out a meeting. I liked the structure of the meeting, all the members were really friendly and they make their meetings fun. One big thing that I thought would really help me is the weekly weigh in. I think it makes you accountable for what you do and eat during the week. I decided that I need to do something to get healthy so I looked into finding a chapter in my area. The chapter my Mom used to attend is still there but they meet in the mornings and mornings don't work for me. I decided to see if I could find enough interested people to start my own chapter.
    In March I started my chapter with 10 members. We are now up to 12 members and between all of us I think we have lost around 200 pounds. I'm the leader for our chapter and I'm so proud of all my members and myself. Having a weight problem can be a long lonely road but with the support I get from my members at TOPS I know I can do this. We are all in this together.

TOPS- Taking Off Pounds Sensibly. A support group for weight loss and healthy living.

     I know there are a lot of people out there that have struggled with your weight and I would love to hear your story, thoughts or comments. What has worked for you and what hasn't?

I don't know if it's global warming but something's going on.

     I have lived in Michigan my entire life and talking about the weather here can be quiet entertaining. In one week it's not uncommon to experience several different weather conditions. Sometimes even in the same day, seriously. Yesterday we needed jeans, long sleeves with a sweatshirt and umbrellas; while today is shorts, tank tops and heading to the beach. It's always some kind of crazy weather here so the sudden changes are not too unexpected. But something is happening.
     There have been extreme changes in our snowfall, rainfall, temperatures and the level of our lakes. I'm not saying that it isn't happening in other places too but I know it's happening here and I don't like it. We have had two earthquakes this year (May and June 2015). I think the last earthquake we had here was in 1994 and before that I think was 1947. There have been other earthquakes that happened in other places around our state that we were able to feel them in Michigan but now we've had two earthquakes this year originating in our state. I can't be the only one that thinks this is odd.
     It's not uncommon for us to experience a small tornado once in a while but it's not something that is commonly expected in our area either. This year we have had several confirmed tornadoes touch down around our state, if feels to me like more than usual and a lot closer to home than I like. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by these storms.
     I have never had much interest in the weather and I'm definitely no weather woman but things are changing and I don't know that it's for the better. Michigan is known for it's unpredictable weather and it seems that our weathermen often have a difficult job to do. I think I'm going to start reading the Farmer's Almanac...

     What is causing these changes to happen?

Art

     Art is a noun, defined as: the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.
   

What does that mean to me? 

     According to aesthetic principles... I'm not fond of that statement. I believe everyone has their own interpretation of what is beautiful and knows what appeals to their senses. Who is to say that the quality of one work of art is greater than another when everyone has different taste in what they like to see, feel, and hear. What is ordinary? We all, to some extent, can choose our surroundings and tend to gravitate to what we find stimulating to our own unique personalities. We choose those principles for ourselves. I decide what I think is beautiful.
   

What is art?

     There have been many forms of art throughout time and across the world. Cave paintings that have been dated to 40,000 years old are believed to be some of the first art ever produced by humans. Dance more than likely started out as ritual and evolved into art but paintings of dance have been dated to 9,000 years old. Music is probably the oldest art form believed to have started by mimicking sounds in nature. It has been in existence for 55,000 years. That is a lot of time to develop human creativity...

     We've come a long way from cave painting, ritual dance and imitation of sound. Now there are seemingly endless forms of art in any mediums you can think of to use. Natural materials, metals, ink, words, photography, different kinds of paint, I've even made things from different types of tape. What started out as ceremonial or ritual dancing has transformed and evolved in to various forms of dance like ballet, modern dance, jazz and hip hop, just to name a few. The evolution of music is no different. In my neck of the woods it seems like there are a lot of polkas and country music but with so many genres I find myself listening to much more. Art is whatever inspires us.

Who can be an artist?

     Even though there are a lot of people who consider themselves not to be artistic I think everybody has the ability to create art. I've always enjoyed drawing and painting and choose to use my creativity in various forms. I do better with some mediums than others but I'm not afraid to try something new. My younger brother, who doesn't consider himself to be artistic at all, had taken a couple of art classes in high school and never thought what he made looked very good. I however love some of the things that he has created and asked if I could have them. Anyone can be an artist. Anyone can create art. If you have the passion to create something I have no doubt that somebody somewhere will find it appealing to their senses.

     Life is full of many feelings and emotions. These are the things that inspire us to create art. Being happy, loved, admired, respected, sad, experiencing great joy or a loss, extreme anger or sometimes feeling nothing at all. I believe there is a spark inside all of us just waiting to ignite, we just need the right inspiration to get it started. What is your inspiration?

The Great Hot Dog Debate

     It's summertime and that means grilling season here in Michigan. I don't know about you but I love a burned hot dog on the grill! You go to the grocery store to get the essentials; condiments, buns and beverages, then head on over to the meat department for the main course. Can you call hot dogs a main course? There are about 30 brands to search through before you find what your looking for and put it in your cart. Some people I know have no preference and will only buy what's on sale or store brands because they are generally less expensive. I have friends that won't buy anything but Ballpark and some that will only get Bar S because they say they have the best flavor. My cousin use to love hot dogs when she was younger but won't eat them anymore, she has to have Johnsonville cheesy brats. Then other I've talked to won't eat hot dogs at all because they're not food. As for me and my house we will serve Koegel's. My girlfriend is here telling me that this is a stupid post and I shouldn't waste people's time writing it. She will only buy Oscar Meyer...

     What kind do you reach for?
   

It's The Final Countdown...

     I don't get out much but with having my peeps I've done quite a few different things with sports, school and after school activities. I'm no stranger to volunteering. It seems like I always have something to sell for somebody throughout the year. Yes, I'm one of those people. Girl scout cookies. Magazines. Nuts and candy. Candles. T-shirts. Bake sales. BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. Origami Owl. Thirty One. Pampered Chef. It seems like I'm always busy helping out with something. I've helped raise a lot of money. Girl Scouts has probably been/was my biggest fundraising effort with Relay For Life coming in second but today we're talking about relay.

     

Getting ready for Relay.

     This is the third year that I've had my Rosa's Rack Pack relay team and every year my team has raised more than the year before. There are about twelve teams in our county this year that all work toward the goal for our area. Each team may have several different fundraisers to help reach that goal. Then we all get together for a 24 hour event to make that final push to reach our goal. We plan for this event all year long and tomorrow, well today, it's finally here! 

     This week has been hectic trying to get things packed and ready... Tents, blankets, sleeping bags. Relay's in the park and we'll be there overnight camping. Snacks for all the team members I'll be bringing. Those peeps sure can eat! Bake sale at our site. I've spent the last several hours baking and packaging. Everything has to be prepackaged off site. Waiting for the last cookies to cool so I can go to bed... Canopy's and tables I dropped off at our site when I was there to help put the sand in the luminary bags that we'll set out later this morning. Need to set up those canopy's and tables later this morning too. Cases of water are loaded but I still need to get them on ice. Lots of little things to bring along for the theme laps around the track. Beads, leis, mustaches. Don't forget the camera and extra batteries because those are going to be some moments to remember! Thinking of batteries, I better remember the flashlights! Port-o-potties in the pitch dark are scary places to be... Need some comfy chairs to relax for a while but not too long because we all need to be walking our laps. One of our members is a massage therapist and she's decided to bring her chair to do massages again this year at our site. We have a silent auction every year and we do get some amazing items donated, like massage gift certificates! I just looked at the clock and it's 2 a.m. I have to be up at 6 a.m. to finish loading the truck and get the peeps around. I think I better get off here, bag up my last cookies and call it a day.

     Hope to see you all at relay!! 

Just Push Play

     Music helps me forget about the world I live in and open my mind artistically, a true way to express myself. I have a hard time making decisions but listening to a good song on the radio gives me inspiration and seems to help me figure things out. What do you like to listen to?

A list of some of my favorite music in no particular order...

1. Closing Time - Semisonic
2. Sail - Awolnation
3. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
4. Take Me To Church - Hozier
5. 3AM - Matchbox Twenty
6. Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
7. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri
8. Meet Virginia - Train
9. Why Would I Say Goodbye - Brooks & Dunn
10. Born And Raised In Black And White - Brooks & Dunn
11. You Found Me - The Fray
12. Voodoo - Godsmack
13. Alone - Heart
14. Get Stoned - Hinder
15.  I Hate Myself For Loving You - Joan Jett
16.  Leave Out All The Rest - Linkin Park
17. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
18.  Decode - Paramore
19. Bad Girlfriend - Theory of a Deadman
20. Hearing Damage - Thom Yorke
21. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
22. Bleed It Out - Linkin Park
23. If I Die Young - The Band Perry
24. Sissy's Song - Alan Jackson
25. Eyes On Fire - Blue Foundation
26. Rosyln - Bon Iver & St. Vincent
27. Full Moon - The Black Ghosts
28. One Last Breath - Creed
29. No Sound But The Wind - Editors
30. Shake That - Eminem
31. Here's To The Night - Eve 6
32. Hemorrhage (In My Hands) - Fuel
33. Nobody Knows - Kevin Sharp
34. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
35. Wake Me Up - Avicii
36. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
37. Rape Me - Nirvana
38. Savin' Me - Nickelback
39. If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback
40. Down To The River To Pray - Alison Krauss
41. Stand By Me - Ben E. King
42. Shame On The Moon - Bob Seger
43. A Place Where You Belong - Bullet For My Valentine
44. I'll Be - Edwin McCain
45. Hungry Eyes - Eric Carmen
46. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics
47. My Immortal - Evanescence
48. In The Still Of The Night - The Five Satins
49. Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah!) - Joan Jett
50. Rock & Roll All Night - Kiss
51. The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo) - Manfred Mann
52. Sex & Candy - Marcy Playground
53. I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) - Meatloaf
54. Bitch - Meredith Brooks
55. Mouth - Merril Bainbridge
56. Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
57. How You Remind Me - Nickelback
58. Why Don't You Get A Job? - The Offspring
59. Just Like A Pill - P!nk
60. So What - P!nk
61. Sober - P!nk
62. The Forgotten - Green Day
63. Fire In The Water - Feist
64. Hall Of Fame - The Script
65. Some Nights - Fun
66. All Or Nothing - Theory Of A Deadman
67. Free Fallin' - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
68. Apologize - Timbaland feat. One Republic
69. Rhythm Of Love - Plain White T's

I Will Relay For Life!

American Cancer Society - Relay For Life

     Most everyone has probably heard of the American Cancer Society and different Relay For Life events throughout the United States and many other places in the world. There are more than 5,000 Relay For Life events that take place across twenty countries every year. You can find fundraising events online, at many different colleges and universities or maybe right in a community near you. In our county we do several fundraisers throughout the year and have our 24 hour event held at the city park. More than 4 million people participate in these events that help promote awareness and raise money for screening programs in different communities and fund research to help save lives from being lost to cancer.

My inspiration to join the fight against cancer...

     In September of 2009 my Mom went to the local emergency room with severe pain from what she thought was a kidney stone. To diagnose this the doctor ordered a CT scan which showed the stone and also a large mass on her adrenal gland. The kidney stone was large enough that the doctor said it would need to be blasted to remove it and they also wanted to do surgery to remove the mass. My brother's wedding was just a month away and Mom had to be there for that so she chose to schedule the procedure for the kidney stone but wait until after the wedding to schedule the surgery to remove the mass. She was transferred to a hospital in the city, about an hour and a half from home, for her kidney stone procedure. When the stone was blasted it didn't break apart like the doctor had hoped it would but instead shot back into her kidney. She was now not having any pain from it though so that would be a worry for another day. 

     In October we all went to my little brother's wedding and it was beautiful. We had fun at the dinner and reception visiting family and friends but it wasn't long until Mom was in pain again.

     In November we made the trip to the hospital for Mom to have the surgery to remove the mass from her adrenal gland. She was in the operating room for what seemed like forever. When the doctor came to the waiting room to let us know how the surgery went he told us that he was able to remove the mass, he thought he got it all and was sending it to the lab for testing. We could go see her when she was out of the recovery room and in her patient room. Mom had a huge incision from the surgery and was in a lot of pain. About three days after the surgery we got the worst news possible. Mom had cancer. At that time the doctor said he knew it was cancer as soon as he removed it but he had no idea what kind, he had never seen anything like it before. More tests were ordered including a PET scan to check for cancer cells anywhere else in her body, they didn't find anything anywhere. That was great news for us, the doctor had really gotten it all! I think it was about a week after surgery we were bringing Mom home. She was still very sore but healing.

     In December we found out the tumor wasn't just sent to the lab for testing but sent to several cancer boards across the United States where top cancer doctors could look at the tumor to make a decision what they were looking at. It was labeled as adrenal cancer which is rare. Mom's doctor suggested that she make an appointment at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor. They have a doctor there that specializes in adrenal cancer. We would be able to ask any questions we have and find out what treatments would work best for this type of cancer.

     In February, on Mom's birthday, we went to that appointment. We already knew that adrenal cancer is rare and found out there was only one treatment available for her to even try. The doctor there however didn't think Mom would be able to stand the extremely painful treatment, and said there was a good chance it may even kill her. One of the hardest things I have ever had to hear in my life is that there is nothing they can do to save my Mom... During this visit to UofM Mom was in so much pain that she didn't think she could stand to make the 4 hour trip back home. She was admitted to the hospital to find out what was causing the pain. There were many tests being done along with another PET scan that showed the cancer had spread throughout her body. In only three short months it was everywhere. We were devastated. Mom was put on large doses of the strongest pain medications they make and sent home on Hospice care. There was nothing more we could do.

Caregiver

     An LPN for 40 years, she always knew what to do and took care of everybody. Ask anybody that knew her and they'll tell you she was one of the best nurses they have ever known. I would have never thought that at 30 years old I would be taking care of my Mom in the last stage of her life. As a Daughter this was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do but I'm glad I was able to do it. The Hospice nurses came on certain days to be support for us all, do certain tasks for Mom and show us how to do others. Between my Aunt, my Sister, my daughters and myself we were there to take care of Mom until the end. She died at home on April 24th 2010.

     I was at my Mom's house with my peeps almost every day. They grew up with her as a constant figure in their lives. Even though Mom was sick and dying I wanted them to be able to spend as much time with her as they could. One of the hardest things for me to see as a Mother was when Mom could no longer get out of bed because she was in too much pain and my peeps, 3 and 6 years old, would go to her bedside to kiss her hand and tell her that they love her. 

What does relay mean to me?

     I knew about Relay For Life for a few years before Mom was diagnosed but I never went to an event until the year she passed away. That was a very emotional time for me. Not only was my Mom gone but so was my peeps only Grandmother. I have a strong bond with my family and friends that will never be broken.
     I didn't actually start my relay team until a few years after Mom passed away when one of my best friends was going through breast cancer. I wanted to do anything and everything I could to help. I decided that I wanted to start a team In Memory of my Mom and In Honor of my friend, Vicki. She was a fighter and was honored to be a member on our team but in the end she lost her fight too. I dedicated my first relay to my best friend.

     This is why I relay. For life. For more birthdays and time that can be spent with family. For research to find treatments so more people can have a chance to fight and survive. Until there is a cure for cancer I will Relay For Life! <3 <3