Category Archives: awards

Just A Few Things

Posted on by
13

I finally got a donation button put on my sidebar, but I can’t figure out how to put my progress indicator over there. So I will try to get one of those tickers like Sing 4 Joy has on her blog at some point this week. I am thrilled to say that I’ve received over $1,800 so far!

Did you notice my new picture? I think my family thought I had lost my mind as I shoved the kitchen table around so the light and shadow would be just how I wanted it. Oh, and the big cup of hot cocoa with all the whipped cream I made just for the picture. Of course I had to drink it all, too. Isn’t that the prettiest cup? My sister-in-law, Rachele, gave it to me for Christmas. And it holds a ton of liquid, too! It doesn’t get better than that.

Todd and I went to New Balance in King of Prussia mall yesterday and bought two pairs of shoes each so we can start training in earnest. New Balance is a Susan G. Komen sponsor so not only do my shoes have a cute little pink ribbon, but we received a discount as well. Todd’s not so lucky because his shoes don’t have a ribbon on them.

I’ve decided I don’t want to be Mother of the Year anymore. It’s too much work and it’s not any fun. I think the fact that I made it an entire month AND I have two teenagers is quite an accomplishment in itself. I’m also pretty sure the fact I’ve been rethinking having children – even though it’s nearly 17 years too late – takes me out of the running. They haven’t been bad or anything. They just require too much of me. Do I look like a waitress? Do I look like a personal chef? Do I look like a cab driver? Do I look like an ATM? Do I look like a personal secretary? Okay. So I probably do look like a few of those, but that’s totally beside the point.

After nearly record breaking cold weather we got up into the mid-fifties today! It smelled like spring and was divine! Except the snow has all melted and our side yard is one big mud puddle. Brady came over and the dogs ran around attacking each other. And of course my dog had to jump up on Bill and Laura with her filthy muddy paws. What a little brat. Todd had to give her bath after all that fun. But the worst part about all the melted snow is finding all the thawed out poop. Ick!

I’m watching the end of the Grammy’s. I thought it was a pretty decent show tonight. Jennifer Hudson sang flawlessly with that beautiful, robust voice of hers and had a hard time holding it together when she finished. My heart just hurt for her, poor thing.

So there’s a little smattering of what’s been going on around here. Happy week!

Where In The World Have I Been?

Posted on by
10

Or more appropriately, where has the last week gone?? Is this what happens when you go back to work? You’re actually up and out and doing things and the next thing you know, the entire week is gone and you’re onto the next one? And not just the working thing, either, but Todd was in Phoenix last week which meant I was running the kids all over the place just about every night. So who has time to blog? (Sorry Lynilu!)

Saturday I worked in Katie’s room with her. Holy moly, is all I’m gonna say. ‘Cause really, anything else would just be mean. OH ALL RIGHT! I’ve just gotta say a little more. What an absolute disaster! We got a lot done, but we’re far from finished. We did see – and even vacuum – a good deal of carpet that we haven’t see in quite some time. That was exciting.

Saturday night I had a little bit of a meltdown. It was a cumulation of a lot of things – some big, some not so big – all related to cancer in some form or fashion. It sounds pretty lame to me considering I’ve been out of treatment for over three years now. It’s this stinking “new normal”. I don’t like it. I miss the old normal. I was fairly happy with the old normal. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but I was comfortable and content with who I was. Now I have a hard time seeing that same person. And not just my outward appearance, either. Even my way of thinking is different and not necessarily for the better.

I blame Beth Moore for the cryfest. My Home Team is doing her study on David and Friday we watched a video where she talked about the process of dealing with an overwhelming circumstance when you’re close to God. With each step she mentioned I could see a short video of my life three-plus years ago played out and, frankly, it hurt.

I saw myself flat on the floor next to my bed, crying my heart out to God. I saw myself during the days before my surgery, praying the doctor was wrong. I saw myself as I was going through chemo, weeping and praying for success and asking to be around long enough to see my grandchildren. I saw myself when I was weak or in pain or heartbroken over my long distance marriage, praying for the strength to just get to the next day. And I saw myself following all my scans and appointment with my oncologist after my last treatment, praising God and thanking Him for getting me through it all.

Try as I might to go to my happy place and ignore Beth Moore altogether, I couldn’t do it and I ended up in tears. Stupid Beth Moore. Stupid leaky eyes. But what great friends I have to love me despite my little emotional outburst.

After that I was kept pretty busy and didn’t have a lot of time to think about and process the lesson. But deep inside I knew it would happen because there are some things I’m still dealing with that make me very sad, though I tend to just push those matters to the back. But Beth had opened the door and by Saturday night the door flew open and it all came spilling out. Poor Todd. Or I should say poor, wonderful Todd.

There is, as usual, much more to the story that I’m not willing to share. Some things are just too personal (she who wrote nearly every detail of her breast reconstruction says). At least for right now. Some day it will be written down for all to read, though. Because nobody ever told me it would be like this and though I realize everybody is different, I’m finding out these taboo issues are common among survivors.

Not surprisingly, I slept really well Saturday night! And last night, too. I had the hardest time getting out of the bed this morning. Not only that, but I’m just about to admit I’m getting sick. So far I’ve managed to deny it to myself and everyone else, but the sandpaper in my throat can be ignored for only so long. And now it’s after 11:00 and I have to get up early tomorrow!! Because, you know, I’m still working toward that Mother Of The Year thing. Only 352 days left! But I have to say, each freezing morning I get up and out early enough to drive my kids the half a block to the bus stop the less appealing the award is looking to me.

So there you have it. That’s where I’ve been. Right here, doing my thing – whatever that may be.

Mother of the Year

Posted on by
10

Seeing as how we’re well into December and I blew any chances for the above distinction back around the first hour day week of January I figure I’ve got nothing to lose. I’ll try again at the first of the year, but for now it’s like I’ve got carte blanche to be the worst mother in the entire universe.

Why, just this morning I made Katie wear pants to school. I KNOW! Can you believe I would do that? I mean, yes, it was a balmy 26 so it wasn’t like her little sundress* wasn’t entirely appropriate. I just felt like ruining her life. It’s a very liberating and satisfying feeling.

****

I have over 400 unread posts in Google Reader and I’m so afraid I’m going to have to dump them all. I just haven’t had the time or the gumption to go through all of them and I apologize.

*Katie wouldn’t normally wear a sundress to school in winter, but it’s for the play she’s in tonight. They’re putting it on for the school this afternoon and she didn’t want to have to change at school. I just wonder how long the sweats she put on underneath are going to last.

And The Love Never Ends…

Posted on by
14

There’s yet another award making it’s way around bloglandia and yours truly is the latest recipient. The presenter is Deb, the lovely lady I have already established as kind. This is just more proof of it.

Thank you, Deb!!

Deciding who to pass this on to was made slightly easier by the fact that quite a few bloggers have recently received this so I won’t pass it back to them. That still leaves a bunch of deserving folks, though. *sigh* I settled on two ladies who always leave such encouraging comments.

Eileen at A Life of Triggers is truly one of the most giving people I’ve ever had the pleasure to “know”. She’s a wife, a mother of three teenage girls AND a social worker. She sees things that most of us would run away from screaming all the way. But she selflessly does what is best for her clients and their families. Not just anyone can do what she does and to do it right she has to have a big heart. And from what I’ve learned of her in the months I’ve been reading her blog, she’s got the biggest heart around.

April at For His Glory and My Good is a humble, huge-hearted wife and mother of two young children. Her words are always gentle and encouraging, sweet and funny, honest and inspiring. Her family has dealt with tragedy in the last year and yet her faith shines through in her words. In short, she lives out her faith on the pages of her blog.

*edit – April has THREE children, not two! Duh!!*

I’d Like To Thank My Publicist…

Posted on by
19

Lynilu at Never Ending Journey has a most excellent blog. So much so that her blog has been rated E for Excellent – a very fitting rating.

She turned around and rated four other blogs with an E, including mine. Boy, was I humbled to be rated alongside these other fine bloggers! So now it’s my turn to rate another blog or two. As all of you know, this is so hard! I think all the blogs I read are worthy of an E rating. Otherwise why would I read them?

I’ve decided to pass the “E” rating along to two of my new favorites. Funny thing is, they’re related. AND I get to meet them both in the fall. IN REAL LIFE!

Sing4Joy at Southern Living and Other Peeks Into My Psyche has a truly Excellent blog. Her husband is currently in Iraq and she sometimes posts these wonderfully touching excerpts from his letters home. She also writes funny, sweet and encouraging posts. Not only does she sing for joy, she exudes joy. Add to that she’s now officially a professional photographer and you’ve got a completely Excellent package!

His Girl at His Girl’s Blog also has an incredibly Excellent blog. She’s a speaker and an author and generally the person I want to be when I grow up – except I’m older than she is. She’s open and honest and takes us on her walk with the Lord, inspiring me all the time. Not only that, but both of these bloggers are FUNNY! And I love funny.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is EXCELLENT or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:7-9

*****

Then I received this very “kind” award from HisGirl. (Those of you who know me very well are probably snickering at how I’ve fooled everyone. Yeah. Me, too.)

Now I don’t tolerate unkind people and I’ve found the majority of bloggers I hang out with (virtually speaking) are very nice. Everyone on my blogroll easily deserves this award, too. But I’ve got a pretty hefty blogroll going so that would take forever. Instead I’m going to pass this on to two as well.

Deb at The Daily B is always kind. She is a sweet, sweet girl with never anything snarky or mean to say. NEVER. How many of us can say that?? Well, not me anyway. And you can just look at her beautiful smile and know she’s kind. She happens to live in the vicinity of my in-laws so I plan on meeting her someday, too.

And Katybug at Watercooler Wisdom… Or Lack Thereof is always kind. She’s pregnant with Little Bug – a muy surprise blessing – and she still manages to be nice! Of course, I am a little biased because she shares the same intense adoration of the delectable fluffernutter as I do. Some day we’re going to meet in real life and chat and laugh over fluffernutter sandwiches and chocolate milk.

I WIN! I WIN!

Posted on by
9

Becky at Stuck in Frump, Striving for Fab has honored me with a new and exciting award – Blogging that Hits the Mark.

A little about Becky first. I think the title of her blog alone deserves an award. It always makes me smile. And I love the stories she tells about life with a husband and two boys. Sometimes light and silly. Sometimes deep and spiritual. Good stuff.

Another thing about Becky, she loves “A Christmas Story” and quotes it every now and again. Considering we watch it about a bajillion times from Thanksgiving until way past Christmas, how can I not love that about her?? Which reminds me of a story… but that will have to wait.

So she bestowed me with the Blogging that Hits the Mark award. I’m not sure what mark it is I hit. Sometimes the whiney mark. Sometimes the insipid mark. Sometimes the insipid whiney mark. A lot of times the mark is just plain silly. Regardless, I thank her for thinking of me.

Now who to pass the accolade on to. This is always the hardest part about getting an award. I want to pass it on to everyone. But, alas, I cannot do that. So I bestow this honor on Gretchen at Good Enough for Now. The blog description says:

This blog is a discovery and journey process for me. At this point, I’ve figured that my battles with perfectionism are futile. This side of Heaven, I won’t ever be perfect. And, that’s okay. I’m good enough for now. I hope you leave feeling good enough, too. Because you are.

This blog is very new, but Gretchen is not new to blogging. She writes with honest vulnerability and she truly does hit the mark every. single. time. I count her as one of my very good cyberfriends and am happy to pass this on to her.

Award Time

Posted on by
11

Back in September Slackermommy bestowed this little lovely on me.

Just like tons of other breast cancer patients or survivors who are told they’re brave, I don’t think of myself in that way. I did what I had to do plain and simple. However, after my recent posts on God and Sex, I’ve decided I AM courageous. So I gratefully accept the award. Thank you, Slackermommy.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month I pass on the award to these amazing ladies and fellow sisters in the BC Sorority:

Sherry at Sage and Thyme

Jill at Reconstruct This…

KT at Gotta Keep on Keepin’ On…

Love Fest

Posted on by
13

Back in July I was honored with the Schmooze Award by Em at Notes From My Corner. The funny thing was that I awarded him with the Blogger Reflection Award the very same day. As I told him, we had our own little mutual admiration society going.

The word “schmoozer” brings to mind a greazy used car dealer or a slimy lawyer (I’ve known both used car dealers and lawyers – not all greazy or slimy). But the dictionary offers this definition: someone skilled at conversation I’m not sure how skilled my conversation is, but I can surely talk. So I accept the honor and pass on the love to a blogger with the power of schmooze.

Swishy at Waiting for My Real Life to Begin has schmooze powers of epic proportions. She blogs while sitting in a coffee shop or waiting for a plane at the airport. Last night she live-blogged during the Emmy’s. I love reading what she has observed and her use of visual aids (i.e., pictures) adds to the feeling of being there.

***

Then in August I was given the Nice Matters Award by Eileen at A Life of Triggers. If you’ve ever read any of Eileen’s comments you know how perfect this particular award was for her. She’s always kind, always considerate and always encouraging.

This award is for those bloggers who are nice people, good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspirations. Also, for those who are a positive influence in our blogging world.

I feel a bit like a fraud. I haven’t been a very good blog friend for the last couple of weeks and sometimes I think I’m too snarky and sarcastic. Still, I gratefully accept the award and pass it on to Gretchen at Quantum Leap. Visiting Gretchen’s blog is like sitting down to a cup of coffee with a good friend. It just doesn’t get any better.

***

At the beginning of this month Dan at Danny & Family bestowed the Blogger Reflection Award on me. Dan is a proud husband and father and his love for his family shines from his posts. So to have received this award from him is quite an honor.

Dan said this about my blog: Jenster is a cancer survivor who writes about her family. She is a woman of faith and although I haven’t been reading her blog for a very long time, I took to it quickly and read it often. This short paragraph I’m writing about Jenster’s blog doesn’t do it justice. It’s also a good-looking blog, and I wish my blog looked so good. Very sweet.

So I now pass this award on to Kim at The Merits of the Case. This is an incredible woman who is physically in the same place I was in 2005 – going through chemotherapy for breast cancer. But she is also going through law school at the same time. Her blog is frank and honest and sometimes it’s like reading something I would have written two years ago. She has a great attitude and a gorgeous smile – I can’t imagine that hair on her head would make her any prettier. I’ve only been hanging out at her place for a few weeks, but I always come away from her blog contemplating one thing or another.

***

I really am humbled to have been thought of by these bloggers in such nice ways. My impulse is to say it’s because they don’t know the real me, but then Todd will get all mad at me so I’m just going to say thank you to Em, Eileen and Dan. I’m in great company!

(I have no idea why the banners on this post are so big. I used the smallest setting when I uploaded them, but they’re still showing up large. Anybody got any ideas why??)

STELLA AWARDS

Posted on by
6

I had planned to post something else today, but I got this email from Jennifer who got it off a message board who got it — well, I don’t know who posted it there. But it was just too priceless to pass up. It’s one of those things that make you laugh and infuriates you all at the same time.

****

Hot dog! It’s time again for the annual “Stella Awards”!

For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald’s in where she purchased the coffee.

That’s right. These are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts that happened during 2006. You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head. Here are the “Stellas” for the past year:

To kick things off the right way, there was a three-way tie for 5th place.

Kathleen Robertson was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict considering the running toddler was Ms. Robertson’s son.

Also in 5th place is Carl Truman, 19, who won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn’t notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor’s hubcaps. Go ahead. Grab your head scratcher.

The last of the 5th place winners was Terrence Dickson, who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn’t re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to subsist for eight — count ‘em, 8! — days on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner’s insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish. Keep scratching.

There are more.

Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the “Stellas” when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor’s beagle – even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner’s fenced yard Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun. Grrrrr. Scratch, scratch.

3rd place went to Amber Carson because a jury ordered a restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on soft drink and broke her tailbone (coccyx). The reason the soft drink was on the floor? Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. What ever happened to people being responsible for their own actions? Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Hang in there, there are only two more Stellas to go.

2nd place goes to Kara Walton after she sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor and knocked out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000 and… oh, yeah dental expenses. Go figure.

Finally (may I have a fanfare played on 50 kazoos please) this year’s runaway First Place Stella Award winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home – from an OU football game, no less – having driven on to the free way, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver’s seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich.

Don’t look so incredulous. Remember, we’re talking about Oklahoma here. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned.

Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner’s manual that she couldn’t actually leave the driver’s seat while the cruise control was set. The jury awarded her — you are sitting down, right? — $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit. Just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might buy a motor home.

ADDENDUM

In the comments you’ll see that Jennifer let me know these lawsuits – or at least the results – are fake. WHEW!! Though I have to say, I worked in insurance defense several years ago and you may be amazed at the ridiculous lawsuits. We represented Safeway grocery stores in Southern California and some of the suits people brought against Safeway were absolutely hysterical. Hm… I just thought of another post…

A New Award

Posted on by
10

Lynilu at Never Ending Journey has favored me with a very distinct honor in the form of the Blogger Reflection Award.

This award should make you reflect on five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and have been a Godly example to you. Five Bloggers who, when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy… of knowing them and being blessed by them.
I can certainly see why Lynilu was bestowed this award. She is retired, though she works at an art gallery, and living in the beautiful mountains of New Mexico. Her posts are always inspiring, conveying something new she’s learned or another bit of beauty she’s found. And the pictures she shares are breathtaking. For anyone who’s never been to New Mexico and thinks it’s probably just ugly desert, think again. Her blog will change your mind real quick.

Like so many people I know, I have a hard time with compliments. I love to get them, but I don’t want to come across as conceited so I tend to minimize the flattery instead of just saying thank you. Instead I’m going to keep all my “I’m not worthy” thoughts to myself and say thank you, Lynilu. I am truly honored.

Here are the rules:

1. Copy this set of rules.
2. Reflect on five bloggers and write a least a paragraph about each one.
3. Make sure you link this post so others can read it and the rules.
4. Go leave your chosen bloggers a comment and let them know they’ve been given the award.
5. Put the award icon on your site.

Now is the really hard part – picking five other bloggers for this award. It’s not that there isn’t a plethora of deserving people. It’s that there are so many to choose from. Decisiveness isn’t one of my strong suits. But I have chosen five bloggers who, to me, embody the concepts of the Blogger Reflection Award.

No Surrender is a blog about a beautiful young woman’s fight with cancer. Not just once, but twice now. Not the same cancer. Two different, unrelated cancers. But her spirit is undiminished and her posts are sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always thought provoking. And I have a special place in my heart for her because she was a constant source of encouragement when I was going through chemotherapy in 2005.

Em at Notes from My Corner. He is a teacher, a speaker, a husband and a father of three who so obviously loves his family and his job. It’s truly a joy to read his blog. His middle child has Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, and Em shares the milestones and frustrations of this disorder – for Son17 and for the family – with frankness, but never sadness. He is blessed by Son17 and Son17 is blessed by him.

April at For His Glory and My Good. So many of April’s post are full of God’s wisdom and I always leave her blog with a sense that I’ve just come from a visit with my heavenly Father himself. She recently lost a sister to lupus and she (and the rest of her family) continues to praise God in the midst of her grief. She definitely fits the description of godly.

Gretchen at Quantum Leap. I notice Gretchen has already received the Blogger Reflection Award, but it’s a different button so I’m thinking this is a different one all together. This is a fairly new blog for me, but I settled in and got comfortable right away. She’s funny, she loves life and her family, and she bares her soul with humility and honesty for a bible study she participates in and shares with the rest of us.

Whymommy at Toddler Planet. You will be hearing more about her, her cancer fight and her mission here this next week. She is in the same place I was two years ago or so – she just buzzed her hair – and where so many people might dig a hole to lie in while they’re going through such an ordeal, she is doing all she can to get the word out about inflammatory breast cancer – the least pervasive, but sneakiest and most aggressive type.