13.1 Miles - Done!

I did it!

My race bib and finisher's medal

13.1 miles in a very slow 3:45:42. That time certainly didn't set any records, but that was never my intention. I began this process in May to train for my first endurance event, and to raise money for LLS at the same time. A year ago the thought of starting, let alone finishing, a half marathon seemed like a pipe dream at best. And I'd known about LLS and Team in Training, but I had no idea just what an impact this involvement with them would have on my life. I'm astounded by the number of people who are survivors, of blood cancer, are currently undergoing treatment, or have loved ones battling these diseases. So many of you have been touched by LLS, either by their resources for assistance, or through receiving medication whose research was funded by the Society. And it was these stories that inspired me and pushed me on through training, injuries, and crises of faith (in myself). How can I give up because my hips hurt, or grumble about getting up at 5:00am to train? Quite simply - I couldn't. It was a privilege to put on my TNT race singlet yesterday and be out there representing my honorees and LLS.

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At the start with ribbons representing my honorees/inspirations

But I am only halfway to my goal. I finished the Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Half Marathon, but I am still short of my fundraising goal. There's still time left, and I have some local events in process. But I hope you can help me, too. I've been overwhlemed the generosity of all who have donated. This is a tough time for charitable contributions, which only makes your support that much more important. You all are heroes - to me and even moreso to those touched by blood cancers.

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At the finish with my TNT teammate & friend, Bailey. We met through TNT, and completed the event together.

TNT's involvement in in 10 years of the Rock n Roll in Va Beach has raised over $235,000 for LLS. And since its founding, TNT has raised over $1 Billion across all of their events, all for LLS. And with these funds, LLS has been able to 100% fund the research for groundbreaking medications such as Gleevec, which has revolutionzed the treatment of CML - Chronic Myelogenous Lymphoma.

Every mile and every dollar brings as closer to a cure.

And don't forget - I have a prize drawing that will take place in October, using random.org to choose the winners:

Any donation $1-$19:

Entered into a drawing for Mobius Knot Earrings

Any donation $20-$49:

Entered into a drawing for a Byzantine weave bracelet

Any donation $50-$99:

Entered into a drawing for a sterling silver double spiral weave bracelet.

Any donation $100+:

As well as being entered into the $50+ drawing, you will also receive a byzantine weave bracelet in your desired length

Seamus's Story

After getting off my training program, I’ve certainly come back with a vengeance.  Which is a good thing since the Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Half Marathon is only 13 weeks away!  Running, swimming, weight-training…I’m pretty sure my high school friends are right now trying to blend the un-athletic me from the early 90’s with this new marathoner-in-training.  Though as much as I love the training, the fundraising has been a major struggle, and I was starting to lose sight if why I joined TNT.  At least I was, until I started to talk with one of those high school friends, Jentry, about her son, Seamus. 

Jentry, and her husband Brian, have generously shared their family's experience with blood cancer with me, to share with all of you.  It is their hope that they are able to give back to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for all the good they do for families like theirs. As I write this, and as I correspond with Jentry and Brian, I am re-invigorated in my goal to raise $2500 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  I have a long way to go, and I hope you will be as moved as I was by this family.  I am so proud to be running this half marathon in honor of Seamus.

This is their story

When Seamus was 3 ½, his parents found a lump on the side of his rib cage about the size of half an egg. Their pediatrician put off sending the family to the hospital, but three days later he had trouble breathing, and his parents took Seamus to the ER.  As his mother said, “I knew something was wrong when they took him in the back right away.”    After a lot of tests, the doctors found a grapefruit-sized tumor in his abdomen. They spent the night together at their local hospital and were transferred the next day to the University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital for diagnosis and treatment.

Seamus was diagnosed with stage IV Burkitts Lymphoma, a highly aggressive and rare form of cancer in the US. His bone marrow was over 95% cancerous.  Jentry, Brian and Seamus spent 3 weeks in the hospital initially, and then returned every two weeks.  In these return trips Seamus was admitted for a full week to undergo non-stop chemo. Then on the off week he went in for outpatient chemo.

In addition to his chemo treatments, Seamus also had 20 blood transfusions, many spinal taps and multiple bone marrow aspirations.  I’ve certainly heard of spinal taps, and how painful they are, but I didn’t know what a bone marrow aspiration entailed.  Jentry explained it to me:  A bone marrow aspiration is when they bore into the pelvis with an instrument that looks like a straight cork screw, breaking through the bone to get a sample of the marrow.  And remember – Seamus was just 3 ½!  In all, his treatment was 5 months and very intense.  Yet through all of this, Seamus was a trooper. On the days he felt well it was only his bald head would let on that he was sick.  He truly has an indomitable spirit.

Brian says that Seamus "did bald well."  I think they both did!

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was helpful in so many ways for Jentry and Brian. Initially, they were a resource for information, including ways to explain the illness to Seamus and to the rest of their family. And as time progressed, they helped financially from gas money to assistance with some treatment costs.  But most importantly they were able to meet other families going through the same thing.



Above - Seamus today - Age 11 - And proudly showing off his medal after his hockey team took 3rd place!



I am so happy to say that today Seamus is a happy, healthy, sports-playing 11 year old big brother.    He is considered cured now – his last treatment was Christmas Day, 2003.  As I struggle with my training and fund raising, I’m reminded that every dollar counts.  LLS supports research for new treatments as well as provides financial assistance for families like Seamus’s.  After reading about what Seamus, Jentry and Brian endured, the 13.1 miles and $2500 no longer seems insurmountable.  Together, we can help families: from sons and daughters, to moms and dads – every dollar counts!



Seamus and his family enjoying an outing.  Supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society can help make days like this possible for other families! 

 

Want to donate?  Click the widget in the top right corner of this page, or follow this link to my page!

XOX, Lisa

Meeting Diana

This past weekend I met an amazing young mother – Diana.  This vivacious 28 year-old used to run 5 miles a day and chase her daughter around the house.  But due to a Stage IV Lymphoma found on her spinal cord, Diana is now in a wheelchair.   And though she told me she’s hopeful that one day medical advances will get her out of the chair, she followed that up immediately with a big grin and exclaimed, “But I’m alive!”  Diana is currently in remission and maintains an amazing zest for life and an overriding joy that she’s here to be a mother to her daughter. 

Stories like this are why I joined TNT for the Rock n Roll Half.  It’s 13.1 miles to keep families together to enjoy those milestones so many of us take for granted.  It’s 13.1 miles to keep friends in each other’s lives.  It’s 13.1 miles towards finding a cure!

You can help support patients like Diana by clicking the bad on the right of this page to donate, and/or by shopping  the auction starting Amy 25^th on facebook.  Items have generously been donated by these wonderful shops, and I’m adding more each day!  I cannot thank the women behind these shops enough.  Please stop by their facebook pages through the links below to see more from each artist!

Aggie Chick

Comfy Stitches

Earthwise Emporium

My Lemonade Dreams

Rachel VanNatten Jewelry

SmiLe aGain Creations



XOX, Lisa

PS - got a 3.3mi run in today!  Beautiful weather here in Virginia, and it just felt great to be out there :o)

The Chocolate Bunnies are Multiplying…

I swear they are – they must be.  That is the only possible explanation for how much brightly-colored, foil-wrapped candy there still is in my pantry.  I reach in for almonds, or raisins, or some other healthy snack, and come out with a mini-Cadbury egg, or bite-size bunny, or a so-good-it-should-be-illegal Milky Way egg.   Seriously - something about the nougat/caramel/chocolate ratio in those eggs makes them soooo much better than the bar!

So as I was staring at my bag o’ temptation this weekend, I realized there had to be something better to do with all of that chocolately goodness rather than leaving it to mock me daily.  And then I remembered that my friend Beth posted a recipe on facebook that used leftover Halloween candy in cookies.  Neither one of us could find the exact recipe she’d used, but a perusal of Google brought me Reeni Spice's exceedingly yummy blog, Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice, and this mouth-watering recipe.  

Of course, I was out of unsalted butter (really? I always have too many sticks of butter in my fridge – how the heck did that happen?!), so I am *hoping* to make them this weekend with the help of my twingles.  And then I plan to force them on the pre-school teachers.  Woo-hoo: activity for the girls, brownie points for me, plus chocolate removed from my house and therefore my waistline!  Can we say win-win-win-win?  And no, I will not place the now seemingly obligatory Charlie Sheen-esque comment here.

Here’s the recipe, and a link to Reeni's site (where you can get a printer-friendly version of the recipe).  Just don’t visit her site on an empty stomach.  Really.  Don’t do it.

XOX, Lisa

Candy Bar Cookies

(adapted from Epicurious)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 + 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 + 1/2 packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 + 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups chocolate candy bars, chopped
(like kit kats, peanut butter cups, snickers, milky way, m&m's)
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a large bowl beat together butter and sugars at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs. Beat in vanilla.

4. Beat in flour just until blended. Gently mix in candy bars and walnuts, batter will be thick.

5. Scoop 1/4 cup batter for each cookie placing about 3 inches apart. Flatten mounds into 3-inch rounds using moistened palm of your hand. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden, 10 -14 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks.

13.1 miles and $2500 or Bust!

Call me crazy...no, really, call me crazy.
I signed up for the Dodge Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach for Labor Day weekend.

And because that is obviously not enough torture to put myself though, I also joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training and committed to raising $2500 through the course of my training for the Half Marathon.

I was starting to think that I need to be committed:  a year ago I couldn't run around the block without having to gasp for air, and now I'm training to run 13.1 miles.  And I don't like to ask for a favor, let alone ask for money.  BUT then it hit me - who cares if it hurts to run?  Who cares if someone says "no" if I ask for a donation?  That's nothing!  But for the patients and their families living with and fighting against blood cancers? That is hard.  A heartbreaking struggle, both emotionally and financially draining, and unimaginable for most people contemplate.  The very least I can do is step outside my comfort zone to make a difference for the parents, children, siblings affected by blood cancers.

Through the course of my training, I'm going to bring you "Team in Training (TNT) Tuesdays."  A major part of this event is that I am running in honor of Seamus and Andrew - 2 incredibly brave boys living full and healthy lives today.  And I am also running in memory of my college friend and sorority sister, Cory Jill Rovin, whom we lost in 1999.  Over the course of TNT Tuesdays, I'll be sharing their stories, and the role LLS played for them and for their families. 

And as a part of my fundraising efforts, I'm coordinating an auction on Facebook.  100% of the proceeds will got to LLS.  I'm adding items daily, and the auction itself begins may 25th!  If you would like to donate to the auction, or know someone who would, please let me know!  twingle.beads@gmail.com

xox, Lisa

Bug’s Haircut

(Note:  When referring to my daughters – my oldest is 5 yr old Z-Dogg, Bug is the older twin, and Sam is the younger twin.  I prefer to use their nicknames here, and no – Sam is not a Samantha!)

 What do you do when you realize one of your 3 yr olds is an extremely convincing liar?   Well, if you’re me, you try to hide youramusement while teaching her the importance of honesty.  Amusement because I am a terrible liar.  My face gives everything away.  If you’re ever short on cash, just play me at poker – you’re sure to clean up…

But back to the lie in question – I took the twingle’s to my salon to get trims.  Lauren at Salon Amore is wonderful, and does a fabulous job for not much more than those walk-in places (the ones that always seem to give every child essentially the same boy or girl cut).  So we walked out with 3 gorgeous ‘do’s, complete with cute flower clippies.  The girls played away the afternoon, and while Bug was napping, we found clumps of hair upstairs.  Based on color and length, we knew it was hers.  And since Z-Dogg and Sam lie as well as I do, we could quickly determine that Bug cut her own hair.

Confronting the budding stylist, though, was another story.  As she alternated between cries  of, “I didn’t do it!” and “I don’t know!”, I was flashing back to Family Circle cartoons with “Not Me” running through the house leaving destruction behind.  Twice she admitted she cut her own hair, and a second later was so convincing in her pleas of innocence that I actually doubted that I had heard her confessions!  In the end, she came clean, saying she did it because she wanted to cut hair like Miss Lauren …and she lied because I was going to be mad.   We had a very long talk (hair grows back, but lies can’t be untold) and punishment was handed down.

But, oh, so many emotions – anger (I just paid $15 for that cut!!!), frustration, and a fair but of hilarity.  Is hilarity an emotion?  Well, let’s just go with it…but what I am left with is just how utterly committed she was to her lie.  This was a pretty clear cut case, but what about when it’s not that way?  How am I ever going to know when this child is being truthful?  And how many times has she lied and gotten away with it??  And what do you do when you realize that you 3 year old’s brightest career prospect at this point is as a con artist?

Well, I’m going to be working on those questions – and would love to get ideas from those of you who have been, or are currently in, the same predicament!   Oh, and if you’re wondering – she cut along her jaw line where we fortunately taper her hair.  It’s not overly noticeable unless she sits still long enough to get a good look.  And no, she’s rarely still long enough for that….

I really would love your thoughts on this!  By commenting below, you will be entered into a drawing for a child’s bracelet of your choice!  You’ll get another entry for following my blog, another for “Liking” Twingle Beads on Facebook, and another for sharing the link to this entry!   If you already follow the blog and Facebook, just comment below that you want to be included in the drawing with your following info.  Drawing will be Thursday, April 21, 2011.  Once you’ve shared the link, just comment on my Facebook  page to let me know.   :o)

 xox, Lisa

Amber Mobely-Pezanetti - Sending Love and Support to Our Troops

I'm back - it's been a hectic few weeks, and I feel like I already need a do-over for April!  Anyone else feel that way?!  But a woman who seems to have unending energy and resourcefulness is Amber Mobley-Pezanetti, the young woman who works tirelessly to make strangers smile. 

Amber is the driving force behind Treats4Troops (check out her Facebook Fan Page & Auction Page, Website and Blog), an organization that relies on donations - as well as a lot of her own funds - to send cards and care packages to deployed troops, who often do not have anyone at home sending them items.  I know from my brother’s deployment how much he loved getting any mail, especially when it was an unexpected box filled with goodies!   

Amber describes herself as a 24 years young Army Wife.  She’s been married to her Soldier, Anthony, for a little over a year.   As she says, “We have no children at the moment but currently TTC.  I have a 5 year old pit/pit terrier mix who is my world and my baby.  I met my Anthony online via a chat room and wouldn’t change anything for the world!”  Anthony is currently in the Army Reserves, in the process of going Active Duty.  They reside in sunny, central Florida.  

 Amber Mobley-Pezanetti

When/how did you come up with the idea for Treats 4 Troops?  And how did you start doing the Facebook Auctions?

Treats 4 Troops came about while my husband was away in New Mexico on Military Business; I had a lot of time on my hands and figured what better way to put it to use then to help the Troops who were deployed!   My first two packages went to 2 Soldiers in Afghanistan; I am friends with both their wives and one of the wives I went to school with.  I did Halloween boxes with homemade cookies and tons of goodies from candy to personal care items just little pieces of home.

I have received items from people to add to the packages and this past Christmas 2010 I sent out over 50 Christmas cards to the Troops .It’s an AMAZING feeling when you mail them out but an even better feeling when you get an email or a letter back thanking you when you don’t even expect it.

I started doing auctions to raise money for the care packages as it does get costly for me to pay for it all out of pocket.   I also wanted to be able to promote Treats 4 Troops as well as get other Facebook businesses names out there.  I‘d noticed that a lot of people LOVE Facebook auctions and love to help out a good cause at the same time (people go gaga over the auctions because they can get quality items at a discounted price - unless someone bids really high in order to help the cause!). 

How often do you send care packages, and how do you decide who receives them?

I try to send care packages once a month and usually 5-10 go out at a time depends on the funds I have. The way I decide who receives the packages is by people who send in addresses of those in need! I don’t cater to just one branch I do them all from the Army to the Marines and all branches in between.

One of the Valentine’s packages

I know you don’t do this for the thank you’s, but I’m curious if you get much feedback from the troops?

I really haven’t gotten a lot of feedback from the Troops, though I have heard back from 2 of them personally.  One wrote a short and simple letter thanking me for his Christmas Card and Christmas Package. I received an email from another thanking me for his Christmas Card as well.  In one of the other units I sent packages out to, the one who received them and distributed the items throughout his unit (Robert) contacted his aunt to let me know that they received the packages, and that it really helped pick his unit up big time!  I also learned that Robert kept nothing for himself.

Just a few of the packages overflowing with Treats 4 our Troops

If you want to donate to Amber’s next auction (she's taking donations NOW for the April/May auction), please contact her through her Facebook Auction Page! 

And if you just like to shop – I’ll be donating 10% of my sales for the month of April to Treats4Troops.   In addition to my Etsy shop, I’ll be running a couple of “flash sales” through Facebook in April.  Plus, check out my project albums on facebook – I have a lot of custom order pix there, and I can always work with you on your own custom piece!