I may have to crawl...

Yesterday marked the first day of my traning for the 3 day walk. My boyfriend is a big fan of fly fishing so we talked about our plans for the day. He was to head up to a lake that is up the mountain and I was going to walk in that direction from the cabin. When he was done fishing, he was going to pick me up on my route. I walked from the cabin to the highway. I have no idea what that distance that is. The next mile marker I saw was just a bit down the road,.. Mile marker 15. I left about an hour after he did with the plan of being picked up in about hours. I packed up my hydration pack with 65 oz of water and there I went.. Mile marker 15... Mile marker 16. Stop and drink some water, sit down for a few. Mile marker 17, Mile marker 18. All the while sipping on the hydration pack. Finally, at mile marker 19 I looked at the time. It was 4 something. He was late. Hmm.. So I turn around and start walking back, and switch sides of the road. Now.. From marker 15 to 19 I noticed one dead thing and it was a poor little creature of sorts that was squished in the road. On the way back down, however, In the first mile I noticed about 4 various dead animals. I started thinking about it and wondered if that was a sign that it was a bad side of the road to walk on. So I went back to the other side. Hahah. At about mile marker 17 `/2 my feet hurt so bad that I was almost limping. Not from blisters or anything just from a pain in my feet. Then… I realize that the 50ish oz of water I have consumed has hit my bladder. Can I just tell you that I think if women have to put up with so many things, that they should get to pee standing up with out feeling the need of using TP! So I hike off the road and nervous that he will drive by about the time he can’t see me. Luckily, due to last camping season, I discovered that I had camping TP in my pack! WOOOOO HOOO!!! Finally, just after mile marker 15 on my way back, he pulls up. I am SO glad I didn’t have to hike up hill to the cabin cause I was walking so slow at that point that snails were passing me. Maybe not snails, I didn’t see many of those. But certainly caterpillars. By the time I got out of the car again, I could hardly walk. The pain in my feet was so intense that I was limping on both feet. My poor boyfriend was horrified. Instead of the 3 hours later, he picked me up about 5 hours later. But luckily, when all is said and done I accomplished about nine miles in one shot. it’s a starting point! And I survived it with out even so much as a hot spot on my feet or a single blister.

Next time, I am certainly going to break those into smaller walks through out the day.!

Drum Roll Please!

Dear Friends and Family~
I have taken on an incredible challenge. In September, I'll be walking 60 miles over the course of three days, camping out at night with my best friend and "Sole Sister", Kendra along with thousands of other women and men taking this journey with me.

It's for an event called the Breast Cancer 3-Day, which benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Every advancement in breast cancer research, treatment, education and prevention in the last 25 years has been touched by a Komen for the Cure grant. They are working hard to build a future without breast cancer, and I plan on raising $5000 to help bring us closer to that goal.

Please consider making a donation of $50. If you can't give this amount all at once, you can spread it out over four months, using the payment plan option, if you donate online at www.The3Day.org. Please also ask your employer if they will double your donation with a matching gift. Or, if $50 is not in your budget.. please consider $10, $20... Heck.. $5!! Every dollar will move us closer to a cure!
If you own a business, please consider contributing, it is an excellent tax write-off to a very worthy cause.

This is one of the biggest things I have ever attempted. I am doing this to support those that have supported me in a "pay it forward" kind of way! I have many blessings and I really felt like it was time to use my energy, my resources, my contacts, and my time to do something for others.. in support of others. I am participating in this walk to show my support in finding a cure.

Without a cure, one in eight women in the U.S. will continue to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Think of how many women you know. Breast cancer effects your daughters, mothers, sisters, wives, best friends, co-workers and even some men! That's why I'm walking in the 3-Day. Because everyone deserves a lifetime.

Just follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising webpage and make a donation. If you don't want to donate online, please download and print a donation form and mail it to the address on the form. Or you can call 800.996.3DAY to donate over the phone. I would like to reach my fundraising goal by August 15th, so don't delay! (I set an early date so I can focus on training to walk my 60 miles!)

Thank you for taking the time to read this email, and thank you for your support. Thank you for being there through good and bad. I am doing this for those that have been supportive of me and for those of you have ever had kindness in your heart towards me. I am walking this for you.

Love and Hope,
Miracle


PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE


PLEASE VISIT MY TEAMMATE'S Page. If you are thinking of donating, I encourage you to split your donation to the two of us. You can find my beautiful sister's donation site by clicking HERE

Stay Tuned!!

Stay tuned for a new adventure I am undertaking....
Its motivating, its hopeful, its.... its.... PINK.
(And NO... it doesn't involve babies)

More to come soon! :)

PS I got a BLOG AWARD today!!! It really made my day.
But I will gush more about that tomorrow :)

Affirmations

I strongly believe in the law of attraction. During the 30 day cleanse I am participating in, it was suggested to create some affirmations. I am trying to reset my mental tape looping to attract better things in my life and to accomplish more, and to improve my self image.

Do you use affirmations? What are your favorites? What results have you seen?

Word Collages

My stack of magazines has been getting bigger and bigger. One night, I pulled all of them out and sat on my bed and cut out the words and phrases and even a few pictures that I thought were inspiring and beautiful. That took me two nights and a rather large envelope. I then tried to make some sort of sense into the words, splitting them into a few catergories. I started one word collage by handwriting the words "I Deserve" and plastered a bunch of words around it.

I Deserve: Expect More, eat healthy, luxury living, love life, healing, look amazing, get organized, sweet dreams, sanctuary, living well, comfort, organic cooking, pretty feet, kisses, passport, be blessed, relax, success, happiness, paridise, stay well, say yes to life.

Another collage I found a beautiful "Me" in big letters and started adding words around that. These are more of things I want to be.

Me: Smart and Sexy, Healthy, Extraordinary, Inspired, Calm, Serene, The Best Damn Thing, Incredible, Tranquil, Amazing, Smart, Energy, Self Improving, Grace, Enlightened, Sexy Abs, Beauty.

The third collage I did was great phrases and actions I should keep in mind. There was no basis word.. I just covered the whole page.

Try Believe Love, Live Brightly, Indulge, Say Yes to Hope, Pump It Up, Women Who Step Up, Simplify Life, Unleash Your Mysterious Side, Increase Quality of Life, Beauty is as Beauty Does, Shine From the Inside Out, Be Part of the Solution, Doing Good, Oh Yes I Can!, You Can Do Anything, Feel The Joy, Finding The Right Balance, Creame, Om, Discover the Power, Make A Memory.

After putting all of these on beautiful paper, I put them in a place I can see them daily. There were some left overs... phrases that I felt the need to think about more. So, my journaling this week has consisted of pasting an image or a phrase on a page and writing about it. You should try it. It feels indulgently creative and .. very uplifting. Let me know how it goes!

What I have

"Be thankful For what you have: You'll end up having more." ~Unknown

I am thankful for the ability I do have and the health I have. I can walk, all of my limbs work, my body functions and just in that I have much more than other people have.
I am thankful for a safe place to live, a pillow for my head and food in my mouth.
I am thankful to have a job that gives me the income to afford what I need, and sometimes... the things I do not.
I am thankful for the people that love me and take care of my heart, they that are truly concerned about me and my well being.
I am thankful old friends that have loved me in my lifetime and made me who I am today.
I am thankful for friends that are family, and friends near and far that will always be near and dear in my heart... no matter how many miles away they are.
I am thankful to get time to myself.
I am thankful for my time with others.
I am thankful for the patience I usually have.
I am thankful for my ablities and the characteristics of me that make me... Me.
I am thankful for soft fuzzy blankets and hot water.
I am thankful for having the chances to live in a small town and a city.
I am thankful for the good times.
I am thankful I have my memories.
I am thankful I was born in and am a citizen of the USA.
I am thankful for the people I work with everyday and everything that they contribute to my life.
I am thankful for love shown to me by people who show it however they can, when they can.
I am thankful for ice cream.