26.25 Miles

Which equals 105 laps around the track at MHS. I truly wish I had a pedometer with me but I suppose I can go calculate that once I can walk again.

On Saturday May 22nd 2010 a group of Mathews residents joined hands to begin the Relay for Life events for our town, as I was standing there holding hands with my cousin Kathy Gwyn and my Mom Ruth Ann Hutson during the opening prayer, with my hat in my hand (because Edwina Casey yelled at me to take it off..I think she was channeling my daddy) and my cell phone ringing (some people have the worst timing) I had absolutely no idea what I was getting ready to do or accomplish.

After the opening I had my mom finish writing the list of people I was walking in honor or memory of on my legs (hey it is the largest part of my body other than my rear and I didn't think anyone wanted to be hanging out there all day) I started walking... just walking and before I knew it I had three miles in.. then I started on the next three but didn't stop and kept going until I hit ten miles and I figured if I hit ten miles I could do another five and I did, it was about then that I decided if I had gone fifteen miles that there was no reason I couldn't just keep going and walk 100 lap which was 25 miles and if I walked 25 miles why stop there I should just walk a marathon and that is exactly what I did. I walked a marathon.

I will say that I could not have completed it without the help of some people walking with me a few laps and just talking so thank you to Sandra, Lynne, Cindy, Kelly, Kelly, the dude that just started talking to me, Tammy, my husband, Mrs Small, my daddy, Angie, Chelly, Anita (who cheered me on the entire day) and my mom who walked the final 5 with me and the entire group of ladies that fell in and walked that final lap with me, it meant the world to me just to have you all walking that final with me. I want to thank each and every one of you for not only your support in helping me finish something I didn't even know I had started but also for supporting such a worth cause.

On Friday I spent 10 hours at the hospital while my best friend had surgery for breast cancer on Saturday I spent 10 hours walking a track to help defeat and beat the same disease.

The ugly part of the whole day was when I actually got home, I hurt so incredibly bad that I didn't think I could stand in the shower my whole body just ached which luckily didn't happen until when I stopped, I figure I just should have kept walking and walked home and fallen on the bed. After I stood in the shower and got the layer of track dirt off of me I laid on the bed and had my daughter cut the bandaids off of my toes. As I was laying there just aching I said to her "I don't know what I was thinking trying to walk a marathon." She replied with "Mom you didn't TRY to walk a marathon you DID walk a marathon and you were thinking about each person that you have written there on your legs." The child has never said anything more true.

I will share with you now the list of people who walked that track with me on Saturday and I truly believe that some of them were the angels that helped carry me around that track.

Kris Summers Ashberry
Anita Cecil
Anthony Busic
Eric Greene
Faye Burroughs Duncan
Bernard Cannon
Rita Alice Thomas
Annabelle Cannon Sutton
Alice May Cannon Miller
Teenie Cannon Johnston
Doris Cannon Respress
Weldon Cannon
Weldon Cannon Jr
Bryon Thomas
Susan Cox
Henry Burroughs
Betty West
Tucker Armstrong
Gene Haywood
Angie Summers

Begging is not beneath me ya know.

Hey there.. Hi there.. Ho there.. (heheheheh I just said Ho)

Yes yes it has been awhile.. again. I know you aren't surprised by now that I just can't seem to hold it together long enough to breath much less post but I am still out here lurking and doing my best to live. Cause that is what it is all about right.. living while we have the time and the chance.

I personally don't want to look back after I leave this place and think to myself CRAP!!!! I meant to __________. I want all the __________s filled in with completely amazing and insane stuff. So I am working on it. I won't be holding back hugs or slugs anymore (the balled up fist kind not the kind that she finds in her shower) you are going to get exactly what I think you deserve out of me. Too many times in my life I have wished I had done something to stand up for someone or to put someone in their place or just let my voice be heard and I didn't do it. I stood back in the corner or the shadow and just watched. I don't want to be the fat girl in the shadows anymore. It is time to step up to the plate and take a stand for the things I believe in, and believe it or not one of those things that I do believe in is me.

There is another thing I believe in as well.. I believe with all my heart that CANCER SUCKS.

There just is not another way to put it, I have lost loved ones young and old. I have watched friends fight and struggle to beat the nasty disease out of their body. I have cried when I had to let go of a hand that loved me as this dreadful thing yanked them away. I have smiled at memories that I wish could have been just a tiny bit sweeter if cancer had not taken someone special away. I think we all have.

On Friday I will be getting up extra early and heading out the door to support my best friend as she goes into surgery to have cancer removed from her body for the second time in a year. I will stand by her as she goes through this process and fights for her life again, but at the end of the day I will kiss her check and tell her that I love her and I will come home to rest because on Saturday from noon until midnight I will be at Mathews High School taking a stand against what is holding my lovely friend down.

So I do suppose you could say that my first slug will be thrown in the direction of cancer. Now here is where the beggin comes in (if you keep reading you will also see I am not above bribery) Please Please if you have a couple extra dollars in change floating around the bottom of your purse, or found $20 bucks in your jacket you forgot you had, or even if you found 63 cent while digging around your sofa cushions of that piece of pizza you hid from the kids (i wonder where that 63 cent really came from... hmmm), let it go for a good cause.

I am asking that you sponsor me in Saturday's Relay for Life Event so that one day in the future a daughter, a niece, a friend, a granddaughter, a wife, a sister, a brother, a husband, a mother, a father does not have to let go of that hand as cancer takes a piece of their heart. Please CLICK here and make a donation, your thoughtfulness will not be forgotten and it will be appreciated by so many.

Mathews Relay for Life events will be held on Saturday May 22nd from noon until midnight, please come out and show your support, have a brownie or two, and bring bandaids for the blisters.

Oh and one last little thing.... for you wonderful Blisters out there... the ones of you that donate I will make you extra deviled eggs during blogfest.. hehehehe told ya I was not above bribery.

Post 200 and a special request...NAME THIS TEAM!!!

200 posts.. that means 200 rambling entries by me. I am sorry if you endured all of them :)

It only took a bit over 3 years to get there sometimes blogging daily sometimes blogging bi monthly, but we made it. Now the next goal is to raise some cash.. aww come on you didn't think you could keep coming here for FREE did you???

It is for a really great cause, you know the one, the same one those sexy ladies strutted their stuff the other night in front of a room full laughing adults and traumatized children. It is for the daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, constant fight against cancer. Relay for Life.

After the other night and witnessing what those men... ladies.. men.. oh whatever.. did for every survivor, fighter or tragic loss from this horrible disease, I could not help but think to myself .. you idiot why are you sitting on your rear end doing nothing!!!! I have in the past participated in the Susan B Komen Race for the Cure events that focused solely on breast cancer, I do not recall ever participating in a Relay for Life event and I seriously don't know why. Fear maybe.

Now it is time to put that fear aside and tie on my tennis shoes and let my big mouth do some good, I have decided to start a Relay for Life team, I know that it is late in the "season" to do such a thing. I know my team may not be full at the 15 full participants. I know that my team may not raise the most money or have anything to raffle off or have any talent contests or car shows. HOWEVER. I do know that my team will have heart and soul and we will do the best we can in the few short weeks we have to raise money.

UPDATE!!!! we have decided to JOIN an existing team that both myself and my fellow blogger CBW have been asked to join... so disregard the other yammering below.. well read it just disregard until September when we have our own Blog Team!!!!

The question is ... what the heck is our name???? I suppose I could come up with something on my own but that doesn't seem entirely fair. I know of three of my fellow Blisters who have already agreed to join me and considering it IS a Relay I think we can incorporate Blister in there some where some how.
Blister's for the Cure?

I thought that was kinda cute (sorry sis.. I am sure that is sounding a lot like Crisp's for the Cure but what can I say except sorry)

Leave your team name thoughts in the comments section .. one will be chosen by tonight.

I am sure it is no surprise to you that I have lost loved ones to this horrible disease, I am not sure that there is anyone around who hasn't, and while my love for them will never die and I will miss each of them for the remainder of my time here and while I will walk this event with their name on my shirt or arm or leg or wherever I can find a free space to write as a walking talking living memorial to them, I am not walking this walk just for those who have been lost.

I walk this walk for my best friend, my Daddy and an old long time childhood friend all of who are currently living with the disease in different shapes, forms, and degrees. For them I walk this Relay.

So please join me on my team (yet to be named but will be by tonight and will be up on the Relay website) or donate a dollar or ten or twenty to the effort of stomping out this horrible thing called cancer. Even if you go to the Relay for Life site and donate to another team.. please help.

If you would like to join me or donate please comment, email me (amhaywood@wildblue.net), give me a call 804 725 1599, text me 804 854 1753, or send a carrier pigeon.

Thank you to all in advance..
Now please.. NAME THIS TEAM!!!!!

For a Good Cause... Relay for Life... Mathews

While I have been a bit of a slacker lately when it comes to blog posting, today it is for a good cause. Well actually "causes" here are a few of them.

1. Cause if I don't share this with you it will be a tragedy.
2. Cause I had to witness this first hand and I am now traumatized.
3. Cause it really was for a good cause.
4. Cause cancer just plain sucks.
5. Cause I would say it is safe to say that all of us have lost a loved one to this disease in our life.
6. Cause I have friends and family would are fighting as I type this to beat this ugly thing.
7. Cause I am trying to find a team to join to be part of this thing.. better late than never RIGHT?


Let's talk about number 7 for a moment. While my family to some degree has a team in place they are full so I have reached out to a friend to see if they need any help on their team, so I will just go from there, I am sure there is a team somewhere who is in need of someone to walk around the track and raise a dime or two to beat this thing.

Anyhooooo having said that if you want to help support myself and whatever team I happen to land on squash this thing just let me know there are a lot of ways to contact me.

Home Phone: 804-725-1599
Comments on the blog
Email: amhaywood@wildblue.net
Or Post office.. PO Box 87, Port Haywood, VA 23138

And seriously if I don't get on a team.. why can't I start my own I have enough sister people, and friends, blisters and relatives that we can make it work some how.. I think.

And without further ado... your traumatization for the day...

The lov.e.ly Ladies and I use the term LOOSELY
Ms. Not Quite Good Enough
I so wanted to take her to a hootenanny!

I think this pic says it all

Mathews meets NFL meets I am so not sure...

LHMBJ!!!!

Why is he.. I mean she I mean he prettier than ME????

Umm he is loving those boots a TAD too much.


Awww.. how cute piggy tails !

Got to hand it to a lady who loses her hair and can still smile.

There is just nothing I can say except NAIR NEAL NAIR!!!!!!