Tree

I know ... this is my 3-day blog and my posts are related to my training, breast cancer, and Susan G. Komen.
  But the event in Newtown hurt me... hurt us ALL ...to the core.  I wasn't sure of what I could do until I received this email today:

"People the world over have been deeply touched by the horrific events in Newtown, CT. 
Love for children and families is at the core of everything we are, and everything we do at Hadassah.

Veronique Pozner requested that trees be planted in Israel in memory of her son Noah z"l.  Planting new saplings that can live on in memory of the children and adults of Sandy Hook Elementary School is most appropriate. To memorialize them a grove of trees in the Hadassah Forest of the Beersheva River Park in Israel will be planted."
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So ... I planted a tree.
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We practice three drills in our school:  lock down; intruder; fire.
I am sure the teachers in Newtown do the same.
The teachers and administrators knew what to do that day... but there was no stopping the intruder.

A grove of trees will be planted in memory of this little boy, his friends, and the adults who loved him ...

Noah Pozner.

Happy Holidays

This is a picture of a picture so the quality isn't that great.  The moment the original was snapped was great, though.  It was the meeting of a Yankee fan and a Red Sox fan in Dallas!  These baseball players from Brookhaven College pitched our tent and the cute pitcher with the BoSox cap was especially sweet!

I received the picture from my tentmate and friend, Val, yesterday.  It came with a lovely holiday greeting.

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I have to be honest ... with all that happened before and after this picture was taken, I have been in a bit of a funk. I guess you don't realize how, even if you are not the one who is truly suffering, you are still affected.  The hurricane, school closed for two weeks, hearing that a friend's daughter has been diagnosed with cancer, the horror in Connecticut, losing a sweet feline friend ... it has been a lot. I suppose we are ALL ready to say goodbye to 2012 and hope that 2013 is a great year.

 

So this is my greeting to you all.

The very VERY best in 2013.

Good fortune ... Good health ... and much love.

Thank you for your love, support, and friendship.

Always--Roberta

Captain Sandy

Oh how I love this season!

This is Sandy and me at her tree trimming party Sunday.

Sandy is the captain of New York Walkers Gone Miles. 

Boston will be her 10th walk.

When walking on event, it is not unusual to hear "This is my 4th walk." or "This is my 10th walk."  3-Dayers are passionate about these events and once you walk 60 miles ... you're sort of hooked!

This is what I wrote on my 3-Day page ... 

 
No other breast cancer event in the country asks us to walk as far or raise as much money as the 3-Day. It is simply the boldest thing we can do in the fight to end breast cancer ... 

 

Knowing that we're doing something BOLD makes it great! 

 

JOIN US!

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My Fundraising Roll is scrolling!  It's not even 2013 and I am on my way!  Thank you to my first donor!  I think you are reading this! 

OMG ... or ... Why I Can't Go Back!

This is was me.

 It is important for me to really ... I mean REALLY SEE what I looked like just over a year ago.

We were in Atlanta and every day I went on and on about how I had to lose weight.  Lesley was so patient for three days.  It's hard enough to walk 20 miles each day ... but to listen to me drone on and on about what I had to do must have driven her crazy!  Finally she said, without a change in tone, "Stop talking and do something about it."

October 31st was the day I took Lesley's advice and went to Weight Watchers.

Getting on the scale was not fun ... but not a surprise because I had been "that number", plus-or-minus a few pounds, for a while.

Weight Watchers was not a new thing for me, but I was hoping determined to make it work this time.  If you read my old blog, you know that I measured my losses in sticks of butter ... thanks to Bee who was also "on her weigh" down. I just checked back and, on December 1, 2011, I had lost 7.8 pounds ... almost 32 sticks of butter. (Do you see why "sticks of butter" sounds so much better?!) Since then, I have lost another 42 pounds or so ... like another 168 sticks ... and it feels good.  No friends,  it feels GREAT!

So this is a gratitude post.

I am thankful that Lesley quietly told me, in so many words, shut-up and take control.

I am grateful for Weight Watchers and that diary that I used in the beginning of my "battle with the bulge"

I am lucky to be on this journey with Bee ... who has lost somewhere in the vicinity of 320 sticks of butter!

I am here now ...

... and I am NOT GOING BACK!

That is a promise ... and you can hold me to it!

(Yeah, I know, I keep posting that picture ... but I like it ... so you might see it again.  The end.)

 

"So We May Never Forget Why We Walk"

I walk, every year, in honor of my mom, Muriel Kessler, my childhood friend Cynthia, and my friends Phyllis and Bee.  All these women are survivors and I dedicate my walk to them.

I wrote about Maureen Flynn a lovely young woman who lost her battle earlier this year. I made a promise that I would walk in memory of Mrs. Flynn and that was one of the promises I kept.

I wrote her name on this memorial flag that was raised at opening ceremonies.

Mom's and Cynthia's and Phyllis' and Bee's names went on another banner for all to see that first day.
I will never forget why I have walked 420 Komen miles.  
I would be happy not to have to walk another Komen mile.

While on route, one of the crew always told Burt 
"This is my last year."
"Why?" Burt would always ask.
"Because this is the year they find a cure." he always responded.
This is the year ...
I would be delighted to never walk another Komen mile!

Starting over!

Wow!  I didn't want to do it ... but I had to start a new blog!  My old walker blog would not upload new photos.  "Not enough space!" it said.  So here I am.

The picture is from the Port Washington Turkey Trot.  I walked with Joan, Robin, and Irene.

You remember Joan.  This year she came in 1st in her class.  I came in 14 out of 15.  Hey ... we were strolling.  Next year we will power walk!

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Four days after Hurricane Sandy crashed onto Long Island I boarded one of the first planes out of Kennedy and flew to Dallas.  People asked if I was relieved to leave New York.  The answer is that I had mixed emotions about leaving Ronnie.  I was leaving him and the boys in a cold, dark place. We were only inconvenienced, though. The devastation and loss of life due to this super storm is horrifying. It wasn't until I reached Boston (my connecting flight to Dallas) that I saw live pictures of what Sandy had done to New York and New Jersey.  Radio and still pictures couldn't tell the whole story.

We are thankful that our lives have returned to normal ... and pray for those who lost so much.

 

On to Dallas ...

 

 

  Dallas was experiencing a late season heat wave!  We walked in 90 degrees our first two days. This guy in the pink gorilla suit (I am assuming it was a guy!) was on the route all three days! YIKES!  He had to be hot!  This is our little team of walkers.  We lost (walker) Sandy due to a complicated work schedule, and Liz and Win due to the hurricane.  Team "Burt's Babes" shrunk from eight to four ... but we had a great 3-day walk.

Here I am 60 miles down.  

I made it through another two nights of sleeping in a pink tent ... showering in a truck ... and using port-o-potties.

My final fund raising tally was $6161.50.

THANK YOU!

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So the blog title has changed again.  Next July I will be going home!  I will be walking in BOSTON! This time I will be ready for walking in 90 degree heat. I have less than a year to train and raise funds.  I hope you will come along again and support me and the 3-day as you always have.