sheepless in suburbia...

Sometimes I even surprise myself...

Remember this project ? Well it has been languishing for a very long time. In fact it has been spending the summer under my cotton dishcloth knitting  - under the coffee table - in a basket - in the dark. But last week I resurrected it. I was in a bad mood. As in waaaaay bad. I know, I know - you don't think it's really possible that I the urban shepherd could have bad moods - but I do. And this one was a dilly.

I couldn't shake the bad mood. It weighed on me like Madeline when she met the Bad Hat.

I really did try other measures. I usually walk. Which I did for over an hour. I went shopping - and bought a latte. I came home and plugged into my Ipod. But nothing worked. I was ruminating.  I needed to click my brain into something else.

I suck at lace knitting. I enjoy it, but even the simplest pattern sends my brain into spasm. Which is just what the doctor ordered. I looked at my pattern, and suddenly it was all Greek to me. I forgot what the  / and \ meant. The O and the +. I had to pull back  5 rows. But I persevered.

I made a cup of tea and put Meg in the DVD ... and she patiently explained it all again (and again and again and again).

And now the bad mood has lifted. 

Thank you Meg. Thank you tea. Thank you knitting.

I am walking...

Earlier last month I went for my mammogram. The tech was young, pleasant and efficient. She was reassuring. I've been through the squishing, and  stuffing and ( in my case) the lighthearted apologizing for having "so little to work with" before. I go for my " mammo " every year. It's all part of the routine.

In the summer of 2008, a friend of mine also went for her "mammo".  But this time it wasn't routine. She had found a lump. She was characteristically optimistic. She had her surgery. She had her chemo.

She lost her hair.

She had good days and bad days. There were days we could visit and days we couldn't - because her "count was down". She bought a wig - came back to work and announced she was going to "do the walk".  The Walk.

And so it was. We donated money and gave her verbal support. We said we'd be there and on July 25th, 2009 the 60 kilometer  Weekend to End Breast Cancer began. We were excited. We wore pink!  We found the route and cheered her on...

But she walked alone.

This year she is walking again. I have decided to lace up my shoes and with a few other friends we will be walking with her. Each of us have been touched by her courage and her commitment. Each of us know other women who have been diagnosed with cancer. They are our aunts, sisters, mothers, colleagues, neighbours, friends and acquaintances. They continue to inspire us with their strength and character today - but others have lost their battle, and have prematurely left us well before their time.

This year  "the 2010 weekend" has expanded to include all women's cancers. My goal is to raise $2000. If you would like to donate to my walk please click HERE .   I'll keep you posted on my progress. Thank you for your support!