Monday, March 28, 2005

Get the word out, sistahs!

Hey y'all:

We need help getting the word about about the Avengers. Consider yourself a marketing superhero and pass this along to any friends, family or email lists you belong to. Feel free to cut and paste. It's easy and all the cool kids are doing it. Thanks a million!

~J

Dear Crafty Types,

We're calling out to crafters across the World Wide Web to join our fight against Breast Cancer. Be a Fiber Arts Avenger!

Option 1: You can knit, crochet, sew or in some other way craft an item to be used in our drawing. Contact julia@fiberartsavengers.com or danica@fiberartsavengers.com with questions or to donate.

Option 2: You can auction off something you've made, with funds to be donated to our cause. Contact kim@fiberartsavengers.com or patti@fiberartsavengers.com to get all the details.

Option 3: You can knit something for a Breast Cancer Patient as part of our auctions. Individuals will be able to make a donation and 'buy' your hat, socks, etc, for a patient. Contact kim@fiberartsavengers.com or patti@fiberartsavengers.com to get all the details. We're putting up links to free patterns on our site that can be used for this purpose!

We're raising money via the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day . Cause info can be found on our website: http://www.fiberartsavengers.com. Our walker is Jesse, and she's training hard for the event. http://fiberartistavenger.blogspot.com

You can join our yahoo group for updates on the project:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fiberartsavengers

Thank you very much!

Pamela Grossman pamelamama@fiberartsavengers.com

and

Jesse Michener jesse@fiberartsavengers.com

Sunday, March 27, 2005

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

I blinked and we hit the $270 mark. How does that happen? Donations are pouring in, I tell you. It's amazing. We have a long way to go, but the past few days have been pretty inspiring. Thank you to all of you donors and those of you working hard on making the first round of auctions happen. Stay tuned for more information!

So. I got my shoes. Yes, indeed. Everyone should wear good running shoes all the time. People would be so cheery and nimble. My shoes are little bits of heaven wrapped up in cloth and NASA rubber. Or something. Whatever the technology, I love it. The mesh on top of the shoes actually acts like a mini built-in air conditioning system. As I walk, air gets sucked in (you can't tell from looking that the shoes are any different) and gently pushed out. It's alarming, actually. I paid so much attention to the air circulation, I forgot I was excercising.

I went to a place called South Sound Running and they had me try on some shoes and then walk. The shoe technician (or whatever) then masterfully looked at me walking and was able to tell what kind of stride I have. Strangely enough, I have a really excellent gait. I don't pronate (walk with my toes pointing outward) or walk toward the midline. I am a straight-ahead-go-get-em kind of walker. That's nice to know. It's good to know I'm doing something right, even if it's something I've been doing for almost 30 years.

I saw my sister-in-law today and she gave me the nicest pink ribbon pin. I will wear it proudly, Jen! Thanks so much.

I do have some sad news to report. My aunt Nancy informed me her friend Tracy has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Just diagnosed meaning within the past couple of days. Tracy's son had a rare form of liver cancer when he was a young boy and he beat it like the avenger he is. Now she will battle the disease. Remember when I said that this cause didn't have a face for me? Let's just say the face has become more clear. In Tracy, I can see the face of this terrible disease and it makes me frightened. Frightened and emboldened to act--because that is all we can really do. We can feel and we can do.

Something very interested about breastfeeding I learned last week---that women who nurse their daughters decrease their daughter's risk of developing breast cancer. AND, did you know that breast cancer risk in premenopausal women is decreased by as much as 60% when a woman breastfeeds for a lifetime total of 5 years? I'm on my way, that's for sure.

Take care and fight the good fight, my dear friends.

~J

Sunday, March 20, 2005

We've Arrived!

If I'm not mistaken, the Fiber Arts Avengers will be LIVE today! Climb in, grab hold and turn up the music--cause this is going to be a fun trip:

www.fiberartsavengers.com

The site is live, I have a column coming coming out in the Tacoma News Tribune and it's the first day of spring. Could I be any more excited? Could I be wearing any more pants? (Ok, if you don't get the Friends reference, please disregard the last few sentences. Chalk it up to too little sleep and too much knitting)

I'd like to welcome everyone to the training blog and I encourage you to read past posts to get a feel for what I have gotten myself into.

Shoe uppdate:

A shoe fairy has made funds available for 3 new pairs of shoes: one training pair and two 3-Day pairs. Keep your eyes peeled (ouch!) for more information about special auctions with proceeds going toward reimbursing my shoe fairy for her good deed.

Stroller update:

A big shout-out goes to PAMELAMAMA for her use of her double stroller. I'll be out with the girls in no time!

Wish List:

$500 raised by April 15th earns an official 3-Day Hip Pack

We still need heroes to do work on this amazing fundraising effort. If you are interested, check out www.fiberartsavengers.com

To donate directly to the Fiber Arts Avengers fundraising effort, please visit my personal headquarters with the 3-Day

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Schoolin'

Update: I'm gone all weekend at a childbirth educator instructor course. No walking but lots of knitting! Watch this space for updates and a big to-do on Sunday, when my column for the Tacoma News Tribune comes out!

I can hear the parade now!

~J

Monday, March 14, 2005

Grannie

Would you believe I have a living great-grandmother? She is in her mid-nineties and lives about an hour and a half from me. She's the matriarch on my mother's father's side of the family. I don't really hang with that side of the fam, for various reasons that would bore you to tears, but I do enjoy her company when I talk to her.

She's deeply religious and ever-so-slightly forgetful.

I spoke with her tonight about this walk. She was reminding me of the dangers of tobacco, the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, the ills of refined sugars and the sinfulness of alcohol. We had a similar conversation the week before.
Our conversation went like this:

Me: Hey, Grandma. Did I tell you I am walking in a big walk this summer? I'm walking sixty miles to raise awareness for breast cancer and to fund research.

Grandma: Why on earth would you want to do something as crazy as that?

Me: It's a great cause, Grandma. One in eight women will be affected by breast cancer in her lifetime.

Grandma: I should think you could find better things to do with your time than walking. What kind of crazy walk is this?

Me: It's an organized walk, there's lots of participants.

Grandma: Well, I think you should stay at home and take care of your children. Those children need you. Who is gonna look after them while you're off walking?

Me: Oh, Grandma, my husband will look after the kids. He'll bring the baby to me along the way so I can nurse her.

Grandma: What do you think you are gonna prove by walking all that way? That is just crazy. I think it's rather foolish of you, to tell you the truth. What if something should happen to one of your children while you are gone? How would you feel then?

Me: Well, Grandma. I guess I'm not too worried. M-- will take good care of them. Plus, I'm sort of walking for them. Maybe if we raise enough money and increase awareness, they won't have to worry about breast cancer when they get older.

Grandma: What do you expect to prove anyway?

Me: I'm just trying to help the cause, Grandma.

Grandma: I'm old fashioned. I don't think your walking all that way is helping anybody. I think it's silliness. It's all so you can feel grand.

Me: Grandma, I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one...

And we did. She calmed down a bit and I laughed it off. For some reason, perhaps her candor, I was able to hear her without taking what she said personally. I imagine the 3-Day might seem silly to someone who also thinks wedding registries are in bad taste. She practically had a heart attack when given my wedding registry, I'm told. My aunts had to assure her that everyone registered for wedding presents nowdays. It didn't matter to her, I got pink sheets. Pink flannel sheets.

They were warm, anyway.

I guess it is kind of crazy. The walk asks each participant to do what they think is impossible: raise an impossible amount of money and then walk an impossible distance. After that, it stands to reason, anything is possible: even a cure for breast cancer.

Good ol' Grannie doesn't have to prove anything to anybody. She's spent the last ninety-six years living her life, carving a niche in this grand world. She's seen more than any of us have, and most of us ever will see. To her, you just do. You live your life and tend to the children and eat right. That is enough. I wish it were. I wish she had the answers because it would make things easier for so many women. Hell, it would make it easier on me and my sore legs.

But it's not enough. That's why I walk.

Sunday, March 13, 2005

The first six miles

I can add more stickers to my credentials: first training walk and first five miles. I have been trying to make an official 3-Day training walk for ages and it hasn't worked out. I was so excited about the walk on Saturday that I couldn't sleep Friday night. When Ellie woke me up at 5.30am on Saturday morning, I got up happily and tried to do some writing before getting ready.

It didn't work.

The writing gods have not been kind to me this week. I think it's a test. Since I began this writing journey, I've been fairly productive at each sitting. I'm working on a super-secret writing project (super cool, too!) that will be public soon, but I can't write the dang introduction! It's killing me! I sound like I am a big, fat faker. I hear this brassy voice in my head croon, "Ah, honey. Throw the towel in. You ain't go no business writing anyway." I mostly just ignore it, but lately it has been annoyingly loud. I'm thinking it needs a good, stiff drink to shut it up.

So. The walk. It was a beautiful day--the kind that makes me remember why on earth I live in this part of the country. After a grey winter, our sunny spring days are unmatched, let me tell you. It inspires all of the senses. Add to that skyscraper clouds with fifty shades of white float in stark contrast to the unforgettable blue, blue, blue. It all makes me blink, take a deep breath and praise whomever thought of making such a wonderous sight.

We walked at a park I love, one that has a paved trail five miles long. Douglas Fir and Ceder tree stands remain undistrubed as the park trails are overrun with walkers and joggers. There are various lookout points along the trail that reveal the signature majesttic jutting peninsulas of the Puget Sound. I was happy to just breath in the thick, cool air and let my feet carry me along the path.

Thank goodness I was used to the trail because it is deceptively challenging. It's speckled with hills and low-grade inclines and just when you think you are a rockstar walker, you realize you are out of breath and your legs are starting to hurt. Then it will mercifully level out again, giving you enough time to recover for the next corner.

One of the things I looked forward to most about the walk was meeting new people. As we stood in the circle and stretched, I scoped the small crowd for potential walking-mates. There were many beautiful older women, women who could outwalk me any day of the week--blindfolded and on crutches, to boot. I checked out their credential tags and most of them have done the 3-Day at least three times before. I wasn't the only first-timer, but I felt like the new kid. I got thirsty at the last minute and went back to my van for a last chug on my water bottle. I didn't want to carry it with me and I don't have a hip-pack holder yet. When I finished, I realized everyone had left. I nearly cried at the thought of having to walk alone, so I ran to catch up.

I was the only one who didn't know anyone, it seemed. I walked by myself for about a half mile when I decided that I wasn't going to make any friends if I didn't try harder than my self-pitying self was trying. So I increased my pace and gracefully butted in to a conversation between two sisters. These women were FIT and were walking quite fast.

I have never been good at first impressions. I always make stupid jokes or let my inner monologue out just a little too much---but I don't think I scared them off too badly.

Around mile four and a half my hips started to really hurt. I asked the training walk leader if she knew of any stretches I could do to get rid of the pain. She took one look at my shoes and said, "Well, I'll tell you right now, you're shoes suck." Or something similar. I looked down at my tennis shoes, the shoes that I wear every single day of the week, all day long, and have for the past year...and knew she was right. She said the kind of shoes I was wearing have about three hundred miles in them. Total. Then they break down and don't provide good support.

I'm going to need new shoes.

She told me of a running store nearby that will videotape my stride and recommend the right kind of shoe. It's going to cost a least a hundo--that's $100. She said more like $125 including these special inserts that will aid my poor arch. I can't really do another walk until I get new shoes because my legs are thrashed and I don't want to risk injury. I'll stick to the gym and my cardio/weights routine.

So, stay tuned for what I will be calling, "Mama Needs a New Pair of Shoes." It will be a special something just for fundraising for my shoes. If you have any ideas, please email me at jessestar at net-venture dot com. She also said that I will need at least three pairs--two to do the walk in and one to train in. Guess what I will be asking for for my birthday (which is April 25 by the way. I'll be 30. Isn't that neat?!)

That's my update. Hopefully the site will be up this week. I know folks are working hard on it!

Walkingly yours,

~J

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Credential me up, baby


The front Posted by Hello

This is the front of one of my credentials. The 3-Day sends these out so participants can track their goals--for folks who are really competitive it is good because there are little perks along the way.

FOR INSTANCE, if I can raise $500 by April 15, I will get a cool, official 3-Day hip pack. A hip pack is important because everyone needs one to carry things along the walk. I want the hip pack, ladies. Help me.

The back of the credentials gives space to track accomplishments: first donations (because of JMO, I could put a sticker on that circle), the first $500, the halfway mark, and various training milestones.

I have four stickers: Met your coach, FOCUS meeting, First Donation, Set up online HQ.

I'll let you know as I put stickers on the credential.

:)

Jesse

...and the back


The back Posted by Hello

Saturday, March 05, 2005

Steps

I have to give two quick shout-outs to my sistah friends who have stepped up:

JMO was the very first to donate to the Fiber Arts Avenger's 3Day fundraising effort. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It was so exciting to see us above zero! If you donate, you get to be on the honor roll. All the cool kids are doing it.

Twobeauties
has graciously offered use of her double-jog stroller! My walking problems are s-o-l-v-e-d. Now I have no excuses! I have to walk!

So let's talk about this WALKING business. Training for a 60-mile walk means that I have to do a lot of walking. Not Precor, not jogging, not stationary bike...walking. Have you ever tried to walk a mile on a treadmill? Do you know how mind-numbingly boring it is? Walking courses outside of the gym have been off-limits because of the childcare issue. Problem solved, thankyouverymuch. There's more to it, though.

Take the walking. There is a lesson in this walking business. I'm trying to wrap my head around it all. It has to do with being at peace with my own company, learning to enjoy the solace and the long periods of walking. I have a hard time with the idea that one foot in front of another is enough. I want to run, I want to increase the challenge and make it go by faster.

It reminds me of my labor with Eleanor. Active labor was progressing and I was restless. Nothing satisfied me. My mind was tired but my body begged to MOVE. "What should I do?" I asked the midwife. "You could try resting. Maybe you'll fall asleep and wake up with more energy." "No," I replied, "What can I do to make it stronger? I want to get through it."

"Stairs," she said. And so I walked the stairs. Twice. Twice and then I stood by my bed and howled through transition. Not more than a half hour later, little Eleanor was at my breast, blinking and bewildered. It's just how I do things.

And I can't tackle this challenge with my signature bulldozer tendencies. I will survive this poco a poco: little by little. My Everest is going to be simply moving one foot in front of another: step. Step. Step. Like my heartbeat I hear against the pillow when I lay down just right: thump, thump, thump. Sometimes the thumping is so loud I can't get to sleep; sometimes the consistancy threatens to drive me insane. The same is true with walking. The hardest lesson of all is the simplest one to describe: I must learn to BE. Moment to moment, step by thumping step.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Like a Lion

Chippy and I are becoming fast friends. I say this because we worked out together yesterday and I actually found myself liking her. I am not sure if she is following me or what--but I keep running into her at the gym. Either she is there all the time or we are destined to be friends. She even said she would go on some training walks with me. I know her real name, but I'll just call her Chippy in case I end up becoming REAL friends with her. I almost, and I stress almost, told her about this blog. Something in my heart told me to stop. I am not sure she would understand. Still, she is a good ol' gal and I find myself hating her less everyday.

I'm having to bring the girls to the daycare at the Y and I am not sure how I feel about it. I don't think they take Ellie out of her seat at all unless she cries and needs attention. While I don't think this hurts her, I feel bad that she might get ignored unless she is crying. It's usually really busy in there. My older girls like it just fine--they are spitfires and can handle just about anything--but I do worry about my wee one. Nothing has made me gasp, or think that the place is unsafe, so I am going to just see how it unfolds.

I simply have to start walking more. I've been doing well at cardio, but that isn't going to cut it for the 3Day. I need slow-paced, long-distance endurance. 20 miles is a long, long way. For three days. I am stuck on how to get these long walks in without a jog stroller. It will work out, I know it. I just have to trust this process. The garage sale gods will be good to me, I can feel it. They say that I will find a good, inexpensive jog stroller in the near future at a yard sale.

I lived at the Findhorn Foundation in northern Scotland when I was 20. I was going through some old photo albums and came across a picture of a sign they had. It's a regular red stop stop sign with the word "worrying" under the word "STOP." I'm finding that to be useful advice these days. Stop worrying. It will all work out. Everything.

Tonight I have an offical 3Day meeting in T-town. I assume they will tell me how to fundraise (little do they know the force I have behind me!) and get my butt in gear with training. I'll let you know if there is anything new and exciting to share--which I am sure there will be!

I want to close today with an appeal to those of you out there who have been touched by breast cancer. Yes, I am walking to honor all who have fought the good fight. Some have won and some have not. I want to know their stories. I do not have experience with breast cancer--I know OF people who have been touched. My grandmother, whom I am not on speaking terms with, won her battle. Her sister, my great-aunt Jackie did not. I know these women but have not fought with them. I need to connect to this cause more than in my head. My head is in the game--I'm training, I'm helping out with the Avengers--but my heart needs to be as well.

Please, if you feel comfortable, share your stories with me. Maybe I can post some of them here so that our sisters around the world can understand that breast cancer isn't just the name of a disease: within the letters of those two terrible words are the names of all who have sought to conquer this terrible enemy.

When we share the stories of our warrior sisters, we immortalize them. To the dead, we give life. We give strength to those in the midst of battle. To those not touched by the disease, we bestow education so they will know what the enemy looks like if it should attack their own body.

You can share your story with me at: jessestar at net-venture dot com, but replace the word "at" with an "@" sign and a "." for the word dot. No spaces.

~J

PS We still need some superheroes: Be a Fiber Arts Avenger

PSS Doesn't someone want to be the very first to donate to the Fiber Arts Avengers? Think of the fame and glory involved with being the very first one to donate.