kick it off!

On Saturday, May 11th we held a great informal Meet & Greet/Event Kick-off Party at the Press Club! It was an opportunity for participants, friends and beneficiaries to get to know one another a little better while having a snack and a glass of wine. The Press Club sent us a check for $138.91 which was 10% of our groups tab which we will apply to our general fund to offset event expenses… hurrah! What a lovely afternoon to get us in the spirit for our 2013. Many thanks to Tina Larson for her help in securing the location, and to Trina & John for their A/V troubleshooting help setting up the slideshow. 

be, do, accept and receive

I posted a note a few weeks on Facebook that we started a Compassion Fund for a young woman with metastatic breast cancer. This is Renee. She was 32.  If you find her page on Facebook, she was beloved by so many people. The notes to Renee and family are heartbreaking and full of love, yet hopeful for a perfect stillness in the space of this loss. I never got to meet her but I am forever changed because our lives crossed in a peripheral way.

There was the loss of another bright light last week as well. A member of the Komen 3 Day for the Cure/Event 360 family, Bridget Spence died after 9 years of living with stage IV breast cancer. She was 29.

Then, there is Jennifer, the sister of a very special friend. She died last February after living 10 years with metastases of breast cancer to her liver, lungs, bone and brain. She was 43. 

There is a sadness I hold for the loss of these women, and the loss of a dear family friend to prostate cancer last year, that is so palpable I taste it in the back of my throat, making it hard to swallow.

So many beloved people gone, way too soon.

The loss of these beautiful young women, and the other 109 people who will die from breast cancer today, is a loss for us all. We ALL lose out. Whatever contributions they would have made in their lifetimes are lost. What promise would the world have held for them? Those who loved them will never get to find out and that is tragic.

There are tears today, but more than the tears I feel a swelling of deep frustration at the status quo within the breast cancer industry. I hope to personally light the flame in others with a new resolve  and full-force dedication to helping all people who are living with breast cancer gain access to quality care and services.

These women’s short lives deserve our best efforts to move into a new era of cancer prevention, strict regulations on cancer-causing toxins, and funding research which would make a cancer diagnosis more survivable. We can eradicate cancer as a life threatening disease, I really believe it.

Let’s make a commitment today be present and engaged in the moment (put down your cell phone!), tell the people we love that we love them, be kind, be generous, laugh every day, and let’s give of ourselves expecting nothing in return – let’s live this life fully and zestfully. This is the best way I know to honor the loss of these beloved people, and countless others.

Note from Renee’s Sister:

On Thursday, April 11th 2013, at 3:30 a.m., Renee Heidtman, my best friend and beautiful sister left this world for another. At 32 years old, she accomplished so much. She was a teacher, a lover, a model and a pillar of strength for others. In her short life, she has touched and loved so many around her. She died in the presence of those who loved her. Memorials will be planned for both Michigan and San Francisco. Invitations will be sent for late May. May peace be with all of you during this difficult time. Renee taught me to be, do, accept and receive love. So be, do, accept and receive, and you will carry her close in your heart.

The funds we collected for the Compassion Fund, almost $5,000 in 24 hours, will be put to use by the family. 

how do you like them apples?

Last night a small group of Immediate Impact walk participants dropped in for the "Fishbowl Frenzy/Party with a Purpose" benefiting Friend to Friend. They had raffle prizes galore and a $10 donation at the door got you $5 beer and wine for the night. Wooohooo!

While we were there we had the honor of presenting our grant check of $30,000 from the 2013 Immediate Impact Walk to Helene Lynch, long time volunteer at the boutique. It is because of Helen’s volunteer work at the boutique that I learned of Friend to Friend - it felt so perfect to hand her the check. Again, a tremendous night which reinforces one of our core principles: giving feels good!

Helen's reaction was priceless! 

representing at the marin half marathon

This past Saturday a group of us were among the 1,000 people who participated in the Marin Half Marathon (we walked the 10K distance.) at McNear's Beach in San Rafael. The Breast Cancer Emergency Fund is the beneficiary of this race and the day's total donations were $10,000! Oh, McNear's Beach is a really pretty place if you are looking for a day get away in the Bay Area: Picnic tables, a pool, beach access, a clubhouse.

Thankfully the weather was pretty cool and dry (rain was predicted) for a pretty 10K route along the marsh and then bay near China Camp. The 1/2 marathon runners are treated to a pretty steep uphill trail run on the last few miles of their route. Our time was pretty slow (we were the last people to finish the 10K – ha!, and I think we were the only people walking the whole thing) but we dawdled a little at the end listening to the bag pipers, taking photos and chatting with people.

Rambling to the Finish Line! 

Safety Monitor Juliana, from the BCEF

Team: In Our Lifetime representing!

After the race, we drove over to Ross for a celebratory breakfast 

at the always packed and great Half Day Cafe. Yumm!

give the best of yourself

Further Afield: Lake Chabot

After chatting with the ranger in the toll booth, we opted to walk clock-wise around the lake. It was super chilly and crisp when we met but once we started moving and the trail got us in the sun, we warmed right up! 

The 8.5 mile loop takes you through many micro-forests: eucalyptus groves, redwood trees, crossing a brook and all of the while you can hear the honking of Canadian geese on the lake. The trail has its share of some uphill climbs as well.

We saw a boy scout troop headed for an overnight, kids on bikes... groups of people just out for a walk, people fishing on the lake. Lake Chabot is a great place to go for a reprieve from urban living. It was a great day Further Afield!

You get the best out of others 

when you give the best of yourself. Harvey S. Firestone

3 in 1: therapy, meditation & workout

Sometimes a walk can be 3 in 1: therapy + meditation + workout. This past Saturday was just that. We shared deep & personal conversations, tried to release some things & made peace with others and we huffed and puffed our way up, up, UPHILL on a short but great trail walk.

beautiful coastal views

strolling back to our cars in the sunshine!

Yum. Yum! Reward. 

Sometimes you just need the wide open spaces, fresh air, crunch of the gravel under your feet and the company of some women to reset your mental clock after a long week at work. We did just that this past weekend.

We parked in the Grey Whale Cove Beach Parking lot and headed uphill on a great fire road trail in McNee Park up the Montara Mountain in the misty morning fog! There were a handful of other people heading up, up, up on the foggy trail and we all greeted one another with smiles & hellos (one of my favorite things about trail walks - everyone is happy!) By the time we headed back down, the sun was burning off and we were treated to really beautiful coastal views: some early spring wildflowers and the white capped ocean.

We decided to walk out and leave just enough time return to our cars and to head over to Moss Beach Distillery when they opened at noon for lunch. First time for us all there. Classic coastal fare with  FULL BAR. Bloody Mary's and Pomegranate Martinis hit the spot. Sometimes getting outside in Nature is just what the doctor ordered.

to this day

Shane Koyczan "To This Day"

 http://www.tothisdayproject.com

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9 Daily Habits > Happiness

Hike to Jack London Park

A few of us carpooled to Jack London Park for a lovely hike through a few of the trails in this special park. It was a sunny, warm and blue skied February Saturday. A peaceful and fun day. The trails were just hilly enough to be a bit of a challenge but not too hard. Afterward we drove back down to Glen Ellen and ate a delicious late lunch at the Fig Cafe. Yum! A great Saturday, indeed.

view of the vineyard

jack's sleeping porch

not helpful trail signs

a mighty oak

9 Daily Habits That Will Make You Happier Source

Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success, but it's almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself.

With that in mind, here are nine small changes that you can make to your daily routine that, if you're like most people, will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life:

1. Start each day with expectation.

If there's any big truth about life, it's that it usually lives up to (or down to) your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: "something wonderful is going to happen today." Guess what? You're probably right.

2. Take time to plan and prioritize.

The most common source of stress is the perception that you've got too much work to do.  Rather than obsess about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.

3. Give a gift to everyone you meet. 

I'm not talking about a formal, wrapped-up present. Your gift can be your smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod. And never pass beggars without leaving them something. Peace of mind is worth the spare change.

4. Deflect partisan conversations.

Arguments about politics and religion never have a "right" answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can't control. When such topics surface, bow out by saying something like: "Thinking about that stuff makes my head hurt."

5. Assume people have good intentions.

Since you can't read minds, you don't really know the "why" behind the "what" that people do. Imputing evil motives to other people's weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation.

6. Eat high quality food slowly.

Sometimes we can't avoid scarfing something quick to keep us up and running. Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Focus on it; taste it; savor it.

7. Let go of your results.

The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand rather than some weird fantasy of what might happen.

8. Turn off "background" TV.

Many households leave their TVs on as "background noise" while they're doing other things. The entire point of broadcast TV is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that you'll buy more stuff. Why subliminally program yourself to be a mindless consumer?

9. End each day with gratitude.

Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh, or something as huge as a million dollar deal. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.

wholehearted

Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, “No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough.” It’s going to bed at night thinking, “Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn't change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging. Brene Brown

Happy Valentine's Day to You!

hard wired for growth

A friend had a new baby and I went to visit when the baby was one month old. She proudly told me that the baby had grown 2 inches in one month! She showed me photos from the day the baby was born and you could see the growth and change. 

Amazing, that Mother Nature. And happy. And wonderful. Awe inspiring, really.

It’s like when you see a weed sprouting between the rocks or, trying to eek a spot out between cracks in the pavement. 

We are primed for growth.

We are hard wired for growth.

I read somewhere that, "You are a life-long project of growth." I like that idea. A lot. 

I am a project. And our DNA, bodies and minds are hard wired for growth.