#PREVIVORS - Raising Awareness

I recently had the opportunity to share in a local news story to help raise awareness for BRCA1/2 mutations and those of us who are living our lives as Previvors; and for FORCE which has given us a voice.

Amy Shainman, our local FORCE coordinator was featured in the story, done by her husband Jon who is a news reporter and weekend anchor for WPTV, our local NBC affiliate.

There is so much information out on genetic testing for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancers (HBOC) it is so important to raise awareness that there are choices, preventative measures and education for those who have learned they have a BRCA mutation or those who want to learn more about it and what they can do.

I can only hope that sharing this story may help someone else out there.


Some Women Undergoing Surgery to Stop Cancer Before it Starts

Wordless Wednesday - 10/26/2011

Motivational Monday - October 24, 2011

The best and most beautiful things in this world

cannot be seen or even heard,

but must be felt with the heart.

- Helen Keller

Motivational Monday - October 17, 2011

If you live in the South Florida area you know it is a rainy Monday;...

...but don't let this rainy Monday get you down like the old Carpenter's song (and this goes for everyone, even if you are not in South Florida).

Here is your Monday Motivation:



Shall we dance...



Motivational Monday - October 10, 2011

I know I am getting this in a bit late (Monday is technically over on the east coast), but better late than never...

 

Today I am dedicating this Motivational Monday to a wonderful and beautiful woman, my mom!!!  She turns 87 years young today!!!

 



Isn't she lovely!

When I was in my early teens my mom brought me two small inspirational plaques to display in my room.  They weren't anything fancy, and I believe we got them at the local Woolworth's store (yes I am dating my self by mentioning Woolworth's), but these plaques were special because she brought them for me.  The saying on one of them has always stayed with me because of the quote on it.  The quote was an Eleanore Roosevelt quote, but it was written in Spanish; “El futuro pertenece a aquellos que creen en la belleza de sus sueños".  At the time my Spanish was not very good, so mom translated it for me; translated it reads: "The Future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams".  It was her hope and aspiration that all of her children would reach for (and achieve) their dreams. 

I can't quite remember what the background picture looked like,
but I am going to improvise with this cloud picture for inspiration.


So today I share this quote with all of you, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams", I hope it will serve as inspiration to some, if not all; and I add to it, that I firmly believe that it is never too late in life to reach for your dreams.

 

Wordless Wednesday - 10/05/2011

Motivational Monday - October 3, 2011

For as slow as I run, I know this was motivating to me. 

Hope it will be for you too!



Courageous: The Movie ~ my personal review

In theaters today Courageous: The Movie; it is the fourth movie done by Sherwood Pictures a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga.  I had been looking forward to the release of this film and had the pleasure of seeing it, on its opening weekend, on a mommy-daughter date.  I have seen all four of the movies that have been produced by Sherwood Pictures, up to now my favorite has been Facing the Giants, however, this one has come close to taking top honors.  I just thought I would take time to share my thoughts with you.

From a critical point of view I was pleasantly surprise to see the development/improvement of cinemetagraphy, writing, character development and acting from their first movie, Flywheel, to this one.  In a previous blog regarding a movie from a different Christian production company I mentioned that the acting left something to be desired, and in my (humble) opinion I find this to be true in many "family friendly" (Christian) movies.  This was not the case in this movie.  Overall the acting was very good.  And most importantly the message was delivered in an entertaing way.

I laughed, cried, held my breath at times, and more than anything I was thoroughly touched by the message of this movie and pray that its reach goes beyond that of the previous three movies by Sherwood Pictures because I believe it is a message that can truly change our world.

Following is the synopsis of the movie as quoted from their website:

Honor Begins at Home


Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.

While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they're quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark.

When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God ... and to their children?

Filled with action-packed police drama, COURAGEOUS is the fourth film from Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Riveted moviegoers will once again find themselves laughing, crying, and cheering as they are challenged and inspired by everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children.

Protecting the streets is second nature to these men. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That's courageous.

I highly recommend this movie to all of those looking for family friendly movies (keep in mind it is PG-13, so if you have little ones, you want to get a sitter).   I especially recommend this movie to dads, dads-to-be, young men who may one day be dads, and any man who is in a position to influence the lives of our youth (I think with saying that I have covered most men I know ~ so get to a theater near you soon). 

The movie's website goes beyond just giving information on the synopsis, cast, etc. it provides resources for making an impact in your community, your church, but most of all your family; be sure to check it out wither before or after you have seen the movie.

I look forward to hearing what others think about this film, so feel free to let me know.

Wordless Wednesday - 9/28/2011

Couldn't resist sharing these beautiful clouds from today.

Motivational Monday - September 26, 2011

Here's a little motivation for your Monday.

It's what was for dinner tonight ~ Chicken Tostadas a la Rachael Ray Show

While enjoying some much needed time off from work in honor of my wedding anniversary, I had the pleasure of watching the Rachel Ray Show on Tuesday (9/20/2011).  I personally love so many of her recipes, and she makes them look sooooo easy to make.  I especially liked Tuesday's recipe of Chicken Tostadas because it appeared to be easy to do, and healthy.  So that is what I decided to do for today's Sunday dinner.

Overall the preparation really was not that difficult, but Rachael is the professional, that is why she makes it look so easy. My version did not look that easy to do (hence why there are no preparation pictures), but my final product looked good and tasted good as well!


The recipe, as done on the show, was low in carbs adding only thin tortilla chips as the carb...




...but I did add a side of white rice at hubby's request, so my version was a bit higher in carbs.

 If you are looking for a healthy dinner to make for the family, I highly recommend this one!

National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) and National Previvor Day (@facingourrisk)

Sunday, September 25th marks the beginning of the 2nd annual National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC), which includes National Previvor Day.

I have been fortunate in the past year to get to know and become an active member of FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered), an organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancers (HBOC).  It has enabled me to meet and get to know others who are previvors like myself; but more than that it has enabled me to further educate myself on matters related to HBOC and has equiped me with resources, information, and support that I can share with others who may be facing HBOC as well.

Join the Celebration: HBOC Week
(September 25th - October 2nd) & Previvor Day (September 28th)



Celebrate With FORCE and Make a Difference.

In 2010, history was made with FORCE’s successful effort to pass a Congressional resolution declaring the first-ever National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) Week and National Previvor Day.

The goal of HBOC Week and Previvor Day is to raise awareness about hereditary cancer. HBOC Week marks the transition between National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and recognizes anyone affected by hereditary breast or ovarian cancer, including women and men with BRCA mutations, people with a family history of cancer, breast and ovarian cancer survivors, and previvors, individuals who carry a strong predisposition to cancer but have not developed the disease.


An estimated three-quarters of a million Americans carry an inherited BRCA mutation but nearly 90% of these individuals don’t know about their risk. National HBOC Week and Previvor Day aim to help change that. And, it all starts with a celebration; please join us!

Below is a video about the Hereditary Cancer Research Fund that FORCE founded to help fund the research specific to HBOC; I hope that you will be inspired to visit the FORCE website, learn more about the organization, share the information with a friend, and maybe take the time to support the organization:

Wordless Wednesday - 5/18/2011

So I know I have been negligent on my blog lately, thank-you to all the followers that are hanging in there! Here is this week's Wordless Wednesday (I couldn't miss that!).  There will be a blog post soon.

Wordless Wednesday 5/11/10

A change from my sunrises and sunsets.

Wordless Wednesday - 5/4/2011

Wordless Wednesday - 4/27/2011

So I could't decide: sunset or clouds...

...so here is both.

Wordless Wednesday - 4/20/2011

I am honored...

...I have received my very first blog award!

Incredibly Sweet Blog Award

I am especially honored because I received it from a fellow blogger who is also very pink at heart! I love her blog.  I encourage you to check it out as well; if you don't already follow her you should.  Pinkim is an advocate for breast cancer awareness, a fan of my favorite game ~ baseball, and a lover of all things pink!  Thank you PinKim of Truly Simply Pink for the honor of this award.

Now in accepting this award I am to share five things about myself...

...so here goes:

One I am the youngest of six siblings (1 brother who is the oldest, and 4 sisters). Even though we are all now scattered through NYC, PA, VA, and FL, we are a tight-knit group of siblings from beautiful parents who have been married for 70 years (yep, 70!). Our oldest sister passed away in 2009 (I miss her every day), we know she is in heaven smiling down on us, happy that we remain as close as we are.

The six of us with mom ~ March, 2005

Two I married my childhood best friend.  My husband and I have literally known each other since we were in diapers.  He has always been my best friend.  He can tell people for certain that he knew I was the one for him in the third grade.  I on the other hand took a bit longer to come to that conclusion, but when I did, it was truly a slap across the forehead "duh" moment for me.  How did I miss it all those years?  Glad I got with the program, we have now been happily married for six and a half years.

9-19-2004

Three I am a proud momma to a beautiful daughter who is now a young adult.  I raised her as a single mom for nearly 16 years, but thankfully I was surrounded by a "village" of helpers.  Motherhood brought me some of the most fulfilling moments of my life and of course some of the most frustrating ones; but I wouldn't change it for a thing.

Where have the years gone???

Four I am a baseball fan, specifically I am a New York Mets fan, but at the end of the day I am a fan of the game, not just the team.  Back in 2003 I had the opportunity to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY (a must do for all baseball fans).  I was moved to tears looking at all the rich history of the game.  It may sound funny, but I can almost equate it with a religious experience.

Five I am a weekend addict of HGTV!  I turn it in on Saturday mornings and it is usually my channel of choice until Sunday evening.  As we are currently apartment dwellers, I can only dream of the day when I can put all the house hunting, gardening and DIY projects I am watching into practice.

Now I will be sharing the sweetness and bestowing this award on others who I feel are worthy of it as well!  There are a lot of blogs that I read and enjoy, and many who are deserving of this award, but I have to narrow down the field to just a few.

That Pink Girl! I may be partial since she is also a fellow "pink", but read her blog, you know she totally deserves the award!  She is a runner, which is a great inspiration to me (one who wants to be a runner); but her writing is great and entertaining.

EC Writes - The Crazy Life of a Writing Mom I absolutely love this blog! Her writing is thoroughly entertaining and brings a smile to my face each time I read it.

Last, but not least, Fork you! No, fork you! I know Christina deserves this award (even if I am extremely biased since she is my cousin). Her writing is great! She too has provided much of my running inspiration, and her recipes don't only look delicious, they are delicious!

Now pass it on, keep spreading sweetness in the blogging world!

Wordless Wednesday - 4/13/2011

My view during my training run tonight.

Reminder ~ God is in Control

Today I have to keep reminding myself of the fact that God is in control ~ today, tomorrow and always!  The potential for a government shutdown in the United States is looming.  There is much that can be said on the matter, but suffice to say that I don't want to see this happen.

I am reminded of a Twila Paris song (I know Avalon, and others have done this one too, but I thought of Twila's); this is only part of the lyrics:

This is no time for fear

This is a time for faith and determination

Don't lose the vision here

Carried away by emotion

Hold on to all that you hide in your heart

There is one thing that has always been true

It holds the world together

God is in control

We believe that His children will not be forsaken

God is in control

We will choose to remember and never be shaken

There is no power above or beside Him, we know

God is in control, oh God is in control

He is in control of all of our sunrises;...

...He is in control of all our sunsets;...

...and He is there to calm all of our storms!

I don't want to worry about what is going on in our government...

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 25-27 (NIV)

...the bible teaches me that worry is not necessary. But I am human and worry is inevitable and very hard to set aside.

So today, tomorrow and always...

...I will remind myself that God is in control!  He knows our needs and the desires of our hearts, and He is our provider always.

I share this reminder with all of you incase you needed to hear it today too!

Wordless Wednesday - 4/6/2011

We had some storms roll through yesterday, even causing some tornadoes in parts of the state. This was my view of its approach to West Palm Beach.

Mamma squirrel wants apple

The trees outside our apartment were recently trimmed of dry palm fronds. As a result a mamma squirrel and her babies were displaced. So they have made themselves a comfy nest in the tree. We have been pleasantly entertained by them since; looking forward to seeing them in the afternoons. Hubby has even fed them apples and almonds, which they appear to quite enjoy and even await (as modeled here by mamma waiting for more).

Sometimes we can find great joy in life's simplicity.