Wednesday, January 27, 2010

I can hardly wait!

Halina sent me the quilt layout with all the blocks on top of the sashing fabric. It looks absolutely beautiful! I can just imagine it finished, with the pretty pink printed fabric on the back with all the wonderful sayings!
Do you want a peek at it? Really, want a peek? Ok here it is!


Monday, January 25, 2010

Fabric for quilt #2 has arrived


I am so excited! The fabric for the back of quilt #2 arrived today. It is even prettier than the first piece of fabric.
I had originally ordered this fabric but they were out of it. So I went with the other fabric and while it is fantastic, this is more what I thought about using. It is purple, which is the color of Relay. It has purple ribbons on it and swirls of purple with wording on it such as "be generous", "help others", "join the fight-care about a cure", "overcome", "live", "love", "pray for a cure" and "help with hope". These are all words that describe what we are doing with this quilt and with this project. I just have one more square to have stitched and that is a yellow square for bladder cancer.
It is amazing. Soon we are going to have all the squares in and can send it off to be quilted also.
Then what???? We will have completed all our projects for all three Relays! I have several pillows we are going to raffle off for the 3rd Relay and several ornaments we will do silent auctions for at the team captains meetings.
I know I will be busy going to team captains meetings, committee meetings and actual Relays, along with selling raffle tickets for everything.
But it is hard to think that our project is finished for now. We Relay in April, June and October and then start again. So keep checking back here for new projects. We will get started again probably in mid-summer.
Any thoughts on what to do next? I want to see how the quilts do and we may do it again next year. This has been an easy to manage project, unlike the Christmas ornament project. But of course that project brought in over $1100. Wonder what these quilts will bring in?
Thank you to all who have participated. If you are interested in doing the yellow square please e-mail me. Check back here frequently for pictures of the finished quilt!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Relay For Life University

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending Relay For Life University in Austin. It is designed to give committee chairs and co-chairs the tools they need to do their jobs in helping make Relay a success. It is also a very large pep rally!
The music was loud, the Relayers were louder, the speakers were amazing and the decorations were great. We had a theme of "More Birthdays" so all the tables were decorated for birthday celebrations. And since you know how I feel about birthdays (mine is a National Holiday) it was perfect for me!
Here are pictures of my Relay committee chairs. Not everyone was there, but we did have a great turnout. We weren't as loud as Killeen (no one could be as loud as Killeen!) but we did a great job.




You know I am participating in 3 Relays this year: Killeen, Gatesville & Waco. So seeing everyone there at one time was fun. I have my work cut out for me. I am going to be on the Sponsorship Committee for Waco this year and also be the team captain for our Stitching For a Cure team. I am just doing the team captain thing at Killeen & Gatesville but it will keep me busy.
During the University, there was a time for caregivers to be recognized as well as survivors. We also remembered those lost. Sweet MaKenzie was mentioned and I don't think there was a dry eye at our table. I wonder if I will ever get through a Relay event without crying. Probably not.
I came away with a new enthusiasm for Relay. I am ready. More than ready. I also have an announcement to make on Feb. 4th, so check back here then.
Thank you for all your help. Everyone can hardly wait to see the first quilt!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Off to the quilter they do go!

I received 4 squares in the past few days. So we are now ready to go off to the quilter tomorrow! Woo hoo!
I received this square from Marian. Blue is the color of colorectal cancer. She did a lovely job on it!

I received two lavender squares from Carolyn. Lavender is the color for general cancer awareness.

And I received this pink square from Cathy. Again, another lovely square!
This is why Cathy said she stitched this square:
"My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, father-in-law and grandfather have all battled various forms of cancer. I also have several friends and coworkers who have also.
I chose to stitch the breast cancer square for my sister-in-law (Dana) and a lady who's very active in our church and the chairperson of the board I'm on (Pat). Both are currently "cancer free". Besides 603 is my favorite DMC color.
Thanks for allowing me to help with this project.
Cathy"

So with that, this quilt can be "put to bed". I am sending it off to the quilter tomorrow.
We are still working on our other quilt. I am in need of a green, yellow, lavender & blue square, so if you haven't stitched yet or you want to stitch another, more fabric is on it's way! Just shoot me an e-mail at my SFAC Yahoo e-mail and let me know what you want!
Thanks to all! Keep checking back for pics of the quilt!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Another quilt block from a friend!


This quilt block was stitched by Sandra in honor of her cousin Marshall, who just completed his second round of chemo for leukemia!
Woo hoo! Thank you Sandra!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

A new update



I received two purple squares from my new friends, Sheila and Barbara.
Sheila stitched the square in memory of her mother in law, Mary. She survived diabetes, heart attacks and even colon cancer, but in the end pancreatic cancer took her life.
Barbara stitched her square in HONOR of her husband who is an 11 1/2 year SURVIVOR of pancreatic cancer! Woo Hoo!

This is another centerpiece for our quilts (remember, we are doing two!). Janet did beautiful stitching on this piece.

This is the backing fabric for our quilt. I had some purple ribbon fabric all picked out, but when I went to order it, they were sold out so I took a chance on this fabric. All I can say is WOW! It is perfect! In fact I am going to use this on the back of the second quilt also. It has sayings like "Friends forever", "celebrate", "dream", "inspire" "beautiful, wonderful, lovely", "amazing" and "friends are fabulous".
The colors are right on with the thread colors I chose for the squares.
I have several people who are sending in their squares and I should have them this week. So by next week I should be able to send Quilt #1 to the quilter. Fantabulous!

Very disappointed

You know I live in a beautiful world. One where kind people send ornaments and quilt blocks to help cancer patients they don't know. One where kind people I don't know make me a beautiful quilt.
So in this beautiful world, I cannot believe that someone would send out a prayer request for a cancer patient that didn't exist. Just for the heck of it. Make people like me cry over someone that doesn't exist. Make me pray for someone that doesn't exist.
In my past post (I left it up just so you can see how evil people can be), I asked for your prayers for someone. The friend that sent it to me believed it was real. I believed it was real.
But the hoax is on the original sender. Because you see, my God knew that. And he knew my heart and all of your hearts. And he just passed that prayer on to a real patient. One that needed true prayers.
Shame, shame on the original sender. I will pray for your heart, because that is true evil that lurks there.

Monday, January 11, 2010

We need prayers!

I received this from a friend and I am forwarding it as requested.


Prayer request for Gary and Cindy Hogman by way of Faith Presbyterian
Church. Gary is serving in Iraq while his young wife is fighting cancer
here.
See his Request below.

Bobby S. Briggs, MSgt, USAF
823 ESFS/SFOC
Flight Sergeant
BAGHDAD AB, IRAQ

My name is Gary Hogman.. Some of you receiving this know me, some
do not. My wife, Cindy, is 32 years old and has just been
diagnosed with stage 4 Cervical cancer. Her chances for survival
are very slim. She was pregnant with our second child and had
miscarried recently at 3 Months; and now we know why. This is a
request for you to forward this e-mail to everyone you know
asking for prayer. The more people that pray for her to be
healed, the better. Pray and forward. It only takes a second to
hit 'forward.' Please do it and don't delete this. Your prayer
can, and perhaps will, save her life.. Please pray and ask
everyone you know to pray for the HEALING of CINDY HOGMAN And
the removal of all cancer from her body, so she may enjoy all
that life has to offer, and to continue to be the wonderful
mother to our 5-year-old son Michael. The power of Prayer is
unsurpassed. I want the whole world to have her in their prayers
The next few weeks. God will hear our cry. Please do not be offended by
my plea. This is only a request for your help. Thank you from the bottom
of my heart for reading this and helping with our request for healing! No
words can express the power we have when we each do a little to come
together.

Regards, Cindy's husband -
Gary

Thank you, and please send it to the far reaches of our world!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

More quilt blocks & memories


I received this yellow quilt square from Vicki today. It doesn't show up very well in my picture, but it is really pretty.
Yellow is the ribbon color for bladder cancer. She stitched the square in honor of her grandfather, who died much too early from bladder cancer.

I stitched this quilt block in honor of my friend Carolyn. Blue is the color for colon cancer.
Carolyn was a good friend. She passed away 10 years ago this year at the age of 57 from colon cancer.
I angry with her. That anger has subsided over the years, but is still there. Why? Because Carolyn had EVERY sign that she had colon cancer and did nothing about it. Her mother had colon cancer and it ran all through her family. For over a week she was in severe pain, with severe colon symptoms and did nothing. By the time she went to the doctor all they could do was take most of her colon out and do a colostomy. It had spread to her liver.
Carolyn lived several years more, but her life was limited. Limited in what that vivacious woman could do.
A colonoscopy done a few years before could have prevented it. Her doctor had recommended it. Her family had encouraged her to do it. But she didn't have one because of the "embarrassment".
I miss my friend. Don't let any of your friends miss you too soon. Check with your doctor and see if he recommends a colonoscopy. It could save your life.

Monday, January 4, 2010

What cancer cannot do


As most of you know, we are doing 2 quilts this year for 2 different Relays. I have two stitchers doing the centerpiece of the two quilts.
Today I received the first one from Karen. Trust me when I tell you my picture does not do this piece justice. It is quite beautiful and will be a wonderful centerpiece to the quilt.
I have heard from some stitchers who are sending in their squares in the next few days. After those come in, I will just need to receive one more and we can send the first quilt to the quilter.
Woo hoo! I ordered the backing fabric today.
If you are interested in doing a square, please e-mail me and I can let you know what colors are available.
Thanks for all of your help!

Friday, January 1, 2010

January!


Every month I am going to focus on a new reminder for all of you! I found this on the Facebook site, National Cervical Cancer Coalition and HPV Cancer Coalition.
Ok, so ladies what are we going to do? HINT: Involves stirrups and opened front paper robes!
I want all of you around to follow me on this wonderful journey, so make those yearly exam appointments and KEEP THEM!