Win a Pink Dyson Vaccuum

The Domestic Diva and Dyson are coming together to give away a: PINK DYSON VACCUUM CLEANER!!!! Dyson is notorious for being known as the vacuum that never loses suction. Out of each PINK DYSON VACCUUM CLEANER that is sold, Dyson donates $40 to help Breast Cancer Research. Not only is this vacuum for a great cause but it also does a great job of keeping your home clean. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, Dyson has agreed to give away one of their Dyson Vacuum Cleaners in the Pink color. Contest will go until the end of October, winner announced on Nov. 1st.
Here's to hoping I win the little beauty. OK, so pink is starting to grow on me!

CIBC Run for the Cure

The CIBC Run for the Cure was on Sunday, September 30, 2007. My dad, DH and I all participated in it, though DH wasn't offcially signed up - we raised money together for it and he was as much involved as I was.
We were walking in memory of our family friend, Pat, who passed away two weeks after last year's run after a long fight with breast cancer.
It was a gorgeous fall day - crisp first thing, but sunny all the way. This year we did the 5 km walk instead of 1 km and it took us just over an hour according to the tie clock, though it took probably 15 minutes for us to get past the START line.

Some people decorated their yards and encouraged along the route of the Run.We three at the end. It is amazing that this is the first photo in a long time that I have looked at and thought that I look like my dad. I don't mind looking like either of my parents as I think they both are good looking people, but I haven't seen so many similarities between my dad and I in a while.

We are definitely planning on doing the Run again next year and I would love to have each and every one of you join me - be it here with me or in your respective city. If I get 10 people or over here we will have a team - which basically means we get shirts with the name of our team on the back and we will walk together (or those of you who like to run can run) and encourage one another. It will be a lot of fun! And in case you would still like to donate to the CIBC Run for the Cure and sponsor me, you still have the opportunity until the end of October here.
Don't forget to go The Breast Cancer Site and click to help give free mammograms to women who need them!

What you can do!

I got forwarded this email and as I think it is so important to have early detection with any kind of cancer, I wanted to share this opportunity with you. Do this daily! Pass the link on to your friends. Post it on your blog! Share it on Facebook!
"Please tell ten friends today; and tell them to tell ten more. The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota for donating at least one free mammogram each day to an underprivileged woman. It takes only a few seconds to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' (the rectangular pink button in the middle). There's no financial obligation; it doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammograms in exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know: http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/"
Click now - it only takes two seconds. And then tomorrow, go back and do it again. And the next day...and the next day...and the next. (You can also sign up for a daily email reminder to go click once a day if you are forgetful like me!)

CIBC Run for the Cure

OK, so I do not run. I know people who do - if fact two of the girls in my mom's group have a run on this Sunday. Good for them, I say! Not for me. I am having a hard enough time getting myself psyched up to go for a walk and do an exercise video that I have sitting downstairs that frankly, I need to do, as I am beginning to feel a little chubby and that my love handles are getting to the point of having too big of a grip! But that is an entirely different post altogether...
I am going to be participating in the CIBC Run for the Cure again this year. Last year was my first year and it was such an amazing experience. Here is an email that I wrote to people who had supported me financially right after the run-

Hello everyone!
Today was the day of the CIBC Run for the Cure. We did it! DH, R and I all did the walk - which I found out when I got there was actually only 1 km if you were walking. We walked in the rain - it was coming down quite steadily. It only took us 20 minutes. If it had been sunny I probably would've power walked the 5 km, but for this cold, wet day it was perfect. It was good and quite humbling to be there and see all the women who survived breast cancer ("regular" participants like me got white shirts, survivors got pink), see all the teams who were walking for a particular person. I saw a little guy not much older than R with a T-shirt that said "Running for my Mom," and another little guy with a hat that said "I don't do pink!" There were dogs wearing shirts of their own, little kids with run shirts and men with pink hair. It was an amazing morning with such a spirit that I cannot describe. I have never before in my life seen so much pink nor have I ever wished that I wore pink or owned more, but today I did. Next year...
So thank you. Thank you for supporting me in this. Thank you for your gift to Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Thank you for giving so that someday we will not have to worry about breast cancer and its effect on those we love. I appreciate every one of you!
Love, R

It really was a wonderful morning. An emotional one as well, as a close family friend, Pat, was fighting breast cancer at the time. She passed away at the end of October, finally getting to go to home, to a place where there is no more pain, no more struggles. Never again! Oh, heaven...

This year as I walk I will be thinking of her - and of a new friend from our church that has been battling breast cancer since the spring. They are still unsure as to where things are at and what the next step is, but she keeps talking about how God is giving her peace. And that it is amazing how she can have it in these circumstances, but she does.

This is one cause that it close to my heart - and I encourage you to join me in this. You can sponsor me financially by giving me a cheque, or donating online. Email me at rle75 at shaw dot ca to find out how you can do that. Or you want to join on the run - if you are in my city, email or call me and we can walk together. (Sorry, if you are running, I will see you before and after it! :) If you live elsewhere, join the run in your hometown. You can even raise money doing a "virtual run" if you do not live near a run site or cannot participate on that day.

So get involved - we can beat this thing together!

This reminds me... I gotta go buy some pink! :)