I'm Back!

Well, I've been AWAY for a while! May has been a wild month for me. First off, May is National Older Americans' Month. As the Director of our County Senior Services Program, I was very busy planning, decorating and hosting a luncheon for all senior citizens in the county. We had close to 300 people to attend!!!

Second, the following weekend, was the County Relay for Live Event. I was the Survivor Chairman so there was lots of work to do -- registering the survivors, planning survivor reception, sorting and distributing shirts, etc. We raised over $100,000 and still counting!

Then the following week, I went into the hospital for surgery!!!! I'm now on the road to recovery -- still sore and tire easily, but I think things are going to be okay! I will be returning to work soon :(

I have done a bit of applique today == yea! I feel so much better after doing a bit of sewing. Be sure to watch my blog for upcoming pictures! I hope to get some things posted to the blog and become more active during the month of June.

The Quilt

I've posted this picture before in a prevous post, but now I just HAD to post it again! You see our Wacky Pack Quilters made this quilt and donated it to Freestone County Relay for Life last May. The group decided to make the quilt in blues as that is the color for colon cancer and they made it in honor of "me" because I am a colon cancer survivor!!! I was so honored. I was even more excited when we auctioned the quilt at the Relay for Life event. The winning bidder was a man that is also a colon cancer survivor, and he was someone I had worked with for over 20 years!!! I was so proud that he got the quilt -- in fact more proud he won the bid than that the quilt was made in my honor.

That was back in May. Well, here I was sitting in my office working at my computer and a lady came in and said "I'm bringing this back to you." I looked up and it was the wife of the man who won the quilt. All I could think was "what's wrong?" I told her that was her husband's quilt and she said "no, Kathy, that quilt was made with lots of love for you, and we want you to have the quilt. It belongs in your home, not ours." I just burst into tears and jumped up and hugged her. She also had tears in her eyes and turned and just said "I've got to get out of here."

I couldn't belive it -- these wonderful people felt that this quilt should be mine! My dear Wacky quilting sisters made it so it is full of so much love. I am in such awe that the quilt was given to to me. It instantly became one of my most cherished possessions. All I can say is "thank you" to my friends -- the quiltmakers and the wonderful couple who wanted me to have this quilt -- what selflessness!!!!

Relay for Life

Whew! We recently had our Relay for Live Event in Freestone County Texas. It was a great success. This is the 10th year that such an event has been held in Freestone County. Our goal was to raise $100,000. Well, we raised $110,000 PLUS...we are still counting! The committee worked very hard to host such a successful event.

As a cancer survivor, I firmly believe in Relay for Life. It is my dream that this dreadful disease "the BIG C" will be eradicted. By raising money for research, I feel that it has made a great contribution to the higher rates of survival among cancer survivors. There were approximately 50 cancer survivors honored with a reception and the ceremonial first lap followed by a lap with their caregivers and families.

I was very honored at the event because my quilting sisters, The Wacky Pack, made a quilt in blues and creams in my honor. The blues are to symbolize colon cancer of which I am a survivor! (Praise God!) The quilt was auctioned off and sold for $600. The lucky recipient was also a Colon Cancer Survivor. A picture of the quilt is shown above.