Cookie Madness

Day 406:

So were on our 'get-a-way' anniversary trip to Sleepy Bear Dunes (which we had postponed last year), when it's time to check in with the kids and grandma / grandpa to see how things are going back home:

"You were in what paper?" was Kim's utterance as she spoke to Hannah.
Hannah was in the paper? What would she be in the paper for?

"Was it the Palladium?"; "What do you mean you don't know what paper?" ; "Well, what's it about?" ; "Did someone interview you?" ; Listening to a one way conversation can leave a great deal of holes in the plot line. "....we'll take care of it when we get home. For now, ask grandma if,...."

"Grandpa's making cookies?" Kim shot out rather quizzically,... almost fearfully.
Cookies? Oh, he must be making them for her 'Cookies for Cancer' sale. Wait,... why does he feel the need to make cookies? Where's grandma? I don't recall in my childhood memories anything regarding my dad making cookies - building a house,.. sure - making cookies,..never. What does this have to do with the paper?


Turns out that a lady by the name of Michelle Thomas (who runs a store in downtown St. Joe called La Dee Da Children's Boutique) had stopped by with her girls at Hannah's 'Cookies for Cancer' table and spoken with Hannah. Afterwards she wanted to share Hannah's story so she contacted Mailmax (a weekly paper which features many short articles revolving around the happenings of southwest Michigan). Pat Moody, the columnist who I happen to read each week, was her contact as he covers the business happenings in the area with his 'Moody on The Market' report. Pat also happens to be the morning guy on a local radio station with 'Moody in the Morning.' Needless to say, when Pat says or writes something, it's going to be heard/read.

"Grandpa's making cookies?" the tone in Kim's voice resonated as I relived those last three words of the conversation before I couldn't take it anymore and decided to encroach on the phone.

"Hi Hannah,...it's dad (like it would be some other guy saying hi). What's going on?" It was my turn to waste cellphone minutes by asking the exact same questions that Kim had already been through.

We arrived home yesterday and read firsthand Pat's article with letter submitted from Michelle,... it was very touching and well done. Pat's words that got Kim baking right away I believe were : "I'm going to ask all of the readers of Moody on the Market to take a swing by that neighborhood by Wells Field and the Former Jefferson School, especially during early evening game times (little league) and do what you can to help."

I think I speak for everyone in our family when I say that we couldn't feel more blessed to back this endeavor that Hannah has begun, to have the support of the community, and to have the word spread about childhood cancer. There are just over 11,000 children diagnosed a year. Hannah's type is one that is not common,..which is to say, that the road map for treatment has not been traveled often. One thing we do know, however, is that children are amazing and no matter the treatment process, they love to be kids. Through Hannah's Cookies for Cancer, she hopes to raise money in order to bring these children items that they can have to read, play, and even sing to as they go through their cancer care process.



Peace and Prayers

Purple Bucket

Day 400:

Sat through the the movie The Bucket List just recently. For those who are unaware of the premise (as I was),...it's two strangers who meet under the cancer experience and are given about a year to live. As the story unfolds and they begin their 'list of things to do' before they pass, you begin to realize one very important thing about this movie: It's good to have a very, very wealthy friend.

Aside from the do anything attitude of the two men, it does show in a round about way the affect that cancer can have on your outlook of life.

Which brings me to the Relay For Life.

For the past few weeks leading up to the relay, I had placed some question seeking emails to the contact person on the website, but never heard a thing. So, my interest to go,.. coupled with the Hucke's visit and the knowledge of attending the relay in Niles (in July) as a definite possibility, was not really high.

We did end up, however, doing the drop-by thing for about an hour on Saturday. I spotted hundreds of Relay for Life shirts and various other 'Rocking for the Cause' type shirts (which was the theme for the year). All of which I looked at in the same way. It wasn't until Kim checked on a shirt for Hannah and Daniel that she was told, "Only survivors wear the purple shirts."

Once I heard this, it put a whole new outlook on all those relay shirts being worn. I began seeing survivors and caregivers. It was as if I had been viewing things in black and white and then suddenly switched over to color in HD.

The Bucket List may not have reached the reality level for me, but it was right on with the life changing things that make us change focus and see what's there before us.

Good Day For a Dig Eh?

Day 398:

Saint Joseph played host to the 'Lest We Forget' tribute to our military this weekend. The three day long event hosted a number of re-enactments which ranged from dress and drill to the D-Day storming of the beach. We opted for the beach storming.

As we watched from the pier, the allied troops sent three waves storming the beach to fight off the entrenched Germans hunkered down behind their pill boxes. The event was nicely narrated over a loud speaker system - because otherwise, most of us would have been completely lost.

The fun came with a rouge storm that surfaced over the waters. The question was,.. which would be first: the storming of the beach or the storm itself. Luckily, as the surrender began to take place on the beach, the rain began to fall. Timing is everything, after all.

We made our way back (as the rain showered down on us) to the sandy lot where the real fun began.

"Your buddy seems to be stuck again," another motorist called out his window to me as I sat in my van regrouping from a sand dig. If there were an olympic event for digging a van out of a sand trap,... we are ready for the challenge.

"What???" I said this as I looked in my review mirror - yep,... stuck,..again.

I recalled just moments after digging the van out the first time, Dawn leaning out her window and saying, "We should have gotten a picture of this!"

Great,.. get the camera ready. Here we go again.

After the rains had left, and we played a bit in the sand,... you had to smile because it was a nice day for a dig (twice).

It was also a nice day for a ride - which we managed to get in as well.

Foto Friday

When on the beach,.. you must be a '10'.



However,.... sometimes, it's good just to be a '7'.


Then again the ladies of the beach rate much higher.




Unless, you happen to be two wild and crazy guys on top of the world!

Oh Ferbertz

Day 391:

All Right! It's HERE! Father's Day - Yeeeeesssssss. Wait a second, what time is it? 6:13! Are you kidding me. I'm not suppose to be up at 6:13 in the morning on Father's Day. This is suppose to be the traditional 'breakfast in bed' day,.. the 'Shhh, kids, don't wake your father' day,... the 'Good morning oh supreme guy, would you care for your coffee in bed or while you catch the morning news' day. 6:14 - great.

FERBERTZ,....."Max, it's Father's Day and as such I think I shall decree it a 'Ferbertz' day," I had just managed to traverse the stairs with minimal pain or loud crackling of the knees - good sign.

Max had a puzzled look on his face, "What's a Ferbitz,..or that thing you said?"

All of the kids at one point or another have had the ferbertz. Typically they don't want it, but yet succumb to the pressure of the giggle and beg for more. The same can be said for the arm pit touch. You don't want someone placing a finger there, but the anticipation of it seems a bit over the edge, thus causing you to raise your arms to the toucher (as the touchee) and wince with laughter to the pre-tickle.

I proceeded to bury my face into his belly and give him one big ferbertz. I suppose back in the day, they were called raspberries. Max scrunched his little body in to a ball trying to avoid my whiskers and the pppppttttthhhhtttt of the ferbertz,... but it was no use - one ferbertz administered.

You know, from a dad standpoint, there's nothing better than that little voice laughter that is made from a child uncontrollably giggling. With it being 'Ferbertz' day, you couldn't ask for a better start to Father's Day.

"Hannah,..Sam,..... where are you!?"

Foto Friday

Stealing Home

Cookie Stand

Day 386:

'Cookies for Cancer'

It's got that alliteration feeling to it - and it combines two of our interests: Making, eating, selling , sharing cookies,....and raising money for kids with cancer.

It's amazing what a lemonade / cookie stand can raise in a short 3 hour period. "Hannah, how did you do?" I was curious what the effect of a cookie stand had when placed directly across the street from the little league hot dog stand.

Let me back up for a moment.

Location, location, location. Our home is directly across from three youth baseball fields, where in the months of May and June are packed with loving, screaming, cheering grand/parents and siblings.

Hannah and Emily decided yesterday to set up a lemonade / cookie stand. As they prepared to go head to head with the 'hot dog' stand that the league runs, my mind envisioned the commissioner of the league making his way to my front door to discuss the situation.

"Hannah, I don't think this is such a good idea," I opened up the conversation as she and Emily laid out the treats on the table which had now turned my front lawn into a store front of goodies.

"Dad,... we did it last year!" she firmly reminded me of last years success with the lemonade stand in May - prior to our leaving for Mayo.

"Yes, but you were selling lemonade during practice times when the concession stand was closed. They're open now, and I don't think they will like the fact that you're taking their customers away."

"Well, they don't sell lemonade or cookies so it doesn't matter," she retorted with the confidence of a DECCA member. It's all about the market!

I still wasn't feeling really comfortable as I worked in the back yard listening to the girls in the front give their sales cry, "COOKIES!.....LEMONADE!!" to each passing pedestrian and every person that did a slow drive by in anticipation of a child darting out from the ball field area.

After about an hour, I checked the progress,....and I must say, it wasn't just the average lemonade / cookie stand. The girls had decided to raise money for two very good causes: Kids with Cancer and the Humane Society. They had taken news clippings and photos and placed them on the table to share with those who stopped, along with separate buckets to collect money for each.

Later that night Kim and I had one of those talks,..the kind where you're really tired and don't feel much like talking, but when a good thing happens, you just have to stay up and talk it through.

"What do you think about this cookie idea?" I said this already knowing the answer. It would mean that if Hannah were to sell cookies, Kim would be spending a great deal of her time assisting in the production. Not to be biased or anything,..but she does make the best cookies around.

"I think it's a fantastic idea," was her reply.

Oh Sweet Nelly,.. cookies could be the beginning to OSN (Oncology Societal Network). Sell a cookie, share a story,... and by the way, 'would you care for a lemonade to wash it down with?'

"Hannah, how did you do?" I waited to hear the results.
"Twenty seven dollars and two cents," was her matter of fact reply.

OSN has cookies for sale,...we just need to figure out how to do it without getting into trouble with the government while raising money for kids with cancer.

Prioritize

Day 381:

"It's over! It's over!" the last day of school usually brings about these type of yells, but I thought that as a teacher, they should have restrained themselves a bit with the kids still in the building.

Personally, the last day of school means that I have a whole new group coming in that will have to get use to me. I just got these kids where I want them to be, about a month ago. It also means that I have another day and half to sit in a hot classroom packing everything up for the summer cleaning. We also have a mandatory recognition ceremony/party in the afternoon.

Do other businesses have this? YOU WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE for celebrating.

The last thing I would want at a celebration,... a group of people that I have to tell - it's mandatory. Not that celebrating the end of the year is not a good idea, but just saying, Hey, we're having a party, should be sufficient. Perhaps the thought of finishing up work in the classroom is more appealing. Work,... or,... party?



Hannah and Mojo - they both look like young ones.