Relay the Fish to Cookie Central

Day 436: It's been a busy four days to say the least.

Saturday kicked off the second Relay for Life for Berrien County - South County Style. Last year we attended our very first relay,...this year, we've made two. Next year,... bringing a team to the festivities! Get your walking shoes and give Kim a call - she'll sign you up for something. Hannah and her Grandpa's all participated in the south county walk.


From walking a track to the open waters of Michigan. I gave my hand at fishing for a second time this summer. Anyone who knows me, could tell you that Dave doesn't fish. I eat fish. I have the same common principles when it comes to eating beef: I get it from the store and let the middle men do their thang!
Stay posted for the fish fry - I now have a license to be a fish predator,... and as long as John's there to untangle the line that I've managed to knot up and remove all hooks for the depths of the fish that I've somehow caught, it's game on! -or would that be Fish On!

We had a visit on Monday from our local artist-teacher, Melissa Rescoe (MR to you bloggers). She brought by an awesome sign for Hannah's Cookies for Cancer campaign. We now rank right up there with a top fundraising campaign with our very own thermometer of progress.

It must be working, because tonight (with the help of Sharon and Harry (our Make a Wish sponsors) buying out our remaining stash of cookies), Hannah, Max, and Emily closed shop 20 minutes ahead of schedule.


If you haven't had a chance to check out Madi McLean's sight on CaringBridge: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/madisonmclean
Reading her log today, she is home. Another wonderful example of how great God is,... when we visited her last Friday, they didn't think they would be home this soon.

Peace and Prayers

Foto Friday Plus

Day 432: You know you've entered the cancer world when you talk about being excited your counts are up enough to receive chemo -

We visited Madi today at Bronson Hospital as she began her first round of chemo. Her cousin Blair, who also is under going chemotherapy for ALL had just received word that she was good to start another round of chemo.

(Madi pictured on the right)







Hannah had a wonderful opportunity to talk with children attending the VBS at United Methodist Church in Stevensville, where she was able to share her story along with her goals for helping others.





At the end of the morning, the children gave their offerings to her for the Cookies for Cancer cause, along with a special blanket, made with prayers, love, and care. They also gave us one to deliver to Madi in the hospital.




Peace and Prayers

Wii Would Like to Buy for Kids

Day 431:

"Have I already told you my story?" I was on the phone with Best Buy Corporate trying to find that one elusive person who could help me out. I had been through what could only be visualized on a flow chart of phone inter-office hot potato. It always begins with a person asking, "How can I help you," followed by my quick rendition of Hannah's goals, then right into, "Hold please."

With Hannah topping the six hundred mark in sales, it's time to begin the search for the Wii packages that will give a child anything and everything to do while confined to a hospital visit for chemo treatments and beyond. We had discussed many things to purchase for kids, but the Wii seems to be the one thing that goes across the age gaps and generations. It's also the one thing that can get kids moving without really getting up and running around. Once I started down the Wii path, I couldn't believe the interaction and activities they've developed.

"Hello?" when you hear silence after asking a question you assume that the person on the other end has either ran out for a 'quick shot of java' at the lunch wagon or they have muted you in order to talk to others in the office to see who gets you next.

"No sir, I know your story already. Please hold," as her voice resonated like a bag of cement dropped from a 10 story building, I was sent back to phone limbo.

My corporate experience ended in the newsroom of Best Buy on a person's voice mail - no more options, no more 'Hold please', no more hope when someone offers to help me at the beginning of the conversation,...it was my last ditch effort to leave a single message. Then,... a dial tone.

It was done. My experience was over.




How do you tell a corporation that you're not looking for a hand out, but you would like to see a little girl's fundraising money go a bit further than the average consumer? I'm guessing the answer comes in the form of P's (patience and persistence).

Speaking of fundraising,.. a reminder to those who haven't heard, Hannah is out on the corner from 4:30-6:30 on Tuesday and Thursday. Did I mention, selling cookies and lemonade,... not just standing on the corner.

Special prayer request for the McLean family (of Stevensville) as their young daughter Madi was diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) just this past week. Madi is at Bronson and starting treatments.

Peace and Prayers

Learn or Burn

Day 427:

Whether another Venetian.

For all of those who are from out of town - the best way to describe the Venetian Festival of old would be food, food, food,....several music stages with various degrees of musical talent (which made it all the more interesting),....beach activities / fireworks that culminated with a rather impressive volleyball semi-pro tournament,.... and family fun.

You paid one price to get a wristband for the day and you went on to the festivities to enjoy. When you wanted something to eat from a specific vendor, you walked up,... ordered your food,... and paid for it.

Over the years the Venetian has morphed into a pricey affair in which musical talent comes for a price. I didn't venture to musical stage where 'Oliver' from the highly viewed Hannah Montana show was performing. Yet I heard tickets where available for between $25-35. "I didn't even know that he could sing," was my comment to Hannah.
"He's just starting," was her reply.
"For $25 a head, he's starting pretty good," I was thinking that someone was riding the Hannah Montana coattails.

The food affair is another morphed wonderment which leaves me wondering who they made it easier for: the vendors, the Venetian organizers, or the customers. I'm going out on a limb when I say that it's not for the betterment of the customer.

When you have multitudes of food choices to choose from and a family and friends in-tow, you have to find the exact food choice you want, find out how many tickets it will cost, then go and find a ticket booth, then head back to the food booth where you wanted your food from, and finally order and hand over your tickets. Now doesn't that seem simple? I forgot one thing - now do it when everyone wants something different. Oh geez,... I forgot the last little tidbit. If you have extra tickets (which are equivalent to $1), you need to either buy something or try and find someone to buy them off of you because the ticket booth does not refund.

Now I realize many people love the Venetian. I do too. I love what it stands for, but not for what it's become. The organizers of this event try their best to bring to Saint Joe and its visitors the best possible experience. Yet somewhere along the way I can't help but think that they've lost the connection that once made it a family affair and customer friendly. They've become like so many politicians who have gotten to the big show and can't see past the bright lights - you tend to lose focus on what's most important: Family Fun.

Here's a wild idea. Let's forgo what's it's become and go back to the 'good ole days'. You get to say stuff like that when you get past 40.

LaSninner Goals

Day 422:

'Hey JACK! What's for breakfast?" our family has coined the new phrase since having Chef Jack take over the cooking duties, while the Decker family was visiting. They were visiting, yet Jack took over ALL cooking duties (yes,...even the clean up). It was as if, we were on vacation as well.

Of course, Jack left for home a little over two weeks ago. I would like to say that we're living the diet plan,.. but that would just be further denial that we are simply living summer. Therefore, we tend to stall just long enough to have brunch (which we all recognize as the combination of breakfast and lunch). However, eating late in the morning leads to a fullness that extends through a few small snack times throughout the day right up to LaSninner (which might seem a bit new to most, yet lived by many). LaSninner is so new that it's not even recognizable by the most updated dictionary softwares. It's the late-snack-dinner you end up consuming after the 8 o'clock hour, yet before midnight. You know the one - it's usually verbally christened as LaSninner with a "Wow, look at the time and we're just now sitting down to eat!"

"Hey JACK! What's for LaSninner!?"



Hannah received word from Bronson Pediatric Oncology today with a request for items. It looked similar to my Christmas list, only they had theirs typed out in business letter format, whereas mine tends to be written on the back of envelopes I find laying around the house.

As of today, Hannah has broken the $400 mark. Someone asked the other day and again on the blog comments sections: "What's the goal?"

So I decided to ask Hannah myself, since it was never really discussed before.
"I don't know," was her first reply. I gave her the dad stare which usually means 'CLEAN SOMETHING', but for this one moment, I gave her the mental ESP eye of 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON"T KNOW?'

"Well, okay,...if I had to say a goal it would be $1000," she finally spit out.
"$1,000 a summer?" I was trying to narrow it down a bit.

"Oh, in a summer, I would hope to raise $2,000!"


There you have it. I'm now an official, self-proclaimed field reporter: 2k a summer,... I would expect that she could meet some needs of children in the hospital who are battling cancer.

Rain Delay

Day 415:

"It's RAINING!" shrieks came from outside.

I had just wrapped up another year of Wimbledon (viewing), so I knew what to do if you have a grass tennis court and it begins to rain: have 30 men and women run out with a giant tarp, drop the net to ground level, remove the posts, and pitch the tarp in a manner that facilitates water run-off. I could picture it as if I were still watching it happen, over and over again.

"DAD!" another scream - I can also relate to how my students may drift off from time to time when I'm teaching (they're probably thinking about Wimbledon too).

Hannah and Emily had been outside for a grand 30 minutes on the Cookies for Cancer corner when the weather broke with a round of rain. Springing into action like any good, retired superhero might do, I quickly made my way to the door - just in time to hold it open for the girls to haul all their supplies inside,...which brings me a long overdue top ten.


Top Ten Things a Teacher Does or Says While On Summer Break

10. Taste tester for budding cookie cause.
9. Checking email daily waiting for the principal to make you come back to school because you forgot to sign off on some paperwork.
8. Discover a way to dismantle the snooze bar.
7. Get a job for fun because you don't care if you quit or get fired.
6. Find yourself mummbling, "So this must be what retirement is like."
5. Hold back from correcting other kids in public places.
4. Have a breakthrough by deciphering whether you're more like 'George' or 'Kramer' from Seinfeld.
3. Walk around asking people, "What day is this? I've lost track - I'm a teacher."
2. Waking up mid morning and thinking: If I were teaching, it would almost be lunch time about now.
1. Start counting down the number of days until the beginning of next summer.

Cookie Update

Day 413:

Cookies for Cancer
Days: Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 4:30-6:30
Place: South State Street across from Wells Baseball Fields


Thank you for all the input on the poll. With baseball season across the street winding down, we're hoping that means more parking for 'cookie lovers' and 'cancer supporters'. As we discuss the exact details of helping children with cancer and sharing support, it's amazing the opportunities that Hannah will have to do just that.

In July, she will have a terrific opportunity to share her experience, faith, and goals for childhood cancer support with the vacation bible students at Stevensville United Methodist.

Then in August she will travel to Three Oaks (Acorn Theatre) where Jenna Mammina has invited her to bring her Cookies for Cancer. Jenna's also releasing her new album. Should be a great night!

"I think we may need a bigger oven," I told Kim, as she begins to mull through the number of cookies she will make over the course of years to come!

From Lakes to Lake and Guest Blogging

That's right all! Shanna here; milling around Michigan.

And, by "here" I mean, HERE. In St. Joseph, Michigan! It's ok...calm down. I know you're excited, but the jumping up and down will have to stop, or those neighbors are going to be more than thrilled to join in your excitement when they march right on up and give you their best angry face. Now, won't that be exciting? Anway, not the point. And, actually, you're welcome to be excited. VERY excited. 'Cuz I sure am.

Do you want to know why I'm most excited about though? I'M MOVING TO ST. JOSEPH!!!! Ok, calm down again. What did I tell you about that? I'm kidding. Just kidding. For all who are in Minnesota, or already making plans to visit me, I will be back. But, I'm bringing MI with me. That's right. All of it. We took enough pictures of the lake for that to happen, you know.

Let me paint a scene for you. Hannah and Max are seated directly behind me, and singing like the American idols you've never heard, Chef Jack (as he's been affectionately and officially named) is doing whatever chefs do in the kitchen, Dave, is off being Bootsish, like usual, Kim is relaxing with the now Harley chick that is my mother. (That's right, she saw THE lake (which is Lake MI for those who haven't been blessed to tour St. Joe...sad sad people) on a Harley.), and Sam's off being funny. And, the sun is shining, and we're feeling blessed.

I remember the day that Hannah brought up the idea of us making trip to Michigan. I have to say that no one ever was convinced at the moment that it would happen. But, it did. God leat it happen. I realize as we all do in the cancer world, everyday, that while we could have missed the pain, we would have had to miss the dance. And, by the dance, I mean, the past 3 days, and those to come. Including, the top ten moments of these days, in which the Kellys and Deckers had 35 gazillion of them to share. (And, yes, that IS a number...because life is good in St. Joe)

10. Sofa sleeper hand in the face.
9. Jack becomes "Chef Jack" leaving us eating gourmet.
8. 2:30am bedtime, and fires in the pit.
7. Removing nails from the bridge.
6. Foot in a bread bag.
5. "What are we supposed to be doing?" "Anything we want."
4. Hannah/Shanna showing (Don't worry, it'll be coming to a theater near you).
3. 20 miles of walking followed by "Just Ride".
2. Fireworks, and fireflies.
1. Realization that we have been blessed with the best friends in the entire world.

And, with that, I'm off for another sunset, the Pier (really, this time), a dive in the lake, and some more smiles. Otherwise known as...the perfect night.

PS: If you're reading, and never comment, please do. Kim will make you cookies (and they're way good, trust me on this), AND Dave would like to see that he's got RooseveltDav followers. To all those who are from my family's crew, leave a note to let the Kelly family know you're now part of theirs too. Simply because this week, we became more than friends. We're family. And, that's something I know we all treasure.

Foto Friday the Fourth

Day 410:







The Start of the MI-MN Yacht Club















A Visit from Jenna Mammina

Jack and Girlfriend

Denied Access to the Pier! What to Do?

Swinging on Silver

Pizza Train

Day 409:

The Deckers arrived today for a long weekend, 4th of July celebration, visit,...but we (the Kellys) had Silver Beach Pizza on our minds.

"Is that train really stopping here?" Jack looked on as the train pulled into the station and other on-lookers at Silver Beach Pizza greeted the passengers who were departing the train.
"Yeah. It's a train station," as I too stared at the giant metal frame of the train sitting on the tracks about 15 feet from our table.

After downing our pizza and waving goodbye to the train, it was one quick trip to the beach for the sunset.
"This is awesome and the best sunset ever," Shanna commented as she made her way into the sand with Max and Hannah.
"There will be another one just like it tomorrow night too," I thought I would give her something to cling to as the sun dropped below the horizon.

What would make a perfect night cap to their first night in Michigan? You guessed it,... a fire and Kim's strawberry pie.

Day 1 of the Michigan Deckers comes to a close as Shanna and Hannah settle in. Happy Fourth everyone!

Chew on This

Day 407:

"Where are you?" I had to place the call, we were already running short on cookies!
"I'm at the store. Hey, I missed 9 calls. Was that you?" Kim's response seemed a little less frantic than what I had hoped for.

"YES! That would have been me, trying to reach you," we were in the beginning of the Cookies for Cancer and already running short on inventory. Kim had planned on baking a few more batches, but the fact that we had not checked the egg supply left our ingredients a bit lacking - Chef Ramsey would not have been happy.


Hannah had a great day yesterday as the community rolled up to the the front of our house for cookies and lemonade,.. and a chance to speak with Hannah a bit. I, of course, was banned from the cookie area for no particular reason other than,.... "Dad, here comes some people, you need to go now," Hannah put to me in a matter of fact manner. I can only assume that she felt that if I were there, they would want to talk to me instead of her handling things herself. Fair enough. I became the runner man (run for this, run for that).

When the whole family got rolling we made quite the team - even Sam and Dustin (my nephew) decided to jump into the cookie making experience. We will add the disclaimer though that we DID NOT sell any of their creations. Yet, surprisingly enough, the lumped together cookie of mush was very tasty.

Hannah, along with the assistance of Max and Lilly (my niece) doubled their June sales in one day. She already has plans to purchase books, games, and crafts for the children.

Someone did ask for her hours. Good question! It's been during baseball games up to this point, but they wrap up with the league this week,....so, we'll have to put some thought to this question and get back to everyone. We've talked about it and she would like to continue. Any thoughts - place your vote on the poll.