I DID IT!! I did it! I did it!!

In October of 2007, when David died, our family committed to walking in the Relay for Life the following June. See, just four short months before his death, David had taken to the track on a muggy June evening in Nebraska to walk in the "Survivor's Lap". Just moments before, he'd gotten to introduce himself, his cancer, and his years survived over the PA system. My favorite photograph is of him making the rounds, his big smile and shaved head a testament to his battle.
Last year's Relay was difficult, to say the least. The Survivor's Lap was heartbreaking - because we knew that David would have wanted to be there and we certainly wished he were. Our team, though, was a Gold Fundraising team, and recognized in a variety of ways for the amount of funds were were able to raise for the American Cancer Society.
This year, I've broken new ground. This year I'm the proud member of the "Grand Club." My total at this moment is $1,021.00. I involved my friends in a friendly competition of "Who gets to embarass Monica", I begged everyone I know for just $5, and I look forward with glee to whatever embarassment is bestowed upon me. It's an honor to wear goofy buttons, to write the names of the people for whom I walk on my shirt, and to spend 4 laps of the many I walk that night doing whatever the largest donator wants me to do (short of gymnastics: my back's not that great you know).
Last June, I thought I'd walk in Relay for Life for the rest of my life for David. To honor his memory. This year, I realize, I'm walking for David, yes, but also for myself. And for these people:

In memory of Patty Floan.
For Tof.
In loving memory of Floyd Minnick
For Julia, my Kiwi friend.
For Bud Henricksen, my pal Carrie's father who, as of this moment, fights the good fight.
In memory of Vi Kershner.
In memory of Mark McCarville.
In memory of my buddy Jan's godfather.
For the survivors in my life.
In memory of Corinne.
In memory and honor of many, many, more.

And finally, in loving memory, honor, and glory of David Bronstad. You will be missed, kind sir, missed a great deal, but what you have created here blossoms, blooms, spins out from you and into the world like a series of small miracles. For that, we are exceedingly grateful.

If you have too much stuff and not enough space,

"Get the smart solution: Space bags."

Because going through your stuff and eliminating some of it is absolutely not an option. Living simply and downsizing? No way! Just get some new *stuff* to store your old *stuff*.

I'm beginning to feel like a George Carlin routine. . .

Over the course of the past several years, we've gotten rid of thing after thing after thing. I'll be the first to admit that often our thousand square foot house feels awful small and crowded - but the fact is it's because of our *stuff* not because of the house itself. The house itself, by international standards, is downright palatial and the stuff that packs it to the gills is, in many ways, wasteful and stressful.

Except our new 40" Samsung flatscreen tv. It's delightful.

You better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone!

Ah, yes, the times, they are a changin' around these parts.

As of 3:05 today, my daughter is officially a first grader. She is lean and gangly and all bumped shins and a tiny bit tone deaf, which is to say some things never change, as she's a mini-me circa 1982. I'd like to say she's better dressed but, well, she is my daughter.

Meanwhile, my son's enrolled in preschool starting in the fall and his big news is his tendancy to wear underwear with superheroes on them rather than diapers with baby muppets on them. This is a huge undertaking in any person's life and it's no wonder we don't remember, as, well, to put it lightly, it's hell.

Tim's lost his tonsils and gained a company. His tonsils came out in late April but the new company came about in these last few weeks. Lots of change around these parts but I suspect much of it will be good.

As for me? Well, very little is different with me. My eyeglasses lost a rhinestone, but other than that, I plod on just the same. I'm enjoying three blissful weeks off before my 8 week summer class starts, chasing the children all day every day starting tomorrow, and working hard to make the yard and garden as gorgeous as they can be. That's about it. With all of this change, something had to stay the same.