Three Years (Pt. 1)

On January 6, 2010, CJ's Thumbs Up Foundation was officially incorporated, the first step in our process towards 501(c)3 status.  In the three years of our existence, CJSTUF has provided assistance (financial, material, and emotional) to well over a thousand people (children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, their caregivers, and families).

We couldn't have done it without the support of our fabulous and generous Network.  You have answered every call for votes, donations, and time and for that we are grateful beyond measure.  We blew away all of our budget/revenue projections for the year and are extremely stable heading into 2013.

More importantly, you have helped us ease the burden of many families facing the worst scenario anyone could imagine.

The future is looking extremely bright for the Foundation and our pipe dream goals are seeming a bit less like pipe dreams than they did before.  Please stay tuned for some great upcoming events including CJ's Thumbs Up Ball in February, TEAM CJ's participation in the Monument Ave. 10K on April 13, and CJ The DJ's Bluegrass (Mostly) Boogaloo on Sat, July 20.  There will be a few surprises as well so pay attention.

Thank you, also, for helping US deal with our own grief as well.  Doing what we do is as much therapy for us as it is beneficial for our families.

We wish you peace for the coming year but hope you will also help us partake in a little excitement for CJSTUF along the way.

Love,

Roger and Rachel

Charlotte Jennie's Grownups

"One G*# D*&#ed Chocolate Chip Cookie"

Or better yet, "That Damned Kiss." - A Mighty Wind

Or slightly more diffused, "You know you've ruined it for me..." - Out Of Africa

We all have had events in our lives where one little detail eventually became more than just a detail in the overall fabric of our experience.  It morphed into an major element of the plot, influencing further development and screwing up your plan for where you thought you were going.  This butterfly did that to me:

A few days ago, Rachel came in the house and said, "Have you seen the new butterfly?"

We both went out and she showed me the purple butterfly that someone had covertly attached to Homer the Pine Tree overhanging CJ's Butterfly Bush.  We occasionally find things on or around CJ left by people we didn't see and they are always appreciated but I think I must have been in a certain frame of mind to receive this certain butterfly because it changed the course of my psyche.

Rachel and I had just come back from our vacation (it was fabulous, in case you hadn't heard) and I wasn't ready to get back into reality.  On top of that, I had been having lots of little "moments" that were weighing me down.  Moments brought on by the weirdest things.  Like hearing a song or being in a place where Charlotte had been. The bus was certainly back, parked squarely on my chest, and my "woe-is-me" song writing machine was picking up speed.  And a part of me was ready to stay on that path for a while. There's value (at least to me) in feeling the pain.  At least when I feel the pain, I know I'm remembering her. (I hate "at leasts")

And then I saw that damned butterfly.  It wasn't like the weight was lifted or anything too dramatic like that but it reminded me that people are thinking of us, which is comforting, and that I need to get my head on straight.  It even altered the direction of one of the songs I had been working on for a long time.

The problem is that it was fixing to be a pretty good sad song before then.  Now it's all confused and I may have to break it up into two different songs that sound a lot alike.

Be that as it may, the song writing machine (along with my attitude) has come out of its nose-dive and has leveled off for now.  The moments are still there, nothing has changed in that respect, but I'm at least able to deal with them for the time being.

Thanks to whoever placed that damned butterfly.

In other news, the Foundation is ending the year with both good and bad news.  The good news is that we were able to help 30 families, one way or another, to the tune of $14,000. That takes the total amount of aid since incorporation to around $27,000 in two years.  (We thought we were closer to $30K for a while but it still ain't too shabby)

The bad news is that we still have 13 families on the waiting list.  That's $6,500 if you want an amount.  We're really hoping that some last minute fundraising opportunities will help narrow that gap.

One not-so-last-minute FUN-raiser is the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K on March 31, 2012.  TEAM CJ will be in effect and there are different ways you can get involved:

1 - Join TEAM CJ, collect pledges, and run in the 10k.  If you commit to raising $500 or more, CJSTUF will give you a code to register for free!

2 - Go to MY fund raising page and make a pledge.  My goal for all of TEAM CJ is $10,000 but if I could do that personally, wouldn't that be totally cool!?!  The Mother Runners are going to be involved somehow. We haven't solidified details but there may be a pink running skirt involved! :-)

3 - Be a cheer-er for TEAM CJ along the route.  We need spirit, we know we do! We need spirit, how about YOU!?!

By the way, there are new racing shirts (real running shirts!) for all Team CJ participants!

GO TEAM CJ!!!

January will also be "Remember CJ Month" when participating stores will be donating up to 5% of sales for the month to CJSTUF.  Our first participant will be the Bed Corner in Stonewall Square in Mechanicsville.  Come buy a bed or mattress in January and help CJSTUF!

If you own a business or know of one that would be interested in participating, have them contact us asap.

I think that's all for now.  I'm sure Rachel will be back on with something I've forgotten.

Bye for now,

Roger

p.s. If you want me to explain the chocolate chip cookie reference, please let me know.

As the year winds down

What a weekend! We had such a wonderful time with the Comedy Sportz team. If we could make all our FUN-raisers work using improvisational sketch comedy, I think I would be a happy girl! There are so many people to thank:

Thanks to the fans who came out on Friday and Saturday evenings for our organization. 

Thanks to Kate Hall and all the folks at Richmond Mom for promoting the event. Kate sacrificed herself to the comedy gods and the results were HILARIOUS! She does a mean Martha Stewart impersonation. 

Captain Rachel takes on Captain "Boots" 

The teams show off their mad rhyming skills in Doo-Rap

Kate Hall shows she's suited up
& ready for battle

Boots and sweatpants
are an excellent fashion choice

 Thanks to Roger and CJSTUF board member Lauren Coe for also stepping up to the stage for a good cause. Lauren's boots were the hit of the evening on Friday and Roger wielded so much power on Saturday he was even able to rename cast members.  If you happened to catch the late show, Roger and I even managed a brief cameo in the spit-take game. Let's just say things got a little damp on stage. 


















Thanks to Christine Walters, Dave Gau, and all the other incredible performers at Comedy Sportz for offering this opportunity to spread the word about CJSTUF and make some money in the process.  There are talks of making this an annual event so stay tuned.

In other news, we just learned that the Spirited Art fundraiser will be delayed due to some challenges with their grand opening plans. We will announce when the event has been rescheduled. 

This means that, as of now, we do not have any "official" events scheduled for CJSTUF for the rest of 2011.  However, our wait list for financial assistance grants continues to grow.  We still need your help and there are great ways that you can support our cause. 

CJSTUF merchandise is available for purchase on our website. 100% of the proceeds from merchandise sales goes towards our Meal Fairies program, providing healthy snacks and meals to families in the hospital.

If you know someone who has a birthday coming soon, consider a request for gifts to CJSTUF in lieu of presents. We have some fabulous goodie bags that you can give your guests as a thank you for their donation.  

Stave off the holiday weight gain and start training now for your next race! If you need more motivation, consider running your next race for CJSTUF. It doesn't matter if you're walking a 5K or running an ultra-marathon. Team CJ would love to have you on board.  You can join our race team and ask your friends and family to support you through dedicated donations.  New Team CJ race shirts will be available in 2012 and you can get your own personalized website to track donations. 

Are you trying to make a little extra money for the holiday shopping season by selling your old stuff on eBay? Want to get rid of gifts that you didn't really want in the first place? Consider donating a portion of your eBay sale transaction to CJSTUF through the eBay Giving Works program. You can designate anywhere from 10-100% of your sale price as a donation to CJSTUF. In return, you get a portion of your selling fees refunded and help a great cause while you shop. 

Finally, remember that our corporate partner, Barefoot Books, has great gift ideas for kids of all ages. Shop through the link on her website and a portion of proceeds benefits our organization. 

That should keep you busy for a while. Stay tuned for news as we move towards 2012. 

Go Team CJ!

The race is on (or at least imminent).

It's 4:15 AM Pacific Time and Roger is off to the races. As mentioned previously, Big Sur is a little different from most marathons in that there are no general "spectators" along the course so my usual job of navigating from post to post during the race has been made obsolete. 

That's ok. I'll post on the blog instead.

Roger and the rest of "Team CJ-West Coast Unit" are making their way to their respective starting lines as we speak. I will be joining them at the end.  

Yesterday, we played tourist yet again. We met James, our college buddy from UM, and his beautiful family at the Monterey Aquarium and saw all the exciting wildlife. The evening was spent with a pasta party hosted by our local race chair, Shelley Wilkinson. We got to talk with and meet all the people who are running on our behalf as well as Devon Dabbs,  the co-founder of the Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition. CHPCC is our local  beneficiary of some of the fundraising completed by TEAM CJ here in California. Based on our early fundraising returns, we were able to present the organization with a check for $500. We hope send more as additional donations trickle in!

More updates coming soon.  Stay tuned. 

Here In Monterey! (Seaside, Actually)

Rachel and I arrived in San Francisco, CA very late last night (in the wee hours of the morning, truth be told) and were promptly picked up and carted away by Shelley Wilkinson, our most gracious host, chauffeur, cook, and tour guide (not to mention West Coast Chairperson for TEAM CJ). We wasted no time completely collapsing into bed when we got to her and husband David’s house in Seaside but my body wouldn’t let me sleep past 6:00am Pacific Time (which is 9:00am Eastern) so it was another short night.

I’ll be napping as soon as I get done with this post!



Rachel, Shelley, and I went down to Monterey to check out Cannery Row, scope out wineries in the area, and find lunch. If you find yourself out here, I strongly recommend you stop off at the Pacific Grove Chamber Of Commerce Visitor Center across the street from the Science Museum and have them tell you stuff. They love to do that kind of thing and will give you awesome coupons to use at area establishments; like free appetizers at local restaurants, discounts for whale watching (might use that Monday), and maps. (I LOVE MAPS!!!) They also have a statue of John Steinbeck and Rachel couldn't help flirting with one of her favorite authors!

We used said coupons at a place on the bay called Fish Hopper Seafood & Steaks and had a VERY yummy lunch that included clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl (almost can’t come out here and NOT get that at least once), calamari, and artichoke heart. Rachel had fish, the name of which I can’t remotely remember (I had never heard of it before but it was good!).

We ate outside on a deck overlooking the bay and watched the waves come in and out and various birds do the same.

Then we headed around the bay to get a look at the “beaches” and snap some pics of the water smashing against the rocks but we didn’t stay out long as it is unseasonably cool with a brisk wind that made it a bit uncomfortable to be out for too long. What was amazing was what looked like this pink creeping flox (although I think Shelley said it wasn’t flox) covering a good portion of the hills up from the water. The blanket of pink wrapped all around the southern point of the bay and was striking to say the least.

Rachel was strongly reminded of the day we were in Daytona Beach after Charlotte’s Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World and CJ was sitting in a chair on the balcony all day, just enjoying the peace of the water. We asked her if she wanted to come in several times but she was comfy and we let her sit.

I agreed with Rachel and that photo is my Facebook profile pic again for a while.

Next was the short trek to the Fitness Expo to pick up race packet, shirt, and bus pass for the marathon on Sunday. It’s a smaller race overall (if you can call 13,000 participants small!) which translated to a much faster check-in experience. Strange but I was actually wanting more of “The Gauntlet.”

On an aside, here's a video of some of what we're in for.

Tomorrow we will join up with James Staudte and family for a day of Aquarium exploring and carbo-loading later at Shelley’s house. Some of the staff of the Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition will be coming over to the pasta-party and we’ll be presenting them with a check for 25% of the funds we’ve raised so far. Donations are still coming in and we’re so grateful to everyone who has helped.

Speaking of that, time for another bit of a family story:

“Yulisabel (Yuli) is a 3 year old with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). She routinely needs rides to treatment (a considerable distance) as her father works and is the main driver and supporter for the family. She has a 4 year old brother and they live with 3 other families in a house on the outskirts of town. They share one bedroom.

Yuli loves to listen to the radio. Her mother also has music on her phone and she puts it up to her ear and this young girl is mesmerized. Her mother has recordings of her son singing and Yuli making noises around the house which keeps Yuli happy during the long rides to treatment.”

Yuli’s is one of four local Monterey Bay area families who will benefit from TEAM CJ’s FUN-raising efforts this week. We always like to say that we aren’t finding a cure but we are helping to make an un-bearable situation more bearable. Please don’t forget that YOU are a big part of that “WE.” CJSTUF couldn’t do it without your help.

Wanna help some more? Demand for what we do has increased dramatically this year as word of our mission and success has gotten out. We are already on track to receive double the number of applications we received last year and we would like to fund them if possible. If you’ve donated to any of our events, that’s wonderful and we’re not asking you for more. We ARE asking that you tell your friends and families about us and see if they’ll send us just 4 bucks ($1 for every year of Charlotte’s life) or a multiple thereof: $8, $12, $16, etc… You’d be amazed how it adds up. Here's the link

As usual, Rachel and I can’t thank you enough for helping to keep Charlotte’s legacy alive so we can “take care of the living.”

Love on your little ones like there’s no tomorrow.

I’ll blog atchya later.

Love,
Rog

p.s. Finally: Good luck to all doing the ASK 5K tomorrow morning. Our thoughts are with the Parents of Lois and Abbie as they begin their own marathon

Mood Swings and The Double Marathon Challenge

Roger here,

Our trip to Colorado was really wonderful and I can't tell you how great it was to see my beautiful niece, Cerisa, walking down the aisle all grownup and stuff. She's a married woman now. Congrats C-Weed! It was an honor to sing at your wedding.

There were some very bittersweet parts, though for obvious reasons. CJ should have been there.

Coming back to Virginia was actually kind of tough on me for some reason and I'm still not completely over it. I've had quite a few "moments" the past few days and it's been harder than usual to think about Charlotte and what she had to go through. Tuesday was the worst day I've had in a long while. It all started when I was looking for a template of the CJSTUF letterhead and came across the letter I wrote to Disney. It was all downhill from there. I was loosing it at the drop of a hat and really feeling a distinct lack of self control. I had to sit in my car in front of Romp n' Roll for a few minutes and let it all out of my system before going in (probably feeling a little sorry for myself, I must confess).

The strange thing is, the moment I walked into Romp n' Roll, I started feeling better. Rachel was teaching my Babies! class because I had to come in late and it was so nice to see everyone laughing and playing. All the positive energy really bolstered me.

Another thing that doesn't help is that it popped into my head how we used to gauge Charlotte's pain level. The scale of 1-10 and the happy-to-sad face graph really didn't work for her but she would respond pretty accurately when we asked her if her pain level was "a little" (thumb and forefinger apart), "a lot" (hands spread several inches apart), or "alotalot" (hands spread wide apart). I so hate the fact that we had to use that system. Any system at all for that matter.

I've had a few more ups and downs since then but nothing like Tuesday. I'm sure it's just my every six month meltdown that comes about once a month or so now. I'm sure getting back into running will help that.

Hey I think I smell a segue!

Some of you may have heard about my "Double Marathon Challenge" (or "Double Marathon Madness" as Rachel calls it) where I will be running the Chicago Marathon in October and then the Richmond Marathon in November all to raise funds for CJSTUF. Well, training begins on Saturday! How would YOU like to be involved?

We'll need TEAM CJ members for spirit groups along the routes of both marathons and if anyone else wants to run in any of the races (there's also the McDonalds 1/2 Marathon, HCAVA 8K, and a Kids Fun Run in Richmond), let us know. Anyone raising $1,000 or more will get registration fees reimbursed!

I'm tweeking the pledge form to include a few extra choices. (More on that later but think "VT vs UM!")

It's a three day a week program that worked very well for me a couple of Richmond Marathons ago. Anyone is invited to come running with me. I will be running every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning bright and early Starting at 7am. Short runs to start off adding mileage as time goes by.

If anyone isn't part of an official training team, feel free to come out and mosey a while with me. I might be going slow but at least I'll be going.

I would love for some Richmonders to come with us up to Chicago and/or Chicagoans to come down to Richmond for the respective races. It'll be a heck of a party in both cities!

Did I mention my goal is $10,000? I really have no fear that we won't reach it.

Here's a great idea that I'm shamelessly stealing: PLEDGEWARS! I think most of you know that Rachel and I are both graduates of the University of Miami and when I'm not bleeding orange and blue for the Denver Broncos or green and yellow for the Packers, I'm mixing them and bleeding orange and green for the "U." For some strange reason, I have run into a certain amount of resistance from people in this part of the country; especially from those turkeys in Blacksburg. Well, to be fair, I want to give all you Virginia Tech fans the chance to show me who's boss, I'm throwing down the gauntlet. If VT fans raise more money than UM fans then during the Richmond Marathon, I will wear either a turkey outfit or neck-to-toe, including socks and underwear, Virginia Tech garb (I shudder at the thought!). The hat will be a pink or purple Charlotte hat no matter which side wins.

C'mon Canes! You must save me from this fate. We will be keeping a running tally going and we'll have to see what colors I wear on November 13th! Stay tuned.

Here's a GREAT memory we have of Charlotte: When we would say, "We've got some Canes over here," we taught Charlotte to say "Whoosh! Whoosh!" If that's not inspiration for you, I don't know what is.

Last but not least, Coco's Chocolate Dream Chocolatiers, the company letting us use "Chocolate Makes Everything Better," has begun making butterfly chocolates! I don't think I ever told her about the butterfly connection. Please go to her website and thank them or just say hi from a CJ fan. If anyone wants to do a "Chocolate Stand" as a FUN-raiser, let me know and we'll get it set up.

Thanks for letting me rant. I'll keep searching.

Long overdue kudos

Since it's been almost a month since the Monument Ave 10K, I think it's about time we recognize the wonderful runners, walkers, and fundraisers who did their part for CJSTUF. I apologize for the tardiness in this post but we had some last minute donations trickling in.

We had over 25 participants who raised significant sums for the foundation. In total, the Monument Ave 10K race brought in about $7000 for our organization. Amazing!

Our top three individual fundraisers were:

Summer Davey

Susan Greenbaum

Megan Blake

Individually, they each brought in over $600 and Summer broke the $1000 mark! Way to go!

Other top fundraisers include (in no particular order):

Greg & Erin Pittman

Michael & Babz Barnett

Robin & Mark O'Sullivan

The Greci Family

Emily Starrett

Meg Helsley

Rick Whittington

Sarah Derr

Megan Bosher

Lori Raybould

Kathy & Rob Suydam

Judy Read

Jenneane Snyder

Jen Berg

Erin Brunner

Christy Yeadon

Jenny Burkhead

Ginger Figuly

Beth Boston

Anna Czaplicki

I think we plan to have a Monument Ave 10K team again next year. Don't forget that Roger will be running in not just one but TWO marathons before the year is over (Chicago in October and Richmond in November). His goal is to raise $10,000 with both marathons and he is currently assembling an ad hoc committee to help with his fundraising efforts.

If you live far away, don't fret! You can still be a part of TEAM CJ. Check out our website for information about how to participate regardless of where your race is located. We are currently looking into getting REAL race shirts (wicking shirts) for those die-hard runners. I know Roger has mentioned him before, but HUGE kudos to James Staudte for leading the charge with his first triathalon out in California. He raised over $1000 for CJSTUF as well.

Many events on the horizon in the coming weeks. Be sure to check the CJSTUF calendar frequently for updates and detailed information about special events.

Your To-Do List for the Week!

This is a busy week for CJSTUF and I am sure many of you will be involved.

Here's a handy to-do list to help make sure you don't miss a thing!

1. Attend Alice in Wonderland at Randolph-Macon College. Remaining available showtimes are Friday (tonight) at 8 PM and Saturday 2 PM and 8 PM. The Saturday performances benefit CJSTUF and donations will also be taken at the door. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2.50 for kids. It's a very family friendly show! Call the box office at 752-7316 to reserve your spot.
2. Finish collecting your pledges for the Monument Ave. 10K. Pledges can be mailed to PO Box 854, Ashland, VA 23005. Please have all checks made out to CJSTUF. If you do not bundle your pledges together or if someone is sending pledges separately, please have them indicate your name in the memo line so we know that you get the credit!
3. Pick up your TEAM CJ T-shirt. T-shirts are available for FREE to those collecting pledges and running/cheering for TEAM CJ. If you are not collecting pledges but you are running or cheering, T-shirts are $8 ($10 for XXL). If you are not participating in the 10K but you would like a T-shirt we are requesting a minimum donation of $10 per shirt. T-shirts can be picked up at Romp n' Roll (Virginia Center) beginning at 9 AM on Monday 3/22. They will also be available for pick up when you...
4. Bring your family to the Carbo Cram Event on March 26th from 6:00-8:00 PM. You can RSVP HERE to give us an idea of how many people to expect. Location information, etc. is included on the invitation. If you cannot attend the event but want to donate needed materials (food, paper products, etc.), please deliver those to Romp n' Roll by Friday March 26th at NOON. There is a list of needed materials on the invitation as well. If you would like to help with setup or cooking, please be at Shady Grove Methodist Church (Mechanicsville) by 5:30 PM. Based on current RSVPs, I think we are most in need of spaghetti sauce (jars-non-meat), paper products, beverages (tea and punch), and condiments like salad dressing and parmesan cheese. This is a very informal community event so it should be a lot of fun (and maybe even a little bit crazy!!). Finally, don't forget to pick up your 10K race packet at the Arthur Ashe center so that you can be ready bright and early for the...
5. Monument Ave 10K race. March 27th. Be THERE or Be SQUARE! Runners should plan to meet at the starting line around 8 AM. Roger will be trying to orchestrate a group picture. Please wear your TEAM CJ shirts and/or pink and purple. If you are CHEERING, please email our cheering CAPTAIN Meredith Hayes so she knows to expect you. She can let you know if you need to bring anything. The more the merrier! Cheer team members will be meeting near the Arthur Ashe monument (corner of Monument Ave. and Roseneath Rd.). Look for parking off of Monument Ave in that area. Cheer team should be in place by 8:30 AM. Please wear PINK, PURPLE, Butterfly wings, bring Butterfly Mylar balloons, etc. Please do NOT bring pledges with you to the race as we may not have secure storage space.
6. Recover from the race on March 28th and 29th! Please submit any final pledges during the last week of March. Again, pledges can be mailed to PO Box 854, Ashland, VA 23005 or can be dropped off at Romp n' Roll.

I think that oughtta do it. As usual, if you have any questions you can contact Roger or Rachel directly. Thanks for your continued support!

Time Marches On....

It's March! Spring is slowly creeping into the air. I heard a rumor that while we are supposed to get almost an inch of snow tonight (nothing compared to what we've had this year), it is supposed to hit the 60's later this week!!! I am tired of looking at gray skies and bare trees. Even with my pollen allergies, I am longing for spring.

We have a lot going on with CJSTUF this month. First of all, I announced in the last blog post that we are holding an online Pampered Chef sale for CJSTUF until March 20th. Susan Ferguson is hosting the show and Jessica Pittman is the Pampered Chef consultant. 15% of sales will go to CJSTUF. You can order online by going to the link above (www.pamperedchef.biz/jessicasapron). Enter CJSTUF as the host.

Of course, at the end of the month (March 27th) we will have the Monument Ave. 10K. We are already getting some donations trickling in from runners. Keep up the great work. I understand there may be some special prizes for those that bring in $$$!! Even if you can't run (or walk), come on out to cheer on Team CJ.

Speaking of Team CJ...I am excited to announce that we received the TEAM CJ race shirts yesterday. Drum roll please...

Front of the shirt

Back of the shirt

If you can't tell from the pictures (sorry, not the highest quality pic), the shirts are light purple. Everyone running and raising money for TEAM CJ will get a shirt. If you are cheering for TEAM CJ at the race, you can have a shirt for $8. Any extra shirts will be available for a minimum donation of $10. We will let you know when we have shirts available.

We have more merchandise in the works and on the way. The board has been very busy working on designs, pricing, etc. and we hope to have the CJSTUFF (online store) up and running by April. (Fingers crossed). Special thanks to Madison Fairburn for the t-shirt designs.

Roger has been busy shuttling back and forth from MCV helping to care for our friends, the Berry Family. Wesley had a brain surgery last week. He is still in the hospital and on the mend. We have had some generous people donate meals and Roger has been helping with the coordination of that effort.

I think that the pervasive sadness has reared its ugly head this week for both me and for Roger. We are settling into our new life and new routine and it is both heartbreaking and surreal (there's that word again). We were having dinner last night and talking about Charlotte and the entire experience. Again. There are times when it seems like a dream. A nightmare. Something that happened a long time ago, in another lifetime. Sometimes I think that if I didn't have the pictures, videos, and other memorabilia to remind me, I would wonder if I didn't just dream her existence. Her life on this earth was so short and yet strangely full and complete. It amazes me when I think of all the lives that she touched with her grace, beauty, and charm.

There I go waxing poetic again. I feel like I'm repeating myself and if I do, I apologize.

Anyway, this weekend I have the opportunity for a much-needed retreat. Thanks to some friends, I am headed off to a cabin in the woods for some rest BUT I actually have a very focused task. Many of you have mentioned putting our experience into book form. Not far into this process Roger and I agreed that we wanted to do this and the constant support and encouragement from our rabid fans have convinced us to move forward with the effort. Thanks to our blogs and some more work I have done over the past year, the bulk of the memoir is actually complete. I need to find some time to sit, without distraction of email and work, and actually flesh out the rest of the book.

I am not sure what we will do in terms of publishing. I know that we could always self-publish (go-getters that we are, what's one more thing on the to-do list?). We have also been talking very informally with a local publisher in Richmond but that's about the extent of our progress in this effort. If anyone in our network has resources or connections in the publishing world and you think they might be interested in our story, please have them contact Roger or me directly.

So I am going to a non-profit leadership class at VCU on Friday and then I will be retreating to the woods until Sunday evening (no Henry David Thoreau references, please). Much thanks to Roger for covering my shifts at the store on Friday and Saturday. We have a full weekend of parties and classes at RNR and he has agreed to take that on so I can be distraction free.

Ok, so I will close this now. I just got a call from Roger that he just finished a post himself so you will get 2 for the price of 1 today. Hopefully we weren't too repetitively redundant.

Has it been a week almost?

Since our last post, yes, indeed.

We've been really busy lately and most of our free time has been primarily used for "We" time or "Wii" time! (Hula hoops...UGH!)

Some updates around the sucky cancer world...the Berrys have had to go back into the PICU. His Caringbridge site is: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/wesleyberry1

The Waters had a G-tube placed (no fun) and at last word were waiting on surgery.

Think good thoughts about them and the many, many others out there.

We've been delivering weekday lunches to the Berrys and would like to do still more. Please contact us if you're willing to do something. Tomorrow, Thurs, and Fri. They're good during the weekend. Next week is "wait and see." Healthy if possible and no coffee or soda, please. Thanks.

TEAM CJ and the Monument Ave. 10K is rolling along. We've passed the $1000 mark for pledges and I've only heard from a tiny percentage of folks! YAY!!! If you're FUN-raising and have a moment, please send me a rough estimate of your pledges. If you have money in hand that you want out of your sphere of responsibility, please either bring it to us at Romp n' Roll at VA Center, send to PO Box 854 , Ashland, VA 23005, or deposit it into your own account and have fun in Cancun. (OK, I'm kidding about that last one) Please have checks made out to "CJSTUF."

If you have received a registration code and haven't registered yet, please do so ASAP. I'll start reassigning codes next Tuesday. If you try to register and have trouble, I might have to get you a new code anyway or you might just want to register on your own. There has been a small amount of confusion about codes.

Also, if you haven't done so and want to FUN-raise for CJSTUF, please print out a pledge from here and go harass your friends and family.

Just a reminder, the registration codes were given out as part of bulk registrations under the CJSTUF umbrella with the idea that participants would gather pledges and in return, CJSTUF would pay the registration fee and give everyone a cool t-shirt. (They're in, by the way). The codes have already been paid for. The absolute least I want is to cover the expense of the codes, t-shirts, and anything relating to the pasta consuming party but if the early reports are a sign of what's to come, it should be a great event for CJSTUF!

If you don't want to run/walk/mosey, the TEAM CJ Spirit Group is always looking for more people the cheer on the runners/walkers/mosey-ers. Meredith Hayes is the "chair" of the Spirit Group effort so please contact her.

There will be a joint pasta party hosted by CJSTUF and Reesestrong.org on Friday, March 26th at Shady Grove Methodist church in Mechanicsville. It's free for TEAM CJ and Team Reese partcipants and the more supplies get donated (spaghetti, sauce, garlic bread, etc...) the less we'll have to charge "civilians." It's not a FUN-raiser in the fund-sense but more of a community event. Donations will always be taken and split evenly between CJSTUF and Reestrong.org but that's not the purpose of the evening.

I think that's all for now. I still want to have one group run/walk before the actual event but haven't gotten around to organizing that. (Anyone???)

I hesitate to write this next part. As some of you have known, I had been having more trouble dealing with, first, anger issues and then some very deep sadness. I even scheduled a one-on-one with Dr. Matt and I've NEVER done that before. I felt the need to try to get things straight in my head or at least out in the open so I could deal with it all. Funny thing is, by the time I sat down with Matt, I seemed to be over the worst of the anger.

As far as the sadness, I have never stopped being very sad and Allie dying didn't help things but I've been missing Charlotte much more than usual lately. I've found myself almost losing it on multiple occasions threatening to affect work. This is all relatively normal under the circumstances and not unexpected.

The part I hesitate to write is that last night I had a dream that Charlotte gave me a piece of pre-school type art that she had made (still not too weird, I dream about her all the time). It was a small piece of paper torn from a brown shopping bag with a smaller rubber ring glued to it. Inside the ring was a light blue flower shaped plastic "jewel" like the kind we use for craft projects at Romp n' Roll. It looked like any number of things she made at Tuckaway or "Montessori House." I remember it pretty vividly.

Here's the thing for all you PSY101 students: On the back was written in very legible handwriting, "Take care of the living." I kid you not. In my dream, I assumed she had written it. When I woke up, I felt refreshed and a little less sad. So here's the challenge for all you armchair analysts: Was that me wishful thinking that Charlotte was sending me a message or was that my rational brain telling me to buck up and deal? Or was Charlotte actually sending me a message? Whatever the real answer, I feel a little better. I'm going for a mix.

We are never allowed to live in a vacuum

Day 7. It's been a week. Feels like a lifetime. The folks in Haiti don't care at the moment. Let's help them out a bit.

I gave blood yesterday simply because it was time and I promised the bloodmobile coordinator I would since I couldn't be there for the Give Back event at Romp n' Roll. Talk about clueless. I knew about the devastation in Haiti but didn't connect it to my blood donation. Now, I'm going to guess that VA Blood Services keeps its blood units in the state but the American Red Cross is a different matter and all the blood donation services are in serious need. I don't know how all that works but it can't hurt to roll up your sleeves and donate blood to whoever will take it. Do it in Charlotte's name if you like. If you go to the VA blood Services office at Insbrook, ask for the lady with the many names (Renee, Erica, a couple others). She got me in and out in 25 minutes!

OR! If a monetary donation is more up your alley, we are more than happy for you to temporarily divert you resources away from CJSTUF and direct them toward Haitian relief.

But be careful! Unfortunately, there are many scammers out there just dying to get their hands on your money.

I'm including links to the donations pages of the American Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.

It's a real mess down there and they could use the help.

On another front, I've learned that there is a contest at the Ukrop's Monument Ave. 10K for best "Spirit Group." First place gets $300 and there are smaller prizes as well. If you are not planning to run/walk but wanted to come cheer on TEAM CJ, might as well be goofy and make a fool of yourself in an organized format, eh? :-) Reesestrong is doing it too so let's make sure one of us wins first place and the other takes second! Let's keep it all in the family!

The pledge form is in the special events section of the website and if anyone still wants to sign up to run/walk and haven't told me, please do. I'm going to have to get some more registration codes because we've sold out of the original 30!!! YAY!

All pledges can be sent to:

Charlotte Reynolds or CJSTUF
c/o The Reynolds
9 Slash Ct
Ashland, VA 23005

Here's the usual disclaimer: CJSTUF.org is still waiting on non-profit status (Soon...very soon) so as of this posting, donations are not yet tax deductible.

Aunt Phyllis is here and the New Mexico Contingent comes in today along with Dad and Juanita Bonita. Gonna be a monstrous weekend. Aunt Phyllis tried the Wii last night...I think both she and Rachel came close to busting a gut laughing a time or two. It was very good to hear.

Jay got the live streaming worked out and those of you who can't be here can watch it live on the world wide web. There will be a link on the home page soon.

I can't believe what an event this is becoming and we had very little to do with it. It's the amazing network again combined with the faculty and staff of Randolph-Macon College, Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church, the various mom's and dad's groups of Richmond, etc...mind blowing; simply mind blowing.

The good, healthy food is flowing (Wendy, you just HAD to bring those chocolate chip cookies, didn't you? YUMMY!) and we are feeling the love all over again.

Can't thank everyone enough.