INSPIRATIONAL?

FOR THE CAUSE...

My friend Betsey organized a team for Relay for Life, which is a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. The idea is that someone from each team walks all night long from 6 p.m. until noon the next day as a demonstration that we will not give up on the fight against cancer. Let's just say that it turned out to be an interesting night...

Here are some highlights (in order of occurrence):

Josh belts out some karaoke (and likes it).

Tyler and Mike set up some tents.

In the process, Mike discovers that we possess a perfect lightning rod for the impending thunderstorm.

Josh and Betsey start quacking.

Mike, Elizabeth, and I act really natural while Josh snaps our photo.

(Yes, this photo is blurry/cheesy, but is the only evidence that I was there...)

Elizabeth and Kate bundle up.

Mike loses his head.

Betsey blows away.

'Twas a fun-filled night, despite the lack of sleep. The weather provided an adventure for us all... not only was it raining/lightning part of the night, but the wind at the mouth of the canyon wasn't exactly soothing. Let's just say that the event started out with nearly 500 people, and ended EARLY with only about 100 remaining.

Yes, other folks quit when their tents started blowing down the hill, but our team held out strong all night. I will do it again next year (hoping for better weather, of course).

BON APPETIT!

I just finished Julia Child's autobiography, My Life in France, which was delightful, to say the least! Julia and her husband, Paul, were both very passionate people, and this book made me feel like they truly lived life to its fullest. I loved reading about their relationship with each other, and the different ways they were able to support one other through various periods of time. Although I know practically nothing about cooking and wine, it was fun to learn a little about the technicalities of the cooking process that Julia worked so hard to perfect for her cookbooks. Also, the novel was filled with a smattering of Paul's photographs, which were impressive, to say the least. If you're looking for a good read, I highly recommend this. The book will make any reasonable human want to go to Paris.

I was fascinated to hear about Julia's intensity and focus in life. She might have been hard to be friends with, due to a highly dominating personality (just speculating), but here is a photo of the two of us, taken a few summers ago at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. I would love to go back and spend more time dissecting the replica of her kitchen sometime soon...

But in the meantime, bon appetit!

OUT OF WORDS...

I cannot figure out how to post a youtube video into my blog, but I know it can be done... tips on this for future reference, anyone?

Anyway, I cannot hear enough of this song lately, so I thought I would share a link for your enjoyment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY4tBjIwDJ8

And let it be written that I WILL marry a man who can serenade me with a guitar. And if he can dance like Jason, then that's not shabby, either....