Alaska ... HERE I COME!

To my dearest family, friends & fans,

It is almost here! Tomorrow evening, I will be boarding a plane for Anchorage, Alaska. On Saturday, I will be running in the Mayor's Marathon -- 26.2 scenic miles through Anchorage wilderness (where I hope to see caribou and eagles!). This season, I am running on behalf of our geeTEAM Honorees -- Matt, Rob, Whitney, Steve, and Zeeky -- I am running to beat blood cancer!

The last few months have been pretty rough, and this season has proven to be more of a challenge than I had anticipated. But, thanks to all of my donors, geeTEAM has raised $3,985.00! Your generosity and support have made this amazing feat possible. Our team of donors, volunteers, and supports have commissioned three C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blankets -- for Matt, Rob & Steve -- and we are only $15.00 away from a fully-commissioned blanket for Zeeky. We have come a long way, and have raised a significant contribution for blood cancer research and patient services, but we can do more! Our goal this season was to raise $5,000.00, and to commission a total of five blankets. And with your help, we still can still reach our goal. Tell your family/friends, reach into your change drawer, make coffee at home for a week -- there is still time to make a contribution to the LLS and C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket missions! A donation of $20 to LLS will commission two Donor Medallions and get us 2% closer to our goal.

I would like to extend the sincerest thanks that I can muster to all of those who have been so instrumental in my success this season. In just over 4 very short months, I have raised awareness and funds for LLS to a magnitude that I could not have fathomed possible -- it has not been easy, but it was a blessed opportunity and an experience that I cherish. In these short months, I have done my best to prepare my body and mind for the strenuous work of this endurance event -- which has proven to be the greatest challenge, but the is best thing that I have ever done for myself. I have struggled through injury, looming deadlines, training upsets, and event after fundraising-event. But I have come out of this experience with strength, humility, gratitude, and love. If I could, I would reach through the screen and squeeze you too-tight, because I do not have the words to express my thanks for all of your support.

I will be thinking of you, carrying you with me in my heart as I trek these 26.2 miles. I am doing this for you -- because you believe in me. I am doing this for our Honorees -- because you believe in Contributing Unconditional Means for Research, Treatment, and Support. I am doing this for me -- because will all of the support that you have offered me, I know that I will succeed.

I could not have done this without you. Please keep me in your thoughts this weekend, because you will be in mine. In advance, thank you for carrying me across the finish line.

Lots of love from the bottoms of my heart & feet,
Jess

The Pomp of Using a Graphing Calculator

With our Community Garage Sale coming up tomorrow (7AM, 412 31st Avenue, San Mateo), and our fundraising deadline coming close (T-minus 29 days until MARATHON!), I thought it was important to sit down with my spreadsheets and various donation checks to calculate the amount that geeTEAM has raised for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Sure, I could have used the calculator on my phone, or I could have gone old-school and pulled out a pencil and scratch paper. But I wanted this moment to be special; so, I reached into the depths of the boxes I stored in my closet from college and pulled out my GRAPHING CALCULATOR! I don't know how many fellow geek-azoids are out there, but my graphing calculator was King - and I missed it. I cannot lie and say that coming upon it was intentional (I am combing through all of my belongings for goodies to sell tomorrow), but I was happy to find it. And as I decided if it belonged in the "SELL" or "KEEP" pile, I thought this would be a good opportunity to calculate the amount we have raised for LLS.

A recap of our efforts: Bake Sale, Crochet Instructional Events, Bootcamp with MDSF, Bootcamp with FITCLUB Performance, Mighty Bites!, C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket, and this upcoming Community Garage Sale. That, combined with the generous donations from family, friends and fans and we have raised a grand total of ... (inserting digits on the most awesome Texas Instrument ever created) ...

$3,240.36

(Insert shock! and awe! here.)
Though we are still a ways from our goal of $5,000.00 raised for LLS, I am positive that we will be able to meet our goal this weekend. We are looking forward to a great turn out, some time to spend with family & friends on our front lawn, and a lot of generous do-gooders out-and-about on a beautiful weekend. Please drop by and show your support, we are happy to have you! If you can't make it, please consider making a donation to our effort, every dollar counts!

And a special THANK YOU to all of you that have helped me raise over $3,000 for LLS! You are my heroes and I work hard for you all! <3

stay tuned!

Community Gathers to Find a Cure - This Weekend!

We are very excited for our Community Garage Sale coming up this weekend! We have gathered the gently-used wares of all geeTEAM's family & friends, and will be selling them to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

Please drop by and show your support for LLS - we will be at 412 31st Avenue, San Mateo 94403 on Saturday, May 21st, from 7AM to 3PM and again on Sunday, May 22nd, from 7AM to 12PM. See our Evite for details: http://new.evite.com/services/links/X7WPAHXTVQ.

Our goal for the weekend is to raise $1,000.00 for LLS! And we can do it - with the help from our support buttress, we will be reaching out to our Community to  raise awareness and funds to combat blood cancers. Please help us by getting the word out to that we will be selling lots of goodies - see the Garage Sale flyer here.

Jess will be missing her Team's Regional Run on Saturday morning for the Garage Sale, so please join her Saturday afternoon for a neighborhood run!

TNT is Getting Creative

C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket is proud to support the efforts of our Team in Training teammates. See this video that Bill Bolin put together.

Make donations to geeTEAM, and we promise to lay off the donuts (even though our friend Kim makes the best maple-bacon donuts this side of Jupiter!).

stay tuned!

Spring is here and we are cleaning house!

Spring is here and we are cleaning house! But more importantly, we are using this opportunity to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

We are gathering our neighbors & friends and putting on a huge Community Garage Sale the weekend of May 21st and 22nd. The Community Garage Sale will take place along the 400 block of 31st Avenue, between Alameda de las Pulgas and Isabella Avenue (on 31st Avenue, between the Hillsdale Shopping Center and Hillsdale High School). Our goal is to raise $1,000 for LLS at our Weekend Garage Sale, and we need your help to make it happen!

All sales at 412 31st Avenue will be donated to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We need your gently-used wares, if you would like to donate, please let us know. We also need your help:

• Posting signs around your neighborhood & shopping center (color flyer, gray-scale flyer)
• Spreading the word!
• Setting up (Friday evening)
• Setting up (Saturday morning, 6am)
• Tearing down (Saturday afternoon, 3pm)
• Setting up (Sunday morning, 6am)
• Tearing down (Sunday early afternoon, 12pm)
• Bringing un-sold items to Goodwill (Sunday, 1pm)

To RSVP to the event, please see our Evite, and let us know if you can help out! We look forward to seeing you there!

stay tuned!

Making Progress: Thirty-six square inches at a time

Major updates...

Numero Uno: We have completed 100 Donor Medallions for PROJECT MATT! Now, to sew them all together, tie up some loose ends, and deliver the first C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket project to Matt and his family. Thank you to all of our Donors, this project would not have come to be without your warm hearts and well-wishes. We will be putting together the Project Book to deliver with Matt's blanket - Donors, please look out for an email in your inbox with directions on how you can leave a special message for Matt.

Numéro Deux: We have reached our fundraising goal for PROJECT ROB! We have successfully raised $1,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in honor of Rob Randolph. Now that we are in the final construction stages of PROJECT MATT, we will soon begin constructing PROJECT ROB. We already have a few Donor Medallions completed! Please check back soon for photos - our blanket-making elf is a little camera-shy... but hopefully we can get her to sit still for a photo-op very soon...

Nummer Drei: Funds are being raised for our third blanket Project! We will be selecting an Honoree recipient soon, and we look forward to raising awareness and funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of our Honoree Teammate. Our goal is to raise $1,000 for LLS - help us finish our third project by making a donation at GeeTEAM's fundraising page, or by contacting Jessica directly.

Click here to nominate an individual for a C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket Project. Our goal this season is to complete five blanket Projects for our Honoree Teammates.

We are very proud of geeTEAM's efforts - we are making great progress raising awareness and funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! We are well on our way to meeting our goals for the season. Keep up the great work everyone - and thank you for all of your support. Warm fuzzies to all of our teammates, donors, supporters, family, friends, and fans!

stay tuned!

Growing Among Giants (aka "Run, Forest! Run!")

My training has been plagued with hiccups - rehabing from my neck injury has proven to be more problematic than expected. But I have been programming my rehab into my training for the marathon I will run June 18th in Anchorage, Alaska for Team in Training. I anticipate that this run will be gorgeous and challenging, and I am terrified that there are only 7 weeks between me and the hardest challenge that I have ever chosen to face.

This Sunday, the first of May, is a major milestone in my Team in Training journey. I will be participating in my first "sanctioned' half-marathon - that is 13.1 miles people! The "Avenue of the Giants" is reportedly a beautiful run through the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. I will be passing through and amongst the ancient redwoods Sunday morning.

While I have reached the mileage in my training, and I am aware of my ability to complete the mileage again, I am still very nervous. Running is largely a mental exercise for me. And every run, however short or long, is more practice in the art of distract myself. We cannot use iPods or other devices during these runs (safety issue), so I have been learning how to run without music. I have discovered a few keys to success on the long runs. First is scenery - I like to run on trails; I cannot run indoors, on tracks, nor up/down the street. Second, I am completing these runs for the Honorees that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society supports; I am running for Matt and Rob.

I am competing against myself. I work hard so that I can complete these endurance events to honor the fight that blood cancer patients and survivors endure. My training goals for this season are to complete these runs, on behalf of our Honorees. I will have to be cautious of my neck, it might take me hours to cross the finish line, I might walk more distance than I would like, I might not feel great when I finish, but I am WILL finish 13.1 miles this Sunday for Rob and for Matt. Go TEAM!

stay tuned!

Come Together!

I feel like disco-dancing in the street! The events that geeTEAM has held in the last few days have been huge successes, each in their own way.

Saturday's Cookies for a Cure bake sale was a major hit - we had sunshine, mountains of expertly baked goodies, and lots of eager customers. Could not have asked for a better situation! My sincerest thanks go out to Regina and Kim, our bakers extraordinaire - who slaved over their blenders, stove-tops, and ovens for hours on end to bring us such a successful event -- you ladies are my heroes and a true inspiration. If you know Reg & Kim, give them a big hug and a big congrats for their hard work! Many thanks to Ashley and Jess, as well, for your contributions to the sale - your cupcakes and brownies went fast! We had a super crew taking our message to the sunbathers, kids on the playground, and passerbys - thank you all for coming out, supporting the cause, and enjoying a beautiful afternoon with us.

Sunday's Crochet Camp was an equal success. We had a great turnout at Mad Dawg School of Fitness - where we learned how to crochet hats for chemo patients. Susan and Jason led us in a team relay, where I am proud to say that the women's team kicked butt! Thank you Susan & Saul for opening up your gym for our event, Jason for leading the bootcamp, and Nick for recording the event! Footage of the festivities coming soon!

Last night, our friends from FITCLUB Performance brought their crew to the Burlingame High School track for a lesson in cross-training. We had a great workout - though I am still very sore! But, well worth the work - that marathon is going to be cake compared to what Kris and Keith had me doing last night. Rain or shine, FITCLUB is there to do work!

To celebrate the success of our events, and the fact that we were able to bring together so many people to raise awareness and funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I finished 70 Donor Medallions for PROJECT MATT, and started pulling them together for Matt's blanket. Take a look at our most recent photos added to our album, below!

<<Click here for Project Photos>>

Thank you to all who have supported our efforts thus far, and we look forward to coming together more often to raise awareness and funds for LLS!

 

stay tuned!

The Truth About the Finding Peace Within the Forest of Trees

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These last few days have been difficult for me. I have spent this week recovering from a "work" weekend, where I was pulled away from all things TNT-LLS-related, and spent three entire days working on "career"- and "work"-work. For the last few days, I have felt like a spinning top knocked off balance by a careless bump to the tabletop I have been spinning on. I have found myself dangerously close to the edge of my abilities, peering helplessly over the edge, hoping that there is enough momentum left in my wobble to bringing me back toward center.
Close to this edge, I have had a moment to see "the forest from the trees" - I have planned a lot of events for the upcoming weeks. Kick-off to our busy calendar is our Cookies for a Cure bake sale and Flex Your {Heart} Muscle events, taking place this weekend. We follow-up with a second Flex Your {Heart} Muscle event next Wednesday and culminate with our multi-locational event Write Thru the Night: where we will be hosting events at geeTEAM headquarters, virtually, and through satellite events hosted by our family, friends & fans. I am close to a panic-attack thinking about how I have backed myself into a way-to-busy corner.
I consider why I have done this to myself: why have I given myself far too much to do? Why would anyone want to do this much work? Is my investment worthwhile? Will anyone even show up?? I work full-time, I am a student part-time, I am researching graduate schools and career development, I am training for a marathon, I am trying to raise $5,000 for LLS ... I have friends and family that depend on me ... I have to eat, I have to sleep, I have to relax ... How do I expect to do all of this and be a success?
I would be lying if I said that I have not shed a tear or more over the exasperation I feel thinking about my commitments that I have and continue to accumulate. I would be lying if I said that I did not believe that my forest was much too large, filled with too many trees. At this point, I wish my commitments were a backyard orchard, not this multi-acre arboretum that I have cultivated. I am ashamed to say, there was a moment when I wanted nothing more than to give up and walk away from it all.
And then there comes perspective. Poached eggs and bacon, bitter coffee, a lecture, an email, and then a well-timed quote: 

"Doing your best means never stop trying." -- Unknown

I am doing my very best to meet the challenge: I want to make my sincerest effort to battle the devastation that blood cancers have on those affected. I am raising awareness and funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And I have thrown myself in 156% to the (mostly uphill) battle. 
I created this effort to involve my Donors. I have created these events to involve my family, friends and fans. It is easy to get discouraged when you feel so strongly about something, when you identify your effort as a piece of yourself - C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket has become an appendage growing from my heart. And there are times when I reach out that arm to shake hands with those that are closest to me - by offering these events and other opportunities to participate with me - only to have the invitation declined and the hand brushed away. My heart is sore from the rejection.
But I cannot give up. Because I am doing this for Matt. I am doing this for Rob. I am doing this for those who need me. I do my best. I continue to do my best. My best today might not be my best yesterday, or tomorrow. But it is always my best. So, instead of holding out my arm for a handshake, I sit patiently and hold up my fingers in an offering of "peace." I hope that those who see my unflagging efforts will come and join me for a morning, afternoon, evening, hour, moment - so that I can share my inspiration and ask them to join me in holding up a sign of "peace" within this forest.
Yesterday, because I could not find the energy to do anything else, I crocheted Donor Medallions for PROJECT MATT and PROJECT ROB. I am proud to say that we have completed 50 Medallions for Matt's blanket. I am proud that we are 50% of the way to a complete blanket for our first Honoree. I am proud that even on my worst day, I can find inspiration in Matt's battle to not give up.
I look forward to the upcoming events, and hope to see you all there! Thank you for the continued support, I could not do it without you. All my love!


stay tuned!
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Upcoming Events

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Check out our UPCOMING EVENTS!

• Saturday, April 16th :: "Cookies for a Cure" Bake Sale
• Hosted by our friend Regina with "always remain awesome."
• 12pm - 4pm, Dolores Park, San Francisco, CA
• Sunday, April 17th :: Flex Your {Heart} Muscle: Crochet & CrossFit Double-header - give hope & get fit! 
• Hosted by our friends at Mad Dawg School of Fitness.
• 9am - 2 pm, Mad Dawg School of Fitness, Redwood City, CA
• Wednesday, April 20th ::  Flex Your {Heart} Muscle: CrossTraining Seminar & Workout - give hope & get fit! 
• Hosted by our friends at FITCLUB Performance.
• 6pm - 7:30pm, Burlingame High School Track, Burlingame, CA
• Friday, April 22nd :: Write Thru the Night: an all-night challenge to support those affected by blood cancers
• Main Stage Event: Hosted by geeTEAM, geeTEAM headquarters, Sea Spray Lane, Foster City, CA
•  The fun & fundraising begins at 6pm! Each "shift" & activity will change every 2 hours ending at 8am with our celebratory "Breakfast of Champions." See our Events page for details.
• Sign up to attend a "shift" by clicking here.
• Satellite Events:
• Virtual Satellite Event (for those who cannot make a hosted event): http://ow.ly/4At7l
• Hosted in Chico, Davis, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Santa Maria, San Francisco, & Modesto. If you would like to host a satellite party, please contact Jessica.

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Mission: Possible

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C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket and Jessica Gee were recognized on the Leukemia & Lymphoma blog - "Mission: Possible" - this morning. 

Check out Jessica's guest blog post "Creating Comfort: It began with a hole in the ground" here. 

We are proud to be honored by LLS and we hope to make the TNT & LLS mission possible by "Contributing Unconditional Means For Research, Treatment, & Support."

 

stay tuned! 
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Contributing Unconditional Means For Research, Treatment & Support

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I saw a commercial the other day that said that the best things in life are saved for Sundays. I don't know what this particular commercial was trying to sell (blueberry pancakes?), but I took a moment to reflect on the importance of Sundays in my schedule. People are milling around working hard all week long, working hard to relax on Fridays & Saturdays, and finally get to the good stuff on Sundays. Sundays are for visiting with family and friends, reading the newspaper in the sunlight on your back porch, and laughing out loud. Being able to relax into the good things on a Sunday generally leads good people to think how they can help others - help your brother move, call your grandmother on the phone to say hello, volunteer some time for a local charity, or talk about the things that are important to you? This is where our C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket Projects get their start - on bright and blissful Sundays.
 
While recovering from one of our first long-distance regional runs (which happen on Saturdays), I could barely move from soreness and wanted to find something productive to do with my afternoon stretching and icing my legs in bed. The birth of C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket took place that Sunday afternoon, when I picked up my crochet hook and made a Chemo Cap. I continued the Sunday tradition of producing comfort items by making Donor Medallions for our Honoree blankets. 

I recently wanted to extend the opportunity to GeeTEAM to contribute to the C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket mission with an instructional event. This past Sunday (April 3rd), GeeTEAM members gathered in a sunny room in Foster City, CA to learn how to crochet Chemo Caps for our Honorees. It just so happened that all our participants were crocheting novices but picked up the basics quicker than I expected! And at the end of the day, all eight of our participants walked away with Projects to finish. Marla W. finished her Chemo Cap in the time we allotted for the event and Michelle D. sent us a photo of her finished hat on Monday! Check out our finished Project Gallery.

<<click here for Event Photos>>

This past weekend was filled with the best things in life: good food, beautiful weather, great company, and a truly worthy cause. I am blessed to be surrounded by heroes like those GeeTEAM members that came out to support our first instructional event. A special thank you to my heroes - David G., Danielle G., Max W., Trina T., Justin M., Marla W., Michelle D., Myra C., Anna-Marie M., and Brandon C. - for your contribution to the C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket mission and donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

<<Event Details>>

Our next event is coming up! Hosted by our generous friends & coaches at Mad Dawg School of Fitness (MDSF) in Redwood City, CA, our next fundraising event will prove to be epic! We will be combining our crocheting instructional events with a free CrossFit Fundamentals Bootcamp. The crochet/CrossFit double-header "Flex Your {Heart} Muscle" will take place Sunday, April 17th from 9am-2pm. C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket will be hosting instructional events, the first beginning at 9am and the second at 12pm. MDSF will be leading our participants in training in flexibility, stability and strength, followed by a vigorous workout! We want everyone who attends to "give hope and get fit!" Check out our facebook event, and RSVP! We welcome athletes and crocheters of all abilities, and look forward to having you. All proceeds and commissioned Projects donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Come enjoy a sunny Sunday afternoon filled with charity, charcoal (we will be BBQ-ing), crocheting and CrossFit! We look forward to seeing you all there!

stay tuned!

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Special Treats

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This morning, I would like to extend a special treat to our Donors, Friends & Fans. I was happy to find a special message from Matt, our Honoree and first blanket recipient.

From: Matt
To: All C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket Donors

 

A Million Thank Yous!

Hi everyone, for those of you who do not know me, my name is Kat, mom of Matthew (aka Project Matthew). Thank you for all of your support with Jessica's efforts. I met Jess just a few weeks ago when I shared our story to the Burlingame Team, and was absolutely blown away by her compassion and aggressiveness to help us find cures for blood cancers.

Matthew was diagnosed with T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia almost 2 years ago. He is doing well, all things considered. We are hoping for some really good news this week so keep your fingers crossed.

I know when he is all wrapped up in his cumforts blanket it will be your contributing arms giving him the caring hugs he needs.

Thank you kindly

Kat

Movin' n' Shakin'

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Mighty Bites! has moved - http://mightybites.blogspot.com

Our little effort is growing - exponentially! Within a week of unveiling the C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket projects, we raised $1,000 for LLS and commissioned an entire project - PROJECT MATT is 100% commissioned and 45% complete. We are now well into our fund-raising effort for our second project - PROJECT ROB - and, as of this morning, we have raised $468 for LLS in honor of Rob Randolph and have commissioned 46% of Rob's blanket.

We have opened Nominations for Projects, so that you can nominate someone from your Community to receive receive a comfort item. We have also added Projects to our repertoire, so that when you nominate an Honoree you can choose from multiple Projects (to be commissioned for the Honoree) based on her/his needs!

We have also created a space for our Events - so check back often for announcements about Instructional Classes, Project Parties, Fundraising Socials, and more! ... it is getting crazy around the C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket office, but we are excited for the momentum propelling our fundraising efforts forward.

In the same instant, our Mighty Bites! are being devoured (nomnom!) as soon as they are packaged. In the last week, our orders have gone from a few dozen a week to a few dozen a day - and based on the feedback we are receiving from those that have tried (and tried again) our Bites!, we expect orders to continue to fly off the shelves.

So with this, we waive "adieu" to Mighty Bites! and wish them luck at their new home: http://mightybites.blogspot.com. If you have not tried the Loco Cocoa Bite!, you are missing out - contact a Mighty Bites! Trooper to schedule a sampling.

stay tuned! stay healthy! rawr!
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PROJECT MATT is 100% Commissioned!

C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket is proud to announce that PROJECT MATT is now 100% commissioned!

 
On the evening of March 24, 2011, we received our final donation for PROJECT MATT - bringing our grand total of $1000.00 raised in honor of Matt Mingus for Team in Training - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Our donors have commissioned 100 Donor Medallions to assembled for a blanket for Matt, which we are working furiously to complete! To celebrate, I snuggled up in my bed on a stormy evening to complete 41 Donor Medallions, meaning there are 59 Donor Medallions in my queue to complete. But when they are completed, we will have a huge labor-of-love to deliver to Matt and his family!

Donors, thank you all for your support. Your generous hearts are the life-blood of this project, and it is your example that I look to find the motivation I need to keep working on this project!

I would like to take this time to recognize those who I have not had an opportunity to thank yet:

• Courtney Gee - I am grateful the support from my little sister! Thank you for finding the funds to make a monetary donation, even though you are a "starving" college student. Now that I have taught you how to make these Medallions, I hope that you can contribute by sending me a few "Courtney-crafted" Medallions from sunny Santa Barbara to include in one of our Projects!
• Pat & Gerry Hing - A big, big hug goes out to my grandparents, Pat & Gerry, the owners/operators of Hing Accountancy Corp. in San Mateo (best CPAs in town!). They taught me the importance of giving and sharing, and I am grateful to continually have their love and support in everything that I do. Thank you PawPaw and GoongGoong!
• Alison Hench - A soon-to-be Doctor of Osteopathy, and one of the coolest people I know, Alison sent C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket her love from her study-cubby at Touro University. Thank you to my KGD sister, my role model, and my pal Alison for your contribution & loves - the world is a better place because YOU are in it!
• Anna Ye - Easily one of the smartest people I know, Anna sent us her love from her research-cubicle at the University of Califonia, Davis. Thank you to my KGD sister and goofball buddy Anna for your support - I miss you terribly and I hope I will see you soon when I am in Davis in April!

To all of our current and future Donors, thank you for becoming GeeTEAM teammates! You make all of this possible and I am forever grateful!

Now that we have completed our first C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket project, it is time to move on to our next projects...

We are now accepting Nominations for our next Project, and are looking to our Community to nominate Honorees (blood cancer patients & survivors) to receive a commissioned C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket Project. Our goal for this season is to complete five blankets - each representing $1000 raised for LLS. Please take some time to consider how blood cancer has touched your life: perhaps you have a relative, friend, coworker, or acquaitence who is a blood cancer patient or survivor. Take this time to fill out a quick survey to nominate an Honoree for a Project!

We will announce our upcoming projects soon!
stay tuned!

Generosity is synonymous to...

This morning I had to look up the word "generous" in the thesaurus. Had I been sitting at home at my desk, (which, I'm not going to lie, is hidden under a mile-high pile of clean clothes because I just have not found the time to put them in my closet) I would have cracked open the desk-top thesaurus that I have had since I was 7-years old. This thesaurus has been through a lot - more than a dozen moves up-and-down the California coastline; sitting on more than 20 different desktops and under at least two separate wobbling desk and/or chair legs; alternating between covered in dust and hidden away in dark corners; riddled with dog-eared pages and 4th-grade scribbles.

Though this thesaurus has seen neglected days, there was a time when this particular thesaurus reigned supreme. When I was a wee-tot, I was thirsty for ways to best express myself: certain repetitive statements would not suffice. And while playing "office" at my best friend Jenn's kitchen table one afternoon, I fell in love with her dictionary-thesaurus desk set. So much so that I begged my parents for a matching set. I must have been a good kid (or a spoiled one, some argue - but I like to think that I deserved it!), because my parents were generous enough to appease my pleas. Jenn and I played office much more efficiently with our matching desk-sets for the next few years.

At home, I read that thesaurus cover-to-cover, pouring over words that are the same, similar and different from one another. I was enthralled in the world of words and tried to absorb as much from the yellowing pages of the thesaurus as I could. As I grew older, and found less time to and importance in discover the meaning of words, the pages became less enticing and the thesaurus found a permanent place amongst the rest of the books on the shelf. I continued to make the effort to pack it up and find a home for it everywhere I have had a desk to place it on. But, sadly, the thesaurus has had to wait patiently for its opportunity to be important once again.

And now, a moment for it to shine as it did in days of old: I climbed over the pile of winter sweaters and scarves, and searched the messy desktop for my brittle little thesaurus. In it, I found this:

gen·er·ous  [jen-er-uhs] - adjective 

Definition:  giving, big-hearted

• Synonyms:  acceptable, altruistic, beneficent, benevolent, big, bounteous, bountiful, charitable, considerate, easy, equitable, excellent, fair, free, good, greathearted, helpful, high-minded, honest, honorable, hospitable, just, kind, kindhearted, kindly, lavish, liberal, lofty, loose, magnanimous, moderate, munificent, noble, open-handed, philanthropic, prodigal, profuse, reasonable, soft-touch, thoughtful, tolerant, ungrudging, unselfish, unsparing, unstinting, willing 
• Antonyms:  greedy, mean, miserly, selfish, stingy 

Definition:  plentiful, large in number

• Synonyms:  abounding, abundant, affluent, ample, aplenty, bounteous, bountiful, copious, crawling with, cup runs over with, dime a dozen, eco-rich, exuberant, filled, full, galore, handsome, heavy, large, lavish, liberal, luxuriant, mucho, no end, no end in sight, overflowing, plenteous, plenty, profuse, rich, stinking with, unstinting, wealthy 
• Antonyms:  depleted, lacking, rare, scarce, sparse, wanting

In the past few weeks, GeeTEAM has received generous donations pouring in from all over, supporting C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket, Project Matt, Mighty Bites!, Team in Training, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Donations so generous, that Project Matt jumped from 36% commissioned to 85% commissioned in less than a week! (That means a lot of catching up for me, crocheting Donor Medallions like a mad-woman!)

More importantly, the support has rung-out resounding support of my individual efforts, to do what one person can to eliminate the devastating effect that blood cancer currently has on those affected by the disease. My generous family, friends and fans have been more than generous - they have been ample, bounteous, kind, & magnanimous by giving with their whole-hearts to support the cause. I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the support... if I look long enough in this old, dusty thesaurus, perhaps I can find the words.

stay tuned!

Our thanks go out to...

• Ashley DeWolfe - We battled our opponents bravely on the soccer field together as tikes, and now we are joining together, as big kids, take down blood cancer! Thanks for the support, Ash! I am really looking forward to working with you to pull together an awesome fundraiser for C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket. stay tuned!
• Michelle Dondono - Fundraising Guru and Inspiration Wizard, Michelle is the backbone behind the GeeTEAM effort, with her email reminders, helpful tips and encouraging words. Thank you for all of your help Michelle, GeeTEAM, C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket, and Mighty Bites! would not be successful without your help! You're the best! Did I mention she just joined the ranks of Mighty Bites! Troop 17 - introducing our Troop 17 Mighty Mom - tadah!
• Joan Greve - A MDSF Firebreather, CrossFit Games 2011 competitor, and Olympic weightlifter, Joan is my inspiration for what it means to be a strong woman. Thank you for your phenomenal example and for your support!
• Suzanne O'Brien - My buddy Suzanne is working to raise money for her own cause, but was generous enough to make a donation to Project Matt - thank you Suz! I am proud to be your friend, good luck with your fundraising!

I am touched by the generosity that our family, friends and fans have extended by joining GeeTEAM and contributing to Project Matt! Thank you so very much for your support.

Little Ideas, Big Actions

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” -George Sheehan

We all have little ideas that occur to us while we hustle/bustle about our busy days. Unfortunately, these little ideas often get scratched onto a scrap of paper, onto the back of our hands, or made into a "mental note" - and are then promptly lost in the fray. We all have greater intentions that often get suffocated under the weight of our daily responsibilities.

I don’t know that I believe we were “meant to be” anything specifically, but we all want to make the world a better place. We all want to mean something to other people. What that looks like differs for all of us, and sometimes it changes from one day, one month, and one year to the next.

But it’s up to us all individually to wake up every day and decide that those intentions are what really matter. It’s not the money, approval, acclaim, or anything else that might distract us from what we believe to be true. What matters is who we want to be, and what we do about it today.

I want to be someone who cares. I want to be someone who chooses not to cause myself pain but isn’t afraid of hurting if it’s the price of loving fully. I want to be someone who does what I believe is right, even when it’s hard. Today, I will, in action and with all my heart.

Today, I would like to encourage you (and by you, I mean you!) to invest in your little ideas by recognizing their potential to become big actions. Who do you want to be–and what will you do about it today?

We would like to extand many thanks to...

• Thilee Subramaniam - A super guy from MDSF, who, after seeing other MDSF-commissioned Donor Medallions wanted to donate one himself. Thanks, Thilee! Keep up the fantastic work in Bootcamp.
• Justin McManus - I am very grateful for your contribution to GeeTEAM - and I look forward to many evenings of bonding over shared interests and inspirations. Many thanks to you and Trina for your support, and I am very blessed to call you both friends! <3 Mother T
• Irma Velasquez - A "Wonder Woman" in her own right, Irma is a talented artist from the Bay Area and has been hailed an "Angel" for many causes. Thank you, Irma, for your generous donation and your support of GeeTEAM and the C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket mission. I will look to your example to inspire others to get involved in their community!

To all of C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket supporters and GeeTEAM teammates, THANK YOU! Your commissioned Donor Medallions are in my queue of "to do!"

Currently, we have 64 Donor Medallions commissioned for Project Matt, and we have completed 30 of those Medallions. 

Mighty! big thanks to...

• Dustin Schaefer - A killer CrossFitter with a pretty cool phone, Dustin ordered two (2) Baker's Dozen of our delicious Loco Cocoa Mighty Bites! - they will be ready for pick up Monday at MDSF. If you like them, Dustin, you should consider joining the ranks of Mighty Bites! Troop 17, and encourage others to try our "mighty simple. mighty delicious." treats! Thank you for your generous donation to the LLS, all three of your Donation Medallions have been commissioned - and will be completed soon. Look out for photos of them here!

Many thanks for "Contributing Unlimited Means For Research, Treatment, and Support!" - welcome to GeeTEAM!

Project Matt Update!

This morning, as I finished up my grantwriting coursework and started my "work" work, I could not help but think of the amazing progress that Project Matt has made in the last week. We have currently raised $365.00 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and have 36 standing orders for Donor Medallions!

This weekend I was able to get 21 of the 36 orders completed and ready for assembly! I will post the pictures of the 21 Donor Medallions below, and will hopefully get the last 15 done this week. If you would like to commission a Donor Medallion for Matt's blanket, please submit your donation online or contact me directly. A Donor Medallion is automatically commissioned for every $10 donation made - and we are producing a Project Book to give to Matt, filled with photos of the project & well-wishes from our Donors.

We also are debuting our new facebook page for C.U.M.F.O.R.T.S. blanket, and would appreciate your "Like!" Thumbs up from GeeTEAM!

stay tuned!

Project Matt
Commissioned Donor Medallions
21 of 36 Completed (here)
We need 64 more to complete Matt's blanket!

Commissioned by Mike Williamson.

Commissioned by Marla Wong.

Commissioned by Phil Lasat.

Commissioned by Jason Feudale.

Commissioned by Mat Holzman.

Commissioned by Jasmine Sarongelo.

Commissioned by Saul & Susan Jimenez.

Commissioned by Thilee.



Nourishment: Necessities for existence, maintenance, and vitality.

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Nu·tri·tion [noo-trish-uhn, nyoo-] -- noun
1. the act or process of nourishing or of being nourished.
2. the process by which organisms take in and utilize food material.

Synomyms:
1. Food: nutriment, nourishment, grubbery, goodies, bites, comestibles, provisions, viands, chow, fare, feed, entrée, slop.
2. Sustenance: necessities for existence, comestible, livelihood, maintenance, nourishment, provision, subsistence, wherewithall.
3. Nutriment: nourishment, maintenance, support, aliment, pabulum, provender, viands, victuals, vittles.

Origin: 1551 (nutritive is recorded from c.1400), from L. nutritionem (nom. nutritio) "a nourishing," from nutritre "nourish, suckle." Nutritious is first attested 1665, from L. nutricius "that which nourishes, nurses," from nutrix (gen. nutricis) "a nurse," from nutrire. First record of nutritionist is from 1926.

Nutrition has been an important consideration for me as I continue with my training for the marathon portion of my involvement with Team in Training - on June 18th, I will be completing a full marathon (that is 26.2 miles, people!) in Anchorage, Alaska. I am also recovering from a herniated disc in my cervical spine (a painful neck injury), and proper nutrition can only help me on my way to a speedy recovery. Because of these considerations, my relationship with food has changed significantly.

Food has played many roles in the many scenes of my life: alternating between comforting, nourishing, and toxic (sometimes all three at the same time!). But my treatment of food has always been unbalanced, unfocused, and undirected. I never took the time to analyze the fuel I was injecting into my body - food that was directly proportional to the nutrition that my body would (or would not) be able to extract. It was not until I took 30 days to "clean" up my nutritional input, so that I could properly account and evaluate the effects of nutrition on my daily performance. And those 30 days were HARD - to be perfectly colloquial, they SUCKED. For 30 days, I ate healthy veggies, fruit and meat (because to be healthy, we have to consume healthy foods) and some nuts - trying to align my nutritive choices with optimal digestion and nutrient absorption. I have to admit, the trained physiologist in me really geeked out on this stuff! And while my soft body and my primitive mind thought it "SUCKED," my body-in-training and rational mind found something completely different. I realized the possibility of altering my output by directly altering my input.

I am still learning, a meer "seedling" when it comes to understanding and implementing the science of positive, clean eating - but I do know that I feel different. The fog has been lifted, and just in time! My recovery and training insist upon better fuel for better healing and performance. To push myself the extra mile, to ensure that my body is strong and healthy; I need to take care of the building blocks for those activites: my muscles, joints, bones, blood, and brain. And the building blocks for those building blocks: the nutritients that I absorb from my food and integrate into my own chemistry - like a mama-bird building her nest.

I really contend with the current connotation of the word diet, which usually implies some temporary change in what you can/cannot consume to lose weight. I prefer the primary (the first listed) definition "food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health." So... With this new diet, I have become conscious of what I am and am not putting into by body as fuel for my daily activity. I have also considered adjustments for my healing. And further adjustments for my fueled endurance activities. Most runners rely on quick (and portable) energy in the form of bars, gels and supplements. But these, largely artificial, sources of energy are out of the equation for me. So where do I turn for good quality, naturally composed, and "healthy" quick and portable energy? I make it myself, of course!

I spent some time researching good energy sources, what I might need to consume pre- & post-workout, and delicio-sity. I came up with a chocolaty nugget - a tasty little treat. I originally produce these treats with the intention of nourishing my body as I powered through my workouts, and then through my intense stretching sessions with my physical therapist; I stockpiled these nom-noms in my fridge. My official taste tester suggested I share them with others who were trying clean eating, or were skeptical that clean eating could be tasty. So I shared them. And then, why not share them with my teammates also in training? At this point, it was suggested that I use sell these nuggets - an idea I was not particularly comfortable with, because I would rather cook a meal and share it than be the chef preparing/distributing a meal (perhaps a phobia from my years in food service). Buuuuut... "How about as a fundraiser?"

Today, I am proud to introduce Mighty Bites!, which are mighty simple & mighty delicious all-natural Energy Bites. These Bites! are made from natural ingredients, mostly dried fruit and nuts. They are low-glycemic, gluten-free, soy-free, lactose-free, vegan and raw. Our original flavor, which we have dubbed "Loco Cocoa" is made of (and only of) date, fig, coconut, walnut, cocoa powder, natural vanilla, and honey. We are currently developing our "24-Carrot Golden Delicious" Bites!. Our Bites! are still made in my kitchen, packaged in recyclable glass jars, and distributed by Mighty Bites! friends and fans, fondly known as our Troopers from Mighty Bites! Troop 17. Our Troopers bring these delectable healthy treats directly to you - or will meet you half way! - with samples and pre-packaged orders. If you would like to try the Bites! or just hang out with a Trooper, drop them a line.

We are recruiting! Members of Troop 17 receive a free Baker's dozen of their choice of Mighty Bites! for every $75 raised - that is a $15 value! That means, if you purchase $75-worth of Mighty Bites!, you automatically qualify to be a Trooper. If you are interested in joining Troop 17, please contact Jessica.

Stay healthy, my friends! If you don't have a handle on your health, then you don't have a handle on your life. Take the reins, be your own master, [insert a slew of other inspirational-clichés here] ... If you want to chat me up about my foray into the nutritional wilderness, I would be happy to talk with you - leave me a message on my facebook, twitter, etc.

stay tuned! stay healthy! rawr!

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On the Shelf, and Other Hair-Raising Tales

I look back on yesterday afternoon and think about how I could have used the event to raise some money for Team in Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society...

But yesterday afternoon was an opportunity for me to mark a lot of changes in my life. I have made a significant effort to affect how I approach the world - I am growing up! I am actively working on how I choose to spend my time, how I treat myself and others, and how I give and take. I am shifting my point-of-reference to be more inclusive and adjusting my perceptions to be bathed in love, hope, and compassion. I expect more effort from myself, and the people around me, but without pressure of quantifiable success - there is real quality in a genuine attempt at change, no matter how small. And quality always trumps quantity.

And to celebrate all of this change, I decided to cut my hair. Not a really huge decision, plenty of people cut their hair - there is an entire industry involved with cutting of hair (I should know, I have a very talented and wonderful Uncle who is a hair-genius!). But I have not cut my hair since... June 2010? And even then, it was a trim. I am, and always have been, terrified of cutting my tresses. Not because I am afraid of scissors, nor because I fear that cutting off a single strand would be equivalent to cutting off a limb. Not because my hair is how I identify myself, or how the world identifies me. Not because long hair is more manageable (because it is not!), nor because I particularly like having long hair (because, while I like it, I don't NEED it). When it comes down to it, I am usually a "hung jury" of one when it comes to cutting my hair.

"But, where does the terror play in, Jess?," you might be asking. I am terrified of cutting my hair because, when I do consider cutting my hair, I cannot justify one way or another actually doing it or not doing it, and I look to the guidance of others. But this is a terrible way to make a decision - especially since it is my head and I have to wear the aforementioned poor decision everyday (that's rain, hail, sleet or snow, people!). So paralyzed by my indecision, and my inability to trust in the opinions of those I trust most, I have always just put off making the decision until a later date.


Me, Pre-"chop"



And while the shelved decision waited patiently, collecting dust, my hair grew - and grew - and grew. I noticed this last week that my locks started to become unmanageable: getting in my way while I worked with my neck injury, getting stuck in zippers and sleeves (yes, I said sleeves), super heavy and just plain all-over-the-place. So, I casually mentioned the idea of cutting it to my significant otro, and made an early morning decision yesterday to just schedule a trim at Terry Demarco's Barberia in Foster City, with my hair lady (and I have only been to see this hair lady, like, twice in the last 5 years!), Mimi.

I walked into the salon, which is a very comfortable place to get your hair cut (a lot of really good energy), only to run into my buddy Marielle, who is the sweetest person you will ever meet and has always had hair to the floor for as long as I have known her! I told her I was looking for a change, that I wanted my hair to kind of reflect all of the change in my life, and she pointed out that Barberia is a Lock-of-Love-participating salon. And the stars were aligned!

If I was looking for something to tip the scales, for a reason to "go big or go home," I had found it. And then the decision was easy!

"All off, Mimi - take it all!"

http://www.locksoflove.org/

For those of you that do not know a lot about Locks of Love, it is a national non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to children (persons under 21) suffering from long-term hair loss from any diagnosis. These hair prosthetics are made from donations (like mine) and given to children (all over the US and Canada) to restore their self-esteem and confidence as they face the world. The donation requirements are pretty straight-forward, and if you qualify, I recommend that you do try a new hair-do!

The Barberia Team was really fantastic, and I truly enjoyed my hair-care experience. Mimi gave me a fabulous new 'do (which I am trying to get used to). Amy took plenty of photos pre- and post-cut, even one where I am holding all hair (which, I made me feel kind of creepy, but I was more than happy to do!). If you are interested in donating, and local to the Bay Area, I recommend going to Terry Demarco's Barberia, or ask your hair-people if they participate in the Locks of Love program. 

Did I mention that it was FREE?? Super-surprise bonus! Just another reason to do it - get a fabulous haircut/style/coif by the best!

I am very fortunate that I could participate in the program, help out a little girl/boy who needs my long hair much more than I do, and further commit myself to my cause - to raise funds and awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! If you are looking for some change, and you want to do something good for someone else, consider contributing your hair to Locks of Love, or make a monetary donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through GeeTEAM!

Thanks again to Mimi, the Barberia Team, and Locks of Love! Check out some pics below of my new 'do - let me know if you like it!

stay tuned!

That is my hair, not my decision, on the shelf!

Shock and "Aww..."!

Still in the chair and with a lot less hair.

The Otro and Me, deciding if we like it.

"It could be worse!"
(P.S. "You really need to return that book.")

We like it. (And we had to take a nice picture
so that people think that we like each other.)