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

Follow my blog with bloglovin
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!
Follow my blog with bloglovin

Upcoming Events

Follow my blog with bloglovin
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.

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Mission: Possible

Follow my blog with bloglovin
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! 
Follow my blog with bloglovin 

Contributing Unconditional Means For Research, Treatment & Support

Follow my blog with bloglovin
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!

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Special Treats

Follow my blog with bloglovin
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