Adventure Down Under

As we speak my Dad is on a vacation in the land down under and I couldn't be happier for him. In 2004 my mom booked a trip for the two of them to Australia, but she was diagnosed with lymphoma shortly after and they were never able to go. And even though he's not going with her, I know she is smiling down on him and is happy that he finally made it to Australia for both of them.

Bon voyage!

Mother's Day 2013

Mother's Day weekend was busy, but in a low-key way, if that makes any sense. The weekend kicked off with a "Moms and Muffins" event at Cruz's preschool to celebrate mothers and grandmothers. The event was held in the school's play yard and we were able to enjoy the sunshine, catch up with friends and do a fun little craft with our kiddies.

Posing in the preschool's garden

Decorating a picture holder

On Saturday we took the boys to San Francisco to visit the Aquarium of the Bay since we had free tickets. It's a really small aquarium, but for toddlers with short attention spans, it's just right. The boys especially loved touching the star fishes and sting rays.

Fun times with sea life

In awe

Family fun

After brunch at Ironside, we headed over to Berkeley to do a little furniture shopping. We checked out the Wooden Duck and Urban Consignment, which are both very cool stores offering unique furniture. And both are eco-friendly which just makes me happy! We didn't purchase anything but got some good ideas of pieces that might work in our house.

Goofing around inside an extra large wooden frame

Mother's Day rolled around and I woke up to fresh flowers and a nice spread, courtesy of Randy: bagels with cream cheese, scrambled eggs, bacon and fresh fruit. I tried to eat a small portion since we had a big meal lined up for lunch at Ad Hoc. Some of you may recall that this is where we went for Mother's Day last year, and I loved it so much, I decided to go again this year! I am a huge fan of Thomas Keller, and I love Ad Hoc's laid back, family-friendly vibe that still serves a 5-star menu. You can't beat it!

Yay for the orange box!

I didn't open Cruz's gift until we got home. It was a homemade necklace with his thumb print - sweetest gift ever.

My new treasure

Last stop for the weekend was the cemetary to visit my mom's grave. I am so, so, thankful to have been raised by a strong, smart, generous, unforgettable woman and I hope I make her proud every day.  

I am a lucky lady

Post Race Reflection

Almost two months later, I finally finished writing a letter that I will send to all my donors who helped me exceed my fundraising goals. My minimum requirement was $2,400 and I raised $4, 335! I am so deeply grateful to everyone who made a donation so I wrote this letter to share the entire experience of the marathon, since I could not have made it without them.

Dear Family and Friends,

I came, I saw, I conquered 13.1 miles! I am proud to report that I successfully crossed the finish line at the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco, on October 14. It is an experience I won’t soon forget. What started out as a way to give back to others and to try something new, ended up being a personal journey of sorts, and I emerged a better person.

In the early days of my training I realized it was going to be an emotional experience, which I honestly hadn’t anticipated.  As I shared in my fundraising letter, one of my motivations was to honor my mom who I lost to lymphoma in 2005. Every Saturday, on our long training days, I would find myself thinking about my mom and remembering her struggle the last 9 months of her life.  As I confronted these details again, I was saddened yet bolstered by these memories. I thought of the countless patients and their families going through the same struggle, and although I shed some tears as I covered those training miles, I became resolved to walk and run for those who cannot. Week by week, I covered more and more mileage and with the help of Team in Training, I achieved goals I never considered before.  And when I doubted myself and my ability, I thought of each and every one of you that sent me a donation and believed in me, and I pushed forward with renewed confidence.

The Nike Women’s Marathon benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and this year 25,000 women and a few good men (!) participated in the event.  As expected, the race course was scenic and spectacular as we wound our way through San Francisco. Aside from the natural beauty, there was no end to the supporters cheering us on throughout the course, brandishing funny signs, clanging cow bells and offering words of encouragement.  During the last mile and a half, I began “talking” to my mom in my head, telling her that this race, this effort, was so that her battle with lymphoma was not in vain. I am picking up where she left off, and continuing the fight against blood cancers, so that one day, there will be no need for this marathon. I hope she is proud of me and I hope I have made you proud as well.

To simply say this was a “good experience” doesn’t do it justice; there are simply too many layers. First and foremost, I raised $4,235.00 for LLS.  I am truly touched by every single donation I received, and in this economy, I don’t take that generosity for granted. Secondly, completing this marathon has spurred me to tap into my own potential. Now I think to myself “well, I never thought I’d complete a marathon but I did. So what else can I do?”  The possibilities are endless!  Lastly, I have found a sense of peace in my heart. In the words of Maya Angelou “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver”. Helping others in memory of my mother, has afforded me that liberation.

Once again, my sincerest thanks to you for your support and encouragement. I could not have made it across the finish line without you and it is with gratitude that I share this accomplishment with you.

                                                               

                                                                                                                                Warmest regards,

                                                                                                                                             Gigi

Light the Night Walk

On October 27 we did our first Light the Night Walk in Walnut Creek. Light the Night is another event sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and is a casual, approximately 2 mile walk for survivors, patients and supporters of people with blood cancers. It also is for those who walk in remembrance of someone who lost their battle. 

We registered ourselves as TEAM CARINA and made these fun t-shirts and hats to wear.

Here's Dad, his daughters and (most) grandkids

Everyone who walks gets an illuminated balloon - red is for supporters, white is for patients/survivors and gold is for in memory. The pictures don't do it justice, but it's a very moving sight to see so many illuminated balloons all at once.

Grandpa gets stroller duty

The whole family minus Randy

Me and Ate

In the first couple of years after my mom died we would all get together on her birthday and have dinner. As the years have passed, we've stopped doing that, mainly because of busy schedules I think. I look forward to getting the family together for these types of events and remembering and honoring our mother this way. It's good to see that we are not the only ones who have dealt with this struggle and that there is still more to do for those who are fighting now.

Mom's Corn Soup

With summer officially here I'm ready to partake in the season's bounties like fresh berries, cherries, stone fruit and my personal favorite, corn! Growing up my mom would make a delicious corn soup at least twice every summer and I could never get enough. It's so simple but yet so tasty. A lot of people have asked me how to make it, so when I made it for the first time this season (fittingly, it was Mother's Day)I snapped pictures of each step along the way. Here we go: Of course, the star of the show is fresh corn. For a big 5-qt pot I used about 10 ears. Using a box grater, I grated the corn cobs into a large bowl. It will look like this when you're done - kind of a chunky consistency and a bit of liquid. You will also need half of a yellow onion, diced, and 4 cloves of minced garlic. These are pretty much the building blocks of every dish my mom ever cooked, and sometimes there was also a diced tomato. For the protein I added 1/2 lb of diced pork shoulder and 1/2 lb of peeled, deveined shrimp. First step is to brown your pork. In the pot over medium high heat, I add the pork and about 2 Tb of water. I let the pork simmer in the water which will eventually evaporate and the meat will begin to brown. As soon as the water is gone, I add 1 Tb of vegetable oil to the pot and quickly fry the pork just until it's golden brown. I add a quick "squirt" of fish sauce for seasoning, but you can also use plain salt if you prefer. Remove the pork to a bowl and set aside. To the pot add your onion and garlic, saute until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Make sure not to burn the garlic! Next add your grated corn. To make up the rest of the soup volume, add low-sodium chicken broth - for this size pot, I used about 4 cups. Partially cover the pot and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt (I use kosher) and a little bit of fresh cracked black pepper. Once the soup is seasoned to your liking, add the cooked pork and raw shrimp to the pot. And the last guest to the party is 2 bunches of washed, fresh spinach. Add the veggies to the pot once the shrimp is cooked (should only take 2-3 minutes). Voila! Now you have a steaming pot of sweet, savory corn soup, complete with protein and veggies. It's a one pot meal! Now that my mom is no longer here, this is one of the many dishes that she taught me how to cook and now bring back so many wonderful memories of her. Just seeing and smelling the soup makes me feel like she's still here. Cruz happens to love this soup and I can't help but feel like I'm sharing a little bit of my mom with him. Bon appetit!