TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

DEAR BLOGGER FAMILY & FRIENDS,

ONCE AGAIN WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL PROBLEMS. THE "COMMENT" SECTION IS NOT WORKING. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE WRITE TO ME AT THE EMAIL ADDRESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, AND I CAN MANUALLY ADD IT TO THE POSTING.

GOOGLE HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. I HOPE WE'LL BE BACK ON TRACK WITHIN A FEW DAYS. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

LOVE TO ALL.

JOSIE
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

This and That and Everything in Between

Dear Blogger Family & Friends,

Warmest greetings to one and all. As always, I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and hang out with me.

Last week I tried something different by inviting a guest writer to share her story. The response was very positive and I invite more contributions for future posts to this blog spot. Here's your chance to have your say and be heard....or promote upcoming events. Sometimes things need to be said.....so just speak what's on your mind and don't hold back! Pick up your pen and put your thoughts and ideas out there for the whole world to ponder and enjoy! You'll get no resistance from me, because I believe that by sharing, everyone can benefit. Don't let a good idea get away! Share, share, share!

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

- Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta

IMPORTANT: My good friends at Hope Stone are currently in the lead for the best dance company in Houston. To show your support, please log onto the link below, and place your vote to win. This contest survey is being sponsored through the Houston Chronicle. Good Luck, Jane!

http://www.chron.com/entertainment/ultimate/

Hope you all have a wonderful week.......and keep on dancing!

Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

Dance of a Single "Survivor"

Dear Blogger Family and Friends,

Heartfelt greetings to one and all! Hope everyone is doing well as we look ahead to warmer weather and bluer skies. In the meantime, anyone feeling the "Super Bowl Fever?"

While most of you know the ongoing saga of my battle with lobular cancer, there are so many more compelling stories to be heard from others. No two stories are the same and everyone tells their story from a unique point of view. On that note, starting this week, I am breaking with tradition and invite others to use this forum to share their stories as well as words of wisdom.

I thought it would be interesting to read about survivorship from the perspective of a single woman, and have invited my first guest blogger, Brenda (a.k.a. "B. Kaye"), to write about her personal cancer journey. Brenda graciously agreed to share her testimony with all of us. Here is her story.

Brenda writes:

I have a profile that is posted on an online singles dating service...It reads:

I am a single, Caucasian woman, blonde, brown-eyed, 5'9" barefooted, extremely fit and healthy, very passionate, versatile, Christian, with a passion for servant hood, fishing, scuba, white water rafting, cooking, entertaining, photography, travel, the outdoors, family & friends, and ice cream... just to name a few. I have an adventuresome spirit and am looking for a best friend who wants to join me on a voyage to experience our dreams and wishes fulfilled. In a nutshell, I’m looking for a “Friendship that Catches Fire”.

What my profile does not say about me is that... I’m a Survivor. "Survivor." What a word!! I don’t leave the word "Survivor" out of my online profile because of humility... I leave it out because it is a defense mechanism that, just this week, I realized I had conjured up to protect myself from rejection....Why would I choose to use the word "Survivor" to describe myself if it's a liability that will prevent me from finding that "friendship that catches fire." Much to my chagrin, I’ve been doing this dance for the past 12 years, literally from diagnosis. It's what I've nick-named, “ The Singles' Survivor Dance”.

Darn it! How ironic it is, that the word "Survivor" has such different meanings to different people. What an honor to be a Survivor, and yet why do I choose not to use this word to describe myself in my profile? Regardless of who I’m going to meet...and regardless of their definition of Survivor... if they know or find out that I’m a Survivor before I get there, it seems cancer always walks in the door ahead of me which I just despise. Some consider me a hero of sorts for being a Survivor... held in very high esteem and admired; while others consider and treat me like a leper... one to be avoided at all cost because... Yikes! “She’s a Survivor”...she could be a liability...she’s had the “c” word... doctors... chemo... hospitals... $$$ money$$$...death (like we all don’t have to do it at some time or another)... scars....does she have breasts?

I AM not cancer. I AM in spite of cancer. Which dance I do, depends on the definition of the moment. Must I really have to defend myself for being a Survivor? It’s an incredible feat in my life that I’m proud of and grateful for. I’m 11 years out of a bone marrow transplant for Stage 3-4 breast cancer. Stem Cell research was a Gift....something that causes some people to look up to me. It is something in my life that I use to encourage and serve others. Being a Survivor has become my ministry in life to help others, who come behind me, find their way. It’s a huge part of my life. I have even been honored in ceremonies for winning this huge battle and being a Survivor.

Every time I think I’ve claimed my life back from this hideous disease, and that I’m living FREE and FULLY, God shows me that there’s more freedom... and an even richer, fuller life that comes from serving.... even when doing the dance. While doing the dance is sometimes frustrating and emotionally exhausting, I will dance my heart out if it means getting my foot in the door if for no other reason but to educate those who are living their lives in fear... and to teach them by example, the true definition of Survivor. cancer is behind me, if you will, but continues to stay hot on my heels... like the awkward boy at the dance nagging, staring, following me. To Dance, or not to Dance. I say, "ALWAYS DANCE!" And, as you do, remember: "Man's rejection is God's protection."

By the way, I never capitalize the word "cancer"... even if it's at the beginning of a sentence... It's just my way of not giving it honor... or any type of importance. (WINK!) Hugs! B.Kaye 1/17/07 Copyright 2007
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Special thanks to Brenda for courageously sharing the trials and tribulations that not only interject her daily life as a Survivor, but also as a single woman. I know that many readers can identify with her story and will hopefully benefit and be inspired by her positive spirit and determination. I encourage all of you to contribute a post to this blog spot by writing to me at the e-mail address below. Remember, there are lessons to be learned through the words of others.

"The life I touch for good or ill, will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt."

-Frederick Buechner

Love to all, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

Chocolate, Shopping, & Ice Cream in Bed

Greetings to all my Blogger Family and Friends!

Let me give you a warm welcome with an extra helping of hugs and kisses and a cherry on top!

As you settle into the routine of the new year and try desperately not to break your New Year's resolutions, I suspect that most of you, like myself, may be struggling to stay on track. However, I have a simple solution: Don't give up....just give yourself a break and name your poison! I'm not talking about going overboard....but rather give yourself permission to occasionally indulge in order to regain a sense of harmony and well-being.

Some things you just can't rationalize and at times we see it as a sign of weakness to give in to a little indulgence. We find it difficult to pamper ourselves without feeling guilt, regret or remorse. However, if we constantly deny ourselves simple pleasures, then how can we truly appreciate all the goodness around us?

Don't get me wrong, we need to keep things in perspective. A little self-indulgence can go a long way. (One bite of a Frango mint can trigger a flood of memories dating back to the birth of my son!) I'm just an ordinary person with ordinary needs, wants and desires, but all I'm saying is that every once in awhile, it is fun and necessary to treat ourselves without getting hung up on lack of self-discipline or loss of self-control.

In the end, be reminded that we are human beings and not robots. We need to revive the senses, disconnect from the real world, kick back, and enjoy the simplistic pleasure of guilt-free indulgence. In doing so, you may not find the meaning of life, but you will have enjoyed a moment of happiness that may add meaning to your life! So go for two scoops and add extra sprinkles! It's all about you, you, and you! Don't over-analyze it. Just think of it as giving yourself a kiss, and saying, "I love me." After all, what's not to love?

"Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower, and draws all good things toward you. Allow your love to nourish yourself as well as others. Do not strain after the needs of life. It is sufficient to be quietly alert and aware of them. In this way life proceeds more naturally and effortlessly. Life is here to enjoy!"
- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Book Update: We are nearly finished with the photo shoots and I urge anyone who still wants to participate, to contact me ASAP!

Stay well, stay strong, and keep on dancing.....all the way to the mall!

Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

We are Works in Progress

Dear Blogger Family and Friends:

As always, I welcome you with a warm hug and hope your new year is off to a fabulous start!

Every so often we are faced with situations, not of our asking.....but sometimes of our own doing. It can be a real challenge not only to face up to these situations, but to admit accountability and come up with an acceptable resolution.

No-one is perfect, and unfortunately we live in a world cluttered with distractions and chaos. When we are confronted with issues that have no easy answers (personal, financial, political, moral, etc.), the solution may be painful and slow. It's not as simple as calling Triple A for roadside assistance. In most cases, you just have to ride-out the discomfort, however slow the process, and maintain your courage without losing your focus or direction.

Once resolved, if you can mentally step outside the situation, then you can learn a great deal about yourself from the experience...... There is a lot to be gained by trusting your instincts, making changes for the better, and just doing the right thing.

"I am Me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it...I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes. Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By doing so, I can love me and be friendly with all my parts. I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know....but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me. However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time, is authentically me. If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside me. I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and I am Okay."

-Virginia Satir

"The Faces behind Breast Cancer" Update:
We are back in the studio following our holiday hiatus. Time for one last push before meeting our February deadline. If anyone would still like to participate, please contact me ASAP.

Stay strong, stay well, and keep on dancing!

Lots of Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com