Nothing for me today, thank you.

Yesterday I left work and headed for a local high school to spend the evening at a fund raising event. Relay For Life raises money for cancer research and awareness and the church youth group I work with had a team for this event. Last year was my first time being a part of this effort and I fell in love with it immediately, if one can "fall in love" with an event! The community atmosphere, joyfulness mixed with poignancy, is one I find so touching. The survivors' walk is a lap around the track by all survivors of cancer, and it is humbling and tearful to see familiar faces, all ages, and walks of life going past you. The track is encircled with luminaries with the names of people who have passed from cancer or have had cancer. My sister Julie died a few years ago from cancer and I make sure her luminary is there. When darkness falls, they are lit and everyone walks around the track in silence, all lights are turned off so the luminaries are the only light around. It is a beautiful experience to walk that lap with everyone silent and reverent. And I mean there are a lot of people! The track is surrounded on the other side by booths set up by different teams selling their fundraising offerings from massages, to fried pickles, baked goods, a "jail", etc... Our team sold raffle tickets for a number of vases hand painted by Johanna, her daughter, and her mom, a cancer survivor herself. The tickets sold very well as did the cut roses people bought for survivors, family members and sweethearts. We also had candy, water, and handpainted ribbon magnets Johanna and her folks painted too. We raised a lot of money, and the teens helped so much. Johanna volunteered to stay the night as a chapperone with another adult but I begged off. I did that last year and I am not a fit person the next day after an all nighter!
So needless to say, Johanna was not up to yard sales this morning! And though I did go to a couple, my enthusiam was a bit diminished. It just isn't as much fun going alone. The ones I did hit either were waaaay over priced and they were firm (you'll have a lot left over!) or nothing I needed. One was kinda strange for when I pulled up to the apt. there was a charcoal grill lit and ready to cook! I didn't ask about it, but it was a first for me in my yard sale experience. And tonight, thinking about it, I wonder, had the electricity been turned off? Was this yard sale a desperate attempt to earn some much needed extra cash? It made me think of the next time I attend a really paltry yard sale. I have looked down at many thinking, why did they even bother? The offerings were so few, paltry and pretty ugly, dirty, or stained. But now, I will not be so harsh. You never know, and I will not be so judgemental again. So that is all for now. I missed spending time with my friends, and catching up on our week. I pray for those whose yard sales I visited today, and for all those whose lives have been touched by cancer.
Have a great week.