Party Central Reporting In!!

Well, I gotta tell ya...the Hair Ball was all we expected and MORE! I've posted pictures of the various parts of the evening and will try and describe for you here, how wonderful the party was in every way. There were about 26 of us in attendance with people arriving from 6-7p wearing hilarious hats (those are some of my Ball State roomies above) to be greeted with lots of wine, lots of great food, candles lit, and pink flowers everywhere. All signed my journal with a note and then signed my Super Bowl, Tampa Bay T-Shirt (pictured above) given to me by my Tampa-based sister Carolyn, to forever commemorate that the Hair Ball was Super Bowl weekend, that she was here, and that all who came signed this shirt! Greg, my stylist, was also placing my hair in "locks" (nice look huh?) as people were arriving.

Next the fun of donating to Susan G Komen in receipt for a lock of my hair began... with some stepping right up to bat (see Gracia below finding her lock) and others preferring to have Greg cut a lock for them. In all, we raised $545 (!!!!!) for those locks of hair and even more, as I've heard from several of you, that you've made a donation too! What a wonderful blessing to my heart, to take something awful and turn it into something so wonderful! Thank you, thank you!


Once all my locks were cut, Greg gave me this fabulous new short doo (that's Moni pictured below with me), which as you can see was very well received! Our neighbor and dear friend Melodie gathered us all in a circle and collectively prayed the most beautiful prayer of healing for me and for our family...as she lifted us up, I could hear more than a few sniffles and the hand squeezing and collective prayer were so heartfelt. In PURE Melodie-style, she ended the prayer by saying "...and please God, fill Ted's heart with your spirit, to buy Julie the hottest, most expensive pair of great earrings he can find". With that, people roared with AMEN! and laughter and "I BELIEVE"!! It was the perfect reminder that God brings great comfort and laughter with our tears, from our dear Mel!



Then the wine flowed some more and we had such fun with not only my new wig, but also a hot red wig that Gracia brought...so we all took turns trying them both on and well, the comments were well you know...quite hilariously fun! Tom McGettigan and Ted were trading barbs that can't be published (hee, hee!--see more pictures of all of that fun to the right).

All in all, we partied until just before midnight...so I'm fairly certain people were having a great time! Kyle, Joel & Jo and Brian all called which made the night even more perfect. I laid in bed a lonnnnng time reflecting on all my blessings! God is good! Many, many thanks to all who were here, in both body and spirit! I love you all!

Boots, Parking & Other Such Hair Ball Tips

I'm so pumped at the number of you who are able to come tomorrow night to the soon-to-be infamous Hair Ball! The big snow has created some challenges, so thought I'd write a few tips:

--Wear your boots...Ted is trying to clear the sidewalk to the corners on both sides, but the snowplows just cover it right back up, so you may need to prepare to trudge through some snow to get to our front door!
--Park on the street anywhere you can. At 6p, parking is free on any street, so just park on New York or New Jersey wherever you can. You don't have to give the city any meter monies.
--Call us at 917-1752 or 590-9014 if you get lost or need directions. We're in the only 3 story building across from the entrance to Marsh/O'Malia's on New York between Alabama and New Jersey. We're the unit that is on the east end of the building...all the lights in the condo will be on and waiting!
--Come and go as you need to...this was meant to be an open house of sorts, so if you can just stay a minute...come on over and grab some early munchies/wine before heading out to your other plans. It will be great to see you for whatever time you can make it happen!
--Don't forget your cover fee---you need to be wearing a funny hat or wig...I'll have my bouncer determine if you pass the test.
--Skype us if you want to be a part of things. I'll leave Skype open, so you can call and I have video hooked up, so you can talk to people and see us, so if that works for you, call us!

For those of you who so wanted to come, but can't or live too far away...no worries, we'll post lots and lots of pictures over the weekend, so be sure to check in for some good laughs! Thanks much to all of you for considering and honoring such a whacky idea!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

We awoke this morning to a beautiful blanket of snow and a phone call saying that the entire IUPUI campus is closed for the day! How delicious is that? Ted and I hope you're having a hunker-down, get-out-the-blanket-and-a-good-movie, make-some-stew kind of day! I shouted for joy when I was a kid and we had a snow day...I have that kind of glee in my heart today...a day found where all obligations cease because we all have such a great excuse!

I'm also gleeful because the demons have been purged from me from the first chemo! I swear if I had been a horse, you would have just had to shoot me the last two days especially. But today, I feel like I'm coming back...my nausea is gone, the keep-me-down level of fatigue is lifting and I feel like I can find my old self today. So I'm really happy to be back with the living today. I just may take Wriggie out to play in the snow!

Post-Chemo Update

I think we're getting through this as optimally as we can! We DID make it to St. Louis for such a great time with the twins, Brooke and Brian. I've posted pictures of our great times together. We took the kids to the Science Museum Saturday morning and by naptime, MiMi needed a nap too, so I just laid down when the twins went down. Got up feeling good again, so we went out for a great adult dinner Saturday night. Yesterday, we took off early and I felt a bit more punk last night. Awoke this morning feeling a bit more punk again and got up to go to work, thinking I'd feel better after getting ready. No go...but that's OK..I'm trying to learn how to just roll with it! Hopefully by tomorrow, I'll feel better!

One Down, Three to Go!

I know that many of you are waiting and watching, so this will be brief, but I'm doing great. My first chemo treatment lasted from 1-5p today....no ill effects at all so far. Ted and I actually went out to dinner as I was starving, having eaten a light lunch in anticipation that I might be nauseous. My dear friend, Julie Burns sat with me and Ted did too for awhile, so the time went really fast and Julie's gourmet cook hubby Bob fixed us an incredible crab chowder/homemade rolls that I'm hoping we can take to St. Louis with us to share with Brooke and Brian when we leave to go see the twins tomorrow. I'm going to make a game-day decision about the trip around noon tomorrow.

They say the next 2-3 days will be when the side effects hit, if they are going to, so I'll post again over the weekend to let you all know how I'm doing. I know I'm absolutely COVERED in prayer, so I feel completely calm and at peace in that you guys are doing all the hard lifting and I just have to dwell in the love you're all sending my way! Thank you, thank you to each and every one of you for the many ways you are touching not only me, but my family as well. We really, really, really feel your love and support and it's so healing to us all!

Making Music in the Rest!

OK, so you all know me so well right? So get this...what does my devotion say TODAY...the very day of my first chemo appointment? Here it is...

"There is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it. In our whole life melody the music is broken off here and there by "rests", and we foolishly think we have come to the end of the tune. God sends a time or forced leisure, sickness, disappointed plans, frustrated efforts, and makes a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives, and we lament that our voices must be silent, and our part missing in the music which ever goes up to the ear of the Creator. How does the musician read the "rest"? See Him beat the time with unvarying count, and catch up the next note true and steady, as if no breaking place had come between. Be it ours to learn the tune and not be dismayed at the rests."

I (perhaps you too?) struggle with these forced "rests", but have always found my greatest growth during the times when my part is missing in the music. God is good...lo and behold, the next note in my life will be a strong one...glorious, clear, and at a whole new level of symphony!! I'm sure of it!!

Julie's Hair Ball!

Do these pictures say it all or what? My hair designer and dear friend, Greg Stocklin is all about taking something scary and well, not at all fun like getting ready to lose all my hair...and making it hilariously fun! So yesterday, he created the "before hairball picture" as the perfectly fun attachment to this invite! So read all the details below and come if you can..we'll have a great time together!

What: Julie's Hair Ball! Julie is going to lose her hair during chemo; so this is a party to give Julie a short, fun haircut in preparation! As all arrive, Greg will be rubber-banding little locks of hair all over Julie's head..then if you want a lock, Julie will gladly have you cut off a lock in exchange for a donation to Susan G Komen's research foundation!

What to bring: You MUST wear a funny hat, wig, any type of headgear to be admitted to the party! Please also bring either a bottle of your favorite wine or a finger-food munchie to share and some cash or a check if you want to make a donation and receive a lock of Julie's hair in return.

When: Friday evening, January 30th from 6:00 forward; be sure to be there at around 7:00p for Julie's fun haircutting experience, where you get to participate!

Who: Anyone, both male and female friends/family are invited!

Where: At the Meek condo, 359 E New York Street, Indy, 46204; phone is 317-917-1752; you can park on any of the streets around our condo for free after 6p.

RSVP: Click on the evite here to RSVP. I tried pulling everyone's email from my Gmail contact list, but I may have missed a few, so email me at julie@indymeeks.com and I'll add you to the evite! Feel free to invite others as well on the evite.

Why: Because if we're gonna go through something like this, we might as well have some fun with it all and pay it forward through donations to help others!