Time to start thinking about The AIDS Walk in the Garden!

It is that time of year again.  That means time for the Annual Walk in the Garden to raise money for AIDS.  Everything our team raises comes right back to Pueblo. We were the third highest fundraisers last year and we are trying to beat that this year.   So far it is just the 3 of us again.  Deven is in school.  Bret and Amanda have other things to do, but they have promised to help me raise funds.  We will see.  For now it is just us three and aren't we a motley looking bunch?

 Here are the three boy cousins that walked with me last year.  Can not seem to wrench a committment out of them this year, but as you know, I am a wily and persistent she-devil so we will see!

These are the shoes I wore last year.  I plan on aucioning them off on eBay soon.  My wiccan friend keeps trying to throw them in the trash and I keep digging them out.  She does not understand!

Ok, I have to get back over on the site and send out some more emails begging for money.  This is one job I do not like, but it is a necessary part of the process.  We are doing social events with the money we raise and I want you to know that we have more client involvement here in our little burg than they do up North.

Here is the link in case you missed it.  Go see what SCAP is all about!

www.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=489730&u=489730-227465622

A day at the bowling alley in Midtown! or And a good time was had by all!

Well, remember when we had the walk and raised money for Pueblo SCAP? Linda, John, Erik and I decided we would like to do something fun with our funds. And so you see what we have now dubbed the once a month fun time. Well, I actually think it has a more formal name and that it has something to do with our team name, which was Loosey Goosey, but I do not remember at the moment and I can not call anyone because it is not to the crack of dawn yet.


First we have our humble lunch and then we are off to some where. This time it happens to be the bowling alley in Midtown. That is a fun place. It is under ground and has been there forever, I think. I used to bowl occasionally there with my third husbands ex-wife. She was really good. I forgot his name. But that has nothing to do with now.

We take clients, friends, volunteers and just whoever thinks they would like to join us and away we go. Next month is going to be a cook out in the park. But back to the bowling party. Now, if I was a tad bit smarter I would have all these pictures with labels, but I am not. Little disclaimer here. I told all the clients to turn their backs so the faces showing are some of my huge following on these outings. We really do have a very good time. See those two guys setting with me and smiling? They were a couple guys that let me take their pictures and told me they would not smile. Silly boys! Looks like the cat that ate the canaries to me!

And see that baby? She did not bowl. She just took it pretty easy with the feet all crossed and laying back in her little car seat thingy there. Oh, you should know those carriers are heavy! If I would have to raise a kid now, it would be one of those throw the baby out with the bath water days at my house.

Now, do not think that any of these people are actually super bowlers. I think only one or two out of 8 bowlers actually broke 100. I did not bowl for reasons unknown to me. Oh, wait, now I remember, I did not want to be laughed at. We reserved that for John! ;)

I bet that old bowling alley will remember we were there. They furnished shoes at no cost, which helps make our dollars go further. If you happen to get by there, tell them Linda from SCAP sent you. Makes them smile favorably on us. We have decided that next time we go we will have them put up the bumper things as there were an inordinate number of gutter balls thrown!

I will continue to report in monthly on our little forays. I am pretty sure several of the case managers at DSS will be joining us. Maybe we will invite the head office in Colorado Springs down! Got to start working on a menu since I am always in charge of that. Then shopping. Since the meals are paid for by an anonymous benefactor, next month will be a freebie on our funds. So, here is the deal. The Walk in the Garden has become an annual thing. So next fall when I hit you up for donations, remember these little outings and how you are helping people who need it to relax and forget for a few hours at least, how serious their lives actually are. Laughter has always proven to be the best medicine and that is my job at SCAP. I am there to make people happy and I do hope it is working!

Have a good one and remember, You can not sprinkle showers of happiness on other people without getting a few drops on yourself!

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado!

 This is the beautiful Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  These pictures were taken October 9, 2010 which was the date of the annual Southern Colorado  AIDS Walk in the Garden.  Bear in mind that as I was taking these pictures, I was also walking the 3 miles that were required to fulfil my committment.  So if the pictures are a little blurry, and not centered, please forgive me.

The first picture is the shot of where we are going.  There were a total of 200 walkers so this is going to take a little while to do.  If you look closely at this picture just off center is a tiny white dot.  That, my friend, is a human!  That dot is about 2 city blocks away on a twisty, turny trail.  My goal is to catch and pass that dot and all the other dots ahead of me!

 This is one of the many formations in this Garden of the Gods.  There is just no name that could have been given to this place that would fit any better.  I have driven through the Garden, but there is nothing to compare with walking these trails.  I wanted to do this for a long time and when I got the opportunity to be a fundraiser and get to walk, it was just more than I could have ever  asked for!

 As we got further into our walk we came a lot closer to some of the formations.  This particular shot is where we crossed a parking lot and we are now about half way back to where we started.  I did not think I would ever be able to walk 3 miles in this thin Colorado air, but I think I could have gone a lot further!  May do it some day for no reason!  

I want you to pay particular attention to the sky in all of these pictures.  Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?  It is like God picked the most spectacular day of the year for this walk, but that is not true.  Everyday in Colorado is a true miracle to behold.  When I came to this part of the country 34 years ago, it was just some where to go.  Just a place to be, but now it has truly become my home.  People say "Where are you from?" and I tell them proudly, "Colorado, via Kansas!"

And here we are on the final leg of the walk.  Well, not us, those are the people in front of us.  We are back here with the camera.  We started out behind 200 people and we ended up with 15 ahead of us.  Pretty good for an old lady, but this old lady is just now hitting her stride, so watch out world, Here I come!!

I am running out of time for the raising of the money!

Ok, There you have it.  I am 71% of the way there, but that means I am still short 29%.  Now as near as I can tell this blog has only raised $15.00  That is kind of sad, don't you think?  I know by your reactions to the AIDS Quilts that you are touched by this disease and my compassion for the people who suffer the devastation it brings.  This walk only comes around once a year and I really want to do good for these people.  Right now I am the #4 fundraiser and my team is #3, but that is not going to hold water here the end of this week.  There are some big money people out there who will blow us right out of the pond.

I would just like to show the fat cats that us little people can move a mountain if we need to.   By making a donation, and I do not care how small it is, you are telling me that you support me in my efforts on this cause.  Sometimes the road seems to go straight up hill and even a saint like me needs a little encouragement.  It comes this time in dollar bills. Course you can also pop up to Colorado Springs and cheer me on when my poor little body is walking up the side of a mountain in the high altitude where there is no oxygen and I am probably going to drop dead and then you will wish you had thrown $5.00 my way!

This is my last official plea and I would just be tickled to death to see your name on my list.  And I would go right through the roof if the guy in Canada or the one in Germany who reads me were to donate!  But I will take what I get!   And I will thank you from the bottom of my heart as the clients who benefit from these dollars also thank you. 

So good night to you and God be with us till we meet again!

Link for the AIDS WALK!!

Ok, here is my link so you can support me in the AIDS Walk in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado on October 9, 2010.

There is no donation too large or too small.  Every nickle is appreciated and all the money Eric and I raise will stay right here in Pueblo for our clients.  Know how much I appreciate every thing I am allowed to do for these people whom I love so much!

Kisses and hugs to everyone of you! XOXOXOX