Thanksgiving Marathon, Part Third

Everything I have touched today has failed me. Well, the laundry went okay. And I showered and got dressed without too much trouble. Okay, everything CARD-RELATED I've tried today has failed me. I've started no less than 5 projects, and nothing has worked since that last one I posted. I am having a seriously awful, no-good, very bad day.

Then I read this and stopped feeling sorry for myself. Trevor's favorite color is blue (I asked), so since I had everything blue out on the table, I grabbed this heart stamp from my so-what-if-its-retired-I-will-never-give-it-up stamp drawer and made a card:

I think 12-year-old boys might be just a bit more difficult to make cards for than men in general. Since he is having heart surgery, I decided it was okay to use a heart on the card. I tried to lighten it up with a fun sentiment from The Cat's Pajamas. And lookie:

I remembered to cut it long enough to fold it and pop it up like a banner! YAY, me!

So if you'd like to send a card to Trevor or his family, the information is here.

I'll be back later if anything else paper-related actually works for me today. :/ Thanks for stopping by!

Have You Registered Yet?

Last month I posted about a friend's husband who is in need of a bone marrow transplant. He is still waiting to find a match, and while he waits he is going through yet another round of Chemo to try and get his cancer into submission.

For those of you local to me, or close enough to make the drive, there is a bone marrow drive for George at the St. George's Greek Orthodox Church on Bradley Blvd in Bethesda on Sunday, January 24, from 11:30 - 2:00.

I promised I would do what I can to spread the word around in case anyone would like to become a bone marrow donor. Doing the kit at the drive is much easier and quicker than going on-line.

So if you can make it, please do. If you cannot, please go to the Web site listed in this post and register. It just might be a life-saver.

Thanks.

For a Brave Little Girl

Wanna do something really nice? Check out this post and leave her a comment if you'd like to participate. I'll be sending the little girl a card.

Happy Festivus! ;-)

Another Chance At Life

I am sitting on the couch right now, thinking I am so not prepared for tomorrow's craft show (Bauer Drive, for those of you local to me). I just know there is some huge task I have forgotten. Oh, well, guess I'll figure it out tomorrow when it is too late to fix it. That's just how I roll.

But today's post is a serious one. Back in November I posted about how everyone should register to be a Bone Marrow Donor. My friend's husband is now in his third round of very intensive Chemo in an attempt to force his cancer into remission so he can have a bone marrow transplant. But first he needs to FIND A MATCH. In order to find a match, there need(s) to be people registered. The more people registered, the greater the chance of finding a match.

George (that's his name) is of Greek descent, and short of a close relative, there is a much higher chance of finding a match with people descended from others from the same part of the world. So if you or anyone you know is from that part of the world, or descended from someone that is/was, please take a few moments and follow the instructions below to register with the Bone Marrow Donor organization.

And even if you are not of Greek descent, please register anyway. You never know when someone you know, or even a complete stranger, will have another chance at life because you did.

Here is the registration information:

Go to http://www.marrow.org/JOIN/Join_Now/join_now.html

1. After you click the link above, you will see “Join Now”
2. Scroll down and check the boxes in Step 1 (ignore any reference to cost; you do not pay anything when you use your code)
3. In order to continue the registration process, you must agree to the terms of use and sign the consent through electronic signature
4. Enter your information
5. Enter Code: George126 (<-- it is case-sensitive)
6. Once the form is complete, the system will automatically send you a swab kit to your residence, with a self-addressed, returned envelope
7. Urgent: As soon as you receive the swab kit in the mail, immediately swab and mail off the envelope so your results will be on the Marrow Donor Registry as soon as possible. It can take up to 6 weeks to tissue type, so the earlier you send in your kit the better.

Thank you.

PS: If you are already registered, please make sure your information is up to date. I registered about 15 years ago, and I know I need to update mine.

Are You a Registered Bone Marrow Donor?

You always think bad things will happen to other people. And there have been an awful lot of bad things happening all over the place lately. When bad things happen to people you know, it becomes very personal.

A friend's husband is very ill. He is going through intensive chemotherapy, and so far, he is holding up pretty well. They have been married for 40 years, and right now they hope he makes it through Christmas. I am just in shock over this whole thing.

The chemo is to hopefully get him into remission until a donor can be found for a bone marrow transplant.

So, are YOU registered with the National Marrow Donor Program? Their Website is www.NMDP.org. The initial test is very easy - they send you a kit and you just swipe the inside of your cheek with a swab and mail the sample back.

I registered many years ago through a program at the Jewish Community Center. They asked for a 'donation' to cover the cost of the test, which at the time was $65. I thought if I could save someone's life by registering, that was a small price to pay.

The larger the bank of prospective donors of varying backgrounds (what part of the world your ancestors called home), the better chance we will all have if the time comes when we, or a friend or loved one, might need to look for a perfect match.

So check it out. Who knows - you could save someone's life.

Thanks.