Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

The last week of March is upon us. Already. Whew. Someone slow this train down. Please. The days are just zipping by too quickly. On the other hand, being this far into the semester puts me closer to the end of it, which is a mere 6 weeks away. I feel like I'm saying, "Slow down! Yay, speed up! Slow down! Yay, speed up!" first looking to my right then looking to my left. I really need to just breathe. While I may seem conflicted over this whole not liking how quickly time is passing by/wanting time to pass by more quickly, if I had to honestly choose which side I actually fall on, I'd have to say wanting time to pass by more quickly. My mind is already way in out in front of me, in June, where I'm on my bike out in the countryside. Thinking back to last summer, I remember how I rode every now and then, but mostly just hung out around the house, piddling with my projects in my new shop and my garden. I was very content playing with my welder and swinging in my ha...

Tomorrow kicks off MS Awareness Week 2013, so I spent time today fashioning a new bracelet to wear. I made three, took apart those three because I wasn't pleased with them, then finally created one I know I will wear. I combined the MS Society colors along with the initials from Bike the US for MS. The ends are bike chain links, and the Hope charm finishes it off. Of all the bracelets I've made so far, this one is my favorite.

I've started working on my next essay/article, and I'm so excited. My intent with this one is to explore how the bicycle has allowed women to take control of their own destiny, and I hope to do this through the voices of the women with whom I was privileged to ride beside last summer, as well as articles and books I'm finding as I research. One book I will refer to during my piece is How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle by Frances E. Willard. I'm about a third of the way into this little gem and have marked several passages that speak to what I'm hoping to accomplish within my essay/article. So far, one of my favorite passages in How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle is this: "Gradually, item by item, I learned the location of every screw and spring, spoke and tire, and every beam and bearing that went to make up Gladys (the name she gave to her bike). This was not the lesson of a day, but of many days and weeks, and it had to be learned before we could get on well...

During the ride for BTUSFMS, we stopped in Charlottesville, VA for an appearance at the James Q. Miller Multiple Sclerosis Clinic. While there, several individuals living with MS spoke, and several of the cyclists were interviewed about taking part in BTUSFMS. I was approached about being interviewed, but I declined. At that time, I couldn't maintain my composure when talking about why I was cycling. Mom's death still hurt, and thinking about how she suffered the last few weeks of her life brought on the tears. Today I presented my experience with BTUSFMS to a fairly large group. When I began, I explained why I decided to do the ride--for my mom--and I felt so strong, so confident when I explained how she had been diagnosed with MS, how she eventually lost her mobility, and how MS has no cure. While a twinge of sadness grabbed my heart when I thought about how she lost the battle to MS, I was able to continue on, showing the group what an amazing summer I had cycling across t...

The final product for the latest video.

This is for a presentation I'm giving in a couple of days. Still have some work to do, but it's coming along. Going back through all the photos and remembering the days of the ride create a mixture of emotions, mostly happiness. Now that the semester is nearly complete, and if the weather holds out during break, I'm looking forward to getting some longer rides in.

Hubby says it gives me an "edge." Friends told me now I'm truly "badass." One of my most favorite family members said, "You crack me up." It's funny how people react when they see my new tatt, but for me, it is a constant reminder of all my new friends from the ride this summer, all the beautiful scenery we witnessed as we rolled along at 15 miles and hour (sometimes only 7 miles an hour when we were climbing mountains like Monarch Pass), and Mom. Though the ride is only a teeny tiny fraction of my entire life, it's impact on me has been way bigger than I had ever dreamed.

New Bike the US for MS total: $7324. I'm still in awe over how thoughtful, generous, kind, supportive, and encouraging so many people have been these past six months. P.S. Even since posting this last night, another donation came in, making the total now $7424. Never in my wildest dreams . . ..

You know how a great idea occurs to you at the last minute? And it's one of those sit straight up in bed in the middle of the night ideas that won't leave you alone until you do something about it? That's what happened to me with the jersey I suddenly decided I had to create for the BTUSFMS ride this summer. I knew without even hesitating what I wanted to have on the front: a large sunflower. Mom loved sunflowers. I'm no artist, though, so even though a sunflower isn't all that difficult to create, I knew I wasn't going to capture what was bouncing around in my head. I do have, however, a beautiful artist friend who has been my friend since the fourth grade. I knew Connie would understand what I wanted and be able to design the idea I put in front of her. In a matter of just a couple of days, she had the design ready. She even got in touch with the company creating the jersey and spoke to the point person there to make sure the design happened just as I envisio...

Biking the Us for Mom I don't know who, but someone nudged the total donations to BTUSFMS past the $5000 mark. Officially, as of around 10:00 this morning, the total donations made now stands at $5001 . I truly wish I knew who the donor was, as well as all the other anonymous donors, so I could thank him/her properly. Not being able to offer a more personal thank you just doesn't seem right. But I understand the desire to remain unknown. To all of you who have donated, anonymous as well as known, your thoughtfulness and generosity have touched not only my life but all those living with MS. I'll never be able to describe the feeling that fills me when I see the total continue to go up, or the feeling I get when a person suffering from MS shakes my hand and says, "Thank you for what you're doing." I can't take all the credit, though. None of this would be happening without all of you. I just wish I'd made the decision to do the ride, to encourage...

As I was walking down the stairs at home, getting ready to go shopping, Hubby called to me, asking if I'd seen my profile at Bike the US for MS today. I replied no, to which he said, "You gotta come see this." I turned around and went back upstairs. Looking over his shoulder, I saw my total thus far at $1978. I could feel the silly grin on my face as I scanned the list to see who had made donations to get me to this amount. My grin got as big as it possibly could when I saw there'd been only one donation made--my dream donation of $378, one-tenth of my overall goal. Someone had fulfilled my dream, and that someone was our family dentist. In just a matter of two days, I went from being at 42% of goal to being at 52%. I am now past halfway because of all the wonderful people in my life. Many, many thanks to you all.

Today I checked in with my BTUSFMS profile page to see if there'd been any action. Pleasantly surprised, I saw my total raised to date at $500. Scrolling down the list, I read the names of two friends who had made donations, and one anonymous donor adding to the total. I am so thankful to all who are talking about my upcoming ride, spreading the word about my ride to raise awareness, and also to those who have donated, helping me inch closer and closer to my goal. With the cash donations I have to submit, I'm at $620+, which is around the Hindman, KY point on the map. I'm into my second week of my commitment to BTUSFMS, and I can't help but feel so blessed. I know without a doubt I made the right decision in applying for the ride and taking on the challenge of raising the money which will go to MS research. The support from family and friends has been absolutely awesome; talking with them about the ride gives me so much pleasure, and I feel a certain peace when it co...