Welcome Hawai'i !

I first started the Wander Linda blog on July 21st, 2008.  I can't see who visits my blog but I can track where they visit from and I have been waiting for the day that all fifty states had visited.  I had to wait awhile but someone finally visited from the beautiful state of Hawai'i.  New Mexico was the second the last state to visit about six months ago. 

I don't have a very popular blog compared to the millions out there but since it started my blog has had 10,408 visits with 3,304 unique visitors.  In addition to all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, I have had visitors from 80 different countries.  Including some interesting place such as Azerbaijan, Iran, Nepal, Slovakia, Reunion, Laos, Latvia, UAE, and Kenya.  My top ten countries from which I have had visitors are, in order; the US, Canada, the UK, Brazil, Australia, Spain, India, Germany, Malasia, and Italy.

I have not had a visitor from Greenland yet, that is my new goal.

Grand Canyon Chili Cookoff 2011

Saturday is the third annual Grand Canyon Chili Cookoff held in memory of Deb Gardner.  For the second year in a row all proceeds will go to Team Grand Canyon's AZ 3 Day Walk fundraising.  For $10 you can enter your best chili.  For $5 you can taste all of the chili and vote for your favorite.  The winning chili cook gets $50 and dinner for two in the Arizona Room at the Bright Angel Lodge. 

In conjunction with the Chili Cookoff Team Grand Canyon and their supports are selling raffle tickets for Arizona Diamondbacks games.  Sysco, for the third year in a row, has generously donated four of their box seat tickets - this year the July 23rd Rockies game.  We also have tickets for four other games as prizes.  Raffle tickets are $5 for one or $20 for five.  The drawing for the tickets will be held at the Chili Cookoff. 

Last year we were able to raise over $2,000 with the raffle and cookoff.  We shall see what this year brings.  If you are interested in either make chili, tasting chili, or baseball raffle tickets please leave me a message and I'll contact you soon with details.

My fundraising went over the $2,300 required minimum today.  Thank you so much for everyone who donated this year.

National Cancer Survivor's Day

Today is National Cancer Survivor's Day.  It falls on the first Sunday of each year.  The first year it came around after my diagnosis I was invited to a luncheon that is put on by the NA Cancer Center.  I at that point just wanted to put it all behind me and honestly, I was a bit embarrassed that I was a cancer patient.  Last year, I got the same invite and enjoyed going to the luncheon with my boyfriend and another dear friend.  It was great to see the staff from the cancer center and to laugh with them on how different I looked with hair.  This year I did not get an invite so maybe they didn't hold it this year or I just didn't make the list.  I think I wouldn't have gone though, I am enjoying the simple pleasures of boating this summer.  Each weekend that we can spend out exploring seems like such an important life affirming time for me that I would hate to miss one.  Playing with Daisy in the water, reading a book on the boat as it sways with the waves, starting to get my body in shape again while exploring the desert slickrock, the easy relaxed conversations with my boyfriend, swimming and laughing in the cool water, ending the day with a fire on the beach - all of them are exactly what I was fighting for as I battled cancer.  So, it was the perfect way for me to celebrate that I am here for another National Cancer Survivor's Day.

Here's to all of my fellow cancer survivor's out there.  I hope you each had a perfect day also.  And I also have a quiet prayer for those who cancer took too soon and to those that are still battling to get back to what they love in life.