Longing and the kindness of strangers...

Just a couple of things that are on my mind today...

First, I am blown away by the kind and generous people I know! As you know, I'm raising money for St. Baldrick's Foundation - for cancer research. I ambitously set my goal at $1500 thinking that I might not make it but would give it a good try. I started to fund raise on January 1 and as of today, January 18th, I'm over half way to meeting that goal! I feel confident that I will make it and I have just been amazed at how many people have stepped up to back me on this! It's been overwhelmingly gratifying so far and I can only imagine that when March 16th comes and I get my head shaved it will be one of the best days of my life! I'm so looking forward to it. And if you had asked me last year at this time if I would ever look forward to having my hair shaved off I would have thought you were insane!

Second, my last trip to Sweden was one that was kind of up and down. I wasn't feeling that great while I was there - bad pain in my shoulder and an infected toe! But there were some parts of it that were amazing. Seeing my father in law and driving through the countryside where Alex grew up was the best! After coming home, I was thinking it would be a while before I would want to go back but now I'm longing to be there again. I've been reading the Local - Sweden and looking at old photos and chatting with my Swedish friends. My friend Gittan is there right now. She was born there and now live in Port Alberni, Canada and this is the first time she's been  home in a long time. I can't wait to see her photos. She's a professional photographer and I'm sure they'll be spectacular and I'm sure they'll make me want to get back to Sweden sooner rather than later!

So that's what's on my mind! What's on yours?