A Saturday to Remember.

I had a pretty brutal week last week, on a few levels. I went into the weekend feeling sad and maybe a little sorry for myself (I know, I know) but Saturday morning I drug myself out of bed early and headed to work an event that now has a special place in my heart and maybe even a permanent place on my calender - the No Limits Sports Day with Shriners Hospitals for Children.

I arrived a few minutes early and they put me right to work. Changed into my tee shirt and started carting drinks and organizing them like a jig saw puzzle into the fridge for the kids lunch later in the day. I then discovered my post for the day would be adaptive tennis. I introduced myself to the staff running that area and told them to put me to work and work I did. I chased thousands of tennis balls for hours and put them back in baskets to be fed to the kids.

For a girl in a funk, this clinic couldn't have come at a better time for me. I was trying to work through some hurt feelings and move on from a week that really kicked me while I was down. Those kids were so vibrant, so passionate about life, about sports, about their families. I watched their beautiful smiles as they returned those tennis balls over and over and cheered each other on and I couldn't help but be grateful to be there just to witness it.

It was a special day and a great reminder that sometimes when were going through a hard time the best way to overcome it is to serve others.

'For it is in giving that we receive' - St. Francis of Assisi

Love,
B

East-West Shrine Game 2011.

Saturday I drove up to Orlando bright an early with a quick stop at Orlando's coolest McDonald's for a diet coke...

I texted that picture to Ellen and Candy Saturday morning to let them know Orlando McD's are nothing like Scott County - although I have to say the Scott County McD is hoppin on Saturday mornings and this one was falling behind despite it's size.

I headed to the home of the Citrus Bowl to work a pregame tailgate at the East-West Shrine game. For all my non-football fans this is bascially the college version of the Pro Bowl. The best college players from all the various teams come together and combine on two teams (the east and west) and play each other.

Shriners Hospitals for Children are teamed up with All Pro Dad and so my coworkers Jim & Brenda as well as myself went to work an All Pro Dad table at the tailgate. It was a smidge chilly (50 degrees) and we were bundled up in our multi-layers and winter coats but a good time was had by all.

The highlight of the day though, has to be Gus the camel, who belongs to the Orlando Shrine...

The Shriners who were present with Gus made sure I got plenty of Gus kisses throughout the day and they took enough pictures of me to fill an album. Let's hope I don't end up on the Shrine website kissing the camel. : ] But really, Gus was a sweetie and I learned quite a lot about camels in my time there.

I proudly sported my 'I've been kissed by Gus' sticker for the rest of the day.

What a way to spend a Saturday - kissin camels.

Love,
B