When the stars line up...

“Sometimes, the stars line up, the gods smile, and love gets a fighting chance. Just a chance. That's all it can really hope for. No guarantees, no certainties” ― Tess Gerritsen

I've traveled light years in what I've learned over the past 5 years of blogging. Not just in the kosher and technical ways to blog, but truly in what its like to live in community with others- especially if its a blog community.

I didn't know it would take a trip to Nashville for the line to be drawn through so many of my "dots," that seem to have been scattered since the beginning of my time blogging. 

I didn't plan to go to Nashville, to meet any blog friends.  It wasn't on the agenda, and the thought didn't occur to me simply because I wasn't ever certain I could even go on the trip.  The main reason of the trip was for Rick to shoot hockey photos of our friend Matt Cullen, for his charity and for our local newspaper.  Period.

Me, getting cleared to go, was last minute.

And I was worried a bit.  How well would I travel?  What would happen when the stomach cramps and need to be steps from a bathroom kicked in?  How would I deal with the fatigue that plagues me often?  

This is where my word "Embrace," usually comes into play.

I listen to my spirit, lean in and decide to just go.  I try to let my human brain and its need to feel in control, surrender to what I could never possibly conceive.  To be guided by faith and trust in something, someone,  bigger than I. 

So I casually reached out to my blog friend, Melissa, knowing she doesn't live far from Nashville.

Melissa is a beautiful soul, a mom to two adorable kiddos, Camden and Rory, a wife to Brian, and a cancer sista, living with ovarian cancer, diagnosed within weeks of myself.

It was her sister, Becky, who wrote a beautiful comment on my blog, having battled breast cancer herself, who introduced Melissa and I.

And just look what happened?  We met, in person, face to face.  I heard her voice for the first time.  I hugged her, as I longed to do so often over the course of the last 2 1/2 years. She is every bit as real and beautiful and funny in person (oh my goodness do I find her humor refreshing) as she looks and sounds on her blog. 

We've prayed for each other, shed tears for each other, and written the words that only the other one will fully understand at times. 

She so eloquently wrote about our time together in her post entitled connections.

Our morning at the Thistle Stop Cafe flew by.  I felt as though I was meeting a lifelong friend for a long overdue lunch.  I clearly didn't see this "dot," coming.

So who could have possibly thought, in the meantime, another blog friend was preparing to invite us to come and see her- one dot leading to the next... leading too...

In the meantime, Rick was preparing for the home opening game where the Nashville Predators would take on none other- than Matt Cullen's former NHL hockey team- The Minnesota Wild.  

Talk about a bittersweet night.  Just who would come out victorious on this inaugural home game? 

A party on the plaza was complete with live music and a "red carpet" of sorts for the players to walk upon arriving at the arena.

I have to say, by comparison to the "State of hockey" in Minnesota, the fans were a bit more relaxed and quiet, something I was unaccustomed to.

Ronette and I with our "Cullen" jerseys.  I was the lucky recipient of a generous gift of Matt's very first Predators jersey this summer and so proud to wear it the first night in support of Matt.

The Wild warming up.

I took more photos and videos with my phone that night and they are all lost now.  The uber cool one I lost?  The one of Vince Gill singing and playing music in between periods of the game. 

But Rick got this awesome shot of Vince's daughter, singing the national anthem before the game, and turned it into this painted photo rendition. More of Rick's photos can be seen at his photograhpy facebook page RWP. Would love for you to stop by and like his page!! 

Here is another one of Rick's photos of Matt with the puck.  Matt went on to get an assist and the Predators would win the game 3-2!  

Two of the Cullen boys, clearly still in transition as well.  While one cheered every time the Preds would score, the other cheered equally as loud when the Wild would score.  Somehow, I knew exactly how they were both feeling.

I'm in the midst of finishing the story about the "dots and stars" aligning for me on this trip and will post it soon. It resonated so deeply with me and I am hopeful so many of you will get something out of it too.

 I'm also working on my speech which is suddenly taking place next week!  

In the meantime my visit with Dr. Panwalkar went well on Tuesday.  

He was relaxed and rather humorous and that hearty laugh always does my soul well.

I will begin radiation on Monday the 28th for 3 weeks.  

I will also at that time, be taking a break from Tykerb.  I may get a few days of feeling more like myself again.  Amazing the things I now find myself looking forward too.

Nashville

I am such a lucky girl.  We have spent such a rewarding week, filling up- with time spent with good friends, wonderful Southern foods, foot-tapping, hand clapping, body swaying-fill-your-soul music- and so much more.  We are on our way home and will be back shortly to share all our memory-making-moments!!  Love to you all! 

 

 

Matt Cullen of the Nashville Predators- who generously sent us home with some autographed Predators items for our Moorhead Youth Hockey Social at the end of October. 

 

 

 

Cully's Kids 2013

I wanted to start this post off with a big heartfelt thank you to all of you who showered me with love yesterday on my birthday.  I felt all your hearts, pouring through your words, boosting me, lifting me, putting an extra beat in my own heart.  I couldn't ask for anything better, bigger.  I feel blessed.  And I'm still that girl looking over her shoulder wondering "who" that girl is who has been given such abundance.  Plus- even thought we ended up at the clinic yesterday- ha- it was just to pick up my mother who needed a blood transfusion.  No ER and no jinxes- just many birthday blessings. 

Finally- are you ready for the big reveal of what left me speechless?  Here goes...

I've heard this said about Cully's Kids' weekend several times over the last few days, "its my favorite weekend of the year!"  I couldn't agree more.  For so many reasons- do you have a few hours, a few days?  Because I could tell story after story, and in fact, that is why it becomes nearly impossible to figure out a shortened version of what to say.  But here I go...

The event kicked off with a social at Usher's and a silent and live auction.  First of all, the items people and businesses donate to help raise funds for children with cancer and other diseases/disabilities, are so generous.  That alone is a big draw.  But second, just add in a few NHL hockey players to mix and mingle with the rest of the hockey community, and its a night of pure delight and entertainment. I think you truly have to go and experience it, to get the full effect.  

I decided on using just my phone for photos,  knowing the ambient light would be hard to compete with.  So here are just a few photos I took of just some of the friends I am always honored to be around.    These are my hockey family- and they do more for me than I could possibly express. I could have taken photos all night long.

Rick shot a cool photo outside of the Xcel Energy Center on the day of the playoff game we attended.  He created a "painted" portrait and blew it up large and donated it to the auction.  

The is one of our favorite shots of Matt warming up for a game. His eyes are lasered in on the puck, which he skillfully blasts to the back of the net. 

But by now, we all know, Matt Cullen no longer plays for the Minnesota Wild.  Matt Cullen will be playing for the Nashville Predators for the next two years!

So the Predator's sent the very first official Matt Cullen jersey to Minnesota to be auctioned off for the event.  It was paired with tickets to a Predator game along with a bunch of extra perks and spiffs!  The bidding started at a few thousand dollars and then steadily climbed.  Finally, at 13,000 dollars, the package had been won!  

The night was slowly winding down, and I have to admit, I was exhausted.  As the event wound down we prepared to go.

Okay- for those of you awaiting the big news I have... here it comes.

So I am sitting at a table chowing down a burger, when my friend Bridget says, "I have to go get something, wait here, I'll be right back."  Well I don't have my shoes on and I am in no hurry to go anywhere.  

In minutes, at the top of the stairs I see Bridget returning with something yellow in her hands.  Her smile is getting bigger and bigger and I swear she is trying to lock eyes with someone very close to me.

Quite suddenly, I realize, she is holding the new Predators Jersey.  Oh my- some very lucky soul- sitting very close to me- is going to get her husband's first Predators jersey!!  

And as I look all around me, Bridget's eyes don't waver from my own at all... because...

ITS ME!  Totally me- who has been given the jersey by the man who paid for the package.  His name is Dale.  When he said to Matt, "who should we give the jersey to?  Matt said "Vicky Westra."  Oh my stars!  And it took me 2.8 seconds I think, bare feet and probably ketchup still clinging to my face, to run upstairs and throw my arms around Dale.  He quick- hugged me then shooed me off- obviously a very humble man.  

My feet haven't quite come down to earth...

And this is just day one of three for the event... and I still have some pretty amazing things to share...