Things that made me smile today

1. Seeing my adorable nephew crawling around. I babysat him today and unfortunately, he is sick. . .but I loved seeing him smile and laugh with me despite being sick. (I used the word love. . .because it applies to a person. If you don't know my issue with the word love, read my other blog entry to be up to date:)

2. Kelly. Kelly was my family's first long-term pet in Modesto. She died May 14, 2003. She was my absolute favorite pet. Ever. She was always around when I needed her and she had the most amazing tricks. She was a bilingual dog! Just thinking about her and holding Kelly, the only stuffed animal I took to college my first year, (that has the real Kelly's old collar around its neck) made me/makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

3. My speech class. I presented a persuasive speech today and got to talk about the importance of community service/civic engagement. We do critiques after each speech, both verbal ones and written ones. On one of my critiques someone (a boy!) wrote that I "dressed for the occasion" and that I looked "professional yet stunning." What a sweet comment! Definitely a self-esteem booster. He must have liked my new boots (What did I ever do without these boots! I haven't stopped wearing them since I bought them! And they are actually on my feet, right now. . .despite the fact that I am in bed!:)

60 away

34. Own a home with a porch swing.
35. Pick apples from an apple farm
36. Have long nails (as a result of not biting my nails)
37. Do a solo skydive
38. Live in a big city
39. Gallop on a horse
40. Have a date on a playground

Bittersweet Visit

I've been asked, "How was your visit to Texas." The shortest way to answer is with one word, "Bittersweet."

its been awhile

. . .I haven't updated my "100" list. Its hard. Not sure why. I wonder if I am trying to make this list super exciting or something, yet I want to keep it reasonable and practical. I'll add some practical things to my list today.

33. Obtain a Master's in Nursing

ok thats evidently all I have.

100 continued

17. Have a husband and kids
18. Own a home
19. Work close enough to walk or ride a bike from my house
20. Visit the jungle
21. See the grand canyon
22. Visit all the national parks in the US
23. Speak on the floor of congress
24. Have my own compost/garden
25. See a broadway musical
26. Go to Greece
27. Learn sign language
28. Get my tattoo
29. Have a picnic on the beach
30. Fly a plane
31. Help find a cure for cancer
32. Go a year without eating chocolate

Making a 100 list is more difficult than I expected

I just registered

I just registered for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for a Cure, a 60 mile walk over the course of three days. . .you can join me as I take an amazing journey in the fight to end breast cancer! (and all cancers!) I am still personalizing my page and I will be personalizing my page throughout the next couple of weeks, but if you are interested in supporting the fight, please donate at http://www.the3day.org/goto/Janet.DelReal I have committed to raising $2,300 in the next 337 days :)

If there is one thing I can say I hate, I say, I hate cancer . . .a lot. Sometimes, I don't really understand my own motivation, but I do know that cancer causes so much pain, physically-during treatments, emotionally and mentally. I also know that when people I love are in pain and people who I don't know are in pain, i want to do anything and everything in my power to relieve them of such pain. I join the fight, in an attempt to spread the HOPE.

Hope, is a beautiful four letter word that I can honestly say is my favorite word in the dictionary, hence my username "hopefuljanet"

My 100 List

This is the start of my 100 list, my list of one hundred things I want to do

1. Live in a third world country for an extended period of time (a minimum of one year)
2. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon
3. Play a musical object (and do it well)
4. Rescue a dog
5. See a Stepping competition live
6. Cross the border, like my parents did.
7. Walk/Run a Marathon
8. Donate an organ or bone marrow
9. Road-trip up and down California
10. Go to Disney World
11. Go to the World Cup
12. Meet Shakira
13. Make a scrapbook, for myself
14. Take a week long hike in the wilderness
15. Learn to surf
16. Meet [at least] one of my sponsored children
. . .and the list will continue