Rainbow Chills

Team Monkey

Team Monkey is walking to raise money and awareness for arthritis this Saturday, May 17.

You can donate here!

I mentioned in my last post about Team Monkey that there would be prizes for people who donated. To this point, only Chrystie D. has emailed the prize account to enter to the drawing. So, SURPRISE, Chrystie, you are the winner of a skein of STR in the Knitters Without Borders colorway. For those of you who have not yet donated or who have not yet sent an email after donating, you can be entered into a drawing to win a pair of socks knit by me (this will be the only prize). For each $10 you donate, you'll get an entry into the drawing. So head on over to Team Monkey HQ and donate. Then send an email to arthritiswalkprizes at gmail with your name, address, and blog address if you have one.

We raised $2400 last year. While we don't expect to match that number at this point, we would love to raise $2000.

Thanks for helping us raise money for arthritis research and services for those who currently have arthritis. We really appreciate it.

Team Monkey 2.0

We're kicking off our fundraising for the 2008 Arthritis Walk.

As  many of you know, my girl Michelle has Rheumatoid Arthritis. It stinks. Plain and simple. She has to take tons of meds, including getting an infusion once a month. She has pain and swelling and joint damage. Sometimes she can't do things she wants to do (like wearing high heels or lifting our nieces) because of pain or fatigue.

Arthritis isn't just something old people get. It affects our lives in big and small ways every day. It's important that money is going towards arthritis research so that treatments can be improved, especially for people like Michelle who have moderate to severe conditions. The effects of arthritis, such as joint damage, are permanent and irreversible. The treatments that exist now can slow the progression of damage but once the damage is done, it's here to stay. We will not let arthritis win!

Last year, Team Monkey raised $2400 and were the second highest fundraising team in the Philly Walk. This year, we're hoping to get some friends and family signed on to walk with us and help us raise $4000. If you can help us, please visit the Team Monkey fundraising page. Every little bit helps.

For those of you who donate at least $10, you'll be entered into a raffle for yarn and other knitterly prizes. If you're not a knitter and you win, I'll knit you a pair of socks. You'll be entered for every $10 you donate so open those wallets. Last year, I raffled off two skeins of Socks that Rock and two skeins of Tess' Super Sock, in addition to a few donated prizes. I'm offering the same prizes this year-- 4 skeins of sock yarn and I'm throwing in 1 pair of socks, handknit by me to your specifications. That's at least 5 prizes. If I see something else really special at Maryland Sheep and Wool that catches my eye, there may be more up for grabs. So start donating! The walk is on May 17. Prizes will be awarded the following week.   

Donate Here: Team Monkey!

You can donate to the team account. We're working on being the top team rather than being top fundraisers individually. After donating, send an email to arthritiswalkprizes at gmail with your name and the amount you donated.

Thank you!

Arthritis Walk Prize Winners

Thank you to everyone who supported Team Monkey in the Arthritis Walk. We raised over $2300 and are already making goals for next year's walk. Below are the prize winners.

Socks that Rock, Mediumweight in Jewel of the Nile (Left)- Jan

Socks that Rock, Mediumweight in Fire on the Mountain (Right)- Kim

Tess' Sock Yarn in blue/green (Left)- Chrystie

Tess' Sock Yarn in Pink/Purple/Peach (Right)- Wendy

$25 Gift Card to Wooly Wonka courtesy of Margene- Ann

Pigeon Roof Sock Yarn in Plum Tortie courtesy of Jody- Chrissie

If you are a prize winner, check your email for a note from me. Thank you to everyone who donated and to Margene and Jody for contributing to the prize pool.

The Walk!

The Arthritis Walk is tomorrow. Michelle and I have far exceeded our goals. We're so grateful to all of you. Together, Michelle and I have raised $2295.00.

As I've said, there are are a number of prizes up for raffle. See here and here.

Also, here:

Jody donated this beautiful yarn and the dyer threw in a sample of the sport weight yarn as well. Jody, can you mention the yarn details in the comments? I seem to have lost the email you sent about it.

If you have donated and would like to be entered in the raffle, send an email today to arthritiswalkprizes  at gmail.

Thank you to all of you who have donated to this very important cause.

Prizes!

As promised, here's a preview of the raffle prizes for you fabulous people supporting Team Monkey in the Arthritis Walk.

The first two yarn prizes will be STR in Jewel of the Nile and Fire on the Mountain.

The next two prizes will be skeins of my all time favorite sock yarn- Tess' in two colors that to me, are quintessential of Tess' Yarns:

Margene, in her endless kindness, has donated a $25 gift card to Wooly Wonka.

Those are the first five prizes, you knitterly people. Non-knitters have the option of socks hand-knitted by me or a Borders gift card for $25. I had pledged 2 skeins of Tess' for the first $250 in donations and an additional prize for each subsequent $100 in pledges. At this point, we should have drawings for 5 prize winners. Keep the pledges coming, friends. After you donate, send an email to arthritiswalkprizes at gmail.

Click on the donation pages at the top of the right column to support Team Monkey. Michelle and I really appreciate it!

Team Monkey is trailing

Thank you to the two knitters who put me over the $500 mark in my fundraising goal for the upcoming Arthritis Walk. This fundraising in very important to me.

Our lives are affected everyday by Michelle's RA. Michelle returned from Denver last night after a business trip. Today she is working from home, a planned strategy to cope with the fatigue she feels from traveling. She started a new medicine today, as well-- a medicine to fight a new symptom, because even after 4 years, the disease progresses, new symptoms arise, her body changes. She has a headache today- probably a combo of the fatigue and the new medicine. We plan things around Michelle's disease, around the effects of the disease, even around the effects of medicine and treatments.

We're within $130 of being the top fundraising team. If you have been touched by Arthritis, someone in your family perhaps, or even if you are compelled by Michelle's struggles, consider donating to Team Monkey. It would be really cool for the Monkeys to be on top!

Note: We can accept checks. Leave a comment or email me if you'd rather donate that way.

$20

I'm $20 away from reaching my fundraising goal for the Arthritis Walk.

Anyone want to be the one to make it happen?

Go on, you know you wanna!

Choose to Be Happy

From my favorite new album, the Grey Gardens soundtrack:

Choose to be happy, happy, happy
Make that the motto you use to be happy
Happy to choose what you choose not to see
Choose to be happy like me.
Think, really think, of a goal worth achieving
and try, really try, but begin by believing (praise the Lord)
wake every morning and say, really say
the rest of your life starts today.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
You're on your way.

Thank you all for your generous contributions and moral support for Team Monkey. We are thrilled at the progress we've made in the past eight days.

I did pick up some yarn for raffle prizes when I was at Maryland last Saturday. Pictures next week.

Have a great weekend!

Amazing first day

In a little over 24 hours, I'm more than half-way to my fundraising goal. As of 7PM on Friday evening, I've gotten $330 in donations, Michelle has received $270, and we've received $45 in donations to the team generally. We're well on our way to reaching our team goal of $2000.

If you are interested in supporting our team in the walk, head on over to the Arthritis Walk pages:
Team Monkey
My page
Michelle's page

I will be at Tess' booth and The Fold's booth bright and early tomorrow morning at Maryland Sheep & Wool to pick up some prize yarn. At least one knitter has expressed an interest in being entered into the raffle for a pair of socks knit by me, rather than yarn. If that's your wish, simply send an email to arthritiswalkprizes at gmail dot com. You need to send an email to that address after donating in order to be entered into the prize drawing.

Jody is picking me up at 6:30AM and we'll be heading to Maryland for our fourth festival. Jody and I had known each other for only a few months when we went to that festival. I knew back then that I liked her but I never could have imagined the friendship we've grown to have. I am so grateful for Jody's friendship in general, and support of the Arthritis Walk in particular.

If you're going to be at MS&W tomorrow, I'll be wearing a green linen backpack with my blog button ironed onto it. It says Rainbow Chills. Say "hi" if you see me. I'll be the one with the mile wide smile on my face.

Walk for RA!

Over the years, I've shared lots of things about my partner Michelle on my blog. I've shown dozens of pictures of socks I've knit for her, pictures of our Commitment Ceremony, stories about her making a helmet out of a watermelon, and many more slices of our life. I have also shared with you the trials that we've been through before and since Michelle's diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Michelle was diagnosed about four years ago. We were confused and worried about her symptoms for about a year before that. She has been on numerous medications- given herself injections and received infusions. We've had two scary ER visits and untold numbers of doctors' visits. Over the years, RA has taken things away from Michelle. She seldom can take a long car ride. She no longers rides roller coasters. No longer goes bowling with friends. Rarely can tolerate high heels, even on the fanciest of occasions. The times I see the RA affect Michelle the most are when it impedes her from doing things she really LOVES- painting, knitting, lifting our nieces and nephew.

RA has also given us many gifts. We are both more patient. We are compassionate. We have more empathy for the struggles of other people with chronic pain or a disability. We treasure the days when Michelle feels good, for the times when the meds are working.

We've decided to do the Philadelphia Arthritis Walk this year. We'll be Team Monkey (because it's silly and fun). We have a team fundraising goal of $2000. My personal goal is $500.

So many times in our relationship, I have felt powerless against Michelle's RA-- as though there is nothing I can do. This, though, this I can do. I can raise money and I can walk.

So this is me asking you to donate, either to me directly, or to Team Monkey.

Raffle Prizes!

Each donation in increments of $10 will earn a raffle ticket. $50 is 5 tickets, $100 is 10, etc. All knitters and knitting bloggers who donate will be entered into a drawing to win a skein of Tess' Sock Yarn (to be purchased at Maryland Sheep and Wool this weekend). All non-knitters will be entered into a drawing for a fun, non-knitting prize of your choice- a $25 Borders gift card or a pair of socks hand-knitted by me!

If I raise $250 by Saturday, I'll buy 2 skeins of Tess' to raffle off. For each additional $100 beyond that amount (and beyond MS&W), I'll buy enough Socks that Rock yarn for a pair. The number of non-knitter prizes will be determined by the same formula- 2 prizes after $250, 1 additional prize for each additional $100.

If you would like to be entered into the raffle drawings, after donating, please send an email to arthritiswalkprizes at gmail. Please indicate the amount of your donation and which drawing you'd like to enter.

My thanks in advance to any little amount you may be able to donate. $5 or $10 is much appreciated-- a little goes a long way. If you are willing to help spread the word on your blog, I'd be most grateful. Leave a comment and let me know so I can keep you in my grateful thoughts!

Thank you all for supporting Michelle and for your support of the Arthritis Foundation.