Day 3 ~ Mt. Shasta ~ Out and about...

Kathi had a day of debriefing with her Breast Cancer Fund climbing group. Ruth and I headed into Mt. Shasta City to do some shopping and exploring. Day 2 of the yummiest almond granola pancakes at the Black Bear Diner.

I spied Fiestaware at the antique store window. But $135 for a flower vase was a little bit out of my price range.

Next was a lavender field at the Mt. Shasta Lavender Farms. We picked our own lavender and enjoyed the view while drinking lavender lemonade!

Lunch was at Ms. Lynn's Tea Room ~ a quaint tea room in Montaugue, CA. Montague is a teeny tiny town that is the halfway point between Portland, Oregon and San Francisco.

DORKIFIED! Lavender fields and tea rooms? It felt a bit like my "work duties."

Kathi's closing dinner and reception was on a perfect beautiful summer night.

So proud of you, KSR!

Tomorrow we head back home. A fun filled 13 hours of windshield time!

I hope that next summer we can have a Hughie family reunion at Lake Shasta! A houseboat or two and a week vacation!

Day 2 ~ Mt. Shasta ~ Kathi finishes her climb

After an amazing breakfast of almond granola pancakes at The Black Bear Diner we headed up to the Bunny Flat Trail Head. There is something magical about Mt. Shasta. I love the town... quaint and filled with outdoors-y friendly people.

I was happy to be a supporter and thankful that I wasn't the one climbing the 14,000+ feet. Sleeping in and being a tourist was much more my speed this vacation!

All of the supporters had signs... I made one for Kathi a while back that hangs in front of her treadmill. It says, "YOU GO GIRL!" And that's what she did. Every morning on her treadmill with 50 pounds worth of flour, sugar and canned goods in her backpack. I witnessed this, many a mornings... while I slept in on her futon.

Here they come! CONGRATS!

She made it. Kath had her own personal summit this climb. She climbed, in the snow, up hill to
reach 13,400 feet, just below Misery Hill.

Friends Forever!

Take note of her silver hoop earrings. She won the, "best dressed climber." That's Kathi, for ya'! She does everything in style!

Retelling us the route that she took.

Some creative treatment for blisters.

Jason, Kathi's AMAZING mountain guide. I hear you get close to someone when your life is in someone else's hands. Literally, as in, attached with a rope!

After some rest (and a nice neck massage for the both of us... Hey! Riding in a car is hard on the body!) we headed to the Community Dinner and Awards Program.

Kathi's group ~ Abby, Wendy, Amy, Kathi an Marcella

This woman, a previous climber and breast cancer survivor from Japan came to cheer on this years climbers. She made 1,000 paper cranes to symbolize good health.

YOWZERS OUCHIE-OUCHIE! These are some blisters. Here's Exhibit A of why I'm not real excited about becoming a mountain climber. (I spared you a photo of Exhibit B. When they say, "leave nothing behind," that includes any human waste. Everything, and I do mean everything, is carried back down the mountain!

I took a detour to take in the headwaters of the Sacramento River.

The water comes right up from the ground. Out of nowhere.

Here's Kathi getting her certificate ~ animated as always.

The Climb Against The Odds Climbers!

I stayed up way past my bedtime reading Breast Cancer Fund's research and findings. Everything from
California Senate Votes to Ban Bisphenol A in Baby Food and Beverage Products to No More Toxic Tub and obsessed with the findings of The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls: What We Know, What We Need to Know. I read the entire report, and you should too! It's amazing (and shocking) information!

A great day in Portland

I'm spending a few days in Portland, Oregon. First stop: Lindsey, Mark and Dylan's house! I've seen my best girl Lindsey 3 times in the past 9 months. And this makes me a very happy girl! I HATE that I live so far away from my High School and College friends. They truly are rare gems and I love our reunions!

Dylan Jackson is 2 now and is even more of a chatterbox energizer monkey! I brought him a Thomas the train set and some Matchbox construction trucks. It was so fun to see him squeal in delight and get on the floor and entertain himself with elaborate conversations with his toys.

Lindsey's parents stopped by for a morning coffee as they head south on a road trip. I've known them for almost 14 years and they are very neat people. They are very involved in their children and grandchildren's lives and it's obvious by Dylan's reaction to them that they are very loved!


I love you, Dylie Jack!

Some serious dramatic play with the bulldozer (Dylan calls it a, "Bull-shure-shure) and "rock mover."

We hit Pioneer Place for some browsing and lunch. I love the fish decor in the parking garage! Very Northwest-y!

Dylan loves anything sour... lemons or limes! He makes the cutest pucker face!

I called Leah this morning and we had a spontaneous reunion! Leah was my YMCA little sis through the Big Brothers / Big Sisters Program at Oregon State University. I met her when she was in Kindergarten and now she's a Sophomore at Portland State University! Nine years have gone by since I graduated from school! WOW! You can read more about our bond here. Leah is just as intelligent and mature as I remember and is beautiful and successful. What a gal!

Linds and I. We both somehow managed to get stains on our shirts today. Such is life with a toddler I guess. I understand a little better why moms have, "mom clothes."

The Thomas Family!

I encouraged Lindsey and Mark to have a date night tonight... offering to cook dinner and put Dylan to bed. They took me up on my offer! My "cooking" was Fred Meyer shells and cheese and "putting to bed" involved chasing Dylan until he tired and then reading stories on our bellies. He's fast asleep now and I'm heading there too!

I'm looking forward to a fun filled weekend!

Kathi's Climb Against The Odds ~ The Breast Cancer Fund

Kathi is the cute one in the green jacket in the center!

Please click here to help my friend Kathi in her quest to meet her fundraising goal for Climb Against the Odds 2009. It's a mountaineering expedition to support and raise awareness of the Breast Cancer Fund’s work to eliminate the environmental and other preventable causes of breast cancer.

In June, a team of 40 women and men will climb the 14,162-foot Mt. Shasta in Northern California in both a collective effort to prevent breast cancer and a personal challenge to overcome the devastating experience of the disease.

Envisioned in the early 1990s by breast cancer survivors Laura Evans and Breast Cancer Fund founder Andrea Ravinett Martin, Climb Against the Odds would be the first time women with breast cancer would face incredible physical challenges to raise awareness and funds for their cause.

We climb to demonstrate our commitment, to ourselves and to others, that we stand for a world in which cancer is a thing of the past. We apply our courage and faith that anything is possible, if taken one step at a time. And we do it all as part of a team, climbers and supporters, knowing that there is more that we can achieve together than apart. Success lies in the journey, not on the summit.” - Andrea Ravinett Martin (1946-2003)

Kathi will be climbing in honor and memory of all of those who have fought the breast cancer battle, including my mom Judy, breast cancer survivor.

Give as you are able!