The March for Maddie

There was a billboard that rises above the Ventura River Trail, which is one of my favorite walks to take with Goldie. It said "Walk for Babies" and had these little baby footprints on it.

I don't know why but it really pulled me in. As we walked, I felt strangely drawn to it. I thought "Maybe I should do that."

That was an odd thought, because if you know me, you know that babies aren't among my top ten causes. As I always say about myself "Not much of a people person."

Then soemone I know got very involved in organizing the Los Angeles Walk for Babies, and I kept getting emails about joining. I kept thinking "Maybe I should do that."

Then Maddie died and my heart cracked open and so did the internet. I became one of hundreds of people who were inspired to March for Maddie.

The team in Los Angeles grew to over 100 people and more than $50,000 was donated to the March of Dimes by kind people like you. And you. And you.

And the Los Angeles team was only one of more than 50 in the country who were Marching for Maddie. One tiny girl inspired so much love, so much giving.

In Los Angeles, we walked yesterday. It was a beautiful day, a glorious day. All of us gathered on the steps of the Museum of Science and Industry dressed in purple like a big spill of Grape Kool-Aid.

I have always been kind of snotty and looked down on both USC AND sororities, but seeing Heather's sweet USC sorority sisters come out so strongly to support her made me drink a glass of my own Shut-Up Juice.

Heather and Mike spoke (well, Heather did the talking) and by the time they were done, about 90% of the audience was doing the ugly cry, me included.

Then we took a little 3 mile stroll around Los Angeles. 10,000 people. About 2,000 dogs and 1,000 baby strollers. A sea of goodwill stretched from curb to shining curb.

My favorite was the little boy of about 4 whose t-shirt showed him as a NICU preemie and said "I am a miracle!"

I just wanted to say thank you one more time to everyone who supported me. It means the world that you were there with me in my heart. Bless you all.

Martha Stewart I'm Not

I kind of hated to spend a glorious Spring afternoon doing housework, but I just didn't think I could put it off until Winter.

What say you?

My friend Coco is a marvel. The kind of marvel you kind of want to punch in the face sometimes.

She is super smart and funny, has rock-hard abs and husband who is carved from a solid block of Win. See why I can't stand her?

She has 4 kids and one day during the height of Scrapbooking mania, I asked her if she was going to be indulging.

"No way," she said. "No scrapbooks and no photo albums. I want to keep doing new things, not thinking about the old ones."

In one way, her attitude is appealing. Be like a shark - keep swimming forward. Why sit around fondling memorabilia?

But I am a Cancerian and my tribe tends to be sappy and sentimental and nostalgic little fussbudgets.

What do you think? Bathe in past glory, or nakedly march into the future?

Chrysler's Marketing Department - hello?

I have heard that Chrysler may go bankrupt. Shocking!

What is more shocking to me - because of course it is all about me - is that, until this news broke, I had NO IDEA Chrysler was one of the big three car companies.

I have lived in the U.S. my entire life and been subject to the usual barrage of advertising. I'm not immune to it. I know about brands that I have never used - for instance, I know Mr. Pibb is a Dr. Pepper knock-off though I have only tasted Dr. Pepper once and Mr. Pibb never.

I can tell a VW from a Saab from a Volvo from a Fiat. But somehow I thought Chrysler was a sub-brand of something else like GM or AMC or something.

I am thinking that if Chrysler couldn't somehow differentiate themselves in the marketplace to me, their target market, maybe, just maybe, they were doing something very, very wrong.

Good News/Bad News

The good news is that I washed the kitchen floor.
The bad news is that I did it with a full carafe of coffee.

The good news is that I won best speech (out of three contestants) at Toastmasters last night.
The bad news is that the other 2 people disqualified by going over the time limit.

The good news is that winter is definitely over.
The bad news is that it was almost 100 degrees in April.

The good news is that my 5 bunches of bananas are ripening up finally.
The bad news is ALL AT ONCE.

Anyone want some banana bread? Banana pudding? Banana cream pie?