One Month.

Dearest Friends of our Bumpkin on a Swing,

Today it has been one month since Lisa left us for heaven. 

I know we all miss her terribly, and feel a huge sense of void in our lives and in our hearts.  The outpouring of love and tributes that you all posted were such a beautiful testimony to the precious and kind soul that Lisa was and always will be.  Captain John absolutely loved and appreciated the words, pictures, thoughts, quotes, and stories of Lisa that so many of you shared.

Lisa held such a special place in my heart.  Not a day goes by that I don't miss picking up the phone to call her, to girl talk about anything and everything, or to tell her about something I saw that reminded me of her that day....a fabulous pair of shoes, a beautiful sunset, a special ladybug that crossed my path or a field of "wish and blow" flowers...she especially loved those.  The song playing today, "Free" by Zac Brown Band...this is the song that Lisa and John were going to have as their first dance as a married couple.  I get chills every time I hear it. 

My heart and prayers continue to go out to her beloved Captain John and her family and friends, especially her beautiful nieces and her "Back Porch Crew."  If you're still reading this, I am eternally grateful that I got to be physically there with Lisa in her last days, to see that sweet twinkle in her eyes and hold her hands.  I am happy I could have been there to hug, cry, and remember all that made her so wonderful with each of you during the days after she passed away.  Thank you for making me feel at home among her relatives and "chosen" family, as she referred to her closest friends.

We know Lisa left us all too soon, to a horrible disease that I pray we will find a cure for.   Her dear friend Lori from Wildflowers published a wonderful post last week.  After reading it and speaking with Lori, I thought today, on the one month anniversary of her passing, it was all too fitting to re-post it here.

 "Color Me Teal" by Lori, Wildflowers

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month,
and the color that represents Ovarian Cancer is Teal.

Ovarian Cancer, known as the "Silent Killer," is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. The American Cancer Society estimates that 21,880 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the U.S. in 2010 and about 13,850 women will die from the disease. It is an insidious disease that can strike without warning or cause.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose. There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but there are tests which can detect ovarian cancer when patients are at high risk or have early symptoms.  Until we have better early detection tools, all women should be educated about the disease so they can achieve early diagnosis and successful treatment. A woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67. Listen to your body. Do not ignore symptoms.

The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC), the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) and the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF) teamed up to spread awareness of the four symptoms of ovarian cancer, and the flyer can be seen here.

Here comes the fun part, and how you can help!  Lori alerted me to the organization, "Teal Toes," which promotes awareness to the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

From the press release:

"Women - and men! - are painting their toenails teal during September. Why? To raise awareness of Ovarian Cancer in order to save lives. Teal Toes encourages people to paint their toenails teal, the color of Ovarian Cancer Awareness, during September, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.


"Painting toenails teal, the Ovarian Cancer color, starts the conversation about the signs of this whispering killer," said Carey Fitzmaurice, founder of Teal Toes and a four year survivor of Ovarian Cancer. "The conversation can save lives. Women diagnosed at an early stage have a much higher five-year survival rate than those diagnosed at a later stage. Fewer than 20 percent of Ovarian Cancer patients are diagnosed early."

We know how Lisa was so passionate about causes near and dear to her heart, and I think that she would just love this one.  Lori got the party started by getting her toes painted teal over the weekend, and I went for my teal pedicure yesterday afternoon, and dedicated my Wordless Wednesday to all things teal today. 

Join us, won't you? 
Become a fan of "Teal Toes" on Facebook, where you can post a picture of your own teal toes as a tribute to Lisa, and help spread the word!

Special kindness to Lori for the beautiful inspiration for this post,
and love to all of Lisa's family and friends;
she is truly forever in our hearts.

We love you and miss you angel,
xoxo
Trish

"Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven,
where the love of our lost ones shines down to let us know they are with us."
-Unknown

My toes are teal in support of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness!