Atop a fence post....

Ever hear the saying "if you see a turtle on a fence post you know he didn't get there by himself"...?

One time I heard a very successful doctor say that and really liked the places it took my thoughts.

A year ago The Sweet Prince Buttercup's mother in law's irritable bowel disease diagnosis was renamed Pancreatic Cancer.

Stage III.

My son's wife (Mrs. Buttercup) and her mother are like Googie and I, connected at the hip, bestfriendsforever....

We are all beyond devastated by this war they are waging.

None so much as my daughter in law.

Some months back she started talking about fundraisers.

Specifically about a very successful fundraiser that had taken place in our little town.

"It raised $7000.00 !!!!" she told me, her voice hopeful and excited.

I remember thinking, the focus and subject of that fundraiser was a guy that everybody knew, and a whole nother group of every bodies knew his wife, and yet another huge gang knew his kids....

Of course they were able to raise all that flow.

And get a shitload of donations.

My daughter in law asked "do you think we could do something like that for my mom?"

(Not sure what you been smokin sister but that is one big ask you just asked...)

(Wise mother in law's don't say crap like that and so I didn't)

"Sure honey" I said instead "we can try".

Together we Some idiot I came up with January 7th as a good date, needing to get Goog's wedding and Christmas passed before we could really begin to move forward toward a fundraising effort.

(Who in their right mind plans a fundraiser for two weeks after Christmas..? I asked myself that very same question daily)

The usual suspects were rounded up to help (and, as usual, they were asked to give the shirts off their back, give money, give time, give give give give give, donate a kidney, anyone?)...

I don't know if I could be my friend, there is a huge cost involved in knowing me... I ask a lot of "my people".. they seem to never tire of giving, donating, working, supporting, loving me (and my cause(s), which ultimately become their cause(s).

Our project began with little more than a few dollars and some really big ideas.

Many of which involved donations from the big box stores in our neighborhood.

I'm going to be honest here and say that each and every one of them disappointed me...

they disappointed me big time.

(Consistently profitable) Meijer, Kohls, Krogers.... not. a. one. of. them could agree to offer up more than a "Sorry, we don't donate to regular people"...

Sad though, since it's "regular people" (like us) that make you the profitable businesses that you are.

I guess it was a bit presumptuous on my (our) part to assume that they would be willing donate a small gift card or a couple of cans of Parmesan cheese...

Times are tuff...doncha know...

With that plan shot to hell we were forced to rely on personal donations and small family owned businesses around town.

Soon our red sauce had some meat (thank you JNS Meat Market xoxo), and our tables, small bouquets of flowers (thank you Trentwood Market xoxo).

We found ourselves a DJ (thank you Troy) to go along with a couple of hours of music donated by my own darling dear Daddio and his rockin Blues band (thank you Daddio, Andrew, Matt, Dave!! xoxo).

Suddenly we had several in-advance donations (thank you Dad and Sweetie and many others xoxo) which enabled us to buy own damn parm cheese.

For our bake sale I personally made enough cupcakes to feed a small country, (and then some) with a donation of frosting (thank you Margie's xoxo )... and a hand me down Kitchen Aid mixer.

To be continued....