Relay for Life...for Dad

Relay for Life has been very important to my family for years. In 1975 the Mayo Clinic sent my Dad home with six months to a year to live. He had been operated on for colon and liver cancer. God answered our prayers and we were given a miracle! Dad survived! Fast forward several years and Mom and Dad started to attend our local Relay for Life. I had never gone until about nine years ago. I was blown away by all the people participating as well as all the luminarias for those who had lost their battle with cancer. Dad wore his survivor shirt and walked the survivor's lap. We thanked God he was there to light his luminaria himself.

One year, when my son was about 3 years old, Sam walked with Grandpa around the track. When Dad got back to the starting point, we realized Sam wasn't with him. Dad, was unconcerned-"He's around here somewhere." Mom was yelling at Dad for losing him (and rightly so) and I was trying to not panic. I went to the stage and had Fred, the emcee for the event, announce that my son was missing. I'll never forget telling the crowd that he was wearing a dark red t-shirt that had three fishing lures printed across the front. (I still have that shirt, by the way!) Luckily a voice from the crowd shouted "Here he is!" The crowd parted and someone lifted my blonde, curly-headed pride and joy onto the stage.

It took a lot longer than that for Mom, always the ever vigilant, protective grandmother, to stop lecturing poor Dad for losing him.

In October, 2006 my Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer and this time he lost the battle. He died on December 4, 2007.

We didn't attend Relay for Life this year. Our hearts are still aching too much.

My employer sponsers a team for Relay for Life every year. I bought a luminaria in Dad's memory. Sam and I had wanted to decorate it ourselves, but it just didn't work out. We'll try next year. I couldn't really afford to make a monetary donation so I volunteered to make something for the bake sale they were having at work to raise money. I made Poppy Seed bread and amazingly they sold the mini loaves for $5.00 a loaf! They sold all of them! I at least felt I had made what contributions to the cause that I could afford to make. Hey, we can't all be Brad and Angelina!

So here's a big thank you to everyone who has been involved with Relay for Life. And a big hug for anyone fighting the battle against cancer. And please pray for my friend, Kathy, who is fighting for her life. Cancer is a truly horrible disease.

(Note: Kathy lost her life to cancer on September 30th. I will miss her, as many others will.)

Here's my recipe!

Poppy Seed Bread

3 cups of flour

1/2 tsp. of salt

1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 and 1/2 cups of sugar

1 and 1/2 cups of milk

1 and 1/2 T. poppy seed

1 and 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring

1 and 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 and 1/8 cups of oil

3 eggs

Mix 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans. I use the mini loaf pans and it makes 6 of them. I can't remember if it makes one or two of the regular loaf pans. I think it makes two. Sorry. Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick done. While bread is hot pour glaze over the top. I use the back of a spoon to smear it around. YOU MUST MAKE THE GLAZE!!!

Glaze

3/8 cup of sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. melted oleo (I know, what the hell is oleo?!!) I use margarine.

1/8 cup of orange juice

3/4 almond extract

Hear together in a saucepan and then smear on bread! It's best the next day, after the flavors have blended together. Okay, let's get real. Try to let it cool off before eating!

Oh yeah, we donated the lamp post to our hometown in Dad's memory. It is placed in front of "The Little Red School House" which is the town's meeting place.