Update to Robert's Snow: Finding Cancer's Cure

In my earlier post about Robert's Snow: For Cancer's Cure, I said you could find the weekly schedule for Blogging for a Cure at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Well, Jen has done all the work for us and the schedule will now be posted each week in my sidebar.

Robert's Snow: For Cancer's Cure

Something a little off topic but a worthy cause.

Robert's Snow: For Cancer's Cure is a fundraiser founded by children's illustrator Grace Lin and her husband Robert Mercer.

It all began when Robert was diagnosed with bone cancer (Ewing's sarcoma). Grace told him a story of a mouse that could not go out in the snow (like Robert during his treatments). The story became a children's book titled Robert's Snow and a portion of the author's proceeds benefit the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. From there, Grace and Robert came up with the idea of asking illustrators to create Snowflake Ornaments to be auctioned online with the proceeds going to Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Since 2004, this online auction has raised over $200,000 and this holiday tradition continues this year.

Sadly, Robert lost his battle with cancer this past August.

These snowflakes are beautiful, one of kind pieces. This year's auctions will be run in three separate sessions:
Auction 1 - November 19 - 23
Auction 2 - November 26 - 30
Auction 3 - December 3 - 7

To view the snowflakes on auction, please click on the dates above.

If you happen to be in the area and want to see the snowflakes in person, there will be two special gallery showings between October and December:

Child At Heart Gallery
48 Inn Street
Newburyport, MA 01950

Exhibit Dates:
October 3 – 22

Danforth Museum of Art
123 Union Avenue
Framingham, MA 01702

Open House:
Sunday, November 4

Special Sneak Preview:
October 31 – November 3

Exhibit Dates:
November 4 – December 2


If you would like to view the Snowflakes and learn about the illustrators, the wonderful Jules and Eisha at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast are organizing Blogging for a Cure. Each week, starting 10/15/07, different illustrators and their snowflakes will be featured in different blogs. Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast will post a master schedule of the illustrators and the blog urls.

Robert's Snow: For Cancer's Cure is a worthy cause, so please pass on the word for this fundraiser and if you can go bid on a snowflake!

Championship Series Begins

Well since the last time I posted, the division series have ended and tonight is the first night of the Championship Series for the National League. I think this series is probably TV's worst nightmare, Colorado vs Arizona. Unless you are a fan of either of these teams, there is not much juice to this series. It's a shame that not many people know most of the players on either side (myself included). Both are young teams with a lot of relative unknowns. Hopefully, this series will showcase the talent on these teams and more people will get to know the exciting talent on each side.

I am watching the game as I write this post and even I (who will watch just about any baseball game) am finding it hard to get into the game. The Rockies are currently winning 4 - 1. Part of the problem with this series, are the announcers for TBS. They are really awful. For some reason, they seem to think I give a damn that Alyssa Milano is in the stands as opposed to allowing me the opportunity to...oh, I don't know...watch the game. The other problem is it is hard to get into a playoff game where your team is not playing if the fans at the game can't get into the game. From the lack of any excitement from the stands, you would think this was a meaningless game in April. Hopefully, the Rockies fans will be more into the game when the series switches to Colorado on Sunday.

I am much more interested in the American League series. The Dragon Slayers (formerly known as the Cleveland Indians) get to take on Manny and Ortiz (does anyone else play for Boston?). I am hoping that the Dragon Slayers will keep up the momentum from slaying the Dragon (the Yankees) earlier this week and beat Boston.

I am predicting (if you have been following my previous posts, you will know that this means NOTHING) the Dragon Slayers and Rockies in the World Series.

Here's hoping this National League series gets a little more exciting.

Shows How Much I Know

So yesterday, I predicted the Yankees would win Game 2, Pettitte would pitch a great game and Fausto Carmona would not. Well I got 1/3 right - Pettite pitched a great game. The good news is Fausto pitched a better one. Last night, with their thrilling extra inning win, Cleveland took home field advantage back in this series. They can lose both games at Yankee Stadium (hopefully they won't) and still come home to the Jake for Game 5.

The Red Sox and the Halos also had a thrilling game. The game was tied going into the bottom of the 9th when Manny hit a 3 run walk off home run. The Red Sox are up 2 games to none and it would seem they are well on their way to the next round. Hopefully, the Halos will show a little life tomorrow when the series continues in Anaheim.

Tonight both the Rockies and the Diamondbacks have a chance to win their respective series. Here we go with my bold predictions again...I think the Cubs will win today and keep their series going at least another day and I think the Rockies will break Philly Phans hearts tonight and send them home. Considering how yesterday's prediction worked out, the opposite will probably happen. Especially since Chris Young, of the Diamondbacks, just hit the first pitch of the ballgame out of the park.

Til tomorrow then...

I'm Back

So, I have gotten over my initial reaction to the GREATEST COLLAPSE IN BASEBALL HISTORY, which was to sit in a dark room with no lights and speak to no one. I am back in the land of the living, and despite my declaration on Sunday afternoon that I would never watch baseball again, I have been watching all the playoff games. First of all I am glad to see the Phillies pitching staff is showing their true colors - that is they can't pitch.

I am impressed with the two young national league teams - Diamondbacks and Rockies. Neither seem intimidated by being in the playoffs. The Rockies as the Wild Card do not get home field advantage so they had to start their series in Philadelphia. Philadelphia fans at their best are a little hard to take - they booed Santa Claus for goodness sake! (No Philadelphia, you will never live that one down). The Rockies, riding a high from winning their playin game against San Diego, are unfazed by the fans and their pitchers are used to pitching in very hitter friendly conditions, so the launching pad known as Citizen's Bank Park does not intimidate them either. So after two games, the Rockies are up 2 games to none and just have to win one of their upcoming 2 games at home to advance. I am hoping they advance, for obvious reasons I really don't want Philly going any further (see previous posts) and I have been intrigued by the Rockies since they started to come on in the National League West in the second half of the season.

The Diamondbacks got to start their series against the Cubs at home. You would never know it since I think the Cubs took over Chase Field to the point that the Diamondbacks had to put on the scoreboard "Beat the Cubs" to try and get the few Diamondbacks fans to drown out all the Cub fans. However, despite this the Diamondbacks are also up by 2 games to none going into Chicago tomorrow.

My biggest fear for these playoffs was that the Indians would be intimidated by facing the Evil Empire (Yankees) and the Empire would sweep the series. Kenny Lofton is the only player on the Indians with any playoff experience and the Empire lives for the playoffs and don't forget the Empire has the best line up money can buy; and it is an intimidating line up. And yet (she says gleefully) the underdog Indians came to play last night. It is only one game and Pettitte is pitching for the Yankees tonight (I think it's his 36th post season start). Pettitte is the Yankees stopper. A big game pitcher. Fausto Carmona, the Indians starter, is pitching his first post season game and he has not pitched well against the Yankees this year. I predict Pettitte will pitch great and the Yanks will take this game tonight. Then it's on to Yankee Stadium for the next two, which could be a problem for the young Indians. We all know Aura & Mystique reside in the Bronx. However, I keep saying to myself, who would have thought Detroit could beat them last year.

Though I am not a big fan of the Red Sox, kudos to Josh Beckett. Talk about big game pitching. He pitched a complete game shutout in game one against the Halos on Wednesday night. And David Ortiz continued his October dominance with another playoff home run. I really like Mike Scioscia and his style of baseball, but the Halos are banged up and I'm not sure their pitchers can hold off the Red Sox offense. So we are probably headed toward another epic Yankees/Red Sox Championship Series.

So...despite the GREATEST COLLAPSE IN BASEBALL HISTORY, I still love baseball and can't stay away from it.

SOB...HATE BASEBALL!!

Historic Collapse

I have not posted recently because baseball really, really sucks right now. Mary Beth is going to lose her bet - Boston has to be at least 3 games ahead of the Yanks on Sunday. The Mets are on the verge of the worst collapse in the history of sports. Cleveland has the best record in the American League and will play the Yanks in the first round. What kind of advantage is this for winning the most games? Congrats Cleveland, you get to get slaughtered in the first round. Now last year I was sure Detroit would never get past the Yankees. However with Joe Borowski coming out of the Cleveland pen in the 9th, I don't think there is any lead big enough for Cleveland.

I have been listening/watching the sports shows in the New York area today. Can someone explain to me how this cataclysmic collapse by the Mets has become the fans fault? Do you mean to tell me that if there were 55,000 screaming fans at Shea, the players would catch the ball, field the ball, and the bullpen would be able to get an out without giving up the lead first? It just bothers me that this is what the "pundits" choose to focus on today.

Hopefully, there will be happier posts throughout the weekend.