A Spooktacular Day...

~~The Gayla Pink Apple~~

 

Trick-or-Treat!  If you don't treat me, I might trick YOU!

I had a SPOOKTACULAR day - lunch with my friend, Stephanie!  When we were messaging back and forth planning our lunch - her fb message said "let's shoot for Thursday and have a spooktacular lunch."   So, we did just that.  Lunch today at South on Main started off my Halloween day in a...well, SPOOKTACULAR way!  I liked the place - if you haven't been there yet and are in the city, try it! 

And Halloween trick or treating tonight for kids...

 

What?  Trick or Treat? 

I like to put on a little Halloween gear to give candy to the kids.  When my daughter was young, I'd dress up in costume with her.  She is now grown and not here on Halloween - I put on a mask tonight for the heck of it.  Yes, it's really a marti gras mask - but tonight I'm calling it a bird or a cat.  I like to chat with the little ones - asking them their name - pretending not to know what character or costume they are wearing. Sometimes I honestly don't know! 

I also might just ask them where they live and who are their parents.  I look around to see if an adult is in the background.  I like it when a parent is with them - I'm not a fan of little ones roaming the streets without supervision.  I love seeing their little faces light up with excitement - sometimes even a look of confusion, but almost always a feeling of joy in such a little gesture as being given candy by a neighbor, friend, or even a stranger. 

Happy Halloween to YOU, regardless of your age or costume.  Eat candy and enjoy it --- tomorrow throw it away!

Gayla




 

 



A Swingin' C A T

~~The Gayla Pink Apple~~

 My favorite C A T swingin' for his birthday!



My Dad and me in his new "Birthday" Log Swing

Look at those overalls!!!  When I was growing up he never wore overalls; now he loves them! 

My Mother and I surprised my Dad with a delivery of this log swing for his birthday. His initials are C A T and his birthday is October 31st - Halloween!  Hence, the swingin' birthday C A T!

 

Some of you may recall, about a month ago while visiting my parents, my Dad and I drove to the AT&T store.  Riding in the vehicle, he says to me,  "I think your Mother would like to have a swing."  I replied, "well, buy her one."  An hour or so later, my Mother and I drove to a neighborhood store.  She says to me, "I think your Daddy would like to have a swing."  I replied, "well, buy him one."  I chuckled to myself wondering which one really wanted a swing.

 

Several months ago, I purchased the same log swing for my backyard.  I knew my parents liked the swing a lot.  Since my Dad's birthday was coming up, my Mother and I decided to buy the swing for him.  I'm pretty sure they both wanted a swing and I am confident they both will enjoy this swing a lot. 

 

My husband and I went to my parents house last week and he helped my Dad with the assembly of the new swing.  

The frame assembly!

The swing being assembled. 

Mr. and Mrs. C A T just a swingin'

My Dad can sit in this comfortable swing, look out over his property - he can see his pond - watch for the deer - enjoy the peaceful beauty that surrounds him.  Oh, uhhh, so can she!  There's room for them both.

 

Happy Birthday C A T!



Garden of Pansies and A Little Dirt Never Hurt Anyone...

~~The Gayla Pink Apple~~

 

Celebrating two birthdays today with lunch at my house. You're probably thinking that I celebrate a lot of birthdays, since I blog about them often. Yes, I do! As a matter of fact, I enjoy doing it. I also like not getting up everyday to go to the office / job. That allows me to have my friends and family for lunch, dinner, or whatever occasion arises.

The birthday girls -  Regenia and Beth share the same birthday - October 17th - and we celebrated them today.

 Happy Birthday Regenia

Happy Birthday Beth

 

Today was what I call a fun garden of pansies and a little dirt.

 A little garden of pansies!

Close up view of purple pansies in little yellow watering can! 

Oversized purple chargers with yellow dishes fit perfectly

with the purple and yellow pansies. 

I thought it was very fitting to use pansies today in lieu of cut flowers.  Using a purple and yellow color pallet reminds me of fall - yet - not the typical pumpkin orange you think of for October.   I adore the purple and yellow pansies, with big oversize purple chargers, and my yellow dishes for today's lunch.  The yellow dishes I've had since 1981 - I received them when I got married. 

Close up view of yellow pansies in miniature purple garden tub

A little bite of dirt never hurt anyone, right?  "Dirt Cake" for dessert tops off our little garden fun luncheon.  A big hard sugar candy flower for garnish.  The oreo dirt cake is so easy, fun, and tasty, too!  As for the hard sugar candy garnish - well, it's technically edible, but I don't recommend it. 

Our dessert today - Oreo Dirt Cake in miniature purple garden tub,

garnished with sugar candy flowers.

I've made these dirt cakes in the past and they are always delicious and fun to decorate.  Years ago, my sister and I made individual dirt cakes in miniature clay flower pots - gosh, I think we made about 100 of them.  We used gummy worms as garnish - aka worms crawling in the dirt.  It was exhausting, making so many at a time, and for years, I had no desire to make them again.  Today's dirt cakes were in miniature purple garden tubs - how cute are these?  

Beth and Me at the luncheon today. 

Three girls / gals / ladies / women - whichever term fits - enjoying lunch - talking, laughing, and catching up.

Regenia and Me at the luncheon today!

I think we are all of these -- we are GIRLS - we are GALS - we are LADIES - and we are WOMEN! 

Happy Birthday Beth and Regenia!

Today, I'm going with Happy Birthday to these two LADIES!!  Both of these ladies are gracious and kind with a lot of dedication to their families, churches, and friends.  Happy Birthday Beth and Regenia!

With Love,

Gayla

 



20th Anniversary Race for the Cure in LR - October 19, 2013

~~The Gayla Pink Apple~~

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Ladies, do monthly self exams and get a mammogram!!!

Another successful Susan G Komen Race for the Cure in downtown Little Rock today.  What fabulous people we have in Arkansas, to turn out in such a big way for the Race for the Cure.  Today was the 20th anniversary race in Little Rock.

Today's Official Photo of me :-)



I love this sign - Little Rock definitely ROCKS the Komen Race for the Cure 5K!

My neighbor and friend, Linda; and me, today!

I woke up this morning to the noise of rain falling consistently.  Oh NO, it's raining!  Do I go anyway?  I did - and oh, how I am glad I did.  The rain stopped and it was a perfectly beautiful day.

I'm always in awe of the many many thousands of people walking and / or running the event in support of breast cancer research and our continued efforts in working towards finding a cure for breast cancer.  

Photos from today...

Me --- Before the Run/Walk

After --- Me and my pink shoes and all the beads thrown from the crowd!

L to R:  My neighbor, Linda, and me

Me --- Survivor carpet entrance... I'm an 8 yr. survivor!

My gear -- I am Bib Proud!

I have participated in this event each year since 2005, when I walked my first SGKomen event, bald, just two weeks after my last chemotherapy session.  I AM BIB PROUD!!   I have NEVER participated in this great event without being a REGISTERED participant.  I know many people fail to register, and participate anyway - I am proudly not one of them. 

I signed the survivor pink wall last Wednesday at the Race Space



Excited to add my signature again this year to the 2013 Survivor Pink Wall of signatures at the Race Space! The lei around my neck (above photo) is because last Wednesday this bubbly lady walks up and asked what day it was? If you replied "hump day" you got lei 'd and a cookie! :-)   Cute, I think!

Pink breast cancer ribbon made of iron by my brother-in-law

My sister's husband made this pink breast cancer ribbon of iron.  They display it in their yard, during the month of October, in my honor.  I love it and what a special honorarium.

A huge beautiful arrangement of fresh cut pink flowers from a dear friend! 

A wonderful gesture of celebration and inspiration to me.

The card which came with the flowers!

The Pink Ring

Yesterday, I had lunch with my dear 86 year old friend of 30 plus years.  After we were seated at our table, Virginia reaches in her purse and hands me this ring.  She says "this is not a valuable ring, but it is the first ring I bought myself as an adult - it's pink, and I want you to have it in honor of your Susan G Komen race tomorrow, and to honor you as a survivor."  I'm lost for words except to say I love it beyond words. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll leave you with a little walk down memory lane with photos from previous Race for the Cure events...

2012...

Last year - 2012 Central Park, NYC, Race for the Cure

Memorabilia from the NYC run in Central Park

Blair - 2012 - SGKomen - Central Park - NYC

Central Park - SGKomen Race for the Cure - NYC

2012 Central Park, New York City, with Blair

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2011...

October 2011 Train for the Cure - War Memorial Stadium

Photo by SGKomen Foundation Photographer

Training Group at War Memorial
(yes, I'm in there)

SGKomen Race for the Cure - 2011 

Group at the starting line!

Me - 2nd row center in my pink shirt and pink survivor cap!

This was my first year to actually RUN the event

instead of walk it!   

2011 - Little Rock - with my Sam - my cheerleader!

Sam is my favorite guy from my old Fitness Center. 

He greeted me at the fitness center many many mornings - telling me, yes, you CAN run,  all you do is put one foot in front of the other and train!  I love this young man.  I call him my adopted son.    No doubt in my mind, I am a runner today because I met Sam!

October 2011 - Little Rock - with my sister! 
She was my 'rock' during my chemo days!

Little Rock Race for the Cure 5K

Pasta Party Wine Bottle by Susan G Komen Foundation;

Survivor hard hat from Survivor Parade!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2010...

A sweet lady, Vicky, wears my name on her back!

Survivor signatures on the SURVIVOR WALL - 2010

"5 yr. Mark"

I walked the Race for the Cure in 2010 with my best friend from high school, Gena. I am so sorry I don't have a photo of us! We took one with my phone but I've since changed phones and lost it.    :-(

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2009...

2009 - Little Rock with my sister, Vickie

2009 - Little Rock - with a friend before the walk

2009 - Little Rock

2009 - Survivor Parade - silliness

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 2008 - I couldn't find any pictures from '08

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2007...
Arkansas State Capitol, Bureau of Legislative Research girls (survivors.)  The powers at be purchased us pink feather boas to wear.  We had to turn them back in after the Komen race - the following year they would give them back to us to wear again. 

2007 - Little Rock - State Capitol Pink Boa girls: Margie, Gayla, and Janice!

We had so many feathers on us we look like BIG birds indeed!  I hated those feathers (and still do.) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2006...

Blair and I walked together in 2006!

Blair and Me - 2006 - Little Rock

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2005...

The Tapley Foursome...

L to R:  Natalie, Me, Vickie, and Blair - 2005 - Little Rock

The Tapley Foursome are: my daughter, Blair; me; AND my sister, Vickie; and her daughter, Natalie.

 

I call this my infamous SGKomen year.  The no hair - two weeks out of chemo - first year to walk the 5K.  Basically, little memory of the day.  Frankly, I hate the picture.  My body had just been pumped full of poison and I felt like sh-t and looked like it, too!  I thought I'd die before my feet crossed that finish line.  I just wanted to go home! 

2005 - during chemo - my wigs - powering on day by day!

At my desk getting ready for a legislative committee meeting.

Not a Komen pic - one of the few pic I have during 2005 - my chemo/wig days!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  



I'll end with one of my favorite Susan G Komen photos from 2006...

Survivor and Co-Survivor Photo by Susan G Komen Foundation - 2006

Blair and me - My wig days and one of my favorite photos with my daughter.

The Komen Foundation took survivor and co-survivor photos and put them on posters for decorations at the pasta party.  I am wearing pink boxing gloves - the pink you see in the forefront of the picture.  The theme in 2006  was "Live for Today, Fight for Tomorrow."  This is the photo used of Blair and me!

 

Pink is beautiful,

Gayla