BUY FLA-VOR-ICE PLEASE!

I know, I know - stop getting on soap boxes - but really - this time, it's worth it! GO BUY and SUPPORT FLA-VOR-ICE! PLEASE!!! See the email below from Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation -

Dear Families,

Kensington, MD - Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation is excited to announce the production of the first Gold Ribbon specially marked commercial product. Available now in your grocery store are specially marked boxes of Jel Sert's Fla-Vor-Ice. Fla-Vor-Ice® was introduced by Jel Sert in 1969, and quickly became the leading freezer pop in the United States. The Jel Sert Company is proud to extend its corporate commitment to sponsor the Gold Ribbon for Childhood Cancer on its Fla-Vor-Ice products.

Jel Sert’s Fla-Vor-Ice has delighted families for over 35 years with great tasting freezer bars made with 25% real fruit juice. Now proudly displaying the gold ribbon for childhood cancer awareness, Fla-Vor-Ice is helping Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation support our nation’s littlest cancer patients. For those of you who can’t wait to get to the store to read the text along side the gold ribbon on the box it reads: "Jel Sert is proud to support the fight against childhood cancer through knowledge and awareness. Please visit www.candlelighters. org for more information, support and to learn how you can help provide hope for these children and their families ....because kids can't fight cancer alone!"

To thank Jel Sert for their commitment to our nation's children with cancer, we are asking that you take a few minutes to thank the company. You can email them using the drop down at the bottom of the page at: http://www.jelsert. com/contact_ us.asp or you can call them at: 800-323-2592. Please let them know how thrilled we are that they have chosen to build awareness of this childhood cancer cause.

We also encourage you to check out your local grocery stores and make sure that they are carrying the specially marked Fla-Vor-Ice product.

Finally, we would like to compile pictures of our children enjoying eating Fla-Vor-Ice. Please email any pictures that you have to Ruth Hoffman at: ruthihoffman@ gmail.com. See our website for examples of two children who are excited to see the gold ribbon on the product:

http://www.candleli ghters.org/Awareness/SpeciallyMarkedProducts/tabid/500/Default.aspx

Now that we have our FIRST specially marked gold ribbon product, let's work together to see more of them! If you have contacts to other company management, please contact Ruth so that we can let them know of Jel Sert's commitment, as well as work with them to discuss how their company can build awareness of childhood cancer too!

Together we can build awareness of childhood cancer!

Ruth (Please forward to friends and family THANKS!)

--Ruth I Hoffman
MPHExecutive Director
Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation
www.candlelighters.org
grhoffman@candlelighters.org
Cell: 202-262-9949

**** Me again - please support Fla-vor-ice - it's cheap, it's cold, and it's a great cause! I called the company this morning (Thursday) and told the lady Thank you - she was genuinely surprised to hear from me, so the more we can support this cause, the more support these companies are going to be willing to give!

Two Years

I'm sitting here wondering how two years can pass so fast in one sense, and in another, not. Let me clarify. Today is the two year anniversary of my Grams passing. Two years ago today, I held her hand and touched her leg as my mom held her other hand, my aunt held her leg, my other aunt held me, my cousin stood in the room shell-shocked, and my son bolted from the room. Two years ago today, I lost my best friend in the whole world. The one person I trusted completely. The one person who I knew I could talk to about everything and nothing. She taught me about misty moisty mornings, and about lemon drops, and about melancholy and how to use it in a sentence, and about life and love - she taught me to forgive, even that which I thought was unforgivable, she had this way of listening, of really listening with her whole being so you just knew that she HEARD you - not just your words, but YOU - ME. even when I didn't have words, she knew. I feel guilty, even though I know I shouldn't, I feel guilty sometimes because I miss her more than I miss him. His two year anniversary was the fifth, and while I noted it with sadness, I also know in my heart that he is no longer in pain, and he was hurting so bad that I was ok with him leaving - he hurt all the time, not just the last week of his life - he was not happy, he was existing, and to see this larger than life man reduced to the life he was living was harder than letting him go was. But her - I still have moments where I'm just so damned sad. I still pick up the phone to ask her how to spell something. I still have these moments when I want to call her and tell her what I've seen, what I've dealt with, what I have learned, what I fear, what I'm excited about - all of it. I still want to share with her... and DAMNED IT I miss her so much. It's like, part of my chest caves in when I allow myself to think about it. I wonder if I will forever hate the month of May... It used to be my favorite... I love you Gram, I miss you.