Hello Everyone:

Hope everyone has had a good Spring and Summer. Hard to believe that we are going into the fall next week. Wow. It is true that time seems to go by faster as we get older. Life becomes more precious each and every day.

It has been a busy spring and summer. In addition to golf, I have taken up sailing – I am a water baby after all – however do not like going into the water. Lake Ontario is pretty gross and cold. 🥶😂. It is pretty peaceful though. I did a women’s sailing program and met some interesting gals. There were some calm nights where there was little wind – so it was more paddling than sailing. Good for the arms! Little boats have no engines. 🤷🏻‍♀️

With life getting back to more normal times, I was able to go to NYC and saw a couple of cousins and dear friends. I went to Italy for a wedding of one of my extended family – where I am affectionately referred to as the “work aunt”. It used to be “work mom” but I felt that made me older. LOL. Nothing like a change of scenery and being in 40 degree heat. It was so hot and humid that once when I went to the bathroom – I had to wait before I could put my gown back on. 🤦🏻‍♀️ . On the way home I stopped into my favourite place – the City of Lights – to celebrate a girlfriend’s milestone birthday. Paris – I still love it. C’etait absolument fantastique.

I recently participated in my annual charity run and raised funds again for the Alzheimer Society of Toronto. I was the #2 individual fundraiser in the event. Raising over $18K! I made the 5 km trek in my best time. Needless to say I went for a massage the next day and asked the therapist to work on my legs and gluts. 😂.
I know there is no hope when one is felled with Alzheimer’s. So if this can help other families cope and get support through programs and counselling, it helps me when I feel sad that I will never have a “mother-daughter heart to heart” again. It is really a cruel and degassing disease for families.

Next year, it will be 10 years since I was the speaker for the Run for the Cure and hope that to bring back my Winnie’s Warriors team for the occasion and raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Foundation. (Breast, Prostate groups have all rolled into the main foundation now). I also want to honour a dear Warrior who lost her fight to Cancer earlier this year. She was a cancer survivor of 20 years and faced a recurrence and while she fought bravely and courageously for her 8 year old son, she didn’t make it. I spent time with her, chatted, consulted, and we also rang the bell together after her last chemo. This experience with her shook me to the core. I am not sure I have totally recovered from it. I still can’t talk about it too much.

On my milestone, last September 1st – celebrating 10 years cancer-free, I finally allowed myself to be called a cancer “survivor”. With the recent passing of Olivia Newton John, I think I will go with what she preferred – being called – a cancer “thriver”. She said, “Survivor sounds like someone clinging onto a lifeboat. A thriver’s someone who’s already off the boat and on land.”

Monday, September 19th is the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. A truly remarkable woman who remained steadfast in her beliefs and duties. I was told she had made it possible for her great granddaughter Charlotte to be an heir to the throne now. Something that wasn’t available to her own daughter Ann. Amazing.

Cheers to you all. May we continue to cross paths, seek the best in ourselves, experience great adventures ahead and inspire & touch lives.

Hugs and love, Winnie, the Warrior. XOXO