Vermont

warning: on this ride, you may get wet

August 1- August 27, 2012:

From the Windy City Chicago, to Madison WI bike trails and green space, to Stevens Point WI for PaddleQuest adventure race, to Southern VT for BLR Play It Forward, to Upstate NY for Finger Lakes and wineries, to Toronto Canada for a first time visit to check one big one off the leap list, back to Upstate NY, to Middleburg VA to a horse farm and dessert shop visit.

Whew!

The past 26 days have included runs through green fields, corn fields, soccer fields, dirt roads, paved roads, farms and over bridges, time with friends kids, a wedding, boat rides, swimming in rivers, swimming in quarries, fresh grown food from gardens, gifted dinners, dancing under a tent, some seeing old friends, meeting new friends, mistakes, accomplishments, time with family, the biggest event I have ever planned, so much pride and joy, a bunch of tears too, locally brewed beers and locally made wine, a border crossing, intriguing strangers and unexpected connections, life lessons, lots of fun, tons of laughs, deep thoughts and reflection, some regrets, buckets of excitement, another birthday, more miles on a trusty Honda Civic than I have yet to calculate- and then some.

It’s amazing what can happen in a month or less of life. I knew this would be an “epic” August, but I never imagined at the tail end of it I’d be sitting typing reflecting like I am right now. This month proves once again that you just never know. The things you think are going to be off the charts amazing and perfect- often times end up less than stellar, and the things you don’t ever expect- often end up being beyond any stellar you could’ve imagined. Pads and shin guards anyone?

Here’s to being able to roll with the punches, letting yourself feel every bit of the tilt-a-whirl ride, and the wonder of what wild unexpected adventure will come next.

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radio interview, support with 18, and thanks bsg!

In just a few hours I’ll be in studio with WBTN Radio 1370AM for another interview! If you’re local in VT, listen in on your regular ol’ radio, otherwise tune in live online! We will be chatting about BLR Play It Forward of course. Very excited to be invited in studio right in my hometown.

A couple other pieces of BLR event business:

1.) 18 is a very significant number for Blue Lollipop Road and our event this weekend. We’ve been rallying support and donations to help make our event and the Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship possible for months now. In the last couple days leading into the weekend, we are asking if you can, to please donate $18 to BLR. We figure this is a doable amount for just about anyone! If you’d like to donate $18 and support us, please click HERE.

2.) Big thanks to Bennington Sports & Graphics!

Bennington Sports & Graphics Logo

Owners Tom and Angela Husser have been so incredibly helpful to us with help finding t-shirts, jerseys, and soccer balls for our event! Three cheers for home town Mom-and-Pop shops who give that personalized service we all love. If anyone is interested in purchasing a BLR branded event t-shirt, please drop a line here or to [email protected] and we will hook you up!

A year in the making, our weekend is almost here. Oh the anticipation…

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with love – strong mojo

I am beyond honored and excited to share news about this incredible piece of work made for our BLR Play It Forward Event. Our coach, mentor, friend, and wildly accomplished Artist Traci Molloy who is part of our MAU Soccer Alumni, has created this special piece of art:

With love - Strong Mojo by Traci Molloy

With love - Strong Mojo by Traci Molloy

They are both photo based silkscreens, as you can see above, one set of prints has hand drawing on top. There are 15 prints available in the photo only based edition, and 12 prints in the photo based edition with hand drawing on top. This piece is for sale and titled “With love- Strong Mojo.”

Traci is generously offering these prints for $50 (unframed) for the soccer community. If you’d like to pre-order/hold one on reserve before the Artist Reception at the Vermont Arts Exchange on August 18, please e-mail Traci directly at [email protected]. The prints would normally be worth $200. Part of the proceeds will go to the Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship.

We love you Traci! Thank you for making such a beautiful piece.

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sponsors for blr play it forward continue to come in

A big shout out to yet another fantastic BLR Play It Forward sponsor!

Price Chopper logo: BLR Play It Forward Sponsor

Thank you Price Chopper Supermarkets!

Price Chopper is supplying all the cups, plates and napkins we will be using to nosh on our sponsored local farm fresh goodies, at the Strong Mojo Summit and Alumni Game next Saturday. They have also gifted us a store credit for any last minute items we will need to stock up on.

We dig companies who give to us, so we can give back to the community we love! Thanks again Price Chopper!

 

 

 

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we supply the mojo

Check it:

BLR Play It Forward is a feature story in the Bennington Banner today! Read the article HERE.

We are thankful that our hometown is excited and supports our event. 2 weeks from today we will be reconnecting with old friends, reminiscing , sharing life experiences with local youth, honoring lost friends, and playing the sport we love. We can’t wait!

Thank you Bennington Banner for a great article!

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epic august

The word “epic” has become very trendy and overused these days to describe anything and everything big time and cool. I’ll have to jump on the epic bandwagon here like everybody else, because I’m quite sure my August is going to be epic and them some. Here’s what this month has in store for Blue Lollipop Road and I:

*Major road trip action~ Chicago to Wisconsin to Vermont to Upstate, NY Finger Lakes to Toronto to Washington DC to Virginia

*A 34th birthday

*BLR PLay It Forward Event

I always end up doing some kind of fun adventure each year this month because It’s summertime and my birthday time.. This August though, I’m by far more thrilled about and anticipating than any other. It might be something about a bunch of great road trip time, feeling happier healthier, and more balanced as I get older, and hosting an event that means everything in the world to me. Yeah…that.

Here’s to august 2012 and living life like you mean it!

 

 

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we like mighty fresh foods

Another sponsor has stepped up for BLR Play It Forward!

Meet Mighty Food Farm:

Might Food Farm logo

We are so lucky to have not one but two local farms in our sponsor lineup for our big event. Yay for farm fresh food and Vermont Farms that help keep us all feeling playing our best and healthiest!

Thank you for your generosity Mighty Food! Your sponsorship is going to help us put on the best event ever! We LOVERMONT.

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just so thankful

Where do I begin with the thank you’s?

On a daily basis I am thankful for lots of things: Friends, family, adventure, cheese, chocolate, glitter, etc. and all the minutes I have to enjoy these things- but since starting to plan BLR Play It Forward, I’m even more thankful that usual. Individuals and organizations galore have stepped up to volunteer their time, services, networks and other to help me make this dream a reality.

There will be a gazillion more thanks moving forward, but for today I would like to thank:

*Kate Emma Adams Schlosser and Traci Molloy for being amazing friends and partners in planning crime.

*Bobby Holliday of Eclectic Graphics, for being so incredible generous with time and skill to rebuild the BLR site once again.

*WBTN Radio 1370AM Radio and David Lively for my interview this morning. (Another interview in studio will take place Thursday 8/16 at 8:30am so mark your calendars and tune in!)

*The Town of Shaftsbury, VT for donating the use of Howard Park Facilities to us for the Strong Mojo Summit and Alumni Soccer Game 8/18.

*Tracy Bushee Designs for her awesome logo and poster creations for our event.

*Clear Brook Farm for donation of fresh delicious organic foods we will get to nosh on event weekend.

*Adam Wilson Photography for his volunteered services to capture all the special moments we will have 8/17 and 8/18.

*Mike Cutler for coordinating videographers and CATTV to document our day 8/18.

*The alumni who have sent in registrations to help fund the Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship.

*The families of Maria Greene and Brandy Brown who have been so thankful and supportive of us honoring their daughters who meant (and still mean)- so much to us.

I’m so happy and so thankful I just could not type enough thanks. There will be many more. Until then, if you all only knew the beginning of what this means to me.

23 days until a most special weekend is here.

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