Go Red for Women

Most of you that actually follow me probably know that I've been with my husband since 2001. I've known him and his family for 10 years now. (I just realized as I stopped to count before I typed that, that I've known them for a decade. 10 years of my 23. Wow.) His parents have considered me part of their family probably since that first year we were dating, so obviously we're close. Almost two years ago now, my mother-in-law had a heart attack. It was April 9th. It was raining that day, and I was sitting in Firestone waiting for an oil change. My husband (then fiance) was in Brownwood at school. It was a scary, scary, very long day. Miraculously, a radical treatment was effective, she had a double bypass, a defibrillator put in, and recovered extremely well. So well, in fact, that she was able to attend both my husband's graduation that May and our wedding that June. She was amazing. She even went back to work full time that August. This is the short version, of course. But the important points are that this experience made all of us very aware of the Go Red for Women cause, and we are all so grateful to still have her around and basically back to normal.

Which brings me to Go Red for Women. Friday was Go Red for Women Day, which means you're supposed to wear red to spread awareness about heart disease in women and show your support for the cause. Last year we paid a little more attention, I think because I was involved with a district at the time and it was on their calendar and it's a big influence on the kids when teachers participate in things like that. However, this year it kind of snuck up on us, which is why this post is coming after instead of leading up to the day to get you to participate as well. We still participated though, and next year I will so be on top of things and spreading the word beforehand like a good little supporter!!

So, here's how the day went. Oh, and just FYI, the batteries in the digital camera are "exhausted" and the dumb thing won't come on, and I didn't want to mess with setting up my tripod, learning how to use the self-timer, and waiting for film to get developed, so all of these are with my phone. I know they're not great, but just pretend.
I had some errands to run during the day, and it was pretty chilly Friday, so this was my day look for Go Red. Red sweater, jeans, my cheap red plastic bead jewelry (because it's fun and bold), and my awesome gray boots I got for Christmas that I absolutely looooove!
It was such a nice day, I drove with my window down! I love that! And of course, I had my jams on; that day happened to be Sara Bareilles "Little Voice" and Britney Spears "Circus". Now, I must be very clear here, I DO NOT think it is okay to take pictures with your cell phone while behind the wheel. But, I was in park waiting for a train just outside the neighborhood, so I bent my own rule just a smidge. Seriously though, I was in park or I would not have done this, and if you don't believe me, I have a picture of the train.
That night also happened to be a night that we had tickets to a Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra concert. Friday nights are technically casual at Bass Hall, but we like to get dressed up anyway and make it a fun date night. I made James take a picture of my evening look to compare to my daytime look. Swapped my jeans for gray slacks, traded my boots for cute red flats, added some lipstick, and switched my jewelry to some more sophisticated red and black pieces.Usually this shot would be a lot cleaner, but apparently I need to practice holding my phone a little more steady to take pictures. Ignore the blur, no one else was home to take the picture. The point is we were all dressed up, both in red, and we got to go out!

So that was our Go Red day. Just a little more plugging and then I'll quit, I promise. Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women in America. We also found a Facebook fan page for the cause, which we both added. I also signed up on the official web page to be a part of the cause. You can too here, and it is not required to donate or fundraise to register, but of course if you're able that's great! You get a free red dress pin for signing up, which is the symbol of Go Red. (I think they do this because the red ribbon is already a symbol for AIDS, and the movement is for women, so the dress fits.) You also get access to all the tools on the website, which is backed by the American Heart Association. There's lots of cool stuff there, including heart-healthy recipes, a 12-week plan to get healthy, a heart check-up tool, and fun stuff like shopping! I believe I'll also be getting emails about upcoming events, next year's Go Red day, and such. I unfortunately couldn't donate at the time, but I feel really good about at least participating in this small way! We came so close to losing my mother-in-law to this disease, that I just feel like I can't ignore the fact that we still have her around! At some point I am sure it will become part of our budget to contribute to causes that are close to our hearts (no pun intended), but for now I feel like the least I can do is spread the word and my passion and make other women aware.

So, Mrs. Henderson has officially joined Go Red! I'd love for you to join me!