Fräulein Forehand

Lots to blog about ... Forgive the frequency.

The weather cleared after morning Mass and a Costco run, so went to our Swim & Tennis Club after lunch to play tennis. It was cloudy and humid, but not hot. I thought we might play for half an hour, and call it quits after Dori and/or the kids tired. As we entered the tennis courts, a clock showed it was 1:35 p.m.

At 3:15 p.m., the kids were done, sucking on water and watching their Mom and Dad have some serious rallies. Dori wasn't content to just hit; I heard a few grunts. Nothing Sharapova-like, but some real good "uhhhs." When she sat in the car, sweaty and smiling, she said, "There's something about hitting a tennis ball." On the way home, she talked about getting back on the court soon.

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. But I think someone has found an outlet. Here's the update e-mail I sent to friends tonight. Any and all support is appreciated.

Hello, friends! I hope this finds you enjoying a great summer. I'm writing to share a training and fundraising update.

First, I wanted to share good news ... Dori continues to get stronger. This afternoon, nine months after her bone marrow transplant, Dori played tennis for an hour and a half with the kids and me. We think her young European donor, whom we haven't met but call "Hans," was a finalist in the Dutch Open because Dori played some very good tennis. Dori is alive today because of her donor, research and drug break-throughs, and lessons learned by medical staff. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society plays a big role in this, as most of you know. It's why I'm training for another half marathon and fundraising.

So how's training going? I've logged 120 miles so far - many enjoyable, some challenging and a few very difficult. When all is said and done, I will have run nearly 500 miles before the October half marathon (Nike Women's), barring any injury.

Fundraising, thanks to many of you, is going well. Through your generosity, we've raised $5,500 to date, with pledges and other efforts nearing $3,500. It is a great start. In fact, our team is the leading Team in Training (TNT) fundraising group in Tennessee for fall events. Nationally, we're No. 18 out of 5,000 fundraisers for the October race. Saying "thank you" isn't enough, but it's all we can say. My TNT teammates, with whom I run each Saturday morning, are incredible. Most have a story of a relative who has battled leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. Unfortunately, there are too many of us out here, but we are trying to do something about these cruel cancers.

If you haven't already joined this effort, please consider making a secure online donation here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/nikesf08/jbrownrvte.

And don't forget to register, if you're between 18 and 60, as a potential bone marrow donor: http://www.marrow.org/. If you're an interested Middle Tennessee resident, please e-mail Dori (doribrown2007@gmail.com) ... she's organizing a local drive to make it easier for you.

We wish you many blessings and appreciate your continued prayers.