The Cattle Baron's Ball...

Tonight Peter and I went to an event called The Cattle Baron's Ball. This is a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society.  You dress up in country & western wear and go eat, drink and be merry. You listen to live country music, check out a silent auction as well as the *yikes* live auction!  Cha ching!  It's a fun time, and what makes it even more special is that all the proceeds from tonight's event go to the American Cancer Society.  

Part of me was SO not looking forward to this thing tonight.  I kept wishing Peter would say he didn't want to go.  LOL  But that didn't happen, so we put on our cowboy/cowgirl gear and off we went.  

And it was fun.  Lots of great food.  Lots of (free) wine, beer and other drinks.  So we mosey around checking things out.  Peter even bid on a couple of items in the silent auction but he didn't win. Awww.    

We walk around, sampling the different foods and drinking our Coronas.  Yum.  Then I had my first emotional moment of the evening.  I knew this was a cancer fundraiser and, obviously, raising money to find a cure for cancer is pretty near and dear to me, but when we first got there it was like any other event, except I was in a cowboy hat....lol  Then we came to the Memorial Trees.  You can write the name of someone who has lost the battle with cancer and they will add that name on one of the trees.  

 So, I wrote Nikki's name on a tag and they hung it.  It was then that it hit me the reason for this whole big deal of an event.  Cancer took Nikki's life, and cancer affected every single one of us who knew and loved her!!  Cancer affected me!!

A little while later, we go into another room where they have speakers and the live auction.  Let me tell you, I was surprised at how emotional I was just listening to the people speak.  I had no idea that it would hit me like that!!  So, I am sitting there listening to the speakers, and I am crying.  It really struck a nerve with me!  I was one of those people who's life has been changed by cancer.  No, I wasn't the one who had it, but someone I loved very much did.  :(

I am glad that I was able to be a part of tonight.  :)

That's a lot of words to tell a short story, huh?  lol  Well, details are my thing as my husband tells me. ;)  Takes me a little while to tell a story.  

Oh...and speaking of my dear husband.  After the live auction and the THOUSANDS of dollars they raised with just that, they did this thing asking for donations.  You could raise your "paddle" (the paper with the numbers in the photo was our paddle) and say how much you want to donate. Peter raised his and made a generous donation to The American Cancer Society.  (American, Canadian....it doesn't matter to cancer and it doesn't matter to me! It all  helps!!)  I said he didn't have to do that, but he said he wanted to and that it was a very good cause.  His words were:  "Thinking about Nikki, hope that no one else has to say  good-bye."  Thank you, Honey!  I love you!  <3

Thinking about you, Bickett.  Tonight....and always.  <3