Blogging For Hadley

Positively Loved is now on MYSPACE, too.

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:49:36 GMT

We'd love to be your friend.

Positively Loved

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 18:34:23 GMT

Thank you for visiting positivelyloved. What began as a journal for me to "blog" in during the 2007 Blog-A-Thon has become a somewhat foundation, a way to keep Hadley's memory alive.

Perhaps you're visiting this website after being sent here by a friend or an online forum, or maybe you've even seen the website address on one of our car magnets. Either way, to learn about positivelyloved and Hadley, click here.

All I know is, we must do what we can to stop FeLV and FIV. But for those cats infected? Let's give them the best life. Let's them be both positive and loved, as Hadley was. We can do this by supporting The Marley Fund and Marley House. Though we are always grieving, any headway in taking a stand against FIV and FeLV and a stand for positive cats makes such a difference.

Magnets can also be purchased for $10.

Now, through MissionFish's partnership with e-Bay, all items you list on e-Bay can help charities. List something on e-Bay and donate a percentage of the sale to The Marley Fund! Click here for more information.

Post Fourty-Nine: THE END

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 13:07:27 GMT

And so, it's that time: 9 a.m. on July 29th, 2007. This exact time yesterday I was just setting off to begin the 2007 Blog-A-Thon. And now, in what feels like the blink of an eye, it's over.

For starters, I am so thankful to bellaleonessa for informing me about The Marley Fund to begin with. During Hadley's final moments, learning about such a great organization left me with some sort of hope in my heart. But Hadley is gone, and I have blogged in her memory. No bout of exhaustion or headache could even compare to my desire to keep her legacy alive. So, let me start over: My name is Lindsay, and I'm absolutely ecstatic to have had the opportunity to spend twenty-four hours in front of a computer blogging in Hadley's memory for The Marley Fund.

Thanks to you wonderful sponsors, Blogging For Hadley has raised...

$673.07

I'm absolutely ecstatic about this. My goal begin at $300, went up to $400, traveled even more to $500. I then decided to set my sights a little bit high and make my goal $600. To finish at $673.07 is unbelievable and my heart is so filled with happiness and gratitude to all of you.

That said, here is my thank you speech. I've been saying all night long that "thank you" seems so trivial. The gratitude I have runs so deep that I can't even begin to find the appropriate words. From the bottom of my very being: thank you. Thank you for the sponsorships, the donations, the comments to keep me going during the weirdest hours of the night.

As far as the prizes go, everything will be mailed out within the week. The "In Memory Of Hadley" ribbon magnets will arrive to me in about 2-3 weeks, and I'll be conducting another raffle once they come in and contacting all of the winners through e-mail.

The Blog-A-Thon staff will send you an e-mail letting you know how to donate the amounts you pledged. I provided an online link for credit cards as well as a check/money order send-to address.

Again, thank you. Thank you for all you've done for our whole little family during this horrific nightmare of a tragedy. I never thought there could be any positives when it came to losing Hadley and there certainly is not, but the fact that her name and memory helped so many other cats with FeLV or FIV means more to me than you could ever begin to know.

And this is my final goodbye. I look forward to seeing you next year to do this all over again.

Post Forty-Eight

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 12:29:51 GMT

I found that above photograph of Hadley by accident, on Aaron's computer, when I was looking for another file to upload. She's laying on the foot of our bed which is where she slept if we were not on the bed. If we were on the bed, she slept on top of us, or next to us. I can just feel her warmth radiating from that picture.

I'm in the process of compiling the total amount that Hadley's memory has raised for The Marley Fund (I refuse to take any credit for this. Hadley was the one who affected and inspired so many people.) and making my big farewell post for the 9 a.m. finale!

I'm feeling so much more awake now. Taking little naps in between posts is so absolutely horrible of an idea. It's like being in a coma and you just can't bring yourself to wake up fully! But, here I am. Watching The Upside Of Anger just to hear the name "Hadley" being spoken and so absolutely touched by the kindness everyone has displayed. I know, I know: save that all for the farewell post.

Post Forty-Seven

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 12:02:59 GMT

I just took a 20 minute nap after my last post. I can't decide if it was harmful or helpful!

There is an adorable turtle sunning himself (herself?) outside of our window in the lake. A new day has begun!

I can't believe there are only two more posts to go...

Post Forty-Six

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 11:32:34 GMT

So, here are some obvious facts:

After I make this post, I only have two more and then the Blog-A-Thon is over (how sad!).

I am not proud to be watching A Prairie Home Companion, which I just began watching, courtesy of OnDemand.

I have until eleven to sleep after I make my last post at nine, and then we're heading over to my parents lake house for a family barbecue.

Oh, and I have some mighty fine under-eye bags starting.

But, oh man, how exciting. You won't even believe how much we've managed to raise for The Marley Fund. I am honestly in awe and just so touched by everyone's generosity. Of course, that'll all be saved for my last post.

Post Forty-Five

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 10:59:10 GMT

Good morning! It's...daylight! I'm starting to get my second wind. For some reason, blogging has made me terribly thirsty. I've been drinking more water during the 'Thon than I have in who knows how long!

Yes, it's that seven o'clock post. Seven o'clock! It's crazy.

But, as promised, another drawing must be made:

Congratulations to...
vertamae

(All winners notified by e-mail, yadda-yadda-yadda, you get the drift by now.)

Post Forty-Four

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 10:29:59 GMT

Well, it's officially light outside. And I won't lie: I am so exhausted that I think I'm going to totally fall over and die! But we're almost there, and we've come so far.

Aaron has been great during my weaving in and out of sanity. This Blog-A-Thon has been a huge deal over here at our house. We've been looking forward to it for so long!

Anyone have any morning plans? What to do after Blog-A-Thon?

Post Forty Three

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 10:02:38 GMT

Happy six o'clock hour!

Landon and Jagger have decided that they are up for good. Three more hours and the 'Thon is all over for the year (that's pretty sad). I can see a little bit of blue in the sky...

...One more hour and I'll do our last raffle ever. Let's wait until seven. It's the last raffle to win the cat charm bracelet, in case you're just joining us/just overly tired like the rest of us.

Post Forty-Two

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 09:29:51 GMT

And it's 5:30 a.m.! One more half an hour until the sky begins to get a little bit more blue outside.

I hope everyone is hanging on and staying awake! We're almost there.

Post Forty-One

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 09:02:31 GMT

Okay, so, the exhaustion has kicked in full-force. And boy, do I mean full-force. Time to go back on my word to consume as much fruit and water as possible and dive into the Dr. Peppers and chocolate chip cookies.

Happy "morning", everyone. Another hour or so until it gets light outside here.

Post Forty!

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 08:34:01 GMT

Oh, yes, it's true: it's four-thirty, and this is my fortieth blog post! I'd love to crawl into bed, get under the covers and just sleep but at the same time, I'm still pretty darn awake!

Jagger is now keeping me entertained by chasing bugs that are outside while staying on the inside, as she looks out our sliding glass patio doors. There are some interesting looking insects who become attracted to our patio light at four-thirty in the morning.

I'm watching the local news. The stories have begun to repeat one another. I think I'm going to do that last raffle for the bracelet pretty soon. There are so many names and just one prize! Eek!

Speaking of prizes, I won a drawing over at bloggin4ferrets! I can't even begin to say how excited I am.

Post Thirty-Nine

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 08:01:27 GMT

Oh man, the next post is the big 4-0. Pretty excited about that! I'm impressed at how easy this has been so far, even during my most tiresome moments. No pure exhaustion yet. Fingers crossed!

It's freezing in this apartment. This is my doing. I read that the colder the room, the more awake you are. Apparently, it's harder to sleep in the cold than the heat. After reading a few proclamations online, I tested it out. But now I'm just cold, because Jagger and Aaron steal blankets. And they both sleep so innocently that I cannot wake either of them to retrieve a blanket! So, shiver I will! Brr.

Post Thirty-Eight.

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 07:32:16 GMT

There's this little place on the web called Catster (catster.com). You might have heard of it. And if you're anywhere as crazy as I am, your cats might even have profiles on Catster. I get a lot of laughs when the topic of Catster comes up.

But I'm devoting this post to Catster because Hadley's loss was understood by so many of those folks on Catster. See all of those rosettes? Stars? Treats? Views? Friends? All they've given us and all of their kind words have made all of the difference in the world.

It's amazing how so many people can express their sympathies and yet, nothing happens. But then other people can, and you know they understand, and your heart lifts up a little bit. Between cat_lovers and Catster, my heart has been lifted a lot more and a lot quicker than I'd have thought.

So, this post is devoted to all of Hadley's Catster friends and every single cat who left her a treat, rosette, star or kind word.

Post Thirty-Seven

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 07:04:36 GMT

Minor computer meltdown for awhile there. Everything has been fixed. Phew. Good thing we have two back-up laptops, but I'm hoping it doesn't resort to that! Let's go, trusty Dell.

I wanted to devote this post to Hadley's name. I first heard the name Hadley when I saw The Upside Of Anger in theaters...not too far from when we did adopt Hadley. Hadley's middle name was Helena. It was a name I've always loved -- it is one of Aaron's grandmother's real names even though she only goes by Helen -- and I thought it went beautifully with Hadley.

Alicia Witt plays the character of Hadley in "The Upside Of Anger." Yes, the character is notorious for being pregnant, being a smartass and being overly-sensitive, but the name was too beautiful to pass up.

Aaron and I toyed with some names before we found Hadley, but once we saw her, Hadley just stuck. It's such an elegant name, I think, for an elegant cat. Hadley Helena.

Post Thirty-Six

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 06:33:29 GMT

Enter 2:30 a.m. Also enter Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? -- the last actual television show on Style before infomercials take over. Scary.

Aaron's laptop is moving so slowly -- in dire need to be shut down for the next 30 minutes. Oh, technology.

Post Thirty-Five

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 06:03:34 GMT

Aaron has gone to sleep. He made it until two o'clock, I give him credit. Now I must rely on television, the internet and -- that's about it -- to keep me awake.

But, moving on, let me talk about the picture of Hadley posted with this entry. She was laying in her famous Hadley way: on her back, sprawled across everything (in this case, the couch). Her expression makes Aaron and I crack a smile whenever we look at it. It was pure "what in the heck do YOU want?" and so full of attitude, so full of Hadley-ness.

(I do crack up whenever I see the icon I'm using at this journal, made by marionette. Just looking at her "can I have my pride back?" expression as the pig hat sits atop her head makes me smile. Oh, Hadley.)

All of you wonderful cheerleaders are going great and keeping me going!

So, dear readers/sponsors/visitors: How is your night going? And why on Earth are you still awake?!

Game #6: The Name Game

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 05:52:18 GMT

Positively Loved: Blogging For Hadley is the official blog title over here are positivelyloved. For one thing, I'm blogging in memory of our belated feline beauty, Hadley. The "positively loved" is supposed to focus on the cause at hand: feline leukemia. Hadley was positive for leukemia as so many other cats are. But positive doesn't have to mean unloved. Thus, Positively Loved was born.

Post Thirty-Four

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 05:36:32 GMT

Okay, I want to talk about my charity now. I've done a lot of that over at Feral, Not Homeless for Alley Cat Allies, but I haven't done much but skim the surface here.

Let's start with what you already know: The Marley Fund (and The Marley House) focuses primarily on cats with FeLV (commonly referred to as "feline leukemia") or FIV (commonly referred to as "feline AIDS"). Now, depending on your knowledge about FeLV, you should know that it isn't fatal from the get-go. It's another illness that usually goes hand-in-hand with the disease that makes it fatal. The disease itself is a time-bomb. Eventually, something will come along and eventually, that will be it. Just like in Hadley's case, with the leukemia and the anemia.

But the disease can remain dormant. Hadley's only remained dormant for three years, but it really can remain dormant for quite some time. Some cats live out full lives of eighteen years before it finally kicks in. This is where The Marley House comes in.

I'll explain The Marley House first. Obviously, FeLV+ cats cannot interact with FeLV- cats because, vaccinations or not, FeLV can be transferred from cat to cat easily. Instead of keeping cats with dormant FeLV as prisoners, isolated from other feline friends, The Marley House provides a safe-haven where these positive cats can all interact with one another and live out their lives as long as they are intended to be.

Your donations and pledges, dear sponsors, have provided so much for these cats. Because of you, they can have this shot at life. They can live!

The Marley Fund was started by a kind woman who I've had the pleasure of keeping in contact with the past few weeks. She lost her beloved Marley to the same kind of incident that we lost Hadley to, and she knew something had to be done. Thanks to public awareness, knowledge and education, The Marley Fund will teach people about FeLV and FIV. FeLV is the number one killer of cats, but so many people know nothing about this horrific disease.

And there you have it. Hooray for you, sponsors, and thank you. To The Marley Fund and Marley House: thank you for existing. As I've said time and time again throughout this, you have given a purpose to all of this.

Post Thirty-Three

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 05:02:23 GMT

Hello! One a.m. is here! This is when Wendy's closes, so I'm now utterly out of luck! My Frosty Float tastes like bathwater and the chicken nuggets went quite quickly. But I'm feeling awake, and great!

In the car, that old Janet Jackson song was playing on Aaron's XM Radio. You know the one -- oh, from the mid-nineties. It had the chorus that went "Everywhere I go, every smile I see, I know you are there smiling back at me. Dancing in the moonlight, I know you are free. I can see your star shining down on me." I had the CD single when I was a little girl. But my point is, that chorus made me all jumpy inside, even if it is a Janet Jackson song (and a mediocre one at that). I know you are free.

I love you, Hadley. This is all for you, my love. All of the kitties who benefited from this...it's all for you, in your memory. I know you are free. I can see your star shining down on me. It was all I needed to hear while driving under the starry nighttime sky!

What do you have for me, early morning hours?

Post Thirty-Two

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 04:32:30 GMT

So, we're almost there. And I have this newfound burst of energy thanks to I-don't-know-what. Aaron and I are going to make a quick run to Wendy's down the street for some pick-me-up food.

Things are still going well. Landon is rubbing it in by sleeping on the chair right next to me, at eye level. I look to the right and there she is, fast sleep. Thanks a lot, Landon!

Post Thirty-One: It's MIDNIGHT!

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 04:00:47 GMT

In the above photograph, Hadley is mirroring my current feelings! Have no fear, however. I'm holding up pretty well.

Aaron and I just went on a walk that consisted of running down three flights of stairs, walking around the mailbox, around one of the parking lots and then back up three flights of stairs. Hello, newfound burst of energy.

Nine more hours to go! I forgot how much I love the Blog-A-Thon. I already can't wait until next year.

Oh, and if you're just now checking in, my name is Lindsay and I'm blogging here in memory of Hadley and to raise money for The Marley Fund and Marley House. Read Hadley's story here.

Post Thirty

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 03:33:14 GMT

Enjoy this photograph of Hadley underneath a Purr-Padd, her magical wizard wand (or off-brand Cat Dancer toy, if you will) in tow. It's one of my favorites. We have it up on our refrigerator just because it's one of those magical pictures. The ones that you can look at and remember a million happy things all at once, and just feel a little bit better.

I'm starting to get sleepy. I think I should get some fresh air until the next entry must be composed. Happy blogging, world.

Post Twenty-Nine

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 03:03:36 GMT

Alright, so, post number 29. Next post will be #30! 30, oh, man. Thanks again to everyone sponsoring either one of my blogs (and sometimes even both!) and everyone who is popping over to say hello and making sure I'm awake!

Aaron and I have broken out the watermelon slices that I got at Publix this morning. Something about fruit and natural sugars seemed like a good idea, a good way to stay awake and get that little sugar rush without the "you must now crash!" that candy provides. Not that I didn't just have some M&Ms, because I totally did.

I had mentioned to Aaron how Hadley would have totally been the only person in this apartment to stay awake 24 hours with me! I can tell that he's ready to hop into bed at any given time and is only suffering from American Dreamz with me to compensate for that little nap he had while I was blogging! ;) I'm just kidding. Everyone here is doing great. Jagger even came out for a little snuggle session and Landon is quite concerned with why I'm sitting on the couch for excessive periods of time.

We have one last prize to hand out at this blog, another one of the bracelets with the cats on it that I purchased at a craft fair yesterday evening. I think I'm going to wait until maybe the second to last post, or at least the wee hours. Something to keep me hanging out and excited -- one final drawing! Of course, we still have a ton of prizes to give out over at Feral, Not Homeless. So, either way, you'll probably be a winner.

Time to go engage in some movie watching before my support systems all quit and go to sleep!

Post Twenty-Eight

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 02:34:16 GMT

“A little drowsing cat is an image of a perfect beatitude”
-James Champfleury

My fiance and I are settling down to watch American Dreamz. After this, I'll have watched any decent (and I'm obviously using that word sparingly) movie offered on OnDemand at this time. Oh, no.

It's almost time to break out The Waltons.