Always learning new skills

This time it was how to use my oven, how to ask for help, how to attractively package goods for sale, how to sell the Kiss Goodbye to MS message.

If it wasn’t for Gail’s handy suggestion to lower the oven temperature by 20 degrees for all those old family recipes when fan-forced ovens did not exist I would definitely not have had so many cakes to sell.

If it wasn’t for all the wonderful baking assistance from family and friends we would not have made a wonderful $1100 for continued research into a cure for MS.

If it wasn’t for their focus on community initiatives for worthy causes we wouldn’t have had such a fine venue. A special thank you to Bunnings Dural for giving us the opportunity to host 2 cakes stalls on 26 April and 17 May and to the Bureau of Meteorology for predicting and following through with two perfect days.

A special thank you to my mum Liz, my neighbours, Helen, Jan, Elena and expectant mum, Becky (just 4 days away from giving birth and still able to muster some goodies for our cause),  my golfing buddies – Gail, Judith, Dilys and Jenny, Robyn for the mountain of delicious cupcakes and friends of old.

From Liz, a special thank you to my all-the-way walking buddies, Pauline, Denise, Merran and Sal, to old friends Frances, Gabby, Vicki, Jane, Beverly, Stephanie, Gwen and Karen.

To Kendy and Anna who helped us serve Liz and I reserve special thanks. Your Thai Chilli Relish, lime butter, Zaatar (yes, a wonderful aromatic exotic thyme sumac sesame rub) and home baked apple pies went down a treat.

But if it wasn’t for your fine packaging skills and stall rearrangements we wouldn’t have sold all the merchandise. Presentation and pricing are key ingredients to a successful stall and we certainly learnt from the masters.

The other key ingredient is engaging with the customer, listening to their stories and selling ours. We met many health professionals including, the depression doctor, Dr Nick Krasner, occupational therapists and physiotherapists who are all presently working with people living with MS. They have seen for themselves the daily difficulties this debilitating disease presents for their patients and they were all very supportive of our efforts to continue research towards finding a cure.

A special mention too to the Hon Philip Ruddock, Federal Member for Berowra who popped in to see us, found something to his liking from our ample array of goodies and even partook of a sausage sandwich in support of Dural Girl Guides Association who worked tirelessly beside us.

Our efforts will continue next weekend. On Saturday May 24 Liz and I are relocating to Bunnings Carlingford for the mother of all Sausage Sizzles. Awarding winning butcher, Allan Waldon of Eastern Road Quality Meats, Turramurra, is donating all the sausages. Woolies is donating all the onions, bread and condiments and family and friends will be serving you. A $200 Bunnings gift voucher will be raffled at 4pm.

What more could you want? Picture it now – aisles and aisles of handy goods to purchase with your winning ticket, the captivating aroma of a juicy prime beef sausage and the opportunity to meet all-the-way walkers Helen, Pauline, Katrina and Liz. Well, a cure, of course. And with the sensational efforts of all 17 Australians walking all-the-way across England this September we are confident it definitely won’t be far away now.

See you at Bunnings Carlingford at 295 Pennant Hills Rd on May 24 from 9.00am.

I’d rather be walking

I guess most of us girls would but it was wonderful for “Wainwright’s Coast2Coast MS Walk” to be acknowledged at MS Research Australia’s 2014 Kiss Goodbye to MS launch at NSW Parliament house last night as 2014’s  FUNDRAISING EVENT OF THE YEAR. And we haven’t even started.  The pressure is on girls but you are over well over 25% of the way and with further fundraising events to come and donation support from family and friends we will achieve our goal of raising $150,000 for research into a cure for MS.

My wonderful husband spoke from the heart about the struggles he faces each day and how the disease’s progression has forced him to constantly readjust how he does things. Resting before attending these events is now mandatory if he is to give himself the best chance of delivering his speech in the way he would like. An accomplished public speaker Mike now relies heavily on his notes to ensure he doesn’t forget what he wants to say. I, on the other hand, know exactly what I want to say but rely heavily on my notes to ensure I deliver my message with the confidence and ease Mike has never had to grapple with. We are an excellent team and I so much admire him for the support he gives me to continue telling our story and for his tenacity to keep on going despite MS’s constant presence.

Here’s Tansey Keys giving Mike a few tips on how she plans to get over those fells.

It was a thrill to have 12 of the 17 Australians walking all-the-way attend the event last night. With 5 more to be added I think we could do with a photo shoot organiser. Just squeezing 11 (sans Liz McDonald who was somewhere in the room) and Mike into this photo proved quite a challenge. Happy for advice on how we best position 20 people (including 3 Brits also walking with us) for the many photo opportunities that will invariably arise with majestic Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moor backdrops, and then the pub shots as well as we toast the end of yet another successful walking day.

As I mentioned in my speech two of the girls walking with us have MS. The disease is often called the invisible disease because you can’t spot the varying symptoms people with MS may be experiencing at any one time. Can you see numbness, nausea, dizziness or altered sensation such as pins and needles or even partial blindness and cognitive impairment? If you didn’t know them I suspect it would be difficult for you to spot the girls in this photo living with MS.

But I suspect you can see these lovely ladies, Denise and Sally having their way with my husband. Hey girls! Hands off. He’s taken.

After we left the event Liz and I didn’t make it past the beautiful vestibule of this historic building without ripping off our shoes. Too used to wearing appropriate footwear we found the evening a huge challenge for feet not used to high heels and being squeezed into pointy toes. Oh, for a hiking boot. With a band aid on most toes we’ll back out at this weekend walking from Cowan to Brooklyn as we prepare for this fantastic event.

Please continue to support our event by clicking this link to donate. Or come to Eastern Rd Quality Meats Turramurra this Saturday May 3 from 8.30am and enjoy a sausage sizzle with Denise Temisgian and Katrina Hemingway serving you. Our  thanks to business owner, Allan Waldon, for hosting and donating all the goods to assist us maximise our fundraising dollars.