ps----almost forgot --my all time fave hair designer Alan Schafer did the most outrageously cool up-do with hair and yes it lasted both days of the events--yeah for Alan too!
April showers bring May flowers right?! Spring is here- and it is great to be back! West Coast trip went super! My home team New Face of Fitness gang was super to sweat and smile with! Other than taking shoes off at ariport if you did not have tennies on and few extra I.D. checks flying went as usual! The Leadership luncheon that I was the Keynote speaker for was a truly marvelous event. I feel very honored to be part of helping the Portland, OR YWCA raise over $ 130,000 in about an hour! One of the ballrooms at the city's new convention center is where the annual leadership luncheon was held. over 700 in attendance(down from last year) but their fundraising goals were exceeded anyway! That same evening we hailed to the north county area and conducted class with NFOF members over there! Three of the members were celebrating birthdays including the dirctor/instrucotr Rene' too! So after we sweated at the YWCA's senior center, we went for lite dinner and really celebrated all four b.days! Some of the members there have been working out faithfully in the program for over 3 years! Go St. John's team go!
The next day I conducted a body image seminar "brown bag lunch" affair at one of the newly and completely re-modeled YWCA conference centers in downtown Portland. Trust me- the outside of their building may look the same, but the inside is truly ONE AWESOME MAKE-OVER! Incredible art-work and pieces displayed and for sale and all new fitness center with multiple aerobics rooms, brand new pool facilities and gym floor updated and donated by one of my fave shoe companies-Nike Inc. It was just wonderful to be in their new building.
After the body image seminar, the new director of NFOF Alesha and I, spent some time in training and then got ready for our evening event with NFOF members and guests at the downtown site.
Do you know that some of the members of the down town site have been members in NFOF since it started from the beginning back in 1995--I do not have to tell you how great it was to see them and all the members and guests--we had a blast and yes they all loved our new themes--what is good? SASSY----something...is better than nothing---we had a BLAST! Quick trip-- but so great to see everyone and help jump start the NFOF program too! (The YWCA was shut down for over a year while they gutted the building!)
One thing I continue to feel blessed and amazed about--is the fact that those of us in NFOF, those people I have met along the way who read my book and/or I have had chance to share with---more and more people really ARE GETTING it---not diets, not just thin, not fitting into someone else's expectations-- that fitness, and health are a lifestyle whether you lose a lot of fat or not, just feel better or sleep better--- it is not a gimmick-a month-a week- or even a year---it is a choice to invest in YOU for YOU for the rest of YOUR life! No judgements--just keep TRYING! The true key to succeeding--
-I love ya Portland! Thanx Alesha, Shannon, Rene' and all the NFOF team out west! Love, Dee
