Breast Cancer Awarness Month

October is breast cancer awareness month and already things are gearing up in stores and around the web for various charities to raise money for research, education and awareness causes. This is a subject that is so close to my heart it hurts just thinking about it.

I lost my beloved grandmother, my granny, to breast cancer when I was almost five years old.

That hurts to say. I still remember crying uncontrollably because I wouldn't get to see my grandmother again until I got to heaven. I loved my grandmother. I DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT THAT LONG.

So here's what you need to know:
1. I am participating in Saving 2nd Base which was started by Once A Month Mom and A Southern Fairytale. I'll be sharing my updated version of my grandmother's coconut cake. I say updated because my grandmother was an old school southern cook and she bought a coconut, cracked it open and used that. I'll be using coconut from a bag. I think you'll all thank me for that.

2. If you are uncomfortable with the words breast, boobs, tatas, boobies, etc then you are probably going to want to unfollow me for the month of October. It is ok, I understand.

3. I try very hard to control my language on the web and be sensitive to others sensitivities but breast cancer pisses me off. So I may say it sucks, I may call it a bitch. It's what I need to do to get through this month. This month is always HARD. Most days I don't think about all of the things that I missed because my grandmother died when I was so young, but this month it is in my face all the time everyday. That's ok because it is important to raise awareness, but it doesn't make it any less hard.

4. I will be talking about the uncomfortable things. I will be asking you when the last time you performed a self breast exam was. I'll encourage you to get your boobies squished. I'll suggest that you call every woman that you love and ask them the same questions.

BECAUSE IT IS ABOUT EARLY DETECTION. Early detection of breast cancer saves lives. Maybe if my grandmother had breast cancer today with all of the advancements that we have now... Maybe if she had known earlier...

My grandmother fought and won her battle with breast cancer the first time around. It came back. Breast cancer is a bitch. It robbed me of a childhood with a woman who was made to be a grandmother. It robbed me of experiences and memories, love and hugs and kisses. It robbed me of getting to bake with my grandmother, because my grandmother LOVED to bake. So this month I'll bake for her, in her memory and honor.