My earliest memories of my great-grandma are of self-serve graham crackers in her oven drawer; the big grate in the middle of the living room floor; an over-sized wooden rocking chair; a small box of old toys kept under the china hutch; her small figure always in a dress covered with an apron; and her clicking dentures. For the sharpness of this memory, I know I spent quite a bit of time with her. Only within the last couple years did I realize what Mom was doing while I was staying with Grandma. She was out selling Avon. Bubble bath in those pink bottles with bubbly edges or at Christmas time in tree-shaped decanters. For me, the smell of Skin-So-Soft goes further back than mosquito repellant era of recent years – after all, it was once used in bathtubs!

I still use Avon’s Care Deeply lip balm, and occasionally the little tubes of lotion that Mom still gets for us at Christmas time. And I can drum up the smell of Avon bubble bath and Skin-So-Soft without opening the bottles. At 3 a.m. in mid-February, another Avon product drew me in. I found myself on the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Boston website. I looked at the training schedules. I looked at the walk route. I looked at 30 pounds still hanging around from that breast cancer year. I hit “Register.”

I woke up the next morning, wondering, “Why?” Because it’s no secret: I am not a huge fan of pink, particularly in October. You can imagine my relief when the white t-shirt arrived in my welcome packet. On the front of the shirt it says: “I AM POWERFUL BOLD PASSIONATE UNSTOPPABLE.” I can wear a white shirt with those pink words.

To walk 26 miles in Boston over two days – May 19th & 20th, I need to raise $1,800. Please click on my pink wig to the right and help me reach my goal. Or, if you prefer to donate by check, email me at linda@lindamalcolm.com and I will send you a coupon.

It’s March 2012. There’s a new Avon Lady. Ding, dong!  Avon calling…

Linda