***if you are just visiting this blog for the first time or the first time in a long while I suggest you go to the post prior to catch up***

What can I say, this has been a whirlwind week as I have set up Paypal and bank accounts, created blog posts and emails promoting my fundraising efforts, and emailed everyone I know for help. All this while battling a migraine for most of the week!

The response to all my efforts has been amazing and I thank all those who have supported me. The hits on my blog have gone through the roof and I have been consistently listed in Blogdex's 100 sites that "are the most contagious information currently spreading in the weblog community". Whatever that means! (is it just me or is that bad english??)

What all this means is that I am getting lots of press thanks to word of mouth (or word of blog, in this case) and several kind souls have bought bracelets to help support my cause. At this point I have shipped out every single bracelet that has been ordered and that brings me to just above the break-even point (remember I had to make an initial investment to have these bracelets made!). So now I need your support more than ever! Come on folks, I know you love Israel (or at least love me!) so why not buy a snazzy blue bracelet and show me some of that lovin'?? And just imagine how cool my blog would be if I was writing from Israel and telling you all about my adventures there!

So don't give up on me now... and I'm going to keep pushing for more support, so please pass my blog URL along to everyone you know!

A special thanks goes out the following folks who have bought bracelets thusfar: Occasional Bitch, Dr_Funk, Treppenwitz, Ocean Guy, Mulder, Cassiopeia, Rat, Hokule'a, chicagoG, Johnny, Susana and Juan. I have sent bracelets as far as Spain and Australia!!! This has been amazing!

UPDATE: more thank yous! The ever-funny Laurence Simon (absolutely you can use it as a cat collar!) and Kimber, with an extremely generous purchase! THANK YOU!! Your orders have been shipped!

I also want to thank the blogs who have helped promote me by mentioning my cause on their blog (some I didn't even know about until I got visitors from their blogs!): Rishon-Rishon, Meryl, Occasional Bitch, Israellycool (go check out his Podcasts, they're awesome!), If You Will It.., If I Forget Thee..., Atlantic Blog, Solomonia, Ocean Guy, Dutchblog Israel, Desde Sefarad, Imshin, Smooth Stone, Elms in the Yard, Mulder, Destination Jerusalem, Laurence Simon and News For Members Of The Tribe. My heart has been filled with such a deep gratitude for the outpouring of support, I can't thank you all enough!

But as I said, now is when the REAL fundraising starts.... all I am asking is for the purchase of one little bracelet.. just one! You can afford one, right? :-D And if you can't, pass this blog URL around until you find someone who can.... I need all the help I can get. This trip will change my life if I can make it happen... so any help you can offer to get me that much closer to it is deeply appreciated.

Thanks again, everyone!!!!!