A Warm Winter

It's sick week in my household. One kid is on the mend, another is about to succumb to it and I am in the throes of what I call the "mommy malaise" wherein my body is feeling under the weather but not enough to keep me in bed all day. A simmering in my throat, congestion in my chest, limbs that feel like noodles but no fever to keep me down. Maybe that is the effect of all the immunity five children has given me. I do not remember the last time I've been sick enough to merit a full-blown day or two in bed. Still, I will be running this ship on my rear all day from the comfy perch of my recliner. Bliss.

Winter has been a sorry affair in my neck of the woods. It's been uncharacteristically warm and perfectly bland. I am of the kind who loves a good dumping of snow frolicking outdoors with the kids in their sleds as a warm stew is simmering in the stove. A girl can dream. My romantic Winter storm dream is fueled by the fact that I am mostly stay-at-home with no cares about actually driving in the treacherous roads.  But as much as I would appreciate a foot or two of snow right now, with the approach of Lent (and March and St. Patrick's Day!) I've decided I am, in fact, ready for Spring.  So I am leaving my Winter dreams behind to embrace whatever the rest of the season has to offer.

The warm weather does have it perks in the form of more field trips.  We are currently studying Ohio History so we have a bucket list of places to visit. We are trying to get in as many fields trips as we can before we have to send the second child to a brick and mortar high school (two down, three to go!). Recently we had the opportunity to visit the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. This park features earthworks and mounds constructed by indigenous peoples believed to have flourished from about 200 BC to 500 AD.  Just to physically view what we have been learning is amazing. I am in such awe of how the indigenous people lived. I left that place with so much food for thought that I will be pondering all Lent. Next on my bucket list is the city of Marrietta.

As usual, I have pictures to share because Winter, despite the sleeping trees, still manages to put on a picturesque show. Enjoy!

I keep forgetting that part of Ohio is in the foothills of the Appalachian. I get so excited when I see hills

earth, water, trees and sky - Mother Nature is a show-off

these kids, this guy - I love my life

the view from my front porch

Hopewell mounds

 

How is Winter in your neck of the woods?

Almost Two Years Of Running

This entry was originally titled "A Year Of Running".  Almost one year later it is finally seeing the light of the internet. Talk about a marathon post ;-)

I'm happy to report that I'm still running. I still love it. I still get butterflies in my stomach while I lace my shoes and plan out my route. Barring any act of God and/or injuries I intend to keep running into my old age. On top of the adrenaline high I love the feeling of accomplishment after every outing. This gal needed something more than the accomplishment of keeping my kids alive and teaching them their ABC's.  Running is teaching me a lot of things - the value of perseverance, the ability to listen to my body and then conquering it with my mind (mind over matter is the real deal!) and a deep gratitude for the gift of health and sturdy lungs. Believe me when I tell you that running can be a very meditative experience and quite the metaphor for life. I have some of my best "a-ha" moments around the fourth mile (or I could just be delirious at that point!)

Not all of my runs are "good runs". Depending on many factors (hydration/nutrition, weather, etc.) some of my outings have not been successful (e.g. not meeting goal pace).  On those days I remind myself that getting out of the house and off the comfort of my couch is a success in itself. I have come to enjoy running in all types of weather except in the heat, ugh, I will never enjoy running in the heat! One of my favorite outing happened on a sunny Winter day.  I could see my breath with every step and the snow falling around me gave it a dreamy quality (adrenaline is drug-like! lol)  I felt like a road warrior in that moment which added an extra spring to my step and a boost to my running morale.  Another favorite run happened one Summer morning. The day started out so humid with a thick smell of rain in the air that I almost skipped the run. I eventually and begrudgingly made it outside.  At the third mile the rain caught up to me. The cooling effect of the rain on my sweat-soaked skin was amazing.  I ended up running an extra mile, it felt so good. Had my socks stayed dry I would have kept going.

I think a large part of why I'm still running is my attachment to the emotions and memories.  Exercising indoors does not incite in my soul any meaningful emotions or etch memories the way running does.  I can tell you exactly what it felt like when I ran my first six miles but I can't tell you what it felt like doing another round of P90x (it's still my favorite strength training program).  

I have participated in four races so far, all 5k.  I am now at a point where I am just beginning to hit my stride at 5k.  I wouldn't have been able to say that even just a year ago!  Currently I am running between four to six miles per outing depending on what my schedule that day looks like.  I make a goal per run sometimes based on time other days based on mileage.  My race goal this year is a 15k sometime in November.  In the meantime, the primary goal is to stay injury-free so I can enjoy many more years on my feet.

On my next running post I will share some things I learned along the way as a newbie runner.  Until then, happy running!

my cold weather race gear keeps me toasty warm and dry

Love Is Having To Say You're Sorry

Happy New Year! Merry Christmas! And Happy Valentine's Day! I cannot say for sure how it happened that my last blog entry was in November.  I took a lot of pictures documenting the usual shenanigans over the holidays with every intention of posting them here. They are all sitting in a folder in my dying laptop and now too much time has elapsed that it would be too late to post Thanksgiving and Christmas pictures! I apologize to my people who are not on Facebook and for whom this blog continue to exist. Now let's get you all caught up on my latest pondering...

The Fall of Adam and Eve. It is usual for all of us to think of the "what if" - what if Eve did not respond to the serpent, what if Eve did not eat of the apple, what if Adam refused the offered apple- so many speculative answers to this question. But what I've been asking for awhile now is "what if they said sorry" instead of fleeing and hiding from the face of God? How different would their fate and ours have been had they uttered a simple contrition.

My youngest child is a champion "apologist" (contrite person not theologian! lol).  At the slightest hint of my displeasure at his transgression he will come running to put his arms around me and bury his face on my neck. Most of the time he also peppers my cheeks with kisses telling me he loves me and that he is sorry. And like a typical parent this action softens my resolve a bit. I know, I'm a sucker! My older kids are wondering why they haven't thought of this tactic first.

I have a limited capacity to forgive and to love. But God is infinite mercy and perfect love.  His ability to pour grace to a contrite person will outdo whatever sort of forgiveness and clemency I can offer my 6-year-old. So I continue to wonder what our world would have been like if our first parents had the humility to say sorry.  Alas, they did not so we toil and labor, we hope, we love and we keep faith, we fail and we ask for forgiveness and we learn along the way who God is for us.

"If I have grievously offended You, My Redeemer, let me not offend You even more by thinking that You are not kind enough to pardon me. Amen" - Saint Claude de Colombiere