Sunday, May 27, 2007

Memorial Day 2007

“Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave.
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.”

.....Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Dirge Without Music”

A poem for Memorial Day, 2007: caskets quietly come home

Friday, May 25, 2007

World War II Remembered

A different war Ammunition bunker, Samoa Dunes, on the Pacific Coast near Eureka, California; visited on May 5, 2007.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

A Good Day !

Pacific Surf I gasped, literally, at my first glimpse of the awesome Pacific, just north of Rockport, California, after the drive on the mountain road from Leggett. The first glimpse of the ocean always does that to me. Two weeks later, I continue to be energized and inspired by thoughts of running through the giant redwoods and gazing out over the ocean.
Rain again today and Running Partner and I did 5K on the track at the community center. Today is a good day.
Tomorrow we will take the day off.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Sun Garden

In MemoryBleeding heart flowers... a gift in memory of Dodie... in the sun garden built by my Sweet Honey.
Rain showers and lightning come and go this week.
We did 6K on the community center track on Saturday, on Monday, and on Wednesday (today). This is a good day!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Avenue of the Giants Marathon

coming and going!running partners
Marathon in the California redwoods: May 6. (L) Two half-marathon turn-arounds provided good chances to greet other runners. Here, Sweet Pea meets Runner Dude. (R)My Sweet Pea running partner and I did not make a PR, but felt less beat at the finish line than in past marathons. Here the course follows the Eel River. Running among precious ancient living trees: a memory to cherish... We are already beginning to train for the next marathon.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Knee surgery postponed

Today was the Fargo Marathon.
A year ago this week my would-be knee surgeon said, You can run (the Fargo Marathon), but you probably won't finish. I was scheduled for surgery, but got scared out by the complicated hospital scheduling procedure.
I canceled the surgery.
I ran the marathon. I finished the marathon.
After consulting with my naturopath,
I started taking large doses of glucosamine and chrondroitin, a multivitamin, Vitamin D.
An amazingly productive thing I did was quit wearing running shoes while working in the kitchen. I wear my heavy wool socks, and my feet slip instead of sticking to the floor as they would in rubber soled shoes... And my knees are spared all that twisting as I scurry around the kitchen doing cooking and clean-up.
Also, getting in and out of the car, I take just an extra moment to move carefully, so I don't twist either knee.
I'm a slow runner, but since the Fargo, I have finished four other marathons, and also about 30 shorter races.
My knees give me very little pain.
Today I did 6K. It is another Best Day of the Year.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Celebrate a Healthy Eating Journey

North Shore Co-0p, EurekaMY JOURNEY of REVISIONS: POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS

(1) ALWAYS EAT LEAN PROTEIN, PLAIN NUTS, or low fat cheese FIRST, BEFORE EATING ANY CARBS (fruit or whole grains or even vegetables). That keeps blood sugar more stable and appetite moderate.
(2) ENJOY the FIRST SERVING. If hungry after eating one serving, weighed/measured, of a particular food, find a different food to have one serving of. No second helpings of the same food.. And always avoid over-sized servings.
(3) Generous variety of VEGETABLES ... cooked, especially roasted with olive oil, but also salads of raw vegetables and olive oil. We do not limit consumption of vegetables.
(4) Fresh raw FRUIT really is, along with a few nuts, a delightful snack. Explore a variety of fresh fruits.
Fresh raw fruit is an ELEGANT DESSERT!

A few extra notes:
* I relish all kinds of ripe juicy BERRIES, MELON, FRUIT; Raw and unsweetened; Whole fruit, not juice. Keeping that suggestion of no second helpings in mind, eat a variety of fruit each day.
* Dairy: consider dairy foods that are as low fat as possible.
* Raw broccoli/cabbage family vegetables depress thyroid function, so we cook those.
* Establish serving sizes for yourself: 3-4 ounces of lean protein; 1 piece of fruit; 2/3 cup of whole wheat pasta; 1 slice of whole wheat bread, etc.
* We consider one ounce of NUTS, raw or roasted without oil, perhaps salted but not seasoned, a serving. We eat a variety of nuts... in moderation, only a serving at a time. Three or four Brazil nuts each day is a nice way to get your selenium.
* Likewise, one ounce of CHEESE is a serving. A quarter or a half ounce of hard cheese as the last food of the day seems to be of some help in preventing cavities.
* Just say no to trans fat (partially hydrogenated) and nitrites and chemicals in your food. Experts are beginning to discover the harm that high fructose corn syrup can do. (Check labels on things like catsup.) White flour products are junky fuel in your precious engine!!
* Science tells us that cancer cells love refined sugar more than healthy cells do.
* Could be important to know that soy and possibly peanuts can depress thyroid function. If you need to limit intake of iodized salt, figure out another way to get iodine.
* Keep informed on the latest “dirty dozen” list of most pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables and chose organic for those.

We keep moving on a learning curve:
* Interested in using more fresh and dried herbs and spices... turmeric, rosemary, basil, fennel, and cinnamon, ginger, cloves (without sweeteners)
* Hoping to increase consumption of foods high in antioxidants, etc.
* I am focusing on increasing my daily cup of TEA (either black or green) to two cups.
* Investigating the effects of nightshade family foods (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers; tobacco is a nightshade!)
* Wondering if gluten is not such a healthy ingredient for most folks.

Need ideas for good eating ?
Weight Watchers CORE FOODS are a great way to LIVE !

PS... I also love a plain, skim milk latte;
Once in a while 2-3 ounces of red wine with dinner;
And about 12 grams or about 1 square or 1/3 ounce of dark chocolate each day. (Carefully measured)

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Avenue of Giants Marathon and California Trip

My heritage traces back to Lofoten and Oslo. Could the call of the water be in my spirit? I'll be glad to run with you in the giant redwoods, I told him, if you just take me to see the ocean...
click on any picture to enlarge
In plant protection areas on Samoa Dunes near Eureka, blooming succulents showed their pink and yellow finest.

North Shore Co-op in Eureka is large and splendid. We shopped and then ate back in the motel room... or in the car on the way... Milk and cheese from California happy cows!? Juicy blueberries and blackberries and pears.
In the motel room Two Computer People downloaded e-mails and other interesting info.
Pre-race pasta dinner, at the Veterans Hall in Weott, was one of the tastiest ever.


This is what we came for... the beautiful marathon in the Avenue of the Giants... with 2 half marathon portions, out and back, so we saw each other and most of the other runners at least twice. It was about 50 degrees at the start: just right for running. Although we drove in fog from Eureka that morning, the woods was pleasantly dry... and shady.

Runner Partner, in streams of sunlight filtering down through the ancient giant redwoods on the marathon course. How are you doing, Honey, she says, as we encourage each other. It seemed that we finished this marathon feeling stronger than we felt in any other so far.

Marathon Finishers!! With finishers shirts and medals... and we have our offical "time" for the 50 States Club. Our Runner won his age group. I was the only woman over age 64 in the marathon.
One of the best parts is when My Honey, after finishing the marathon, comes back to meet us, with cold drinks, usually when we get to around mile 23, and runs the rest of the way to the finish with us.

Glorious California surf between Rockport and Westport... accessible by switchback narrow road! It was comforting to have an excellent driver for this.
Then a quick side trip for organic wine at a biodynamic vineyard. www.Quivirawine.com near Healdsburg.

San Francisco from Sausalito. We had a great little feast at a sidewalk Italian cafe in Sausalito... clam chowder, pasta, meatballs, quiche ... celebrating the extra Weight Watcher points we each earned running the marathon (yes, 26.2 miles) the day before.

A quick run along the Pacific on Golden Gate Beach.
Beyond me on the beach you can see one of the dogs playing fetch in the waves.

Sunshine, Sweet Pea and Age Group Winner Marathoner rode San Francisco cable cars all morning long... even riding standing on the "running board" on the outside once, holding on tight.

Kitty in the window.. looking out at people going by on the sidewalk in San Francisco. The window was open just a crack, but not enough for her to jump out, and we had a little converstion. She was one of three interesting kitties we met on our trip... each in a different city.

Each of us took some of the pictures above. I actually did some of the picture posting!! I'm in the process of learning how to do it. These 2 sat beside me and coached.

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Anniversary

Happy 44th wedding anniversary, May 4, 2007

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Dancing!

Friends, Peggy and Tricia, in the sculpture garden in Loveland, Colorado.
I celebrate with the last line of the movie, "My Best Friend's Wedding" : "and most of all, THERE WILL BE DANCING!"