Hopefulness

Wishing us all 366 days of hopefulness.

Most Christmas Snow since 1950

To enlarge, click on the picture.

We are running on the indoor track at the community center, often and regularly.

Christmas Blessings!

This is the Christmas plant, purchased last Christmas at the supermarket, which sat looking half-dead all summer.
But even the Christmas cactus knows it is Christmas.

Christmas Blessings, Everybody!!
!

Indoor track at sunrise

We 3 did the indoor track for a couple of hours this morning... each of us at our own speed!

Since Tuesday, we have had a yucky inversion thing that makes running outdoors less healthy (and this isn't even Los Angeles.)

One more indoor track

See previous post for all the other indoor runs we made this past week. This one is at the Sports and Recreation Center at Bethel University on the north side of St. Paul. Challenge Courage races today. This track is 5 laps for a K.
Our smaller track in the North St. Paul community center is 8.5 laps for a K.
Runner Don kicked butt.. enjoying the chance to try out his speed on some shorter races. That's him with the white visor. Always fun to see the little kids who come to races.

Running Indoors.... Baby it's cold outside!

On Thursday evening we ran on the upper concourse of the Twin's Metrodome in Minneapolis. A hundred runners showed up between the hours of 5 and 8:00.
On Wednesday morning we ran in the bubble in Stillwater, where they keep the temperature at a runner-friendly 50-something. Tuesday we ran on the faithful dreadmills at the community center.

I got in a little mall-walking while Sweet Pea was at a lesson.
Oh joy! The NEW TRACK is installed at the community center! Sweet Pea and Runner Don examined the track surface material.. as runners went by. And we tried it out of course. The new surface runs really good!!

Lights in the ice tree!!

See the ice tree made with water from a garden hose in our previous post.... Behold! Those folks put lights on the framework before they turned on the water to make the ice.

Wednesday morning we woke up to a fairy world decorated in hoar frost.
This weekend, when we get it organized, we will post pictures of all the places we found to run indoors in this unseasonably cold December.
!

Below zero and staying indoors!

Some folks near here are making an icy outdoor tree. All afternoon the garden hose, rigged up on a ladder, sprayed water on a framework. And, I'll tell you folks, it is cold enough in Minnesota to make ice.

Brave MN Runner Don went running with the St. Croix runners this morning. Sweet Pea and I bravely ventured out this afternoon to run 40 minutes on dreadmills at the community center. We virtually cheered all the hearty runners who actually ran in the 8 Miles on the 8th virtual race today.

Best news: the running track from Europe arrived. Installation should start next week at the community center.

Totally Winter!

The snow is absolutely awesomely beautiful.

Single digit temperatures say "January".

Sunday, Dec 2, shoveled snow
Monday, Dec 3, 20 minutes walk/run in ice & snow in the neighborhood
Tuesday, Dec 4, 40 minutes treadmill at community center

Stillwater lift bridge on Tuesday when we went to Valley Co-op.

Wednesday, Dec 4, shoveled snow (It kept snowing!)
We shopped at the Fresh and Natural (local chain) for gluten-free baking supplies and local produce.

Thursday, Dec 6, 40 minutes treadmill at community center.
Did some 4 miles an hour, some 6 miles an hour, and a few times did a couple of minutes at 9 miles an hour.

It keeps on snowing.

Friday, Dec 7, day off.. but we will probably keep shoveling!

Saturday, December 8 Virtual 8 mile race on the 8th:
See Vickie at vickiesjournals.blogspot.com

And Nancy at www.nancy262.com


This week we all experimented with gluten-free whole grain millet flour bread with nuts and seeds and cinnamon in it.

Winter Cometh !!

Still descending, blanketing the Twin Cities. Slippery for driving and runnning.

This morning we attended the myeloma information and support group meeting: 2 more newly diagnosed people. Everyone shares the results of their treatments and how they are doing. We always learn more. People asked me to share nightshade-free recipes next time. Click on MINNESOTA MYELOMA to view the new web site set up by Don and others.
When we drove over to St. Louis Park, the snow was beginning to fall, drifting lightly across the freeway. The drive back, on local streets, was greasy and time consuming. This is our car when we drove into the garage.