Hope for the Myeloma

So today when Don's cancer doctor said see you in two months, I said, "Is it Christmas?"
"Almost," he said.

Read Don's story on his Myeloma Hope blog.

Did you hear a huge cheer go up? This is absolutely a best day.

Autumn on Gateway

Temperature in the low 50's and not humid: our kind of running weather. Today we walked/ran 8 2/3 miles... a good amount to keep ready for a race on Sunday. Tomorrow we will do just a quick one mile out and back before Sweet Pea's tutor comes.
And it was a glorious day... The autumn leaves at their finest were aglow in sunshine.

Storm Recovery Day

Weather alert radio woke us around 3am: Thunder, lightning and wind.
No damage to the house, no injury to us. We are blessed.
Much damage to oak trees, branches blown up against the living room patio door. So sad to see the death of good mature trees.

Sweet Runner Honey was chain sawing all day in high 80's temps with high humidity. He drank a lot of water.
Power was restored to neighbors by noon, but our power is out because of the line to our house. With thousands without power, we figure it will be days for us without power.

We have had internet off and on all day. The first thing that came through today was that nice comment on my last post, from half way around the world. Sweet.

Our generator powers the minimun necessities around the house. Cooking breakfast and lunch was an impovisation. Running Partner and I took a chain saw chain in for sharpening and bought another new chain. We did some branch pick-up in the yard. Supper out at the neighborhood restaurant. Tomorrow I will try cooking out on the deck to avoid heating up the house. It will be like camping out! This is the way the deck looked when we got up this morning. Railings are broken, but the deck is now cleared for cooking!
There is a lovely children's Caldicott Award book called "A Tree Is Nice". One of my favorite parts is, "Trees fill up the sky." We are not going to have as much sky filled up with trees for a while.

Can't tell if I'm more wiped out from the humidity/heat ... or the grief over dead trees. Not having power isn't my favorite thing either.

But oh my goodness, For certain, it is the best day of the year when nobody got injured and the house is intact in spite of a windy storm.

Blessings of fruit season

Organic strawberries and conventional blackberries, papaya and mango ... piled in a bowl with a little organic yogurt.
For lovely artistic arrangements you might want to check out: MinnesotaDon.blogspot.com.

According to a report in September, 2007, Prevention Magazine, food scientists at the University of California, Davis, recently found that kiwifruit grown without pesticides end up with higher levels of heart-healthy polyphenols and vitamin C than conventionally grown fruits. Nutrition to ponder.

Continuing with the little project of listing "5 things" ...
5 things I don't leave home without:

1. Digital camera
2. Cell phone
3. Little pack.. driver's license, credit card, health ins. card, $10 bill
4. Keys ... house, car, and emergency whistle
5. Pen & small Weight Watchers 1-week diary (also good for jotting down a good recipe from a waiting room magazine)

Traveling lighter these days than when I was working. Sometimes I even stuff all 5 things in my shorts pockets.
"Don't leave home without it" ... what is on your list?

Keeping on walking and running ... We two did a hot humid 4K in the neighborhood this morning. (Trees need rain so terribly.) In the afternoon we walked another 1:45 at the Mall of America.
This evening, although it is dry and pleasant, we are done for the day.
Every day is the best day of the year and we celebrate the blessings.

Great River Bicycle Festival

St. Paul, Wednesday; Cannon Falls, Thursday; Minneapolis, Friday; Mankato, Saturday; Stillwater, Sunday.... with races for amateurs, kids, women and men on each day.

Great River Energy, Elk River, one of the sponsors, is a not-for-profit electric cooperative providing reliable wholesale electricity to 28 distribution cooperatives serving more than 600,000 customers in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Great River Energy looks for ways to provide electricity in an environmentally friendly manner.

Warm for racing, but a wonderful community event. Scores of children on their dad's shoulders, kids with their bikes, dozens and dozens of infants and toddlers.

As there were kids of all sizes, there were dogs of all sizes. We even observed one bicycle racer who had brought her dog.
Some Stillwater folks were grilling for picnics and enterprising kids offered water or lemonade and cookies for sale. Our Hero brought the afternoon lattes. Brought some lunch to eat during the races Sunday afternoon... Organic cheddar, sesame crackers (no added fat), plus an apple, orange, banana and a bottle of water each.
We celebrated this as the best day of the year!

Running Running

Trying to keep in condition for another long run, in spite of feet and knees and weather... Eating lean protein and fruit and vegetables and drinking water... Watching weather forecasts for upcoming events... Looking back at the pictures of the last marathon and remembering a wonderful trip and race.
We 3 are here, and it is the best day of the year.

Love to Run Love to Run: Mantra for a Thursday

Love to run love to run love to run ... my feet sing, breeze in my face (well, from the community club circulating fan), and my heart monitor registering a respectable 155-160. Not running as fast as I would like to be, but I'm pushing now. Seniors don't have a lot of years to waste... but it is fun... I'm having a good time... running.

This afternoon we all ran outdoors: spring is a joy to cherish. Love to run.

A pileated woodpecker... that big lovely black one with red on it's crest... came dining on the suet right outside our living room window this afternoon.

Some of our friends have returned from the south (people friends, as well as birds) ..sure sign of spring.

This is a lovely day... for today, we can proclaim this the best day of the year. Let us rejoice and be glad.

A Good Day for the Human Race !

7:30am ... And it isn't snowing yet! I love waking up by my internal alarm clock. The sun is just peaking up over the hill, through the trees.
The "Human Race", on beautiful Summit Avenue in St. Paul, begins just after 1:00 this afternoon. We have been anticipating this 8K all week, reading weather reports that promise snow today... by noon.

Whatever the weather, the "Human Race" is a great gathering of serious runner friends.. and a few people like our Runner Daughter and me... Doing what we can to have a good time and enjoying the best day of the year.
This Day!

11:15 ... Ho! The hourly weather predicters have modified their picture of the day, with snow/rain holding off until 9pm. .. Still pretty brisk temperatures for the afternoon.
We are calculating our layers of race clothes.. for the swiftest movement without freezing to death.
Breakfast was early and light, low fat.
Who will we see today? Will we meet any runners whose names we have seen in statistics... Hopefully some friends from past years.

Exciting to wonder... how well will each of us run?

Here's to the best day of the year!

4:30pm ... A great race. We two did about the same as last year... First 3 miles were slowest
I had my heart monitor... and was registering about 145-150 in the first half,circling William Mitchell College of Law, and on past Mount Zion Temple, about 150-160 in the second half.
Our Runner Dude won MN runner of the year for his age group last year. We aren't sure of the results for this race yet, but it looks like the competition has not given up.
Saw some good friends, although fewer women in my age group showed up this year.
At 2:00 the temp was about 41 and the wind was south at 18mph with sort of hazy sun.
It was a brisk March afternoon.
Not a drop or a flake fell on us as we ran. What a great day!

On the way home, we stopped for a couple of interesting errands on Grand Avenue ... a fun place to be on weekends.

5:00pm Pigging out on all sorts of healthy post-race food... Watching the news.
Write on your hearts.. rejoice in the gift of the best day of the year.