75th Wedding Anniversary

Two people still in pretty good health celebrating 75 years of being together!!
A nice little dinner with family (including us) ... and a surprise party at the care center

You can read about the running events in our lives during the last three weeks on Make It a Masterpiece. Especially note the run for Myeloma Research.
Really, I will try to get back to blogging a bit.

Note what Don has to say about our bad experience with an expensive Toshiba laptop waranty on his Pea Gravel blog. No more Toshiba in this house!

It is autumn in Minnesota

Little Grand Canyon Half Marathon

South of Huntington, Utah, the half marathon treks through the most delicious part of the Little Grand Canyon.
We are sparing you the dozens and dozens of pictures we took, both when we were driving the race course the day before, and when we were supposed to be running the race.

Flowers like these line the roads and freeways of Utah and Colorado.


Running across the desert at the beginning of the race, we were fascinated by the plant life.


The rocky road was not as troublesome as the dust from vehicles in the last few miles of the course.


Mile markers helpfully advised of miles left to go to the finish at the swinging bridge over the San Rafael River.


You can read about the marathon on Make It a Masterpiece.

I was the only woman runner over 62 in the half.. so I guess I was first in my age group.

Running short races on weekends:

Weekend before Labor Day


This was the first year we ran the Milk Run 5K at the Minnesota State Fair.



Saturday of Labor Day weekend we ran races at the Buckshot event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, benefit for Special Olympics. The Buckshot was the first race we ever ran... eleven years ago.

This year around 1400 runners participated.

At the Special Olympics Buckshot Races they celebrate all sorts of people. They have FIVE YEAR AGE GROUPS ALL THE WAY TO 95!
Awards are always interesting.


Another race this weekend, details later...

Celebration of my Godmother

A committal service at graveside

Let us pray:
Gracious Spirit of all mercies
Through the abundance of your love
We are your children.
You have promised to be with us forever.
Comfort us in this time of grief
With the precious and sure hope
of Resurrection.

Scriptures:
Revelation 7 ".... for the Lamb, who is at the center of the throne, will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe every last tear from their eyes."

Job 19:25 "For I know that my Redeemer lives....."

John 11:25 "I am the resurrecton and the life..."

1 Corinthians 15:57 "... thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Precious words in the liturgy:
"...keep our sister, in the company of all your saints..."
"In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through Jesus Christ..."

Praying together the Lord's Prayer.


God of all life, grant us grace to walk with you
in sure confidence of your eternal love.
Energize us to comfort one another as we
have been comforted.
May we go in unity of Spirit with all creation,
remembering that we are Easter people.
Inspire us to do justice,
share and receive forgiveness,
love kindness,
and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.

Receive the blessing
May God bless you. May the peace of God which passes understanding sustain your heart and mind in Jesus, the Risen Christ. Amen.

"Jesus Loves Me" sung by the great-grandchildren, placing flowers on the grave.

Back at the house, the gathering of family and friends


The dessert table... and through the window you can see the luncheon table, all graciously set as she would have chosen.



Lovely weather, with a breeze off the lake, and lunch and conversation under the pines

Youngest of the great-grandchildren



My Godmother was there at my baptism, my ordination, and most important celebrations in between. I can picture her in their kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinners.
At 18 months, I was flower girl at her wedding.
Deepest and highest of honors to be asked to officiate on this day.....

The prayers at the beginning and the end of the committal, based on Scripture of course, were written by me.
Liturgy was from the pastors' Occasional Services book, an ordination gift (twenty-five years ago!) from my brother, his wife, and their family.
The benediction is the one I used in all the years of my interim ministry.

Let us go in peace.

Carter Presidential Library

Make It By Midnight in Macon Georgia:
Evening marathon races on Saturday, July 17

Sunday morning on the way through Georgia, we stopped by the Carter Presidential Libray. The buildings were not open yet for the day, but the gardens were lovely.

Raise Myeloma Awareness

Myeloma patient Keith May and the IMF have entered a racecar design called "The Survivor" in a contest called Sponsafier. The winning entry will be built as a full sized car, showcased at a NASCAR race, and your votes can help push us across the finish line.

This will raise awareness of myeloma, the International Myeloma Foundation, the great work being done to change the course of myeloma, and the work that still needs to be done. Here's what you can do:

Just take 30 seconds every day until August 28, click nascar.myeloma.org, wait for the screen to develop, and simply click the “vote” button. You don't have to log on or enter ANY information. For extra credit, you can do this with every computer that you have available, every day.

“The Survivor” is one of several hundred entries in the Sponsafier contest. Some are just artistic designs and some like Keith’s support a cause. Now we all have the opportunity to support Keith, myeloma awareness, and the IMF by voting every day for the next 11 days, and by asking your friends, families, and colleagues to vote too.

The messages on the car are simple: “Beat myeloma to the finish line,” and simply “Beat Cancer.” What better way to get there than by racing? Click nascar.myeloma.org.

Bridge on Gateway

Oh glorious re-use!
Instead of tearing down the ancient weak bridge, they are bringing it to Gateway Trail for runners, bicycle riders, walkers, skateboarders to cross a
busy highway.
Click to enlarge; the details are on the sign.

Buy Local

Vidalia onions:
What fun it was to "buy local" in MACON Georgia when we were there for the marathon.


In June we bought local organic Idaho potatoes in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

When we were in Charleston, South Carolina, we ate fried green tomatoes.

Dew points are nearly as high as the temp, but we are running.

Good article in "Runner's World", September issue, about grief... when the loss is "not being able to run".
Also, as always, information about healthy eating.

Lumberjack Days in Stillwater

Children lining up for drinks after the 1 mile kids' race.
We usually run the 5K and our runner guy runs the 10 mile, but today we enjoyed being spectators.

Make It by Midnight Marathon

Here we are, happy finishers, all lit up with reflective strips and flashlights.


This picture has a few added flowers that I found on PhotoSuite.


Cute dog added to the celebration for some runners.


For a good race report:
http://minnesotadon.blogspot.com/