In honor of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be appropriate to give a shout out to what I am thankful for. Now as I sat down to write I thought.. do I start with my most favie thing first or save it for last. But I am not good at waiting, so here we go ..
Well, I am certainly most thankful for my husband. First and foremost. I know.. shocking right? #wink. Without the mister by my side for almost 19years (15 of those mawwiage), I would not be where or who I am today. We started dating way back in March 1992 and married in 1996. Together we have traveled to far off continents and survived Bourban Street. We have moved from Arizona to our favorite city of Chicago. From there, we packed up and moved east to Massachusetts where we have made our home and started our family. We have worked together, worked from home together, raised a baby while working at home together. Survived lots of travel for work while I stayed home with our baby. Built a home and brought another baby into this world. We supported each other while our girl went through a surgery and tested our limits with each other during a very stressful week. I watched him set a goal and reach it to run the Boston Marathon, which lead to me starting to run 5k’s, which in turn lead to him training and completing a Half Ironman (70.3miles), which lead to me running a half marathon and watching him cross the finish line this last year while he ran a 50k and my heart almost exploded with pride & joy. He works so very hard so I can stay home and be here for our kids. Our goal was set very early at the type of kids we were hoping to raise. The expectations we had and hoped we could achieve together. In this 12years of parenting, we have had quite a ride. We’ve been there and done that and I would not change a thing. Of course, it’s not sunshine and lollipops every day.. not. at. all. But those handful of days each month, where everything just falls right into place , when the laughter is contagious, the love overflows, the parenting that is the hardest job ever.. is working. I take a step back and just enjoy this ride I’m on.. and thank my lucky stars.
Mia has been growing out her hair since, well .. since forever. She has only had one little hair cut when she was 1 and I hated how it was cut SO much that I never had it cut her again! It just kept getting longer and longer and everyone would comment on beautiful her hair was. But, it was long! It got tangled! She hated having it washed! Even though there seemed to be so many reasons TO cut it, she never wanted to. In my heart of hearts, neither did I. I loved her long pigtails, her braids, the way to blew in the wind and would fly behind her while she was swinging.
Then one day Mia came running out of her classroom so excited to tell me about on of her teachers had cut her hair and was going to donate it to Locks of Love. She had just turned 5 and thought this was the most amazing thing ever. Her teacher told her that she had to donate atleast 10″ and who it would help. Right then, Mia knew. She said to me that this was her plan and that she would cut her and send to someone who had lost theirs. How could I say no? I never would. But we’d have to grow it out some more so when she did cut it, it would be SUPER short.
We would measure every now and then, but didn't dwell on it's length. She figured she'd grow it through the summer and before she started first grade, she'd go in for the chop. And that she did.
She ended up being able to chop off 11″. She probably could have gone up to 12-13″, but I was having anxiety issues of it being TOO short. I know I know!! Once my, well OUR hairdresser started cutting, my heart started to race and then with that last and final cut and the look on Mia’s face, I melted. I gave a quick little sob and tears burst out of my eyes. At that moment, the emotion came so quick and fast. I as so very proud of her for being so selfless and caring at the age of 5. I was so sad to see her hair go after never having had it cut. It was such a big part of who Mia was. But it’s hair, it’s just a small part of what makes Mia, Mia. After I pulled it together, and she got all coiffed up .. my baby girl had done it and done something pretty extraordinary.
My heart burst with pride that day. I just wanted to share her awesome little story.
“Love is the master key which opens the gates of happiness.”
*Oliver Wendell Holmes
Posted in Run! on 11. Nov, 2010
You know when your out for a run and you get to that point where you’ve past the warm up point and your legs are just taking you so your mind gets to do a little wandering of it’s own. Sometimes I just want to shut my brain off and go, but I haven’t yet to accomplish that. Now, mind you I am not thinking about how to solve world problems or anything too deep & meaningful. My favorite is when I have conversations that MIGHT happen in the future with people that I might see. That way, I feel like I have always the right response, whether it be for good or for laying down the gauntlet and opening a can of whoopass on someone. I catch myself smiling at some of the things I’d love to say some people, but probably never would. I think about my friends from 15-20 years ago, and the fun times we had together. Sometimes, the memory stops me dead in my tracks and I just start laughing. I think how could one person have had so much fun in such a short period of time. I also have thoughts about my kids of course and how i can parent them better or what might be going on with them if something feels off…thats when I feel myself slow down and get sluggish.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I fill my brain up so I make the miles go by quicker. Maybe it’s a sort of zen state for me and all the voices in my head who used to be against me and my running, and try to deter me from making any progress.. now they all join in the chatter and encourage me.
What about you? Is your brain going 100mph while your hittin’ the pavement? Or can you to a place that just allows you to be one with yourself and your run?
Why is daylight savings time such a pain in the ass and causes havoc to our sleep? It’s just a freakin’ hour and yet, it screws up everything!! I am not alone here.. you hear this more often then not. Regardless if its gaining an hour or losing – either way, plan on not sleeping well.
Between the dumbass one hour time change, we watched THE WALKING DEAD on AMC. Do you like zombies? I do and this show is a lot of fun to watch. Just started a couple of weeks ago and we are hooked! But after both episodes I’ve watched, I’ve had bad dreams – about zombies. Last night, I upped the nightmare challenge and watched two episodes of Dexter. So, I tried to fall asleep to the tune of zombies and serial killers. I’m wicked smart. The wind was howling outside and the sleet & snow was hitting the house, that didn’t help my crusade to fall asleep. Finally, I can feel myself drift off to hear the cries of M2 for her mama. I staggered zombie-esque style down the hallway to the unsettling whaling and finally crawl in bed with the miss kick me all night long. I wanna say I got a good 2-3 solid hours of sleep last night. I jinxed myself, for everyone sleeping in past 9 am on Saturday morning. I should have never said anything out loud.
I hope for some good zzzzz’s tonight, but usually – this is the start of a bout with insomnia. But I am going to blame daylight savings, because it’s always someone elses fault other than my own.
Thank goodness for zombie TV & Dexter on Netflix streaming .. just in case.
Fridays from here on out are going to be a photo.. Maybe a photo from the past that I took or maybe it’ll be a photo from that particular day. Whatever strikes my fancy, I’m a fly by the seat kind of gal ya know. So without further a do.. Foto Friday starts.
This photo was taken in York, ME at the Wild Kingdom Zoo. Their butterfly exhibit thingy is creepy & amazing at the same time. These Blue Morpho (I call them blue mofo’s) are spectacular. They open their wings and they are striking blue in color. When they close them up, they are incognito. But they kind of make my teeth hurt….
I would really love to show you what I’m currently knitting. But it’s tiptop secret! It’s secret mitten time and really I have just a little bit over a month to crank these babies out. It’s one of our most anticipated parties of the season and we are all feverishly working and falling in love with our projects.
In the mean time, I have been knitting other things. Like …..
I'm slowly working on Mia's sweater, but she's so freakin' long. The arms needed to be longer than what the pattern called for BY THREE INCHES and now the body of the sweater... may as well just make a blanket. So, that gets knit when I feel like it, not the most entertaining of projects, but when it's done - the oohs and aahhh are gonna be a plenty!
Did I show my sockhead hat? 
It’s GORGEOUS. I knit this with the yarn I bought at Rhinebeck two years ago. It’s yummy Socks that Rock: Jabberwocky. It was a lot of knitting on smaller needles and sockyarn. Round and Round and Round. But when it was finally finished, I am so happy that I had this yarn, because it was MEANT to be this.
I whipped up a Turn A Square hat for Mr Knitpho but have yet to take a photo of him looking so good in it. It turned out great and was such a fun knit! But.. now it’s back to the secret mittens. The big party and our exchange is December 11!! I better get on it!
Posted in Run! on 03. Nov, 2010
It was a chilly this morning when I rolled out of bed at the dreadful hour of 7am. That first moment when you fling the covers back and that little rush of the morning air takes over your warm cozy bed and you think how much longer can you lay under the covers and still have enough time to wake the beasts up, make breakfast, get them ready and make myself look presentable? Then finally make the move and get up and at em.
There was frost on the cars and on the grass this morning. I didn’t have my contacts in or my glasses on so at first site it looked like the snow and I almost fainted. I came to my senses and realized frost.. then I realized .. shit. FROST! I love fall. But cold weather just is the worst. It means bundling up and putting shoes on.. I’m a hardcore fan of the flipflop, but as a runner – I’ve been told to not wear them. I can’t help it, I’m a rebel like that. Consider yourself warned.. and if you really wanna hang with a badass like me.
So after a slow start, I layered up and waited for the temps to warm up to a balmy 34*. I was just not feeling the loop I do from my house and going the other way just wasn’t going to work either. I whined about it and @Luau says to me to zen run. Just let me feet lead the way. So, after I drove myself to the park, just to have a little bit of a new starting point, I did just that. I didn’t dwell on how far I think I’d gone, or how long I’d been gone. I enjoyed the blue sky. The crispy crunch as I ran over fallen leaves kept me company along the way. Before I knew it, almost 50minutes had gone by and I had been running the whole time. I didn’t look at my watch until I was done. I did it. I had had a zen run!
Posted in Run! on 02. Nov, 2010
After I ran my half marathon in June I was on top of the world. I felt that I could accomplish anything and take the world by the balls. I was empowered and strong and confident. Well, I do feel empowered,strong and confident on most days .. I really do. But not in my running. I want that back. I need it back.
So, as winter is upon us and running becomes a little bit more difficult outside. I mean, we all know it’s not IMPOSSIBLE to run outside in the winter in New England but we also know – the conditions leave a lot to be desired. We all complain about the dreadmill, especially if you have a high mileage day and the roads are covered with ice,slush and snow. It’s easy to stay tucked in your nice warm house, knitting and sipping a nice cozy beverage. It’s so easy to talk myself into doing that STILL, after all these runs I’ve gone on and loved, the races I’ve done and loved goals I’ve accomplished. I still can convince myself to be lazy. How does one stop doing that and convince yourself to NOT run one day or NOT work out one day? I want that problem.
I guess one should sign up for another BIG race and start training? That seems to work best. I need to set some goals. Some weight loss goals,mileage goals and going to the gym goals. I need to commit to these and own them. Hold myself accountable for them. So, do me a favor and tweet me, email me, comment me and hold me accountable will ya? Ask me: Have you ran today? Have you eaten like a little piggy today? Did you work on your core today? I will tell you.. yes. and thank you for checking up on me. What? You have better things to do than worry about me? Well alright then, I understand. You have a life too.
So, with that all said I’m going to take a runny run around the ‘hood. BEEP if ya see me
Happy Running and Knitting (but not at the same time!)
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