Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. None of Nature’s landscapes are ugly so long as they are wild. — John Muir, Our National Parks (1901)
Plan R: Sticking with it
I am still trying to make my come back as a runner. Those days of waking up eager to get out the door for a long run are nothing but a vague memory. Instead, I have to remind myself that I have the Nike Women’s half-marathon on the books for mid-October. The course is hilly, and paved. Toeing the line without adequate training would NOT be a good thing.
It was noon by the time I got myself run-ready and was out the door. The heat of the day hit me like a sledge hammer on my head. Ugh! It was all I could do not to return to the cool house and switch to Plan Y.
I thought back to the good old days, when just putting one foot in front of the other would eventually result in finding my groove. It was certainly worth a try.
back packin’
My thoughts went back to Christmas, 2 years back, when YaYa’s godparents gave a “survival basket” to Elizabeth’s parents. Elizabeth was in 8th grade student at the time, and this basket was apparently filled with several of the must-haves to get through the final year at our Catholic (pre-K through 8th) school. As I remember, the basket was quite LARGE.
Now that YaYa is in his 8th grade year, and the emails are landing in my inbox with all of the things I should’ve done but haven’t, I really want to know what on earth was in that basket. At this point in the game, we are only a couple of weeks into the school year and, already, I am overwhelmed.
Everything we are doing seems to be grounded in the future. Photos for the yearbook and end of year slideshow, shadowing appointments and applications for high school, high school placement tests, retreats… It all must be done NOW, and it’s only the first few weeks of school.
All the while, I resist being pulled into the future. I cling tightly to the hear and now. After all, I’ve been trying so hard to be nowhere else but here.
I really want this last year before high school to go slowly. Already, I see so many changes in my baby boy. Changes that tell me that he is no longer a boy, but a man. That’s enough to contend with. I’m in no rush to see him move on to high school and soon after off to college. I’m not ready for to be an empty nester. My nest is empty enough already.
Well, this 3 day weekend was just the gift from the heavens I needed. In between Saturday morning’s football practice and Sunday late afternoon game, we got back packin’ out to the nearby mountains.
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THE BOLD & the beautiful
I’m not sure if it’s just because I can’t see the little pug’s face, but it does seem like the mastiff is a bit intimidated by little miss pug’s nosiness.
I came upon these two while out running last minute errands for our backpacking trip. We leave in just a few hours — but that’s a whole other story.
I just thought this was really a cool sight to behold. These two dogs who are so different, yet so very much alike. I loved watching them interacting with each other. It was just so sweet.
Wisdom Flags
What I call “Wisdom Flags” flap in my little air-conditioned cubie at work. They are a collection of tags from my Yogi Tea which contain the various inspiring or wise sayings that are printed on each of the tags. Much like opening a fortune cookie or a Wonka Bar, this bit of “Teabag Wisdom” has served me well. It’s not so much the hot cup of tea, although I really have come to enjoy to my routine of afternoon tea. It is the sayings, or wise words that have gotten me through my work days.
At first, I saved only a couple, starting with the one that reads, “I am beautiful. I am bountiful. I am blissful.” After I had about 5 on my desk, I got the idea to string them together. They hung just under my computer dock, draped just so. That spurred the idea to grow the chain into something much bigger…