It's been a year and a HALF...

I can't believe it has been that long since I checked in....SO much has happened. It is called life.

In that time my oldest son ended his first year of college and a bad relationship. Earned a 4.0 and lost it. Found a better match and is still trying to find his dream.

My youngest started high school and has his learner's permit (driving!) and I began working on my Master's degree, dropped 15 pounds and picked up a better way of living and breathing by becoming addicted! to yoga and walking outdoors.

So, I did not complete a technical 5K, but in a year I have walked over 150 miles. So, I'm not at all freaked out about a 5K. I think that was something that helped me get a move on, the idea of doing that which I had not done. But really, every day is one I have not done and each day comes with it's own set of trials and adventures.

So, I will say - it's been real, interesting, and very balancing to live in every moment and I thank God that He gives me the grace to do so.

Until next time. Peace out.

So like I said...

That I was going to talk about how I had deviated from the original topic of this blog/journal/witness to myself......

Yes, well....I originally started this with the intention of documenting how I was going to take myself to a simple 5K. But since then I have decided that my life is just more complex and there is more to it than that. I have alot of other things on my mind. It's not that I think a 5K is unimportant, I just think it's more of a topping or accessory.

I have decided that I am going to focus on well, "myself", of course - but having said that, "myself" is more than a 5K. "Myself" is a mom, daughter, wife, sister, friend, teacher, child of God, humanist, intuit and a few others and not necessarily in that order. If I am going to write about me then it has to be about more than a 5K for crying out loud. AND, when I do that 5K, it will probably be a footnote, not a thesis.

I have many roles and ultimately feel my purpose is to love others in all those roles. I know we all have a commission and so I have to try and be the best I can be while fulfilling that. I think that is what it is all about. The problem, is how hard I struggle with being my best and sticking to my commission.

I love Erma Bombeck and her wisdom is usually spot-on. This is one of my favorites:
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'."
That's my goal. My real one.

I also remember that C.S. Lewis (my favorite <3) summed it up best when he said, "You don't have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body."  I know what my soul is supposed to do and I have to be about the business of doing it. I have to pull myself off the proverbial couch to my soul's purpose.

This is my journey.

Chocolat???

I have to say I had the most awesome weekend! We set out to drive north for about an hour to Ellijay, GA - apple capital of the state. I found an apple orchard and we went with the plan to pick our own apples and make a sugar-free apple pie and have an adventure of a day ...... AND, we did.
We picked our own apples (me, hubby & youngest son), got rained on in the orchard, ate from the bakery (sugar-free....mostly), headed to the town square and had a fantastic afternoon/evening at an antique car show, local diner, block party with live music and food vendors. We finished it off in a tiny soon to open tea and chocolate shop.
Rewind to the block party. We were sitting in a huge parking lot listening to great Beatles music by a great local band. Storm cloud moves in....AGAIN! We run to the storefronts and up under an awning. We wait there with a charming older gentleman named "Harold". We see a lady coming up the stairs and we ask her to join us to get dry on the porch and she replies, "How about we go inside?" ....... SHE was the owner of this soon to be aforementioned eatery. She wanted us to sample her soon to be menu of fresh hot cookies, muffins and gourmet teas. Had we died and gone to heaven???
Anyway, in the next hour a small army had amassed outside her tiny shop and began paying her for these wonderful treats. I wondered if I had stumbled into the movie "Chocolat". We made delightful conversation with wonderful people (some from the same area of FL that we are from....imagine that?) and vowed to return the 2nd Saturday of every month of the season.
Quite possibly the best day I have had - almost surreal - in quite a long time. Almost magical. You know, God works that way. :)
Peace.
PS - next time I promise to talk about how I have deviated away from the original topic of this blog ;)

3 Months? I am the worst blogger, ever.

This is true. I am a very BAD blogger. Why? Don't know, just am. I guess because I have so much stuff in my head and spend so much time sorting it out, that the last thing I want to do is write it down...
So, still no 5K, BUT - I hiked 5 miles last Saturday and another 2 on Sunday. This is something, I don't care what anyone else thinks. My hubby and oldest son (now moved into his college dorm!) went away for Labor Day weekend to a place that can only be described as perfect for the witness location program. Just us and a few other guests at a state park with lots of trails, a golf course, archery & skeet shooting ranges. It felt awesome to be in the woods - out in nature and out of a classroom for a few days.
I wanted to do this and I did. Me - for the win.
I'm still not there, I still make bad food choices, put off walking in the afternoon, delay my hair appointments, etc... but I felt good about what I did and my body did too.
SO take that - 3 months of no blogging!
Peace - Until next time!

Well, What Now?

So here I am almost two months later. Yeah. So where do I begin?

School is finally out. May was a whirlwind. I have a high school senior and he graduated almost two weeks ago. There were more programs and activities than I had brain power for. I also teach and so there were more programs and activities there than I had brain power for. It should be illegal for a teacher who has a child graduating at home to have to do anything during the month of May.

Now, I am home. No more papers to grade, grades to enter or lesson plans to make.  Strange and also an adjustment (believe it or not). So I am finding a routine of some sorts and also dealing with a son who will very soon go off to college.

Stay tuned...

Wow...What a week.

This past week has been atrocious.  I walked again last Monday in my neighborhood.  That night my son had a very severe asthma attack.  My husband was out of town, it was awful.  He is still not completely well. Long story and more Dr. appointments to add to an already very long list.  Tired, frustrated, angry, sad...lots of emotions.
Anyway, I was able to walk the neighborhood again Wednesday, but not again until tonight.  I know, terrible. At least I got three workouts in (since I count it from Monday to Monday).
On the not so good side, I ate sweets, pizza, ice cream, etc... Not exactly the recipe for someone who is trying to train for a 5K.  I am vowing to start anew tomorrow. My son is stable and I am praying for a better week.
So I really hope I can get some steam.  Failing is very depressing. I wish it was as easy at it was 15 years ago. Age is a very sucky thing.
I did however learn to really love smoothies with fresh fruit, greek yogurt and cranberry pomengranate juice. Even with all the upset of last week - something good remains.
Peace out.

The beginning of a new week...

Today I shopped for new cereal, fruit, yogurt and whole grains.  I've done this shopping before, it's not like I never buy this stuff, but I made sure I didn't buy any other "bad" stuff either.
I walked in my neighborhood today instead of getting on the treadmill.   My neighborhood is harder than the treadmill with it's extreme of rolling hills and such. My friend says this is "cross-training". It is something alright. I walked for 30 minutes but have no idea what the distance was. Maybe tomorrow I will drive my walk and see how far it was.  I spent more time on the pavement than the treadmill and was much more tired due to the hills.  I hope I will see a change on my scale this week. Just a little change, something....throw a girl a bone.
Back to work tomorrow after a week off. This will be a test for sure.  I already made my low-carb wrap for lunch. How long can I do the whole lunch prep thing?  This remains to be seen.  I have roughly 6-7 weeks of school left (I'm a teacher.). I cannot run to get a salad, go home for lunch or meet a friend at a nice lunch spot for soup, half a sandwich or a nice salad. It's me and the cafeteria...two options.
I'm tired. Going to bed.  Goodnight Moon.