What's Your Story?

Or as the mister always says, "Everybody has a story." I am often so caught up in my own little world, my own daily sh** that is happening, my own story, I forget this. I love the Train song "Bruises". The lyrics say, "These bruises, make for better conversation. We all got bruises."
Our story does form who we are, what matters to us, what has hurt us and what has healed us.
We've all got a story. It doesn't mean it is written forever and can't change. Every book has another chapter. If you don't like your story, you can always turn the page and start a new chapter.
After all, you are the author of your story!

Ouch!

Not something any runner wants to have! I wore those old shoes one run too many and this is the price I paid!! Boo!!!
On the upside, the grandkids thought it was awesome!!! HA! At least it made somebody happy!!!

She Beat Me

Ran another 10K today with my daughter and the inevitable happened, she beat me!! It was only by a few seconds, but she did it! I am so proud of her.
We have very different views of the race. She just wants to finish and thinks that IS the accomplishment. While I agree with her, I also measure myself and check previous times and try to improve and put a lot of pressure on myself. However, with all that added pressure, I am the one who, at the end says, "Man, that was fun!!" She just looks at me like I am crazy! Maybe I am.
In today's race, I came in 3rd in my age group out of 14 women. I was the oldest person in the group running, so 3rd feels HUGE. As my runner friend, Carol, has told me, "You don't have to get faster. You just have to get older and into the next age group!"
I pray for the stamina and health to get into that next age group...and the one after that....and the one after that...

Numbers

Our lives are often ruled by numbers. The number in our bank account, the number on our bathroom scale, the number that is our age. Some say, it's just a number. It really doesn't matter. But, we know it kind of does matter. A low bank account number, along with a high number on the bathroom scale, can cause us a good deal of anxiety. Reverse that, and it probably makes us feel pretty happy.
I guess, along with most things in life, the key is balance and keeping things in perspective. Our numbers should only matter to us and we should not compare ourselves to others, because, I guarantee, no matter where you are in life, there is someone better off than you and someone worse off than you. I know people who are skinny (low number) and live very unhealthy lifestyles. I know people who have a lot of money (high number) and are miserable.
Numbers should be our guide, but never the be all & end all of how we measure ourselves. We are all so much more than any number can reveal.

Halloween in July

I consider myself pretty creative, EXCEPT when it comes to sewing. I have often said, if there is a needle involved, look for the heroin!! (JK!!) Well, I can no longer make that claim.
My awesome BFF, JoEllen has been goading, egging, prodding me along for a while now to start sewing with her. Frankly, I really only said yes because I knew it meant I got to spend the day with her. We always manage to have a great time together, no matter what we are doing or where we are. Today, proved no different, except, I also learned to make a pillow. A really adorable pillow, if I do say so myself. It's Halloween in July! Jo was a patient and encouraging teacher, even after the project took hours longer than it would have taken her to do it herself. This skill does not come naturally to me. Heck, I have been known to glue gun on a button in an emergency!! We started with the basics...the VERY basics of threading the sewing machine, what a bobbin is and how it works, cutting a straight edge (that proved the hardest for me). I am not sure how much of it I will retain, but she promised me another class again soon. Laughter guaranteed.
After all, you can never have too many holiday pillows and you can teach an old dog new tricks!
Who knew?!?!

Sandy Possibilities

We decided it was time to sand the putting green grass & add to the sand in the play area. It is amazing how many hours the kids spend back there creating, imagining, and playing with each other. A shovel, a bucket, some water and sand = Best. Day. Ever.
Maddy was away at camp when Mark did this project and the minute she came over, the other kids couldn't wait to show it to her. It put a smile on my face to see how happy something so simple made all of them.

"One of the virtues of being very young is that you don't let the facts get in the way of your imagination."  ~Sam Levenson
biggsuzi

Dear God...

I have seen this magnet at the car wash I go to several times and finally decided last week to buy it. Anyone who has been to my house knows that magnets are a big part of my fridge decor! This one needed to come home with me.
Of all the types of prayers there are ~ adoration (praise the greatness of God), expiation (asking for forgiveness), love ( claiming our love for God), petition (asking and asking and asking) & thanksgiving (thank you for what you have given me), guess which one is the least form used? Thanksgiving, of course. We are great askers, but slow to remember to say thank you afterwards.
Hence, the question...I wonder if we ever give God a headache?!

A La Mode

Not sure why this made me smile, except that my husband will NOT eat a piece of cake without "a la mode"! Whenever I am making a cake, brownies or other dessert, he will invariably ask, "Do we have a la mode?" He has also taught the grandkids to ask the same question! They are all partners in crime sugar!! No wonder they love him so much!!

Jack the Painter

"Small boys become big men through the influence of big men who care about small boys."
Pa & Jack are building a fort. Pa never tells them "No". Jack wanted to paint it on his own. Pa never tells them "No". The results are seen above in the photo! Thank goodness it was water base. 
Yes, we could buy a kit to build a fort, but this one is being built from scraps from jobs. It is pieced together with old lumber, left over roofing material, paint we had. The value is next to nothing...or it is priceless. Jack told me when it is finished, he is going to order a large cheese pizza and have it delivered to his fort! He surely will, because Pa never tells them "No".
May they remember the unconditional love he showed them every day of his life!
 Biggsuzi

You Inspire Me

 My daughter & I ran a 10K early this morning. We had signed up for the 5K, but when we got there, it was kind of a casual race format and they said we could run the 10K if we wanted. I left it up to Amber and she said, "Let's do it!" (Her very first one!) It was along the bike/trail path of a park and manged to stay nice and cloudy for us during the race.
Frankly, I still marvel at this woman I bore so many years ago. She spent most of her life shunning exercise and now, has discovered she loves how it makes her feel...not to mention LOOK! Check out that new bod!!
Shortly after we dropped her off after the race, she sent me this text:

"Thoughts from running today: you see people who are clearly studs and you smile and think, wow I'm impressed. You see people who are old or young and you smile and think, wow I'm impressed. You see people who are just starting on running/weight loss and you smile and think, wow I'm impressed. So basically running makes you smile and be impressed by everyone who gets out there to do it. :)"

That about sums it up in a nutshell. No matter your age, your size, your reason, etc., we just get out there and put one foot in front of the other. We time ourselves, not to measure us against anyone else, but to see our own progress. We have good days and bad days. We have good runs and bad runs, but we keep running. 

What she may not realize, while she was out there being impressed by those around her, I was running beside her being impressed by her!

Happy 4th

" Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Sounded pretty good in 1863 and it still sounds good 150 years later in 2013! 

Happy 4th of July! As the fireworks say, "Safe & Sane", not just today, but every day. 

A Moment

In an all too rare quiet moment, I realize how loudly my life is trying to tell me how wonderful it is!
Thank you, Lord, for my imperfectly perfect life. Amen.