officially on vacation

After struggling to finish a post this month, I have decided to give in and take an official vacation for the rest of the year.

I have many draft postings that I haven't been able to complete. I will be in the Florida Keys for the next week - yippee! - and might try and find some quiet time with my laptop to do some writing.

Have a great holiday everyone and Happy New Year!

Grocery store frenzy

In anticipation of the big storm and our holiday party on Saturday night I went by the grocery store on the way home from work today. I needed a few things for the party and thought that I might do some baking in the morning, while the kids went out in the snow (such a fantasy day dream).

I do not go to the grocery store very often, as my hubby loves to shop and loves to cook, so I indulge him and let him do the weekly shopping. Occasionally it is nice to walk around the aisles and stare at all the packaging, as I did today. I was very casual... my kids were home with Lee and I had no reason to rush, so I didn't, But all around me was a frenzy and like a shark swimming through a school of minnows,

I began to frenzy!

Why do I keep doing this?

In case you do not have a garage and you are not sure what you are looking at, let me explain..

This is my car after I drove into the garage with the Christmas tree still tied to the roof...

Yes, it is funny and what is funnier is that it is not the first time I have done this,

I wrecked a Thule a few years ago...

How would you know that there is puppy in the house?

I am not sure how long a dog can be called a puppy, but perhaps like the youngest sibling who is always called "the baby", Gypsy at nearly 2 years old remains the puppy.
















She is quite a wonderful little thing

except for this.....

and this....

and this

and this...

Running through the NE seasons

As I become more and more of a "real" runner, and have been running every day, I find that the weather can effect my run more than anything else. The change of seasons are such a part of the life in NE and each season has its own running challenges.
In the middle of July when I try and run a few miles around the block, I can barely breath after 5 minutes. I swear that this is the worse season to be a runner. The only thing enjoyable about summer running is the ease it is to go... no gear, no layering... sneakers, water, sunscreen and go..

I ran home from basketball on Sunday afternoon. All day I had been studying the skies, measuring the snow fall and monitoring the wind speed. I contemplated the drudgery of the dreadmill, for I know that my days of dreadmill running are nearly here. I studied the sidewalks, and looked for other runners so I could judge the measure of cold and pain on their faces.

I knew that I would end up running outside, but mentally all that contemplating was necessary. So, after many discussions of what to wear, how much to wear, which route to take and how much daylight I had before I would be running in the dark, I set off.

The course from the high school to home is a straight 5 miles down the bike path, through town and out to our neighborhood. There is plenty of traffic in case I needed help, and plenty of friends' houses along the way in case I had an emergency.

Honestly, from my warm chair, looking back it was not that bad and I got my run in and over with.

When I was outside with the wind and snow swirling around me I felt like a foolish, crazy, idiot. The first 2 miles were fine, I was overdressed and stopped to take a layer off and take off my hat. The third mile was long and tiring and the sun went down and I found myself in the dark. Mile four and five were foolish. The temperature was below freezing and the bike path went in and out of the woods and up and down a few rolling hills, which were now frozen and slippery. I have been too cheap to buy a second pair of running shoes, the kind that I need to run outside in the winter, goretex with some traction. So, in my web mesh uppers I went sliding in to home for mile 5, in the dark and the wind and the snow.

It is a run like this that does make me feel like a real runner. Despite the fact that it took me nearly 60 minutes to make it home, I was out there, running like a crazy person.

Saturday morning 5k, Jolly Jaunt on Boston Common

aren't you glad it's Friday?

The Holiday spirit is coming...

I am a slob.. and rarely can anyone tell. My house is clean and the counters are always clear of "stuff", but I have a few messy secrets, like my Christmas lights.

I am sure that it is the same way every year, with every family. I think we all have intentions of packing away the lights in a neat and orderly fashion, but suddenly it's March and the snow is grey and dreary and it is all that I can do to get them off the tree and out of sight. So, here they are...

And it is a beautiful warm day, so it was finish raking leaves (yuck) or put the lights out.. a little better. Here they are after I sorted and untangled for long time,

The I strung them around the bushes, even getting them on the prickly bush - that I hate and vow every year to chop it down, or pay someone else to chop it down. This picture actually makes it look dead,

I am very proud of my work. I am the first one in the neighborhood to get the lights up. Lee even came in complaining that I deprived him of the annual torture of stringing lights. I'm a nice wife that way, depriving my hubby of torture.

I ran away from home for a few days and went to visit my cousin Jules in Woodstock, NY. It is always so nice to be away from driving kids around and doing laundry and feeling responsible. Instead I got to sleep in (I actually only made it until 7:30, which is kinda' sleeping in for me) and hang out with my cousins and just hang out. How nice.

We got a chance to see each other, which although we keep in touch quite bit through email and facebook and sometimes a phone call, really nothing can be the same as being together. I meant to take some pictures, and I even brought my camera and then just couldn't get motivated to get the camera out. The sunrise on Saturday morning, coming up over the mountains was quite spectacular, you will just have to take my word for it. I also thought I might take some pictures of snow, since they already have some, but nope, couldn't get my camera out.

I really enjoyed the freedom of driving on my own, stopping whenever I wanted and only when I wanted. I brought some book on tapes and some snacks... overkill, she really doesn't live very far away and I have never been able to get interested in a book on tape for very long. I did get a chance to sing.. my kids won't let me sing to the radio if they are in the car.. I am that bad.

So, when I got home yesterday it was back to reality. Sometimes having a few days away makes you appreciate what you have at home, and appreciate your time away even more!