Whoo Hoo!

I believe this month would be considered an overall success in the training department.

Robin added up her monthly walking total: 57 miles!
My total: 68 miles!

Now, I'm hoping both of our totals will be higher next month, but, I'm not going to jinx us and say they will be.  After both of us suffered through various forms of ick, spent time caring for others with the ick, and traveling an unreal number of miles during the month (me for wedding celebrations, Robin with crazy work schedule), I will not predict anything going smoothly in March.

In other success news, Robin is now officially signed up for the Avon Walk. She has her T-shirt and everything! Now we just need to book flights and a hotel room, and we are good to go!

"It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy of life lies in having no goal to reach.”



                                               ~Benjamin E. Mays



 

Can You See Me?

Have you ever played hide-and-seek with a young child? Usually it doesn't take too much skill to find him or her; but, if you are really "good" at the game, you will "search" high-and-low without success for some time.  Often, before you decide to give up your quest to find the child, you will hear a little voice ask, "Can you see me?"

Sometimes I think we as adults ask the same question. "Can you see me? Can you see who I really am? Can you see my flaws? Can you see my good points? Can you see ME?"  Usually these questions are followed by one more, "If you can see me, can you love me?"

The search for unconditional love is universal. The hope that someone, somewhere will know us in-and-out and will love us anyway--it's powerful. And if, by God's grace, this gift is found, we have to be strong enough to believe in that love and to do whatever it takes to hold onto it--to hold on to that person who can "see" us.

Love… What is love? Love is to love someone for who they are, who they were, and who they will be.



                                                    ~Chris Moore

Redeeming Love

I've been reading a book that Robin recommended to me, Redeeming Love. It's a great re-telling of the book of Hosea from the Bible. I've almost finished the book, and these quotes reminded me of the story. Enjoy the quotes and read the book!

“Yes I love him. I love him more than anything else in this world and there is nothing that I would like better than to hold on to him forever. But I know it's not for the best. So no matter how much my heart is going to break, I've got to let him go so he can know just how much I love him. Maybe if I'm lucky, he'll come back, but if not, I can make it through this.”

“You may not love me today, tomorrow, or ever, but I will love you until it kills me, and, even then, you'll be in my heart.”

 

It is impossible to fall out of love. Love is such a powerful emotion, that once it envelops you it does not depart. True love is eternal. If you think that you were once in love, but fell out of it, then it wasn't love you were in. There are no 'exit' signs in love, there is only an 'on' ramp.”

"As I gazed into your eyes - something inside me forever changed...
You laid there by my side and gave me a smile that tore down the
walls surounding my Heart..
I found what I'd been looking for all along..
that magic feeling I could never have before..
I felt you there.. beside me.. taking my hand in yours..
When the tears faded away and I came to my senses -
You gave me a promise I'd been dying to hear since the moment we met..
You Told me that we'll always be together...
Time and space ceased to be.. Our threads of fate became one..
All the pain, doubt and fear in the world would not keep us apart..
Not anymore..
If I'd have died right then and there in your arms,
it wouldn't matter.. It still would have been the happiest moment
of my life.. Death is only death.. and you.. are so much more..
But then something happened.. The dream ended.. I was forced to open
my eyes only to realize.. that I had lost you once again..
I had returned back to reality - along with the sad shards of my broken
Heart.. The torment of nothingness inside me caused greif unlike
any other.. And still.. I wouldn't trade that one moment of true
happieness.. for anything.. even if it was just a dream..
Though just a pleasent illusion - the time we shared together felt
real enough to me.. And that's why I love the nightly darkness so..
For I can't wait to close my eyes.. fall asleep once more..
and find you there again.." 

  

                                            ~ Angivel of Zanarcadia

UGH! With a Capitol U!

As much as I love the beautiful warm weather we've had recently, I'm not liking the increased pollen count associated with it. Nor am I liking the apparent increase in stomach viruses, the flu, and the overall ick.

Now, I am happy to report I have managed to avoid some of the nastier versions of the above mentioned maladies. But, today, when I walk, I feel as if my head weighs about 42 pounds and is magnetically drawn to the left. In Christie sick-speak, this means I'm beginning to develop a sinus/ ear infection. Although I am usually able to work through such nastiness pretty well, it does require me to become a walking pharmacy of sinus medications and Tylenol.

So, to make a long story short, UGH!!!!

"Health is not valued till sickness comes.”

                                               ~Thomas Fuller

Long Hard Day...

This post is dedicated to Robin, one of the hardest working--and best--social workers EVER!

 Well, Robin didn't get her four mile walk in today. I would say, "Shame on you." (okay, no I wouldn't), but for the fact that Robin had one of those days we all dread.

First, she was up and out at 8:00 a.m. to see a kid and to run work related errands. Then she had to complete a ridiculously long report, which, when going back into her computer to make a correction, was found to be MIA. Next she had to take a child to Anniston. This trip included travel delays due to road work and accidents, wrong turns and an anxious child.  She finally walked in her door after 8:00 p.m. 

You would think that she would take the morning off, but, no, she will need to see another child--an ADHD child--at 8:30.

So, I figure that Robin has worked hard enough today that she earns a pass for the four miles. A pass and a recognition of how fantastic she truly is at what she does!

"I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time." ~Charles Schultz



"God put me on this Earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now, I am so far behind I will never die." ~Anonymous

It's My Party...

I threw myself a party this weekend. Granted, it was a pity party, so it wasn't that much fun, but at least I did it up right!

I guess it was just one of those crazy combination of too little sleep, too much running, and an inability for my coffee supply to keep up. It just seemed that the gnawing feeling of missing something important wouldn't go away, no matter how many happy thoughts I thought or how many blessings I counted.

So, I cried. A good, long, loud cry. (Okay, relatively loud since the kids were sleeping.) It's amazing how much a good cry helps me. Most of my female friends understand this. My male friends, not so much.

The good news about long cries, they tend to help ease the tension caused by all the bad feelings building inside of you. (Think of slowly releasing the cap off of a bottle of soda after the drink has been shaken up.) The bad news about long cries, sometimes the tension that had filled you was all that was making you feel whole. After the long cry, you can sometimes feel empty and spent.

This is where it is good to remember that, as empty as you feel at times, the feeling will eventually pass. And, even as you are crying, it is good to remember that,  someday, very soon, you'll be smiling again.

"I want to be remembered as the girl who always smiles even when her heart is broken, and the one that could always brighten up your day even if she couldn't brighten her own.”

Prize or Gift?

In the last few days I've been thinking about love, and how people view and pursue it.

I'm friends with some people that look at love as a prize to be won. The chase is the rush they look for, the conquest the spoils they seek. But then, once they have the love they have worked to gain, the rush ends. The game has been won, so it's time to move on to the next match.

I have other friends that look at love as a gift for which they are unworthy. When any form of love is thrown in their direction,  they hold on with a death grip. The fear is that the love will soon be gone, and all will be lost.

Neither of these approaches to love are the best, and I've been guilty of both. I wish I could say that my guilt was far in the past, when I was young and foolish. But I've also committed these mistakes--at least to a degree--since I've been older and foolish.

What I've finally realized, through many ups and downs, is that love is both a prize and a gift. A prize that, once won, is cherished as the gift it truly is. A gift that, once received, reassures the receiver of how very worthy he or she is of that love.

I pray we each find that love in our lives--and recognize it when we do.

“There are two sorts of romantics: those who love, and those who love the adventure of loving.”



                                          ~Lesley Blanch

"Love is a gift. You can't buy it, you can't find it, someone has to give it to you. Learn to be receptive of that gift."



                                         ~Kurt Langner

Dear Murphy

Dear Murphy,

I know you are a powerful entity--so powerful a law was named after you. And I'm sure you enjoy throwing your weight around, and it bothers you that your actions are often credited to fate or luck. But your frustrations towards others should not be taken out on me.

I made it through the week of "What the heck!" a few months ago, where it appeared that your goal was to make me either cry or hide in my bed. I made my way through that time laughing, because I chose not to give you the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

Then, just the other night, you chose to cause havoc in my kitchen, creating problems with not just one cake but TWO cakes which I needed to have completed for a baby shower. As such, I only had 1 1/2 hours of sleep that night.

Well, you didn't win Murphy. I made it through my day yesterday--a bit punchy--but I made it. And I slept soundly last night. So, may I just say, NANANANANOONOO!

Murphy, I'm done with you and  this abusive relationship of yours. You need to turn your attention to someone else (may I suggest Bin Laden or the idiot who poisoned the trees in Auburn, Alabama.) But, if you use your evil powers against me again, please note that I will yet again laugh and win.  Because fighting you is all about attitude, and you will NEVER beat mine!

“There is only three certainties in this life. The laws of physics, the laws of murphy and death.”

Bad Girl! Bad Girl! Whatcha Gonna Do?

NOT my 4 mile walk.

Instead, I took my son to an appointment that lasted until almost 7 p.m. Then I came home to bake baby shower cakes. I'll begin the decorating of said cakes tomorrow night.

Maybe on Thursday I'll be a good girl, but, I have to say, being bad felt pretty good tonight!


“There are no good girls gone wrong, just bad girls found out.”



                                          ~Mae West

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'll be honest with you. I really wasn't sure how I'd handle today. The day for flowers and candy and lovers and me with none-of-the-above.

Up until I went to bed last night, I felt okay, and I was fairly confident I wouldn't be an emotional basket case. And that turned out to be true. I won't say I didn't have moments where I felt the twinge of something missing (something akin to an arm.) And, some of the bouquets I saw in my travels today may have caused me to be a wee bit envious.

But, what I kept reminding myself when I felt some of those not-so- pleasant feelings was that, 1) Valentine's Day is about love, and I have plenty of people in my life I love and who love me; and 2) I would much rather go through a 100 Valentine's Days without a romantic interest than to ever settle for being first in someones life for one day only and then placed last the remaining 364.

So, I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day, and I hope each of you have found the love in your life for today and all the days to follow.

“Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”



                                ~ Robert Heinlein

Doubting Dad

Today Robin and I walked our 6 miles like to dedicated (most of the time) individuals that we are. We were able to walk outside again due to the absolute gorgeous weather we were blessed with for a second day in a row.

Riding home with my sense of accomplishment, I thought little more about our walk. That is, until I received a text from Robin.  In a nutshell, Robin asked me to quote how many miles we had walked over the weekend, as her dad did not believe that she was walking regularly.

Now, please let me explain that, from all accounts, Robin's dad has a strong sense of humor. His humor often takes on the form of antagonistic teasing. So, I'm going to assume that this was the reason for "proof of walk" from me.

I would like to also, at this time, extend an invitation to Robin's dad to join us next weekend in our walks. I'd be willing to bet that he wouldn't request proof a second time!


Fathers should be neither seen nor heard. That is the only proper basis for family life.
                                              ~ Oscar Wilde

My Big Mistake

I made a few mistakes today. None of the life-threatening variety, but mistakes none-the-less.

First, I forgot to cut my toenails prior to my walk today. Now, this may sound like a trivial detail; but, please trust me, if you are planning to walk or run any distance at all, make sure you have short toenails.

Second, I had planned a walking route for today using a program by Google. I was able to determine exactly where we needed to walk to reach 14 miles--the goal for today. It was a fantastic plan, but, if you fail to print out or at least review your route prior to going for your walk, it's pretty much worthless. As such, going by memory, Robin and I were able to complete 12.6 miles instead of the 14 which we had planned.

Finally, I made my biggest mistake for the day. I came home, grabbed a snack and a hot shower, and then--and this is the mistake--put on my warm and fuzzy PJ's. Not a problem if I was ready to snuggle down into my bed. That wasn't the original plan for the night, though. Time for some coffee!

“Oh no! I should do something....but I am already in my pajamas. [Farnsworth]”

                                            ~ Futurama

Mission Accomplished

Robin and I were both very good girls tonight. We each walked (separately due to my having my babies) 4 miles. Well, 4 miles for me, 4.3 miles for Robin. She lost track of walking. I did not have that problem!

Robin ended up burning 454 calories, and I came in at 408 burned.

Mission accomplished.

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments”

                                                    ~Jim Rohn



Loving the Job: God May Have a Sense of Humor

Well, anyone that argues that God does not have a sense of humor has never experienced a couple of days like I've had.

As I documented last night, I had an unexpected problem regarding one of my work kiddos medication. This required me to travel to Bessemer, which is not a normal job related requirement for me.

Now, today, I had to make a last minute trip to the McWane Center. It's late, and it's a long story. The short version is that, through a cancellation of one appointment and no shows at a meeting, a third appointment for one of my kiddos was forgotten. So, in order for my kiddo to make her appointment, I needed to check her out of school and get her to Birmingham pronto.

Two lessons that I learned from this trip: 1) Always verify the address to which you are driving prior to leaving. Typing and re-typing the information into a Mapquest app while on the road with a nervous ADHD child is not an easy task; and 2) To a young lady from a small Alabama town, Birmingham looks like New York. (I smiled just a little bit on that one.)

Now, just to make it clear, if I end up having to go to Huntsville tomorrow unexpectedly, I will have proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God has a sense of humor.

“There is hope for the future because God has a sense of humor and we are funny to God.”



                                                ~Bill Cosby

Loving the Job

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my job? My kiddos and my foster parents are the best, and my co-workers are without par. But one of the greatest parts of my job is sometimes one of the worst parts of my job. The "Well, I didn't see that one coming!" moments.

Today I had one of those moments. I received a call from a foster mom saying that she needed a new prescription for her kiddo for the drug Adderall. Now, this is a standard ADHD medication, so no big deal. The only problem was that the mom's local home town pharmacy was out of the needed drugs.  So, I offered to get the prescription and either have it filled at another local pharmacy or have it filled in Tuscaloosa and run it up to them. Simple.

Well, in case anyone is wondering, there is a two month back order for generic Adderall (the only version Alabama Medicaid will pay for.) After calling some of the standard drug stores, I started calling all the local CVS's, Walgreens', Rite Aids, etc. No luck. Finally I reached a Walgreens about 5 numbers down on the list that had both versions of the Adderall that I needed. It was in Bessemer. And so came the "Well, I didn't see that one coming!"

Long story short, I took a road trip to Bessemer today. Now, did I have other plans for the day. Yep. Did those plans get completely thrown under the bus. Yep. But I was able to get out of the office on a beautiful day AND was able to help out some of my parents. Sometimes those things that you don't see coming makes life the most interesting.

“The unexpected always happens”

                                ~Proverbs

The Wisdom of Facebook (Learning to Love Yourself)

I bet you were wondering how I was going to tie Facebook with love. Never doubt the master at this stuff!

Some of the most inspirational quotes are posted on Facebook every day. And if you are feeling down about your situation or yourself, you can usually find at least one post which makes you feel at least a little better. Here are two that some good friends have recently sent me.

LIFE IS TOO SHORT

to wake up in the morning

with regrets. So, love the

people who treat you right,

forgive the ones who don't

and believe that everything

happens for a reason.

If you get a chance, take it,

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said it'd be easy,

they just promised

IT WOULD BE WORTH IT

                                                    (Thanks Linda!)

Don't be a woman who needs a man...

Be the woman a man needs...

Because every woman is worth fighting for...

But not every man is worth you!

                                                           (Thanks Hannah!)

Walking to Nowhere

I did well this week. I walked 24 miles over four days this week, including 10 miles yesterday and 6 today.  Overall, I burned over 1500 calories yesterday and today.

Robin also trained this week, with her walking 8 miles yesterday with 596 + calories burned. (Robin's numbers are little skewed, because she participated in a 5K in the Birmingham area on Saturday, so we have no calorie totals for that time. Also, the gym closed on her, so she was shorted 2 miles.)

I'm really looking forward to the weather warming up a bit in order to train outside some. I don't care how many marathons are being shown on USA, at some point, walking in place gets a bit monotonous. I'm looking forward to walking somewhere other than nowhere.

“I don't mind going nowhere as long as it's an interesting path”

Can You Feel It...Still?

Sometimes you just have to laugh....


“Life is one fool thing after another whereas love is two fool things after each other.”



                                          ~Oscar Wilde

“An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets the more interested he is in her.”



                                         ~Agatha Christie

“Sex without love is an empty experience, but, as empty experiences go, it's one of the best.”



                                        ~Woody Allen

“Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood.”



                                        ~Oscar Wilde

“Sex alleviates tension. Love causes it.”



                                       ~Woody Allen

Can You Feel It?

In case you've been busy manning the space station or doing research in a remote rain forest, I would like to update you on what time of the year it is. It's that time of year where you can feel the love in the air, or the nausea caused by the love and overabundance of chocolate, depending on your circumstances. These are the days leading up to Valentine's Day.

So, in honor of this special time of year, I would like to share some of my favorite love poems and quotes. Hope you enjoy!



If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
"I love her for her smile ...her look...her way
Of speaking gently...for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day"--
For these things in themselves beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee--and love, so wrought
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry--
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.

                          ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning