Friday, April 26, 2013

Lidia


This is my granddaughter, Lidia. She is a 4th generation "Ann".....her middle name, that is. It started with my mama...Patricia Ann and then I am, Laurie Ann. I named my oldest daughter and Lidia's mother, Emily Ann and now Lidia is Lidia Ann. Ok, that made me tired. Anyway, we've made a pact to keep this tradition going, if Lidia has a daughter one day.

Lidia is very smart, creative and has a very active and vivid imagination.  She is as sweet as the day is long and has great compassion for people and animals. As I'm sure all grandmothers are, I'm definitely biased. I think the sun rises and sets on her!

Lidia's favorite subject in school is Science. Her grades are almost all 100's in this subject. She takes after her mama. Emily is very, very smart, too. She is a registered nurse and also has great compassion for people. I don't remember how Emily did in Science while in school. I'm guessing not as well as Lidia, though, because Emily's favorite subject was History. Anyway, before I get too far off the subject.....in this picture Lidia is doing Science homework. I had to give you this background on her because as you will see, spelling is not her forte. Oh, she does well in the subject at school, making good grades on her spelling tests. But just to sit down and write something.......well, let's just say spelling is not a top priority on her list. She does awesome at rough drafts. We just need to work on editing and the final draft.

Lidia was sick a couple of days this week and she stayed with me while her mama worked. She didn't feel much like doing anything the first day so she just laid around on the couch most of the time. However, on the second day, she was feeling better and spent some time in my office/scrapbook/sewing room, as I continued to organize. One of these days, when I'm finished organizing, I'm gonna post pictures. But for now, back to Lidia. I gave her some scrapbooking supplies to play with and she got busy with the die cuts, scissors and tape. And this is what she came up with.....a Memory Book for Me! She even put them in order from the most recent to the oldest.

Look at this. This is supposed to be me behind the camera. Is she not brilliant?

This is to remember the cruise (kroos) I took in November, 2012.
You can read more about my Adventures on the High Seas here.

This is to remember my trip to Denver to visit with (whith) Whitney.
You can read more about my Denver trip here.

And this is to remember Whitney's wedding (weddind). The church is at Litchfield Beach. See the ocean at the bottom!

This little girl blows me away at how smart and creative she is. One day, I'll have to blog about the time she lost her dinosaurs on the playground at school and our adventure to go find them.


And this is Lidia stretching, after she went on a run with me.

I guess she was feeling better for sure. I ran almost 2 miles and she joined me in the last half mile. We ran back and forth down the quarter mile lane that leads from the highway to my house. That sweet girl is going to be my running partner one day. Just you wait and see.

Hope you all have a nice weekend. I'm running the Diva's 5K on Sunday. I'll let you know how that goes next week. Gotta run....no, really....gotta go for a short run to keep me in the zone for Sunday.

Later,
Laurie

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Wouldn't You Like To Be A Fly On The Wall?

I certainly can't take credit for this gorgeous picture. But it does give a clear indication of the beautiful spring we are having. The photographer who snapped this gorgeousness is David Thebeau.

David, I hope that when you read this that you might leave a comment and a link so that the folks who read my blog can enjoy the wonderful pictures you take. Thanks again, for letting me use it!

Just a side note: If Frank Eaton reads this and cares to leave a link, he takes gorgeous pictures too.


Week in Review:

Sunday 4/14/13 - Today, the training group I'm a part of ran the "Magic Mile". Yeah.....I know, I had never heard of it before, either. To run the magic mile, you must run at a faster pace than normal. You may not be able to hold a conversation, just mutter words like....I'm OK or OMG or My LUNGS! But, it's not a sprint, either. The point was to run it so that the coaches can give us feed back as to how fast we may run the Divas 5K next Sunday. I ran the magic mile in 10:22 minutes. This is definite progress for me. And as I posted earlier in the week on facebook....my legs were happy, but my lungs were ticked off!

I've written about my best sista/cousin before. We have crazy fun adventures together. I love that girl! Well, she received some bad news recently. She has been diagnosed with lymphocitic leukemia. It is slow growing and it appears to be in the early stages.We have all been in shock. I tell you this because we believe in the power of prayer and I am asking you all to please keep her in yours.  In the meantime, my youngest daughter sent me information about a documentary she became aware of called "The Gerson Miracle". I have believed for sometime now that we can heal ourselves with food. This documentary just further validates what I believe. If this piece of information can help but one person, then I've considered it to be a success. If you or someone you love has cancer, please, please watch this documentary (found here on Netflix). It could be the one thing to truly make a difference.

And if I've peaked your curiosity about our adventures, you can read more here (Sista Adventures).

Monday 4/15/13 - I ran an easy 2 miles today. After my run, I came back to watch some of the Boston Marathon. It was, of course, later in the day that I heard of the tragic and senseless evil that took place near the finish line. My thoughts and prayers go out to all that were harmed and to the families of and to those who lost their life that day. I grieve with them. I am relieved that the bomber was caught and I pray justice will prevail. It is certainly sad and heartbreaking that not only did innocent people get killed or hurt, but also sad and heartbreaking that such a young man was easily influenced by evil. His uncle said that he hopes his nephew will ask for forgiveness. I do too. He will get what is coming to him, here on earth. He will pay! But, what kind of Christian would I be if I did not also hope that he would seek for and receive forgiveness?

Tuesday 4/16/13 - Today, I decided to add something else to my list of goals. I want to ride my bike with a group called " WomanTours ". This organization hosts bike rides all over the United States and around the world. It is a "women only" bike tour. The tour I want to do, first, is called the "Northern Michigan" tour. It is a 7-day inn tour that traverses along the shores of great Lake Michigan. You bike nearly 40 miles/day. Your lodging, most meals, park fees, van support, and trained guides are included in the price of the tour. Lofty? Oh yeah! But I have all summer to train. In order to do the tour, they recommend you be able to ride 20 miles at one time. Well, I'm half way there. Northern Michigan, here I come!!!

Wednesday 4/17/13 - Rest day!

Thursday 4/18/13 - I did yard work today. Cleaned out my front flower bed. That is major exercise, y'all! My hamstrings are so sore. I called a landscaper about raising the flower bed and adding stone to the facade. Supposed to touch base with him again this week as he was way busy last week. We have a little vacation place at the beach and because we spend so much time there during the summers, I had decided not to plant a garden this year. I just can't keep up with it, if I'm not there. My gosh, I do love a garden and fresh garden vegetables, though. So, as I was milling about the yard today, I began to rethink the decision not to have one. The dirt is calling my name. I may break.


It's a pretty Spring at our house.

Friday 4/19/13 - Began organizing my office/scrapbook/sewing room. Headed back to the beach. Met Cliff for lunch in a little cafe in Pawleys Island. I love fried green tomatoes, so when I saw that on the menu...I perked up. I ordered the fried green tomato with pimento cheese sandwich. Yuck! I was never so disappointed. Anyway, we mozied on. After arriving at the beach, I took off on a 2.6 mile run, then a 3.43 mile bike ride.  I'm in the zone, y'all. Watch out, cause Northern Michigan.....here I come!

Saturday 4/20/13 - Rode the bike 8.67 miles while Cliff ran. He encountered a crazy man walking towards him. He said the man approached him asking directions to sand dunes. Cliff told him he didn't know where he was talking about. The man asked Cliff how he could not know about sand dunes. Cliff asked where he came from and where he was trying to go. The man didn't know. So Cliff offered to call 911 for him. The man left with his hands raised above his head, shaking them. Just a few minutes later, I saw the same man still waving his hands above his head and walking into the woods. That was scary. I'm glad Cliff was there or I might have had to run over him with my bike. Ha! Maybe not. I've already wrecked one time and broke up my arm. I don't think I would risk letting "crazy man" take me out, again.

**********

And this my friends.....is just some pure randomness....but it's what goes on in my "wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall?" life.

You remember, Kitter, right? Whitney, my daughter in Denver, posted this to facebook. She called it, "The Face of Insanity". Ha!

You can read more about Kitter (here).


And this is Cliff's way of telling me we are out of Crystal Light. Ha! He's obviously feeling better. You just never know with that man.

**********

Hope you all had a great week. I'm excited about the warmer weather and the prospect of laying out on the beach soon! Woo Hoo! Gotta go now, I'm off to run with my training group.

Later,
Laurie

Monday, April 15, 2013

How Are Those Goals Coming Along?



Well, the first quarter of the year has come and gone.

That didn't take long. 

So right about now, I think it's time for a little goal assessment or reassessment, as the case may be. To read more about my 2013 goals click (here).

As you are probably aware, half of my 2013 goals centered around health...as in exercise. I started the year off with an IT Band injury, but have since gotten over that. I am back to running, oh praise be!

So, let's check the list and see how I'm doing otherwise.....comments (in blue) will follow the goals below.
  • Begin a swimming regimen  (Swam a few times. I will continue to work on it, but have to say...it is not my favorite activity.)
  • Learn to speak Spanish, fluently and maybe French  (Not yet.)
  • Continue to lose weight  (Ahem, can we say hard!!! However, I have lost approx 2 lbs. since starting back running. I'm in menopause, y'all. Weight loss won't be easy nor fast, if done healthily.)
  • Run a few 10Ks  (I have run one 10K and have another scheduled for the end of May.)
  • Run a half marathon  (I will begin training probably in August for my first half-marathon....I want my first half to be at the same venue as my first 5K and that is the Georgetown Bridge to Bridge. This is a beautiful course, but it will have 3 bridges. Yikes! Gotta lot of work ahead.)
  • Begin working on my scrapbooks again  (Not yet. What am I waiting on? Heck if I know. With thousands of pictures to go through, it can be daunting. I used to be a Creative Memories consultant. I need to take my own advice and take one batch at a time, work backwards so at least the resent pictures are currently preserved in an album with journaling done.)
  • Continue to research my family history  (Ongoing, however, a bit slow at present. I'm still fixated on finding my great-grandfather's death certificate, which continues to elude me.)
  • Finish my first quilt completely by hand (I have actually made several quilts with a sewing machine....just haven't finished the one I'm making by hand, yet.)  (I have not even picked it up. I did, however, work on knitting a prayer shawl this winter. It's not quite finished, either.)
So, I guess it's time to reassess, tweak and add to the 2013 goals. My goals do change from time to time and I will be adding to them, from time to time. It keeps me on my toes and from getting bored. Heaven help, should I get bored. All sorts of things start happening. Cliff's response to my calls of, "Hey, I've got a good idea"!,........... "Oh, Geez"!  Ha!

The Tweaked Goal List:
  • Continue to Work on Swimming
  • Learn Spanish and maybe French
  • Continue to lose Weight and get as Healthy as possible
  • Continue to work on Running Goals....a couple more 10K's and that glorious Half-Marathon in October and possibly a second one towards the end of the year.
  • Work on Scrapbooks
  • Work on Family History
  • Finish Quilt and Prayer Shawl
  • New! Goal: Home Improvement projects.... 1) New upstairs bedroom windows (energy efficient)  2) New covers for foundation vents  3) Replace front porch column  4) Paint garage  5) Revamp front flower bed, raising it and adding stone walls.  5) Replace carpet and kitchen floors at beach.  6) Make new curtains for beach.
  • Learn to make (healthy) homemade bread
This should keep me busy for awhile. I  better go. I need to call the carpenter.

How are your goals for 2013 going? Is it time for you to reassess? Go ahead, take the time. Look over them, get yourself on track. You'll feel so much better.

Oh wait, in case you were wondering:

First quarter miles run.....140.05
Grins from my running accomplishments.......multitudes

Later,
Laurie

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Camp Pizza and Red Bug Central


Gathering skewers. Need them to cook stuff.
See the old car in the back ground....left there during the Pioneer Days.
That's Snake City.

Sawyer came in the house the other day and said, "LaLa get the Clorox". "What, why"?, I asked. "Because Papi and I have been to snake city, tick heaven and red bug central", he says proudly.

"Oh my Lord, Sawyer. Go straight to the bathroom. Don't touch anything. Strip off and get in the tub".

I turned the shower on and took the nozzle and hosed him down. He asked, "LaLa, do we have to do this"?  "I'm afraid so, you've been to red bug central. Do you remember the last time"?

Well, having this boy around is certainly entertaining to say the least. Having had only girls, I have a lot of expectations in this boy child. I'm sure he will continue to floor me with his wit and things he gets into (at this point, however, his Papi is the ring leader). But, BUT, if he ever brings a snake around......well, I don't want to make empty threats, but it won't be pretty.

Sawyer had a great time at "the camp" (camp name is subject to change daily). As you will see in the following pictures, the boy is in heaven. Sawyer, his Papi and Lidia add to the camp every time they go to the woods. Pretty soon, they'll have their own little village out there. Well hidden in the woods in front of our house, it's every boys dream (and some girls too). I can't wait to see what he'll come up with next.

Today, the camp's name was dubbed "Camp Pizza".
For obvious reasons!

Cooking pizza on the camp fire. I'm pretty sure the skewers didn't work too well.


No need for china and cutlery when at the camp. A cleared place on a nice log will do.


Ditto.


And storage? No problem. Just store them on top of the logs.


A zip line....coming soon.....Oh Lord!


His very own authentic....made from scratch....hammock.


And what was Lidia doing, during this camp adventure? She was drugged up on Benadryl and sacked out on the sofa. Bless it! Allergies!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Talk soon,
Laurie


Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Exercise Marathon Weekend at Lake Lure



The plan was simple. Cliff and I were going to Lake Lure for a bike ride and a swim. Never mind that Lake Lure is mountainous and the water is frigidly cold. I must have been in denial because who in their right mind would attempt to ride 22 miles in the hills of Lake Lure. But, that was the plan indeed. Cliff's plan. And you see, Cliff makes some mighty lofty plans at times.

I was going along for the trip...."sure, sure", I said, "I'll try riding the bike on the fun ride of 22 miles for the cause of Lake Lure". Until we got there......


Lake Lure

Here's the story. Cliff and I left Thursday for the beautiful Lake Lure. He had a scheduled 63-mile bike ride that Saturday through the mountains of Chimney Rock, Lake Lure and surrounding areas. For beginners (that would be me), there was a fun ride of just 22 miles. And then on Sunday, he would swim 4 miles in Lake Lure as a training swim for a 5-miler he has coming up in June. So, he thought it would be a great idea to make it an all exercise weekend.

The only thing is, last Wednesday, I started feeling sick with some sinus issues. The pollen this year has been a doozy. So, I started taking sinus meds to help. I wanted to have a good weekend. It did sound fun.

Some of the gorgeous Cherry trees blooming at the resort.

Thursday: After arriving to Lake Lure, we hit the gym. I rode the stationary bike for 11 miles. Pretty impressive, considering I don't ride the bike anymore. But you remember, that is one of my goals for the year....so I jumped on with excitement and vigor. We were going for a swim in the indoor pool afterwards, but the place was crawling with kids.

Spring break! Yay!

Friday: I was definitely sick. I had a temperature, was coughing and had a stuffy nose. I continued with the meds...not letting it stop me from the exercise weekend Cliff had planned. We rode bikes today for about a mile. That's all I could handle. We even rode up a 15% grade hill, twice. I know it was 15% because Cliff has a Garmin or some dohicky that said so. But even if he didn't, look at it. That's steep y'all! That road has fear written all over it.
Said 15% grade hill. Yeah, you see! It's steep. That's why I look so contorted in the next picture.

That hill was a killer. It took all I had to make it to the top. I was grunting the whole way. And then Cliff had the audacity to ask me to do again. So, I did and it wasn't any easier the second time. Grunt!

Later that afternoon, we ran 2.16 miles....and you guessed it, more hills. And then when we got back to the previous 15% grade hill at the resort, I ran up it too.  Occasionally, there were some flat places to run. Artificial, but flat. Ha!

Now this is more like it. Artificial flatness! That's me running, flat. I love to run on board walks. The surface is so forgiving.

And this is a creek view along our running path. Serene!

Some of the local sights.....Quilt block on an old barn in Chimney Rock.

Covered bridge near Chimney Rock.

Saturday:  Still sick. I decided that there was no way I could ride 22 miles in those hills. I'm pretty sure Cliff was a little bummed that he didn't get to, but there was just no way. So, we went on a 1 mile hike instead and yes, you guessed it straight up the side of a mountain.  Hmmmm, Cliff was now starting to cough a little.

Our hiking shoes. On the left....the ones I scored in Colorado and on the right....Cliff's Converses...he never leaves home without them.

Bridge at the trail head.

Pretty stone bridge about half way up.

Yep, it was a climb alright.

And more climbing.

Saw this unusual plant. Does anyone know what it is?

And there's our destination. Hallelujah. I'm tired.

Sunday:  I was starting to feel a little better, but now Cliff was feeling bad and had fever. He decided the lake was way too cold to go for that swim, especially since he was now getting sick. The water temperature was 58 degrees F. He had a wet suit, but his face would be exposed. I think he made the right decision.  So, we kayaked instead for 1.8 miles (which took a couple of hours) and then called it a day.

Lake Lure

That's Cliff

That's me taking a picture of Cliff.

By Monday: Cliff was really sick. So, we packed up and came on home. I feel good about all the exercise we got to do. Of course, it would have been more fun and intense even, if we hadn't been sick. We kept going as long as we could. I took lots of pictures. Overall, it was a great weekend for us to get away and spend some quality time together. Cliff ended up going to the doctor today. He has pneumonia. He will be fine and we'll have another exercise marathon weekend, another time.


Just an old mountain home. Bless it! Seems as if she's seen better days. She's still beautiful though and was begging me to take her picture.....as if to say, "I am kind, I am strong, I am important".


Oh wait before you go.....you might want to check back in a couple of days. Sawyer's been on the loose. 

***4-11-2013 Update: The doctor's office called this morning to say that Cliff does not have pneumonia after all. He probably has the flu and an URI. He's feeling better. Thanks for your concern.

Talk soon, 
Laurie 


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Race for the Inlet




2013 Race for the Inlet

Race for the Inlet was an 8K race I participated in Saturday, March 30, 2013. It took place in the picturesque fishing village of Murrells Inlet.

Cliff picked up my race packet the day before the race and when I got home, he had all my loot laid out.

Included in the race packet were my Bib number, t-shirt, a lanyard, a couple key chains, a pen, lots of coupons, water bottle, etc. Also included was a koozie with a DUI logo and a finger printing kit. Were they trying to tell us something? Sometimes, you just have to wonder....what were they thinking?


I was excited! I was anxious to know how the interval training had played into my time/pace. I planned and prepared everything the night before.


I pinned the bib number on my shirt, placed the timing chip on my shoe, had a bag ready with a few essentials...hat, Garmin watch, water and a few mini Snickers candy bars. Hot dog, I was ready!

The alarm went off at 6 a.m., Saturday morning. Ugh!! I rolled out of bed and was jack slapped with a good case of "the nerves". What the heck? I should be used to race day by now. I know "the nerves" affects everyone differently. For me.....my intestines go haywire. The intestines say, "Out! Everything, get out"! And that happened not just once, but three times Saturday. "Ain't nobody got time for that"! Ha! (I do apologize, if that's just TMI). Well, then my mind starts playing games with me. I almost back out every single time. I have to fight through "the nerves" and make myself just put one foot in front of the other.

Cliff was not going to be with me on race day. He had a 3.5 hour bike ride scheduled with a couple of friends and a run afterwards. They are in training for Ironmans and Triathlons. So, he left a little earlier and scouted out the parking situation for me. That helped. One less thing for "the nerves" to get their panties all in a wad about.

I arrived to the race and began my warm up. The legs were feeling good. The temperature was very nice. I chatted with a few people I knew at the start line. The time was getting near to start, so we lined up and was on the mark. What happened to "the nerves"? Those wicked pre-race jitters? Well it's crazy how our mind can affect us and then, just like that....they're gone. They disappeared the moment I stepped foot at the start line. Always does.

I had set a few goals for myself and began to mentally run through them. Goals: 1) Finish in 1:06. 2) Run the whole race (except for water breaks...don't want to get strangled and choke to death right there on the 8k race course).....And, 3) Don't finish last.

And then we started. Something was a little different this time. I was not getting left behind. I was keeping up with everyone around me. Wow! That's cool! So I checked the Garmin and I was doing a 10:30 min/mile pace. I couldn't believe it. I ran a little taller. We were nearing the first mile and I had even passed some people. I noticed this one particular lady running beside me. We ran neck and neck until the first water break. We both stopped for water and quickly began running again. Then she started walking just a short span and I would pass her. She would start running again and pass me. This happened 3 or 4 times until finally somewhere around mile 3. That time, I passed her and she never caught me again. That was fun! Cat and mouse games....a girl needs something to help pass the time. 

The course was gorgeous. For about the first mile, the creeks were visible. And then we turned onto streets lined with moss draped oaks.

As you can imagine, the adrenaline was pumping and my time was really great at the start. Over the course of the 5 miles, however, I grew tired and slowed down a little. But as I rounded the last corner and was into the home stretch, I felt the strangest sensation. I felt myself speeding up. I didn't feel like I was consciously doing it, but noticed that my stride had lengthened and my arms were really pumping. It almost felt like an outer body experience. Or, it could have been that bite sized snicker bar I inhaled at mile 3. Ha! But whatever it was..........I. Was. Running!

Finally, the finish line was in sight. And, just before crossing, I saw Cliff taking pictures as I ran across the finish line. Ahhh! That was a great surprise. He and his two riding partners had arranged their bike route to come see me finish.

That's me crossing the finish line. If you look closely, you can see my finish time on the clock in the background...57:29 min.

Wow, a great ending to a great race. I finished nearly 9 minutes faster than my goal time. I didn't win any awards or break any records, but setting goals and exceeding them was enough to give me a natural high. Cliff and his friends proceeded on and I stayed around for the awards. I knew I wasn't getting any, but wanted to support those who did.

8K Done!

Oh wait, in case you were wondering:  
8K = 4.98 miles
Goal: Finish in 1:06
Actual finish time: 57:29 min.
Ran the first mile in 10:51 min.
Finished the last mile in 11:24 min.
Average pace: 11:34 min/mile
Average speed:  5.2 mph

The End.
Laurie