Feeling Broken

The last few days have been trying because of pain in my shin. After a long run on Saturday, which was wonderful except for the nasty headwind on the "back" portion, my shin felt a bit sore. Then Sunday it bothered me all day, but a general achiness - no definite location of pain. Monday was better. Tuesday I tried the "hop test" and the sore spot revealed itself. OUCH.

It felt better by the end of the day, so I ran a short and easy run. There was no pain or discomfort while running or afterward. I iced my shin before bed.

This morning I woke up and limped around... my hip got sore from the change in walking form. Took some ibuprofen and it dulled the pain, but I can still feel it. I think it might be a stress fracture, so I made a dr. appointment for Friday. I am now thinking I won't run my Saturday race - my favorite race, too. SOB.

Hoping for the dr. to say it's nothing, and especially hoping for it to feel better.

Easter Menu

Even though it was a few weeks ago, I recently had pleasant memories of the dinner I made for Easter. It was the first time I hosted Easter dinner. The food was delicious and I wanted to preserve the menu and memory by writing it down.

Ham in crock pot
Cheesy potatoes in crock pot
Roasted green beans and onions with pecans and balsamic vinegar/honey dressing
Cooked baby carrots with dill butter
Apple/pear/grape salad with honey/lime/poppy seed dressing
Parmesan/rosemary corn muffins
Washington late harvest Riesling - a nice sweetish wine which went very well with all the sweet food
Lemon pudding cheesecake
Pineapple upside down cake

A very pretty menu with varied flavors that seemingly blended well. Springy and celebratory. I liked it and may have to repeat it.

We had 8 people. I set the table with white tablecloth, pastel flowered china, cut crystal water glasses, wine glasses, paper napkins that were pastel printed with bunnies in a basket, and a tiny stuffed bunny in a ceramic basket for the centerpiece. Everything looked festive and dressy.

Three Ts for Today

A columnist in our local paper summarized a book which gives a strategy to organize and balance your life and time. The strategy is to ask yourself three questions. Give 5 answers to each of them as of right now, and then take actions to solve or achieve.

1. What ticks me off?
2. What makes me tick?
3. What tickles me?

For example, I might answer as of today:

1. Ticks me off: dead, dried flowers are still in the pots from last summer; the golf clubs are in the hall; the GWB basket is too full; drh's hair is too long; too many leaves under the bushes.
2. Makes me tick: Menus planned and ingredients on hand for 5 nice meals/week; calendars are sychronized; all shoes weeded out and organized; coats and scarves are clean and hung neatly in closet; bank statements are balanced up to date.
3. Tickles me: running at the lake; doing crosswords; new library books; Tootsie Rolls; having dinner with friends.

So to address these issues, this weekend I spent an hour outside and took care of the dead flowers, raked under the bushes and also pulled out the dead branches; mentioned the golf clubs situation and they found another home; cut drh's hair; worked a bit on the calendars; ran in a 4-mile race; did a few crosswords and read; and attended a potluck after a young friend's baptism. I did not delete all the items from the lists, but I also accomplished a few other things of value:

1. Went out for dinner with drh and watched a movie on tv with him. Talked about possible vacation destinations and upcoming social plans.
2. Did all the laundry including folding and putting away. Switched some winter tops for spring tops in the closet.
3. Made some greeting cards and wrapped a gift.
4. Worked on the family reunion address list.
5. Gave advice to LJL on zippers.
6. Browned some hamburger and used part of it with the last of the red beans and rice, salsa and cheese to make stuffed peppers, and put the rest of the hamburger in the freezer to make spaghetti later this week.
7. Wiped out bathroom cabinets and put all the stuff back in after new faucets were installed.
   

Small Tears

When we were in St. Louis a few weeks ago, we stopped in the downtown Soldiers' Memorial, which has a small museum exhibiting artifacts and soldiers' mementos. There were weapons, diaries, photos, uniforms, maps, drawings and letters. One thing that struck me were the tiny "souvenir" items - little ceramic vases from France, handmade cigarette holders or ashtrays made from shell casings or other recycled materials, pocket Bibles, and the belt buckles, flags, manuals and uniform patches taken from enemy soldiers.

When you think of these things, they seem insignificant and like the dusty stuff many people would trash when cleaning out Grandpa's attic instead of donating to a museum. But after awhile they started to sink in and made me think deeply about the personal aspects of these soldiers' lives. Each little object belonged to a person - a person who fought for our freedoms, who left a life of home and family to follow orders in foreign lands, sometimes not to return. A person who had friends like we do, who worked in a community, went to church, hugged his mom, planted a garden or fields, fed the dog, pushed a baby buggy, tied his shoes, tried to do right. Tears ran down my cheeks.

This is why we should keep the memories, even the tiny, dusty souvenirs of a war long ago.

Day One

April 16 - the day after tax day. Somehow that marks a season for me. I'm able to go on and think of other things, maybe... Beautiful sky - I wish I were outside. Working alone for the moment; eating Skittles but I would rather have Tootsie Rolls.

The red beans and brown rice I cooked yesterday, with lots more seasonings than the recipe called for, and chili-seasoned chicken, was good and spicy. I think red beans and rice is supposed to be bland, because that's how it always seems to turn out. I had to add more salt, quite a bit of Cajun seasoning, and a few red pepper flakes.

Several things that need to come off my list - by doing them, preferably!
Haircut for drh
Finish nursery valance for church
Work on LRC billing
Clean up bushes and flower pots
Clean out the car

Running with CTWers yesterday was nice - and I always underestimate how a simple thing can be encouraging, like smile and chat with a new runner - you don't have to be mega-peppy to have an impact.