Safe

“Is she okay?” asked four year old Elizabeth

Her older brother didn’t respond.

“Is she okay?” Elizabeth reached out and touched his face with her finger.

“Elizabeth! Stop touching me! I’m sleeping.”

“Is she okay?” The little girl asked again.

“Is who okay?” David asked in exasperation.

“The fairy princess in the backyard. It snowed. Is she okay?”

He got out his bed, padded over to the window and looked out at a fairytale kingdom of white and crystal.

“Yes, I’m sure she’s safe. After breakfast we can go sledding and make sure.” He said with excitement in his voice.

Spring Day

The day was bright and warm. A perfect spring day with birds singing in the trees and the dogs following their noses into the woods searching for the sources of the scents they detected on the breeze. Harry strolled along, his walking stick making faint marks on the soil of the path he was following. He had left his coat behind in light of the warmth and the freedom of shedding the extra layers of clothing needed during the long winter months.

Two miles from home found him topping a rise and stepping out of the woodland. The view spread before him was breathtaking. On the horizon he noticed the building of dark clouds, advancing across the sky as he watched. There hadn’t been any forecast of foul weather. There hadn’t been any indication of a storm brewing, nothing to indicate a possible cause of concern. He whistled, calling the dogs to his side and turned back the way he came. It would be close, his getting back to the safety of his house before the storm over took him, but then he laughed. It had been years since he had been caught outside in a storm and he recalled the thrill of it, the joy of it, the challenge of it, and slowed his step. Today he would embrace the unforeseen change of weather and relish the transformation of the landscape as the rain brought forth new growth.

First Month of Training Done

First month of training done! At the beginning of January I wasn’t sure I would be able to meet my running goal for the month. The New Year found me traveling to Florida with my husband and mother-in-law fighting a head cold and over all fatigue. A couple of days of resting in the car, they did all the driving, and a couple of days soaking in the greenery and the ocean air restored me to the point where I was ready to come back to the frozen northland of home and kick it on the treadmill.

I returned to a household of sick grandchildren and within a day all the rest from my trip had vanished and I was headed down that slippery path of illness once again. The disruption to my running schedule left me wondering if I would be able to train enough to be ready for the 10k I had registered for in March. But with a lot of lounging around and avoiding everyone I thought may be harboring any kind of cold or illness and dosing myself with vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc supplements and herbal tea I preserved in regaining my health enough to get back on the treadmill and run.

A little extra effort and I finished the month meeting my running distance goal, which got me back on track with my training schedule.

Let’s see what challenges February throws at me. I am confident I will conquer them.