Ducks Like Rain

Today at 4:55 I looked at the alarm, which was about to go off, and then listened to the rain and thunder . What a wonderful sound! I had almost forgotten what that sounded like. When the room was illuminated a few seconds later with lightening, I took that as a sign from God that I should stay in the bed and skip my run. My buddies Sandra and Susan didn't let a little weather stop them, they just delayed their start a little and ran in the sprinkling rain. Actually when you run in a light rain, it is quite delightful. It acts as an coolant, and except for wet feet, these are some of the best running days. There is a problem on the road with trucks throwing water from the road on you. You end up looking like your car after you have driven on the interstate in the rain. You know a good layer of road film covering your exterior. I will pay for missing 2 runs this week and especially the long run, but I will worry about that next week.

Mr. C & I are off to Austin and a short visit with our 2 grands. Looking forward to seeing the "Little Darlings" and hearing about school which started this week. Brace yourself for postings of pictures of my "perfect" grandchildren upon return.

I'VE BEEN BLESSED!

I am home again, and home always looks good! It is great to see Mr. C & I will enjoy my bed tonight.

God richly blessed me by allowing me to be with Dr B & Mrs. Helen for the past three days! I saw the sweetest example of selfless love between a couple that I may have ever seen. What a testimony of the love that can be shared when the love of Christ is the common grounding element between them. Helen is tirelessly serving with an attitude of love and devotion that is remarkable. Dale is such a sweet man that is allowing Helen to serve and giving up self-sufficiency with a sweet smile and gracious attitude. What an inspiration to be with the two of them for the past three days and see them interact. Such trying circumstances and such a feeling of helplessness, but they each seem so focused upon each other and trying to make the other more comfortable and at ease. What a great testimony to faith to see them holding on to the Father and his infinite grace. Never a blessing was missed, even when Dale's breathing was difficult. Always gracious to each other and those around them. God has shown me so much the past three days and I am eternally grateful for the lessons I learned. Camille is right, the love of God is reflected by those that love Him to those they come in contact with. I thank God for this opportunity to be with the Boersma's for this trip. It was so refreshing to laugh and talk with Helen and see Dale's sweet smile even knowing that life is not running down the road that they would have wanted. To hear Helen's telephone ring countless times with concern for them was such an encouragement. The love they have shown to so many over the years is being reflected back to them. I pray that we can all serve them well and continue to pray for God's direction in their lives.

Up tomorrow to run 10 with Miss Sandra. I am not sure how well I will complete that task, but I will be up to trying. We are off to Austin at noon for the 5 year old birthday of grandson # 2. Fun times in Austin!

ME & MY BIG MOUTH!

I JUST CANNOT KEEP MY BIG MOUTH SHUT! Babs got out of her car this morning at 5:20 and quickly declared, "I've made a decision!" Well I am standing there thinking WHAT? Why so serious. She's not running anymore, she doesn't want to run with me, she's not going to Houston- WHAT????? Then she said-"I will not be going to the park ANYMORE." If I had just kept my BIG MOUTH shut, she would have never known about that snake. Larry tried to reassure her and I talked about they really were not after us, but she is pretty firm in her decision. She said she was awake last night thinking about that snake. WHY DID I FEEL THE NEED TO SHARE! I was alarmed, but we have snakes at our house and I have learned to share the earth with them. We usually kill the poisonous ones, but leave the others alone. The park is their home ground and we are the intruders, but you just have to watch where you put your feet. Maybe time will help cure this trauma. The park is such a good place to walk-many hills, trails very similar to the ones that we hike on, and just plain down right-beautiful-and oh yeah-MOST IMPORTANTLY-shady.

We ran our 5 this AM and then walked a mile. My legs seemed tired, but then I started thinking with the walking-5 on Friday, 11 on Saturday, 6 on Sunday, and 6 today. Maybe they should have been tired.

I am off on a road trip tomorrow. Driving my sweet friends, The Boersma's to Atlanta for a doctor's appointment. We will return on Thursday in an effort to not tire the good doctor out too much with too many miles in one day. I asked the good doctor did he have any NERVE pills for I am sure after 3 days with 2 women, HE WILL NEED THEM. I told Helen that I felt like-"Driving Miss Daisy" and laughed. She quickly retorted that she hoped Hope didn't have to get out and go the the bathroom behind a tree. Without a doubt, that is one of my favorite movies. Such a wonderful picture of life as we age and the sweet relationship that grew between a feisty old lady and her equally old driver.

IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS-nothing else is really important-only those that we love and that love us.

YIKES!!!!!

Went to the park this afternoon for a 6 mile walk. We cross a creek that is right by a culvert just before mile 2. I was in the rear and heard something as I jumped the creekbed. When I looked by this REALLY big water mocassin was slithering away back toward the culvert from where we had come. THIS EVEN ALARMED ME! Under normal circumstances, I might not have even said anything, but this was a big snake and they are known for their nasty tempers. Thank you Lord for protecting us! We did finish but looked very carefully every other time we had to cross the creek.

This has been a good Sabbath! Heard our Very High Right Reverend Love this AM. He was preaching to all of those that let STUFF take control of their lives. I had a good time ribbing my hubby and Mrs. Helen about "Their Stuff" after the service. Our honorary nephew, Greg, drove from Jackson to talk with our friend Charles about mission work in Africa. It is wonderful to see God light a fire and a life become dedicated to His work. Greg has special talents and those talents are desperately needed in Africa. We are delighted to see him pursuing this mission.

My sweet and wise daughter told me this weekend that it is so neat how God places special people in our lives. He then uses us to show the Love of God to not only those special ones, but to the ones that are observing our actions. I thank God for any opportunity to reflect His Love. What an awesome responibility and honor to be the reflection of His Infinite Grace!

Circling Buzzards?

I looked up this AM when I finished my 10 mile run, but did not see any circling buzzards, so that must be a good thing! It was hot and it was long, but now have my 10 mile base-as slow as it was- to begin marathon training. I did fall about 4 or so miles into the run. There was a round wire piece on the grass, next to the sidewalk, that I did not see and got my feet tangled up in. I was on the ground before I knew it. Didn't think I was hurt, but seem to be finding a few sore places tonight. I am just glad I was not on the sidewalk!

Mrs. Deer came back to see us last night. You will note that she ate the blooms and all of the leaves off of the impatience, but left the lovely stalks. I think with this trip she finally finished all of the impatience. If she comes back, she will have to resort to other flowers or be sadly disappointed. I am already thinking about what I will do next summer. The impatience do so well in my beds that I hate to give them up. Maybe I could put in a motion sensor light. That would be great since this bed is RIGHT by my bed. Can you just imagine me sitting straight up in bed trying to figure out why the light is flooding into our room? I am sorry that it is so dry and the deer are having to look for food, but what is wrong with all of the leaves, grass, etc. that are still living?

Tomorrow is the Sabbath. What a blessing to worship and enjoy the Lord and all of the many blessings that He has bestowed upon us. THANK YOU LORD!

Social Histories

Today was a REALLY GOOD day. I went to the nail parlor and had a mani & pedi. This makes me feel SO GIRLY! My feet are pretty gross, but Tim, didn't even comment on my black toe or blister on the next toe. He is a kind man!

I started asking Tim, who is the owner of the shop about his history. He was born in Viet Nam and one of 2 boys with 6 sisters. His father was a colonel in the Army. He has been in the US for 24 years. He escaped to Indonesia on a boat with his older sister when he must have been about 10. LEFT HIS MOTHER and the remainder of his family and set off to escape the persecution, obviously with his mother's blessing. He lived in a refuge camp until someone from Seattle agreed to sponsor them. He and his sister lived in Washington state for the next 18 years. No mother and a father who died in prision after the fall of Viet Nam when our troops withdrew. His only brother was killed in a motorcycle crash, so now he is the only male in a family seperated by oceans and many, many miles. He has literally been, for the most part, on his own since he was 10 years old. I told him that he should write down all of his memories for his future children so they would understand what he had gone through to get to freedom. He told me that he prayed to forget the things that were too painful to remember. He said, you are better off forgetting some things. He has done all of the work to establish his shop and he and his wife work unbelievable hours. He seems so happy and is very kind. He saw his mother 3 years ago and 4 years before that. This made me so aware of how blessed I am to live here and have all of my family close enough that I can see them several times a year. He talked about freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and living in a place where you felt safe. All things, I sadly most of the time, take for granted. We remember the Viet Nam War as a colossal mistake, but he remembers it as the point of destruction for his family. How different our view becomes when we are directly affected by the choices that men in prominence make for us.

Camille told me about visiting with her neighbors this afternoon after work. Illene told her how she and her husband had only been married a few years. They had been teenage sweethearts, but both married others and raised families. They each lost their spouses and rekindled their relationship sometime later to eventually marry. You never know about people until you stop and ask the questions. As our friend, Len Woods, says, "Behind every face there is a story."

Tomorrow is long run day. UGH!

My Daily Newspaper

I LOVE MY DAILY NEWSPAPER! I read both papers that we receive daily and pretty much, at least, scan every article. Some articles only receive the once over, but then others catch my eye and sometimes even intrigue me. Today's daily "Shreveport Times" has an article concerning the sexual activity of today's seniors. What intrigued me about this article was not that a senior might be sexually active, but that someone was actually taking this survey. I am sure our federal government, in all of its infinite wisdom, funded a grant for this survey. Then it became some sociologist job to make up the questions, find the target, and then ask them all of these intimate questions. If some stranger comes to my door, and begins asking these type of questions, you can imagine what my response would be. But there seems to be a group out there, that are ready, willing and able to give great detailed accounts of their sexual exploits from the age of 59 and up. How much is truth and how much is imagined or just plain stretching the truth, we will never know. For now it seems of great importance that all of America know that seniors are seeking intimacy in a physical way. What would your title be if you were an expert in this field? Geriatric Intimacy Counselor- oh yeah, we have to go see our GIC today.

Today's local daily has a For Sale in the classifieds for "FERTILIZED HAY". There were several of these and one said "FERTILIZED WITH CHICKEN LITTER". Now obviously to someone this is a good thing, but I feel SO SORRY for the poor animals that will be eating this "fortified" hay!.

I lifted weights this AM-upper body only-giving these muscular legs a rest. I met a woman while doing abs and stretching that really amazed me. She seemed to be stretching her hips, so I started asking her questions about her stretching. It turns out she is 86-REMARKABLE. She looked great and I would have guessed at least 10 years younger. In retrospect, I believe she had done a little nipping and tucking on her face, but she was slim and trim and more agile than me. THIS IS WHY WE DO THIS, Friends. If we live that long, we want to be just like her. She walks 2 miles everyday on hills, works out with weights, stretches, and has Jeff give her a massage at least once a month. NOW THAT IS MY GOAL!

I sent all of the runners an email concerning the Houston course. We had heard the course was all concrete. After doing Disney on all concrete, I can tell you THIS IS A VERY BAD THING! Turns out it is 1/2 concrete and 1/2 asphalt, which is much better. Mrs Mona emailed me back and asked was she supposed to be excited about running 26 miles-whatever the course was made from?

IT'S ALL RELATIVE - IT'S ALL RELATIVE!

My Name Is Caboose!

Just call me Ms Caboose! No matter how hard I work, I just cannot seem to get out in front of any of the other runners. We ran at 5:30 this AM and was it a sauna! Babs, Sandra, Larry, Sonja, Lisa, & I ran the CTB route for our usual 5 mile Wednesday run. I started out great, but that didn't last long. By the time we got to the mini mart, the others were still chugging along and Babs & I were stopping for water. We might have kept them in closer sight than usual, but they still are way out front. Sandra kicked it into overdrive the last mile or so and went off and left everyone. This is with a cracked rib! We then walked another 3 miles or so and THAT sports fans was PLENTY! Ok-so maybe my gift to the running world is being "The Snail." Somebody has got to bring up the rear after all!

The ground is dry and I am watering everyday in an effort to keep things alive. It is a struggle!

Spoke with Camille and she passed a guy on her early run that has been breaking into cars and stealing CD's. I think it gave her a good scare. She got the Mom lecture about finding someone to run with, but then I got to hear why that would not work. Hopefully she will continue to take Mr. Powers with her when she runs early. I have always had this theory that the NUTS were not out at those early hours, but maybe some just haven't gone home from the night before. Good reason to keep your car locked in Erie. We live a very sheltered life in little old Ruston and that, Friends, is a good thing.

Armadillos, WD-40 & Suicidal Worms

While on our hiking trip, we saw many ground squirrel towns which looked like scores of mounds of dirt in rows. The entire meadow would look like a mini ski mogul trail. My yard looks like that today, only it is pine straw and deep tatch which make up the mounds. Mr. Armadillo has been scrounging around looking for grubs. These lovely animals come in the dead of the night, but I occasionaly will see one when leaving in the wee hours of the morning. They have no fear of you and just continue on making a mess of your yard. It is not easy to keep this 4+ acres looking neat and natural. Mr. Armadillo is making that task even tougher!

About this time of the year, every year, we have a rash of earthworm suicides. It is very dry here and the ground has become moistureless. Poor Mr. Earthworm needs the moisture and on the constant hunt for that wet soil, he so loves. For some unknown reason, he climbs out of the ground and proceeds to crawl across the asphalt drive. This results in his demise and he becomes Mr. Dried Earthworm. We had a friend that went into the business of freeze drying worms for fish bait. Perhaps I should call him and offer the legions of worms on my drive everyday. I am not sure if they would make very good bait as they are definitely lifeless and certainly not plump, which is what I believe the fish love.

While walking our 5 miles this AM, we were discussing my hip and what could be wrong with it and what I should do about it. Friend Larry told me that his mother swore by WD-40 when Mr. Arthur came visiting her knees. She just sprayed a little on them and rubbed it in. We all got a good chuckle from this, but if you see me with a grease spot on the side of my pants- DON'T ASK!

I had good intentions to lift weights later today, but am in the process of stripping wall paper. NOW THAT IS A REALLY FUN JOB! It's not the top patterned piece that is the problem, it is the back paper which you end up having to pull off in little pieces. NO FUN!

For the couple of you out in cyberspace that have said you made a comment after my post, but it did not show, you must hit publish below the comment box or it will not show up. I have changed the comment set up and you should be able to comment without signing up. Remember, be careful what you say. You could be the subject of the NEXT blog.

Sweat!

I was raised by a mother that believed that "ladies" did not sweat. You have always heard that southern girls don't sweat they glisten. I am sure my mother would be horrified if she saw me after some of my workouts. I have friends that don't sweat much. Sandra will be a little damp around the edges, but she also does not require rehydrating. Babs only sweats from her waist down. Her legs will have rivers of sweat running down them, but her hair won't even be damp. Then you have the "REAL SWEATERS" like me. I start at the top and it quickly spreads down to my feet. By the time we have finished a workout, my hair is plastered to my head. I wear a visor, not to shed the sun, but to keep the sweat out of my eyes. I pour! My mouth becomes dry after a couple of miles, because I need to rehydrate. My shoes actually squish after long runs! There is Not One Thing ladylike about the way I sweat. I have to wring my dri-fit clothes out so they will dry before putting them in the laundry. IT IS GROSS! The only one that can top me in this department is our man, Larry. Now that boy can REALLY SWEAT!

We ran 5 from Hillcrest this AM and it was very humid, but not as hot as last week. Ironwoman, Sandra, did not let that rib get to her. She left me to eat her dust as she powered by me after about half the run. We then walked about 2 3/4 miles. How do I know the distance? I am glad you asked. Sandra found a sight for us that you can create and measure the routes you run. It is so cool. The only thing better is when I take my little orange wheel and actually measure them myself. NOT THAT I AM OCD ABOUT IT. I do not hit that timer on my watch anymore and that is a huge improvement. Although maybe I should, since I seem to be getting slower and slower.

I fluctuate between wanting to do the Houston Marathon and knowing I shouldn't. I have had a better than usual running week which makes me want to try, but I am not sure my hip can take the pounding of the training. It is never the marathon itself which is overwhelming, it is the 18 weeks of preparation. I will think about this tomorrow! I am definitely ON-to run the half at White Rock when Camille & Mary Lou do the whole. That marathon was not even a option for me since I do not have young legs-like those girls-and I don't have the weeks to train that I would need. Those young ladies should have NO trouble.

The Baptist have been cutting the trees on the hill behind our house. I am not happy with The Baptists! It is their property and they can do what they want with it, but I have grown very used to my seclusion and yard and hill behind it, full of trees. There are tree huggers and tree cutters in the world and The Baptist seem to be the latter.

Light On My Toes

There once was a day that I actually was quite light on my toes. SHOCKING! We were talking about our courting days last night and remembering how much we loved to go dancing and did so really often. My love for dancing began as a pre-teen and continued throughout my young adulthood. Once upon a time, I could cut a mean rug and knew all of the latest moves. BC and I danced our way through our courtship and young married days. I really do not remember what happened to those days-perhaps raising children and becoming responsible adults-slowly ended them. I remember that time as being a lot of fun and the dancing actually being at least a passable grade.

We went to the Boersma's last night and had community pot luck and played "Balderdash". Balderdash would be better named "Bunch of Bull". It entails giving your definition of some really obscure words and guessing who is right. Mr. C in his usual verbose manner would come up with definitions about 25-30 words long. I told him he was using too many words, which he took offense to. The words come 6 or so to a card with the definitions on the back. The card is about 1 1/2 inches by 3 inches. Most of the definitions were short, concise and to the point. You know you had to get them on that little card. He told me this AM, perhaps I was right. DO YOU THINK???

We had a sermon this AM on community and then a panel on small groups. BC was part of the panel and proceeded to tell THE ENTIRE congregation that even "his wife" could get on his nerves occassionally. HE IS IN BIG TROUBLE. I have told all of my friends to warn his next wife that she will be the butt of all of his jokes. The man cannot resist getting a laugh no matter what consequences he pays later. HE MAY BE ON MY LAST NERVE TODAY!

We ran our long run yesterday. When I got up at 5 the temperture was 76 and the humidity was 95%. I am sure I do not have to explain what that meant. Ironwoman, Sandra, ran with her cracked rib. I asked her did it hurt when she moved her arms. She said no, only when she breathed. That was a relief. We finished and that is all I have to say about that!

I wonder if we will all dance and sing when we get to heaven, thus the new song on my blog.

Technical Dummy

I do not like being a computer dummy! Most of the things I have learned about the computer have been self taught, but occasionally I run into something that I just cannot seem to figure out. My friend, Cynthia, has music on her blog-it is really cool. I thought that would be so neat to have music which tied to my latest blog, but I couldn't figure out what to do. I asked Cynthia, and she gave me a short go to here and then just do it. Well I went to that sight, but I have wasted a couple of hours to discover that I don't know what I am doing! I have the music, at least I have finally figured out ITunes, but how to get it here-well that is another story. I probably could call my 7 year old grandson and he could do it without a problem-but computers are definitely a thing for the young.

Started my day with a 5 mile downtown walk. You can see the Tech Clock Tower on several of our routes downtown. Unfortunately, that was not there when I went to school during the dark ages. They probably had a sundial set up somewhere instead. It was hot and humid, but enjoyed the excursion.

Came home and did some yard work. I am in the process of cleaning up beds and trying to save what is left of the plants after the heat and the deer's midnight snacks.

Tomorrow is long run day. It is going to be VERY humid, which makes for a miserable day. I will worry about that when I get up-I don't think there will be a thing I can do about it.

Elvis Has Left This Earth-REALLY!

Today marks the day that Elvis left these "Earthly Sorrows" to go on to his reward (I would never venture to guess where that reward is). Thirty years ago today-we stopped, we were shocked, and some sobbed. Like him or not, you cannot deny the man had a HUGE impact upon music, youth, and our sense of who we were. The legions that stop on this day to pay tribute and remember his life are amazing. I have spent some time today wondering why we remember the day he died with such fanfare and not the day he was born. I have come to conclude that the generation that were alive and experiencing the life of Elvis were deeply impacted by his passing. They remember where they were, they remember the music and their youth, and they feel their own mortality. We, his contemporaries, remember the day he left us, but the future generations will more that likely remember his birthday. We seem to do that with all great people who leave a mark on our civilization. After they are gone, at least a generation, we then do not focus on their death day, for all of us die, but on the day that the gift of their life was bestowed upon the world. What a precious gift life is, but I am thankful that I have a thousand thousands tomorrows to look forward to. For sure not in this world, but the world to come is such a wonderful promise. Who knows maybe we will all listen to an Elvis Gospel Concert when we reach our own final reward.

No working out or exercising for me today. I chose this as a down day after 3 days in a row. I did find out that our IRON WOMAN, Sandra had a fall yesterday. She was walking 5,after running 5, when she tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and down she went. If you haven't ever seen her walk, well her walk is more like my run. She cracked a rib, which is very painful, and no treatment. The WOMAN OF IRON did not let that stop her though, she was back up this AM and walking her 5 miles. WOW!!

What's With All of These Letters?????

Down a whole degree from yesterday's temperature. Time to get out the coats!!! Camille told me that she was cold this AM when she went out early for her run. Their temperature just about the time that I took this picture was 76 degrees. I will remind her of this when we are enjoying balmy 60 & 70 degree days this winter and she is snowed in up to her eyeballs!

What is our obsession with letters these days? We all seem fixated upon having several of them to identify whom we are. I am a CPA-now I never tell anyone a Certified Public Accountant, just the letters and they automatically know what I did for a profession.

I am currently reading 3 different books, so I suppose I must be ADD. We all know what those letters mean. The dreaded diagnosis for our children and now we have adults that are being diagnosed and treated for this.

I have always know that I was OCD. My exercising can become OCD. The reason I run with all of my ladies is that their OCD makes my craziness look sane. All it takes is just one person to go further over the line than us to make us boast about our rational behavior.

We all seem to need to describe ourselves by putting a long string of letters after our name. What about those individuals that don't have their own name, but are named after someone else, such as Mr. C. BJC,Jr. or my brother NBJ II. Are you not an original then, but merely a continuation of the original owner of the name?

Think about this and come up with your own list of letters to put after your name. I personally had rather get to know you and come up with my own impression. I don't need any letters or numbers to tell me what I can figure out for myself!

We walked a 5 mile route this AM and lifted weights. The funny of the day was when Babs sat down at one of the machines backward. Joe Raymond Peace, former Bulldog Coach, walked over and just stared at her. When she figured out she was on the seat wrong, he said he was just waiting to see if there was a new way to lift that she could show him. We all laughed-we would be dangerous if we knew what the heck we were doing.

Close Encounters of the Vienna Kind

Did you ever see "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" or "Signs". Remember the scene when the light is streaming in around the curtains and the entire house was shaking? Exactly what was happening in Downtown Vienna at 2:00 AM last night. I awoke with a start , sat straight up in bed and asked Mr. C, "What is that light?". The reply I get is, "It's the street light from the church." Now the entire room is lit up and we normally are so dark that you have to feel your way around to get out of bed. The bed is shaking and the noise is unbelievably loud. He then says, "Is that why you woke me up because of the streetlight?" Taking things into my own hands, I get up and go look out a couple of windows. I report back that there is a police car with lights flashing over at the church and there seems to be search lights beaming into our windows. He then says, "Do you want me to go get the gun?" I do not want a man that was so soundly asleep that he thought the street light was causing the bright glare in our room to be walking around with a gun! He finally looks out of the window and says they are working on the road. To avoid traffic, heat, or whatever the men that are building our new road are working at night. Last night they choose to complete the concrete in front of our neighborhood. The lights, noise, etc went on for a couple of hours before they moved on down the road. When I left the house at 5:15 this AM they were past the church, but the lights were so bright that you could barely see to pass by. Thankfully they finished that portion of the work early this AM.

This AM was a regular midweek 5 miler and today all the elements came together and we actually had a good run. This happens once in a blue moon, so I enjoyed the treat. We only stopped for water once and walked about a block at the interstate to enjoy the BEAUTIFUL sunrise. We walked another mile to cool down and enjoyed a great start to our week. Thank you Lord for the strength to enjoy a great run in your wonderful outdoors!

It is HOT! Check out this tempterature-and that does not include the heat index!

I saw this really neat special on TV yesterday about a guy named, Scott Williamson. He has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada and back. They call that a yo-yo.(I personally call the yo-yo syndrome when you throw your kids out and they come back, etc. etc.) It took 10 months and he is in his 30's. That would be a really cool thing to do, but until they build Holiday Inn's to stay in every night along the way-I believe I will pass. What I don't understand is how someone can afford to do an adventure such as this. Does he not need any money for food, clothing, SHOES, etc. etc.? They said he had gotten married and his new wife is hiking the trail with him as a honeymoon. I will leave that alone, but I could have plenty to say on THAT TYPE OF HONEYMOON! Lying on the beach in a lounge chair with someone bringing me a drink when I raise my hand is my personal idea of a honeymoon. Stinky, Dirty-I said I would leave it alone and I will.

THAT BRAZEN HUSSY!!!!!

Went out to get the paper early this AM, and what should I discover????Mrs. Deer had been back to see us and consume what was left of the impatience. She had walked within the rock wall-right by the house and eaten those plants to the ground. Mind you these beds are full of flowers, but she obviously has a green tooth for these impatience. She then proceeded to come around the house to the bed in front of our bedroom windows. She must have been getting full, for after eating half of these to the ground, she proceeded to just eat the tops of the flowers and leave the stems. She also ate the leaves off of two hosteas in that bed, but left all of the other different types of hosteas alone. I am a staunch defender of my deer friends, but they may be losing my support, if they are not careful. Too late to replant and too hot and too early to put in fall flowers, we will just have to look at bare spots for a while.

On an upbeat note, "This is the day that the Lord has made and I rejoiced and was glad in it!". Wonderfuly service this AM with a message on spiritual mentoring with Rodney Wood doing the honors. Uplifting and thought-provoking with references taken from Acts using Barnabas and John Mark as examples. Who am I called to mentor and who should I be looking to for mentoring?

Our sweet friend, Ashley, will be leaving Wednesday to move to Baylor. We are excited for her as we know this will be just as wonderful experience for her and it was for Camille. Must pray for her Mom, Janet. It is so difficult to let those daughters leave, even knowing this is what we are called to do.

My friends, Sandra, Sonja, Sheila, & Tracey were walking at the park at 6:30. (It was still 100 deg at 6:00) I had a better invitation to go eat Mexican food with the Boersma's and Anderson's. We had an enjoyable evening and left with a warm feeling of fellowship. We can toss that conversation ball around with the best of them and you never know what subject will come up next.

Tomorrow is another early day. I don't know how long these VERY HOT temperatures are going to last, but I will not miss getting up at these horrible hours. Camille has her first day at work tomorrow. I am anxious to get a report.
Mrs. Camille the career lady! I would love to be there to see her off to work tomorrow, but alas Adam will have to do the honors. HE'S THE MAN!

BLAST FROM THE PAST

What a great surprise I had today when I saw that our friend, Cynthia, had commented on my blog. What a girl! Classmate of Gabe, babysitter for Camille, and part of our youth back in the good old days when we worked with the youth. How could the combination of sweet and loving the Lord go wrong? Cynthia actually left Big R and went to Kentucky to Cemetery (as our old friend calls it). She has a Masters in Religion or something like that. IMPRESSIVE! Hopefully we will actually eyeball each other at some point, but since I don't drink coffee and she has sworn off running-it will have to be a planned meeting. What's the plan, Cynthia?

Up at the crack of dark this AM, to start our run at 5:30. HOT HOT HOT-78 deg when we started and AS USUAL-HUMID! We did finish that 9, but had some serious walking breaks. When you finish and you could take off your clothes and wring them out-well it has been torture. We actually have runners that speed through the run and are coming back to meet us when we struggle to finish. I AM SO ENVIOUS! I actually got through this day by singing (in my head) a praise song chorus-over and over. When those negative thoughts came creeping in-I purposefully started over. It actually helped! As Babs said, "We were drop dead gorgeous-NOT," when we finished. More like drowned rats. We did enjoy Mrs. Mona's entertainment. She had a choice Monaism, but I cannot figure out how to put it on a public domain spot, so ask me when you see me.

Enjoyed a lazy day after that start. Mr. C and I had a nap, watched a little TV and generally chilled. The man is a HARD WORKER and seriously needs some down time and rest.

Around 7 tonight we noticed smoke all around us and then saw the firetrucks were all by the church next door. They all suited up and then took all 3 trucks and drove off with lights flashing. I am not sure what all of that was about-but no signs of fire.

Tomorrow is the Sabbath. What a blessing to worship without fear and knowing the Lord is present with us. The Sabbath was made for man, not the man was made for the Sabbath, so we will rest in the assurance of His good desires for us.

TGIF

TOO HOT EVEN FOR THE DOGS! This is Sheila's smart dog, Ruby. The only thing that would be better would be having your body down in the water with you face sticking out.

Babs & I walked the Harvest Run this AM, since I was a bad girl yesterday and LAZY! I came home and decided to work in the backyard, which has been sadly neglected this summer until l0:00 SHARP. Well my OCD took over and I finally came in at 11:00 soaked to the core.

Babs bought me a water bottle that holds exactly 8-8 ounce glasses and I am on a mission to be sure I am hydrated tomorrow. I am down to the last 16 ounces and have drank 2 Diet DP's-MY DRINK OF CHOICE! This seems to lead to LOTS of time in the smallest room in the house. Remember THIS IS GOOD FOR YOU!

Tomorrow is Long Run Day and I can not say I am excited about that, but on the positive we will get to see Mrs. Mona. Since her transfer to Arcadia, we have not seen her in 3 weeks. I am sure she will have lots of stories to tell tomorrow and I look forward to the entertainment while pushing along.

For all of you fruit lovers, check out Camille's blog about picking blueberries. I know you are envious since our fresh fruit has long been gone. I will need to check out what other choices there are in PA since I am SURE that Sandra will want to visit the "Fruit Man" when we go to visit.

WHAT A FRIEND

Our small group went to our precious friends' home last night to do a little yard work. Dr. Dale is a gardener extraordinary, but since his medical problems has not been able to get down and dirty. When the call went out, EVERYONE was ready, willing and eager to help. They have been such an important part of whom we are and are so sweet and such an inspiration to us all-we couldn't wait to try to help them. Just as I clean my house for the housekeeper to come, Helen had been out-IN THIS HEAT-working in the yard-knowing we were coming. We still found a few things to do-so there Helen! We all had a great time sweating, swatting, and swearing (not really-but needed another s word) in the heat. We managed to clip some shrubs back, clean out a few beds and get a good start on reclaiming what Mother Nature was trying to take back. As her final "GOTTCHA", Mother Nature sprinkled poision ivy all throughout the beds. If we all get a case, Dr. Dale will prescribe and Mrs. Helen will do the honors popping our rears to calm the itch. We did dip into the cool pool after we finished and some of us actually plunged into the pool. (THAT'S WHAT THEY MAKE DRI-FIT FOR, FRIENDS). Delicious watermelon provided by Sir James was enjoyed by all for a fitting end to our evening. WE WILL RETURN!

I am playing the lazy card today. Didn't get out of the bed until 7:30. Did a little watering and came in to the AC. I am cleaning out my desk and surroundings. I LOVE NEATNESS! Babs is swimming today and I was supposed to lift weights, but. "I'll think about that tomorrow."

I am grilling lamb, Sandra, for supper. That with a ceasar salad and orzo, YUMMY! Sandra gives me a hard time about my favorite grilling meats, but that's ok-I LOVE a woman that will eat whatever you put in front of her.

Camille went and filled out her employment forms today and is in the process of having a security check. I am not sure what national threat an employee of a medical school might have, but you NEVER KNOW! She called to ask where we were all born and it turns out her parents, her brothers, and she were all born in Ruston. Does God ever place those together that he intends! We are proud of Mrs. Camille for joining the corps of gainfully employed!

I did get a few comments on yesterday's blog, but if you are not registered as a blogger, I cannot comment back. Once again, if you would like to blog, I give FREE lessons. It can't be too hard-after all I can do it.

NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITY

Enough of Camille's foolishness-now the REAL blog!

I have a new career opportunity that I read about in today's paper for all of you that would like another source of income. Let's call it

Domestic Animal Waste Removal Engineer

How's that for a fancy title! This actually entails scooping dog poop out of people's backyards. YUCK!!!! The guy charges by the animal, the size of the yard, and the number of weekly visits. He uses a long handle dustpan, a rake, and plastic bags. It seems he charges more for smaller dogs since their byproducts are more difficult to find. The late night comedians could have a "field day" with this. I started to go there, but decided to leave that to your imagination.

We ran 5 at 5:30 this AM trying to beat the heat-TO NO AVAIL! It was 78 deg and probably 78% humidity. I am beginning to get my LA legs back. Only walked one short block and had to stop a moment on the interstate bridge while deciding if I need to throw up over the side of it. We make a couple of water stops, but when sweat is pouring off of you like the waterfalls we saw in Canada-well you can't drink fast enough. I am not complaining-I am blessed to have the physical ability to endure this and actually finish. We walked about a mile afterward trying to recoup-the big girls, Sandra & Ivory went for a brisk 5 mile walk afterward. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING????

The story that beats them all is that Susan was running yesterday after work. PEOPLE IT IS BEYOND HOT at that time of the day! Of course this is Wonder Woman that also competed in and finished River Cities Tri, Sunday. WHAT A WOMAN!

OK-if anyone would like a blogging lesson, please let me know. Sometimes I feel like I am talking to myself!

Camille's Crazy Game

OK-I had my topic and my blog all figured out for the day-and my crazy daughter threw a wrench in it. She and her friends have this tag game going- I DON"T WANT TO PLAY-This is not in my plan for the day- but I am NOT OCD-I just want to be in control!

You get this sent to you and since I have NO blogging friends-I will have to send to Camille's friends and you are it. You post the rules. You put 8 random facts about yourself. You tag someone and your responsibilities are over.

Rules:
1. Post the rules.
2.List 8 random facts or habits about yourself
3.If you are tagged, you must post the rules and 8 random facts or habits about yourself
4.After you post, tag someone, and let them know they must read your blog for the rules

IS IT JUST ME OR DID THIS SOUND JUST A LITTLE REDUNDANT??????

1. I don't sample things in the supermarket, Sam's, Wal Mart, etc. I merely tell the person- Thank you, but that is not on my diet. I NEVER eat what they have to offer. Can't get past the-who is this person, did they wash their hands, what if I don't like it-can I spit it back in the napkin? SICK

2. My favorite daughter has her father's footfall and you know when they are coming. After we moved into this house when she was 1, I always knew when she was going up or down the stairs, for it echoed all over the house. She honestly tried when she was older to be quieter, but like her sweet daddy-they just can't help it. I now miss that wonderful and noisy sound.

3. Unlike Camille & her Dad, if you see me in front of a group performing, dancing, or doing anything else to command all of the attention on me, I have Alzheimer's and don't know what the heck I am doing.

4. When 8 months pregnant with Gabe, I chased Scott down the hall and gave him a spanking. I believe I told Scott & Gabe that they wouldn't get too big for me to whip.

5. I raised cows and sheep for a 4H project while a young child. The one lesson I took away from that experience was I did not want to EVER shovel another shovel full of POOP AGAIN!

6. My mother was a house cleaning perfectionist and used me and my brothers as her staff. We literally scrubbed the pattern off the tile in our house. I used to have those same cleaning needs, but I have gotten over that in my old age. (I don't have to Spring clean 4 times a year anymore)

7.Bobby & I have been married so long that we think of the same things at the same time and can finish each other's sentences. That is a very good thing and a comfort to know that my very best friend & I are on the same wave length.

8. The best thing that God ever did for me was send Bobby Conville my way. He is my all in all and I would not have wanted to do life without him by my side.

OK-ENOUGH OF THIS-I DO NOT WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE GAMES!!!!!

I need to be in control!

HOT

"Hot town, summer in the city,
Back of my neck getting dirty & gritty,
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city

All around people looking half dead
walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a matchhead"

JOE CROCKER at his best!

Now maybe Ruston isn't a city, but this pretty well describes what it feels like outside. The grit we feel is usually dried salt from the profuse sweating. It cakes all over your face and when you lick around your mouth, you actually taste the saltiness. We walked-thankfully-5 miles this AM. Babs & I did run into Sandra & Ivory, you know the BIG GIRLS, and they were walking their 5 after their 5 mile run. CANNOT BEGIN TO KEEP UP WITH THAT! We are running at 5:30 tomorrow AM, trying to beat some of the heat, but that is difficult to do these days. If you wait for Mr. Sun to creep up the horizon-well you have had it! We lost Larry today after yesterday's struggle, he sweats even more than we do and did not take his water yesterday-so he got to enjoy the effects of dehydration all day long.

I finished downloading my hiking pics and I have one thing to say-WHO IS THAT OLD WOMAN????? I keep threatening to get this face and neck majorly tightened up, but don't want any down time, SO-hard to find the right time. Maybe I'll just get some duct tape and pull it all back myself-what color do you think would be best? I don't think they make it in a flesh tone. If I have not sent you the site for the pics, let me know.

God has graciously provided Camille with a job just before her last check from teaching comes in. IS HE GREAT OR WHAT! She got to enjoy time with Adam before he started school and now he gives her this opportunity just as the money was running out. WHAT A GOD! He provides all of our needs-if we only trust Him. We are thrilled for her and can't wait to hear the reports. Did I mention that she will be working at Adam's school? Hopefully he will be able to drive her when the snow starts-not that I don't think that she could handle that.

ONLY ABOUT 7 OR 8 MORE WEEKS OF THIS WONDERFUL WEATHER!

New Favorite TV Show

I was flipping channels tonight and came across what may be my new favorite tv show (at least during reruns). There is a show on ABC at 8PM on Mondays called "Fat March". It is another survivor type reality show, but this group is really obese people who are trying to win $100,000 each for walking as a team from Boston to Washington, over 500 miles, in 10 weeks. If you have done any walking or running, you know that the more weight you are carrying, the more difficult the challenge. I found myself cheering them on and fussing at the whiners. Tonight covered the first 8 days and showed their weight loss at the end. In a typical reality format, someone was voted out of the group at the end of the show. The twist is that if they vote someone off or if someone quits, their money is cut by $10,000 per person. Good show!

"Monday, Monday" -do you remember that song? We didn't start our run until 6:45 since we were going to Sharon's class at 8:15. I SUFFERED and did not do very good. Babs & Larry ran the entire way, but I kept having to stop and walk. I think I need to eat and drink more on Sunday before trying this next week. We made the 5 miles-but my part was not pretty. Babs & I then went to Sharon's Body Sculpting Class. She is a good teacher and thankfully the room was not full of coeds. Babs really liked it, but I think I get a better workout in the weight room. Will try is a couple of more times in fairness to make sure.

It is SO HOT & HUMID in LA. Summer has really arrived, but it is August. I am having to drag that hose around and water, but I am thankful for a break during July. Another 2 months of this weather before we begin to cool off a little. NOT FUN, MOTHER NATURE!

Weekend Fun!

Mr Slug in a sauna


Do you get my drift? Saturday AM run was HOT and STEAMY. I looked like Mr. Slug cruising down the road. Actually made 8 miles, but walked a few hills. JUST GLAD TO FINISH! They should probably have a law against running in LA in August. NOT FUN! After all of the low humidity in Canada, this was a HUGE cultural shock! The big girls (not in size in strength and endurance) made 9 miles, but Babs & I were just glad to finish the 8.

We walked today at the park at 3:30. We wanted to be sure and begin when it was THE HOTTEST part of the day. We went beyond glistening, beyond sweating, to pouring. The bug spray kept the flys off, but the gnats were persistent little varmints. The 5 1/2 miles were slow, but hot has to count for something!

I was surprised to find that I actually lost weight in Canada while eating like a logger. I am not sure if the lack of sleep kicked off my metabolism or if Sonja's difficult hikes were the reason, but I am down a few pounds. Shouldn't take me long to find them when I get back to my more lazy routine and enjoyment of junk food.

Back to our usual routine next week, so I will tell you how we progress as we try to get our flatland legs going again.

Mowing for Jesus

Today was our mowing group's day to mow the church lawn, so I spent the first part of the morning mowing for Jesus. Do you think he was happy with my effort?

I have had a couple of emails encouraging me to continue blogging, so maybe I will. An audience of two is better than none! I am not as entertaining as my Super Blogger Daughter, but will give it an effort.

One of the things I failed to mention on my blog about Canada was the WONDERFUL temperature. We would get up to the 40's, but it would warm up everyday. The HUGE difference was the humidity. I think I would weather fast if I lived up there because it is so dry, but IT IS SO NICE! We got off the plane in Denver and IT WAS HOT, but not that humid. We got off the plane in Dallas and the sauna hit!

Tomorrow marks really getting back to the real world. We run at 6 AM from Chase. I am actually looking forward to it. My legs have had a rest since Monday, so hopefully they will be good to go. I don't expect any miracle of speed, but will push along-WELL IN MY COMFORT ZONE. I will never forget my speedy daughter telling me that I didn't run-I shuffled. OH WELL- My mantra is, "All forward motion counts."

BC's Dad did break his arm, but the good news is that it is a clean break and did not require surgery. He may be a little out of touch with reality. He told Kathy to put a sign on his shop door that he would be out Aug. 1st-14th. I don't think he will be ready to raise that arm in two weeks, but I think he will figure that out. What a man-still working at 86!

We visited with Gabe Wednesday during our flying visit to BR. He looks well and is trying to get a move to Austin going. Moving and looking for a job can be overwhelming, but you just have to jump in headfirst and paddle.

BC & I are planning a trip to Erie to see our #1 Daughter during August. I looked at flights last night and hopefully will get tickets this weekend. MISS THAT LITTLE DARLING! Erie's gain-Texas's loss.

Will try to find time this weekend to download the pictures and send out the site. What a wonderful trip! If you would like for me to continue to blog the runner's exploits-please let me know. I need all of the encouragement I can get!!!!!!

It's A Beautiful World!

Sandra & Sonja get A+'s for planning a great trip! I highly recommend them to anyone needing travel planning assistance.

My goat hooves are disappearing and my web feet are returning-Welcome home to Louisiana.

What a wonderful trip and how beautiful is God's creation! We all made is back with only minor injuries and pains. I told Sonja & Sandra that there was no way that they could have ever prepared us for the beauty of the mountains nor any way that they could have prepared us for the physical requirements of the hiking.

The first day I thought I had made a big mistake and that I would never be able to do a week of this. The first two days especially were like the physical requirements of running a marathon, but stretched out over a long period of time. Up and out of the bed at 5:30 and most nights not back to the hotel until after supper and 9:00. Long days and much gasping for air for these flatlanders!

A few recaps of happenings of the week:

When driving away from the airport Sonja told Sandra to look for a restaurant on the right side of the road. Sandra pointed to the right side and said, "No, I would feel better if we pulled off to the left." Your other right, Sandra!

When coming down from a pass one day, a hiker pulled up behind Sonja and said, "Did you hear that really weird animal on the top of the pass?" When Sonja replied she did not, he said, "It made a really funny laughing noise." We all cracked up. Sonja's laughter brought joy to all of our hearts!

One of the first days a hiker came up to us at the top of the pass and said, "I told my wife way down the mountain that you all would never make it when I heard you laughing and talking." We Ruston Girls can cut up and move onward and upward with the best of them. A little physical exertion never stopped us from having a good time.

How many of us would have hiked up a mountain on narrow, uneven trails that are often rooted or slick with mud knowing that we would have to come down with a stiff leg to make it? Lisa did and never complained. NOT A FUN WAY TO COME DOWN THE MOUNTAIN!

POOR JIM! We sent him to pay for the bus ride up to Sunshine Village which we thought was $15 per person. When the person at the counter told him it would be $49 per person, after staring at her with a pensive look, he said, "We don't want the deluxe trip, only a bus ride (school bus-mind you) up to the top."

The glaciers, the mountains, the meadows, the wildflowers, the waterfalls, and the lakes, there are no words to describe! I have been to the mountain top and I have seen the glory of His creation!

Wonderful fellowship, good times, strength stretching hikes, and glories beyond your imagination describe our week together.

I will post my picture sight as soon as I get it downloaded. They cannot do it justice, but will give you some idea of the sights we beheld!

I will continue to post this blog and tell you of our training, runs, etc.,but that will never compare to this past week.

PS-When I was putting medicated Vaseline on my lips to try and get them well, I remembered a long ago incident that brought a chuckle. I once was rather chaffed in a very sensitive area and had the brilliant idea that I would put medicated Vaseline on it for fast healing. NOT A GOOD IDEA! This is the first and last time that I did the Russian dance where you are kicking your legs out and plunging into knee bends-all in an effort to get some COOL air on the burning chaff! I am sure it was quite a sight!

Home Again-Home Again

We arrived back in the good old USA last night and made it back to God's country, Ruston around 12:30 this AM. LONG TRIP HOME!

I don't know if I have enough words to summarize, but will give it a good attempt tomorrow. We are off to Baton Rouge to see Gabe and for BC to go to a meeting. May drive back late tonight, but will see..

Pray for BC's Dad. He fell this AM and may have broken his shoulder. Kathy has him at emergency and we are waiting to hear.