In 2016 I want to..........

     I am starting to pick goals for the new year.  Many, like always, are to continue to work on the old resolutions, but these sound like a great start.

Carpe 2016--Seize the Year!

Choose adventure

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Winter solstice

     It silently took place in Denver last night at 9:49 PM. Winter begins again, but the days are getting longer. Welcome the light.

                                  And the seasons they go round and round
                                   And the painted ponies go up and down
                                                               Joni Mitchell, Circle Game

     May this solstice and the turning of the wheel bring you love, peace, and good fortune in the coming year. 

Next week the days start to get longer!!!!!

Yay!!!!!

I watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" last night.  I can't believe it came out in 1966 and Boris Karloff was the voice of the Grinch and the narrator.  What a great little movie and children's book.

I am starting to feel Christmas.  I have to wrap gifts today.  At run group later this morning, where I plan on walking due to all the ice, I am wearing red (Husker gloves and headband, Maryland Terps jacket) plus reindeer antlers.  I don't have a red nose to don so will stick on a red bow for their red nose competition. Plus, I have added jingle bells to my shoes. We are always a goofy group.

Happy weekend.



I made the picture huge so you could see me....in front row with red jacket and gloves, and huge red nose.  Like I said, runners are a goofy group.

Winter---the struggle is real.

Damn......it is snowing again.

A blog worth sharing!

zen habits: 31 Perfect Things

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31 Perfect Things Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:17 AM PST By Leo Babauta As we see more and more holiday gift guides, articles espousing the perfectness of glitzy products, I’d like to offer an alternative perspective. We don’t need to buy things to make our lives beautiful or joyous. We don’t need more glamorous items in our lives to find happiness and contentment. We can find these wonderful qualities in what’s already in front of us. Most moments, I forget this. In my best moments, I remember, and my heart expands with love for life and everyone around me. In my mind, these things are perfect, and are proof that we don’t need to buy anything to be happy, cool, excited, contented: A quiet morning. A walk outdoors. Reading one of those books sitting on your shelves. A cup of tea, drunk slowly. Family. A hug. Meditation. An avocado. Berries, savored. A good workout. Time to practice sketching. A song that gets you dancing. Creating something. This current moment. A connection with someone else. The light of the dying day. Fallen leaves. Warmth. Love. Learning something new. Someone wanting your attention. A friend. Coconut. Reflecting on life, in a journal. People laughing around you. Imagining future possibilities. A bite of mango, lingered over. Writing a love note to someone you miss. Solitude. Knowing that you love yourself. You.

A new "Personal Best"

                                                                      The Awkward Yeti


Here are two articles about alzheimer's and running.  The first is one runner's story. The second is a more general article about how running helps.  Both highlight some very brave people.

http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/outrunning-the-demons

http://www.runnersworld.com/health/exercise-may-be-the-best-weapon-against-alzheimers

Snow day

     I woke up to 8 inches of snow, blustery winds, and freezing fog.  2-4 more inches are predicted during the day.  It is still snowing hard. All city/county (not college) schools are cancelled. Where did this come from, and don't say "up."
     Just yesterday I was wondering why anyone would live anywhere else than here!  It was sunny and in the upper 30s and felt wonderful.  All of the weekend's snow was melted off of the roads.
     By the time this storm is done I'll have a foot of snow to scoop which will probably blow back over my driveway overnight. I'm feeling Scroogeish again.  I miss sunshine.
     Bah! Humbug!


     Don't get me wrong....I am so very thankful I don't have to drive anywhere.  There are traffic accidents galore!  And it is beautiful.
     Here is the view from my backyard at 8 AM.  I had to scoop a path out back for the dog as the snow is belly-deep for her.  The path snowed in while I was still scooping.  I'll wait til afternoon for the big job of driveway and sidewalk.  In Colorado you must get used to living in a snow-globe.

 2 PM, maybe 16-18 inches so far and still snowing, but driveway is scooped for the moment.  The snow is well above the dog's belly.

                                         View from my back door......

Something to contemplate

It’s impossible to put the pieces of your life back together when the pieces have all changed, 

Quote for the day

Once you bring life into the world, you must protect it.  We must protect it by changing the world.
                               Elie Wiesel


     This is especially important now in this era of global warming and political upheaval.  Protect the next generations in all that you do, and consider them in all the decisions you make.



     My exercise for the day will be scooping snow.  It looks like we got maybe 4 inches of it yesterday and overnight.  I won't make the mistake of leaving it and hoping it will melt in subsequent days this time, as the next snowfall is predicted for 2 days away.
     My reward....lunch out with my brilliant daughter and nephew....always a good time.

Say "snow"

Run group today where I got in a brisk 3 mile walk with friends.  It was very cold and the snow was just beginning to fall.  (Note Zooey the dog's fascination with Jeannie the skier's knee brace.)

Now that breakfast is done and I am warm again, it is time to hit the treadmill and watch "Singing in the Rain."

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

Herodotus, Inscription, New York City Post Office, adapted from Herodotus

Prescient.

"The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts."
                                           C.S.Lewis

To stretch, or not to stretch, that is the question.

     The newest review of hundreds of studies shows that the answer is yes, in case you were wondering.
     http://sportsgeezer.com/2015/stretching-yes-says-newest-study/

     I don't stretch often enough, I know, but will work on it. I'm a stiff runner.  Meanwhile, my plank is up to 3 min., 5 sec.  I don't know how much longer I can continue to add 5 sec. a day but will keep at it.  This is a difficult challenge.
     I'm off to meet my friend Susan, whom I haven't seen for at least a year.  We will take my goofball dog for a walk since today is the last warm day for a while.  More snow is anticipated.  

Beautiful blog. This woman can really write!

     There are places that have a soul.  Old houses that were real homes are one.  Mesa Verde, Colorado, with its deserted cliff dwellings, and John Muir Woods with its ancient redwood forest are two others that I have found. How about you?  What places have you found when you "listen properly and look with the right eyes"?

http://appalachianink.net/2015/12/08/this-house-has-a-soul/

Quote of the day:

Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue.  Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic.
                                       Tim Noakes

Happy December

     This will be a nice week, weather-wise.  Much of the ice has gone from the sidewalks so it is great to get outdoors again.
     I have taken on a daily plank challenge for the month of December, adding 5 seconds to my time each day.  It doesn't sound hard, but those extra seconds really add up even though I am only one week into this adventure.  I am up to 2 minutes, 50 seconds.  Wish me well as I progress through the month.

Those who move mountains begin by carrying small stones.
                                                     Confucius

I love this quote. I need to remember this more often!

     A few days ago I mentioned the book "Proteinaholic."  Here is a podcast interview with the author, Dr. Garth Davis.  It is 56 min. long, but well worth your time. I encourage you to listen.
     One detail that I learned was about heme iron.  This is the type of iron in animal foods.  Plant foods have non-heme iron.  I know that heme iron is dangerous....it increases aging, it oxidizes fats, etc.  What I did not know is that it affects the beta cells in the pancreas, which make insulin, in a negative way, correlating with increases in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
   

http://foodhealsnation.com/36/