Warm Fuzzy Sunday

I would have to classify yesterday as one of those warm, fuzzy kind of days.

Scott wasn't scheduled to work, so we had the entire day together! Our Sunday School lesson was from I Thessalonians about "When You Started Out." Several of our SS family shared about their salvation experience. The lesson prompted great discussion as we talked about loving others and about what kind of example we are to those around us. We were reminded that there are actually people imitating us! Our actions and behaviors are so important!

Then, I actually got to sit with hubby in worship, since the choir didn't fill the loft in the morning service. We had a great afternoon together and returned to church in the evening to be part of our choir's annual Christmas program. The choir dressed in 1800's Christmas caroling attire and sang traditional Christmas carols and it was a wonderful time of worship together. The children's choir sang with us in part of the program, and it tendered my heart to hear their sweet voices singing.

The perfect ending to a perfect day happened at Taco Bell of all places! After church, we headed there to grab some tacos to take home. We went through the drive-thru and the line was sooooooo long. We were trapped - people behind us and in front, so we just had to wait. Even though it was irritating to sit in a drive thru for 30 minutes, it gave us opportunity to sit and talk awhile.

As the young lady in front of us was picking up her order, I remember that she looked so bubbly and happy. When we got to the window to pick up our order, the man told us that she had paid for our order. I asked the cashier who she was. He said that he didn't know, and that she didn't know us. She told him that she just wanted to do something nice for someone since it was Christmas! WOW! It made us both feel so warm and fuzzy. It wasn't an extravagant gift, but such a kind expression of love.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (I Corinthians 13:13)

It really is contagious. We can't wait for the opportunity to pay it forward!

Thanksgiving/Christmas/Birthday Celebrations

Thought you might enjoy a pic of my family at our Thanksgiving/Christmas/Birthday celebration! I was taking the picture and don't get many photo opps of the whole family together. I think they are absolutely wonderful!

Living Waters 5K and Sacroiliitis

Since many of you have asked when I plan to post again, here goes! As for half-marathon progress, there really isn't any. I took a rest after the shinsplint episode. The first time I tried to run after my resting period, I had a backache for about a week, so more rest! I was getting a little anxious since my daughters-in-law and me were going to run in a 5K on Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving was wonderful as we celebrated my birthday, one of my daughters-in-law's birthday and my granddaughter's birthday, along with Thanksgiving and Christmas. You see, my son and daughter-in-law from Missouri rotate Thanksgiving and Christmas every other year, so they can share those holidays with her family. So, on the year they come for Thanksgiving, we celebrate Christmas as well, since we don't get to see them again at Christmas. After stuffing ourselves with turkey, ham, and all the fixings, we opened birthday presents and Christmas presents. It was so much fun.

Later that evening, Addie and I decided to take a practice run to get ready for the 5K on Saturday. We took the 3-mile path I use in my neighborhood and I actually ran at least 1 mile of the route. It felt great to push through again, but the back pain started again within an hour. It was so bad on Friday! Addie had to drive her old ma-in-law around and help me in and out of the car. A little shopping humor: my cell phone rang while we had stopped in a thrift store and it was my mother. Apparently I was talking very loud, since Addie had to shush me up. She commented that not only was I incapacitated, but apparently had also lost my hearing. We had a big laugh with everyone around us in the store, and I told my mother I would call her back when we were out of the store. I love the relationship I have with my daughters-in-law. We really laugh alot when we are together - mostly at me, but that's ok.

Saturday morning rolled around and I was determined to do the 5K with my girls in spite of my pain. I planned to get up and wash and curl my hair, since hardly no one ever sees me before I do that. The girls said we were running a race and I wasn't allowed to do that, so here you see it and surely understand why I don't let anyone see me this way. This was at the end of the 5K and we all did just fine. Not one of us took last place and I actually achieved my goal of finishing with better than a 15-minute mile. My time was 41:29:1 even with an injury. Whoo hoo!!

Addie, Mary, and me!

So I was pretty much down in my back the rest of the weekend, but we did it! I went to the doc on Monday and the diagnosis - "sacroiliitis". That's a funny diagnosis for a funny lady, right?! The verdict is that I can't run for awhile. I have to take steroids, anti-inflammatory and do some exercises to strengthen my back.

The half-marathon in February is off, but that doesn't mean we can't do another half-marathon when I am well and able to train again.

OK - that reminds me of a song. Are you surprised?

"I'm trading my sickness, I'm trading my pain

I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord.

I am pressed, but not crushed; persecuted, not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

I am blessed beyond the curse for His promise will endure and His joy's gonna be my strength."

Everybody sing along with me now.

That's it for now! Stay tuned for more in the continuing maladies of Gramster.

Setback Saddens Sheila

I have had a small setback in my half-marathon training. For the past week, I have really had a hard time running. I have only been able to run about 2 1/2 minutes tops, then walk, then maybe a minute running, then walk, etc. with a fair amount of pain near my shins. It almost felt like my legs were cement, and it even hurt when I was walking. Diagnosis from my marathon running daughter-in-law: shin splints! She recently experienced the same condition; therefore, advised me to take a rest for 2 weeks to heal my shin splints and do some cross training on my eliptical trainer and exercise bike. No pounding the pavement for a few weeks. That, in addition to the arthritis in my toes! Agony . . . delayed training . . . sad Sheila!

Sheila is my chihuahua and running partner, and it makes her so happy when I put on my running shoes. By the time I grab my iPod and her leash, she is jumping with joy all over the place. Sheila just didn't understand when I went out to Scott's workshop tonight and got on the eliptical trainer. She knew I had on the shoes and the iPod, but where was the leash??? Sadness, confusion, depression!!! I tried to explain to her what was going on, but she just doesn't get it!



Hopefully, these 2 weeks will pass quickly for her and we can hit the running trail once again. I sure hate to disappoint my trusty running companion. After all, my daughter-in-law and I are signed up to do a 5K in Decatur on Thanksgiving weekend and Sheila knows I need the training badly.

Rails to Trails 10K

OK - this is the moment you have all been waiting for. On Saturday, October 4, I did my very first running (walking) event. It was the Rails to Trails 10K in Elkmont, Alabama. Did you hear that? 10K - that means 6.2 miles!!! I entered with my boss, and since I didn't feel prepared to run just yet, we agreed to mostly walk and just run a little as we were able. We were very pleased that we averaged around a 12-13 minute mile and I finished in 1:27:30 and she finished in 1:26:?? I hung around for the door prizes and then headed back home with great certainty that I did not win any awards.


Imagine my surprise this morning when, at the end of a staff meeting, my boss called me to the front and placed a medallion around my neck, announcing that I had won 3rd place in my age division. She didn't say how many were in my age division and I'm sure I don't want to know that!! How exciting to win a 3rd place in my first event. And my boss won a medal as well. We felt pretty good about our accomplishment.


Of course, we got no respect! Comments ranged from lots of "Congratulations," to "There must have been only 1 or 2 people in your age group so they had to give you 3rd place to be nice!" to "So which special olympics did you run in?"


The following e-mail was sent out concerning our accomplishment:

"Congratulations to Dianne and Melanie! Both were medal winners at this past weekend's 10K run in Elkmont.We have no documented evidence for Melanie's participation, but we do have a reliable witness who verified Melanie also won a medal.

It is reported Dianne has not taken off the medal since Saturday.

This nation needs more role models! Congratulations!"


Then they took the following picture of me running in place and showing off my very first medallion!! Whoo hoo whoo hoo hoo!!!! We had such fun with this at work today!

I did it!!!

I just love to hear those words . . . "I did it" . . .from my grandson when he is pursuing something and finally accomplishes it. Well, this morning . . . I did it! After 2 weeks of falling away from my half-marathon training, I got up very early and did it and it felt great. I repeated the run plan in Week 4 of my Couch to 5K training plan since that is where I fell away. I decided if I was able to complete it, I would move on to Week 5 training on Thursday. So that is my goal! Week 5, here I come!!!

And I also felt encouragement to push through since my daughter-in-law ran in the Lewis and Clark Half-Marathon in St. Louis in the pelting, stinging rain from the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. I thought that if she could do what she did, I should move forward. Thanks for the encouragement, my sweet daughter-in-law! I'm so proud of her! You can read the details of her run by clicking on her blog under my favorite blog sites. It is called Twisi's Xanga.

Take the Shackles Off My Feet

I just felt like breaking into that song as I clocked out and left work today. I know you can picture me doing that! The last, most final day of open enrollment . . . ending with no disappointment late into the afternoon as I worked with 1 person in my office, 2 waiting in the hall and several phone calls in between as we resolved that open enrollment deadline issue.

Even though it totally tires me out, it is so rewarding to be able to get people in under the wire. They are happy and grateful and I can smile through it all since I know that it is the last day of that particular pressure. The adrenaline was really flowing as I drove home.

Hopefully now I can muster up the energy to get back into that half-marathon training. The last few weeks have been a real struggle and I've been doing that nasty food-grazing thing again.

I feel another new beginning in the air! The race is on!