Running The Race

The Big Day Arrived.
Oct.14th 2008.
She trained with determination.
She ate nutritiously.
She researched the internet recognizing that running is a science.
She shared her information with all of us.
She gaged and paced herself with her Sports GPS.
She worked hard for 6 months.
She earned a new Title.

One young excited mother of two little boys.
Proud as can be.

Going to Victoria was a family affair.
Levi got to ride along with Oma & Opa.
He enjoyed his ride on the mobile suitcase crate.
Silas was happy swinging in the nearby park.
The sun was shining clearly and the weather was cooperative.
There was excitement in the air.

The spirit of the athletes enticed me.
We went together to pick up her registration packet.
I noticed that there was an 8K Run.
Lora, looked at me and said,
"Why don't you join me?"
What did I have to loose?
Of course, I didn't have my sports gear along,
but it didn't take long and I found something that would work.

She was focused....
She had expectations of herself.
And I was smiling and enjoying myself.
I had no expectations, just to jump in last minute
and have some spontaneous fun.

I finished my 8K, surprising myself that I jogged 6K out of the 8K.
The Start Gun sounded and the adrenalin in the crowd was unreal.
Running along the ocean by Beacon Hill Park.
I had just finished running 2K when they announced
that Oympic Silver Medalist Simon Whitfield,
had completed 8km, in 24 minutes.

Well, I just smiled and kept running along.
I thought of my blogging friends,
knowing that many of them walk....
Wouldn't that be a fun event?

If you look closely at the one picture,
you'll see that I'm running backwards.
My photographer didn't expect me so early,
so I just turned around and smiled at the camera.
Who cares how you finish?
I quickly showered and ran back outside to help
look after the boys while
Lora continued to run for three more hours.

Her finish line looked somewhat different than mine.
She is focused goal orientated, pacing her self,
striving hard to beat her own record.
She is strong.
I wanted to pass her little one over the fence,
so that she could cross the Finish Line together.
But she would not turn her head.

Lora completed her 42 km in 3 hours 58 minutes.
We shared and discussed our experiences.
The family cheered her on as she proudly wore her Medal.
We started and finished right in front of the Parliament Buildings.

Lora and Jeremy are off on a celebration cruise.
Guess who has the little ones...?
I'm running a new race this week.

Lora is quick to announce that the Distance and Destination are the same.
"How long it takes to get their doesn't really matter," she says.
"The rewards and accomplishments are the same."

Thankfulness

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
It' been another year of blessings.

The nip in the air reminds us that summer is gone.

We need to just stop, look and observe those around us.

For the last few days I have had the privilege of
working with Elections Canada.
My role was to help all the patients in the hospital
cast an advanced poll prior to Elections, October 14.
This opportunity has not only opened my eyes to health issues
that people are facing,
but has taught me to be thankful for a healthy clear mind.
Many days I could of lost it....
But it was so good to come home, put up my feet
and encourage those around my table to be thankful.

Life cannot be taken for granted.
We live moment by moment and it's just a small
twist of circumstances that can change us forever.

I'm reminded to stay strong, eat nutritiously,
exercise, and keep the mind active.

Over the last weeks, I have watched our farmers
making good use of the weather.
I love looking at the "state of the art machinery."
Have you seen the New Holland Chopper?
It's massive and makes farming look like fun.

In hours it's tromped through the fields and all that's left is the stubble.
And next thing, you notice....

(click on pictures for full impact)
A huge manure spreader, comes whizzing by,
the width of the road and I turned around to look at this massive beast,
And decided, "I don't want to ever be caught behind him."
Can you read the words on this machine?
He was just ready to spread his freshly ground fertilizer over the corn fields.
We all loved the smells that filtered through the air...

The next day, I noticed our neighbor cutting his last crops.
This is a rather interesting machine.
It picks up the grass, gives it a swirl of saran wrap and
drops the large bail of grass on the ground.
All in once process.
We used to have so many machines for different operations.
One Stop, One Shop!

This is my favorite.
Did you know that we can grow wheat in the Valley?

Some young smart farmers tried something new.
Farmers are known to have innovative jeans.
We all laughed and smirked, thinking "that's impossible."

Many times my husband would ask me to join him
for a drive out to check the wheat....
As you can see, He loved picking those kernels and checking them
for their quality. Were they dry enough?

Then it happened. Out came the huge combine.
You would of thought that we lived in the prairies.
I love the smell of the freshly dried oats and look at that dust.
I'm reminded of the freshly ground wheat I use in my bread.

The combine drives up to the feed truck and empties it's kernels
and away goes the truck to the local mill.
Farming is experiencing and feeling the earth's productivity.
It looks like more sunshine for the long weekend and
I can just see the harvestors raving up their motors once again.
A little bit of frost this morning won't stop those hard working farmers.

"O, it sets my heart a clickin'
like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the pumpkin
and the fodder's in the shock."

This weekend we won't be farming.
We will join our family and travel to the lovely Island of Victoria.
My DIL will be running the Victoria Marathon and I
get to play with those little men.

Does this little guy look like a future farmer?

The harvest is coming to an end. This allows more time for reflection.
"When you think about it, everything we do shows in our daily life..."
I wonder what else shows in my life?
Is there a light shining in my eyes which is a reflection of God?

I am praying that you can all find one reason why
you could give Thanks to God our creator on Heaven and Earth.

Mission Completed.

I have finally completed sewing 24 school bags with all the handles tightly secured.
You should be able to count 24 corners. No, don't waste your time.
Plus each little bag has a prayer tucked inside.
Some of you find hiking a real task, well, I feel like I just climbed Mt. Everest.
Sewing for me does not come easy and why is it that nobody tells you the hints?

Every time, I attached a new handle, the sewing threads would jam.
So I reviewed my manual and it talked about adjusting different tensions.
I tried everything that the manual suggested.
Guess who's overwhelmed with tension....

I finally called the retail shop where I purchased the new machine and
she said, "Oh, just make sure that the "thread take-up lever is always at the top."
So I tried that, and Bingo, that solved my problem.
But why doesn't anyone tell us these tricks?
I think that's why I got rid of my old machine 15 years ago....
That's why I didn't want to sew anymore.

Then one day, when I was in the middle of trying to pace myself,
timing myself, so that I could complete the bags by this week,
I noticed I had some yucky stuff all over my arm.
Obviously this was the dough from my cake that I had just baked.

What a mess, threads all over the floor, and it's all cleaned up now.
Maybe I need to have a garbage can closer by, but you know how the threads
tend to fall and stick and grab everything that passes them by.

Anyways it's these little hints that can make life much easier and more pleasant.
Now, my little man wants to go to the Fabric shop to pick out his favorite cloth
so that I can make him some new PJ's.
Can't wait to take him. I wonder what he'll choose.

I guess we all have different mountains to climb.
What mountain are you climbing this week?

Fall is in the Air

I can feel the rain coming...

It's time for some fresh rains to rid the hot summer smells.
But before it rains, I need to put on my gum boots
and just check if I can pick the last of my berries.
The raspberries have been a weekly treat for that little man of mine.

Sundays is the day he loves to go and pick fresh berries
that are hanging on the vines.
Sure enough, there's just enough for his favorite Sunday dessert,
yogurt, fresh granola and fresh raspberries.
No, he will not share those few berries.

Look at the little gold mine in my back 40.
Right behind the house, I've been treasuring these blackberries
which are the most organic berries around.
Lots of horse manure in this field.

October 2?

Yet another bowl of fresh berries.
Those and some ice-cream...
That's all my man needs.

Add some fresh bread,
smear it with butter,
and add a glob of jam.

For now, this has been my families favorite jam.
Now it can rain...
The book work is waiting.