People

My great grandparents, or maybe great-great grandparents came to the US. I am happy that they came here. My family is a mixture of Polish, German, Scottish, English and more. One of the best things of America is the diversity and mixing of cultures, heritages, ideas. People here talk about being some nationality and they take pride in their history. However, this history has been Americanized, adapted. 

I met some people from the Netherlands last summer. Interestingly, they felt like they had more in common with the Amish people in Pennsylvania than the Dutch people in Michigan. They had to speak to the Dutch people that they met in English and could communicate easier with the Pennsylvania people. I would not have thought of that. 

I think about my own life and how I have changed and grown by moving to different areas. Each area has new people to meet, new places to visit and new traditions to discover, making life richer. Every person that I met has a different perspective on life and I find it fascinating. 

My family moved to the states for opportunity for themselves and future generations. I don't understand the opinions of keeping people out of this country. Most of our families were not here. How can I then turn around and say that others can not be here? If my family had not been able to come, they would not have met the spouses that they did, they would not have built the lives that they did, worked, had children, etc. and I would not exist. Each time people come to the US, they bring their culture, history and ideas. There are a lot of cultures and customs that I do not know. We can all learn from each other. 

Making Nothing

Sometimes the process of making is the important part, the actual making is the after thought, the possible outcome. This week, I got all of the tools ready. I wedged the clay and stuck in on the wheel. I relaxed into the chair and turned the wheel on. The slippery gooey clay formed in between my fingers, the noise of the motor whirred as the wheel turned, the forms mesmerized me as the clay turned. Pure bliss. The clay rose and fell as I squished it. My fingers were covered and slop stuck to my hands and arms. Amazing. When the clay was ready, I put a hole in the middle and started to form it. I was just in the moment. I didn't have pressure to make anything, just to play. As I was nearing the end of forming it, it flopped. This round was for the experience, not the product. Sometimes, that is way better than making something. There is no worry about what it will be, how to finish it, or fear that it won't turn out, cause sometimes it is just about the making of nothing.

Polaroid Goodness and Giving Away Stuff

I have a Polaroid camera that I have had since you could but the film in a normal store. Then it sat in a drawer for years. I had the best of intentions to find out how to get film for it. More years passed. Then we moved again and were going through our stuff, getting rid of whatever we could. (Twice. We got rid of a bunch of things before leaving North Carolina and again when unpacking in Pennsylvania) That Polaroid camera made it through the process, which meant that I had to use it. 

Film was purchased on Amazon. I was so excited to take it on trips and get some great shots. It turns out that it is important (necessary? imperative?) to read the instructions on this brand of film before use. In my head, the sun would help the film develop. In reality, the brightness of the light is very bad for it and so the first round was sadly and dramatically over exposed. You can see the top picture for what NOT to do with this film. The other part of this specific film that was explained in the instructions is that it takes a half hour for development. OH. I took the picture of the film on the snow because they were blue and thus I thought they were duds. What you are supposed to do it take the picture and hide it as fast as you can. Then in a half hour, there should be magic. My second round was much better. 

Sometimes, it is hard to give stuff away. The hope in it being used is bigger than the sadness it giving the item up, but it is still hard, especially when there is sentimental attachment. I had another camera, a 35mm film camera, that I always had the best of intentions of using. It was nice, I loved it, it was a great camera, complete with instruction book, carrying case, beautiful woven strap, the works. But I did not use it. To have something so great and not use it is terrible. It was a gift to me years ago, which made me love it even more, but also made it more sad that it was not being used. I decided to give it away. I did not want to just take it to a donation site though, I wanted to give it to someone who would use it. I took it to work and it got snapped up within about a half hour. I overheard oooohhhs and aaaahhs as the strap, the camera, the case and the lenses were explored. It is sad that I never learned how to use that camera well. However, I am hopeful that it is in a good home now. It deserves it. That camera was much too special to sit in my closet. 

Running in Ice Drops

I had the best run when visiting my sister in February. I ran along the ocean and it was beautiful! More than that though, it was powerful. I was in awe. 

The run was a little chilly to start and it was raining in small drops. As I ran further, there were times when the rain was harder. The waves in the ocean were roaring and it was windy. I ran past a restaurant that overlooks the ocean as a huge wind gust blew me backwards. I had to laugh thinking what I looked like to the diners, was I still moving forward or not? The rain drops continued to fall. Every so often, the drop would be salty from the ocean or icy. Incredible! It is amazing to get to be in God's creation like that, surrounded by the sea, wind, rain, sand, wow! It is powerful. 

I tried explaining the amazingness of that run to some friends, they looked at me like I was crazy. How could running when it is cold and rainy be a good thing? Well, when you are running, you are not cold. It is almost as if you are removed from the cold. You feel the rain drops but they are not cold, they just are. Amazing. 

Why are you crying?

Ryan walked into the kitchen as I was clutching my phone and trying to show him the screen. My eyes were teary. 

"What is going on?"

As I explained, my teary eyes turned into full on sobbing. "Someone gave $70. I posted on Facebook that I had $231 of the $300 goal just a little while ago (less than an hour). Someone donated the money. I'm blown away." More tears. 

"Why are you crying?" 

"Because it is so amazing!"

A few weeks ago, I got an email from the Bull City Race Fest team and Durham Habitat for humanity inviting me to raise $300 for habitat. Right away it felt like something that I needed to do. Habitat is a great organization. In college, I went on a spring break trip to help build homes in Florida. It was amazing. I looked on the Durham Habitat website where there were videos of people getting their homes and people helping to build them. There was also a great gallery of before and after pictures of house rehabs. How neat that they redo homes too! 

I was sold on the idea of fundraising for it, but nervous about the success that I would have getting to the $300 mark. I felt like God was asking me to trust him that it would work out. I would do my part, he would make it work. Trust is not an easy thing. 

It is humbling, exciting, amazing, and a little overwhelming (in a good way) that the $300 goal was reached. I am so thankful for everyone who gave money towards it. Wow and thank you! Each time someone gave any money, I would get an email about it. It was wonderful to see the generosity of people. I am honored to get to be a part of it. 

Lung Strong

I ran a 15k last Sunday. It's been months since running a race and so I was a mixture of slight worry and curious about how I would do. Thankfully, 15k is a bit over 9 miles, not the 13 ish of a half marathon.

It has been raining here all week and most of last week too. So, Sunday morning, it was raining lightly. I left my house later than I wanted to, got close to the start and managed to find a perfect parking spot not too far away. I walked to the start in time to hear an announcement that the race would be delayed 15 minutes for the weather. A few of us chuckled a bit. It had been raining and would be raining, why delay? I'm sure there was some reason, but it is a little bit funny.

Races are a lot of fun because of the people around. There are great people running it, wonderful volunteers and interesting vendors.  It's instant community in a way because everyone is there together and there is common experience. You chat to people beforehand

Towards the end of the race, I was getting tired. I cheered with the volunteers. I cheer at them, they cheer back or vice versa. It is fun, breaks up monotony, and gets my head off of being tired. Close to the end, there was a large hill. Ew! In my mind, the end had to be close. Finally, a runner just behind me yelled, "The finish is just around the corner, run faster!" So I ran faster. I am really thankful for that encouragement because I had no idea that we were that close to the finish. There was a turn and then the end so when he said it, you could not yet see the finish.

I hope that I am an encouragement to others who are running the race. Before the race, there are many people to say good luck to and chat about the race. During the race, I say good job to people who pass who or people that I pass. I cheer at the people on the sidelines. They cheer back. I also hope that my cheering maybe gives them a bit more energy to give to someone else who needs it.

Ryan was at the finish line taking a photo. It is really nice to have him there to say good job and to walk around with afterwards. I appreciate the support!

We had to wait a bit to see if I placed in my age group, and I did! During the run, I really have no idea how many people are ahead of me. It is fun to see the results sheets as they get printed. I look at my time, count women in my age group and try to get a sense of the placement. I get lucky because women in my age group usually win the race, which means that I place higher in the age group that I would otherwise. Yay!

A little over three weeks until the next race.....

Running, Encouragement, and Water

When you volunteer for things that you really enjoy, it almost does not seem like it should be called volunteering anymore. Enjoying, being, helping, participating. 

I especially enjoy volunteering at race events. I love the excitement as people check in and get ready. The energy in the air is wonderful and positive. People are meeting each other as they prepare for this event collectively. During the race, there is great community and encouragement as people pass each other. "Good job!" "You too!" "One more hill to go...." etc. There is great congratulations at the end as well as you talk through what you just went through together. It is neat.

Being the person who hands over the race bib is a great job. They are officially ready to go once they just pin it on. 

A few weeks ago, I got to help with a water stop. It was somewhere around 90 degrees and over two miles in on a trail run. What a great spot to be! What a need to get to help fill. It was fun giving the runners a bit of water (learning how to get splashed the least while handing it over) and some encouraging words as they climbed one of the hills in the run. 

Sometimes in my head, volunteering seems like duty or something hard. Really, if you find things you are passionate about, it is getting to help people. It is a "get to" not a "need to." I leave those times hoping the I helped someone and knowing that I enjoyed it. 

Being You

I like this a lot. Delight in potential. Be yourself. Be unique. Do things. 

Life can seem serious and involve trying to "figure things out". All too often, it is not possible to figure out the next step or the why behind the current circumstances. What you can do is live. Live like only you can. That does not even have to be big life changes or huge things. You like hiking, walking, running, being outside? Great, go do it! You like reading, drawing, doing a crossword, driving, chatting with a friend? Great, do that! And then do the next thing that comes of it too. 

And see what happens..... 

The life that you live will be dramatically you. You will glorify God in your uniqueness as you live it. 

Running in the Wind

The wind started to pick up as I started my run yesterday. The trees swayed in the gusts. The leaves rustled. As I ran, the wind got stronger, the gusts were harder to run through. It started to sprinkle. After about half a mile, it started pouring. It was raining so hard that I had to wipe the drops from my eyes to see. The rain drops hurt a bit, maybe because of the wind blowing them at me. I was running into the wind. As I came to a bridge, there was another runner coming towards me. I would have made a joke about how he was running the right way because he was running with the wind. However, the wind was so loud that I don't think he would have heard me. I ran over the bridge and the wind swirled around me. It was amazing! What an experience to be in the middle of the wind and rain, running against but somehow a part of it! Our world is truly magical. Moments like that remind me of how big God is and how we get to be a part of his creation, of the power and wonder that it is. Awesome!

Race Community

I enjoy every race that I do. They have all been good and I have been glad to have done them. Something stuck out to me this past race. I have noticed it before, but I thought about it more this time. That thing is the community in a race together. It is such a neat experience that you do not know these people, yet there is a sense that you are all in it together. 

Before the race, people are stretching, walking, jogging, snacking, etc. As that happens, there are small conversations. "This is my first race." "Wow, great, hope it goes well." There is talk about the course. There is also a focus, concentration and seriousness in the air. There is a nervous energy, plus excitement all mixed together. There is more prepping; GPS watches coming to life, earbuds being put in, more stretching, walking, shaking out muscles to get ready.

The music gets louder. The announcer builds up to the start gun, and bang! We're off!

Runners take off. Usually, it there is a little wait to get past the start line, people walk up towards it and start the run. The crowd is thick. Runners weaving around each other. Then the line of runners starts to thin. I notice the people around me. Sometimes there are people to pass. Sometimes others pass you. The race continues. Up hills, down hills, past water stops. People are on the side of the course cheering. Police officers are directing the traffic to keep runners safe. The running continues. I check my GPS watch often, how is the pace? Several miles in, it's time for a snack. I had a Chocolate Honey Stinger pack, yum! More energy added, more miles to go. And then the finish line is in sight. In this race, I knew I was close to my record. When I saw the finish line, I ran as fast as I possibly could past it. I did it! PR by 15 seconds. 

As I walked around, I was greeted by some of the runners that I had been running near. What a neat feeling! "Great race!" said one lady. She finished a little before me. We agreed that after about 10 miles, we were ready for the race to be over. The course was a hilly one. There was a guy who said that he had been pacing off of me for the first 10 miles. Wow, I thought. I don't know what happened after that, either he slowed down or I did. We stood around drinking water, eating oranges and waiting for results. There were several conversations about the course, the hills, the timing. What fun!  There were physical therapists to stretch us out. Oh how I love those people at the end of a race!

Races are tiring. There are points when I wonder "what am I doing?" and "can I make it?" and "just keep going!". And yet when it is over, I don't really remember those parts. I remember the good parts. I remember that I finished. That the day was a good one. That the race was pretty, the volunteers were helpful, the course had people cheering. And I think about what race I can do next. 

Making Almond Milk

I enjoy making things. That could mean crafts or food. There is something great about the temporary state and the experience when making food. It is making art that you get to experience. It also is good for the time and then gone. There is something special about the temporary nature of it, it's an experience, not a monument and it is enjoyable. 

I also like knowing what is in my food. Plus there is a sense of satisfaction, "I did that." Recently, I have started making almond milk. It turns out, it is pretty easy. (and tasty) 

I have gotten really excited about how easy almond milk is to make and have told many people about it. Since so many people have asked for the steps, I thought I would share them here. Ready?

1. Soak 1 cup almonds in water for at least 7 hours. 

2. Rinse them and drain the water.  

 3. Add 25 ounces of water, filtered perhaps, to the blender, then add your almonds. Blend for a little bit.

4. Pour the mixture through cheese cloth, a milk bag, or I use a thin white kitchen towel. Squeeze the almond pulp to get all of the milk.

5. That's it! I add some vanilla and put it in a jar in the fridge. It separates more than the store bought, so you may need to shake it. It lasts about 5 days or so. Sometimes, I make less by just adjusting the almonds/water amount but keeping the ratio.

I also have found use for the almond meal too. I use it on waffles, pancakes or salads. Also, I have made various muffins, cookies and bars that call for almond meal or almond flour. It seems to keep in the fridge for about a week also if you do not have time right away to use it. 

Almond Chocolate Pear muffins from Five and Spice were tasty. Almond Joy Protein Bar from My Whole Food Life was good too. In the almond joy bars, I used the almond meal instead of the cup of almonds. I did not use the hemp hearts. Enjoy!

I figured out the cost to making the almond milk versus buying it, it is not a cost savings, but it is fun, delicious, and is only almonds, water, and vanilla if you add it. 

Making a Dress

I started making a dress. I bought the pattern months ago. I bought the material for a different project years ago (that I did not do) and my poor sewing machine had been in it's box since moving to North Carolina.

When I took the screws out of the arms that attach it to the cabinet, my mind told me "these are important! Put them somewhere safe." And I did put them somewhere safe because two years in, they are still in their hiding spot. I was able to call a sewing machine shop and order replacements.

I took some time off of work to jump start the project. It struck me that I have never followed a pattern without my grandma telling me what the next step is. I am pretty sure that she did the tricky stuff herself. Growing up, we would have sewing days with Grammy. A pattern was chosen and the project began. I loved those days. I am thankful for a grandma who is passionate about sewing. One of her life missions was to make sure we knew how to sew. She was appalled that we did not have to take sewing in school. But what do we need sewing in school for if we have her?

One Christmas, she bought all four of us girls sewing machines. Later on, she gave us another sewing machine, a Singer 401, her favorite. Then a cabinet to put it in. She did not like the first cabinet that I had, so I was given a replacement one with more drawers.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I started this dress project. Grammy is much too far away at this point. My mom has been very helpful. I emailed her the zipper directions that made no sense. Yesterday, I ran up to the fabric store for a quick question because I was stuck. It turns out I just did not extend the seam all the way. Yay! I was on my way!

It is nerve wracking! I am practicing sewing and learning on my own. I supposed I am being an adult in my sewing now, trying to do it on my own. Oh man! Today, I sewed two pocket pieces to the wrong side of the fabric, which then meant that when I sewed the sides of the dress together, it was the wrong side too. And my first zipper attempt was a bust. Thanks to youtube for a quick tutorial, and a handy tiny seam ripper, I was on my way moving forward again.

I think ahead to my next project which will be smoother I hope. I also look forward to wearing this dress! It is going to be worth the effort. I am glad I am learning how to do this more. I was super proud of myself when I oiled the sewing machine. That seems like a responsible thing to do.  I did it!

There will have to be a trip to Michigan after this dress is done to show my mom and Grammy my handiwork!

Why I run

I get asked sometimes why I run. Or people say that they wish they could. You can, you just gotta do it. Not everyone likes to run though, I get that. I do love it! Why?

I love it because you can run and at the time, there is nothing else that you have to be doing. I run without music and just go. Worries of life are smaller on a run. It also helps me think, prioritize and plan. I have thought about conversations that I have had, papers I have written, crafts to create, places to go, and dreams to dream. Life gets into perspective on a run. God is big. He is big always, but running helps me to remember it. My problems, worries, concerns shrink to their proper size and anything is possible when God is in it. 

It is also a good challenge. You run, then you run further, then you run faster. And faster than that. And then a few more miles. It is fun to see the progress. As I improve, I also try to remember to be thankful for the opportunity to run and to improve. It is such a blessing in my life and I don't want to forget that. For a time, I ran very slowly, molasses type speeds and it was exhausting. I was anemic and that made anything physical difficult. After I started taking iron pills, running became more possible again. Last summer, I got dehydrated and had to take a few weeks off of running. That was hard! Both of these instances make me even more thankful that running is possible. 

I also like how accessible running is. Get a pair of shoes on your feet and head out the door. There is no organizing needed, no other people to gather (unless you want to), and no bags of equipment. 

Races are a great thing too. There is such a good energy at a race. It is emotional. (My husband laughed at me before our last race because I got tears in my eyes at the start line.) There is excitement, nerves, and joy all mixed in. Usually people have put in effort in training ahead of time, and now it is time to see what happens. It is like practicing for a play and this is performance time. Sometimes, I have friends and family at a race, it is nice to have someone cheering for you and to say "good job!" at the end. It is also fun to run along and see the different groups cheering for the racers and holding their signs, cowbells, bowls of oranges, etc. I like seeing them support their friends and family and I appreciate cheers for everyone as well. I will cheer at people in the crowd, and they yell back. One time, a guy had a megaphone. He told people to yell their name at him, then he would yell it back. The second time I saw him on the course, I pointed to myself, "Chelsea!" and through the megaphone came "Go Chelsea! Keep it up!" Even though I do not know these people, their cheers and energy and simply the fact that they are there is a great encouragement. 

I enjoy working the registration or info for a race. As people are getting ready mentally and getting their bibs, it is fun to be around. It is an honor to get to be a part of their race journey, a small piece of making their race possible. 

So yes, I do love running! Can you tell? 

Too competitive?

When I first started dating my husband, I told him that I was not competitive. This was not intended to be a false statement. I simply did not know that in truth, I can be competitive. Growing up, my dad and sister were very good at board games, they were strategic. They also would try to get you to worry about the other person. "Look she is getting ahead, she may win!" says my dad as he zips around the board toward victory. I enjoyed playing games but I think I gave up being able to win and thus thought that I was not competitive. 

Fast forward to now. I have a running watch that I love. There are days when I do not wear it because I need a run that is slower. If I have the watch on, I pay attention. It beeps on the mile to tell you your pace. That is helpful and I love seeing a pace that I like. 

During a long run, I also have trouble running slower. (especially at the beginning) There has been many a time that I need to be told to slow down, chill out, etc. when setting out to run 18 or so miles. Logically this makes sense, but I just get excited and speed up. Or I see something pretty, or think of something interesting while running and speed up. Oops! 

I am running my first marathon in November. You are supposed to be excited just to finish the first one. Then if you run another, perhaps worry about time them. I still hope to finish with a time to be proud of. (maybe not perfect, but a good one.) Does that make me too competitive? Or is it pride? Or a normal drive to be active and do things well? You gotta be somewhat competitive to be motivated enough to run well, to improve, and to train for new challenges. Perhaps, I am the right amount of competitive. 

Running three miles used to be pretty far for me. In high school, I remember thinking that the cross country team was crazy. I think their races were about two miles. My first race was a 10 k. That was far then. Before my first half marathon, I was not sure that I had ever run that far. I decided about a month beforehand and ran 10+ miles a few times. A mile into the race, I had the "what was I thinking?" moment, but I finished. The two women just behind me were thrilled about the time, so I was happy about it too. It was five years after that that I did my next long race. After that, I was hooked. And now, because of the marathon training, a half marathon seems short. Strange how that happens. I guess that can be an encouragement to people as they run, if you run a little farther, then the distance that you are doing now will seem short. 

New Shoes

I love new running shoes. It is so exciting. I would prefer to buy them at a store, however, I don't buy them at full price ever. That means that it may be an online purchase. (scary, cause you can't try them on). I researched. And I searched the web. And I searched some more. I bought a pair of shoes. They arrived, and I really wanted to like them. But nope. It did not work out. The color was a shockingly bright pink, the fit was too roomie and also just not comfortable. So I did some more searching. I found a good deal on a pair from Dick's sporting goods. And there was $15 off on top of the sale if you bought them online. I called the store to see if I could just buy them there. Yes, they had them, no go on getting the $15 off. So online it was, for in store pick up. How odd. I bought the same pair of shoes that I would have gotten had I have walked into the store, but I saved $15 by paying for them online. 

They were ready the next day! Oh happy day! I walked into the store and saw a kiosk. You scan the barcode of your order and the shoes are supposed to come to you. I waited a bit. And waited some more. And then waited. I asked a woman if I did things correctly. She said yes and talked into her walkie talkie. And I stood by my kiosk some more. And then, yay! the shoes came (along with three associates training each other in how to work the new kiosk system but they seemed excited about it and I got my shoes and got to talk to people, if ever briefly.) 

There is a farm stand near us on Saturday mornings. It is just one stand with local fruits, veggies, and honey. It is great because they have a lot of different things to get. Next to the stand is a man, Bob, who sells Great Harvest bread. He is a really nice guy. One week we went to the veggie stand. It was raining. We needed some bread to but we did not have cash. We stopped by Bob to see if he would take a credit card. No. But he asked us if we needed it. We answered that we were alright. Then he asked if we needed a peach berry crumble bar. "We don't neeeeeed it." It was raining and business was really slow, he said, he felt like just giving stuff away. He gave us the bar and we walked away with a delightful snack and a vow to bring cash for bread some day. (two weeks later we did.) 

At the veggie stand two week after our first meeting with Bob, I felt like we were in a Portlandia episode. I would ask if this or that item was from the area. And the woman next to me would ask too, then she would ask if they were sprayed. "Are those berries sprayed?" One worker said no, the other said a hesitant yes. "Before or after the fruit?" As we were interacting and asking questions, it felt kind of funny and surreal. Then the lady told me all about her garden and which plants grow well in North Carolina. (including kiwis, who knew?) Someday, I will have a garden too! I told her we had herbs on the porch, which surprisingly have not died this year. 

Getting to Run Again

I forgot to write a post when I got to run again. Oh my! After taking two and a half weeks off, getting to run again was amazing! I actually cheered out loud when the run was starting. "Ya-hoo!" And there was a happy fist through into the air that joined the celebration.

It felt great! I did not run far nor super fast, but just being out running again, oh boy!

I know some people think that running is a crazy thing to do. Oh how I love it though! It is great for clearing your head, for sorting thoughts or getting rid of them, for figuring something out. Or just for relaxing.  The is just something about running that is addicting. I think everyone has their kind of exercise though. Some people really love yoga, or riding a bike, or dancing or whatever. I don't think it matters what you do, just find the thing that you like and do that. I think that is important. I used to feel a little sad that I do not love yoga. I understand that it is really good for you and a good workout. I wanted to like it. I tried to like it. (I had a class where the instructor decided that all of her classes should be hot yoga even if it is not the normal kind to be heated. Oh geez. Plus it was an hour and a half. That is a long time for me to focus on breathing, to not talk and to pose. I did enjoy "perfect morning yoga" more. It was an hour long class at 7:00 am. That was a great time cause I am not awake enough to want to move quickly. Plus an hour seems more reasonable for me.) At the end of the day, though, I have accepted that yoga is not my thing. That is okay. Running is my thing, and oh, how I love it!

I am gearing up to run my first marathon this November. This will be my first one. I have wanted to do one for years. There has been a time or two when I think that this was a crazy idea. After that though, I think about the work that I will get to do and runs to put in in order to prepare for the run. Plus the fact that I will be able to say that I have done a marathon. I get excited about that. There is a running plan in order to build up enough miles.  I have never followed a training plan before, I look forward to needing to. This summer has been cooler than normal and that has made running easier. I got to run today under cloudy skies with a temperature in the high 60s. Whoa! It was fabulous and the run was fast!

2 1/2 Weeks with No Running

"No soda, coffee or any caffeine for a week. And only a cup of coffee a day after that."

"Boo."

"No running for two and a half weeks." 

"What? Seriously?"

"No running for two and a half weeks."

"I think I'll die."

That was really the conversation that I had with my doctor. She needed to go over it with me several times. "If you don't run for a few weeks, you will be able to for the rest of the summer. If, you don't take the time, you will not be able to run for the summer." And then I would say something about how she was killing me and how could I possibly take that long off, I would really die. 

I went to the doctor because I felt lightheaded and weak. I could stand for maybe twenty minutes. Usually that standing was slightly hunched over (more blood to the brain perhaps). My head hurt at times, my stomach hurt too and was nauseas. At the worst of it, I thought I would pass out. I almost wanted to pass out, because there would be hope that I would feel better when I woke up. There would be an answer to why I felt so bad and I would be on the mend. 

After I made the doctors appointment, my mom asked me if I was okay to drive there. I had not thought of that. It may not have been the brightest idea that I have had, but with the possibility of feeling better a short drive away, I had to go right then rather than taking the time to find a ride. I concentrated really hard and paid attention more than I ever have while driving. I was focused. 

And then I get there and I get diagnosed in three seconds. I don't know if anyone else is like me, but when there is such a quick answer, I am a mixture of thankful that I have an answer and curious about how they know so fast. "Do all of these symptoms match? How do you know that that is what it is?" Amazement, gratefulness, and questions. 

It turns out that even if you drink a lot of water, if you run far in the summer in the South, you gotta drink a lot more water. Dehydration. Not fun. And it took almost a week to feel better. That surprised me. I thought that I would drink a bunch of water, take a nap, and magically be well again. Sadly, that did not happen. I should have known when she gave me a note to be home from work for a few more days. 

Those days were an odd in between. I was lucid enough to not want to watch movies, but not with it enough to think about anything too hard. I had no energy and no concentration. There were emails (or blog posts) that I wanted to write, but nope, I did not have the brain power. I could not cook or bake much because I could not stand that long. And focus too. So I spent those days reading and taking naps and watching a little of the world cup. 

My first day back to work was funny. The first hour was fine. (except a drag to work early with no coffee.) Then the fatigue and dizzy all hit me at once. I was nearly in tears as I told my boss that I was not sure that I was going to make it. He made a joke about how it sounded like I was saying that I was not going to make it past the day, not that I just may need to go home. At that point, I really was not sure. I sunk into my chair (pretty literally). Then a few hours later, suddenly, I felt alright. And the day ended really well. The next day was pretty normal. And on and on. It was amazing! 

Here is your PSA to drink a lot of water and be good about drinking enough when exercising in heat/humidity.  I only have a few more days til I can run again! 

Making Granola

I like to make granola. It tastes good and is handy to have in the house. My first time making granola was before my wedding. Granola seemed like a good idea to have for a brunch. I was very nervous as I cooked those two batches about a week before the ceremony. I was hoping that it would turn out well and not really knowing what I was doing. I got lucky and people liked it!

Fast forward a while to this spring. I stumbled on a recipe from Lindsay Hamby for raw granola. Yum! I got to get out all of my "hippy stuff" as referred to by my husband. The granola had oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, coconut, coconut oil, honey and peanut butter. (Mine was not raw but it was delicious.)

For the granola I used:

1/3 cup of each: peanut butter, coconut oil, and honey

Mix that together.

Then I mixed 2 cups oats with a combined cup of flax seeds, almond slivers, chia seeds and unsweetened coconut. Then probably some more oats. 

Mix everything and enjoy! I kept half of it in the freezer for the time that it took us to consume the other half. 

I have experimented with several different granola recipes in the last year. It is fun to try out different ones, to see what we like and them to try other ones. Thankfully, I have yet to have found a dud. 

The latest granola is adapted from The Whole Tulip. 

Mix:

2 cups oats

1/4 flax seed meal

I think I added some unsweetened coconut flakes too.

Heat:

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

Stir:

1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 tbsp salt to the warm mixture. Then stir everything. 

Bake at 275 for 25-30 minutes spread on a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Make sure it does not burn. Also, check the bottom, I noticed that the bottom side of the granola browned faster.) 

I have no idea how much 1/4 tbsp is of salt, perhaps I should have looked it up. I used shy of a teaspoon thinking that there are three in a tablespoon. (I did just look it up and was correct, 3 teaspoons to a tablespoon.)

Happy Granola-ing!

Keep it real

Running in the heat in North Carolina has taken some getting used to. It is hot and humid. You run and you are sticky pretty instantly. It means that you know you got a good work out, cause there is sweat involved. I read that you should expect to run up to 20 or 30 seconds a mile slower as you adjust to the heat. I am too competitive with myself for that. I have gone on a few runs without my running watch which is a nice change sometimes.

After one particular run, I wanted to post a picture to Facebook of myself. (I don't have the picture anymore or I would have included it.) The funny thing about taking that picture is that I took a few. I wanted to look tired but not dead. Then I posted it to Facebook with the hashtag #keepitreal. It was difficult to post a picture that is not normal me, but it instead, sweaty tired me. That was hard and felt exposed. But then I thought about it for a minute and I looked at the picture and it was staged too. I wanted it to look a bit tired, I had tried to take the picture in that way. So the keep it real picture was really a fake. I took it down. Some people had commented and liked it. I wanted it to be a help and inspiration for people to work hard and not have to look great the whole time, to be real. Hopefully a  few people got that message. I took it down cause I looked tired on purpose. I did not feel completely like that. So a fake in being real. Oh geez!

My Green Thumb

When we were talking about moving and finding an apartment, I got really excited that we were going to have a patio. I was going to research all sorts of plant gardens and vertical or stacked gardening and it was going to be amazing.

Then we moved in. And I discovered that although it is nice to sit on the patio, it is not possible for plants to grow on it because the sunlight does not make it to the inside of the railing. So what do you do?! Hang pots over the side! It's perfect. It is even working out that because the plants are over the side, the rain waters them for me. Green thumb win.

Because were were able to start the plant plan so early this year, we started with seeds. There was a pack of Italian herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, oregano) and a pack of cilantro. I have three hanging pots. The one on the left is basil, the middle is cilantro, and the right is everything else.

We bought the seeds at the beginning of April. (I was really excited about it and did not want to miss out on getting to start from seeds.) Towards the end of April, I planted my pots. A weekish later, I got nervous. There were no plants. So I planted all of the rest of the seeds. :) As it turns out, it may have been too much. But they worked! The seeds worked! After thinning them the first time, I still counted 35 basil plants. Ooops! I thinned the other plants some too. The parsley was threatening to take over the thyme area, so I moved the thyme safely into it's own pot that sits on the railing. It is doing well. All of the plants are doing well!

It is amazing that you plant seeds. And then wait. And wait. And see. When the plants first started coming up, I was worried that maybe they were just weeds that had blown in. I got made fun of a bit for that idea. "ha, weeds that happen to all be the same, and are different in different pots." Nope, I have a green thumb! And planted a patio herb garden. Hooray!

How hard to wait on the seeds though. I wonder if the first rough was a dud or if I just got impatient. Then I planted all of the seeds. (perhaps too many but too many is better than none.) And then I was still nervous and had a plan to go buy plants to plant if they did not come up in a few weeks.

The situation is a fun one and probably a pretty good faith lesson. There are lots of things, happens, growth opportunities, and adventures that are very exciting. And they take a little bit of work upfront. And then there is waiting. It is hard not to jump ahead and worry in seasons of waiting. (waiting on God, circumstances, or new opportunities) Waiting is hard. Not being in control can be hard too. There is nothing that I can do to make sure that the seeds grew, just hope for the best and wait. And wait some more. And then tadah! Jack in the bean stalk style, I have basil galore!