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.