Pressing On

I've gotten to where I think I can trust Annie in the backyard by herself. She knows the boundaries and for the most part, she respects them. The fall has left the woods pretty barren. I can see the houses behind us again and the deer that occasionally come by, are more exposed. We saw a family a seven the other day. The momma and her babies are so cute! Annie isn't sure what to do with them other than bark her head off. She barks so fierce that her hind legs get air. Sometimes her hair down her spine stands straight up. That's when I know she means business on protecting her backyard. It's very nice of her to share it with us.  Several weeks ago I had let her out in the afternoon while I was in the kitchen. It was still warm enough to have the sliding door open so I could hear her letting everyone know that she was on neighborhood watch. Oh, our poor neighbors. I'm sure it won't be long before I get a written complaint for noise pollution coming from our backya

 We were watching a reality show the other day. The idea is for people who are looking for an investment in their product or company come into a room with millionaires who are looking to invest. It's fun and sometimes I really like the product or service the person is trying to sell. However, this one girl came on and she had invented a Skinny Mirror. Think funhouse type of mirror. Her thought was, it would improve a woman's self esteem if she saw herself thinner than she actually was. Sold! Actually, I'm kidding- or am I?   As good as that sounds and much to my delight, the investors shot her down. They questioned the integrity behind it for a few reason but one huge one, was that she sells these mirrors to retail establishments. Their hope is that women will buy more of their clothes if they like the way they look in them. Have you ever tried something on at a store and you love the way you look in their mirror? So, you buy the jeans, swim suit or dress then come home and

I signed Jim and I up for a local 10k. It was a small event just down the street from us and for a great cause to help kids in sports. A fun way for us to get out and do something we both enjoy doing before the snow hits.   I hadn't raced in a long time so I certainly didn't expect to come home with any prize. Besides, I really don't sign up for these things to win a trophy.  But, I have never been in a race where I am literally at the start line leading the pack. I suppose there is a first time for anything. I didn't look behind me to see how many runners where going to be in this race. My goal is always to run my own race one mile at a time and at this age, just finish without any injuries.  So there I was, leading the pack with three other runners. Male runners, not that it really matters but it plays well into my story. One younger, one older and the one next to me about my age. Jim, was somewhere behind me. He joked and said something like "don't wait for

A dear friend of mine gave me a necklace for Christmas last year that reads "There are no Shortcuts to Any Journey Worth Going".  Oh how true I have discovered that to be. Often times, I can't see the destination, the journey is a little bit of a rough road but then I arrive and think wow! That was awesome! I have also learned to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.  For example, my nieces came for a visit and I took them on a hike. I had only heard of this place so we had no idea what to expect. At the bottom of the hill were a few different paths marked out. We chose a course and began the trek up the huge hill. There were steep grades, some rocky spots and a few twists and turns in the path. But I cherished the time I had with them on that path. We laughed, we talked about life, struggles and dreams. I saw the beauty in the journey and when we arrived at the top, we found a tower that overlooked the entire city. It was incredible. I can only imagine it on a cl

I have a thing about bridges. I love them. I like old rustic bridges no matter how large or small. I like creaky  wooden ones. I like gigantic, historical bridges that connect big cities to quaint little towns. I like walking bridges that get me across a small body of water or over steep, rocky terrain. There is just something about a bridge to me, that says, "Come over, there is something really cool over here and it's worth the trip". Something so much so, that a bridge was necessary and someone invested their time and money to build it. I remember a few years ago on our last trip to San Francisco. We rented bikes and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was amazing! When we got to the other side we were in a quaint little town called Sausalito . We sat outside near the water, in a little cafe and had lunch. The view of the bay was entirely different from this point of view. Not only that you could see the San Francisco skyline and the whole city itself. Definitely wo

I have a dear friend I used to run with when I lived in Phoenix. What started out as running partners to train for a race, turned into a sweet, life long friendship. When we first began running together, I used to tease her on how she would get dressed up and accessorize for our long distance runs. She would meet me out front, often times in the dark, with a utility belt fully loaded with water, electrolytes, Kleenex and reflective tape on her shirt. I won't even tell you about the adorable matching outfits with knee high socks she would wear. I would come out wearing my same old, white tank top and orange shorts from 1998, carrying a water bottle and a tube of Chapstick. She would in turn tease me. " THAT'S IT? , that's all you're bringing for 10 miles?"  " I'll be fine" I would say. "Connie, how can you run and carry that stuff?" I know it drove her crazy and pretty soon she was saying "Here, give it to me, I have pockets, I'

I am so fortunate that my husband is handy when it comes to fixing things around the house. He also loves to solve problems and work on projects. So, I only needed to mention the idea of ceiling fans in our family room being a nice way to help with our electric bill. No sooner had I spoke those words, we were in the truck headed to Lowe's on an early afternoon the following Saturday.  It looked to be a fairly simple task for him since he has done it a few times before. The wiring was there and who really reads the instructions that come with ceiling fans anyway? Simple! Yes, I know better. No home improvement project is ever, only one trip to Lowe's or Home Depot. Nor does it ever go according to the unread instructions.  But I was optimistic, I really do love him and he really did know what he was doing.  The first one took a bit longer than expected since we didn't need the light fixture the fan came with. And he did refer to the instructions to view the picture of the in

We have officially cycled our one year mark of being in our home in New England. One way of knowing that is,  I just used the term "New England" rather than Boston. When we first moved here I noticed most people use that term in reference to the area. Sort of like Phoenicians will say, Southwest. So, I guess I am settling  into our temporary home.  Our house is beautiful and even though I am very grateful and often have to pinch myself when I look around at the beauty surrounding our area, I can still get side tracked by the little things that aren't exactly the way I'd like them to be. Certain things that are broken that have not yet  been fixed. There is a crack in the bathroom tile, uneven and loose bricks on the front porch, a large crack in the pavement in the garage, I think the fire pit leans right, a leaky window and the smell of thirty plus years of dampness in the basement. Those silly little things get me off focus of what is good and right about the house.

My husband and I celebrated our 31st anniversary last month with a trip to New York. It was something on our bucket list and since it's just a short distance from us now, we took advantage to travel by train. It was a great ride along the coast and a very relaxing way to travel.   We had a long list of things we wanted to see and do in the three days we would be there. We arrived the afternoon of our actual anniversary, caught a cab to our hotel, checked in and headed out to do some sight seeing around the area before dinner. As the night went on, Jim's foot began to flare up on him. He had something like this happen before so I knew it was not a good situation for a vacation that would consist of miles of walking. Not to mention the running we had hoped to get in while being there. He felt terrible, both physically, because of the pain in his foot and mentally in that he was disappointed of what it would do to our trip.  The next morning, being fully rested I was ready to get

Last week  I went to the dentist. As the hygienist was cleaning my teeth she suggested I not scrub so hard when I brush. It was causing my gums to recede. As she was telling me this I thought,  "Shoot, that's what the Dr. told me six months ago at my last appointment."  I tried to lightening up on the pressure I was applying to my brushing habit but truthfully had forgotten about it after, I don't know, maybe a week or two? I told the hygienist that I had been brushing my teeth like this for years and it's just such a hard habit to break. She suggested I try using my less dominate hand or a soft electric tooth brush. So I vowed to attempt to break this old habit. I have plenty of other bad habits too. Some I have managed to break while others I still struggle with. Some are fairly new, they snuck up on me. I didn't even realize it had become a habit until it was brought to my attention. My phone for instance. It's a wonderful device that I have become very

When we moved into our house nearly a year ago, we knew we had some things we would need to repair. Our driveway, for one, had a few dips and cracks that we thought we could just fill in with some asphalt. We ( by we I mean Jim) bought bags of gooey tar like stuff he poured into those dips to attempt to level it out. The dips continued to sink in. The rainy season and the winter storms came and they got worse. Forget bringing a cup of coffee to go, I would  be wearing it before I hit the street.  So we had it looked at by an asphalt company thinking they could just put a layer on top to fix the problem. They informed us that, although that would temporarily fix the problem; we would most likely have to do it again in another year or so. The best solution would be to rip it all up and start over. Super!    A few weeks ago we made the decision to bite the bullet as they say and have it replaced. The pavement people showed up with a dump truck and a large size bobcat tractor. Once they go

Getting from point A to B during rush hour traffic is no easy task around here. The streets are narrow and the cars are many. I don't want to label all New Englanders as aggressive drivers but let me just say that they are not shy when it comes to road rage. They freely blare their horn and cast dirty looks and throw up their middle finger as if it's a second language.  I have been out of California long enough to have forgotten this "way of life" on the road of commuters.  I try to avoid traveling during these peak hours as much as possible but there are more times lately that I have had to head out to the dark side. My hubby had an early morning flight the other day. I needed to get him to the airport which is in the city. Four a.m. on a Monday didn't seem too bad. We would beat most of the traffic. So we thought. Smooth sailing, until we got to the tunnel that leads both into the heart of the city as well as the airport exit. We watched as the clock moved much

Two weeks ago I did the ever so dreaded " step on the scale after a long winter of zero self control". Time to face the music. I really didn't need to step on the scale to have a number verify what I already knew.... The dryer shrunk my clothes. Ok, not true but my clothes aren't fitting like they used to. Time to get back on track and shred those unwanted pounds. Or have to go buy new clothes. For the record this is a cycle I have been on my entire life!  I have to say, since that dreaded scale day; I have been faithful. I've been eating clean ( based on what I determine clean for me not what any extremist says) and I got back to the gym. TWO WEEKS! Typically for me after two weeks I will see results. Mind you I am a little bit older and things ( including my metabolism) have slowed down but still. TWO WEEKS! Sure, I  feel better, I'm sleeping better, and a few of my things seem to fit a little better. So I was horrified when I got on the scale and those numb

We had an incredible opportunity to attend the Boston Marathon this year. They were expecting a million people in attendance. It was raining and I was glad I wasn't running but spectating instead. We had passes to the Grand Stands at the finish line and I was looking forward to seeing the finishers cross the line. As a previous runner from years past I was quickly reminded of the adrenaline rush of coming around that corner to the finish line after a grueling  26 miles. And the incredible spectators cheering me on all the way to the finish.  I remember the crowd cheering us runners on every step of the way. That's one thing I can say about New England. They love their sports and are the most enthusiastic fans I've ever seen. The marathon is no exception and particularly after the bombing in 2013! They rally together and encourage the runners with cheers, bells, orange slices and red vines.  All  from the shot gun start to the last runner to cross the line. It is amazing!  T

  This is most likely the first winter I have come to truly understand the meaning of hibernation. We've had a few blizzards that kept us from leaving the house. Some days the snow fall was so great I found myself just staying indoors. I didn't need anything so why go out. Some days that was a wise decision, other days it was just pure laziness. I didn't want to put on all those layers of clothes to go get the mail thinking I'll just grab it tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day, I'll pick up the dry cleaning then. Today, I'll just sit here and catch up on The Voice, or peek in on Facebook and Instagram and live vicariously through those that are enjoying Spring Break and the warmth of the Sun. Pathetic isn't it?  Two danger signs in those: 1) I can get envious and or bitter because I'm still stuck in hibernation mode on March 31st. 2) I can get downright lazy. I've read a quote- " whether you say 'I can' or 'I can't' , you will. &

I've been wanting to write for a while about my JudyQT. I just haven't known where to start and I know that once I do, I probably won't be able to stop crying. You can stop reading now. I'm doing this for myself because, this is how I grieve and this is how I heal. I like to write and I promised her I would continue to write. She was the one who always encouraged me to start and was also one of my biggest cheerleaders. That's because she loved me and I was her favorite. She was, is my mother-in-law. Many people have horror stories about their mothers-in -law. I don't.  Did we ever have disagreements? Yes, but we always worked through those, were quick to forgive and move on. I am very fortunate to have had an incredible relationship with her. I loved her dearly and miss her terribly!  Judy and I became close friends over the years. I've known her for over 32 years. We sort of grew up together. In fact she reminded of that during our visit to see her in the h

News from the Boston Globe- Another storm! It's been snowing here. A lot! Usually when my mom calls, worried about us with the severe weather reports she is hearing on the News from the West Coast;  I will reassure her that they are exaggerating. "The media blows things out of proportion" I  tell her. But, this time I think they nailed it. The state of Massachusetts is buried in snow. We got hit a few weeks ago with a blizzard that landed  nearly 3' of snow and then before it had a chance to settle , another storm hit us again. Another 2' causing road, school and business closures.  The News reported a record 60" in the past  three weeks. Today's paper read that we are currently in the second highest rank for a grand total of 95.7" of snowfall!  Trying to get out of my house, clear the walkways and dig out the mailbox so the postman will deliver our mail tells me that yes, I believe the News might have this storm right. It's a crisis they like to