Great walk today.

Yes, I had a nice 4-5 mile walk in the sun this morning. It was wonderful. I didn't run or jog - I just walked and listened to my tunes.  We don't have Church until 1 pm on Sundays this year, so that gives me plenty of time in the morning. Yes,  I'm ready to start walking outside more.
On my walk today - I thought a lot about how much I love this beautiful Earth that God created for us. I think I love almost every kind of terrain it offers.  I love the ocean.  I love the mountains (especially the ones with trees on them). I even see beauty in this desert area that we live in.  I love looking up at that beautiful blue sky and seeing the sun, the clouds, and sometimes even the moon in the daytime. I feel blessed to be able to get out and walk on this land.  Thank you. Thank you for this wonderful abundant feeling that I feel today, Lord.
I've been blessed to be able to see a lot of the earth out there. We've been to Europe a few times, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Canada, Mexico, The Carribbean, and many places in the USA.  I think I remember every trip and how in awe I was at the land and the people and the history and the food and.....and...... 

I've learned a lot from each trip. I do love to travel.  
The above pic is of Jay and I on some amazing round rocks in New Zealand. (January 2007)

I'm back....

Yes, it's been a week or so since I last blogged...
And it's because I haven't been doing my walking/running.  I finally did 3 1/2 miles on the treadmill this morning and a few miles on a stationery bike here in a  hotel in So Cal.  I'm down here for a few days with my son, Rocky. He is doing his last part of the "Boards'. It's a 2 day test - so I thought I'd come and be a support for him. (Pay for hotels, meals, etc.)  Isn't that what parents do??  He really needs the help.
 Me on the other hand - I like a vacation.  I don't mind having time to myself and doing what I want.  Yesterday I spent 8-9 hours in a fantastic mall down here.  I just took my time shopping,(but I only bought a couple blouses).  And I watched a movie, walked around looking at everyboday and everything. Then I just sat outside on a patio and enjoyed the beautiful LA sunshine.  I enjoyed all the green plants, the palm trees, the beautiful little flowers everywhere.  Oh, I love to get out of the winter weather.  Okay, okay, I'll stop bragging.......if anyone at home happens to read this......I don't want them to feel bad. :)
I am so thankful to get this break. I have a good book to read. No,I never really get bored anymore.  You can always find something to do or someone to talk to.......if you try.

sick..

Your life comes to a screeching halt when you are sick. (No brilliant insight there)      :-)
Yes, after that 10 mile walk in the cold on Monday - I got sicker than a dog.  My coughing cold came back with a vengeance.  (Although, it's been more than a coughing cold.)
I feel like I've had about every sympton that comes with flus and colds: Sore throat, ear ache, sinus headaches, fever, coughing all night, sweats, chills, runny nose, stuffed nose ,etc.
Let's see did I name them all??? 
I've always had sinus and ear problems, but I thought I was on a wellness streak for long while. (and I was)  Especially, because I have been very careful to take better care of myself. 
I exercise more - eat better (I think)- sleep better  and I don't have that much stress. I've learned over the years how to take care of myself. I know that I'm more suseptable (sp?) to sinus and ear problems - but come on do I have to be like the bubble boy!!  I can't live like that.
Well, I know that complaining isn't going to get me anywhere.  I've just got to get over it and go on!
Yesterday I went to the Dr. and got some strong stuff. (Antibiotics, inhaler, cough syrup, etc)
So I really am feeling better today.  But I had been hacking and felt like I was dying for 3 nights before that.     I could kick myself for not going to the Dr. clear back when I got the first cold a few weeks ago.  But then I remembered why I don't go to the Dr. as soon as I should -   I remembered this as I was sitting and waiting in his office for 2 hours and then spent another hour waiting for the perscriptions!
Oh, well.............life goes on, but life feels like crap today!

Being Happier

"There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy."
-Robert Louis Stevenson

I'm still thinking of the 'Happiness Project' Book that I read.
 It is really harder for me to feel happy when it looks so gloomy outside. 
Yesterday I walked the 10 miles around the river, but it was one of the hardest times for me to walk the whole 10 miles.  It was so foggy and cold out and everything looked dead and dreary.  So I tried to think of good things and how I could feel happier.
I re-read a couple things that Gretchen Rubin wrote in her book and here is her 12 personal commandments for  being happy:

1. BE Gretchen (yourself)
2. Let it go.
3. Act the way you want to feel.
4. Do it now.
5. Be polite and fair.
6. Enjoy the process.
7. Spend out.
8. Identify the problem.
9. Lighten up.
10. Do what ought to be done.
11. No calculation.
12. There is only love

That's pretty good. And I would add - think of your blessings.( Have an attitude of gratitude.)

Being a Grandparent.

I've been thinking a lot about 'being a grandparent'. It's so hard for me to really explain all the feelings I have when I think about these beautiful grandchildren.

I can't even begin to explain the feelings of unconditional love that I feel for them.

When my children were young  I feared that they would remain toddlers eternally and that I would never sleep through the night, would always feel slightly stupid, and would permanently smell like sour milk and be forever changing poopy diapers.  But now I know that life with children defies logic; the days are unbearably long, but the years fly by. One moment your little guy is teething and then suddenly, he's graduating from college. That kind of perspective would have helped me so much as a parent.

Now that I finally see the light - I can sit with my grandchildren very patiently and watch cartoons. I can walk with them or stroll them around the block repetitively, because I know how precious and fleeting childhood is.  If only I was that patient as a parent!  Oh, well..........I get a second chance with my grandchildren. I feel so wise!

BTW, I did start up my walking again. I went 3 miles yesterday. Now back to the every other day routine.

Cold is gone!

Finally, the coughing cold is behind me. Last night I slept without coughing. But my poor husband did not. Now he is coughing a lot and he has me to Thank for it. Oh, well.............
So I don't have any walking/jogging to report. I hope to get started on it early tomorrow morning. :)

I've been working on a Relief Society lesson that I have to give in Church on Sunday. It's on Spiritual Preparedness. I feel like we hear a lot about being materially (temporally) prepared for disasters, but not as much about being Spiritually prepared.  This has caused me to think about it a lot.
If you had a year's supply of food and whatever else you needed on hand - and there was a big disaster and you needed all this stuff - would you share it with your neighbor or friend that needed it, too???
If we were really Christ-like, we should.  Is that part of being Spiritually prepared?? 

Here's a quote from one of our leaders, Elder Robert D. Hale:

As we live providently and increase our gifts and talents, we become more self-reliant.  Self-reliance is taking responsibility for our own spiritual and temporal welfare and for those whom Heavenly Father has entrusted to our care.  Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others.

Julie Beck explains self-reliance:

"How do we become self-reliant?  We become self-reliant through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being."


Something to always be working on...................:)

Not much to say

'There's nothing wrong with having nothing to say, unless you say it.'
(That's another Dorothy Bair quote.)

I'm not feeling much like blogging these days - I'm wondering if it's because the sky is so gray and I can't get out and walk!  Oh, well....... I did do 3 miles on the treadmill yesterday.  But the coughing cold is still hanging on and now I've given it to the two males that live in this house. (Jay and Rocky J.)  They aren't real happy with me.
What can I say?? (mais ce la vie')