I'm thankful for........

Yes, I'm feeling in the thankful mood. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day!
I got my IPAD today and I can't put it down. I think I won't have time for anything else. There are a million apps you can get for just about anything you can think of - and free ones at that!! I just looked through all the magazine apps. I got the Seattle magazine for free, but there were a lot of free ones(mags) that I've never even heard of.  I guess I can waste enormous amounts of time on this, but, hey!
it's fun!
Anyways, back to being thankful........right now I'm thinking of how thankful I am to have a warm house.
It is sooooooo freeeeeeeeezzzzing cold outside.  We are having abnormally cold weather for November.
It is below zero outside right now. We just are NOT use to the below zero #'s. 

I know I take for granted all the luxuries that we have.  One is a nice car.  I have a good car that I can rely on. I'm so thankful for that.
We have electricity and running water (even hot water at that). We are so blessed.  Right now Jay has a nice fire going in the fire place.  It's so nice to have that on a cold, blustery day.
We have plenty of clothes and plenty of food.  I know we will glut ourselves on food tomorrow. It's so nice to have good food to eat. I realize that we really take this for granted.
I guess now that I got started  - I have to mention more - good music, good movies, technology.
We can call anybody at anytime that we want.  I can call my good friend in New Zealand and it's no big deal - because it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. (like it use to). Yes, I'm thankful for good friends, too.
But I know that the most important thing to be thankful for is:  FAMILY.  Yes, I'm so thankful for my loved ones.  Just what would we do with out each other??
We would be quite lonely.   I'm not one that minds being alone, but alone for too long.......that I do mind.

One last thought:  I'm thankful for just normal, ordinary days.
 Here's a thought I read by Jean Irion:
" Just a normal day.  A normal day! It is a jewel!  In time of war, in peril of death, people have dug their hands into the earth and remembered this.  In time of sickness and pain, people have buried their faces in pillows and wept for this.  In time of loneliness and separation, people have stretched themselves taut and waited for this.  In time of hunger, homelessness, want, people have raised bony hands to the skies and stayed alive for this.  Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.  Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.  Let me hold you while I may, for it will not always be so.  One day, I may dig my nails in the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want more than all the world -- your return.

The IPAD

Yes, that's right........I ordered a Christmas present for myself!! I'm in love w/my Iphone so when they came out with the IPAD - I kept thinking of ways that I could justify buying myself one.
Last year I had finally bought myself a laptop. And I've really enjoyed having a laptop. I can take it with me wherever I go and have all my stuff on it.
 Yes, I know I'm not the best at computers, but I'm okay.
 For not being raised with them, I feel like I do okay.  It's true that when ever I have a question with my computer - I have to ask one of my kids.
I have had a lot of st00pid questions, but 'hey!' that's the only way you learn, right??!!

So a couple weeks ago, my laptop gave off a loud crackling noise and displayed a big spark of light.
And after that, the screen would not work.  I looked up my warranty and of course, the warranty had expired a few weeks earlier.  So I really don't want to have to fix the screen - so I just hooked it up to a screen I have here at home.  Well, that means that I must keep my laptop at home now, right?!
 And yes,
I need another type of computer device to take on the road!!  YEAH!  I had my reason to order the IPAD!!
My husband thinks it's funny - that I have to rationalize somehow to buy myself the IPAD. 
He doesn't think I will use it that much.  But I know he's wrong. I will go crazy with it. I know there are a million apps out there for it and I can do pretty much anything w/it.   I heard that it has a greater GPS system then my Iphone.  I will love that.  And I can get on the internet anywhere, because I will have the 3G AT&T system IPAD. 
I can't help it. I'm excited.
I hope it gets here before Thanksgiving. Then I'll really have something to be thankful for.  (j/k)

Footprints

  Yesterday I walked around the Columbia River again in Wenatchee.  I thought that the day I went walking  last week was my last time for this year, but I was lucky.  Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day and it felt like it was warmer than last week.  I did more jogging yesterday - so I did feel better.
 But then last night I was up half the night coughing. Jay has had a bad cough for a week or so. I should have known that I would eventually get it.  I tried real hard this time not to kiss him and all that stuff, but darn!! I still got the cough.  Oh, well.............................................

Today I'm thinking about our footprints that we leave behind us. I saw some of my own footprints in the dirt outside today - as I was cleaning up around the house. (We had a terrible wind and it blew garbage all over the place.)  Anyways, after thinking about footprints that we leave behind.  I thought of the famous poem we've all read called "Foot prints'. I'm sure you've heard of it.
   It made me think. What kind of footprint will I leave behind to my posterity?  Hopefully, it's one that will make them smile. Hopefully, it's a loving, kind footprint. Hopefully, it's a unique and unforgettable footprint.

Here's another quote:   "  Some people come into our lives and quickly go.  Some stay for awhile and put footprints on our hearts.  And we are never, ever the same."

11 miles

 Here's a pic from yesterday.

Yes, it was great to be able to walk 11 miles around the river and it was a pretty good day for November.

I'm glad I got the chance to do it, because today was cloudy and cold all day.  I really did pick the right day.

I'm a little sore today, but I feel pretty good.

 

And here's a pic from the time I walked before yesterday. (A few weeks earlier).  The trees were beautiful and look at those red leaves. Well, yesterday they had almost all dropped. It's time we face it - winter is almost here.

Now here is my last pic for this post. It's Jay and I - a couple weeks ago or so.  This probably will be the pic that I put in our Christmas cards. I don't know. We don't have too many good pictures of us together. Maybe someday we'll do one of those professional ones.

Anyway, today is Veteran's Day. It really does make you reflect on how much our Veterans mean to us. We are so blessed to have so many Men and Women that have served our country so well. We owe them such a huge debt of gratitude. Thank you all you Veterans out there and all those that are serving our country now.

I thought I was going to quit.

Yes, I really had decided that I shouldn't blog anymore. I know that only a couple people read my blog and I've been wondering why I was still doing the blog.  Especially since I had accomplished my goal (last year) of doing the marathon. That was the reason I started this blog - to get to that goal.
  But then again, I also wanted to keep myself doing the walking/running thing.

Well, I've been very lax this last month on doing any exercising at all.  I could blame it on a lot of things, but at the end of the day, I know it is because I just didn't make time for it.
So here I am today deciding that I will try hard to start again and keep myself at least doing the walking. I always feel so much better about myself when I'm in that groove. And I have been in that groove for a few years now, why quit??  I love being outside walking, but I will have to settle again for the treadmill this winter. I'm even thinking of getting an eliptical when my feet start to hurt (because of the treadmill).
So tomorrow I'm going to try my last walk around the river for this year. It's suppose to be okay weather tomorrow.
Okay...okay ...enough about that.

I have a long quote to put in here that explains how I feel today. Here goes:

" Stop censoring your actions.  Be you-- the only you there is. No one else is qualified for the job.  Have fun, have a sense of humor and have a million laughs. Be an optimist; be the person you were as a child.  Do something new, exciting and different.  Look at life from a different point of view.  Get curious; ask a trillion questions and experience the joy in looking for the answers.  Make new friends and cherish the old (some are silver and the others gold). Invite creativity to become as much a part of the fabric of your daily life as your everyday routines like making the bed, cooking meals, cleaning the house and caring for the people you love.  Look at these everyday, seemingly mundane tasks and see where you can infuse them with spirit, individuality and fun.
"This quote by Gilda Radner, the comedian who died too young, is a great reminder of the importance of being you: ' While we have the gift of life, it seems to me the only tragedy is to allow part of us to die, whether it is our spirit, our creativity or our glorious uniqueness."
"I believe that we each have the individual responsibility to bring forth ourselves into the world."

- Sandra Magsamen