Tag: families

fitness and nutrition, travel

Little Rock Half

2chicksandapen

My goals this year have me embracing the idea of a racecation…seeing the country (and maybe the world) by traveling to great races all over.

The first installment of racecations took me to Little Rock, Arkansas for the Little Rock Half Marathon. I had several firsts on this trip…first half marathon in 5 years (and second half ever!). First time in the state of Arkansas. First half marathon of my racecation series. And to make it extra special, my oldest daughter ran her first half marathon with me, along with her long time best friend (who also ran her first!)

It may seem like a random race to travel to, but once we figured out that my daughter’s friend could make it work (she lives not far from Little Rock), it all came together. I had earmarked this race because it was rated high based on crowd support, organization, fun, a not-super-hellish course, cool medals / swag, and a generous time limit. I am definitely a “back of the pack” runner by most standards, and freaking out about being taken off the course for moving too slow is something I don’t want to worry about.

I’ll be writing about several races this year, so I’ll focus on the highlights of each:

This race has a different theme each year. The current theme is dinosaurs which was a little funny, but I loved how the expo and all the local neighborhoods embraced the theme with enthusiasm. People ran in dinosaur costumes. Some of the pacers were dressed as Flintstones. The medal, known for being exceptionally large and heavy, was a sparkly triceratops. Easily a favorite.

There were great groups and signs along the way. Even a lipstick stop at the end where a well-known sorority was handing out lipsticks to make sure your finish was picture-perfect. The course was relatively flat. I loved running over the bridge, which also allowed us to cheer for the faster runners and wheelchair racers who were on their way back over as we made our way across.

I have been training with the Galloway run-walk-run method. The group of people running near me were in the same vein. It was pretty cool to hear a chorus of beeps and bells throughout the run and see people of all shapes and sizes getting their run on. I felt like I was in the right place. The weather was awesome, cool but not cold.

I had a great race and loved being congratulated by my daughter and her BFF at the end. They enjoyed their time together…it’s fun to see the two of them as girls who enjoy taking on adventures and challenges together too. Fit and adventurous friends are the best! Such great memories.

The only downside to this race was actually the town. Little Rock didn’t seem to have too much to do. There were hikes and caves and outdoor sports, but we couldn’t really take advantage of those since we were saving our strength for the race. We did enjoy Arkansas cheese dip after the event and an ice cream flight. I would 100% run this race again! Next stop: Disney!

adventure, celebrations

Holidays Smolidays

2chicksandapen

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful. I am so thankful for my life. The shortcomings. The high points. The people. My friends. My family. My pets. My coworkers. All of it.

I may reflect on my thankfulness differently than others. I don’t need to share my feelings through food nor see somebody in person to let them know they are valued. This year I reflected from a remote location. I was up early before the sunrise. Not to cook but to reflect. It was important to me. I opted for video or text messages to send reminders of value others play in my life. Non traditional, yes. Heartfelt, yes. Memorable, I think so.

My way of celebrating is my way. Family gatherings often end with stressful bickering or binge eating and food comas. No thanks. I’m carving out time for a hike this year. Some peaceful time in nature. Breathing fresh air. Listening to birds chirp. Avoiding chaos. I’m eating simple turkey breast and sides. Easy peasy. No rush. No fluff. No stress. Easy cleanup. I’m letting my adult kids choose how they celebrate. They appreciate this. They don’t want to be forced to attend a required gathering. Just keeping in simple.

When I look back over the past five Thanksgivings, I have traveled out of state for four out of five. There is a pattern. Avoid the conflict, chaos and disappointment. The latter being the worst. Not being able to go everywhere you are invited. Letting somebody down. It’s a tough cross to bear, but an invitation is just that. An invitation to join xyz. It’s not a requirement. If a host doesn’t feel comfortable in their own house, that’s added stress to host. That’s so puzzling to me. I just wouldn’t do it. Not worth it to me. 

I’ve read many articles online this year about Dear Abby, my son-in-law is a pig. Nobody wants him at the family functions. Dear Abby, my daughter-in-law has no manners. Her etiquette is not becoming of her. Dear Abby, my mother is not nice to my husband and it makes the meal table very stressful. So many variations of people being unhappy and losing sight of thankfulness.

I choose non-traditional. I don’t like to confirm to norms. I like to set new traditions and reinvent those experiences with a little flair thereafter. Is that wrong? Am I harming anyone? Am I choosing happy my way? How fun is it to go to a new destination and see how others celebrate? How about volunteering for the homeless and making their day? So many options. 

I prefer paper plates and easy cleanup. No fine china at my turkey day table or other major holiday. I prefer Friendsgiving or gatherings of such. The ones where everyone brings their favorite dish to share. The ones where people focus on what they liked about their standard traditions vs. all the must dos. 

I’m in shorts and slippers today. Nothing fancy. Just me. Comfortably dressed as I gorge myself. No uncomfortable dress up to be presentable to others. My holidays are full of options. The destination may differ. The food may be shaken up. The company may vary as well. That’s part of the fun.

However you celebrate Thanksgiving and other holidays, be thankful. Be thankful for your life, your health and your ability to be present. The latter being most important. Your presence can be virtually in some instances because you are a present to those receiving the message no matter how it’s delivered and really you can’t be everywhere at the same time. You have to improvise. 

I’m also okay with knowing that as I age I may chose solitude. I may choose to reflect alone. That’s my choice. I hope when and if that day comes, my kids understand. If I’m not able to travel or run a race on turkey day I may need to find my peace in my own way. Time will tell. Of course, I’ll probably write about it, too.

To all those who frown on this post, more power to you. I won’t hold it against you, rather it will be motivating for me. I will choose to enjoy my peace more to bank some peacefulness for you. 

Happy turkey day and smolidays to come from this finicky old gal with an independent mindset just tossing this rant out to the world. This post is also coming out after Thanksgiving as it may hit a little different after you had your actual Thanksgiving celebration or shit show.

Football

Parades 

Food

Shopping

Chaos

Embrace your celebration style as I do mine.

awareness

Death Again

2chicksandapen

Twice in a week.

Two dads in 7 months.

2 kids in 9 months.

One community.

So much death. Such a far reach for those impacted. Lives altered. In the blink of an eye.

Plan ahead is something I have always done to the best of my ability, but I want to share that message. Make sure your will is up to date. If you have a business make sure you have a succession plan. Get life insurance. Death isn’t cheap. Know what your loved ones want should they pass. It might be hard to start the conversation about death but it’s important to know one’s wishes.

Cremation vs burial?

How to wrap up affairs?

Loss.

Grief.

Loneliness.

It all looks different for everyone.

I’ve thought a lot about living lately. Living the best life each day. Not being burdened with issues that really don’t matter to me. Finding time to do things that are important to me. Less have to’s and more want to’s. Just being present. Avoiding the negativity others can cast upon you.

We can never predict when death will hit us. We won’t know if it will be slow and predictive or fast and without notice. For me I want to go quick. I would prefer not to suffer. I also don’t want to be a burden for others to care for. That’s just me.

I also want to be remembered. I want those I have known to come to my celebration of life: I want my memories to live on in my photos and stories. If I passed today, I think I would have accomplished these things. 

How would you be remembered if you passed today?

Would you have friends or colleagues attend your services?

Do you want to leave behind a legacy or just become a moment that passes?

As morbid as these lyrics sound, they are true. They come from a country music song I heard recently with my mom. When you lose somebody close. A spouse. A friend. A child. You will grieve. You will will have moments of sadness and loneliness. But once it’s chiseled in stone it’s permanent. Make the best of today before your name is chiseled in stone.

I hope that after this post I can go a period of time without experiencing death again. Although it is my wish it may not be my reality. Only time will tell. For now I cherish today.

author moments

Fact or Fiction

2chicksandapen

True or false.

Real or fake.

Is the story based on facts or fiction?

Is the story real or fake?

Is this statement true or false?

We all buy books at some point and read stories to learn about characters and plots. Some stories have truths while others are made up. Most are a mix of the two. We all watch movies and the same can be true of movies. Plots thicken. Audiences want more. Sometimes there are cliffhangers. Sometimes a series is anticipated. Some have lies. Some have truths. Some exaggerations to keep them wanting more.

Today I sit and think about life. What if somebody told a story about me. What if it was full of false statements. Would my friends and family believe me or the storyteller? If my story became a book where would the story line end? Happily ever after or more like branded for life in solidarity due to lies or mistruths? If my story was a movie, would there be a cliffhanger at the end? Would it become a series?

So much to think about. Lucky for me I don’t have any stories floating around that would be newsworthy, but what if did? Would I want passers by to be judge and jury? Would I want my story on the front page of the newspaper? I don’t think so. I don’t think anybody really would want such a spectacle made of them.

What if it happened to a business?  Maybe a bitter employee sought to tear a local business apart. Maybe an estranged family member planted a story. What if they called the news.  Secret cameras and a setup. People would speculate…stare in church and at the supermarket.  The neighbors whisper. With so many people seemingly angry at each other all the time, is it all that far fetched? With technology to create photos and data, can we tell if something is real? Is it fake? Could it happen to you?

I recently followed the Gwyneth Paltrow trial relating to a ski accident years ago. I was intrigued since I visited Utah this past winter and observed the ski life of many. The outcome was good for her but how did the other party feel? How did he feel during the trial? How does he feel after? Would he do anything different? I think about the same for Gwyneth. All in all it’s yesterdays news and although the news will fade those lives are forever impacted for better or worse. I have to note that my favorite part of the trial was Gwyneth sporting her Jeffrey Dahmer glasses. Classic style points to her.

As we flip the page from celebrity news we can see a past president facing charges in yet another spectacle for all to view under a microscope in the headlines. Will there be true or false statements circulated? Maybe both.  Now how many other people are subject to the public microscope that are not famous? How many have to deal with lies or fabricated stories? How are their lives altered?

What actually makes a story a headline? What makes a story one that garners public interest? Does there need to be death and carnage? Does there need to be a victim? Most good guy stories never see see the news. They never garner the attention of others. Does it make the story any less important? Does the public really relish on the the misfortunes of others? If you watch the news daily I would say yes.

I generally don’t watch the news. I generally don’t know what the big headline is. It usually doesn’t pertain to me. It won’t make my day better or worse. Oddly enough I know many who tune in daily to news to report it to others. Most time opinions are included. Where do you fall in the spectrum?

celebrations, family

Whirlwind Weekend

2chicksandapen

My youngest daughter joined a college club lacrosse team. One of the fun parts of this is travel. First up: an away play day in Nashville that just so happened to be my birthday weekend. That was an easy sell!

It was harder to find a traveling companion. Close family and favorite travel buddies couldn’t make it for one reason or another. I was kinda pouty until just a few days before, when the daughter I was going to watch figured out she could stay with me. We traveled to Nashville separately, but after her games we were able to spend the rest of the weekend together.

It was a whirlwind weekend of packed with fun. I had most of it mapped out before we met up. I started with morning coffee at Dutch Brothers, a perennial fave. Longtime readers know that I love to visit local coffee shops on my travels, but Dutch would be an exception. It’s a national chain, yes, but there isn’t one anywhere near my hometown. I can’t resist their positive energy or their soft top!

Then I found my way to one of the Five Daughters Bakery locations, which happened to be tucked in to a cute local marketplace. Most of the shops were closed at that early hour, but there were still some fun murals and photo opps. A handful of their hundred-layer doughnuts and I was off to the next destination.

After that, a super quick visit to Cheekwood to catch a glimpse of their fall pumpkin festival displays. I was the first one through the gates that morning, and more than likely the first to leave in time to make the start of the lacrosse games. Still, it was soothing and smile-inducing to see the beautiful plants and festive surroundings. I’m sure I could have spent a whole day there, but even just that small sliver of time made me feel lighter and carefree as I welcomed my favorite season of the year.

After lacrosse, we made a quick visit to a Nashville food hall with a close family friend. It had live music and a wide variety of local eateries – something to please everyone. Then we spent Saturday night on a “touristy” thing by visiting the Grand Old Opry. Pretty classic Nashville, but my daughter had never been. It was a great variety show, even if we hadn’t really heard of any of the acts. Wonderful entertainment. (An evening at the Bluebird Cafe is still on my Nashville wish list! Didn’t get tickets this time but I’ll keep trying.)

After the show, we drove about an hour to Cookeville. This brought us close to the next morning’s adventure, a kayak to Burgess Falls. The paddle was low key and not too technical, but it was pretty long. The scenery was pretty and then it was a short hike to the falls since the river waters recede a bit in the autumn months. The bottom of the falls are only reachable by kayak or hike, which made the view all the more sweet.

Time with my youngest becomes more precious each year as she moves through college. Long car rides leave time for us to chat and catch up. We talked this time about how, as time goes on, we’ve learned that we would rather have fewer things and more experiences together.

Just like my older daughter, I can hear that her dreams will take her to live in faraway places in the coming years. This makes these experiences and memories all the more sweet. Time and attention (and shared adventures!) are the best gifts we can give one another.