End of 2011

2011 has been an amazing year in my life. I made it through half a year with this blog! A fresh year invites me to feel inspired again and record the threads of my days in words and images.

2011 - full of love, accomplishments, growth, ups and down, laughter and tears. I have spent hours in the woods. I have run 1,115 miles I've read countless books. I have enjoyed my family and watched my child grow into an almost teenager! I planted a garden, spent time with friends, took my dog for walks, meditated, did a bit of yoga, baked, worked, rode horses, and so much more.

2011 was a wonderful year and I can't wait to see what 2012 is going to bring and what I am going to bring to it!

Under a Tree

"If you feel peaceful within, you begin to attract more of the peace you desire. Why? Because you're functioning from a spiritual place of peace." ~Wayne Dyer

I am spending a lot of time these days running, thinking about running, planning when I'm going to run. Sunday after my run, I enjoyed sitting under a tree and doing nothing.

There is a lot to be said for just sitting under a tree and not thinking. Just being. My daughter and I spent a great deal of Sunday afternoon sitting under this tree on a big blanket in the middle of a field. We were surrounded by lots of green grass, millions of tiny yellow flowers, 3 sweet horses, and lots of fresh air. We had our sketch pads, and I brought my journal along. We sat and talked and drew and wrote. We just sat at times and breathed together. It was a sacred, slow time and I treasured every moment of it. I want to build more of these moments into my life. Moments where I am outside, savoring time with my child, not doing anything, just being... under a tree.

Quiet

"There is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it." ~Minnie Aumonier

After huge thunderstorms and 20 tornadoes touched down in our area, we have been without power for a week now. While it is a bit inconvenient in that we don't have food in the refrigerator, I can't wash clothes in the washing machine, and my bangs look a little crazy, I have actually really enjoyed the lack of the modern convenience of electricity. My house is incredibly QUIET. I don't think about the constant hum of the many electrical devices we have plugged in all the time, but without them, the quiet is so soothing. Quiet has a presence, a sound of its own, a peacefulness to it. I love the quiet.

Without electricity, we have filled our home with candlelight and sat outside playing games or eating or talking. We have worked in the garden and played with our dog. I like the natural rhythm of going to sleep after reading for a bit by booklight and waking with the birds and not an alarm clock. No power means no television and no computer so we've drawn and written and played and spent wonderful time outside instead.

The power folks are working 'round the clock to restore the electricity to my city, but I will really be just fine if they take a little longer to reach my own home.

May!

"I thank you, God, for this amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky, and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes." ~ e.e.cummings

It's May, and my marathon is less than 3 weeks away :) I'm excited about it. I have, for the most part, really enjoyed training and running this winter and spring. The woods are so green now. We have had a very busy spring, and I have not gotten to run in the woods as much as I would have liked. When I have gotten to spend time on my favorite trails, it has been a homecoming. I find that my time amidst the trees refreshes me and rejuvenates me like nothing else. I need that time to "fill my well," and then I'm able to carry that feeling with me as I go about my days.

Blossoming

"The living self has one purpose only: to come into its own fullness of being, as a tree comes into full blossom." ~ D.H. Lawrence

Though I love winter, I am enjoying this spring so much. The woods are filled with every shade of green imagineable! The trees are bursting with blossoms of every hue of pink, purple, yellow, and white. The mornings are cool and the afternoons are warm and breezy. Life feels rich and full and abundant.

I love the idea of following the natural cycle of life. Ebbing and flowing with the seasons. Hibernating in the cold. Blossoming and creating in the warmth. I also love the idea of running a marathon in the late spring. In my mind, these two thoughts actually do have a correlation!

I have always run a fall or winter marathon so I have always done long runs through the sweltering heat of the summer. Often, by this point in my training, I feel just about done, wondering why I thought running a marathon sounded like such a good plan. This experience has been much different. I love running in the cold weather and being able to build up my mileage during the winter months and do long trail runs in the cool woods has been heavenly. I have loved it and looked forward - for the most part - to all my runs this year. My marathon is in late May, and I really think it's the perfect time of year for me. I have been able to "ebb" or "hibernate" by doing solid running weeks, slowing building my mileage, not obsessing about running this winter. Now that it is spring, I am ready to do some really long runs, put in lots of miles in a week, and be ready to go in May. I'm ready to blossom!

First 20!

"Earth laughs in flowers." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I ran my first of 4 20 mile runs I'm planning in my training for this trail marathon. I haven't run that far in nearly 2 1/2 years. The weekend is supposed to be rainy and I really didn't relish the idea of running for several hours in the rain so I was very fortunate to have the afternoon off work, to have my daughter playing at a friend's house, and to have a beautiful afternoon in which to run.

I got to run on my favorite trails which was a treat for a Friday afternoon, and overall I felt really good. I had run 9 miles on Wednesday and on Thursday so my legs weren't fresh at all, but I decided to just enjoy myself and I did. I stopped occasionally and took some pictures. The woods were filled with redbuds, little purple, pink, yellow, and white flowers, tiny white butterflies, large yellow and black striped butterflies, birds, trees bursting into bloom - it was a glorious day.

Running is such a mental thing. I notice all the mental games I play with myself. I repeat a mantra in my head over and over or I breathe the word "Quiet" and try to see how long I can go without thinking - usually not very long at all! I try to just listen to the sounds around me - my footfalls on the trail, the wind in my ears, the birds calling all around me. I often can think of creative things - stories, ideas for things I want to accomplish, strings of words that sound cool together. I love looking around at the woods, trying to spot whatever creature is rustling in the dry leaves or flying through the treetops.

I am at a point in my running where I am not really focusing on finishing in a "time" or setting a personal best. I am enjoying the run, the time in the woods or out on the bridges or riverwalk. I am enjoying the feeling I get after the run - that delicious tired feeling and knowing I've done what I set out to do. I am enjoying my strong legs, the mental toughness that running inspires, the peaceful stillness my mind reaches in the woods. It's a good place to be this spring.

Spring

"Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night." ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Spring arrived a couple of days ago. So many colors of green are everywhere! Trees, flowers, bushes, vines are all blooming in a profusion of color. I love this time of year ~ the freshness in the air, the glorious colors, the cool mornings, the warmth of the sunshine during the day, the newness of everything.

We just got back from a wonderful family vacation and had such a special time. Though vacations are always great, getting home and back into our regular routine is always really nice too. I feel so well-rested and inspired.

This month has been a great one. I am doing very well keeping my focus on things that are important to me. I am reading, running, writing, taking photographs, spending time with my family. My mom, daughter, and I have been working on a 3-generation book project and I took the final proof to the printer today. I already have my next book project in mind and can't wait to get started on it. My marathon is in 8 weeks, and I am running a 19 mile long run this weekend.

I am excited about the possibilities of spring!