Running Stitch

It’s true, I thought love was only real in fairytales, meant for someone else but not for me, I thought Love was out to get me, I mean that’s the way it seemed. Disappointment haunted all my dreams.

Then I saw his face. He was taller than Davy, Curlier than Micky, goofier than Peter and more serious than Mike. He was the Man.

My siblings and I were steeped in the music of my parent’s generation growing up. We were fans of The Beatles, Barbara, Frank, Bing, (okay maybe that was my grandparent’s generation) CCC, Janis, Neil, Crosby, Stills and Nash. The great singers of the sixties and seventies. I don’t think the Monkees made the cut but the ‘pre-fab four’ as they were called the made for tv boy band (not new after all folks!) were funny. And sang songs. And were on Nickelodeon while I was growing up.

Growing up in a family of four children. Four! Hey that’s perfect. Let’s divide up and act out all the tv shows. Today as the word of the passing of Davy Jones, the tiny sprite like tambourine man himself spread across facebook (what? news channels? I’m not familiar with this term) I fired up YouTube and treated my sons to some classics.

Hey look the Monkees! people think they monkey around, but they’re too busy singing….don’t ya know.

As “Now I’m a believer” played my five year old got excited “hey! didn’t they write Shrek?”

Um. no.

My newly minted 8 year old wanted to chart the ‘greatness’ of the Monkees vs The Beatles.

It’s not quite the homeschooling day plan, I had..uh planned. But then again which is? And exposure to a little monkey business is never bad.

Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love, I’m a believer

*I’m a believer- The Monkees

Moo is six and a half, as he tells everyone he can. Six…and a half. I have been blogging since he was 8 months old. You can do the math there because I don’t want to, but it is a while.

Here is one from Two years ago Originally posted on September 29th 2008

Overheard through the screen door.

Bumblebee (in Moo’s words): But I want to come inside
Moo: But my mudder says Bumblebees live outside
Bumblebee: outside?
Moo: yes…
Bumblebee: but I wuv you
Moo: I wuv you too Bumblebee but Mudders says “tough.”

Freeze Ray-Dr. Horrible’s sing-along-blog

In honor of Bloggy friend Leah’s new addition (baby girl born yesterday 10lbs 1 oz…she likes her babies full grown) I was looking through some past post and came across this one welcoming her last endeavor Jacob who weighed in at a whopping 9.5lbs. I stumbled across this post that not only welcomed a Hesterman baby, but made me giggle too. Congrats Leah! I still don’t know where you are putting those babies, but good job bringing them into the world to love!

Originally posted on here on May 20th 2008. (Which I think gives us a few clues as to what the Hestermans are up to in July …hmmm)

Today held all the dreams that yesterday promised including a rescued dog, chocolate and a birth announcement!

Welcome Jacob Ryan!

9.5lbs…and I thought I had big babies….Leah isn’t a big girl either I’ve seen her in real life and I don’t know where she was putting 7 of those lbs! Congratulations to Ryan and big sister Lily!

****
Here at Running Stitch we welcomed one of our own home today. After an unbelievable series of events yesterday the boys and I found ourselves outside the local pound at nine this morning, waiting for the doors to open so we could take our lab home. If I told you the story you wouldn’t believe it. I know I don’t.

You’d be all ‘dude, you totally made that up.’
And I’d be all ‘whatever! for reals”
And you’d be all ‘you be smokin’”
And I’d be all ‘catcha on the flip side looooser’

And then I’d drive away in my asphalt scraping mommy-mobile that bounced to the beat.

For sure.

Needless to say. Our dog was at the pound. It never occurred to me that he wouldn’t just come home, and when he didn’t I called the humane society line and a black male lab was reported as being picked up in our area. So I waited all night and rousted the troupes early for a little dog freedom flight.

The cacophony of barking from the rather depressing pound setting scared my two year who clung to me but Moo ran up to the cage where his dog stood wagging his tail and said to him “ooooh JOnah, you is in timeout! Ooooh no!”

We sprung our dog and headed home with only a small freakout by Moo who was concerned about Jonah’s puppies (Jonah is good, but not that good!- one night?) that we left at the pound, but seemed to recover once we got moving in the car and he and Jonah were able to openly converse about their very trying day.

Moo: Jonah you es in timeout! We es walking and woooo (whistling)
for you and you es not home.
Jonah:
Moo:And I es Sad. And Brother es sad.
Jonah:
Moo:you es very, VERY VERY!! NAUGHTY and you es en time out.
Jonah:
Moo: you es need a bath….Jonah. yes.
Jonah:
Moo: you es my friend. You es my new friend Jonah….

Here’s to new/old friends. And sleeping in your own bed.

Originally posted November 7th, 2007.
but I wanted to repost because it’s funny…

You go and you go and you go

Yeah small town, or maybe you should google it because I give terrible directions.

You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) by Dead or Alive

I’m a little under the weather tonight and the weather it self? is wet, wet, wet and has been for days.

Originally posted 1.7.09

The Old Man is Snoring

This is the post I started yesterday before I was sucked into Veronica Mars (ahem).

It’s rained all day and the snow is slowly washing away off the roads, the grass, and down into the creek. It’s a little bit dreary. Snow is just so much prettier than Rain. Somehow.

The boys have been putting their Christmas gifts through the workout, especially this ‘capt hook’ outfit. A resurgence of Peter Pan love around here as Santa takes a rest for a while.

Today’s post is more like this. OHMYGOSHWEAREGOINGTODROWN! Inside the house no less. It’s dripping again. I’m tired of the dripping, it’s not cozy.

Outside? We could drown there too, look.

This is the level of the water usually.

The backyard, a very splashy walk to the fallen firewood pile.

Luckily it runs down hill, compare this photo to this one.

The nice thing about rain, is it’s warmer than snow. Personally I think the snow is prettier. Thanks for the concerned emails yesterday, I’m a little sore, after the whole woodpile incident, I have a tweaking neck and shoulder, it’s like whiplash or something. Anyway I’m sure lying on the sofa watching Wall E will help it. And Fudge. Fudge always helps.

oy.

**rain rain go away…

Not to beat a dead horse, but my hip hurts, and now my leg is numb. What is really distressing though is as I work my way through my 2005 blog posts I find repeated mentions of hip pain, instep pain.

Repeatedly. I repeatedly wrote about pain in my hip (prior to my second pregnancy) four years ago on my blog.
Which leads me to believe that I am dumb.

It’s embarrassing really.

And while I have had ongoing pain for years..apparently and recently it has only bothered me once a month until this July when it started being a constant pain, and last week when my leg went numb. The whole thing is bordering on ridiculous and I’m seeing a Chiropractor tomorrow because while I want to live to 92, I don’t want to feel like I”m 92.

I ran this week on Tuesday. One mile. It was a mistake. I spent the rest of the week grumpy and in pain. It’s time to do something drastic and I think getting a wheel chair may be overly dramatic so MF has sent me in the direction of said chiropracter, I’m hoping for some results.

Also Look! SOMETHING SHINY!

Okay it’s our cat…Oliver? is a she.

That is all.

Apparently I write often about my road…this post popped up while I was looking for something else and while it is random, and not from April of 2005 (still there!) it is timely. Today the residents of my road were treated to a three pig spectacle. I heard there was a lasso involved at one point. Two phone calls from neighbors, two phone calls out, one stopping of someone on the road…and I think the pigs are at the pound? Or the Pig place? this evening. I’ve come along way since that day when no one stopped….

Originally posted September 26, 2007

The Zucchini Project

We moved into this house five years ago. Of course my In laws moved into their house 30 years ago so my husband has lived on this road most of his life. Because everyone I knew on this road (all three of them) knew everybody else on the road, I felt like I knew everyone, only I didn’t.

One morning I was running before work. And I fell. I’m graceful like that. It wasn’t bad, but there was blood and a hole in my running tights. I remember I was walking up the road, bleeding, and I kept thinking, somebody will stop. Someone, will stop to ask if I’m okay. Because this is a dinky old road in Smalltown USA. A dinky old road populated by more than one generation of several families. (our family not the only multi generational compound on the road) and I’m not carrying an axe or anything. Someone will stop.

No one stopped.

I made it all the way home. I had plenty of time to think as I walked about how I suddenly felt a little like Sandra Bullock’s character in The Net. When she realize that no one at her work really even knows what she looks like because she telecommutes all the time.

It’s not a stretch. You see it right, like I knew everyone on the road but not really I just thought I did? Okay. Maybe it’s a stretch. Anywaaaay. I decided it was time to meet my neighbors.

So I came up with a plan. A zucchini plan. Historically, zucchini plants have been the only thing I could grow. And by grow I mean, they volunteered in my yard one year and I didn’t kill them. It was a major victory for me. Also? I have a killer zucchini bread recipe, thanks to Madquilter Mel’s Mom.

In college, Mel’s parents would show up with boxes (not small ones) of apples, zucchini, pears, etc. for us. Luckily, Mel knew how to cook and taught me a few things so we were able to do more with the boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables, than just watch them rot. (My preferred coping mechanism). We made loaves and loaves of zucchini bread for our team mates, neighbors and random people on the street.

You see the direction we are taking her right? Shortest story told the longest way ever? Yep.

So after my ‘long walk home’ (see the top of this post if you’ve forgotten what I’m talking about, it’s okay. I’ll wait) I started making zucchini bread. I would take a loaf to different neighbors and talk with them.

It worked. People like it when you bring them food. Now thanks to the zucchini project I know people up and down the road.

Last week the zucchini project came full circle when my neighbor across the road brought me a zucchini and summer squash casserole. The gesture, and the fact that zucchini was used made a special warm place in my heart, and belly (it was darn tasty).

It’s always amazing to me how life’s little surprise can just make your day.

Heaven Help me, I’m only in April of 2005.

This post is mostly for me….

Originally posted April 11, 2005

Yahoo! I did it. And though the official results are not in (on the website) according to my unofficial watch, I came in just under 2hrs 30 mins which was way better than I expected!

Here I am at the Finish with Mr. Moo ( we found his shoe later in the car) and my cousin Erin who came in at 1hr 47 mins (unofficially). I haven’t seen her in about ten years, so when we both heard we were doing the run we knew we had to meet up for a photo op! It was fun to see her!

It is darn windy on Whidbey Island, but the run was beautiful. I ran with My friend Turbo (not her real name) who is not sloooow. To say the least. We both had babies in the last year and so were in running recovery together, until she moved to Spokane in August, when she took up with her old Running partner and now they are cruisers. She confided to me(in the Port-o-potty (Wizard of OOze) line) that she had run her last half in a little under 2hours, and I about had a heart attack on the spot, then I accused her of false advertising. I have never run under 2hrs 15 mins and I certainly wasn’t planning on doing that yesterday.

I learned a lot yesterday! First of all our first two miles were under twenty minutes, which I new immediately was WAY to fast for me, unless I wanted to crash and burn, so we slowed down to an even 11:30 min mile pace. But, I’ve been thinking about speed training, once the half was over and now that I know I can run two miles in ten minutes, I have some goals to meet! Also 11:30 pace for the next 8 miles was great!

Turbo was definately on top of her game during this run, and we worked hard to stay at this common pace, she ran a little ahead of me the whole run. She is such a stud she was so positive the whole run. I’m not usually down during a run, but I was definately nervous, (in case you missed it) after the stomach flu and the arch cramping. And I think I had just stressed myself out. Obviously.

At the two hour/11 mile mark the first Marathoner blew past us, although they started a half hour before us, so it was 2hrs 30min for them, but wow did he fly. Congratulating everyone on the way. Impressive.

About that time Turbo (pictured right) got that “I’m a sprinter deep down” look in her eye and suggested we bump it up to 10 min miles. I knew that this was not going to happen for me, but I also felt strong enough to finish on my own…so I let her go free. And free she went, I barely saw her as she blew out of sight. The last two miles were hard, mentally, unlike Diana, I do not like an unfamilar race course, I prefer the known enemy. Especially an enemy I have vanquished in the past. At the end of the Whidbey half, approx 12.75 miles they send you on and out and back, you can see the finish and you have to turn right go down and then back UP A HILL, (this part is where I almost died,I thought to myself NO WAY. I don’t got it. but I did.) then you continue down hill the .1 to the finish. It was amazing, you feel really strong finishing when you finish down hill.

All in all a good run, my heel which has been bothering me off and on didn’t hurt at all during the run, and while it is very stiff today, that is the only problemo I’m having.

So new goals set, I want to be running 10 minute miles by the next half I run in October. And finally, my favorite shirt from the run, and one I followed the last two miles.

Training log, week of: April 3-April 10th
Monday – sick
Tuesday- sick
Wednesday -run 3.5/walk 2.0
Thursday- run 3.0/walk 2.o
Friday -walk 2.0
Saturday-rest
Sunday-run 13.1

In Five Years of Blogging, this is still my most favorite post, for many reasons. Originally posted on December 25th, 2005, I’ve pasted it in for you to read.

In the fifties, we would have known everyone on our street, The Smiths, The Jones, The Whozits and The Whatchamacallems. In the year 2005 we are more likely to know the last names of the people on our blogroll than on our street and if you are like us (lord have pity on your soul) then you end up naming them yourselves, The Mormons, The Dog People, The Stonehouse, The Little Farm, The ones with the barky barky dogs, you get the picture.

Today however all those nameless faces came together on this DeadEnd road named after the Creek that winds through it. Around 1:30 my neighbor (The Mormons) knocked on my door. I naturally assumed she was bringing me cookies. I’m pregnant…bring me food. As soon as I saw her face I could tell she had been crying, her four year old had been missing for over twenty minutes and she was stopping by to see if he had show up here (after all we have Thomas the Tank Engine trains). I grabbed my jacket and the phone (luckily the little guy was out walking with his Grandpa) and called my mother-in-law (she lives next door) who immediately began phoning the neighbors.

Just so you know this story ends well.

This is a rural road, ours is one of the few houses actually visible from it. As my mother-in-law began phoning her neighbors of thirty years, I walked down to the StoneHouse to ask if they had seen Little Mormon boy. I’ve never talked to these neighbors before, sometimes I wave but mostly I avoid. They are the closest house to us on the road.

Immediately the two woman stopped wrapping presents, grabbed jackets and joined the growing number of people walking up and down the road. Male neighbors, whom I have never met were wading up and down the high rushing waters of the creek and my heart was in my throat.

As I walked up to the Mormon’s to report in, I saw my father in law, with my son strapped to his back, his two dogs and ours, headed my way. By this time the Mormon Wife was close to hysterics, after checking in with My father-in-law (who immediately (dogs and all) joined in the search) I headed up to the Mormon homestead to sit with their 11 month old so that Mom was free to make phonecalls.

Truthfully, I was convinced they were going to be pulling that baby out of the Creek and I couldn’t handle it. For forty five minutes I sat with the three Mormon children aged 9, 7 and 11 months in their living room, listening to Christmas music. Through the trees I could see my mother in law walking up the road, neighbors cars stopped all along the street and people combing the underbrush and outbuildings around the Mormon’s property.

And then suddenly there he was, being led up the driveway by a stranger none of us knew. He had been hiding in the neighbors garage (she was not home). His mother flew down the driveway still clutching the phone and crying.

My father in law met me at the bottom of the Mormon’s driveway looking exhausted. He had been combing the backroads with my 30+ pound toddler on his back for over and hour. As we walked home, my mother in law joined us. Neighbors dispersed, driving silently away and the sheriff’s deputies radioed in.

Emotionally drained, I felt happy. Happy that the baby was found alive, happy that I was going home to finish up last minute gifts instead of staying to comfort a neighbor. Happy that it wasn’t my son, neighbors had been searching the creek for. Happy that Christmas Eve wasn’t marred by a terrible tragedy. But mostly I was happy with humankind. Happy with the reaction of the people on my road. Happy that even though I couldn’t name many of them after two years of living on this road, my neighbors were the type of people who on Christmas Eve stopped in their rushing about to look for a little lost boy. Happy that this Dead End road, home to the People-who-have-lived-here-forever, The Renters, The ones with the Goat, Crazy Guy and his girlfriend, and the Ones with all those white cars, is where I live.

And I’m proud to call the One’s with the daycare, the Roofer, The ones who are always building on to their house and the Ones with the minature weiner dog named Hercules. My neighbors.

Merry Christmas.

Remember last Month when my blog went Kerfloey Kerflop?

Good times.

I have to admit, I lurve my blog…it is a document of my life over the last five years. It carries memories of my babies, and my life and awwwww. I just love it.

So last month when it went all arrghyy pfffstt fhthsl. I sort a panicked.

So I’ve decided to revisit the whole making my blog into a book, for me to enjoy over the coming decades..because I love and support the internet but I’m a bookworm first. And I want a copy I can flip through and put in a safety deposit box so it doesn’t burn up in a fire…

Overly dramatic. Sorry.

I’m going to take the next few weeks to focus on this project, putting five years of blogging into text form, and I’m going to try to not think about how much that will cost.

I’m not going to leave you stranded though. Oh no! I would never you deny you the Rambles of the Redhead!

Instead I’ll take you with me. Be here at 9 sharp, we have a lot of work to do!

Just kidding. Instead, I’ll treat you to some backward glances at Running Stitch.

Like this post from August 24th 2005, when my Moo was not even two, and my Wah….was in utero.

I have no plan, you’ll have to come back tomorrow for the next random post.

You’re welcome.