Running Stitch

I don’t know why the turtledash picture isn’t showing up on my sidebar, I thought perhaps I had changed the permissions to private in flickr but I checked and not so much. The complexity of my blog eludes me yet again.

Sigh.

On to the Rundown. Only three weeks till the 2007 Turtledash!

Tuesday’s run was pushing the boys in the chariot..eh. Two miles of running in gravel. Double Eh.

Thursday Lady J and I tried something new. We drug ourselves from our cozy, warm beds at 4:45am to meet up for an early morning run 5:15am. We spilled out of our cars into the inky darkness of what time is it anyway?

5:15am. Right. Now I’m no stranger to 5:15, but I haven’t left the house for awhile at that hour.

It’s chilly.

And dark.

We grumbled and groaned and ran 3.5 miles sans strollers. It was over before the day began. My favorite kind of run!

I got home with an hour to spare ( I should have run 5miles…but was nervous about ETA and Scott’s departure) showered, and sewed a bit. Perfect. I love those runs!

Today’s run was supposed to be Eleven miles according Hal, but since I totally and completely died on last weeks run at the 8.5 mile mark (it was a ten mile run…Legolas actually drove back to pick me up……I’d like to say I refused the ride but that would be a lie) I opted for ten instead.

I ran the first 6.5 by myself and then looped back around so that I could meet up with Legolas for th last 3.5. I knew I would need help. And I did. I’m struggled through mile 7 and 8 but had come back by mile 9. I ended the ten miler feeling strong (and tired).

I was worried because after last weeks run I craved fruity pebbles all day (sugar) which is a major sign to me that I’m under training, and my body is upset. Today’s run ended on a high note and…

Hurray I’m back to my pre vacation weight…phew that only took two weeks. Or is it three?

I may be ready for the Turtledash after all!

I have three commissioned quilts on my plate right now. Three. Plus the five baby quilts I haven’t finished. Plus its almost October, which means the countdown to Christmas is almost officially here. And a few weeks ago I started to panic.

So Legolas and I chatted.

Me: I have The Panic.
Her: hmmm
Me: Did I mention The Panic?
Her: Yes, it may have come up several HUNDRED times.
Me: That is because I’m panicked.

Sometimes? I wonder why she answers my calls at all.

After some productive talking we hit upon a solution. Mondays after she drops off Ms. Q at preschool she would mosey on over to my part of town and watch the boys for three hours while I worked on Commissioned projects.

It was BRILLIANT! The only downside is that I miss out on my Monday runs with Lady J. Sad. Not to worry we’ll bounce back, we have many similar interests!

For the past two weeks I have been getting two to three hours of quilting time in on commissioned projects. It’s great. It leaves me relaxed enough to finish up some other things.

Like this sweater. (IT’S A SWEATER!!!)

It used to be Legolas’s she gifted it to me and I loved it. But, I like sweaters that open ( don’t know the technical term for this) So, snip, snip, snip and sew, sew, sew and now I have a new sweater!)

It’s amazing how that block of guaranteed timed takes the stress off and I’m able to accomplish other things.

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.

One of the hardest jobs about being a parent is that when the going gets rough? You can’t walk away. There are things you have to do. Even when they are hard.

Like listening to your three year old scream for you as you leave him at preschool.

Apparently the ‘newness’ has worn off. Or maybe my baby is just still a little sick from the fever he had this weekend. Either way he clung to my leg and had to be pried off so I could leave his classroom this morning.

His brother? was already in there painting ducks with the rest of the class, he also had to be pried away, but in the opposite direction.

I know my son is safe. I know that he has friends in that class and that he will calm down once I leave. I know that if I stay, then he will cry the next time I drop him off.

I know all this. But it is so hard to walk away. (or rather drag his brother screaming away). Because it is important for everyone to scream at the same time..

Luckily for me, I have friends. Good ones.

SuperMom was there and over the head of my toddler she said “I’ll stick around and make sure he calms down”.

Which leaves me free to take a shrieking Wah to the car and stand there shaking while I try to decide if I can drive away. In the end the Mama wins over the logical brit and I make it halfway back to the classroom before I meet SuperMom who tells me that Moo has calmed down and is sitting on the teachers lap.

Apparently children have cried before in preschool or something.

This whole Mama thing. It’s harder than it looks.

Mama: A is for Apple. Did you learn about apples in school this week? (holding up the apple he colored in school)
Moo: *blank stare*
Mama: Did you make an apple tree? (holding up the apple tree he made in school)
Moo: *blank stare*
Mama: *sings* A is for apple that’s good enough for me apple, apple, apple starts with A!!!!
Moo: The pink mouse eats crackers.
Mama: *blank stare*

Weekend Rundown

I ran 8.5 miles on Saturday. It nearly killed me.

Awesome.

Summer is not over! It’s not I tell you! The fact that I’m bundled in my sweaters sipping tea till much pass noon, Means nothing!

Oh sure I love Fall, but if it’s fall then Summer is over and I still have Five Baby Quilts to finish. Five? That’s right I’ve finished a third Quilt. Thursday is Lunch Buddy day and today I presented her with her baby’s, born in May (ahem) quilt.

Take that quilt off the UFO list!

While it’s true that I have never actually finished a quilt before a baby is born, now I’ve decided not to even bother starting one. This summer I’ve found my inspiration in the actual births. It seem that once I see the babes or see pictures and hear their birth stories and their excited new parents I become inspired with the exact quilt I want to make.

And speaking of inspiring check out this post at Turkey Feathers and the accompanying pictures of Sweet Annie’s Quilt. It is so beautiful. Of course I find Vicki is always inspiring, just this week I was inspired to make this dinner, (basically cheese bread and steamed goodies from the garden)

based on this picture.

It was good. Thanks Vicki!

Out of the Blue my Little Moo came up to me today as I was ripping out a seam. He put his chubby, little hand, still stamped with the apple stamp they gave him at school on Tuesday and which he is refusing to wash, under my chin.

“Look at me!” he demanded. “Look at me Mama.”

And so I did. What else could this Mama do?

“You’re a nice Mama.”

“Thank you.” I said, a little caught off guard by the moment, and also by the complete sentence. Slightly unsettled by the seemingly well timed attempt to make me feel good.

“You’re a good Mama.”

“Thank you.” I said again, marveling at this little one I have created, thinking on some level, I must be getting something right. Either that or they stuffed a whole lot of learning in to those three days of school he has had.

He continued to look wisely in to my eyes….nodding. And then he said.

“Kiss.” And he puckered up his slightly ketchup stained kisser and closing his eyes leaned in for the kill.

I may have melted in to a puddle on the floor.

The more I see the less I know
The more I like to let it go… hey oh
-Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Snow”

I know I’ve said it before (but that doesn’t usually stop me), I don’t like to run. I like that I do run. I like how I feel after a run. I like that I can run, that I have my health and all that.

I like the Runner’s High, I like listing accomplishments and I like that running keeps me healthy.

I don’t like to run though. The thing I like about it? Is the doing of it.

When I run? I am focused. Completely. Maybe it is because I don’t like to run that I focus so hard. Maybe it is because running is so hard for me. The sheer strength to power through the wheezing, and chest pains. I know these things are not a measure of my fatigue but they often add to it.

I know I’m running hard and strong when I can feel it in the top of my hamstrings, the gluteus maximus…and oh, how maximus my gluteus is. Yes, that is where I feel the run, and the power behind it. (get it…heh)

When I am bumping up the pace, I focus on that area to push me along.

Running takes me to my limit and back again. I must focus, meditate if you will, on every part of the run to be successful. For the first few minutes I must focus on my breathing, don’t hyperventilate! Then I focus on my feet, left, right, left , right…keep going..keep going.

Running make me focus like nothing else does because I don’t fly along. I plod.

Plod. Plod. Plod.

I check Garmin to pace myself and I plod, plod, plod.

In those moments of plodding I’m completely focused on me. The way my body moves, or doesn’t. The slap, slap of my shoes on pavement, the crunch, crunch of them on gravel. The rain and the sweat mixed.

There is nothing else in my life that I dislike so much and yet feel so complete doing.

Friday night Scott and I got all crazy and decided to watch a movie. Since we don’t have any movies that we haven’t watched ONE THOUSAND TIMES, or that we both wanted to watch, we ventured to Legolas’s house to raid her selection.

After selecting a few we ferried the snoozy boys home and much to our good fortune, they were both asleep when we arrived.

Hurray!

We settled in to watch our chose selection on the donated play station that a friend gave us when our DVD player gave up the ghost. Only to find that the play station had parental controls.

This is what we call Irony.

Because we have children, we have no money and no time. Having no money and no time means we can’t go to a movie outside the house. Usually we can’t watch a movie in side the house either as if one or both of us were to sit down this would signal one or both boys to jump in our laps or swing from our noses.

When both our children are asleep and we have a functioning DVD and DVD player? Then we have parental settings that we don’t know the password to.

Awesome.