Change...

My best and most positive mental moments are when I am running. Not the first mile or the second, but when the groove kicks in around mile 3 all of a sudden I feel a surge of positive energy, focus and hope. Words start crossing my mind like freedom, breath, air, space, joy, love, commitment, focus, courage. Really, the words cross my being as I look up. I never look down and I never wear headphones, I want to change and grow, not just become physically stronger, and I believe breathing and seeing are key to growth.

It all started 12 months ago or so. I found a quote that changed my life. I say that a lot. But it did. Here was the sequence of events...
- I found the quote in my husbands paperwork, he had carried it around after he found it in Quiet Moments/Catholicdigest.com
- I started to make a slight change, I did 10 push ups that day
- the next week I moved from 10 push ups to 10 push ups and a one mile run that killed me
- from there I ran weekly and became happier and less stressed and concerned about what others thought. My inner compass became more and more clear.
- in April, I will run my first half marathon. I am proud to say that I will run with two of my sisters, Molly and Megan. Megan and I just started running this year.

I could go on and one with the list, but it's got to stop somewhere so I can type the quote. Enjoy!

'Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self confident, and more and more successful.' - Mark Hansen

It all starts with loosing the fear and taking the first step.

The photo is from a wedding I did this Fall, taken in Sonoma by the talented Anna Kuperberg.

Happy Monday

Giving thanks

I snapped this photo the other day because I was in love with the color. The soft crisp winter sunshine on our creamy white house paint, the orange door, the pot, the tiffany teal mug, the blue clogs, the chipped white table. It was a Saturday, my favorite thing to do is run in the morning, come home, make coffee, and putz in the garden as long as I can.

But, when I looked at the picture again today, I realized God has given me everything I longed for. A garden of my own, children sleeping - or so the sign says...., a great cup of joe, a home and a family, a simple garden table on a porch of a house on a busy street, freedom. Transplanted ornamental kale and succulants making their own way. Pretty great.