Out of commission

We have the flu at our house.

I will be back after it is gone.

I hope it goes away soon.

Still Going Strong!

I am still running! I am up to a very slow, but consistent 2 miles. When I read that it makes me sad considering at one time I ran 6 miles every morning like it was a walk in the park. But I am still proud of myself! My son asked me last night about this very thing and wondered how far I was going every day. When I told him where I was at and where I planned to be he said "Good job Mom, that is really cool." He is almost 15 so I take that as a HUGE compliment!

Books. All I can say is that I love books! I love the library so much that I get excited to go ahead of time. I have even snuck over after school so the older kids could baby sit and I could be by myself.

What do you love?

I am still here

I haven't disappeared from off the face of the earth, but I am sore from running and tired from staying up too late from reading and writing. All good things, but I have not stayed on top of posting.

Last night my kids got into some boxes of photos (I am not a scrapbooker) and I laughed at the old pictures. My husband and I looked like kids playing house when we were first married and it looked like I was just the babysitter in the photos of me holding my first child on my lap. My kids thought it was hilarious.

It is amazing how much we change. Yesterday my youngest told me I was almost a grandma. No one is pregnant or even close to marriage age at all in our family, she was just letting me know that I am old compared to her. When I look at pictures of myself in the last few months I kind of have to agree with her. Compared to the old pictures I am almost a grandma! (Not really, but yikes, when did the wrinkles sneak up on me!)

I am just lucky that my husband is aging right along with me! I will have to do something about my tummy though. Shortly after telling me I was old, my youngest also let me know that my tummy was fat. She is a real confidence booster to have around. Before you burn her with your thoughts, keep in mind that she is only 4. She just says what everyone else thinks.

Six months from now though, watch out. I may have more wrinkles then, but my shape will be smokin'!

By the way....

I did it! I got my 2 miles in. This time it was a combo of walking and running again, but I upped the speed this time during the run. Every few minutes I alternated between 4, 5 and 6 on the treadmill speeds. Not impressive I know, but it feels good!!!

I finished.....

the novel I was reading. I wish I could say right now that I finished the novel I was writing, but if you have read any of my earlier posts you would know that I have a problem with reading. As in I read too much. Anyway, THE HOURGLASS DOOR by Lisa Mangum, was good! Very interesting story idea and it does leave you hanging a bit at the end which I love/hate! I love cliff endings when I have book 2 in hand. I hate them when I don't, and it looks like I will have to wait until summer to read on.

My husband would think this book was just ok.

There are a few ways that I classify books, one is whether I would like it, the other is where my husband and I would like it. (please keep in mind this isn't the only way I classify books though, it is just an "in general" fun way).

To explain a little better, my husband hates romance. He hated TWILIGHT and read all but the last 20 pages when he threw the book across the room (that is the truth). He said he didn't want to read any more about how some guy smelled or how he looked or how this girl was hot and bothered. He liked the MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES quite a bit. Yes, there was some romance, but it was a LOT of action and danger and suspense.

So, with that all clear as mud, my husband would say that this was better than TWILIGHT but he still wouldn't like it.

I see things a little differently than he does. I do like romance, not the gross quivering thighs kind, but the cleaner, leaves more to the imagination kind. I like being reminded of what it felt like to fall "in love" for the first time. Sappy, I know, but there it is.

I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the next one to come! The author filled it with love, mystery and a great story line. I say good job to Lisa Mangum!

I love to read books that are the first published novel for the author. I then love to read the books that follow to see how or if the author develops in any way in their writing. I am amazed at how some authors are able to nail it with their first book, and I also cringe sometimes when I read (my own words included) and try think what I would do to improve them.

Anyway, those are my thoughts and I'm sticking to them.

Honest

I will be honest. Today I did not run. But!!!!! (Isn't there always a "but" when an excuse is about to follow?) Here is my excuse, though lame it may be. I go to the gym with my son. It is our time together and he stayed up far too late to get up this morning before school to workout, and I stayed up far too late making sure he was doing ok with his homework and helping my husband pack (he is going on a business trip).

There you have it. Lame excuse number one! The second excuse is that I could have run after the kids left for school, but I had a much more important commitment to keep. I will try to make it happen later, I just don't think it will.

To all of this I quote Anne with an E, "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it". I am going to follow her motto and start fresh tomorrow!

The novel is coming along. Yesterday and today it is coming along mostly in my head because I just picked up another book. It is called THE HOURGLASS DOOR by Lisa Mangum. So far I like it and I will let you know what I think after I finish it.

And one more thing....

I also need to set a date for the completion of my novel.

April 15th will be the magic day. I am married to an accountant so it just seems fitting that we would finish with a major accomplishment on the same day.

Weird reason I know, but there it is!

(Did you notice! I gave away a little more info about who I am!)

Other goals....

Besides trying to finish my novel I have decided that it is high time for me to set some other goals as well. Long ago (6 1/2 years to be exact) I ran a full marathon. Yup, you read that right, 26.2 miles. After that I maintained running 6 miles a day for a few years. Then came a baby, some illnesses, some more health problems, a move and so on and so on. I have tried to get back to my former glory days with a little "umph" of effort here and there, but it has never quite worked out.

Well, enough!!!! Enough excuses, enough weight gain, and enough wimping out!

I have signed myself up for a 5K in January. That is my first goal.

My next goal is much loftier than that......Another full marathon in the fall. I haven't decided which one yet, but I am going to do it! I am also going to report to you, my faithful readers, (there are only a few, and you may be relatives, but you know who you are!) of my progress.

So, drum roll please........

Today I ran 1 mile and walked 1 mile. Yippee!!! My whole body can feel it too! I know what you are thinking. That 2 miles, half of it walking, is not very much mileage considering where I once was and where I want to be, but to that I say "You must start somewhere!". Maybe one of these times I will share with you my first attempt at trying to run way back when. It wasn't pretty, but I stuck with it and look where I ended up! (You are supposed to answer: The finish line of a marathon!).

I have another goal, but I am not so sure I am ready to fess up to what it is just yet. It is something that I have always wondered if I could do, but have never really thought it would be possible. Hmmm, I will have to think about that one for a while.

Anyway, what are your goals? Do you have anything that you aspire to? Maybe we can encourage each other!

p.s. I think I have convinced one of my sisters to do this with me. She thinks I am crazy, and she's probably right, but think how much fun will it be to cross that line together!