Under construction.................................

We are having more brick work done on the front yard to turn the side yard that has become a mud-hole-parking-pit into a functional parking pad. Watching the guys work has been an interesting inner lesson.

First the ground had to be assessed and the plan for development laid out so everyone knew the direction things would be going in. Then they had to dig out the non-solid surface (the grass and dirt) and haul that away. While useful to someone else it is no longer valuable to the overall construction plans.

As the old surface was hauled away, two inches of rock-solid limestone was brought in and tamped down. On this was laid a that black fabric stuff (similar to the stuff used to keep weeds at bay), followed by several inches of limestone gravel, tamping, more fabric, more limestone gravel, more tamping. And this is just the foundation. The pretty stuff that everyone sees is still many man hours away.

While the work only comes with a two year warranty, with a foundation this sturdy and secure the odds of the property having a structurally sound parking pad for years to come are pretty high.

How many times have I gone off on some new venture unprepared and wondered why things collapsed around me? Too many to count. I am all about jumping in and taking a risk, but that doesn't mean that it's okay to forgo the planning and the preparations needed to increase the odds in our favor first. Most people don't try and jump from a ship in the middle of the ocean without a life jacket, thinking "it will all work out."

If you happen to be in the middle of a sinking ship, don't think you can't fix things. Keep bailing until you can get to dry land, catch your breath, and figure out how many layers of new wood, nails, glue (can you tell I know nothing about boat building?) you need to fix the foundation of the boat so you can take it back into deep water without future trouble.

Some of our greatest lessons are learned when we break something down and then build it back up better than it was before.

Mind control................................

With the marathon behind me my focus can now turn more completely on re-tooling for my new career. I have not fully formed exactly what that new career is going to be so if any of you are feeling inspirational and have ideas for me feel free to share.

The reading I was doing yesterday was talking about the power of one's mind, and the ability to create the world one wants through positive/right thinking. What one wishes to create is what one should focus their minds on.

I get how this might seem impossible when you are drowning in debt, or are miserable in your job, marriage, fill in the _______. These things ARE your current reality, you may not have any idea how things can be different, but if things are really that bad, then the odds are in your favor that it won't make things worse to change the way you think about them. Right?

I have said before that the first step in me getting control over my money was to stop saying, "I can't afford it," and whenever that thought came into my head change it to, "I choose not to spend my money on that right now." Did it immediately get rid of my debt? Of course not, but it did change my attitude, and a little over four years later we have knocked $104,000.00 down to $24,000.00. And, I have to add, had we been more disciplined with the money coming in it would have been paid off by now. The needed money came in, however, still being works in progress, we choose to cash flow some items by justifying their importance.

Back to my reading........................

Some ways to change your thinking around include:

1. Create/picture/ think/ the best possible world for yourself.

2. Fill your mind with ideas that please and inspire you.

3. Give definition to health, wealth, and happiness.

4. Prepare for that which you hope.

5. visualize and fill your mind with the way you want your life to be. In other words, it's okay to
daydream.

6. Act on the impulses that seem to put you closer to your goal. This would translate to
intuition. Listen to your gut. If it tells you to change something, go for it.

Don't let fear or complacency stop you from making the needed changes. You have all you need inside of you to have the kind of life that you want. All you have to do is believe in yourself.

Getting back to normal.........................

Last Thursday we had BIG storms in our little town. Many, many huge trees where lost to winds, that (I think) was confirmed as at least one tornado. Tornadoes just don't hit here, so it was a pretty big news story. I was overwhelmingly sad about all the trees that were lost. About 80% in our main city park. It was also interesting to have to show identification to move about the city streets and get back into town after venturing out. Strange it somehow made us feel important. I guess some people will take any sort of fame that comes their way.

I often talk about gratitude, and being protected, so I have to share our own personal miracle. On all four sides of us neighbors lost (a) large tree(s), and there was fairly major damage two blocks away, and all that we lost was one small tree branch and one of our cherubs gave up their existence (literally lost it's head) to keep us safe. Pretty wondrous! The other cool thing...We were without a phone until last night. Sorry, Alexander Graham Bell, but when the lady from the phone company called me today to see if I were having any problems with the phone, I told her, "Only that it keeps ringing." Took her a minute to get my meaning, but then she laughed and didn't take offense at all.

Yes, the marathon was this past Sunday, and yes, I FINISHED IT! Took me six hours, twenty-one minutes and forty-five seconds (6:21:45), but I did it. Funny, I imagined myself bragging about it more, talking about it more, wanting to share every single detail of it, and I am finding it hard to talk about it at all. The first twenty-four hours all I could do was cry every time I thought about it, or anyone ask me about it (good tears), and now the satisfaction seems to have been in the completion of the goal rather than the re-living of the goal.

Somewhere, in the last couple of miles of the race, a lady passed me on a bike, smiled and said, "keep going, and know that only one in ten thousand people complete a marathon. At the time I was freaking out about meeting the cut off deadline of 6.5 hours and I couldn't revel in the wonderment of that statistic. And I guess, if you consider how many people there are in the world that may not even be that great of a statistic, but it is mine now, and just like all the other growth that I have achieved, no one can ever take it away from me. I am very proud of my accomplishment, and can't wait to see what I do next.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Yippee!

New post.............................

Last night (my) Mister informed me he was getting sick of seeing the tomatoes on my blog and inquired as to when I planned on updating with a new post. Anything to keep harmony in the marriage honey (I heard that Mister!).

After my two weeks off from running, I decided to do one last long run last Saturday. Silly me, in the heat (I am sure you all heard about what happen at the Chicago marathon the last Sunday), and two weeks before my marathon, I maybe shouldn't have, but I went twenty-four miles. And it kicked my butt! I was walking normal by Wednesday, but I am still exhausted so I have been conserving energy, and spending my time visualizing and getting mentally prepared for my marathon.

I also turned fifty years of age since I last posted. Would love to tell you all that I am a mature, wise woman now, but no...I am still just me, full of flaws and learning as I go along. I will say I am looking forward to the next fifty as the best years of my life as while I don't know everything, I know a heck of a lot more than I did when I was twenty. The most important thing I learned...that I don't know everything. And that is okay!

My wrist is doing fabulous, and I am gaining increased range of motion every day. I even started knitting again for short periods of time. Woo! Hoo!

And since I am bragging, I will let you in on my latest endeavor. This summer I was able to cross off donating my hair to Locks of Love from my "things to do before I die" list. I am confident that finish a marathon will be crossed off on October 21, 2007, so I thought it time to move on to something else on the list. I am learning to play the guitar. Maybe the timing of this could be better with the wrist and all, but I think it will be good for my rehab in the long run, and since it is my list I get to pick the order in which I complete it. I have learned six notes already, three on string one and three on string two. My oldest can't wait until I can play songs around the campfire. I can't wait until I build up calluses on my fingertips and they stop hurting when I practice. Once I get full use of my wrist again I think I might take a few lessons to boost my progress so I can actually play around the campfire BEFORE I turn seventy-five.

Okay honey. Hope your happy with the new post. Beware the tomatoes continue to lurk below. The things I do for love!

Haven't seen this before...................................

No! It's NOT worms...
It started to sprout!
Upon cutting into this tomato yesterday, that had been setting on my counter for several days, I immediately noticed it looked funny. Upon further inspection I could see that the tomato seeds had started to sprout. I smelled it (everyone knows what a rotten tomato smells like. Right?) and it didn't smell rotten, but "sprouty."

The hospice nurse was here at the time and she concurred with me. Then she said if I started seeing Jesus in the tomato she was turning me in. Nope! No faces emerged in front of my eyes, but I still thought it was cool enough to share.

I am going to try and get it to grow, since it seems to want it so badly. I will let you know what happens.

Answered Prayers.....................................

I went to the surgeon for a follow-up on my wrist, and the news couldn't be better. Not only can I commence running, I am healing very well, and I can start moving my wrist again. Try tying your non-dominate hand behind your back for a couple of days if you want to get the full effect of just how really wonderful news the last part of that sentence is. I still have a few restrictions, like no push ups, but then I don't really like doing push ups so there aren't restrictions I can't live with for a few more weeks.

There was another woman that fractured her opposite wrist on the same day, had surgery on the same day, and was in the office yesterday for her follow-up as well. When the doctor saw how much movement I had he was so astonished he mentioned how much better I was recovering than this other woman. I told them that it was the power of prayer and I had all of blog world praying for me.

So thank you, each and everyone of you, for all of your prayers and positive thoughts. Once again they have not only helped me to heal they have given me back my dream of running a marathon (18 days and counting!).

I am taking 10% credit for being a (mostly) model patient, being healthy,in good shape, and coming from good stock, but giving 90% of the credit to the power of prayer and positive thought, as well as again being the recipient of God's grace. I am very blessed.