This life I've created........................................

When I was in my twenties, I thrived on chaos. If my life wasn't full of crisis, perceived pain, and drama, I (unconsciously) set out to create some. Fortunately for me I somehow learned along the way that the only way I could be a victim was if I saw myself as one, and that I was the only one in charge of my life and my destiny.

Did this mean crap stopped happening to me? Nope. It just meant that I started looking at it as an opportunity to learn instead of another excuse to lament about, "poor me."

The last couple of weeks I have been gifted lots of new learning and interactions with challenging individuals that once upon a time would have sent me into a bitching frenzy. I've come a long way baby!

If it were possible I would have no desire to exchange what I now carry inside of me for the taunt skin and youthful glow of a twenty something. Maybe I don't look lovingly at my "bat wings" (Flabby upper arms for you youngsters reading this) and crows feet, but I am okay with the fact that they are part of the package that is me. As my next birthday gets set to role around I am holding this image of a one-of-a-kind treasure wrapped in crumpled, recycled wrapping paper. Once you get past the wrapping you are awed and amazed at what you find inside.

Are there any of these aging presents in your world? If so, do yourself a favor and take the time to value the gifts you will discover by spending time with us old souls.

Back to school................................

Not me, not yet, but I am thinking of buying/getting one of those Internet minister degrees to "assist" me in my pursuit of an official grief counselor certificate. Oh! And my youngest is taking a photography class for fun (and to fulfill one of her required credits) so I am unofficially taking the class with her to learn more things about my new camera. Also not what I am blogging about.

Over the summer I have gotten to know one of our neighbors that my youngest has been babysitting for for years. She has two children, one requiring about forty minutes of before school care. When she called to ask my youngest if she was available (since she leaves the house at 6:30 for work now that school has started up for her this was a no go) I convinced her it would be fine (that is no problem for me) if her daughter just came her for that short time. I was honored when she agreed.

This young lady (I don't think she would appreciate the term "little girl" anymore) is very sweet, quiet, and shy (around me anyway). The first morning she was here she comes into the room where I am and says, "which one of those clocks out there is the right time?" Poor thing! We have three clocks (wall, oven, micro) and they all had close, but different times on them. Smart woman that I am I suggested we compare the times to our computers. You guessed it, we got two different numbers there as well, proof that in this house close counts. She thought for a minute and said, "Well, eleven is in the middle of all of them so we can go with that." Smart kid!

Next day she comes in and five minutes later it begins to rain cats and dogs (wouldn't it be cool to really see that expression in action one time?). I inquired if she had brought the rain gear we had talked about the previous day. Her reply, "Sorta." What did sorta mean? "I have a sweatshirt." Nonplussed she reassured me that the rain was going to stop before she needed to leave. And you guessed it again. The rain stopped and she headed merrily off to school. That is what I consider a psychic-in-the-making.

It is good to have some young blood around here again, if only for a few minutes a day. The pets are all loving the extra attention as well. Lady luck has shined down upon us yet again.

Running the Mighty Mac....................................

I haven't talked much about running lately because I haven't done much of it truth be told. Early in the spring I did a run that allowed me to enter a lotto to run across the Mackinaw bridge. They have been doing a walk (not allowing anyone to run for safety reasons) across for the past fifty years, and five years ago added a run limited to three hundred people.

Anyway, I was chosen this year to participate and had a great time doing so. The distance was about four and a half miles and since it was recreational, and I never remember to turn on/off my stop watch, I have no official finishing time Who cares? I finished and had fun. That makes me a winner.

A fellow fun-loving participant snapped this picture of me just as the sun was coming up.

Pretty big bridge isn't it?

Oh! Ya! The whole thing is part of the Governor's counsel on physical fitness, and our current governor is the one that started the run as she herself is a runner. The week of the race I got an e-mail from favorite coffee place that ask for vacation pictures sporting your coffee cup. The pictures are entered into a monthly drawing to win a month's worth of free coffee. After the race I ask Ms. Governor herself to pose with me to give me an edge towards winning. Yup, I am the one with her hair plastered to her forehead like a bad-bowl-cut-gone-wrong, and the blond in the red shirt is the very supportive, accommodating governor of my state.

I am so going to win!