When Will This End??

To say that I am tired of winter, especially snow, would be an understatement. One good snow per season is enough to satisfy the ''Northern Girl" in me! I dream of spring, warm temperatures, tennis matches, and track meets. Of course, that means that graduation is fast approaching, and I don't know if I am ready for that! I haven't even seen Bethany much this winter because she can't get up our hill in her Camry. She has been staying at her dad's in town, or at the Lashers'. I guess this will help prepare me for her move to Indy in August.

Speaking of moves, Morgan made her big move to Nashville this past weekend. I am all for her getting our of Perry County and seeing what this big world has to offer, but would have prefered that she had a job first. Sometimes timing just isn't what we would hope for; her friends found a place, and their lease was up, so if Morgan wanted to move in with them, she had to go now. She is applying anywhere and everywhere for a job, so I pray (hourly) that something will come through. She was asking me yesterday how to sell plasma, so I think she is feeling the pressure.

The last 6 weeks of our lives have been filled with puppies! Izabel had 8 puppies on January 8. They are absolutely adorable, but we are so tired of cleaning poop and pee! My house smells like a kennel, and I don't know that our family room carpeting is salvagable. It needed to be replaced before, and though it is mostly covered with a tarp, it will probably become a priority (at least in my mind) after we have delivered the litter to their new homes - hoping that we have enough homes! We will keep one of the pups, and as of today, it will be Einstein. Morgan plans to take a girl appropriately named 'Presley', although I don't know if she has a plan to cover pet expenses.

Running...though the Mother Nature is doing her best to discourage me, I will not be taken down that easily! I haven't run quite as much, but I am still getting in at least 4 runs per week, albeit some are on that dreaded torture machine - the treadmill. My niece can run 8-10 miles on a treadmill, but I can hardly eek out 3 miles. It is all I can do to make it to that 3-mile mark, and I quit. I just hate it. I stair out my bedroom window into the woods just hoping to see an animal doing something interesting to keep my mind occupied for a few minutes. I wish that there were a good spot to put the treadmill, and the I could have a TV to watch; perhaps then time would go a bit quicker. Somehow, today I am going to get to town and run outside. I might spend my time trying not to break my ankle on a snowmound, but the fresh air would be worth it!

Jackie has had a hip injury, much like the one that I had, so she hasn't been able to run with me for about 2 weeks. Having a running partner makes all the difference. Once in a while, running alone is tolerable. I can try to increase my pace, and then if it hurts I can slow back down, and I can just meditate. I wouldn't, however, want to run alone all the time. Having someone to talk to makes the run so much better. Having that someone be a therapist and a dear friend is an extra treat!

This week there was a picture of me, along with some running friends, and a very brief testimonial in an ad for Perry County Wellness. For those of you who know me well, this is really a stretch! Yes, I have become a 'runner', and I have embraced exercise, but not without fighting it for the previous 42 years! And, if Tony Hollinden had any idea what my eating habits consist of, he wouldn't have my picture anywhere near the word 'wellness'. I am trying to eat healthier, and have been for the past year, but, quite frankly, I think vegetables suck. Oh, go ahead and say it, 'it all depends on how you fix them'. Nope. Not buying that. My taste buds are not compatible with green veggies. Period. My after-a-long-run-favorite-snack? A Little Debbie Nutty Bar and a large Diet Pepsi! My husband is a fan of veggies, and has tried (unsuccessfully) to get me to branch out, but it just isn't going to happen. My mother force-fed me green beans, spinach, brocolli, and any other green, slimy vegetable you can name, but it certainly did not aid in my developing a taste for them. And yet, I am healthy.

Time to move on...thanks for reading!