Metaphor for Life?

I have a confession to make.  I was one of those people who listened to their runner friends extolling the virtues of a run and then always did the big eye roll, usually ending the conversation with, "Well, I can't do it. In fact, I hate it. I'm just not a runner."  Let's face it--runners are annoying to those of us who don't partake.  They don their performance athletic gear and head out, regardless of the weather. They talk about running like it is some kind of spiritual experience rather than just the torturous experience we all know it to be.  They even go so far as to call it a metaphor for life...

(via Pinterest)

I mean, come on!  Seriously???  (insert eye roll here)  Are these people insane??????????

Now to the point of this post.  I offer up a sincere apology to the people in my life who run. I get it now. I understand. I run. I can actually say this now and I almost believe it...I am a runner.  I don performance athletic gear and head out the door several times a week.  I love it.  It has become my time for me, just for me.  I am not fast (though I am getting faster), but I don't care.  I have wrestled through things with God, prayed and cried for loved ones going through trials, and have sung out praises and worshiped my Father while running. (Ok, I'm not sure you can actually call it singing, and raising your hands in praise while running must look quite strange to those who may be watching you run by.)  There is just something about pushing through the pain and through the times when you want to quit, all the while saying to yourself, "I've got this.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Make it to the corner. Make it to the mailbox. Keep going."  Do you recall this quote from Winnie the Pooh?  It is quite true.

(Photo via Pinterest)

I started running because I don't want to be fat. That's the honest truth.  The physical changes I see in my body from running are just fantastic. I love that I get a rear end from running, as I am rear end challenged (many thanks, Grandmother Romano). I love seeing the muffintop start to disappear and other areas start to firm and tone.  Getting in shape is certainly worth the effort when it means you fit into your clothes without Spanx.  But there is just so much more to it.

The decision to keep running, to run farther and longer, came after a time of self-discovery.  After a few difficult years of going through some really hard things as a family, as a friend, and as a believer in Jesus, I realized that I wanted to just be me, and decided that my outside should reflect what I felt inside. It's all about strength, grace and overcoming. It is about being better today than I was yesterday, pushing through the trials and pain that life throws at me, all the while knowing that God has for me a time of rest and peace on the other side of the hard times.  Hmmmmm....dare I say that running just may be a metaphor for life?

(photo via Pinterest)

Lines and Wrinkles and Crow's Feet...Oh My!!

Lately I find myself pondering my rapidly approaching fortieth birthday.  Yep, the big 4-0. I am definitely ambivalent on the whole aging issue.  The older I get, the more I enjoy the freedom of not giving a crap about what anyone else thinks.  Really.  I have decided to be me, finally.  It takes a while to get to that place, but it is a lovely place to be once you arrive. I refuse to return to the world of insecurity and fear of the opinions of others. That world is a joy-sucker.

I have realized lately that when I think of the things that I don't like about aging, those things are (mostly) physical.  Things like how much harder my workouts have to be just to MAINTAIN the muffintop, not to mention how much harder workouts have to be to eliminate it!  Geez.  Then there is the overall sagging and bagging in various places that is just not fun.  Let's just say that a good bra is worth every penny. :-). Another bummer is how long it takes to recover from injury.  Can't just bounce back like I could when I was, well, younger.  Oh, and what is that flabby weirdness that starts to form on the inner thighs as one approaches 40 years of life????? I do not like that at all.

There are a few physical changes that don't bother me.  I don't really mind the lines and wrinkles that I see cropping up.  I have just decided to never look in a mirror in natural light.  Problem solved. :) Just kidding, sort of.  I also refuse to color gray hair. If guys can do it and it's accepted, so can I.  I find it disturbing and frustrating that women feel the pressure to look younger so much more acutely than men.  Is gray hair really so horrible??? I think that the whole idea of gray hair making men look distinguished and women look old is a load of garbage.

Here are a few things I have learned in the past few years...

-The best things in your beauty arsenal are joy, contentment and good health.

-Good, healthy skin is the best makeup.

-Drinking water and green tea makes you feel and look better.

-Veggies are good medicine, especially green veggies.

-True friends are a rare find. Treasure the ones you have.

-Enjoy the years with your kids.  They are fleeting and someday you will look back on them with longing.

-Have fun with your spouse. Being married to your best friend is a blessing.

-Make sure your home is filled with laughter. Be sure you can laugh at yourself. Less stressful that way.

-Above all, be thankful.  On days when I feel a darkness closing in on me, I praise my Father for all His blessings.  Count your blessings. I assure you, they are many.

Aaaaaand a little P.S...
I don't know if any of you out there follow the "No More Dirty Looks" blog, but it is a favorite of mine.  This recent post on aging is great, as are the many comments following the article.
http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2011/11/six-reasons-aging-isnt-as-awful-as-the-cosmetics-industry-claims/

Blessings

I am blessed. A couple of nights ago I sat in the rocking chair in my room and had a long conversation with my soon to be 16 year old daughter, Kyra. We talked of girl things like makeup and hair, how to dress modestly, be feminine and still be strong and independent.  The discussion turned to taking care of ourselves by eating things that are closer to the earth and how God created them, with it eventually morphing into a talk about being your true self, being kind and not caring what others think about who you are. It was one of those times as a parent when your cup is  full to overflowing.

Kyra is amazing...beautiful inside and out.  I know that whatever God has in store for her, it is good.  She is so sensible about people, always watching, listening and observing others.  Very discerning, that one.  I've learned to listen to what she has to say about those around us as it often makes a lot of sense.  Yes, sometimes you can even learn something from your teenagers. :-)

Jay and I have slowed down our lives a lot in the past couple of years.  For a few years, we did the rat-race-run-around-like-a-chicken thing, always on the run...going, going, going.  Many of the things we were busy doing were good things, but we got so tired and frazzled and--well--grumpy!  It was time to make a change and we made the decision to do so. As we began to live differently, we realized that our family unit had suffered during those busy years.  We didn't have the relationship with our kids that we wanted to have and we spent too much time being sick and tired.

Our life now is so very different.  Both of my girls are home schooled (by their choice), which gives us time together every day.  Yes, there are times when we all get a bit sick of each other :), but the blessings much outweigh the difficulties.  Most evenings we all gather around the table for a home cooked meal, which I feel is an important part of keeping our family close.  About a year and a half ago, Shelby was gone for about 6 months and during that time, Jay and I realized how fleeting these moments are that we have with our kids.  They grow up so quickly and one day they will be out in the world, pursuing whatever it is God has for them.  I don't want to look back on these years with regret.

Most of our mornings are spent at home, the girls getting their schoolwork done after Jay and Shelby leave for work.  Yes, we do have some days that get busy with things like art classes, errands, tutoring appointments, etc,(and some days I feel like I spend way too much of my life in the kitchen! :-) However, those busy days are the exception around here now, not the rule. That was our goal...simple. We still have other dreams and goals for our family, including a more independent, sustainable lifestyle that is good for us and makes us better stewards of this amazing creation that God has entrusted us with.  It will happen, we are working toward that goal.

As for this day, I choose to be thankful. I will be thankful for every single day that I have with my kids and Jay. I will cherish every conversation (even the difficult ones), every laugh (nothing in this world can make me smile like Shelby's laugh),  every "coffee shop school" day (we have a long winter), every moment when I look in my front room to find my girls reading or knitting, every hug, every cup of tea enjoyed together, and every meal that our family gets to sit down to.  Yes, I am blessed.

A Little Toddy for a Cold, Wet Day

For years now I have known about the benefits of including apple cider vinegar in my diet (thanks, Dad!), but have had trouble adding it regularly because, well, it is vinegar! This summer I read a blog post from my amazing and lovely niece, Ashley, who was looking for a more palatable way to include ACV in her diet. Check out her blog to see the very tasty solution she came up with.  http://thesweetestthingsares.blogspot.com/2011/08/ive-been-looking-for-way-to-drink-apple.html  Thanks, Ashley!  This is such a yummy, refreshing drink and it also was a great way to use the very large, overgrown pot of mint growing on my back deck. I enjoyed this all summer!

Now that the weather has taken a turn and it is suddenly fall, I just don't want to drink lots of cold drinks.  Today I decided to make myself a toddy using the same ingredients, but with hot water (obviously).  I have to say that it is quite delightful!  I am pleasantly surprised, as I was certain the vinegar would be totally overpowering when it was hot. The only thing that I did add to the hot toddy was a little bit of honey. I never sweetened the cold version.  Try it!  It is surprisingly good. :-)

[I always use organic ACV. Apples are full of pesticides, so I  buy Bragg's. http://bragg.com/products/bragg-organic-apple-cider-vinegar.html]

Life...

This would be an apt description of my feelings about life as of late...

A little experiment...on myself

A few months ago I wrote a blog post extolling the virtues of green smoothies.  I am a big believer in getting the nutrition your body needs from the foods you consume rather than from supplements you buy in a bottle.  While I recognize that there are times when supplementation is important and necessary, it is not a substitute for good, whole foods. This is why I drink smoothies. In July I decided to forgo my morning smoothies and see if I noticed any difference in how I felt. I went without for about 5 weeks.

The biggest change I noticed after a while was a serious decrease in energy.  Every afternoon I would get sooooo tired and unmotivated.  Added to the lack of energy was a craving for sugar and other "bad for me" foods.  I found myself opening the fridge to find something to eat, even when I wasn't hungry.  This brought on another rather obvious problem...5 extra pounds.  Yep, I gained 5 pounds in those 5 weeks!  Let me tell you, when you are 5'2" tall (or short :), 5 added pounds is glaringly obvious!!!  Not good.

There were a few other changes I noticed as well, including a skin break out, flagging moods, and just general grumpiness. Workouts and runs were a drudgery.  I didn't seem to handle stress well at all, which was not a good thing with everything that was going on in the Pierson world.  All in all, quite interesting.

I am back to my usual routine now.  The extra 5 pounds are gone (thank goodness!!!) and I can actually run without feeling like I want to stop and lie down in the middle of the road.  I don't have the dip in energy in the afternoons and my cravings are gone. My skin has cleared up and seems less dry.

My conclusion?  Nothing is a substitute for good nutrition and smoothies are a great way to get it.  My plan is to keep on drinking the green stuff.  It is worth every penny.

In our neck of the woods

For those of you who may be wondering what is up with the Pierson Family, here are a few various and sundry updates.

Our move to Texas has been postponed, indefinitely I suppose.  Unpacking has been nearly completed with only one emotional meltdown, which in my opinion ain't too shabby.  I am sorely disappointed in how things have turned out, but am hopeful for the future.  We are all very thankful to not be in the middle of the disaster that is now Bastrop County, TX.

Having originally planned to begin our school year once we had moved to Texas, I was unprepared mentally and literally to start the girl's school.  We have managed, however, to get things rolling along and they are doing well.  I have such amazing girls and have come to realize that this time with them is a blessing.  They are fun, bright and seem to be adjusting to the whole home school thing. Kids grow up so quickly and then they are gone. I can't believe I have 3 teenagers!!!!

Shelby is working at New Gate Technologies and seems to be doing fine.  He is saving his money for a truck, which he does need.  He spends his time hanging with his buddies, going to rodeos and trying to find ways to get in some dirt biking time.  What a great young man he has grown up to be--hard working, fun and loving.  His latest "thing"  is a frog that he decided to bring home one day.  It is a tree frog called Dumpy. Apparently it will grow to be 5-6 inches long.  Yikes!  Anyway, if you know Shelby, you won't be surprised to know he now is the keeper of what promises to be a rather large amphibian. Here is a pic of a blue dumpy frog.

Jay has recently purchased a new pickup.  Our little Saturn is on it's last leg and is Shelby's current mode of transportation.  Jay rode his street bike all summer and had hoped to be able to use it for a while longer due to the move to Texas.  Since that didn't happen and winter is rapidly approaching, we decided another vehicle is needed.  It's a great truck and I think Jay feels a bit more manly driving it as opposed to the Saturn. :-)

As for me, I am getting used to the idea of being cold for the next 10 months {sigh} and have decided to focus on the good things.  Jay and I went hiking yesterday and took a few minutes at the top to just sit and take in the amazing view.  The mountains truly can be breathtakingly lovely.  Now if they just weren't so darn cold...:)