Running...

Well, we've just about run out of hot weather for the summer, I'm afraid.  I woke up to 50's and walked (instead of ran) in the bright, cool sunshine.  A high of 72 is a bit disappointing for the last week for swimming at the pool, but I guess it does justify why they close even before Labor Day!

I have finally made some progress on my goal to be able to run 3 miles without stopping.  Unfortunately, at nearly the exact moment that I began to feel like I might, perhaps, one day, begin to like running, and that it may actually be possible for me to achieve this goal outside, before getting back to running on the treadmill in the basement, I started noticing a pain in my hip that continued to worsen. Ugh.  I am officially old.  Now I am plugging the Aleve and back to walking for a week or so, and not getting too far with that.

In researching hip pain in runners, and by talking to friends who are actual runners, I have determined that the whole "Oh, my bursitis" issue is most-likely due to running in the wrong shoes.  So last night Anna and I went out shopping and came home with a shiny (and very cute!) new pair of actual running shoes of a very specific variety, hopefully the exact shoes that will cause my joints to line up in such a way that I can continue to run and not be weary.  And get out of the car pain free, like a 42 year old should.  Time will tell!

...but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.  (Isaiah 40:31)

Time Keeps On Slippin', Slippin', Slippin'...

Wow! August already!  I want to assure you (I know really of only 1 dedicated blog reader) that we are still up here.  We are enjoying summer and staying away from the computer.  Stories are building up in my head, so maybe one day I will write them.  For now I will keep going to the pool as much as I can, and steaming toward arranging the Fall schedule for school which is, of course, more complicated than ever (I say that every year!).

This summer has been loads more summer-like than last summer because it has been HOT!  I like hot, so I won't complain.  But it's actually been in the upper-90's a good bit, with the "heat index" reaching over 100 more than a few times.  Humidity in MN, wow.  My kids asked what the heat index is, and I said it's kind of like the opposite of wind chill.  That struck home right away, no more explanation needed!

That's all for now.  There's laundry to do and boxes of school books to open before the pool calls this afternoon.  I hope all of you are enjoying summer as much as we are!

Home Improvement

There is an ice cream social for the Women in the Church at my house next Tuesday.  And there is a gi-normous dumpster in my driveway.  If that doesn't illustrate the first principal of hospitality, you-can't-wait-until-your-house-is-perfect-to-have-people-over, I'm not sure what does.  So when you come over, don't look at that dumpster.  Just sit in the unfurnished but air-conditioned living room and enjoy some ice cream!

And if you have a large item to dispose of, give me a call.  The dumpster is too big for our needs and probably has room for some of your junk, too!

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another...(I Peter 4:8-10)

Summertime...

I've been largely absent from the computer lately, and I must say it is nice.  If summer is anything here in Minnesota, it is short.  But it has been lovely so far and we have been soaking up every moment.

We enjoyed a lively visit from my sister, her husband, and five out of six of her kids.  (We'll not mention their drive up here through tornados and that quality time in the gas station bathroom!)  It was like a vacation for all of us, since we did all the fun things we could cram into three days - Como Zoo, Minnehaha Falls, a Twins' game, and the Mall of America.  There was also a lot of play time around here and a lot of eating!

That visit was followed by the annual Music in Plymouth concert with the Minnesota Orchestra and plenty of really good fireworks.  And that was followed closely by two days at the pool, lots of work around the house, a day of rest, and a church picnic.  There was also a plumbing thing; it seems we may be back on the leak-a-week plan.  We have a large plumbing project ahead of us, but the rain in the unfinished part of the basement has stopped for now.  Whew!  I declared we had to stay home this morning to do important things, like laundry, that never seem to do themselves.  Then we're back to the pool, I hope!

The home improvement before and after shots will be coming soon.  The front door will get redone tomorrow and we can declare the exterior done.  The trouble with it would most-likely not show in a photo, but that is still my excuse!

I hope all of you are enjoying summer as much as I am!  If you have any local, Minnesota must-do's for summer, I'd love to hear them!

Summer Reading

I just finished reading The Old Man and the Sea, for the first time as far as I remember. I could say I’m not sure how I missed that one, but I think I have figured it out already. I didn’t read much in school, and I read almost nothing that wasn’t assigned. Actually, I did not really read that much of what was assigned, except in a skimming or Cliff Notes sort of way. What I remember about literature in school was that we never could just read anything; we had to pick it apart, write about it, and discuss it, ad nauseam. I know comprehension is important, and writing is very important. Don’t worry - my children are required to do these things in school, too. It’s just that I feel like if we do that to every assigned book they will turn out like I did and not enjoy reading. And there would not be time for them to read the quantity of good literature out there that I hope they can cram in before college. So yes, I’ll admit it, most of the assigned reading for my kids’ school is just that, reading. Throw in a dinner table discussion and check it off the list.