Favorite Things - January & February

I'm a bit behind, so please be patient with my longer list. As I gathered all of my items, I realized there was a general theme... Any guesses???

I have been feeling pretty great about my training and treated myself to a splurge!!

I found the Brooks Nightlife jackets and vest on eBay for a decent price. These jackets/vest should allow me to be seen better than in my current plain black jacket.

The Marathon Stick is a muscle massage tool that is designed to simultaneously compress and stretch muscles.

The primary benefit of the marathon stick to runners is the elimination of "trigger points". Trigger points are contracted bundles of muscle, which feel like bumpy tender knots.

Muscles containing trigger points feel tight, fatigue quickly and often hurt.

The marathon stick extinguishes these trigger points.

I have developed some discomfort from plantar fasciitis.

The Strassburg Sock was designed to keep tension on the tissue (plantar fascia) so it heals in a stretched position at night.

I am already noticing less morning discomfort and with continued use hope to have it completely healed!!

The Road ID identification system...
Is for outdoor enthusiasts (runners, cyclists, triathletes, skiers, snow boarders, kayakers, walkers, and anyone that doesn’t spend all of their time on the couch).
Road ID enables First Responders to immediately contact family members and friends in case of an emergency.
It’s not just a piece of gear, it’s peace of mind.




Finally, I have to tell everyone about the MapMyRun iPhone app... It logs my mileage, pace and time; best of all it has a GPS that maps my routes! On the website you can track your training and also share your workouts with friends via Facebook, Twitter, etc.

How to Stay Young...

A little something to take us into the week-end...

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'!!!

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares? But do share this with someone.

We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

Worry about nothing, pray about everything!!!

10k Training update #2

At the beginning of this year I began training for a 10k (see here).

I have now been training for 6 weeks and here are my statistics -

Timeframe = Jan. 18 - Feb. 17, 2010

Running ~ 47.86 miles

Cycle ~ 77.81 miles

Other Fitness (Walking, elliptical machine, rollerblade) ~ 28.6 miles

Update #2 training miles = 154.27 with a combined total of 221.98 mi for 6 weeks of training !!!!

I have been an occasional runner for about 6 years and can now say with pride that I have run my farthest distance ever; 6 miles! I will make another jump this weekend to 7 miles, which I am looking forward to for the challenge. It is supposed to rain this weekend, and I will have house guests, but since it is family and they all support me & most run also we may just have a group run! SO FUN!!

I have been plagued by what appears to be plantar faciatis and have been working on calf stretching to relieve that issue. For the last week or so I have been having discomfort in my hips... May be age, but since it started when I increased my mileage I'm thinking that it is more training issues. So far, none of my issues have kept me from training so I will continue to stick to my schedule.

Wedding Bells and Cooking trials... Plus a new title!

Our little boy is taking a bride!!!

♥ Bubba proposed to his Lindsey ♥
Our future daughter-in-law is such a sweetheart -

She has the cutest laugh and a kind spirit.

Best of all, she makes our boy happy :-)

We consider ourselves lucky to have her in our family.

Since the kids had already planned a trip home this weekend, dear daughter (Sissy) and I are throwing together a small engagement party for them!!

Our Bubba loves him some dark beer, and Sissy found a recipe for CarBomb cupcakes!!

I went right to work to make a batch of prototypes...

The recipe is laden with an Irish flair which is right up our alley too!!

The cupcakes came out great! I did not take a picture of one cut open, but they each have a little genache filling inside! The flavor is fantastic, they're moist and will definitely be a hit!!

The frosting is sweet, so I would not put too much more than this on each!

In other cooking news I have been keeping busy trying out recipes..

~ Chicken Parmesan ~

~ Pasta Carbonara ~

~ Coq Au Van ~
This turned out extremely well, but I did not take an after picture!!! I'll let you imagine by seeing all of the ingredients...

My dear daughter recently received her board certification from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties as a Neurologic Clinical Specialist!!

This weekend she has been invited to San Diego, CA where she will formally recognized for her newly achieved specialty!!

- We are so proud of you Sissy -

She & her prince charming will be off on a mini vacation...

which means I get to dog-sit my favorite Grand-Dog!!!

I think that about brings y'all up to speed on what has been happening around here!!

Love is... PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!!!

**VOTING LINK** Scroll down to the bottom to vote!!!
Each month, An Island Life hosts a photo contest with a specific theme.

For February the theme is: Love Is . . .

Here’s how it works:
I have posted a picture taken by me below and how this photo relates to what LOVE IS and what it means to me; which enters me in the contest! Voting will begin on Feb 9th and will run till Feb 13th. I am asking you to VOTE FOR ME!!! Scroll down to the bottom to cast a vote...
The photo with the most votes will be announced on Feb 14th.

Thank you for taking the time to vote ~


I hope you take a few moments also to check out Kailani's blog - She is a busy Momma to 3 daughters, works part-time as a flight attendant and is living in Hawaii (MY DREAM!!!)

This photo for me says Love is... The LOVE of a family sharing a vacation; the LOVE that is felt each and every sunset in Hawaii; the LOVE bestowed upon you by the shear beauty of this magical place.