Happy Is

1. Finding my hubby had my oatmeal all cooked and ready for me after my workout (and it's the 30 minute steel cut oats, not the quickie stuff!)
2. Steel cut oatmeal in the morning...
3. Being disciplined enough to get my workout done in the morning
4. Discovering my pants DID have an extra button sewn into the lining (even if it was after I'd sewn a DIFFERENT substitute button on first)
5. A sunbreak long enough for a lunch walk
6. Being able to fix the staff-room faucet myself without having to call in the city
7. World Market's Dark Chocolate Sea Salt . Yes, I think I finally found a Dark Chocolate I can live with.
8. My new yellow scarf.

Pre

This weekend Rich and I drove to Eugene, Oregon with the specific purpose of running Pre's Trail. Steve Prefontaine, the legend of the running world, never did get to use these trails, which were created in his memory shortly after his fatal car crash in 1975. He had lobbied for such a space, but it didn't happen while he was around to enjoy it. He would have loved this 4-mile course of soft wood chips meandering through woods, fields and along the Willamette River. It was a perfect day--blue skies, 60 degrees and a perfect surface for my Five-finger Vibrams. And even though I was the only runner (correction, I really don't actually run--it's more of a jog) thus shod, (or maybe because I was thus shod...) I felt awesome! When I'd run for any time before using these, I'd always get pain in my knees and hips. With these forcing me to run on the balls of my feet (simulating barefoot running) I ran twice around the four-mile loop with none of those problems. Rich, on the other hand, pulled another hamstring...

Numinous

I came across this new word (well, new to me) twice today, in the space of an hour. Synchronicious in itself, but the word, numinous, actually means supernatural, or spiritual; surpassing comprehension or understanding; mysterious. The first instance was in our PageTurners discussion of the book, Ballad of the Sad Cafe, by Carson McCullers. The second, of greater interest, was pertaining to two stories of divine intervention of a genealogical nature. I, of course, love these kinds of stories. I'm providing the links to them here for your enjoyment as well.

The Pine Cone Story and, the Sequel, from: Keepapitchinin, the Mormon History Blog (don't you love the name of the blog?!)

Waiting Game

My daughter was flying standby and had no problem getting to Colorado on Thursday, but Sunday evening when she wanted to get home...(and yes, she had been warned not to try using standby on a Sunday...) she made it to SLC and then waited...and waited...3:00 flight was full, 5:00 flight was full, 8:00 flight was full...I was getting the updates, but didn't think to do anything about it, until 9:15 I suddenly had a thought that I needed to pray for her to get on the 9:40 flight. I ran into the bathroom, sent up my plea, then less than 2 minutes after I got off my knees I got her text: Home free! 33f is all mine.
I asked her when she got her seat assignment, and she said that very minute! How is that for a quick response to prayer? She then thought of the irony if the plane went down, but I assured her that wasn't going to happen, for the seat assignment--33--was a God-wink that all would be well. And sure enough, we got the landed safely text an hour later.

The Irony of the Apple

I find it somewhat disconcerting and a bit strange that eating an apple always increases my appetite--I'm trying to up my ingestion of fruits and veggies, so opt for an apple instead of the chocolate chip cookies calling to me from the breakroom--but invariably I am hungrier after the apple than before...

Do You Like Pie?

One day a frog was sitting happily by the side of the river when a scorpion came along.
“Oh Mr. Frog,” said the scorpion, “I need to get to the other side of the river to be with my family. Will you please carry me across?”
“But Mr. Scorpion, if I do that, then you will sting me!” replied the frog, somewhat aghast at the request.
“No, I won’t,” said the scorpion.
“Do you promise?” asked a rather doubtful frog.
“I really promise! I will not sting you,” said the scorpion.
“Do you really, really promise?” asked a still-dubious frog.

“Yes, I really promise,” replied the scorpion, very sincerely.
“Okay,” the frog said reluctantly. “Hop on.”

The scorpion climbed on top of the frog’s back and they set off. Halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the frog. In horror, the frog, unable to continue swimming and with both of them about to drown, finally managed to gasp, “Please, Mr. Scorpion, just tell me one thing before we both go under. Just tell me why, when you promised you would not, why oh why did you sting me?”
“Because it is my nature,” replied the scorpion.

Meanwhile...

Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process, he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl, and again the scorpion fell in the river. The monk saved the scorpion and was again stung.
The other monk asked him, “Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know its nature is to sting?”
“Because,” the first monk replied, “my nature is to save.”

So, what is your nature? Are you a frog, a scorpion or a monk?

I am going to have to admit to being a monk. It harks back to a saying in our family, "Moms aren't really very fond of pie..." which, is code for how mom is often the one who sacrifices for others, giving up what she wants so her family/child/husband can have what they want.

Recently I've managed to turn down "pie" three times: one involved a Costco card, one was an AAA card and another was the larger shower stall at the lodge...I just can't help myself--it is my nature.

A quarter saved is a quarter needed

I'm not really sure what to do with this, but the irony was too much to ignore. We were at the Hands On Children's Museum this morning to celebrate Paige's and Renee's unbirthdays. On our way out Rich and I stopped at the gift shop and picked up a couple unbirthday gifts for them for later that evening. The sign said, if you pay with cash, you save 50 cents. Couldn't pass up a bargain like that, so I paid in cash. Next stop was the Olympia Coop, where we picked up 3 items. My annual membership was also tacked on to the total, which came to $25.77. Now the Coop only takes cash...I had exactly $25.27...I was 50 cents short. The clerk threw in the change and said I could pay her back next time I was in. But if I hadn't paid cash at HOCM to save 50 cents, I would have had plenty of cash to cover my bill at the Coop...I know. I don't know what it means either.