Turning the Page on 2013

It's no myth that "the older you get the faster time goes". I've heard it explained that it is because each week, month, year represents a smaller percentage of your life as you age and that makes sense. I also think in many cases it is because the older you get the more you try to jam into the remaining time you will be blessed with. This past year was certainly a busy one and one of the nice things about blogging or journaling is that I don't feel any pressing need to rehash what happened in 2013. I blogged my trips, I blogged my races and I blogged a lot about the day to day life on the ranch in California.

Obviously losing my Dad was a big thing this past year and then celebrating the first holidays, birthdays and so on with neither parent being here. In one sense though Dad's passing was a relief because he wanted to go ever since Mom did in 2011. That doesn't mean that he didn't fight hard in the end it just means that he was ready when it was time. We miss him and out of the blue things will happen to remind us of both him and Mom but we can share the memories and know that they are ok.

Speaking of "turning the page" I finished typing my 2013 reading list this morning and here are the books that I'm finishing off the year with:

I have read the Bible cover to cover every year since 2006. This year I decided to focus on just the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs and I will finish this one tomorrow. I read a Margolin novel earlier this year and enjoyed it, particularly the characters in his Amanda Jaffe series so I went to Google to get a list of all his novels in the series, found them at a used book store, bought them and read them. This is the most recent and I will finish it today. If you like legal thrillers then I recommend Margolin.

I'll also finish a good autobiography by Anne Audain today and I'm reading the book that I received from my Daughter and son-in-law for Christmas; it is an interesting story and will be the first book on my completed reading list for 2014.

By the numbers in 2013: 82 novels and 20 Non Fiction books. I guess I do read a lot.

Happy New Year. Good reading in 2014!

Merry Christmas from California - 2013!

It's hard to believe that this is my 3rd Christmas in California since moving here in December of 2011. My original reason for moving here was to help my sister with the care of my parents, she had been a one person health care system and after seeing what she went through during several visits it wasn't hard to decide to help when I was invited to move here from Colorado Springs, my home since 1985. This will be our first Christmas without either of our parents but that can't take away the memories of so many Christmases through the years. Here are some of pictures of our early Christmases.

And here is one that I have no memory of, my first Christmas in 1948, Wilmington, Massachusetts.

Through the years: My parents, the tree behind my Dad was actually his separate tree for the gifts he received from the people on his mail route. It was amazing how much he was given every year. My grandmother Anstey when she visited California for Christmas. My in-laws, Sam and Lois Stout, we spent a lot of Christmases with them when the kids were growing up.

Speaking of the kids, here are some pictures that I randomly chose for this blog, I will let them speak for themselves.

Now I think I'll get a run done! Here is a picture from a Christmas run in Lovington, New Mexico over 30 years ago.

I made the rug Santa hanging on the door. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Winter Running and Holiday Races

According to the calendar winter hasn't started and won't for a few days. I think people all over the country who are dealing with "winter" storms would disagree with the calendar. I know one thing, it is cold even in California. As a matter of fact, I know two things, I don't like running in the cold either. For most of my life I have said that I would rather run when it is cold than when it is hot, "because you can always put on more clothes but there are only so many that you can take off". It seems the older I get the less I feel that way now. I would rather run when it's hot and if it is too hot then just don't run. The reality is that for the most part it is never too cold to run because you really can dress for the conditions. So like everyone else I come to that decision point where I have to decide whether or not I want to run or whether I want to blame the weather for not running and then regret it later. As a matter of fact, as I sit here writing this I'm working on talking myself into running this morning.

California Ice

In spite of the weather and fighting a cold myself I have still managed to run a couple of races that were fundraisers for good causes. The first was the Jingle Bell Run in Merced and the second was the Spirit of Giving in Modesto. I actually went to the Merced race not knowing if I was actually going to run because I had a cold. Since it was not in my chest I knew I would be ok to run if I felt like it and fortunately the race had a noon start time. When I arrived I was given race bib #1 and I found out that it was the 1st running of the race, finally I didn't feel to bad so I decided to run. Even though it was cold, cloudy and somewhat windy it was a nice event and I would certainly consider going back again next year.

MERCED JINGLE BELL RUN

The irony in the pictures of the start and finish is how blue and clear the sky looks. By the time the race started the clouds had rolled back in and it was cold.

COLD!!!

MODESTO SPIRIT OF GIVING 5k

The Modesto race was even colder than the Merced race but I suppose cold races are to be expected in December even in "Sunny California". I enjoyed both races and they both supported good causes at a special time of year. 

Thanksgiving - 2013 #2 Turkey Trots & Thanksgiving Thoughts

While I enjoy Thanksgiving it is by no means my favorite holiday. Don't get me wrong I love the idea of "giving thanks" but if there is anything that I have learned the past few years it is that we should try to "give thanks" every day. For that reason I believe that while we may celebrate Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday of November every year, we should celebrate what we have to be thankful for daily. No matter how bad a day may seem, if you look there will be something to bring some happiness to your day.

While preparing for blog entries the past couple of years I have spent a lot of time going through pictures and "stuff" that I have accumulated in 65 years. Needless to say all of this walking "down memory lane" has brought back a lot of memories and while all of them certainly aren't of good things or good times, the good far outweigh the bad. It is that realization that has helped to strengthen my resolve to try to focus on being thankful daily. Not always easy but worth the effort.

Obviously it is easier to be thankful if you are happy and while that is not always easy I found a great guideline for happiness in a recent book that I read; Mind Over Water - Lessons on Life From the Art of Rowing by Craig Lambert. He said:

"There are two ways to be happy. First, everyone's favorite route, Plan A: we can get what we want. Then there is Plan B: we can like what we have. Of the two, Plan B is by far the more important skill to master. First, it generates happiness right now, not in some hypothetical future when we "get what we want." Second, if we lack this skill, we won't be happy -- despite our imaginings -- even when we get what we want because then, that will be what we have. There is no future happiness."

The message that I choose to take from that quote is simply "be happy now". Am I naive enough to suggest that it is easy? Nope! But I am encouraged enough by my own experience to believe that it is possible. I hope that it is for those of you reading this as well.

THANKSGIVING - 1968

Donna, Me, John, Rob & Carol

Me & Mom

These pictures were taken on Thanksgiving weekend in 1968. While I was stationed in Memphis going to school my family moved from California to Fort Collins, Colorado. So when I got leave between my school assignment and my assignment to more school in VA 125 for A4 training in Lemoore I first flew to Colorado for Thanksgiving. Other than these pictures I really don't remember much about the trip. From there I flew back to California where I spent the remainder of my leave before reporting to Lemoore. (The pictures aren't great but they are after all almost 50 years old).

THANKSGIVING RACES

New Mexico - In the '80's

Awards were Turkeys, Chickens & Cornish Game Hens

Throughout the years I've run "Turkey Trots"  from time to time, this year was the first time that I did two of them the same Thanksgiving weekend. My first was the Turlock Turkey Trot and was a 2 mile race back at Donnelly Park. It was the 29th annual which would lead you to believe that they might have organization down. That was certainly not the case. Once again, no restrooms except one park restroom at the starting line, the other restroom in a different area of the park wasn't even open. Fortunately I went there expecting something like that and allowed myself enough time to drive to Walmart after warming up to use the restroom. I don't understand any race, particularly one hosting family races and bragging about an "all time record number of entries" not providing appropriate facilities. Oh well, it is what it is and it is over. 

What could possibly go wrong here with almost 300 competitors and hundreds of spectators and officials? :)

The prizes were for overall and age group were supposed to be turkeys, chickens, eggs and pumpkin pies, additionally they were going to have a raffle. As it turned out they dropped all of the runner tags from the kid's mile race so they couldn't determine places, because of that they apparently decided to not recognize award winners in the two mile race either and all of the awards went into the raffle. I hung around through the "raffle that wouldn't end" in hopes that they would post the official results for our race but, nope! We were told that the results would be placed on the city website. That was two weeks ago and still no results. Oh well, I still came away thankful that I have my health and that I'm still able to participate in events like this even if they are poorly organized and poorly run.

This is definitely an event that if I decide to run it again next year I will remember that the emphasis here has to be on the title, "fun run".

The second "Turkey Trot" that I ran was actually on Thanksgiving Day and was a 5K at Tuolumne Regional Park in Modesto. It was a beautiful late fall day and was run on what felt like a real cross country course. While there were many more runners at this event it was also much more well organized. 

My sister cooked an outstanding Thanksgiving meal that we all enjoyed and we watched a whole lot of NFL Football. It was a nice Thanksgiving and a good reminder of the many things that I continue to be grateful for. Health, family and friends quickly come to mind.

As I sit writing this a week after Thanksgiving, later than I planned, I am reminded to not take health for granted. I came down with a cold early this week and it has basically knocked me for a loop and has certainly brought my training to a screeching halt. I am supposed to run the first of two Christmas themed races on Saturday but that probably won't happen. It is also supposed to be cold and rainy that day!

I hope that whoever you are and wherever you are reading this that you have a lot to be thankful for, not just during the Thanksgiving holiday season but always.