Snowy Day in November

I am one of those crazy runners, no matter what the weather (for the most part) I'm still out there getting my miles in.  Today was no exception because it was snowing.  I wasn't missing this one, I was going for my run.  I love running in the snow, from Lake effect living in Cleveland, to Nor'easters living in Swampscott Mass to the OH MY GOD we got 1 inch of Winston Salem, NC.  On Beech Mountain the snow started at midnight, I just sat at the window watching the fat, wet, flakes come down.

I waited until the temperature got closer to above freezing, then put on my layers and made it out into the snow.  There is nothing like it.

Everything is quieter when running in the snow.  Even your footsteps are muffled.
Everything looks cleaner when covered in white, today the snow clung to all the branches of the trees making them look like tall snowmen.
There is a peace in running outside your element, in changing your gate because you are slipping a little bit, and pulling off the gator taking a deep breath of the cold, moist air.

I found gratitude in this run because as my feet hit the trail, I thought of those who could not run.  I thought of a few Thanksgivings back when I wondered why my mother couldn't keep up on our "walks" like she used to, both of us trudging through the snow.  She had surgery two weeks later finding out there was a brain tumor, so yes, her gate had changed, she was dragging a foot.  I remember talking during that walk, about nothing in particular, but the snow made our conversation sound like the only thing on that street, muffling out all the normal noises so we just heard each other.    We walked the morning before the busy Thanksgiving holiday, enjoying the quiet, the solitude of doing what everyone else in the house thought was crazy.

As I started up my hill, I thought about how thankful I am for my health.  That I can get out in the craziest of weather and still exercise and love it.  That I may be getting older and much of my times are getting slower, but I am moving to the point of just getting out there means I won.

My thoughtful gratitude was interrupted when a pickup truck slowed down and stopped next to me as I was climbing the hill.

"Are you all right?"  A little old man asked from the pickup truck.
I look at him, "Yes, I'm just running."

And it occurred to me that either I was:
A.  Crazy for running out in this weather, or
B.  I really did look that bad running up that hill.

How to know Thanksgiving is over, or something smells...

Ten ways to know that the Thanksgiving holiday is OVER...

10.  You just realize your Pumpkin decorations are rotten.

9.   Your pants don't fit.

8.   You've lost the urge to eat pumpkin cake or drink pumpkin spice coffee.

7.  You're finally sick of turkey.

6.  You're afraid to step on the scale.

5.  You've become very fond of stretchy pants.

4.  You are still sore from pushing those shoppers out of the way on Black Friday.

3.  The dog has thrown up the wish bone.

2.  Monday morning felt like the first day of school after summer break - no one could get moving.

1.  You find  "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas...." stuck in your brain from the Christmas music on the radio!

What are you thankful for?

Things I am Thankful for on Thanksgiving

1. I don’t have to get up and walk to the TV to change the channel anymore.
2. I never had to walk two miles in the snow, EVER, to get to school, especially barefoot and uphill.
3. That Twinkies may have another chance
4. My phone is not attached to a wall.
5. My encyclopedia is now the internet
6. That I can throw away a dirty diaper
7. Stretchy Jeans
8. It only takes 3 minutes in the microwave to make popcorn
9. I didn’t have to sing 1000 bottles of beer on the wall during out 7 hour car ride
10. Spray on suntan lotion - except on that windy day.

Give Thanks - a fable

A man walked down a lonely country road, upset at his lot in life, damning himself and those around him. He was in a sad state, lonely, broke and sick. He stumbled along thinking; if I just keep moving eventually I’ll fall down and disappear into the earth, back to the dust from which I came. He shoes were old, with more holes than leather, the dust of the road coating them in a light brown sheen. His pants once were pressed and clean, the result of a trip to the dry cleaner a long time ago but hadn’t seen the inside of a washing machine in some time, the pockets had holes in them it didn’t matter because he had nothing to put in them. He wore an old button down shirt with a sweater against the cold, each belonging to someone else and found for free. To him, it didn’t matter how he looked, there was no one on the road anyway, he could be walking naked for all he cared, and he had nowhere to go. He was playing the blame game in his mind, blaming everything and everyone as he shuffled along. People didn’t help him enough; he’d be farther along if someone would help him. Why is life so hard for him when everyone else had it so easy? He should have more, he deserved more why did everything work against him to take everything he had? What he didn’t realize was that much was happening on that road, what he was missing. As he shuffled along, he didn’t see the red bird sitting in the tree staring at him, a beautiful song sitting on her lips waiting for the right moment to start. When she did start, he was too far along to hear, the only sound he heard was his feet crunching in the dirt. He passed a family of deer sitting still in the trees, the brown of their coat helping them to blend in. Miraculously they went through the morning in the path of hunters but for some reason were never seen, the two small fawns nuzzling at some grass peeking through bits of snow on the ground. They stayed close to their mother, quiet as he walked by. The most amazing part of his journey was right there under his feet. As he walked along he passed a beautiful stone that sparkled in the sunlight, he actually kicked it with his shoe, should have felt the stone through the hole in the front of his shoe but he was so wrapped up in himself that he missed it as he flung to the side of the road to a stop in the grass next to a small clump of snow. The gem was special, it was beautiful, full of color, full of sparkle waiting to be found. The material value of the gem would have set the man in the apartment he was dreaming about, bought him new clean clothes even his favorite pair of shoes, but like all the opportunities in his life he didn’t see what was right in front of him and let it pass him by. He didn’t see that God gave him great blessings, that by focusing on what he could not have he didn’t see what he already had and what was offered to him. He went along that road being selfish, thinking of himself and not letting anyone else in. If he’d stopped and gave thanks, he’d seen that gem, picked it up and call himself a lucky man. If he’d stop and give thanks for his life, he’d see the gem inside of himself and realize that he already was a lucky man. The sun was beginning to set as he continued down that road, the deer ran into the woods settling in a bed of leaves for warmth, the bird flying up to her nest and settling for the night with a sigh. The man walked on, while the gem sat unnoticed until the next lucky man walked by. What gem sits on your road? Are you thankful for the journey?