2016-02-02 - 10:06 p.m.

I came to write about my lovely past few days, but first a message I got from my son last week that just made my day:

" I agree - putting faith and trust in God first is the best way to live. There is love all around us, and no matter how challenging things are there is an endless amount of beauty. I apologize for how negative I was on the phone last night. Of course you know; but I am on a journey of growth and healing and sometimes find it difficult. However, I am tremendously grateful for our family and your endless love. I am blessed with an incredibly inspirational, compassionate, and supportive Mom! talk soon " (Soren HA HA as that is his fake name!)

I still feel funny when using the fake names..

Regardless,

I came to write briefly even though exhausted.

Wonderful weekend
Ran a 5K which is really inspirational in drifts of snow.

Feels fantastic! Even at 13 min miles!

Whoo Hooo!!! I mean when you go out there in 26 degree weather with about six foot drifts all around , even if running slowly one feels FIERCE

For me it was wonderful to go run that race alone on Sat morning. None of the girls chose to go this time. One of them was off with Dad car shopping. Yes he is buying a car and is going to actually let the teen drive!

The others opted to sleep in.

So I got up and left around 8AM , and headed west which was just a beautiful drive, to go run this race which took place in a small town that sits in the valley at the foot of Massahtutan mountain about one hour from where I live. (I have no idea how to actually spell that .. its the mountain with a resort with skiing and summer recreation. )

This run was really very lovely. It started off up a hill and then leveled out to run on a bridge over a river, then around a curve and onto a gravel road for a while, up a couple more hills, one very steep one and then sloping back down to the finish at a high school where we started. The school was a nice place for a race as there are PLENTY OF BATHROOMS (And that is truly a big thing when it comes to race accommodations), and it was WARM inside (a HUGE thing when it comes to WINTER race accommodations), and best of all, there was a place for the ORANGES when finished!

Orange slices NEVER TASTE SO GOOD as after you run a 5K in 26 degree weather and haven't yet had water.

I felt like I was DRINKING those oranges as they were hydrating me, until after about six orange wedges I notice that the other great amenity a school offers for a race is WATER FOUNTAINS.

Now the coolest thing is that during this race I felt BEST when running up hill!

YES !
I am being absolutely serious!
It was the weirdest, as well as perhaps the coolest thing I ever experienced while running. (Next to pretending we were coming in first during the ' MY K' when I got to, for a moment, feel like I was crossing the line first for my age group after we lopped off part of a loop and inadvertedly had shortened our course during the Battleship race in Wilmington-- cause that was both weird and strangely cool too!)

Each time I approached one of those hills, I would hear an inner voice...
I would hear my friend the Marine coach's encouragement as the inner voice saying with each hill

"knees up You got this, raise the knees up, back straight , keep them up... Lets Go!"

and then I would suddenly get a burst of adrenaline and pick up my pace and PASS PEOPLE SLOWING DOWN!
It felt MARVELOUS

Only one time, on the steepest hill, did I slow down and start walking briefly. That was after the guy in front of me stopped running and started walking and said "EVERYONE IS WALKING THIS ONE!"

UGH! I gave myself permission to walk a bit too on that one which was just a killer hill. I didn't walk long but pushed on and made it around the curve to run the rest of the race, coming in with a strong and steady ending.

It was really fun and motivating as I would not have run had I not been registered for this winter race.

As I was printing out the directions that morning , I realized that my old friend ART lives in that tiny southwestern Virginia town!

So I looked up his #, jotted it down on my directions , and at 9:25 right before the race, I texted Art's phone and left him a message asking if he wanted to catch up over coffee as I just happen to be in his tiny town!

I told him the phone would be in the car during the race, but to leave me a message if he could meet at 11ish.
I was delighted when I got a message from him that he was up for coffee with me.

So after the race, I wisely was able to change into DRY clothes !(WHEW that is SO important , especially in the winter as when all sweaty and hot it can put you at risk of hypothermia during the rapid cool down of evaporation from wet clothing on your body)
I have to wrap this up as too tired....

returned lost dog home
met Art at a Denny's where we sat for the next couple hours , ate some Belgium waffles and a few cups of coffee and caught up.

It was SO NICE
He is doing well, may just marry the girl he has been in relationship for past three years now , doing well overall... but working and not creating art often enough, but still doing it a bit here and there.

HE is proud to have finished school That was an accomplishment , but disappointed not finding the work he hoped to. Working as a maintenance guy on a college campus. He is so smart and capable and I am sure will find something else with his degree in organizational business management eventually.

His girl is a messuse who has a nice business in a great location in a nearby city.

Tonight I thought of Art yet again very fondly as I struck a pose in an art class and as I laid there realized it was if not the same but darn near one I held for him once TEN YEARS AGO now!
Maybe nine... as it was summer after all...

But regardless, it was such a nice memory to come to me during a modeling session at an art center this evening.

What was delightful is that my FAVORITE Painter showed up tonight for the class. She has called me to model in her studio before, but its been years since I sat for her. So it was really cool to meet her and have her sketching tonight. I recall her marvelous classes and her speaking of how painting is all about light, and the relationship between light and dark.

I am tired... but it was just so nice, meditative, and lovely to have a room of artists really appreciative thanking me for sitting for them. They always tell me I am really good at modeling and are grateful. I am just honored to be able to watch their wonderful talent blossom and see them create their pieces.

I love the sound of the scratching of the charcoal on the page. The rhythmic rubbing of charcoal and pencils on paper along with the dripping of the melting snow coming off the roof of the building created soothing, peaceful sounds to me.

My morning started with pulling out my Yoga book from under my bed, to get ready for the day and in the frame of mind for modeling. I stretched for a half hour, holding a few yoga poses, then showered and headed off into my day. After work I stopped to get my schedule at my part time job and am delighted I am off a weekend my son is in a show so I can see it! I then headed to the art center which has a nice restaurant nearby where I got a wonderful cup of soup, fresh bread and a fresh bakery chocolate chip cookie!
I was early
(I wrote the time in my planner a half hour earlier, which I often do, but don't do ALL the time, but the result is I am very often a half hour early for things)

I love arriving for modeling jobs early as I always enjoy strolling through the art centers those are at and enjoying the art on display.
With jazz in the car for the commute to and from work, it was a lovely day filled with good food, good music, art and creation , honest work well done, Yoga and relaxation, ending with WRITING.

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