Random February Stuff

Remember in school when you had a month to write that paper and found yourself on the last couple of days scrambling to start and finish the paper?  Don't even talk to me if you were the person who had the paper written one week after it was assigned, I can't even comprehend such a thing!  Well, as February is near its end, I find that I have mulled over several blog topics during the month and managed to find dozens of ways not to bring any of them to completion.  Last night, as I lie awake, my mind went through those poor never written blog posts.  There is the one that goes through the playlist of my life.  I see it as the musical score to the many stages of my life.  Someday I really do hope to sit down and write that one.  I am currently just gathering the songs, albums and artists...while not sleeping.  There is the one I come up with a unique thought, finally, and write something eloquent and witty with great perspective.  I reflected on some of my favorite posts and wonder how I was able to come up with those ideas and why my brain just doesn't feel as sharp as it did...8 or 10 years ago!  Hmmm, maybe those 8 or 10 years have something to do with my fading sharpness.  One more reason to put the fingers to the keyboard and write.  But, alas, motivation is fleeting.  I have found that I have also become very skilled at making excuses for just about everything, be it writing, playing good or bad golf, working out, cleaning my house, cooking, yard work...you know...all the "fun" stuff.

February was a good month; it usually is for us.  It began in Park City, Utah with a glass of wine to celebrate the end of dry/damp January and to toast my ski bum obsessed husband who has taken his ski career to the next level.  He was enjoying his season pass for a couple of weeks before I arrived, and he loved every minute of it.  Since I am still retired from my illustrious ski career, spending a month in Park City does not appeal to me as much as it does to him, so we compromise, and I show up for a week of winter.  My sister, Lee Ann, joined us since she loves the snow and visiting winter as much as I do.  No, we really do enjoy it!  We have however, transitioned from skiing to snowshoeing and still get to enjoy being out in the snow plus it gives us a chance to take in some of the views we grew to love.  

I still like to sit at the bottom of the hill
and remember the days I was one of "them".  

From Park City we went to San Francisco to enjoy one of the gifts that comes along with being a grandparent, watching the grandchild while the parents go to an out-of-town wedding.  One of the unfinished blogs for the month was started after our visit to San Francisco when I got home and was bursting with energy that comes with keeping up with a 3-year-old. 

After raising 4 children and grandparenting 6 grandchildren past the age of 3, I have...in my "expert" opinion, decided that 3 must be one of the best ages in life.  We spent a week with our 3-year-old grandson, and it was pure joy.  It reminded me of the precious moments we spent with our other grandchildren at the same age.  There is such joyful innocence in a 3-year-old!  They are no longer "babies", so they talk, run, have developed tastes, have opinions, are soaking up life like sponges, and are more physically and mentally able to enjoy more grown-up activities like going to the zoo and eating sushi.  I did not necessarily notice this every day when my own children were 3 because I lacked the perspective that comes with hindsight.  Sure, there were moments of sweetness when my cup overflowed just watching them explore, play, smile, learn and grow but there were also moments I was just dog paddling to keep my head above the water and get through to the next day.  Grandparents don't have the burden responsibility of raising grandchildren most of the time, we just get to enjoy them and say "yes" a lot more than "no"!  The farther along in my grandparenting life I get, the more I appreciate this!

Yes, you may have a giant donut
if you are a good boy in church!!

I just love following them on the way to "school".

And I did my first Transformer!  
"Gigi can you turn this monster into a truck?"
Only took me 3 days!

The joy and innocence was refreshing and inspiring.  When you get older and are not around children as much you forget how precious it is!

Once we got back home it was Lent.  This year Lent means no weekday drinking for me.  It seemed to be a good behavior pattern in January so I decided to continue, call me crazy.  You would think with all the time and energy I have in the evenings I would be writing a lot more...nope.

I have been doing a lot of walking while listening to books, reading books, working on my golf game and coming up with more creative excuses for my high score.  So far, I have read West with Giraffes (probably not for everyone but I really enjoyed the story!), Things We Never Got Over (had no idea how racy this would be...didn't stop me though😉) and am working on The Five Star Weekend and The Way, My Way.  None of this can be considered fine literature but boy have I enjoyed them.  

I have upped my daily mileage to prepare for another part of the Camino de Santiago.  I said, the minute we finished our first one, that I would do it again in a heartbeat...so here we go.  We plan to walk the Camino Ingles in April after Easter.  It will be a road less traveled.  We are walking with one of TJ's sisters and her husband.  I am very much enjoying my daily walks and am adding miles hoping to be ready and able to enjoy the Way.  San Francisco was great hill training, possibly the only hill training I will get since we live in Texas.  So, either there is a giant carrot dangling in front of me to motivate me or it is whispering in my ear telling me to get up and get going so I can be safe and not sorry.  We shall see.

So that was a lot of random February stuff.  I will pray for inspiration in March during one of my many March miles.  One final thought, if you have stayed with this hot mess this far, spring is in the air and you know what that means...only a few months until shore time!!!  Hang in there folks!