My current arch-nemisis

They look all sweet and sunny here but really they're more like this:



And THIS nasty little thing....



They follow close behind.

The price one pays for organic lawn care?

Tendonitis.

Not adding to the 6-legged frog population:

Priceless.

All good things come to an end

Yesterday I had one of those RARE moments in parenting where everything went right. It was a nasty April day -- gloomy and spitting cold mist -- so what better way to spend the afternoon than bake cookies!

The mini-muffins were ALL about that (who wouldn't be??) so they helped me mix the batter cooperatively and nary an egg shell ended up in the bowl! They cheerfully licked whatever spoon or beater I gave them and then miraculously sat on the couch looking at an anatomy book I had recently bought for them.

Brennan was "explaining" the inner workings of the human body to Logan and Logan was in turn asking more questions. It was really quite cute and it took only a few minutes before I settled into a blissful state of semi-awareness. Humming to myself, I started the frosting, imagining the cutest spring-themed sugar cookies ever.

Moments later I heard

"I'm turning the page."

"No! I'M turning the page!"

whhhiiiine

"I'M turning the page!!"

louder whhhhiiiiine


RRRRRRIP

Thank goodness for the soothing properties of sugar cookies.

1st Annual Running

It's fitting that I give a long overdue running update on the day of the first running of the Illinois Marathon. VERY exciting stuff! I would have LOVED to participate but there was no way that was going to happen this year....maybe never....I'm not sure. As ONO aptly said to a neighbor who asked if I ran the marathon, "She has the aerobic capacity, but her body probably couldn't take the physical wear and tear." Part of what comes with being 45. Although, I read recently that frequent sex helps maintain healthy joints. Hmmm.....

Although not a marathon, I did run today, and it was FABULOUS! I ran roughly 5.5 miles in the rural parts of town, just east of our house, to a nursery that I have become quite loyal to. It was a cool, breezy, SUNNY day and there were lots of interesting things to look at along the road. But more than that, it felt like I had small springs in my legs. It felt GOOD to run a little harder and faster! I thought about going farther but listened to my Super Ego for once and stopped. ONO and the boys met me there after I had plenty of time to cool down and choose stones to make a walkway from the front of our house to the back yard. Also came home with a nice variety of shrubbery. Yes, gardening is in full swing at the Haake house! But more on that later.

I have been running about once or twice a week, schedule permitting. Of the injuries that plagued me the end of last fall and through the winter, the shin splints have disappeared. YAY! The plantar fasciitis rears it's ugly head now and then -- more after I use the elliptical than after I run (weird, huh?) so I stretch and rub and if it's a little too noisy, I just dope up and go anyway.

My goal this year is to complete a 1/2 marathon. I can see myself doing that. College Muffin asked if I would do one with her and I got really excited. How fab to train with your daughter and run a race together! I totally enjoyed doing that with Stud-ly Muffin. However, Bethany has had some significant health concerns this year so we're not too sure if the 1/2 will be a joint venture or not.

Along with the 1/2, I plan to run a 10K and then some other races of shorter distances but with interesting venues. First one coming up is the Lake Bloomington run which takes you 4 and some change miles around -- you got it -- Lake Bloomington and then after wards there is a big party! My friend/neighbor/running pal Tara suggested it.

So, in the last 6 months, I've decided to change some things up. This winter I added weight training to my routine and liked it, especially when ONO and I did that together, so will continue. (That would be a big, fat, DUH! huh?) And, I'm definitely NOT doing the trail run this year because it's put me out of the game two years in a row now. I really want to focus on increasing my distances to see if my 45 year old joints really can't take it. Buy stock in Advil now, people!!

Oh, and, I've decided to never skimp on shoes! I love, LOVE, LOVE my new Asics Kayano 15s with the asymmetrical lacing. Best shoes I have EVER worn!

I'm going to get another pair and this time special order them in pink. Yes, PINK!

5 MUST reads

This is my current list:

5. The Tao of Motherhood

4. The Miracle of Mindfulness

3. Full Catastrophe Living

2. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

1. Eat, Pray, Love

If you've read any of these, I'd love to hear what you think. Happy reading!

C'mon, get happy

No, this isn't a tribute to the Partridge Family -- sorry to disappoint.

This is a tribute to my current MUST READ: "eat, pray, love."

If you haven't read this book, I HIGHLY recommend it. If you have, then you already know what I'm talkin' about! Here's a very brief plot synopsis to set the stage for the following excerpt:

A 30-something year old woman, Liz Gilbert, finds herself in a pool of tears and snot on her bathroom floor after a difficult break-up and a deep sense of hopelessness and lack of direction. In the midst of her pain she reaches out to the Universal Divine and believes she is directed to take a year off and search for meaning and happiness. She goes to Italy, India and Indonesia. The rest of the memoir is definitely a page-turner.

Teachings about happiness that Liz got from her guru while in India:

"People universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's now how happiness works.

Happiness is the consequence of personal effort.
You fight for it,
strive for it,
insist upon it, and
sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.

You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings.

And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't, you will leak away your innate contentment.

It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments."

This I Believe

Yesterday while driving back to the office I was listening to "All Things Considered" on NPR. For my more conservative readers, NPR is a news network that, unlike some other networks claim, reports information that is actually NEWS WORTHY and does it in a FAIR and BALANCED manner.

Anyhoo, I got caught up in one of the features that has been included occasionally on All Things Considered called "This I Believe." This has grabbed me before, but yesterday it REALLY got me, probably because I had left the house with a chronic family struggle stuck in my craw. I was trying to be a little quieter in myself so I could gain better perspective on the situation -- doing deep diaphragmatic breathing and the like -- so, true to the promise, this semi-meditative state opened me up.

If you have the opportunity, you check out the This I Believe web site. Basically everyday folks (just like me and you!) have shared their life philosophies in a personal essay.

Yesterday's personal essay was written by Muhammad Ali. That didn't do much for me but what did was the montage of excerpts from previously aired personal essays. This is the one that's had me thinking, HARD, for the last 24 hours or so:

"So I keep watching what I do to see what I actually believe."

Whoa.

I decided to do the same and will be reporting back. Care to join me?

Back for another try

It's April, FINALLY, and despite some mucho stress at home, I'm feeling a bit better....FINALLY!

Whew! What a winter.

Hope everyone out there is alive and well.

I missed you!