He IS Risen!!!

We sing about Christmas being the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and Disneyland claims to be the "Happiest Place on Earth." But NOTHING compares to Resurrection Day! Yes, on Christmas a special baby was born, but if He had just lived and died, our lives would be the same. Oh, but He lived, He died, and He Arose!!! Can you imagine the joy at the tomb that morning?


Matthew 28

5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

Rejoice today!

Happy Birthday, Kim!

To my favorite sister...


Happy 29th Birthday...


for the 23rd time...


Love you!!

Mileage Update

I had a fun week of riding this week! I wanted to see how many consecutive days I could ride. It started with a "June Gloom" Monday - we had a very heavy marine layer. It was so wet water was dripping off my helmet as I was riding. And I was loving it! I rode four days in a row, took Friday off and rode again today.

Anyone will tell you the secret to staying active is finding an activity you enjoy. As Les and I were making our way down the trail on Thursday morning, mud was flying everywhere. I got hit on the chin with a big mud clod and was laughing the entire time. I believe I have found that enjoyable activity!

Totals for Week ending April 23:
Running: 4.20
Cycling: 58.61
Total: 62.81

Year-to-Date:
Running: 475.10
Cycling: 414.29
Total: 889.39

How active have you been lately?

Celebrating Five Years

This month I celebrated five years at my goal weight with Weight Watchers!

This is my second go round. I first joined WW in September 1997, lost 30 pounds and reached my goal weight in February 1998. After I became a Lifetime member, I quit going to all meetings. I would weigh in once a month and that was it. In time, I quit weighing in all together. The first five pounds came on slowly and then, before I knew what hit me, I had gained it ALL back!

Fast forward to October 2005. I knew I needed to get the weight off, but I just couldn't seem to do it on my own. Les had a business trip in Chicago and I traveled along. While he was in meetings, I was enjoying the shops of Chicago. I didn't buy a thing because I was disgusted with my weight and was not going to buy expensive clothes in sizes I did not want to be.


On our flight home, I told Les, "I'm going back to Weight Watchers." And I did! The very next Friday. From October 2005 to April 2006, I slowly lost the weight and returned to my "free" Lifetime membership. The big difference this time? I KNEW I needed to keep going to meetings. I had learned how to lose weight, but keeping it off was a different story.

So here I am, five years later, still going to meetings, still tracking what I eat, and happily still maintaining my weight loss. No, I'm not perfect, but I try to practice "shame off me" when it comes to my eating as well!

Easter Joy

I'll have a more serious post on Sunday. But I thought I'd share a few Easter pictures today.

Ryan, with a bunny just his size...


Twin bunnies. One is joyful, one is not so sure...


Rod LOVED being in the Easter drama and he was excellent at whatever role he was given! He was in the Easter drama in April 1994 less than 3 months before he passed away.


And look at this crew! Easter 1971. There are so many things about this picture that make me smile. We are ready for Sunday school. Check out the ringlets...the matching dresses...Rod's suit and Rick's lack thereof. Look at me with my white purse, Easter basket and an egg! And I'm sure if the shot was full body you would have seen a scrape or two on my knobby knees!


What's your favorite Easter memory?

Shame, Shame, Shame

Through the years I have purchased the Sisterchicks series by Robin Jones Gunn. "Sisterchicks on the Loose," "Sisterchicks in Sombreros," "Sisterchicks do the Hula" and many others. They are fun reading, but usually have a little more to them than you would expect at first glance. The definition of a Sisterchick is : n.: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat.


With our upcoming trip, I decided to reread "Sisterchicks in Gondolas." This book is about two sisters-in-law on a trip to Venice. I won't spoil it for you if you want to read it, but here's what the back cover says:

Jenna and Sue have been sisters-in-law for nearly thirty years but inseparable friends for only the last five. When Jenna is invited to a week’s stay at a fifteenth century restored palace on a quiet canal in Venice , Sue is her travel companion of choice. The catch? They must cook for a group that is staying at the palace for a retreat. It’s the first time Sue has been this far from home, and both women are coming out of a valley season of life where they operated each day in long shadows of fear. Entering into the lilting gondola-paced Italian lifestyle and discovering corners of Venice most tourists never see, they welcome a new time of refreshing. And over boiling pots of pasta, they dare each other to dream again.

During one heartfelt conversation, Sue apologizes to Jenna and Jenna utters three simple but profound words, "Shame OFF you."

I think women, especially moms, need that message. We can be so hard on ourselves. If our house isn't spotless, with magazine perfect meals on the table, not a single speck of dust in sight, we start feeling like failures. I've read blogs by young mothers who confess to all the things they aren't perfect at. I want to say, "Shame off you."

I'm not talking about being lazy and sitting around eating chocolate covered cherries all day while your children run around like hooligans and your husband searches for clean socks. I'm talking about the times when LIFE happens. A sick child takes precedence over a clean kitchen - I can't tell you how many times Mom stopped whatever she was doing to take care of Rod. A single phone call can change the course of your week. When you rush out the door to the hospital or funeral home, no one is looking under the bed for dust bunnies.

So the next time you're beating yourself up because of your shortcomings, take a lesson from Sue and Jenna. Later in the book, the phrase is repeated with another, "Shame off you and Grace on you." Extend the same grace to yourself that you willingly extend to others.

Inspiration Update

The Boston Marathon happened yesterday. Clarence Hartley finished it in 4 hours, 26 minutes and 25 seconds. Remember Clarence? He's 81 and the oldest runner in this year's Boston Marathon. He was first in his age division. 20,185th overall out of 24,338 entrants. So he pass several thousand runners younger than him just as he predicted! Absolutely amazing.


The men's elite winner, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, established a new marathon record, crossing the finish line in 2:03:02. Geoffrey is 29 years old, he ran at 4 minutes, 42 seconds a mile! That is FAST! Clarence, at 81, ran his marathon at a 10 minute, 10 second per mile pace. That is also FAST!!

Precious Moment #03301991

Les and I have been all over the country in our years together. We've been in beautiful settings. Watched gorgeous sunsets. Hiked, biked, and kayaked our way through many adventures. But there is one memory that makes us both laugh every time we talk about it!

It was March, 1991. We were engaged. Les came to Fresno for a visit. Because it was March, Truth Tabernacle was in the middle of our Easter outreach. You Fresnans know what I'm talking about! So what did we do that Saturday when Les came for a visit? We went on outreach together!

Les and I knocked doors, inviting people to church. We came to one door where the mom did not speak any English. Her son, who appeared to be about seven, became our translator. "The bus will pick you up and take you to church on Easter Sunday."

A huge smile brightened the mother's face. She nodded enthusiastically and said in her heavy Spanish accent "Oh, Easter Bunny!"

Something got a little lost in the translation, but all Les has to say to me is "Easter Bunny!" and we both laugh at the shared memory.

Palm Sunday

Matthew 21

1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

It's been more then 2000 years since Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But He is still worthy of praise! Blessed is HE who comes in the name of the Lord! Will you praise Him today?

Mileage Update

I had a better week this week. Not great, but better than last week!

Totals for Week ending April 16:
Running: 27.56
Cycling: 20.08
Total: 47.64

Year-to-Date:
Running: 470.90
Cycling: 355.67
Total: 826.57

Cruise Dining Tip

You may have noticed a cruise ship at the top of my blog. Les and I will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary next month and are taking a cruise in the Mediterranean! We are super excited. Neither of us has ever been to Europe and the stops are places we've always wanted to see (Rome, Venice, Pompeii and others).


This morning while I was out running, I was thinking about our upcoming trip and about my weight. I've read about gaining weight while cruising - anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds A DAY! Our cruise is 12 days, so go ahead and do the math and you'll see why I was thinking about it!


The true challenge is in the abundance of food. It's everywhere! Buffets. Dining Rooms. Casual Dining. Endless frozen yogurt. FREE Room Service. That's when today's profound thought of the day came to me:

Just because you're eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet, doesn't mean you need to Eat-It-All!

It's funny how we treat all-you-can-eat. Think about it. Do you eat everything you bought at the grocery store on the same day you bought it? Of course not! It's there. It's yours to eat, but you don't eat it all at once. But walk into an all-you-can-eat restaurant and all self control goes out the door!

I'm really writing this for me. Check back with me in early June and I'll let you know how it went!

When Staying at the Lemon Tree Inn...

Expect a lemon tree outside your room!


Les is working in Santa Barbara part of the time right now. He was there Monday and Tuesday and I got to go, too. This was the view from our back patio door.

Smells I Love

Mary at Classic Mary Moments (http://classicmarymoments.blogspot.com/) tagged me to play this game. Hmm... So what are my favorite smells?

The smells that are distinctly Hawaii... The Ocean...



Flowers...



Fresh Banana Nut Bread...



Away from Hawaii A baby after her bath...



Pumpkin Spice Lattes...



Flowers from my sweetheart...



The air after the rain...



Fresh baked cookies...



And finally, Pizza from Popolo's in Fresno!




What do you love to smell?

Precious Moment #09201989

The first one arrived in September, 1989 and they just kept coming. They fill an entire drawer now. Letters addressed to Miss Kathy Fultz...


From one Leslie McElhaney...


Stamps were only a quarter back then! I cherish each hand written note. Some on engineer's graph paper, some with amusing artwork, some pretty cards, latter ones with words of love and excitement for our upcoming wedding and life together...


Wouldn't you love to know what they all say??

Mileage Update

I had a real winner of a week! Due to illness, I did not run a single time and only rode my bike twice. I've read lots of articles that say when you're sick it's okay to work out as long as you don't have a fever. I haven't had a fever, but I also haven't had the energy. We'll just call this a mid-season break, how's that?

I thought about running this morning, but it was 34 degrees when I got up so I decided it would be a good idea to stay in one more day. 2011 - The Year that Winter Would Not Go Away!

Totals for Week ending April 9:
Running: 0.00
Cycling: 20.18
Total: 20.18

Year-to-Date:
Running: 443.35
Cycling: 335.59
Total: 778.94

Recovery

The past few days I have been doing a lot of this...




Followed by some of this...


And some of this...


So my brain is a little too fried to type anything of interest! I do believe I'm on the road to recovery, though.

Happy Friday - don't let the Spring bug get you!

Inspiration

My latest Runner's World magazine had an article about a man who is running the Boston Marathon for the first time. He's fought in two wars and battled cancer two times, but now he's running what many consider "the" marathon to run - one that has difficult qualifying times for each age group. Oh, and he's 81 years old! Yes, Clarence Hartley, qualified to run the Boston Marathon but before that he fought in Korea and Vietnam. He served in the Air Force for 24 years, including flying more than 100 combat missions.

Hartley started running in 1998 when he was 68. In 2005, he ran his first marathon in 4 hours, 9 minutes and qualified for the Boston Marathon. He put his race on hold because he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and had to go through chemo. Two years later he found out he had prostate cancer. Once again he's healthy and running about 25 to 30 miles a week. And he re-qualified for Boston in 4 hours, 39 minutes (he needed 5 hours).

He admits there isn't much competition in his own age group, but plans on "beating several thousand younger runners," he says. While I find this whole story amazing and inspiring, here is the quote that made me smile the most:

It's fun being old when you're healthy and in shape.

I want to be like that when I grow up!

Attention All Ladies!

To any male readers: go ahead and read this, I promise there is nothing here to embarrass you! Go ahead and forward this to the ladies in your life, too.

I received a flyer this week from our local hospital promoting National Women's Health Week. It talked about how airplane safety demonstrations instruct that in the event of an emergency, passengers should put on their own oxygen masks before helping someone else. Health advocates are encouraging women to care of their families by making their own health a priority.

May 8-14, 2011 is:

I have had conversations with friends who do not know what tests they need and when. This interactive chart will help you. You can also click on Print a Screening Chart and take it with you the next time you go to the doctor.


It is not selfish to take care of your health! Your children will not suffer if you spend 30 minutes walking each day. Take them with you! Teach them to eat right by doing it yourself.

Look, I'll be 50 in just a little over 3 years. That is how old Mom was when she was diagnosed with cancer. I know she didn't get all the checkups she should have. I do NOT love going to the doctor, but annual visits are much better than weekly checkups. Yes, this is my soapbox and I will step on it from time to time...


So are you going to take care of your health or not??

Moving Forward

We closed our revival services last night - but revival is not over! We are sorry to see the Bellew family leave, but so thankful for how God used them to help our church. We also helped Bro. Bellew celebrate his 40th birthday - with a few "Over the Hill" gift and a new suit.

Bro. Bellew's message last night was about moving forward. To move FORWARD you have to have Faith, Obedience, be Ready, be Willing, have an Altar, and be Determined!

Our total visitor count for the revival was over 180!! Bro. Bellew encouraged us to keep this up - to have even more visitors in the next month. We had so many new people in the altars, praying, seeking God, being touched by His Spirit. That's the only responsibility we have for other souls - just bring them in and let God do the rest. We also had two more people baptized last night - twins, Juan and Carlos.

Mileage Update

We went from Winter to Summer this week. It was cold and rainy on Sunday and in the 90s on Thursday! Temps are forecast to be a little more normal this week.

With our ride on Wednesday, I was able to finish March on a strong note. If you check out my Miles of Miles page, you'll see that my miles have increased each month.

March Totals
Running: 147.86
Cycling: 130.42
Total: 278.28

I then took Thursday and Friday off to let my battered body heal a little! I've still got quite a few bruises, but I'm definitely on the mend.

Totals for Week ending April 2:
Running: 25.34
Cycling: 38.24
Total: 63.58

Year-to-Date:
Running: 443.35
Cycling: 315.41
Total: 758.75

Marvin Braude Bike Trail

On Wednesday Les took a floating holiday and we took off to the beach! We rode the Marvin Braude Bike Trail from Santa Monica to Torrance. We wanted to do this last year on my birthday, but were unable to due to crazy wind. Conditions were perfect this week. Temps were in the mid 60s, the sun was shining bright, winds were light...


Here's Myka, ready for a new adventure!


With her partner in crime, the Cannondale...


This is much different than riding Las Llayas Canyon! It's miles and miles of flat pavement. It goes through one little beach town after another. Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey, Dockweiler Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and finally terminates at Torrance.


We stopped for lunch at Ruby's Diner in Redondo.


This was at the 16 mile mark and I was feeling really good!


We had burgers and onion rings that pretty much negated any calories we burned!


Here is the "official" start point at Torrance.


After lunch, we took a little break on the Redondo pier before heading back. We saw a pod of dolphins while we were there, listened to the seal lions bark, and enjoyed the sunshine.


At just about the 30 mile mark, my mind wandered or something and I clipped Les' back tire with my front tire. I went down HARD! Landed on my left shoulder, scraped my left knee and elbow, scraped my right hand and bruised my right knee! Ouch! We were near a restroom, so I cleaned up and pedaled on. You know me, "I fall down, I get up!" I promise, I am fine. Bruised and scraped, but I will live to ride another day! And thankful that no bones were broken.


We made it back to Santa Monica without further incident.

Stats for the ride: 38.24 miles in 3 hours, 18 minutes. Average speed 11.6 mph. Average heart rate 127. Burned 1,742 calories. Number of smiles and laughs for the day - innumerable!!