spring

#100HappyDays – Days 57 – 63

/ Amy / Leave a comment

One more week on the happy days challenge:

Day 57: Doing a puzzle I’ve had this puzzle for almost a year, and I finally got it started. Didn’t take very long to finish the puzzle. I haven’t put it away yet. I hate taking apart puzzles…it feels wrong. 

2014-05-10 17.53.49-1

Yeah, I have a puzzle of the awesome Boston Magazine cover w/ all the shoes.

Day 58: Mother’s Day I didn’t get to hang out with my mom this mother’s day, but I talked to her on the phone, and that was nice. I also got to visit with Jeff’s family, and that was a lot of fun.

2014-01-04 08.33.23

Mom and Pam w/ me after a race

Day 59: Lunch with Sara We have been bad at hanging out, but we finally got our act together and had lunch at our old “spot”. We picked up like it’s been no time at all, and it was fun.

2014-05-12 13.29.47-1

Day 60: Phone Call with Bethy I miss hanging out with my sister since we live so far apart, but she surprised me with a call this week and it was great to hear her voice. We’ll have to get better at skyping once she has her baby because that little rascal needs to be able to recognize his/her auntie!

2014-05-13 20.43.32

Me w/ my favorite sister

Day 61: My favorite quilt I know it’s practically summer and temps are starting to reach the 70s, but it still gets chilly in the evenings, and I LOVE this quilt. I have a thing for garnet hill.  I only wish I had the money and a good reason to buy every set of bedding in that catalog.

2014-05-14 20.23.59

Day 62: Spring I like the “mild” temperatures, the beautiful, and great smelling flowering trees. I’m trying to appreciate the Spring this year. Usually, it goes by so fast I don’t take the time to enjoy it.

2014-05-15 16.52.55

Day 63: Honey I love tea with honey, but I only use it as a special treat. For Christmas, I got a special stir stick with white honey on it. I’ve been saving it, and today I finally used it. Delicious! (P.S. Green tea w/ honey and lemon is tops!)

2014-05-16 13.04.37

This is not the honey I had today. I can’t remember to take a picture of everything!

I’m officially back on the bandwagon; I’m enjoying the happy days challenge again.

 

 

 

Advertisement

Top 5 Friday: Spring Races

/ Amy / Leave a comment

It’s time for Top 5 Friday! Remember when I came up with that 3 weeks ago? You didn’t think I meant to do it EVERY Friday, did you? oops!

As you know, I JUST signed up for a spring half marathon, so it seemed like an opportune time to bring you…

The Top 5 Reasons Signing up for a Spring Race is an Awesome Idea:

1.  To get out there! After that first magical snowfall and all the holly jolly holiday runs are over, winter running starts to be kind of a drag. It’s icy, cold, dark, cold…and this year, it’s been especially COLD. So when you really want to curl up with a book under the electric blanket, that race entry will get you out there. And let’s face it, the hot chocolate tastes at least 20% better after a run. (Yeah, 20% isn’t a lot better, but hot cocoa is already pretty fantastic.

2013-12-25 13.23.42

Remember when, “Oh It’s snowing! yay! And it’s Christmas, and I’m running!!!”

Well, now: "Ugh..what is this disgusting mess...oh, and it's -85 out? super." Photo from www.theguardian,com

Well, now: “Ugh..what is this disgusting mess…
oh, and it’s -85 out? super.”
Photo from http://www.theguardian,com

2.  Hold yourself accountable – Remember back in January, when you made a bagillion New Year’s resolutions, specifically about running?  Racing probably factored in there somehow.  At this point of the year, you haven’t quite forgotten about all the resolutions, so signing up for a spring race sounds like a terrific idea. And hey, it’ll keep you on track.

3.  To get out there! – This sounds a lot like the first reason, doesn’t it? Well, it’s different, I promise. Not unlike winter, the magic of running in the spring fades pretty quickly for me. And again, having a race on the calendar will get me out the door when it’s 40 degrees and pouring rain for the 8th day in a row.

animaatjes-bambi-25497

Running in the spring is great, because this is what spring looks like, right?

bambi

Ha..no!

 4.  Because winter race options are limited – Sure, you’ve got your new year’s day 5k, and of course the frosty knuckle or freezer five, or whatever else unpleasant sounding race, but really there aren’t many longer distance runs in the winter.  At least not in New England. I tried to find a January 1/2 marathon near me and came up empty. There was nothing within a reasonable distance of my home. It’s probably for the best though, I would not have been a happy camper racing on one of these polar vortex days.

5. Because fall is like a million years away – Fall races are my favorite, but if I wait to run all my races in the fall, then I end up with a pretty skimpy race calendar! Not to mention all the long runs on 90 degree days to prepare for fall races. To me, spring is kind of like fall’s cousin.  Not too hot, not too cold.  And it reminds you that “hey, being outside isn’t terrible!”

Disclaimer – I don’t actually HATE the weather as much as this post makes it seem. It’s not running in the cold or rain or heat that are the problem, it’s that I can’t ever remember that doing so isn’t that bad.  Having a race on the calendar helps me overcome that issue.

So, what spring race are you going to do?