A Walk to Remember or Bloom Where You're Planted

Sometimes, you run a race to see how fast you can finish it, or to try to win. Sometimes you run just to see if you can finish it. This time I am driving 500 miles to go for a walk with my sisters. I remember going on a walk with my sister Kerri once, through an orange grove in California, and she had to carry me home. I remember walking through a temple in Canada on my wedding day with my sister Janna. So now we're going on another walk, we three, and hopefully nobody has to carry anyone, but we're going to cross that finish line together.

I've never done a 12K before, this should be so fun! I've never been in a race with over 50,000 people before either, I can't even imagine that many people in one place. The last time I ran a race up north, everyone came and cheered me on...my nieces, my family, my sisters. Now we are all doing the race together, nieces, daughter, sisters and I. Somehow I am the "experienced" racer here, hah, but I am glad for the opportunity to cheer them on all the way. Rah! Rah!

Finished!

The 30-day blog challenge is done, and so is my baby blanket. The month ends as it began, with a blanket crocheted for this service project. It's been fun to re-discover the shell pattern which is my favorite, the one I used when I crocheted blankets for my own babies. I'm sure I'll make more, for potential future grandchildren, now that I remember how much fun it is. Thanks to Caley for issuing the challenge for the blog - and the blankets. I'm taking a day off tomorrow, the blog-free 31st day of March. Enjoy conference weekend, everyone!

Mixed-up Kids

If I want to hang them on the same wall now, is it OK that they don't match? Should I just buy new frames for all of them? Black for the boys, white for the girls, or matching hardwood frames? What is the difference between eclectic and just plain old mis-matched? The girl's pictures were framed by the photographers, so they have brown paper on the back...and I don't think I could match those frames if I went looking for them. I need direction in my life.

On the third day of Spring Break...

...and a Partridge in a pear tree!

Organic Music

I played the organ in church today for the first time in six years or more, just filling in. Even though I practiced yesterday, I managed to get the settings all messed up, and the first two songs sounded like (a) a Catholic church (b) a haunted house or (c) I was really trying to change things up in the seventh ward. (these were all comments that were made to me by members of the congregation today.) But fortunately, there were four hymns today, and after pondering (and praying) really hard during the Croxford family's talks, it occurred to me what registration to use for the rest hymn and closing song. Whew. It's not as easy as it looks up there, so next time you are in church and you don't even notice the organist or what they are doing because they blend right in and sound so perfect, you should really thank them.

26.2

It's been kind of like a marathon, making sure to find something to post on my blog each and every day for 26 days now. In blogging, as running, some miles are stronger, some are pretty weak, some you're just glad to have them over and done. I mostly enjoyed all of the miles I ran during the decade of running marathons, and I hope to be able to run many more (miles if not marathons.) My fastest was the St. George Marathon of 2003, when I ran with Carda who pushed me, chasing after a son I thought was ahead of me. My slowest was my 7th marathon, the last one I did before finding out that my meniscus was not only torn and tattered but had also been folded over all these years. Oops! The infinity pool totally made up for it. I promised Emily once that I would not be too old and tired to run a marathon with her when she was old enough. Her enthusiasm may have died down a bit now that she's approaching that age. Whether or not, I do have these 7 medals to show for those particular 183.4 miles. I couldn't have done it without my family there waiting patiently, cheering me on, and running with me the last few miles.

Ugly Tie Day

Today was Ugly Tie Day at school. Once a month, the last Friday of each month, we have a "Freaky Friday" where we have a certain thing to wear or do, like crazy hair or socks, pajama day...you know how it goes at elementary schools. I had Kerry pre-tie a few ties for me last night, since I am unskilled in half-windsors, and took some extras to school for my co-workers who don't have husbands with ties. This tie I wore is made from some indestructible polyester, and it went to Guatemala a few decades ago with Kerry on his mission. It's truly ugly. (This photo was taken with some cute third graders also wearing ties, but I had to crop them out so I don't get fired)