You Don't See That Every Day

Growing older *can* be a lot of fun. 1. I am finally feeling more comfortable with who I am. 2. I don't mind being silly even if people are watching. 3. I have fun embarrassing my kids. Thankfully #2 and # 3 often go hand in hand. But what isn't fun about growing older is the change in my physical condition! A few weeks back when the weather finally turned sunny here in the Pacific Northwest, I was wearing flip-flops all day, which sent my right foot into hysterics. The tendons were so sore I couldn't put any pressure on my foot; I couldn't move it in any direction; I had to use crutches for the evening, and it was just incredibly painful to even touch. By the next morning, the pain was gone. My foot was basically fine - a little tiny tender, but fully functional. Fast forward to Monday morning, I woke up to a sore right arm. It hurt to turn it certain ways; I couldn't pick up my full water bottle even. Once again, the tendons were so sore it just hurt hangin...

The Mr's niece came to visit us this past holiday weekend. What a great excuse to get out and explore! For some reason when I think of places to go, the beach is always the first to come to mind. For my husband, the mountains are first on his mind. This time we compromised. We went to a sort-of mountain on the coast. Cascade Head is a wonderful hike through the forest and then up - way up - over a beach. You can see the ocean for miles. The Beginning So the 8 of us headed out with plenty of food, water, and energy. Within the first half hour I realized how out of shape I am. It has been 2 years (!) since I ran a marathon, and now I can run only 3 miles; but the stair-climbing hiking was what terrorized my legs. Ouch. Thankfully the path leveled out now and then, with breathtaking vistas where we could rest for a minute. Our Little K did wonderfully, most of the time. Towards the end she was pretty tired and hungry, but we were able to cajole her onward. At one of the res...