What a long strange trip…

Greetings Family and Friends.

It’s been so long since I posted. Well over a year.  And what a long strange trip its been!  My promise to blog monthly certainly fell through. I remember when I started this- I was so in to it! Then I tried to hard to post even monthly- then nothing for ‘well over a year’.

I can’t even remember much HTML ha ha!

Ethan and I are now living in Kissimmee, FL. Don’t worry about planning on visiting us- who knows how long we’ll be here. I feel some people rolling their eyes here. I know, I know. After all the moving and 4 states later, yes, I’d like some stability. Yes, I’d like to ‘settle down’. But what do you do when you’re quite sure what God has shown you, and then it doesn’t work out? I’m still baffled over this. I thought last December that God had truly shown me something. But I find out not quite two months later that it didn’t work out. How painful is that? Painful enough for me to start this stupid blog again. How can you fall asleep, although Nyquil is my new best friend, and wake up even more sad? I thought Joy came in the morning? Maybe it’s explained it the next chapter…
So- Ethan and I do not care much for Florida. It’s a great place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live here. I love my job. My agency is in a few states, so we could certainly move again, although that takes so much money and time. UGH. I’m tried of starting over. I don’t want to be patient any more! (whine whine whine)
I’m beginning to think we need to retreat to NY. SIGH. I miss my family, I miss my friends. I know (Christine) you think if I missed everyone, I’d call more. But my number hasn’t changed either!

I really miss our Friends in Arizona too. Ever feel like your life is just spinning and spinning? Stop the world I want to get off!!

Meanwhile, I have a story- Merf you will appreciate this. SO I just ran my 5th Half Marathon. It was the Donna26.2 in Jacksonville, FL, although I did the half. I’ve never stopped to use an outhouse before (AKA The Porta Potty). I drank a Starbucks Mocha before the race, and good grief, I had to go LOL So I get in there, and let me say this, when my right hand gets cold, it’s useless. I’ve been diagnosed with Reynaud’s (among the zillion other things that the docs are wrong about ha ha), so my hand is ice cold and not moving too well. I’m cold, and sweaty. (Ever try to take a running bra off after a run?) well, now try to take knotted shorts and tights off, in a port a potty, that you realize the door is broken on. Yes, yes it was! It was staying shut by a wire. So now I’m trying to hold the wire, and get my shorts and tights off a cold sweaty me, with one hand. I’d provide more details, but I think you get the idea.  When I see you in person (some day?) I’ll provide more details!

I finished 20/ 154 in the Survivor’s Category; 75/330 in Female Age Group; and 1,267/3,589 overall.

My time was the slowest of all my half marathons. I was a little disappointed in myself- well – a lot disappointed. The one person I wanted to comfort me wasn’t available to me- I shouldered my pain alone. I will give myself some credit, the whole outhouse incident took some time. I walked a lot! I went in to it with a bad cold and fever. (Which Ethan now has and is missing school today for- he’s that sick, and yes there’s school here today.) I know I haven’t talked to you Christine in awhile but I seem to have some micro fractures in my right foot, I’m fairly certain there’s one in my left foot now too. (I can hear my mother reading this screaming- and what about your U/S?!) The race when up on the expressway, so the ramps I walked. I’m so out of shape! Oh wait, I just ran a half AND a 10K last weekend, so I guess I’m doing OK. (yeah right)

ON the plus side, for you naysayers, to add to my weekend of grief, I have decided to do a no-show for my half in Tampa this upcoming Saturday. I already qualify for Half Fanatics at this point. So I’ve already met one of my 3 goals for 2016 (the major goals anyway), but it’s at the lowest level. I will run my next two Halfs in the following weekends and be at the Half Fanatics level that was/ is my goal.

http://www.halffanatics.com/fanatic-criteria

Onward through the fog- It’s been a long 14 months. Ethan and I are mostly settled in. Part of me says not to buy any more furniture, it will be too hard to move! I really am homesick. I think it’s only getting worse. And yes, mother, I am concerned about you and Ginny. Working in the job I have now, which I love, has really opened my eyes to long term planning and Eldercare. Sometimes I contemplate the good of having a life that fits in your car. On the other hand, sometimes it just sucks.

Daryl has been here visiting and is leaving for NY in a few weeks. It was really odd renting out a room to your exhusband. However, kindness and compassion win out ( I suppose). It was a lesson in charity. Not as in a hand out, but again- kindness and compassion. It was great to have the help with Ethan, driving him to school in the morning when I’m headed north (school is south). It saved me about 20 miles a day. I had a client who had her husband’s x-wife over staying with them for the holidays. She’s a very compassionate lady and I was glad to have known her and learned from her acts of charity (love). However, it’s time for him to go. It is possible to wear out your welcome LOL Although having someone drive you home 3 hours straight after you ran a half marathon and are running a fever did have its merit.

2016 is starting off to be the year of kindness and compassion.

Back on New Year’s Day I told Ethan that this year’s word was Patience. God put it on my heart over Christmas that I was going to learn Patience this year. So far it’s not working out LOL yes, I say that tongue in cheek. When we pray for patience we get trials to learn that Patience, so never pray for Patience. (So maybe it is working out)

However, I will continue to hold on to God’s Promise- God’s never fails. As painful as it is, I will continue to believe His Word to me.

Merf and Leslie- my two sisters, what are the odds of 3 sisters in 3 states all ending up as runners? Maybe someday we’ll all race together.

And yes, Mother, I will schedule my U/S today. PCP apt on Wed. and will schedule my Dexa scan and go from there. I’m also done running until the 27. I’m doing a bunk on my next half. I’m out a little money and pride– but think it’s the best choice.
It was nice catching up with you all.

This isn’t a blog, it’s my newsletter lol.
I miss sitting in the dorm with the boys writing up my blog/newsletter.

(Carol, did you ever get in touch with anyone from the school? I think about you and all your support!)

I’m still in touch with a few of the kids from AZ on Facebook. Part of me wants to find another domestic missions trip… part of me thinks Ethan needs some stability. We’ve lived in 4 states since he was 7.  How many 13 year olds have traveled across the country 4 times?  I think he’s ready, I’m ready, (for stability lol) but I will not presume anything.

Love to you all.