My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary. - Martin Luther

Kate's first words upon looking out the window this morning, "Oh, no it di'int snow!". Silly. In reality, it mostly iced, but the top layer is white so it looks like snow. The hillbillies played out in the freezing rain last night and it's been so long since they've seen snow they didn't know the difference! Ice on the trees is actually very pretty and every once in awhile the sun pokes out and everything glitters. Trying to forget about the fact that I managed to get the mighty minivan stuck in my sitter's neighborhood this morning.

So, music. My trusty mp3 player has gradually been getting less trusty so I traded it in for a no-frills ipod shuffle. Will hold about 250 songs...and I have about 15 right now. Oops I can't access my itunes from here so my list will have to wait. I would really love some suggestions. I tend not to pay attention to the names of songs or the artist (I would so totally fail Greg's class...but I'd get my 10% for attending Greg!) so I can't do any kind of effective search and end up trying to decide if I like a song by listening to a 30 second blurb. When I get my list up y'all (or you's guys for you northerners ;) ) can try and guess what I might like. I'm in a little bit of an angry phase right now so I'm leaning towards a strong beat with alot (a lot) of noise and the occasional m.f. thrown in is probably okay too.

Also on the subject of music...one of my all time favorite musicians, who happens to be a friend, began teaching a college level jazz history class. Something I know nothing about. But I stumbled upon the website he put up for his students and I have to say it looks like his class ROCKS! I imagine teaching can very often be a thankless job but you never know when you might reach a kid and unlock something. My hat goes off to all the teachers who continue to try with the best of intentions. What you do matters and when you feel passionately about something it can be contagious. Keep on keepin' on!

****Excuse me...one of the girls just said lunch was free in the cafeteria. I need to go get a half-order of something warm. ***** (Free cheeseburger?...oh hell yes!)

Anyway, now that my belly's full, I hope everyone has a great weekend!

I think I'd like it here.

Gratitude....

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. --Melody Beattie

So true. I'll get to my thanksgiving thoughts in a minute.

I didn't do the the run Saturday morning. Instead, Morgan was with me and she accompanied me on her bike on a quick run Friday night (in her very cute new running tights and my new blinking reflector) and then we went to dinner and stayed up late reading in bed and slept in. Definitely much better than getting up early on a cold, dreary and windy morning. I also reasoned that the $40 I saved can go directly into the High School Musical concert fund that I hear about every 8 seconds. So it appears I can rationalize most anything.

Saturday night the girls' dentist reserved a place called The Magic House here in St. Louis as a patient appreciation night. It's basically a "learning" house where everything is kid oriented and made for exploring. The girls love it...parents tolerate it. One of the few remaining "munchkins" from the original Wizard of Oz movie was there. Mickey Carrell (sp?) ... he was one of the guys who says, "Follow the Yellow Brick Road!" and he still sounds the same! Very interesting...I missed most of what he said but apparently his nieces and nephews are bent on moving him to a nursing home but he's NOT going and he's giving all his money to children's hospital. TMI from the munchkin? Maybe. I also learned that the average child askes 437 questions per day. Kate is such an overacheiver!!!! 6 year-olds ask questions like, "What does oesnmr spell?" And my response the first 200 times is "Those letters don't make a word sweetie, what does dog start with?" At about question number 400 those same letters spell octopus. Trust me.

I also applied for my first passport on Saturday. It costs $97 and a really bad picture to leave the country. I'm headed to Cabo San Lucas Mexico on February 19th. Hoping to pull a Kirstie Alley and show up in a bikini. And I don't have a Jenny Craig endorsement deal to help me.

So Thanksgiving. Time off to give thanks. Celebrated initially as a religious holiday by New England Puritans. Now a largely secular holiday, it's accompanied by the president's proclimation and a parade. And lots and lots of food. The girls and I are headed to WI and I'll be using the 8 hours to contemplate exactly what I am most thankful for. There's alot to keep me busy.

Hug the ones you love and don't forget to say THANKS!

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy. -Anne Frank

Christmas shopping done.....check.
Regular training schedule.....check.
Breathe in and out.................check.

What to do?

This:
What It Takes - Movie Night
The club has obtained a copy of the new triathlon movie What It Takes We have arranged to show the movie to our members at Big River Running in Manchester on Friday December 1st at 7pm. Bring your family and friends to watch the movie.

Probably this...

And I so want to do this...

I have a new toy....I think I figured out the link feature. :)

If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane. -Jimmy Buffett

I miss my girls already! St. Louis or bust! Woohoo! Thanks to all for a great weekend.

I am so very blessed to have you all in my life.

Kate went through her new repertoire of dance moves for me last night....."oh no she di'int!"

Brownie meeting at my house tonight...glitter glue and potting soil are on the agenda....I'm thinking living room?

We can't all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by. - Will Rogers

Veteran's Day, 11/11/06