Life for Others

Last week I ran past the elementary school and back home. For the first time I was able to read what was burned on the back of the city sign. It's there as you leave the city limits. I haven't stopped thinking the Albert Einstein quote since:

"Only a life lived for others is a life worth while."

I've been able to run five days this week. The first rich harvest has come - the hay is now cut. My asthma continues to make the bottom of my lungs burn, but I continue on. Often by choosing a landmark or the end of a song until I stop, can walk it off a ways and then try again. I was able to walk/run the 2.6 miles in 25 min. including stretching Saturday. I know that I am improving and feel like I am getting stronger.

Today during church, the speaker told of this fine statement by Sister Marjorie Hinckley. I would have to agree with her as I'm sure Albert would.

"I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk’s lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden. I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

She truly was a doer of the word. I have learned I am most fulfilled when I am doing for other people.

Saturday Sarah and I put together the pieces of our vision. She asked if I would help design her daughter's bedroom in March. The past month we really pressed forward and were able to put our time and energy into creating the pieces she wanted. Although we ran into challenges, the tu-tu bedskirt is simply perfect. The pillows all turned out fabulously and the pictures hung make the room so complete. We are missing a few backordered items. Once they arrive, it will be complete. Sarah said she stared at the room for a half an hour last night - pleased and thinking of all the things we did she never would have thought of doing. Isabelle, although out late with her dad, anticipated sleeping in her new room and did not want to sleep at his house. I'm so pleased they love it so much. How wonderful to bring joy to someone because of giving a few hours of thought, time and energy.

It makes me think of this scripture in Doctrine & Covenants 58:27

"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;"

Room Makeover

I've been helping my friend, Sarah, redo her daughter's bedroom. The idea began in March, but she was not able to focus on it until the school year ended. We found the remaining fabrics this past week, so I broke out the sewing machines and have been up past midnight the past three nights.

It's been fun for me to do some design work. I haven't done much for some time, so it's been refreshing to create and execute. I finished all seven pillows. Although one was altered in design, it turned out great. Isabelle, our hardest client, loved the pillows, so I think she will love the final project.

I hope to do a final reveal in the next couple weeks. The serger I'm using doesn't gather the fabric enough so I will have to recut six sections and resew the netting. Saturday I thought my eyes would bug out as I felt like I was making the longest wedding veil in the world - 220 inches long panels. We'll get it done. We are adjusting and making it better.

Newton

This week I taught another Relief Society meeting on Organization Tips. I can talk for an hour and not finish everything I wanted to say, nonetheless, I get a lot of tips across. All the sisters were very kind and said how much they appreciated the class - happy they were doing some of the things and leaving with some things to change.

I have to admit, I had to mapquest Newton; I didn't want to drive to the wrong city. I found it - nearly to Clarkston. I'd passed though it before but never noticed much. A little farm town in Cache Valley.

On the way home the sky was amazing. We saw a double rainbow - one a full bow that arched over the Logan Temple. Although the sky was cloud covered, where the sun was setting, It gave off a light that make the lit city look surreal. It was as if there was a yellow glow although you could still see the evening lights. The show continued as the sun completed it setting parading radiant colors until it was gone.

Running

A new summer resolution of running ignited this idea. The thought of creating my personal blog came as I was running one morning. No better time than now to begin.

Winter doesn't seem to want to end, so I have been slow to find a way to exercise for two reasons - 1. to loose the 10 lbs. from Elliott's birth and 2. to get in shape. I signed the girls up for tennis lessons this entire month. It dawned on me that while they were in lessons, it would be the perfect time to exercise. I strapped Elliott in the stroller and away we went. It worked out great for a couple days. Then, I realized I'd prefer some alone time. I started getting up before everyone else to go without pushing a stroller.

My walking has soon turned into a great workout. I don't have a pedometer, so I drove my routes in the car. I'm going 2.6 miles and have worked up running over half of the distance and sometimes more. I'm not willing to run up hills yet, so that is my walking time. It has been very refreshing for me.

In the past I haven't been a runner; asthma usually interfered with any joy of the event. I remember the dreaded mile run P.E. days especially in Elementary school and Junior High. It seemed to kill me, I wasn't fast and I didn't enjoy the challenge. When I went to physical therapy for my right foot in between my mission, I asked the therapist, "When will I be done with therapy?" He replied, "When you can run a mile without pain." Following which I thought, "I've never been able to run a mile in my life, so this could take a while." With six hours of intense therapy 5x a week, I got there. I remember running in Texas so I wouldn't loose that momentum, but soon new companions would not agree to exercise and I lost the skill I'd taken so long to build. If I've done it once, I can do it again, thus, I started running.

The first day I ran in my workout, I went until my asthma kicked in at which time I decided I'd better slow the pace so I could make it home alive (I still had 1.5 miles ahead of me.) But, since then, I've kept the two mingled and seem to be increasing my time running - before long, I'll have to increase my distance too. I found I prefer running downhill rather than on straight terrain.

I realized music makes all the difference in the world. I started taking my Nano with me, but the random mix of music was hard to run to. Thursday I determined while running, I needed to make a running file of music - songs with great beats that would keep me going. Friday, minus the very cold air that stung my lungs, I was able to run much better. I went further - from our house up 300 North to 400 East, North to 4400 North and West to the road that goes to Sky View High School and then looped home.

It's great running on a country road in between farm land except for when they cut it. I will have to choose a different route then. I try to vary my routes anyway, but each time I run a little more and walk a little less.

When Andrew is in town, I run daily. I like tip toeing out of the house while it's quiet - no one talking to me or asking for anything. The morning is quiet except for fellow exercisers I pass along the way. I return home hot and invigorated. It is a great way to start the day! Now if we can get out of the mid forties in the morning, it will be perfect.