With Earth Day less than a week away, a song from The Lorax for Music Monday seemed like an appropriate choice. Although videos from The Lorax soundtrack are not available on You Tube, I found a wonderful adaption to Let It Grow by PS 22 Chorus. These kids are amazing!
Though the lyrics are simple, an all too important message rings loud and clear. With their sweet, yet powerful young voices, these kids remind us how we can make the world a better place by protecting, nurturing and growing the gifts we have to give the world.
“UNLESS someone like you
Cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
My plantar faciitis began bothering me again which I believe to be a result of old shoes. I’ve put a lot a miles on my shoes since November when I bought them. Since my left heal has been giving me trouble, I haven’t ran since last Wednesday and I ordered myself some new lavender Trace 10 running shoes from Brooks.com. They should arrive tomorrow, so hopefully I can get at least one 3 mile run in and break them in before my 5K on Saturday.
The Hare Racing Experience this Saturday is the only race I have one this month. Although I never ran it before, I’ve heard great things about it so I’m excited about it. This race will be even more fun since I’ll be joined by family members running/walking their first race. We’re all participating in this race to benefit epilepsy in honor of my niece, Meghan.
I’ve had some amazing opportunities fall into my lap lately and I’m feeling so blessed for each of them. I’m a grateful for every opportunity and the doors they have opened for me. Thank you.
And speaking of opportunities, did you hear that I was featured on Another Runner Mother? Go read my interview and leave some comment love.
On the subject of things I love…last week I received some new sandals from The Walking Company which my PF feet totally love. My ABEO sandals are so supportive that I don’t feel any heel pain at all. I’m going to do a full review of the shoes, but here’s a sneak peek. I really love them.
My girls are on spring break this week and we have lots of fun planned, however, my husband thought I was planning too much fun and the girls would need a break from their break. So, today we’re having a quiet lie in and we’ll go to our community pool around lunch time. I’m really looking forward to swimming since I haven’t run in almost a week and I have all this energy pent-up inside. I’m going to have to tread water to expend some of it.
Speaking of expending energy, I’m almost finished with my push-up challenge. I finished Week 6/Day 3/Level 1 yesterday, but I still have to complete another exhaustion test tomorrow. I’m really nervous about it, which is so silly because it’s not like I could “fail” the test, but I’m afraid I won’t be anywhere near 100 push-ups. At my last exhaustion test, I did only 50. I’d like to be somewhere between 60-70 push-ups and beyond the half-way point, but we’ll see.
Although I received a lot of resistance to this challenge at first, the response has been quite the opposite which is really motivating. Follow #30burpees on Twitter if you need some motivation. People hate burpees but their strong detest for burpees pushed them to be part of the challenge. It’s pretty funny.
Basically, we started with one burpee on Day 1 and we’ll add one burpee each day after that, ending with 30 burpees on Day 30. Simple, right? hee hee Find out more information here and join the linky party while you’re there.
*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*
With Easter less than a week away, it’s a perfect time to share one of my favorite Christian artists, Dara Maclean. These songs are from her debut album, You Got My Attention.
When Dara sings His praise, it moves me. Her soulful sound reverberates within me and opens my heart. Dara’s voice has a mature Motown quality, an almost Adele-like tone and it’s obvious earned her musical chops in church.
Tune in Tuesday morning (April 3) at 8:30 ET to hear more from Dara live on The Morning Cruise on Joy FM.
Does Christian music move you?
“Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19)
In support of Purple Day (March 26), Kirsten and I have planned another purple picnic for our girls. For the special occasion, I’m busy preparing a purple pasta salad and baking purple cupcakes and any other purple provisions I can think of for our little picnic.
The purpose behind Purple Day and our pint-size purple picnic is to spread epilepsy awareness.
*Purple Day Picnic 2011*
Did you know that “epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide or approximately 1 in 100 people? That’s more than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease combined.” (Statistic borrowed from purpleday.org.)
My niece, Meghan, is one of the people affected by epilepsy.
In a few weeks, our entire extended family will participate in the Hare Racing Experience to benefit epilepsy awareness. We’ll wear matching purple shirts and represent ourselves as Team Meggers in Meghan’s honor.
We gladly give our support and hearts to each of the causes because someone we love needs a cure.
Please consider wearing purple today to help spread epilepsy awareness.
Have a purple song or photo to share? Join our Music Monday Purple Day Blog Hop. Link up and share. Linky will stay open until Sunday, April 1.
Additional facts about epilepsy from PurpleDay.org:
Epilepsy affects approximately 1 in 100 people.
At least 1 in every 10 people will have one seizure in their lifetime.
There are approximately 300,000 Canadians living with epilepsy.
There are approximately 3 million Americans living with epilepsy.
There are approximately 50 million people around the world living with epilepsy.
Epilepsy is NOT contagious. Epilepsy is NOT a disease. Epilepsy is NOT a psychological disorder.
There is currently no “cure” for epilepsy. However, for 10-15% of people with epilepsy, the surgical removal of the seizure focus – the part of brain where the person’s seizures start – can eliminate all seizure activity. For more than half of people with epilepsy, medication will control their seizures. Additionally, some children will outgrow their epilepsy and some adults may have a spontaneous remission.
Not everyone can identify specific events or circumstances that affect seizures, but some are able to recognize definite seizure triggers.
Some common triggers include:
Forgetting to take prescribed seizure medication
Lack of sleep
Missing meals
Stress, excitement, emotional upset
Menstrual cycle / hormonal changes
Illness or fever
Low seizure medication levels
Medications other than prescribed seizure medication
Flickering lights of computers, television, videos, etc., and sometimes even bright sunlight
Excessive alcohol consumption and subsequent withdrawal
Street drugs
Tuesday morning I wanted to run. I needed to run to clear my head after the evening’s turn of events, but I also wanted to be here when my daughters woke up. I knew they would ask about Lucy and I wanted to be here to hold them when we delivered the sad news.
Our dog, Lucy, passed away on Monday evening. There were no signs that the end was near.
We explained to the girls that Lucy was older than we thought and sometimes older dogs (much like older people) have strokes when the end is near. It’s just their bodies breaking down and telling them it’s time to go.
We eventually found Lucy on Craigslist, which was as shady and strange as you would imagine a pet adoption through Craigslist to be. With blind faith, we took the previous owner’s word about her health as well as her age, but it was certainly obvious that this poor dog had been used as a puppy mill.
This dog that I never wanted wagged her fluffy little tail into my heart. She followed me from room to room like a pack leader and was with me every minute of every day. Lucy became my dog. I eventually transformed into a crazy dog person as I began taking Lucy shopping and to restaurants and baked her pupcakes.
I keep playing moments in my head, like Liam hugging Lucy and dragging half her tiny body along the floor as he loved on Lucy. I regret never catching a photo of those funny loving, but torturous moments for poor Lucy.
I also regret not praying with my children at bedtime Monday night. Instead, I made jokes to lighten the mood and to fill their hearts with happiness so they wouldn’t worry all night long about our beloved pet. But, I should have prayed with them to help ease Lucy’s pain as well as the pain they were feeling in their hearts. I feel I failed them as a mom and as their spiritual leader. I feel I failed my Father and Lucy too.
Like most dogs, Lucy had simple tastes and loved life. Everyone should learn to love life through the eyes of a dog. Next to the food dropped from a highchair, she loved Chinese food. Lucy also loved being outdoors, long walks and car rides. She even loved camping with us.
Although we didn’t know much about Lucy when we adopted, we simply loved her. I believe we gave her the best last year of her life.
Every time Selena Gomez and the Scene’s song plays on the radio, my kids yell and beg from the back of the mini-van for me to turn it up. It’s a cute song, so I don’t mind. Like an 80s throwback, it’s got a good beat and it’s easy to dance to you. Even the video is an 80s throwback.
And much like the bubble pop music of the 80s, this song will get stuck in my head for days. At least the lyrics are sweet so I don’t mind when they keep re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-petaing in my head (except when that part plays over and over in my head).
It’s been said and done
Every beautiful thought’s been already sung
And I guess right now here’s another one
So your melody will play on and on, with the best of ‘em
You are beautiful, like a dream come alive, incredible
A centerfold miracle, lyrical
You’ve saved my life again
And I want you to know baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat
Constantly, boy you played through my mind like a symphony
There’s no way to describe what you do to me
You just do to me, what you do
And it feels like I’ve been rescued
I’ve been set free
I am hypnotized by your destiny
You are magical, lyrical, beautiful
You are… And I want you to know baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat
No one compares
You stand alone, to every record I own
Music to my heart that’s what you are
A song that goes on and on
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I, I love you like a love song, baby
I love you…like a love song…
When I really listened to the lyrics, I realized the song could be so much better than a bubble-gum pop hit. If someone slowed it down and sang a more soulful version of it with just an acoustic guitar, you would then hear the beauty in the love song.
Surely, someone has figured that one out already. I couldn’t be the only one. (Nope, I’m not and don’t call me Shirley.)
Although the volume of the video is very low, Dena’s version is definitely worth listening to, so crank it up.
I even found a tutorial guitar lesson, which I was sure to pass along to my guitar playing hubby. Maybe he’ll serenade me for Valentine’s Day.
For that, I’ll love him like a love song and I’ll keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat.
If Dr. King were still alive today to witness the struggles of the gay community, what would he say? Would he call the gays an abomination or would be love them and stand beside them to fight for equality?
If Dr. King were still alive today to witness the Occupy Wall Street movement, would he call them communists or would he stand beside them to speak out against cooperate greed and plea with the powers that be to level the playing field between the haves and the have-nots?
If Dr. King were alive today, what would he ask of us?
Just before Christmas, I received some startling news about the girls’ preschool teacher, Miss Sharon. Finding myself at a loss for words, all I could do was cry and pray for her to survive this.
Miss Sharon will begin the New Year with a double mastectomy. Through it all she has maintained a positive attitude and her sense of humor, which we would only expect from this amazing woman.
Later this fall, when I when we run the Race for the Cure, we run for Miss Sharon without a doubt.
We are all sending you healing prayers for a quick recovery. We love you, Miss Sharon.
Last Sunday, Allan and I celebrated our 12th anniversary. Twelve years, really? Wow.
For our anniversary, I wanted to plan something different other than dinner and a movie. So when I stumbled upon this idea from The Dating Divas on Pinterest, I knew this was the date to plan for us.
Allan and I love the movie Serendipity. Since the way we met happened by chance or nearly met a few times before our first encounter, we love any and all romantic comedies that revolved that theme, however, Serendipity holds the number one spot. (You can watch the trailer here.)
Basically, the two main characters meet by chance in a department store when trying to purchase the same pair of gloves and then spend the rest of day together. At the end of the day, they try to exchange phone numbers but fate steps in so they decide to test fate by writing the numbers on a five dollar bill and in an old book. If either item crosses their paths again, then they’re meant to be together.
When Allan and I celebrated our tenth anniversary in New York City, we tried to replicate Serendipity movie moments, like ice skating in Central Park. Next to our wedding day and our honeymoon (and the birth of our children, of course) that weekend in NYC was the best time ever.
So for our Serendipity-style date, I recreated those special NYC moments with a Tampa flare. I started with an invitation hidden inside the Serendipity DVD case. With snowflakes embellishments and typewriter font, I created an invitation that cleverly outlined our date.
“The best time to ever be
Was our time spent in New York City
And how each moment
Was like a scene from Serendipity.
So let’s relive that date
With some ice and some skates
And lunch at Datz Deli.”
We began the date at Datz Deli. The restaurant was so busy that the only available seating was at the bar. We were all right with that.
To stick with the NYC motif, I ordered the Rockin’ Rueben, but Allan ordered a BBQ Brisket sandwich. I couldn’t eat the whole thing, but I knew I would be hungry again after ice skating.
For the past two holiday seasons, city of Tampa has erected an ice rink at Curtis Hixon Park in the middle of Downtown Tampa, appropriately named Tampa’s Downtown on Ice. Although the rink is small and on this particularly Sunday, very crowded, it filled the bill for the ice skating portion of our date.
Unfortunately, it was hard to hold hands as we skated as we had to swerve around small children. I even fell on my knees at one point, which made me laugh so hard. No matter how small the rink was, we still had huge fun and we left a Serendipity sign to let others know we were there.
Since Allan and I worked up quite a thirst ice skating, we popped over to Taps across the street from Tampa’s Downtown on Ice for a quick pint. We drank to a fun date and toasted twelve great years. Here’s to many more of them!
Does any else feel like Christmas threw up on them? That’s the ugly metaphor I’m choosing to describe the Christmas chaos I’m feeling. You should see the state of my house. I think the tree is finally decorated, but I still have a gazillion cards to post and a pile of last minute gifts still yet to buy and of course, tons of wrapping to do.
However, all of that will be put on hold, because today I am chaperoning a field trip to Legoland with Allana’s class. I plan to write some cards on the bus on the way, but with how car sick I get, I could literally puke Christmas. I may need to rethink that plan.
Anyhow, this Music Monday post will be a little light today because I’ve got so much to do, like blog about our anniversary date in the midst of the Christmas madness. Yesterday, Allan and I had a fabulously fun Serendipity-style date, but I’ll explain all that in great lengths in another blog post.
While you wait for all the details, I’ll tease you with a movie clip from Serendipity set to Nick Drake’s Northern Sky.
If you didn’t know already, I have this thing for movie soundtracks and I absolutely LOVE the Serendipity soundtrack, so I have to include the song even though it’s not a Christmas song. It’s a very fitting song for our anniversary because my Allan comes from a northern town in England and of course, like I said, a perfect way to tie in a tease about our Serendipity-style date.
But Christmas music has been the Music Monday (and Xmas Dolly’s Monday’s Music Moves Me) theme for the past month, so I’ll share a Christmas song from Serendipity.
And since tomorrow night is the first night of Hanukkah, I’ll leave you with some Matisyahu. Besides, it will take nothing short of miracle to help me with all this Christmas chaos.
In support of 
If Dr. King were still alive today to witness the struggles of the gay community, what would he say? Would he call the gays an abomination or would be love them and stand beside them to fight for equality?
Last Sunday, Allan and I celebrated our 12th anniversary. Twelve years, really? Wow.
