Before the Crisis

I have been told that I am a crisis blogger.  So from the silence one might assume that there has been no crisis in the last month or so.  However there have been many stories and thoughts that I have planned to blog.  We can just blame it on the heat that they have not reached the computer.  Presently I am facing not a crisis really but a time of transition.  But for fear of being confirmed a crisis blogger, I don't want to share it today.  Silly I know.  None the less I refuse to write about it today. Therefore I am going to share a few summer highlights.  Then in a day or two I will share "the crisis."  You know it is not a real "crisis" if I can wait a couple of days to share it.

 

One high light of summer was volunteering at a water station for the AJC Peachtree Road Race July 4th.  This is the nations largest road race (I believe) with 60,000 participants.  I ran last year and have the t-shirt to prove it. It was a great experience and the weather was great so I decided to stop while I was ahead and not do it again.  However when my friend Melissa asked me in April if I would like to volunteer with her at a water station, I was game.  This year's weather was less than beautiful.  It rained most of the morning with thunderstorms delaying the race at one point.  We were up before 4 AM to be at our post at 5 AM and stayed until after 10:30 AM.  For perspective let me say that her husband left after us, ran the race (in a fabulous time I might add), went home to shower and was at IHOP before we left downtown.  All said though, it was an awesome experience and perhaps even better than running last year. We filled hundreds of water cups stacking them 5 stacks deep using a very interesting method.  And then we got to hand out water and cheer folks on.  Now that was so fun.  I got to watch 60,000 folks pass by in those few hours.  And among that crowd I saw folks "running" in wheelchairs, runners pushing the wheelchairs of those who can't run. military personal running, a blind couple walk the race, runners with prosthetic legs, children, senior adults, folks in costumes, serious runners, families, groups of friends and so on.  There were sights that made me laugh (the guy wearing the Elvis costume) and those that made me cry (the blind pair walking the race with the assistance of what I later learned was a stranger.) I met folks from a business that had coffee and free muffins available just when I needed a cup of coffee.  A man from the neighborhood brought a backpack full of zip lock bags to give to anyone who needed to keep their phone dry.  I was a grateful recipient. The rain was wet, very wet but the mood was warm and encouraging.  Worst weather, best day.  And I got a cool t-shirt, hat and Peachtree Road Race pin.   Sometimes service to others really does bring the greatest reward. And Yeah, I plan to do it again. 

BEFORE THE RACE
Watching the other side get a head start on filling their cups.  We were waiting for our water.

 

AFTER THE RACE
Melissa and I standing ankle deep in cups and water.  Tables with unused cups and water had just been dumped. Getting Wet was the theme of the morning.  Thankful for that zip lock bag for my phone because there wasn't a dry spot on me!
 

Another highlight this summer has been my yard.  Inspired by an article in some  magazine, I have been creating "gardens" in my small yard.  Presently I have the "Eating Porch with a cozy reading nook," the "Re-Tired Herb Garden", the "Front Lawn" with flowering borders, "The Archway " to the "Gathering Lawn" (complete with fire pit and seating), the "Play Garden", and "Back Porch."  I would like to create one more seating area where the phone reception is pretty good but I don't have that one worked out yet.  Taming the hedge between me and my neighbors has been a big project and I am really working at getting the "moss lawn" to grow in the play garden.  Oh and I painted the mailbox with chalk paint so I can leave messages for my mailman.  I don't have pictures yet to share.  I plan to and when I do you will likely laugh discovering that there is a fair amount of creative license going on in labeling the yard spaces as I have.  None the less, I have a good time putzing around my yard making it a warm and inviting place to come home to. It is also often better being outside than in my house which is usually hot and less inviting.  Yet considering my disdain for yard work when I was a teen, my passion for my yard has been somewhat of a surprise.

 

I have been striving to embrace a "simpler" lifestyle that involves less stuff.  Recently I reduced my clothing by almost half.  Inspired by Marie Kondo, Japan's De-cluttering Guru I have been purging through out the house. This lead to yesterday's yard sale.  As far as yard sales go, it was a dud.  I guess it was just too hot, the people didn't come.   At the end of it all, Mom called friends at a Mission and they hauled the remains away so  it is gone.  I visited with a few friends and neighbors who stopped by.  I got to sit on the "eating porch" in front of a fan and visit with mom. I ate lots of ice pops and shared with folks who braved the heat. We made enough money for pizza and a few groceries.  So all was not lost.