Chilton Runners: “running with friends”

My husband surprised me with a visit to tour my “dream home” the other day.  It was everything on my “list”, it even had a spectacular view AND was only 5 minutes from shopping.

(He’d always said I couldn’t have both a pretty view and live close to town too.)

I LOVED IT!

…but…

Where would I run?…and what about our running group?

We were just dream building anyway, but I told him that I couldn’t move there…I couldn’t leave my running friends. 🙂

In this town of beauty pageants, politics, baseball, hunting, sweet tea and AU/AL football(none of which mean a thing to me), I never felt like I really belonged here until I started running.

I often wonder if every running group is as great as mine…I can’t imagine so…
What a great group of people!

 

We get to have all the fun…
Thanks for keeping me going  Chilton Runners!

 

Conditions were favorable for “shining”!

Last week during an early morning run, I looked up and thought:

“Wow!  Those stars sure are shining bright today!”

Then I realized that it wasn’t that the stars were any different than usual.

The stars don’t change. 

Only their environment does. 

So, the conditions were favorable for shining that day…

 

#that’sall  #randomness  #runningthoughts

Take LOTS of pictures of me please!

 

Photo Credit Emily Davis http://emiedavis.wordpress.com/

 

Tomorrow will be a history making day in the Davis household!

For the first time EVER we are having “REAL” family photos taken by my friend, and fellow runner,

Julia Cantley, of  Julia Cantley Photography!

 

Besides the fact that I could fill a suitcase with “awkward” pictures taken of myself during the last 40 years….I’ve also been “losing 20 lbs” for the last 10 years or so, thinking that THEN we could have a picture made.  This year I changed my mind.  We’re having a photo session despite my own self criticisms.  I know that as my children get older & move away it will be more difficult to arrange this & I didn’t want to miss out.

This year, the value of a photo was made ever so clear to me with the passing of my sweet Mother-in-law, Mary, from this earth into Heaven.

I had the pleasure of making a movie of pictures that we all had collected of her through the years.  I’m happy to say that we had MANY.  Each one suddenly became a treasure.  Scanning through each picture was very therapeutic for me.  My favorites were the ones that showed the REAL Mary.  They were very  likely the pictures that she didn’t even like of herself.  There was the one while she was sleeping that showed her crooked toes & calloused feet, another of the sweet curve of her shoulders and even the perfect space between her front teeth that she disliked with a passion.  There were others of her at all stages of life.  With each picture, I only saw the essence of Mary:  loving & selfless, proud mother to Matt, sweet Gran to my children.  The weight, wrinkles, & as the song says “perfect imperfections” were the things that I cherished the most.

Now that she’s not here with us on this earth, there still aren’t enough pictures, or videos of her.  Those along with any handwritten notes or cards are our most sought after possessions.  When anyone shares another, it’s as if they are sharing another piece of her with us.  Priceless.

So, TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES OF ME PLEASE!

 Sleeping, chewing, talking, laughing, 20 lbs overweight, bad hair, good hair…whatever….just snap away!

It’s a gift!  With love from me to you.

…and if you’re reading this, be sure to do the same. 

It’s not about you,

but it IS very much about special moments with those who love you.

 

 

My lovely MIL, Mary Culpepper