I have said it numerous times since once again striking out on the road and attempting to come back from the torn hip labrum, the injury that has plagued me now for a year. Exactly a year. I noticed my Facebook memories showed where I posted that I had “pulled a muscle in my back…” That was where this all started. The beginning of the downward spiral.
EVERY RUN IS A BLESSING!
While my weekday runs have been kept short and easy, my mileage is slowly increasing. By about 1-2 miles a week. Physical therapist approved.
Last week, I ran 5 miles. This week…I gave 8 miles a go. And I finished it. Around Mile 6, my hip flexor started to twinge, which made me evaluate my running form, and do exactly what my physical therapist instructed to do. I kept my footfalls as light as possible and brought that knee up, so that the right hip and leg wouldn’t get lazy. My Bambi leg will get stronger. It has to.
So…with 8 miles down, I thought I’d share 8 blessings in my life these days. Here goes:
1. My sister and nephew coming to visit me next weekend.
We are a fun-type of goofy when we are together. Seriously, there is never a dull moment when the Brady sisters get together. And her youngest boy is a ham…as you can tell from this picture. HAHA! I have been dying to have her come back to visit, and this time we get an added bonus of Chace. Karla, seriously, I can’t wait to see you and spend some time with you!!
2. Annie May, Ashley, and Laura – and the rest of the crew at Annie May’s Sweet Cafe on Frankfort Road in Louisville, Kentucky.
If you live in the Louisville area, or are visiting, or passing through…make a point of getting over to Frankfort Avenue and stopping in at Annie May’s Sweet Cafe. This place feeds me 3 times a week (Soft Pretzel Wednesday, Saturday Breakfast, and Sunday…with the take-home breakfast goodies). Amazing gluten-free eats. Most are vegan as well. The Apple-Cinnamon French Toast…is amazing. And right now…heart-shaped doughnuts. Oh…hell yeah. This place has been giving me a variety of foods, all safe for me to eat…for almost 5 years now. I am so lucky and thankful to have this place in my area. If you have food allergies or not, if you love good food, you gotta stop here. And if you don’t see yourself coming to the area, check out their site, because they do ship some items nationwide! And while there, go ahead and peruse the menus. BTW…I highly recommend the vegan mac & cheese (OMG), the chocolate chip cookies, the COOKIE CAKE!, the toaster pastries, and…well…EVERYTHING, really. I do think I’ve had it all.
3. Sales. Sales. Sales.
It’s not that I’m cheap, but I like to buy things and not spend a lot of money. I am a sale-seeker, a bargain-hunter. I love me a good sale. And today, after my run and breakfast, I went to the mall and bought about 7 items…for less than $30. LOVE a good sale. And good (and cute) clothes to boot. Oh yeah…retail therapy.
4. MyBread Gluten Free Pita Bread.
You know what love is? Love is never having to be without pita bread. And that’s not easy when you are a Celiac. Not only does MyBread Gluten Free Bakery make gluten-free pita bread (and sell it….at stores…I get mine at the Whole Foods in Louisville, Kentucky), they make it deliciously good. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and soy-free. And they are SO SO SO good!! I’m making Italian nachos tonight for dinner…and these will be the nacho part of said dinner.
5. Tea.
Specifically…Dryad Tea, based out of Denver, Colorado. I discovered them at the sci-fi convention, StarFest a couple of years ago. I’ve been ordering ever since. Their artisan teas are hand blended and all inspired by music, mythology, geekery, and works of literature. AND…my roommate, Cathy, had a blend made specifically for me for Christmas. It’s called “In Summer” (like Olaf) and contains green tea (my favorite), strawberry, ginger, chamomile and mint. It’s fantastic. My favorite tea…and it was blended specifically for me. All teas are vegan and gluten-free friendly. Check out their site…place an order…for real!
6. Swimming.
I. HATE. SWIMMING. Okay, technically, I really don’t hate it. I just haven’t learned to embrace it yet. There is something about the water that makes me anxious. Maybe it was my near-drowning experience as a child. I can swim. I’m a good swimmer (just ask my coach), I just have some weaknesses. One of which is convincing myself I won’t drown if I put my face in the water. I’ve gotten better about that, but, UGH, I get worn out. Endurance in the pool doesn’t happen if I have to breathe out in the water. I hate it because this makes me feel nonathletic and weak. Top that off with the fact that I don’t like not being good at something. So, whenever I have to get into the pool, it’s a struggle. But I keep doing it. Even when I don’t want to.
7. Disney.
Whether it’s the parks, the movies, the races, or just the store…I’ve always had a soft-spot for Disney. And now that they pretty much rule the world…
Don’t hate…I used to dream of becoming an animator for Disney. I could draw every Disney character. I probably still can! I love visiting Disney World and Disneyland. I never went as a kid, but I think that makes me appreciate the trips now more than ever. I love RunDisney events. They’re always amazing and fun. And I love Disney Movies. I’m still working my way through all the animated films in order…but, progress is being made. This weekend…Toy Story 3.
8. The X-Files.
Anyone else out there an X-Phile? I was beyond elated when The X-Files returned to television. Sure, it’s only for 6 episodes, and they are halfway through them, but it’s like hanging out with old friends again. I was the biggest X-Files fan in Big Flats, New York, I believe. And I was okay with that. This show was life-changing. And being able to hang out with Mulder & Scully again has been a nice treat, for sure. I can’t wait to start the entire series from the beginning…which is happening soon!
~*~*~
Little things and big things…everything and anything can be a blessing.
The Celiathlete 