Never give up.
That is my philosophy. In writing and, it seems, in running.
I'm querying THE BIRTHRIGHT OF PARKER CLEAVES and BELLA EATS THE MONSTERS.
I just signed up for the Kansas City Marathon's Half-Marathon. It is in OCTOBER.
That should be warmer, right?
If I just keep trying, I will eventually succeed. Because that is how it works.
Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a wonderful weekend! This weekend was all about enjoying the small things (cuddle time with the girls, baking, dinner with neighbors, down time with Jon) for me and it was DELIGHTFUL. Meanwhile, it's a soggy day here; if you're looking for something to do, check out today's weekday event roundup. And also, don't forget to enter to win the iPad Air 2 giveaway!
November 18: Take a story walk to celebrate Family Literacy Month. (Boston)
November 19: Get started on your Thanksgiving decor. (Easton)
November 19: Fill your day with art and play. (Lincoln)
November 20: A night of gifts and glam. (Boston)
November 20: Try a night of digital detox. (Salem)
November 20: Braille reading story time. (Boston)
November 20 - 30: The Yankee Peddler puppet show. (Brookline)
November 21: Taste, explore, socialize, and network with local craft brewers. (Boston)
November 21: Santa arrives at the Pru! (Boston)
November 21: The Christmas Festival of Lights begins. (Carver)
November 21: PlaySpace pajama party. (Boston)
November 21: Explore the guts and taste pumpkin in all different forms. (Acton)
November 21: Start your holiday shopping at the Needham Winter Marketplace. (Needham)
November 21: Celebrate Thanksgiving and sharing storytime. (Cambridge)
November 21 + 22: Visit with illustrator Carole Henaff. (Concord)
Image credit: Barefoot Books
OMG, it was so cold. Our car thermometer read 27 degrees when Beloved and the little angel dropped me off. I made my way down to the corrals, where we had to wait an extra 15 minutes or so because the traffic jam coming into the single entry-point was backed waaaay up. I was not happy with the delay, as that meant I spent my time stamping my feet and jumping up and down, wasting valuable energy.
I had some layer issues. When I did my shake-out run the day before, it was 18 degrees and windy, and one pair of running tights just wasn't enough. So to this half-marathon, I wore:
I was okay except for my feet in the corrals. My right foot toes started to go numb before they released us, which was troubling. Then FINALLY we started. As we were taking off out of that single entry point, I saw swarms of unhappy runners walking in from the line of cars still waiting to turn in. I don't know if those guys went ahead and ran or not, but they probably did because a) it was a chip race, so the only thing that mattered was when your chip crossed the lines and b) I saw some incredibly fit-looking people finishing a half hour after I did. As I ran, I felt happy I was not one of those late people.
About two miles in, there was a steep hill. They had a start and finish line for the King and Queen of the Mountain. I saw some people really going for it, and I thought they were crazy to blow so much energy so early in the race. I, of course, also started out too fast, but at that point, I was so cold I had to move as fast as I could to avoid freezing solid to the highway.
When I got up the hill and then down the hill, I noticed something. I was ACTUALLY OVERHEATING. I felt awful. I stopped to try to get my neck gaiter off, and it got tangled up in my headphones and then they popped out of my ears and the little special ear thingies that keep the headphones in my ears fell off. I started cursing a blue streak as my cold fingers struggled to get the ear thingies back on and the headphones back in my ears. I ditched the gaiter and took off my hat and gloves. I have no idea how long that all took, but long enough. I was PISSED.
After about three miles with no hat (my hair, oh my bedheaded, sweaty hair! so sexy) and no gloves, I started to feel better. And then I had to pee. Not terribly, but the way you have to pee when it is 27 degrees and you have been running for an hour. A port-a-potty appeared, and I remember how bad it was in my last half when I had to pee at the end of the race, so I sacrificed another 90 seconds or so to peel down four layers of bottoms and do the business.
Wearing more clothes than Shakira owns and really, this is so not flattering.
I actually felt more gross at this point than I expected to. I think the overheating thing was not good, especially in the face of it being below freezing. I was still pretty hot, so I stopped again to remove my armband/phone, take off my windbreaker, tie it around my waist and put my armband thing back on. I was chewing two sports beans about every 10-15 minutes at this point, because any time I run for more than an hour I start to feel dizzy if I don't get some nutrients. I fought off side stitches for probably the middle 5-6 miles, but thankfully they never went full-blown.
Despite all these issues, I really enjoyed the course. I saw a few hawks and falcons and the water and woods were pretty. I have biked around this area plenty of times. It's nice and flat for much of the course with some very slight rolling hills. The area around my house where I train is hillier than this pretty course was.
At the 10-mile mark, there was another hill, and I decided to walk through the water station and up most of the hill. My theory was that I would gun it down after and not stop again until the finish (hubris). I saw a sign that said, "Mom, Run faster, I'm cold." I thought that was really sweet. I was almost on top of MY OWN DAUGHTER HOLDING THE SIGN when I realized Beloved and the little angel were watching me walk my ass up the hill. I was so embarrassed. But the sign was awesome.
I rallied after seeing them and slogged my way through until mile 11, when my feet went completely numb. It is hard to run with numb feet. I was seriously concerned about turning an ankle and being left for dead on the highway. A few times I had to stop and stamp my feet to try to get some feeling back in them. All around me, people seemed floating along effortlessly. This hurt. I trained my ASS off for this race. I have never worked so hard. But the end result felt the same. I was dying, and mile 12 was way more walking than I wanted it to be. I kept willing myself to run faster and more, but my brain totally checked out when my feet went numb. I wish I could write a glowing review of my performance, but really I was pretty embarrassed and sad that I didn't beat the time from my first race. It was the EXACT SAME TIME. How does that even happen? But it was.
After I finished, I had to find Beloved and the little angel, who had abandoned the car and were walking toward me from where they had to park out past the 8-mile mark (the course doubled back on itself). I almost started crying when I realized my phone was dying and I didn't know where my family was and I was so, so cold and soaked in sweat and wrapped in a piece of mylar. The feet I still could not feel were attached to legs that could only hobble, and y'all, I felt forty in every bit of my bones.
But then! I saw them! Beloved gave me the outer shell of his ski coat and the little angel asked me why I was wrapped in a balloon and we walked for twenty minutes to get back to the car. At the side of the car, I took off the windbreaker and the long-sleeved cotton tee and the two long-sleeved wicking tees and it seriously felt warmer standing there in a tank top that was not wet. We climbed in the car and the heat was on and it was the best moment of my life when the heat hit my cold fingers.
Then the little angel asked to see my medal and Beloved said he was proud of me and then later Pa said he wished he had the gumption to do something like that and I remembered it's not about whether I'm getting faster or whether I look cute in my running clothes.
It is about staying in the game of life for as long as I can, as strong as I can. And I finished. Thanks to everyone who offered encouragement here and in social media and on Runkeeper. It really does help.
I'm thrilled to serve as a media partner for the St. Jude Give thanks. Walk. at Patriot Place. Though St. Jude is located in Memphis, TN, children nationwide benefit from their treatment and research. On November 22, St. Jude supporters in 65+ U.S. cities will participate in the walk to help St. Jude's childhood cancer work. Registration for this family-friend event is free -- so go register (then show your support with a donation or fundraising on your own)! Meanwhile, I wanted to share an incredible story with you.
I had the opportunity to interview Jason Mortimer about his involvement with St. Jude via his son Brady. Trust me, you will find yourself tearful and inspired. Read on, and please consider donating to or joining Jason's team.
Christine: Jason, thanks for taking the time to share your story. Can you tell me a little about your son Brady?
Jason: Brady was born on June 23, 2009 in Manhattan, KS. He was healthy and happy; it was one of the most beautiful days of my life. Being from New England and a HUGE Patriots fans, it was a no brainer to name our son Brady after Tom Brady!
As a toddler (2 years, 9 months), Brady experienced headaches, eye pain, and vomiting. I took him to his primary care physician and she said it was just a virus. I became anxious as the symptoms persisted so I grew VERY persistent and demanded a CT scan. The PCP finally gave in and found a massive tumor in Brady's brain. We immediately headed to Children's Mercy in Kansas City and two days later Brady underwent a risky 8-hour brain surgery. Brady made it through the surgery in good spirits (he consumed about 15 chocolate milks and 4 chicken legs!) but we soon found out he had cancer, with less than a 20% chance of survival.
Christine: At the time of Brady's diagnosis, you were stationed in Kentucky. How did you end up at St. Jude?
Jason: After serving in the U.S. Army and being deployed to Kuwait and the original invasion of Iraq, we were stationed at Ft. Riley, Kansas. We had heard of St. Jude but really didn't think of it as an option until our doctor in Kansas gave us NO hope. We decided to give our child a fighting chance at a place that offered so much love -- and most of all HOPE!
Christine: Your experience at St. Jude was bittersweet; can you tell me more about what happened there?
Jason: We contacted St. Jude's in Memphis, TN and were accepted. We arrived about 3 weeks after Brady's surgery. An MRI revealed that 6 tumors had grown in his brain and spine. He started undergoing regular chemotherapy and despite all of the challenges -- hair loss, change in skin color, rashes, mouth soars, pain while urinating, vomiting, allergic reactions, poor sleep -- Brady never lost is his laugh, smile, 3-year-old screams, sense of humor, silliness, and awesome personality. If anything, his will to live was growing! He spent his days at St. Jude playing and making new friends, even while inpatient receiving chemo. He especially loved jamming at the juke box! St. Jude always had parties and events for the children to boost their morale. He got to meet some professional athletes, pop singer Jordan Sparks, and even our former president Bill Clinton!
Sadly though, despite dedicated treatment, Brady's cancer spread all through his brain and spine. He lived just 3 short days after the MRI results. He was playing outside of St. Jude's Target house 12 hours before he passed, still full of energy!
Christine: Your family still lives in Kansas. Why do you feel compelled to travel such a long way to participate in the St. Jude Give thanks. Walk. at Patriot Place?
Jason: My home state is Maine and when I heard that the wallk was going to take place in Massachusetts, I jumped at the opportunity to get my New England family involved and spread the word about St. Jude and make people aware that childhood cancer is a real thing! I also feel that Brady's story needs to be out there because ultimately, we need to raise research dollars to find cures so kids can live to see another day, unlike Brady. We never got the opportunity to potty train Brady, walk him to preschool, help him learn his ABC's. Losing a child is hard and we need to raise money so a cure or more effective treatment is found. That is one of the reasons why we decided to donate Brady's whole brain to research...to help save another child in the future. We'd like to see St. Jude shut down someday because a cure has been found!
Christine: Jason, you and your family are amazing and embody the spirit of giving with this walk. Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Jason: St. Jude became home -- a family to us. There was so many other families there with the same struggle and it was good to know that we weren't alone in this journey. We partcipate in EVERYTHING possible we can for the hospital. We were on the radio during the radiothon and in the 30 minutes we talked about Brady we raised $3,000 and a total of $58,000 for a 2-day event! It soothes the heart and fullfills the whole family when we partake in such important events. If it wasn't for generous people -- and people becoming partners in hope -- the hospital wouldn't be free and therefore my son's treatment may not have been possible.
We also created the Brady Mortimer Fund, through which we host a yearly toy drive and balloon launch on Brady's birthday to benefit kids at St. Jude. These acts fill our hearts and keep Brady's memory alive. We're so grateful to Dr. Kevin Ginn, Dr. Karen Wright, and the whole St. Jude team for their efforts. We know Brady is jamming out at the juke box -- cancer free -- in heaven.
How can you not be inspired by Brady's bravery and Jason's strength and generous heart? Please consider donating to or joining Brady's team or joining the walk on November 22 in Foxborough and raising funds for St. Jude on your own. And thank you again, Jason, for sharing your family's story.
Happy Friday everyone! I'm slightly foggy this morning after a fun but slightly crazy day trip to Orlando yesterday -- I was only on the ground for about 4 hours, but being down in the sun sure made me nostalgic about our trip to Disney this past March! Meanwhile, it's totally not 70 degrees in Boston right now but the good news is that I have 21 events for you to consider in this Weekend Roundup. Enjoy!
1. Gustafer Yellowgold; Dr. Seuss meets Yellow Submarine. (Arlington)
2. Blue Discoveries Family Day all about sea turtles. (Boston)
3. Special cruise highlighting the military history of Boston Harbor. (Boston)
4. Family filmmaking 101. (Boston)
5. Visit this rad pop up shop. (Boston)
6. The annual fall gathering for booklovers. (Boston)
7. Create holiday traditions your family will REALLY enjoy together. (Boston)
8. The Boston International Fine Art Show. (Boston)
9. The Raccoon Tales puppet show. (Brookline)
10. Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys. (Brookline)
11. Storytime brunch with Gwendolyn, the Graceful Pig. (Framingham)
12. Explore Ipswich’s first period homes. (Ipswich)
13. The expanded Artist’s Market at deCordova opens. (Lincoln)
14. A celebration of the people who make land conservation possible. (Lincoln)
15. Go batty for books. (Lincoln)
16. A nature’s harvest free-for-all. (Newburyport)
17. Have Thanksgiving brunch with your best girl. (North Andover)
18. Little Jedi masters will love Star Wars Days at Legoland Discovery Center. (Somerville)
19. The Boston Comedy Festival is in town. (Somerville)
20. Guided walk to discover what is happening in the world of nature as plants and animals prepare for winter. (Topsfield)
21. Meet Skipper, one of the Madagascar penguins. (Woburn)
Image credit: Mass Audubon
The week after I got back from BlogHer '14, I started training for the Longview Half-Marathon. Which is tomorrow.
And tomorrow there is this:
JACKSON:
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO
MIDNIGHT CST SATURDAY NIGHT...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL HAS
ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW... WHICH IS
IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST SATURDAY NIGHT.
* LOCATION...ALL OF NORTH-CENTRAL MISSOURI AND NORTHEASTERN KANSAS.
* TIMING... SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION AFTER DAYBREAK ON
SATURDAY. SNOW WILL THEN CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY BEFORE
TAPERING OFF BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...A GENERAL 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED
ACROSS THE REGION. ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS MAY BE POSSIBLE ALONG
AND SOUTH OF THE MISSOURI RIVER.
* IMPACTS...ACCUMULATING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES WILL RESULT IN
HAZARDOUS TRAVEL ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET...OR
FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.
And I really, really, really hate being cold.
However. I followed a for-me really hard training program for four months. I only missed one of the training runs in all that time. I ran thirteen miles twice. I ran fourteen miles twice. I ran tempo runs. I ran sprint intervals. I ran up the hills and down the hills, and dammit, I am running 13.1 miles tomorrow come hell or high water (which, you know, could happen).
My plan is to pretend to be Rocky training in Russia. The little angel advised me to wear a lot of lotion. The polar vortex was supposed to wait until November 16 to start. It did not listen.
So, um, wish me luck? I'll be the one wearing 30% more clothing than everyone else and paying absolutely no attention to the 20-degree rule.
It's been so fun to run this Eat Seasonal feature! I've garnered so much cooking inspiration, as have many of you! However, today's feature on cranberries (in season in Massachusetts September to November) will be the last for 2014; I'll resume the series next year when the spring produce starts popping again! Enjoy this 12-item roundup, largely focusing on off the beaten path recipes!
Click on each link for the full recipe and more beautiful photos; these food bloggers are totally rad!
1. Get breakfast off to a healthy start with these butternut squash muffins with cranberries. (Who knew?)
2. Season your winter salads with this cranberry vinaigrette with fresh thyme and shallot.
3. Cranberries are a brilliant addition to glazed carrots.
4. Love the flavor combination and presentation of this acorn squash with walnuts and cranberries.
5. I would eat this quinoa with butternut squash, cranberries, and pistachio straight up or as stuffing.
6. This cranberry sauce with dried cherries is perfect for Thanksgiving.
7. This cheerful citrus cranberry cake will lift you out of your winter doldrums.
8. I plan on making these almond-cranberry-chocolate cookies with the girls this weekend!
9. Keep up your holiday stamina with these no-bake cranberry pistachio energy bites.
10. Give the gift of cranberry infused vodka.
11. These sparkling sugar cranberries could serve as both tasty snack and beautiful centerpiece.
12. Make your house smell like the holidays with this cranberry infused simmering stove top potpourri.
Image credits: all images via linked sites above
Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) shares 7 great chapter books for kids (especially boys). See also, Lindsey's roundup of great books for boys + this crowd sourced collection of recommendations for books for boys!
I spend a lot of time thinking about books for my daughter, 12, and my son, 9. They love to read and keeping up with their changing tastes and interests is both fun and, sometimes, difficult.
While my daughter is easily engrossed in a book (with the exception of a few classics, to my chagrin), my son Whit's imagination is harder to capture. Finding books that he loves and wants to read is a constant challenge for me. I am always looking to trade suggestions of books other boys of the same age have liked, and love sharing what it is my son is reading.
1. Right now he's engrossed in The Secret Series, by Pseudonymous Bosch. This series of five books begins with The Name of This Book is Secret, and the plots seem to be as inscrutable and difficult to decipher as the title implies. At least for adults, which I think is part of the fun. Whit is now on book 3, and he tells me that each features the same main characters engaged in different adventures. Each book centers on one of the senses, and the story and plot relates to that (book 1, smell, book 2, hearing, book 3, taste). The first book taught Whit about synesthesia, and we have had fascinating conversations about that. All I really know is that he's riveted and staying up after his bedtime to read by flashlight, and I love that.
2. Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor, by Jon Sciezska, was another recent favorite. Whit was dismayed to learn that the second book in this series was not yet out (it will be released in March, 2015). Frank Einstein is an inventor whose contraptions are entertaining and awe-inspiring. "He made a bike that flies," Whit told me. This book is fantastic for kids who are interested in the way things work.
3-6. The Volcano Disaster, by Peg Kehret, absolutely engrossed Whit. Like the I Survived series, these stories take their inspiration from real world events (in this case, disasters). They are relatable and exciting without being scary. Whit also read and enjoyed Escaping the Giant Wave, The Blizzard Disaster, and Earthquake Terror, all by Kehret.
7. Finally, slightly different but equally riveting for Whit is Bill Bryson's A Really Short History of Nearly Everything. This book, which has short two-page chapters covering everything from Einstein to atoms, is beautiful illustrated and makes science entirely understandable. As I write this, Whit is curled up on his floor reading Bryson's book. I just called out a question to him and in response heard, "Shhhh, Mum! I'm reading!"
Is there anything better?
What chapter books do your kids love? Feel free to share them in the comments below!
I've been reading. I just finished WE WERE LIARS. It caught me in between the belly scales.
I'm upset. I'm fascinated.
I wish I could write a book like that.
Hat off, E. Lockhart, my brim brushes the dust.
