Thing #75: Mornings

Ok, I know I'm not a "morning person" necessarily, but just because YOU wouldn't want to be around me in the morning does NOT mean that I don't enjoy the mornings.

It turns out that I'm getting old. Over break, I started each day between 7 and 8:30. This is unheard of for Katie. But, it turns out, that I quite enjoy the early mornings. It's nice to wake up as the world comes alive. That subtle shadow as the sun rises is hard to match later in the day. I've also found that working out early is delightful. Let's take today, for instance. Normally, I drive to work around 6:20 AM and watch jealously as others run. Today, I have an off-site meeting all day, so I don't need to leave home until 8. Therefore, I ran at 6:30. I feel great! I can start the day off with satisfaction and not feel the stress associated with the "nap or go run" debate. Also, I feel fairly confident that my coffee will taste better.

Anyway, I just thought it was noteworthy that my perspective on mornings is shifting into this state of enjoyment. In fact, I quite savor them. Delightful.

Thing #74: A new PR

I am not a fast runner, which I have said (and will say) over and over and over again. I am, however, persistent. I just keep at it even when I want to give up. This weekend was no different. It was time for yet another Shamrock Half (the third of them I've run), and I was determined to finish no slower than I had finished in the past. And I didn't.

I finished faster. Five minutes faster.

As I was running, I realized that I was running a steady pace, and I was even picking it up pretty regularly. At 9 miles, I was right at 1 hour 30 minutes, and I knew that the 4.1 miles ahead could bring me pretty close to my 2 hr 10 min goal from January, so I picked it up. I ran every mile after that under 10, and my final full mile (mile 13) was 9:17, which is SPEEDY for me. I kept saying to myself, "Mom thinks you can do this," "you CAN do this," and "God, help me do this!" And I did. I ran it in 2:11:45 which is pretty dang close to a lofty goal I set in January.

I feel strong, accomplished, and just plain amazed that my body (and I) could handle that little extra push. The feeling of a personal record is indescribable.

I'm going to shoot for under 2 hours. I will do it. I WILL.

Thing #73: Homemade Soup

Until 2011, I had never ventured into the realm of homemade soup. I had once ventured to make stew, and it was delightful. However, soup and stew seem different to me. Plus, stew always seems a little more involved, especially with the wait. Soup, though, soup is different.

The soup thing is so incredibly easy. Step one: open and poor in a little chicken or vegetable stock. Step two: open whatever variety of canned vegetables you happen to have in the pantry. Step three: cook and add whatever meat you have in the freezer/fridge. Step four: add seasoning to taste. Voila. Soup.

This is quite the exciting revelation for easy cooking that feeds me for many days.

Today's soup included tomato sauce, chicken stock, corn, green beans, kidney beans, peas, mushrooms, and a little ground turkey. It's delightful. And easy. And gosh, who doesn't like that combination?

Thing #72: Boast-less Love

Confession: I always check Facebook before I leave for school in the morning. I recognize that this is ridiculous and a waste of time; however, I will continue to do so. This morning, Facebook was full of pictures of flowers, accounts of dinners eaten, and boasts about the things that girls' significant others did for them.

I recognize that it's good to be happy. I know that it's great to give appreciation. Still, something just rubs me the wrong way about the accounts of what people did. I'm reminded of 1 Corinthians 13 - "love does not boast." I guess this just isn't my kind of love.

My kind of love is quiet, simple, everyday. We didn't do something fancy. John didn't surprise me. We just celebrated the way we are... and I'm grateful that he doesn't expect me to boast to others about what he did, and that I don't feel the need to put it out there. We are content. Private. The love we share is ours, and it's good to know that he and I are on the same page there.

Thing #71: Haircuts

It's hard to deny how wonderful a good haircut can be. You go in thinking, "Yeah, my hair is a little...eh" and leave thinking, "Wow, how fabulous is this?" It's a wonderful attitude pick-me-up. The wash is delightful - a massage that you simply can't give yourself. Then the cut lightens the load a bit. And finally, the blow dry is always better than what you could do. The shiny of the hair makes you wish you could have your hair done every day.

Just fabulous :)

Thing #70: The Perfect Jeans

Last week, I decided to run some errands on my way home from a doctor's appointment. As I was driving along, I thought, "Hey, I have that gift certificate for TJ Maxx that I haven't used yet. Maybe I should stop there and look for some jeans." You see, I was hurting for a new pair of jeans after I ripped my favorite pair while putting them on the week after Christmas. Alas, I stopped. I browsed the jean isle, and then I took a gander at the "designer" section, which though discounted, is generally above my price range. To my delight, there was a sale rack in the section, however. I found a pair of Seven jeans on sale, and they seemed to be about the right size, but they looked awfully small. I hesitated, ultimately deciding to take them with me to the dressing room.

And what a glorious decision that was. While the other jeans hugged in places they shouldn't and gapped in others, these hugged all the right places and fit at my waist perfectly. This is certainly an unusual event, so I looked closely at the jeans to insure there wasn't anything wrong. Perhaps in need of a wash, but other than that, they were pristine. So I bought them. $100 at TJ Maxx, marked down to $69, purchased with a gift card, costing roughly $45.

I think it was meant to be. These jeans called my name through the streets of Virginia Beach, "Come find me, Katie. I'm here." I love them in a way reserved for my favorite flip flops and maybe even my wedding dress. There's just something special about a pair of jeans that actually fits.

Thing #69: Hummus

Mmm...as I sit feeling relatively accomplished (I had graded two sets of essays in two days!) and watch as my freshmen wrap up their midterm exam, I am also delighting in one of my favorite treats: hummus. This delightful Middle Eastern/Mediterranean concoction came into my life in college when I discovered it as a delicious addition to the wrap station wraps. Then, I discovered I could buy it and eat it outside of school. And then, I started to eat it frequently. And now, I love it.

The current hummus of choice is the Mediterranean hummus from Trader Joe's. It includes another wonderful additon - the pine nut. The hummus along with pretzel chips has pretty much made my day. In fact, I am sad that its garlic-y goodness is all gone (I finished my consumption as I typed). What happiness. What joy. What hummus!