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Ten Things of Thankful: Running Here and There

Last Saturday, John and I were in California visiting our daughter and her family. Today, we ran races in Utah (John ran a marathon, and I did a half-marathon.) It's been a busy week, but I am thankful.

1. I'm thankful that John was able to bless our newest granddaughter last Sunday, and that we could spend time with all of the grandchildren.


Photo: John holds our youngest granddaughter. She is wearing a light pink lacy long dress.
2. I'm thankful that the Labor Day weekend traffic was manageable, and we drove to and from California without incident.

3. I'm thankful for nice car shops. When we returned from our trip, one of our cars was due for an oil change. The guy at the shop mentioned that our windshield wipers need to be replaced. I had already purchased replacements, but we hadn't gotten to installing them yet. The guy at the car shop told me that if I brought the wipers to the shop, he would install them at no charge. Even though John will also install them at no charge, I thought it was nice for the employee to offer.

4. I'm thankful for helpful Home Depot employees, too. We went in looking for a part for a shower. When we asked if Home Depot carried Moen parts, the employee told us that we should call Moen directly, because their parts are guaranteed for life. He was right; they are, and Moen is sending us out the part we need at no charge.

5. I'm thankful for a Relief Society activity this week. I appreciate opportunities to get to know the women in my new congregation at church. 

6. I'm thankful I gave my blog a bit more attention this week. I'm in the process of updating the look, and I had a chance to write a post that had been brewing in my mind for a couple of weeks.

7. I'm thankful for prayer. As I mentioned recently, I somehow pulled or strained my leg and I wasn't sure I would be able to participate in the run I had already signed up for. Very soon after I mentioned that, (and welcomed any prayers in my behalf), my leg felt much better. I was optimistic that I might be able to run after all. Today, I did finish a half-marathon. I tried to be smart and listen to my body. I took it easy by running some and walking quite a bit. My time was slow, and my leg is paying for it again (hopefully not for long), but I'm happy to have been able to cross that finish line.

8. I'm thankful for great conditions for running. When I did this run two years ago, it was really cold (in the 20's) at the start of the race. Today, it was in the 40's. It didn't take long for me to be able to shed my gloves and jacket.

9. I'm thankful for a beautiful course. It started raining just a bit during the run, and a rainbow appeared in the sky above the mountains.


Photo: A rainbow appears in the sky over the mountain canyon
10. I'm thankful for John, who added marathon-runner to his long list of talents. He beat his goal and ran a really good race. I'm proud of him!

What are you thankful for this week? Feel free to join the Ten Things of Thankful community; we welcome new participants!



Comments

  1. I've always been in awe of your enjoyment of running.*
    Sounds like the seasons shift earlier out there than here in New England. We have not yet had forty degree temperatures.
    That said, the climate is continuing to be different, not so much extremes (as we experienced last winter) as the trend to local events... not sure why but rain storms tend to occur in smaller and smaller areas. Not quite raining in the front yard but not the back, but its that kind of phenomena (or so it seems).
    Helpful car mechanics are all too rare, but such a pleasant thing to encounter in an otherwise less-than-pleasant circumstance.

    *both the ability to do it and the enjoyment of such strenuous exercise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The temperatures at our house aren't dipping into the 40's yet; the half-marathon started up a canyon at about 7300 ft. elevation, where the nights are colder. (The full marathon started at about 9700 ft.!)

      Delete
  2. That rainbow must have been a sign that you were going to make it, or at least enjoy the beauty of the day, if nothing else.

    What does the L represent at the top of your post? I filled in with "Love that..."

    Traveling without incidents is always a good thing!

    I just love that photo of John and "youngest."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The L is the start of the post, "Last Saturday, . . ."

      Delete
  3. You never cease to amaze me with your running. That just sounds so brutal to me. Love the baptism photo. That gown is gorgeous...don't think I looked that fancy on my wedding day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Turns out that run was a bit brutal to me, too--I'm paying for it this week with a strained muscle. (But I am healing!)

      Delete

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