Walking, Walking, and Walking

 It can be tough to get started, but once I do I rather enjoy the walking.

I took another walk at Whiting Rd Nature Preserve last night. I walked the Orange Trail and stuck to it. It was a beautiful evening and I thoroughly enjoyed the time. As usual, I took a plethora of pictures.

This morning I met an old friend for a hike at Mendon Ponds. We avoided my favorite Birdsong Trail as it was crowded and full of families out for some fun. Instead we walked the trail surrounding the Devil's Bathtub, and those in the woods nearby. We hiked up and down hills, took pictures and chatted. It was the perfect day to hike the trails. Conversation was easy and comfortable. I feel refreshed and relaxed, aside from my sunburned lips.

 Late in the afternoon Hannah and I took Idris to Wegmans, the one in Webster, and we bought a picnic dinner which we ate in our favorite summertime place. The garage. After dinner was over we went for another walk. (I'm a little tired this evening. ha ha! My phone says I taken over 14,000 steps today.)

Back to work and The Littles tomorrow.I have my alarm set AND turned on.

Another Woods Walk, Because

 I took myself for a walk yesterday afternoon. I didn't go far, just a few miles down the road to a local nature preserve. 

Not sure what this evening will hold. It's been a laid back and lazy kind of Sunday as I stayed home with my daughter and the little guys. Feels like Saturday, even though it's not.

A Little Bit of This Week

 I'm growing and learning every day. Growing can be painful. As much as I don't like pain, it is an incredible motivator.

I woke up 45 minutes late this morning and had no time for my daily shower. I washed as quickly as I could and ran out the door without shampooing my hair. I had two appointments after work with no time to come home in between, or so I thought. My duties were over 15 minutes early, giving me just enough time to run home and wash my hair before heading out.

Chiropractor. He gives me my weekly hug along with a spinal adjustment. Today I asked him if feet make the back hurt or the back makes the feet hurt. My ankles have been bothering me since I came home from the beach... He asked a few questions, scoffed at my flip flops, and gave me a card for a pedorthist. "You won't call. I can tell," he said. Pish! I don't like sore feet. Maybe I'll call them tomorrow.

Therapist. It was a good talk. He asks hard questions and makes me think. He suggests doing things that go against what I naturally tend to do. He helps me look inside to see where my thoughts need to change. He encourages me to let others own their own feelings, and not to take on what isn't mine to carry. This is hard because I naturally carry the hurts, emotions, and responses of others. It doesn't mean I should lose all empathy, but it does mean I need to let go of what isn't mine. Things I learned in CoDA.

On Monday evening I found myself home alone. The lake has been stinky with the yearly die-off of small fish, and so I decided to take my camera and go to another place I love. I headed for the woods. It was a lovely evening, the smell of honeysuckle heavy in the air. I walked a familiar trail and took pictures as I went. Along the way a few bikes passed, and a man and woman walked together. I was not completely alone. My prize photo opportunity was a Pileated Woodpecker finding dinner in a downed log. It was quite fabulous!

The Barn Collective

Three barns, one farm. I don't pass this way often, so I stole a few photos on my way home from my cousin's house last week.

The Barn Collective

Where Have I Been?

Regular blogging takes a kind of concentration that is almost absent most days, but I'm still here. By the time I come upstairs at night, my mind and body are tired and my thoughts jumbled, as they are tonight. I've been feeling a little "off" lately, but today was some better. I'm not entirely sure what threw me off kilter, but I think I'm gradually getting to centered again.

Speaking of being centered, my pottery class was this evening. Night 6 of 8. Two more and the class is over. I have no new photographs to share. I've felt a bit out of my element this time around but tonight was a tad better. I actually pulled a decent sized cylinder, even if it did eventually collapse. I'd been feeling pretty discouraged with pottery so this is a ray of hope.

Sunday afternoon found me taking a long drive to a picnic at the home of my cousin Deb. There was a little bit of a celebration in honor of Aunt Mary and Uncle Chuck's birthdays and wedding anniversary. Looking back in the "Blog Files" leads me to conclude this was number 62. Aunt Mary is struggling and I am sad to see her looking so different from how she will always be remembered, always smiling and full of life. These are my only remaining aunt and uncle. Everyone else if gone...

I took my camera along to the party, left it in my car, went back out to get it, and then put it back again. I just didn't feel at ease snapping pictures of family members who hardly know me and didn't want to make uncomfortable those who do. So much has changed since the old gatherings... (Perhaps this is part of why I am feeling off. My heart hurts just writing this.) Anyway, a pair of robins had built their nest under the eave of the house and on top of a downspout. The momma and poppa birds were tag-teaming the feeding of their little family. Needless to say I went back for my camera.

Mother's Day and a Walk Down East Avenue

 It's days behind us now, but I do want to say that I has a very lovely Mother's Day this year. It started out a bit different from other years, but that was intentional on my part. This year I decided to be proactive. 

On Mother's Day I often find myself desperately afraid of my own expectations, and terribly afraid of transferring them onto my children. I didn't want to sit at home waiting for something to happen and then be overly emotional by the end of the day should things not turn out as expected, so I made some plans.

My friend Chris and I decided to meet for breakfast at a little bakery on Park Avenue in Rochester, NY. I've wanted to go for a long time, but didn't want to venture there alone. Chris suggested, since the weather was forecast to be nice, that we go for a walk afterward, so I sent each of my local kids a text letting them know I was going to be busy during the early part of the day, but would be home after 3 pm. I think they were perhaps a little surprised, but it was really an effort to eliminate the pressures we often feel on both sides.

Chris and I both ordered fancy waffles and enjoyed chatting while we waited for our breakfasts. When we were done eating, we walked a block over to East Avenue and took a self-guided tour of the gardens outside the George Eastman House before walking several block farther into the city. It was a lovely afternoon and I took pictures along the way.

My kids came over in time for pizza later in the day. I received hugs, cards, and a variety of gifts. Gifts and cards are fun, but the best part was the hugs from kids and grandchildren. I also got a phone call from my Minnesota son and that was pretty special too.

I think sometimes moms are more afraid of Mother's Day than anything. Afraid of disappointing, and afraid of being disappointed. There have been many years when I was more than a little relieved when it was over, but this year was just right.

Photographs from our walk.

My Weekend Adventure

 Our trip to the New Hampshire coast was fabulous! Gail picked me up Friday morning and we stopped for doughnuts in Williamson along the way. In Massachusetts we veered slightly from the planned route and took a little detour to the West End Creamery where I got a big hug from one of my sweet childhood friends. (Check out the link!) She and her husband own this magnificent place that was once his father's dairy farm. Becky's dad was in from out of town so I got to see him too. Gail, Becky's dad, and I enjoyed a sweet treat from the creamery before Gail and I headed north to New Hampshire. Did I ever tell you how much I love finding friends along the way?

Our hotel was in what Gail called "the low rent district". The room was comfortable and well furnished, but the walls were paper thin and a few guests quite noisy. There was a fabulous fight in the parking lot below our third story window at 1 am the first night. I believe the police were called, though I didn't hear any sirens or see any flashing lights, and the outburst was quelled fairly quickly and there were no repeat episodes.

We ate breakfast at a cute little diner called Hoaty's of Hampton next door to the hotel before heading up the road to the North East Sea Glass Expo and then to the beaches where we scoured the shore for bits of sea glass for our own collections. I put my toes into the frigid Atlantic Ocean water. Saturday was brisk and windy, but Sunday was absolutely glorious! Seventy-seven degrees with a mix of sun and clouds. We made it to the beach while the tide was still out and traipsed beaches (and non-beaches) all day, finally getting a somewhat late dinner at Burrito Loco.

We stayed in a different hotel Sunday night as Gail had only booked two nights at the first. Built in 1740, Lamie's Inn is anything but paper. Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower once stayed there. (I saw their picture on the wall.) 

We started back toward home Monday morning, stopping at the mall in Albany, NY on the way. Gail wanted to stop at Boscov's to check out the sales and it sounded like a great idea to me. When we finally returned to our part of the world, she dropped me off to pick up my car which had been in the shop all weekend, and then I met her at her parent's house for a lasagna dinner before heading home myself.

 

It was an entirely fabulous weekend!