Happy Halloween!!!

doggie blanket

Dexter and Dudley both have to sit on my lab every night. Neither one of them will ever leave me alone. But not for long. Dudley decided last time I watched Josie and Liam that he would try and bite Josie. So now Dudley is leaving us. We have found a good home for him. They are coming to get him tonight. It was hard for Rick to give him up but we could not take the chance that he might try and bite again. I think Dudley will be happy to be away from Dexter and be the lone dog again.
I am on my four day weekend. It is nice because I really have no plans. I can sleep in everyday and just relax! Yesterday I ran on the tread mill and I lifted on Wed. night. I was going to lift this morning but I am watching Liam and Josie. Amy wanted to make apple pies so she asked me to watch them for a little while. She is going to get them at 1:00. Then I have the whole afternoon.
Last night Rick made the best supper ever. He made wild rice cranberry pilaf and crispy parmesan chicken. It was so good. I sure am glad one of us will cook once in awhile!
Liam wants me to play with him so I guess I better go.
Later
Sharon

" When the alarm goes off in the morning and I look over to tell you it is time to get up and you are not there, I miss you." -Grandpa Trenda

Sunday after work I went to the hospital to visit Grandma Trenda. She was very confused. She did not know who I was. It is hard because she still sounds and looks like the Grandma I know and love. What was really heartbreaking was when we went to leave Grandpa Trenda went to say goodbye to her. He said over and over again to her that he loved her and missed her. He got pretty choked up. I think he loves her as much today as he did almost 71 years ago when they were married.

"Facing your own mortality is the quickest way possible to find out what you're made of it strips away all the bullshit and exposes every part of you-your strenghts and weaknesses, your sense of self. Your soul." -Patrick Swayze

I started to read the Patrick Swayze book yesterday. So far it is really good. It is not all about his cancer but about his life. So my quote for the day is from his book.
When I was sick this summer it scared me enought that I started to think about my mortality. Granted I was not on my death bed, well the doctor's did tell me I could have died! But I was sick enough tht it made me think what if I were to die...Makes you think.... what would you do if you were told you only have months to live. Would you be happy with how you have lived your life. Have you done all you want to do, have you live every day of your life to it fullest. Makes me want to go back to that list of 100 things I want to do before I die and start doing them now! Okay I have never really wrote them all down but there is lots of things I say I want to do before it is to late.
One of the things I want to do is tandem skydiving. Christa and I were talking about it a while ago and she said she wanted to do it too. So I made her a deal that when she got a job, any job and had money to do it I would do it with her. So now I am stuck I am going to have to do it! She got a job! Not a job she wants but it is a job to do until she gets a real job. I am proud of her for taking it.
Enough of that! I worked all weekend. Today it has been pretty busy. Makes the day go by fast. Of course never fast enough. Last night after work I went deer hunting again. I had a doe come in after it was to dark to shoot. Dumb deer is should have come in 10 minutes early and then I could have shot it. I also had two raccoons running around if front of me. I hate raccoons, they give me the creeps. I hate it when they come around and climb the trees around me. I keep thinking I hope they don't hop over to my tree. Scary!!!
Well my work phone keeps ringing so I guess I better get back to work.
Later Sharon

Having a sleep over with the grandkids = no sleep!

Last night Liam and Josie came over because Amy had to be at work before Adam got home. Since I was going to watch them today they just spent the night. Well all went well till it was bed time. Josie was sleeping and then when I put Liam to bed he thought he should cry so then Josie stated to cry. It went on and on and on until 10:30 when they finally both went to sleep. Then Josie woke up at 4:45. I think she would have went back to sleep but I did not want her to wake up Liam so I got her and gave her a bottle. Then she went back to sleep. they both slept until 8:30. Now they are both happy!
Grandma Trenda fell down yesterday and broke her hip. Not good. She is haveing surgery today to fix it. I hope everything goes good.
Yesterday I lifted weights for the first time in about a month and a half. I am so sore today. But it is a good sore! I miss lifting. I am going to do it again on Friday. I want to get back into a good lifting schedule. Should be able to since this is a slow time of year for me.
I also finished canning all the apples yesterday. I made 13 more quarts of applesauce. I am officially done canning for the year now!!!!! Amy and Christa are going to make apple pies on Sat. I am sure they will do fine without me.
Got to go make lunch for Liam
Later Sharon

Exhausted

I need a day off. Even on my days off I have been super busy so I am exhausted. I need a day to do nothing! Or at least do a lot less then I have been doing. Amy and Christa want to make apples pies on my days off this week but I am putting my foot down and saying NO. I think they are going to have to learn how to do it without me this year.
I have been out deer hunting a couple more times this week. Rick put up a tree stand for me. He is so nice because he figured I would never get up in it but he put it up anyhow. He was almost right! I made it up the tree and then could not make myself get onto the stand. It is high and small! Well Rick climbed up after me and helped me get up. Once I was on the stand I was fine, it was the getting there part that I did not like. The next time I went it was a little easier to get up to tree stand. Of course I did not see any deer. I did see three raccoons coming out of a tree. Gave me something to look at!
Sunday we went to Christa and Jese's new house for there open house party. It was a good time.
Today is my Friday. I will be glad when the work day is done. I think I am getting sick. I can feel it coming on. This morning I woke up and my chest hurt and I have been coughing. I hope that is it because I do not want to be sick on my days off.
Last night after work I went for a run for the first time in two week. I ran 5 miles. It felt good to be out running again.
Later
Sharon

Apple Sauce

Today Amy, Liam, Josie and Christa all came over so we could can applesauce. As you can see in the picture Josie was a big help. She tried to eat all the apples. Liam was also a big help because he washed all the apples. We canned 14 quarts and still have a bushel of apples to go. After we get all these apples made into applesauce Amy and Christa want to make apple pies to freeze. Amy wanted to know what else we could can. I told her NOTHING!!!! I have had enough of canning!

Later Sharon

Come Back Deer!!!

The basement is done! We just have to put up pictures and get a rug and get the furniture down stairs. It looks so much better. Rick did a great job. I say that because really he did most of the work. He finished putting the floor down over the weekend and got everything cleaned up. Yesterday we started to get stuff put back on the walls and making it into a room we can enjoy. Now I have no more excuses I have to start lifting again. I have not lifted in a month. I look like a wimp again. Time to get back into shape. I have not ran since the race because I wanted to give my legs a break. They feel much better now, but I am feeling the need to get out and run a couple more times before it gets really cold.

I have been out hunting 3 times now. The first night I saw a doe and a fawn but they were to far away to get a shot. Then the next night I totally blew it! I was sitting behind a tree day dreaming when out of the corner of my eye I saw a deer not 10 years away from me. It was walking along and had not seen me. I went to pull my bow back and I had forgot to take my mittens off! It screwed me all up so I went to pull back again and the stupid deer decided it should turn and walk right at me. I could not move. It was 5 yards in front of me when it spotted me. It just looked at me and then turned and hopped away. Then when it got into the woods it snorted at me. I never had a chance to get a shot. It was a 8 point buck! It was super exciting, but not as exciting as if I had actually got a shot! Oh well I am sure there is more deer, or I hope! Last night we went to New Richland to hunt. There were deer tracks everywhere. I did not see anything but Rick saw a small doe. It never came close enough to get a shot, but he said it was to small anyhow. Tonight we are going to go back to my dad's woods to hunt. I am going to sit in a deer stand tonight instead of the ground. Hope I don't fall out!

Today I had to get up at 6:00 so I could babysit Liam and Josie. Josie went down for nap so Liam and I went outside. I had to plant some lilie bulbs that my dad gave me. Liam was full of dirt, but it was okay because he had fun. Now I am trying to get some clothes folded before Josie gets back up.

Later Sharon

Who is that in the mirror?

Sometimes I look in the mirror and I think just who is that old person in the mirror. Really, when did I get all those wrinkles and gray hair??? They just seemed to show up over night! I am blaming my kids, they must be the cause of all of it!!!!

I am finally going to go hunting tonight. Last night after I finally got home from work Rick and I got my bow all ready to go. Good thing I only have to pull it back once to shoot a deer. My shoulder was a little sore after shooting it.
Rick is making me new strings for my target bow. I think he is disappointed that I just want blue and black this year. I have had bright colors the last two years. I just felt like blue would be nice this year. Maybe it is because no one will let me paint anything blue in the house. The kids are always telling me that I paint everything blue! I think they are crazy. After all I gave in and painted the basement stupid green. Hmmmmm.....maybe I will paint the bedroom blue :)

It is cold out today. I hope I don't freeze to death hunting tonight. Good thing I brought lots of clothes. My stupid coat kept hitting my bow string last night when I shot. I guess that is what I get when I am using all hand-me-down stuff that is two sizes to big. Rick is going to get me an arm guard today to hold my sleeve out of the way. Hope it works.

Well as you can figure out by reading this I really don't know a thing!
Have a great Friday
Sharon

Thursday......

Not much new has happened in the last couple of days. I spent most of the day Tuesday cleaning in the basement. I went through all the stuff that came out of the side that we are remodeling. It is almost done. I know I keep saying it is almost done, but really it is! Wed. I had to get up early to babysit. I really wanted to stay in bed but no I was a good Nana and got up. Amy had Liam and Josie at my house at 7:00. They were both very good. Josie slept most of the day away. Liam and I made peanut butter cookies. We also managed to get outside for a little while. Amy got back and then I colored her hair for her. By the time they all left it was almost 7:00. I was tired. After that Rick made me supper and then we watched TV. I know I have had an exciting last few days! Today I am back to work. I have boring training at 1:30.
That's it
Later
Sharon

1:35:27

After the race, it was soooo cold out!

Rick and Josie

Amy running at mile 6

Cassie running at mile 6

Me running at mile 6

Josie

Liam getting ready to cheer us on

Before the race, we all look ready to go!


We did it! Cassie, Amy and I ran the Twin Cities 10 mile race on Sunday. I got up at 3:35 and was at Amy house at 4:00 Then we picked up Cassie and drove to the train station and took the train to the metro dome, that is where the race starts. The race went good. It was hilly! No one told me it was going to be so hilly. I never train on hills because Waseca really has no hill to train on. I can see it is something I am going to have to work on. My goal for the race was to finish it in 1:30. I did it in 1:35:27. I will take that! My gender place was 1293 out of 3543, my division place was 91 out of 251 and my overall place was 2770 out of 5797. Cassie who I think has been training on the side and not telling me was only 6 minutes behind me coming in at 1:41. I am going to have to pick my training up for next summer because I cannot let her beat me :) Amy came in at 2:08 she came in way before her goal and was happy with her time since she has not trained at all. At mile six Adam, Liam, Josie, Nick and Rick were all waiting for us. It was nice to have them there to cheer us on. That is about the time you need a little push. I have to say running 10 miles is way easier then running a half-marathon, 13.1 miles. Those last 3 miles are hard. Of course now I really want to run another half-marathon. We are already talking about it! I am really glad that the girls and I run these races together, it is so much fun. After the race it was so cold. I don't think I really warmed back up until I went to bed last night. After we got home I took a long hot shower. Then Rick and I went to Owatonna to get some wood for a shelf for the basement. Then I took Rick out for supper. By the time we got home I was tired! We watched a movie and were in bed by 9:00.

Today I am going clean, clean, clean. Always fun on my days off.

Later Sharon