It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Less than a week until Christmas and I am not feeling too stressed at all. This because I took yesterday afternoon off, picked up the last of the gifts and gift wrapping supplies, and then wrapped all the presents. In other words, at least as far as gifts go, I am all set and with a week to go. That’s pretty good for me!

Yesterday the weather was also decent – in the 50s – so after I did all the work with the gifts I put on shorts (yes, shorts in December in St. Louis!) and went for a run. And I did run the entire route, just 3 miles, but boy oh boy did my legs feel like I was dragging anvils. And even though I wore long sleeves, I was still more than a mile into it before I warmed up, largely because it was windier than I anticipated. Still, as always, it felt good to be out and moving.

And finally, golly do I love Christmas lights. Not that I put any up myself, but it’s more like I am so happy other people put up Christmas lights for me to enjoy. And where I live, there are some nice light displays. Not so much over the top, but just really pretty, sometimes simple, well lit homes. I see them and they make me smile and remind me that it is a magical time of year.

Velvet Devil and Beer Taps

Last night we drank a Charles Smith Merlot called Velvet Devil (I believe the year was 2007). My gosh, what a great wine. We first discovered it at a pizza place in my little town called Dewey’s. M always has me take the first sip (apparently he agrees that sommelier school should be on my list?) and I described the finish to him like this: it’s like a great sugar cookie only not sweet, but it just melts in your mouth like the best of the best sugar cookies do – the ones that really don’t require you to chew because they melt.

He took his sip and had to agree. Needless to say, we enjoyed the wine very much.

One other thing I should explain about Dewey’s is that they support local brewers. Several weeks ago when M and I were in Ste. Genevieve we visited a few of the wineries. One of them, Charleville, also has a microbrew. We walked in and were a bit puzzled because we initially thought one of their beer tap handles was from a different brand, but of course, quickly realized, it was their own brew. We started to talk with the owners and found that yes indeed, this was a beer that Dewey’s carried. Great big small world of Missouri!

It's Christmas Time...

At my little cottage! We put up the tree yesterday and she is a beauty! Tall and fat and thick and just lovely (pictures at a different time). And so well lit! This year I resolved to throw away all my old, sporadically working lights and invest in all new lights. Some of the old lights were close to ancient (but Midwest girl that I am, they were working so I had to stand by them). Since I've been in this house I've used 3 strands of colored lights - one never twinkled, one sometimes twinkled, and one twinkled. Yes, kind of drove me nuts. This year, the day after Thanksgiving, I bought 6 boxes of white, 100 bulb, strands of Christmas lights. And yes indeed, all 600 lights are on my tree. It is beautiful and cheery and makes me smile hugely. And, for the first time since I've been in this house, all of the ornaments are on the tree. This is partly because H is home for the weekend and she likes to decorate the tree. It was fun - we have many ornaments that have stories behind them.

Of course, M needed a tree as well so we took care of that Friday evening at his place. He has a mere 400 lights on a tree that is larger than mine, but still, his is a beauty as well. It's his first live tree ever and I think - hope - he is sold on how awesome it is to have a live tree. He seems to be.

Friday was family night at M's house - all 6 of us were together for M's birthday dinner. Yum! We made Tuscan chicken, which was pretty much amazing. Given the small quantity of leftovers, I think we did a good job. We followed that with a couple of games of Right-Left-Center. Family nights and game night are just about the best thing ever!

Friday Thoughts

It's a cold Friday, but I'm super cheery because...

H comes home tonight!
Tomorrow is M's birthday!
We get Christmas trees this weekend
The weather is slightly warmer (running outside this weekend!)
I'm thinking about a movie to see on Christmas Day

And...

It's Friday!

What Makes Me Happy!

Well, I have not been very diligent about posting lately. And I sort of promised a new name, but I honestly haven't been able to come up with one. So for today, I'll just share these things that make me happy:

Family
College decisions :-)
Adorable dogs
Cleaning day
Fire in the fireplace
Cooking together
Christmas!!!

New Thoughts?

I have had this blog for almost a year now. My postings have been sporadic, despite my best of intentions. It just seems that life gets busy and in the way.

I’m not quite sure what to do going forward. Technically, I am still happy and technically, I am still single. However, it’s also been almost a year for M and I so perhaps the blog needs a new name. Thinking….thinking…thinking….

Updates

M and I ran and finished the Lewis and Clark Half-Marathon. Our chip time was 2:13:41. I’m ok with that time, though it does surprise me that my Hospital Hill Half-Marathon was faster (2:11:49). Of course, in the L&C I did make a pit stop and did not in the Hospital Hill. This means that my time was probably almost a wash between the two. If I had done due diligence and run more and pushed the longer runs a bit more, I probably would have had a faster L&C time. But I didn’t. Training for both, back to back, put me on about a 6 month training path and burned me out. Plus, gosh I really do not like some of the energy supplements needed for these longer runs. And they don’t really like me, either. So I am thinking I am sworn to doing 10K runs instead of half-marathons. I’ve done three and, at least for now, that is ample.

The good news is that we met our four goals: finish, don’t get injured, run the whole thing, and run together. That is sweet.

The weekend prior to the race we spent in Ste. Genevieve, MO, a town we had never visited. It was a great trip. Mostly we visited the wineries. We had hiking on the list, but the weather did not cooperate. That was the second holiday season this year where weather was an issue. The first was July 4 when we planned to take the kids kayaking. Ah well. That just means we need to go back.

Most recently, we went hiking at Clifty Creek Natural Area on the way to visit H. That is where this most recent photo is from. It was beautiful, really, but not quite what we expected. Still, it was good to be out and moving and seeing something new.

Next up – the St. Michael’s Day Dash.

After that we have some planning to do!

Snail? Slug? Turtle?

I have been bothered lately by my running speed. Or clear lack thereof. I am slower than ever, it seems. These past two weeks I ran my 4 mile loop in times (in order) of 39:50; 38:55; 38:22; and 38:37. Ugh. I have been diligently trying to get under 38:xx. I have a short segment that I run as a warm up, then after that, pick up my pace. I barter with myself the entire run.

“If I get to here, I can slow down.”

“Still feeling good, so instead I’ll go to here.”

“It’s downhill for a while now so I’ll go to here.”

“I’m almost home. I might as well finish at this pace.”

This morning was beautiful. Mid-60s for temps, dry air. I did not run yesterday, so was feeling rested. I so wanted to beat my 38:22 time. The problem is, usually when I really want to beat a time I end up doing just the opposite – finishing slower.

Not today. Today I ran a screamin’ (for me) 37:22. Or 9:21/mile pace.

I know, still slow, but for me, for this summer, that’s doggone good. All the training for the half-marathons has really slowed me down (I know, that’s because I don’t do any speed work). And now, with autumn on the way, and at least one 5K on the horizon, I want to work on picking up my pace.

Did I mention I’ll be thankful when this half-marathon is over? Three more training runs. Sweet!

Runnning and Random Thoughts

I’ve been a slightly frustrated runner lately. I’m tired of the focus on distance for the upcoming half-marathon and am more than ready to just go back to my regular, devil-may-care runs of any distance I desire.

That said, I am also excited about the half and will feel quite accomplished, I’m sure, for having done two of these in one summer.

Anyway, to ease some of the frustration I’ve taken to picking up the pace during my morning runs. Granted, I am still a slow runner, but over the course of this week I’ve shaved 1:30 off my four-mile run.

After the half, we will do a 5K – the St. Michael's Day Dash, which I did last year and enjoyed, and then possibly a 10K in October, though we are still not quite committed to that one.

In the meantime, on Monday, the single gal ventures back to the classroom to start an MBA program. I am excited about this upcoming challenge. At least, I say that now. Let’s see how I feel after class on Monday.

And finally - random thoughts for the weekend:

• Scab is an unpleasant word and having a scab the size of the one from my recent stumble while running is just wrong.
• If I could be anywhere else this weekend I would be on one of the Great Lakes kayaking.
• I can't even get my head around conquering the weeds that have taken over part of my backyard.

Blue Sunday

H went back to school today. The picture is exactly how I feel. This is her third year leaving in the fall so you'd think I would be used to it, but no.

Small Miracle

Tuesday evening the girls and I went to the Muny. M had a band gig and we wanted to see the musical, “Hairspray.” The weather was decent for St. Louis, as it has been all summer (until now, that is, when it is approaching 100 degrees). We had a picnic, watched the band, and enjoyed the musical.

Walking out, we cut across some large spans of lawn to get to the car. While we were walking, I reaching in my purse for my keys and noticed I had dropped something. I picked it up and kept walking.

The next day, I reached in my purse for my pen and it was gone. I was heartbroken. This was not just any pen.

When my former boss retired, he gave me this pen. This is close to 10 years ago. It’s a beautiful, red Cross pen. When he gave it to me he mentioned “the fire within.” I used this pen all through grad school, so it has written and edited plenty of stories. It’s the primary pen I used when working on my novel. I use it in my day-to-day job as well. It has passed through many purses, backpacks, and messenger bags; been with me on most of both my business and personal trips; signed legal documents, taxes, and so much more.

I am a person who hates to be possessed by possessions, but gosh, this one upset me. There was just so much of my personal history tied in with this stunning pen.

Thursday evening I came home and the pen was on the table with a note from H. “I hope you like your surprise.” She was at her dad’s so I called her.

“How did you get it back?”

“I went to Forest Park after work and found it.”

Me, completely stunned, “No you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did. I knew the line we had walked and the trees we walked between. I was worried that if they had mowed it would be trashed, but they hadn’t. It took me about five minutes.”

Seriously – who does something like this? Makes a trek like she did. “I knew how much it meant to you,” she said, “so I at least wanted to try to find it and I did.”

Wow. How absolutely awesome. All of a sudden, it was about the pen, but also about so much more. About me realizing that there are people in the world who understand what is important to others and who will go to lengths to make sure they show them. People who are willing to be generous and giving and perhaps even more importantly, take time to do something for someone else just to make that other person happy.

And amazingly enough, this simple, single gal is the proud momma of one of those people. That is probably the best gift of all – realizing that not just anyone did this for me, but that my own child did because she understood. How cool is that?

12 Miler

On Sunday we did a 12 mile run as part of the training for our Lewis & Clark Half-Marathon.

Ugh.

Let’s just say, the run did not settle well with me. My gut. My head. I was sweaty and chilled and nauseous. It was nasty and took a nap for my body to finally settle down and relax.

This has never happened to me before and I’ve been running for years. I believe I was plenty hydrated as I drank water throughout the run. And the first half of the run it was in the uppers 60s. It was either cloudy or we were in the shade, so I don’t think I was overheated. But for some reason, the aftermath was hard on me.

I can’t think of anything different than I’d done in the past other than I did take ibuprofen in the morning and when I ran I used Gu. Am thinking that maybe that combination did me no favors?

The route we ran, however, was awesome. We started at a small parking lot in St. Peters, crossed the Missouri River, and ran to and around Creve Coeur Lake Park, then back to our starting location. It was a gorgeous run that included crossing a bridge, circling under, passing fields of prairie grasses and watering holes filled with lilies. The route through Creve Coeur Lake Park took us off the main trail for a bit and carried us down a path heavy with trees and shade where we managed to pick up our pace a bit.

It was definitely a run I’d do again and hope to do soon.

Nine Plus

Friday, July 31, M and I hit the nine-month mark. Not bad for a single gal, eh?

Hitting the milestone got me thinking back to all the firsts, fun times, flinches, and other various marks in the path on this journey. There is not one time that largely outweighs the other because each stop along the way has had its own grace and its own memory.

When I started writing this blog I had huge commitment issues and only promised to write for a month. The day I started, I didn’t have M in my life and the journey was going to be solo. Within a month that changed, and the journey has become more and more intertwined with him, and I am nothing but happy about that.

My crystal ball doesn’t let me see into the future (thank goodness), and I certainly cannot predict what will happen. All I know is that for this day – and for every day for the past nine plus months – I have been and continue to be a very happy, joy-filled gal.

Where is the Summer Going?

Gosh, I cannot believe it- but it’s already mid-July. Where has the summer gone? For the past three weeks, either M or I have been on the road. Me to Miami and Pennsylvania and him to Iowa. It’s been crazy, to say the least. My running schedule is sporadic at best because of it and I’m starting to get a bit nervous about the L&C half, though M did sign up so that gives me some good inspiration to keep up my mileage.

We have also signed up for an MBA program, which begins in August. No rest, eh?

But we do find time to have fun. We hiked at Garden of the Gods in Southern Illinois yesterday and it was awesome. The rock formations, the boulders – just breathtaking. My pictures don’t do the scenery justice, but you get the idea.

We figure we’ll be as busy as we can until we start school and then go into hibernation mode. Well, doubtful – I don’t think either of us can do that.

Am starting to think, btw, that now that we are almost nine months into our relationship I should consider a different blog name. Problem is, I haven’t come up with anything I like better. Or even as well.

Committed

I still am not a fan of that word. Nonetheless, I did commit…to the Lewis & Clark Half-Marathon. I couldn’t help it. The course is listed as flat and fast, which is what it was in 2007, when I first ran it. It doesn’t look much different this year.

So thus the training has started and I am trying to take to a minimum once a week tempo run. Running terms confuse me, but this one I got: run xx distance fast. So fast you can’t hold a conversation, but slow enough you can answer one-word questions.

I did my first today. The run was 2 min slower than my Monday morning easy run. Wow. I might be on to something.

If I can finish this half in under 2:03 I will be a happy gal. 2:03 was my first half time.

Hospital Hill Half Marathon

Done! Saturday, June 6, I completed my second half-marathon, the Hospital Hill Run in Kansas City, Missouri. My time is listed as 2:11:49, which put me at 1,680 overall (out of 2,391 finishers), 658 among women (out of 1,130 finishers), and 45 in my age group (out of 93 finishers). I am satisfied with the finish, but of course, not completely happy – I really wanted to finish between 2:03 and 2:05.

Race day, things were in my favor. We had a nice pasta dinner the night before. It was 68 degrees when we left the hotel and cloudy, but no rain was predicted. It was windy – winds were from the south so I faced them from mile 1 to mile 7 – but they weren’t awful. We drove the course the evening before so I knew where the hills were and yes, this half-marathon is appropriately named as it was definitely hilly. Miles 4 and 5 and miles 10 and 11 were the toughest. I had battled a stiff right quad all week, but it felt great on Saturday morning, never bothered me during the race, and was fine after.

What hit on Saturday, however, was my left knee. About mile 4 it started to bother me and drifted from my knee to my hip. Uphill it wasn’t bad, but downhill it was uncomfortable. Off and on during the run it ached and I have no doubts it had an effect on my final time.

The best parts of the race other than finishing: I got a great send-off hug from M, who made this journey with me and ran the 10K. On our drive over we heard the Nickleback song, “Rock Star,” which both of us like. At mile 7 of my run, I rounded the corner to start the trek back and some people were out on their lawn cheering on runners. One family had a radio and yes, “Rock Star” was blaring. I smiled and had no doubts and no flinches that I would finish the race. I looked down at my watch and realized this happened just about the time M would cross his finish line. I couldn’t help but be happy. That kept me going the rest of the run.

The absolute best part, M was at the finish line. He had successfully completed his second 10K, gone back to the hotel room, picked up the camera, and walked down to take photos of me crossing the line. What a guy!

Next up – I am debating the Lewis & Clark Half-Marathon in September. I have enjoyed the long runs, the training challenge, and the reward for completing. And I really would like to run closer to, if not better than, 2 hours.

Row Row Row Your Boat....

Run run run your legs off….

That sums up my weekend.

Saturday was the longest run of my training – 12 miles. Brutal. Not sure why it didn’t feel good. I was rested, hydrated, and fed. The weather, however, was heavy and the sky was cloudy. Maybe it was partially those external forces. Or maybe it was that I’m feeling a bit burnt out at this stage of the training game. There just seem to be so many more things to do other than think about or plan for a long run.

Two more, however, then the half-marathon. After that I’m uncertain. There are plenty more opportunities for half-marathons in the next few months, but gosh, do I want to give up so much to it? I’m just not certain. Of course, I don’t need to decide today either.

Saturday afternoon I finally had some time in my garden. M put in a couple of plants for me (tickseed was one – not sure if I like that name or not, but I do like the plant) and I filled the containers. I still have more to do (always!) and will try to get to that this weekend.

On Sunday, to ensure a full-body workout, M and I went kayaking. We started on the Gasconade River and paddled roughly 7 miles to where the Gasconade meets the Missouri River . Then we paddled another 6 or 7 on the Missouri River, to Hermann, MO. This was my first trip on the Gasconade and second on the Missouri. And my first paddle through a confluence. When I think about it now I should have expected the churning waters where two rivers meet, but of course, I didn’t even give that a thought. Let’s just say, that was the most challenging part of the trip for me. Once we cleared it, however, we had relatively smooth paddling to Hermann.

The Gasconade River, which was up significantly from when we saw it in the spring, is a beautiful, winding river. When we got on we actually paddled upstream for about a distance and it wasn’t too bad. I had my GPS with me and we saw that the current was running about 1.5 mph. It took us about four hours to get from our starting point to the Missouri River. We paddled slowly, took a couple of side routes, and all in all just enjoyed the trip. I must admit, however, since the river was so high the number of places to stop was limited. This means we didn’t get out until we were more than 3 hours into the trip.

The Missouri River was much faster – there were times when the current was moving at 8 mph! We paddled about 6 miles in an hour. Like the Gasconade, the water was high, which made me a bit nervous. Especially when M almost had a run in with a channel marker (buoy). He couldn’t quite get around it so it sort of came up on his boat. He did an excellent job of staying upright. Wow did I feel my eyes get huge when it came up on him, however. We saw one other buoy bobbing along and steered a good distance from it.

One

The past few weeks, like many this year, have been a bit nuts. Since the 10K, I’ve done a couple of long runs. Last week it was 10-plus miles, lots of hills, and a route that took me down a long, busy, two-lane road. Not a wise move on my part, but at least it was Mother’s Day morning and there wasn’t much traffic. I was pretty beat up at the end, but did recover well so I’m feeling confident about recovering from the half. That M and I have decided to spend an extra night in KC helps. I figure after the half we can enjoy the festivities, then I can go back to the room and sleep before we do whatever one does in the evening in KC (I’m thinking the Plaza for dinner).

We are finding a bit of time to garden and I was so excited to see that one of my peonies bloomed! With just one flower, but that pretty girl is the one on this entry. I filled containers at M’s last weekend and will do the same at my place this weekend. So ready to have them out on the patio, looking pretty!

It’s getting on to late since this gal had a 4 a.m. wakeup call today and has a 5 a.m. tomorrow. More garden pictures coming up!

Lament

We went for a run today and M commented that I had used the word “lament” on more than one occasion recently. This puzzles me and I simply can’t remember how or when I used it (though I don’t doubt he’s right). It makes me feel bad because it is a sad word, and I really am not sad these days. So I remain puzzled.

The half-marathon is a mere five weeks away. M went with me on my long run over the weekend (9 miles) and it is probably the last long run he’ll do with me from beginning to end. It was a good run, through my little town. Slow, but I had a definite sense of accomplishment when I finished. And also a sense that I would be able to complete the half.

One thing that was different was that instead of using a sports gel I used a sports drink. At the 10K the sports gel did my gut no favors. I’m not sure if the sports drink has enough of everything, but at least for the 9 miler it worked just fine. I’ll try it again this weekend on a 10 mile run.

The goal for the half has changed, by the way. I was wanting to run it under 2 hours, but now I’m to the point of: 1. No injuries. 2. Finish. 3. Run the entire thing. And oh yes, enjoy it as well.

Next topic - last night I discovered yet another critter...a mole track in my backyard. Ugh ugh ugh. That battle begins today.

As for the image on this post, I have not recently had time - or taken time - to put pen to paper. I am hoping to change that.

We Finished!

Yesterday was our 10K and we finished in one hour flat, which is a rousing 9:41 min/mile pace. Given that the wind going out was brutal (30 to 35 mph gusts) and that, if not from the front we faced side winds, coupled with a couple of stomach cramps (me), I will take it. And hey, it was the first ever 10K for M and only the second for me. We ran the entire thing and finished together.

And perhaps most importantly, had a great deal of fun as well. We ended our day with a trip to Augusta and Defiance where we checked in on a couple of wineries. We considered paddling but passed because of the wind and because of my shoulder.

I should explain that I have “frozen shoulder.” M and I took Jake for a walk a few weeks ago. I had Jake in my left hand and Jake saw a bunny. Jake took off after the bunny and pulled me down. The brunt of my fall was on my right arm/shoulder and now, it seems, that shoulder is frozen. I start physical therapy tomorrow night and will, I hope, be in great shape to paddle in a few short weeks. At least, that’s how I think therapy should work.

Now I am in search of a 5K after the half-marathon because K has expressed an interest and gosh I would just love to run a race with her. I think – think – think – think she might be starting to catch the running bug. I would so love if one of my girls would run.

As for the house and home, it’s been pretty neglected, but it is spring and things are starting to bloom and I am thinking garden. I’m sure there will be photos coming soon.

The Running Trail

Gosh, I am behind on posting. The past 2.5 months have been crazy. We have had Valentine’s Day, two birthdays, a St. Patrick’s Day 5-mile run. I’ve also “committed” to a half-marathon that, apparently, includes plenty of hills. M will join me at the race and will run the 10K that is affiliated with it, which is sweet for me because that means I will have someone to greet me at the finish line.

How spoiled am I?

The half training is, knock wood, going well. There are some gaps – undoubtedly not enough speed work to finish at my goal time, for example – but I am enjoying it. I like the long runs, the distance build, even the hill workouts. All of it, actually. And the explorer that I am is very much looking forward to running on new and different streets for this one.

But first, we have a 10K this weekend. This will be M’s first “timed” race. Since it will also be close to the date of our dating 6 months we will try to finish together, which would be sweet.

Since the last post we have also purchased kayaks. We have talked about a few destinations. I’ll update that as plans firm up.

Coming Up: St. Patrick's Day

M and I will the St. Patrick’s Day Run in downtown St. Louis. It’s a five mile run and will our first race-type run together (I say race-type because we pay an entry fee, but we are not going to be timed). K is promising to come along and cheer for us at the finish line.

Now that I’ve moved to the same office as M we have taken to running or working out frequently over our lunch hour. This is awesome. It gets me away from my desk, gets me out exercising, and I get to spend an hour in the middle of the day with M. What a lucky gal I am!

Cabin Fever

Cabin fever is hitting. It’s been cold and snowy here, though it should be warming up a bit today. Gosh I am ready for spring!
My week started with a cold wakeup one morning. Ahhhh…..no heat! I looked at the programmable thermostat and it had no read out. Brrr. I did everything I knew: checked the furnace switch and turned it off and on; flipped the circuit breaker. Nothing. In my mind I’m picturing a huge heating/cooling service bill.

Before I started to look for a heating/cooling company, I looked online and found out that programmable thermostats might have a battery backup. Obviously mine wasn’t working so I took it off the wall. Two, AA batteries. I pulled them out, replaced them, put it back in place and voila! The hum of the furnace!

Yes, I gave myself a high-five!

The week ended with an issue with my bathroom door – it was getting hard and harder to close. I finally looked at the doorframe and the hinge was coming loose. A couple turns of the battery drill and the door is now closing exactly as it should.

Another high-five for me!

I never did update about our trip to M’s hometown to meet his dad. The trip, while a long drive, went well. Meeting his dad made me miss my own. Not that the two men are at all alike but rather I miss having a dad to call or visit periodically. And I’m especially sad that I can’t introduce M and my own dad. Because I don’t want to end this on a somber note I will say that I liked M’s dad and apparently he liked me because he called me “calm.” Kind of cute.

Next weekend a local company is having a kayak show. We will go and perhaps purchase our boats. We are also discussing purchasing a third boat, together, so we can take one of the kids with us if we want. A joint purchase three months into the relationship. Makes me both nervous and excited, but I think more excited.

Wouldn't These Look Good With A Little Black Dress?

The weekend was nice, quiet, and only moderately eventful. One of the highlights was Friday after work. It was warm in St. Louis so M and I started our date night with a 4 mile run. In fact, it was so nice that both of us ran in shorts. That’s an unusual occurrence for January in St. Louis!

I’m struggling with juggling this new relationship and running. It’s hard for me to get up early to run in the winter (somehow, a warm bed beats a dark morning and cold pavement) and I want to be with M so I tend to push running to the backburner, which is not the right thing to do if I’m serious about doing this half-marathon in late April. There is time, but I need to make a commitment (ugh – hate that word) to the half if I plan to do it, beat my last time (2:03:39), and be injury free.

Of course, as I say this I’m also trying to work on a short story, coordinate questions for a trivia night, purchase stuff for an auction basket for same trivia night, keep up with the girls and their activities, and get ready to go out of town this weekend (venturing to M’s hometown). And since he’s from Kansas I keep threatening to wear ruby red slippers, but now it’s looking like I won’t have time to shop for any. He’s probably a bit relieved.

A small Tour of Tennessee

M and I left St. Louis bright and early New Year’s Eve morning for Nashville. We arrived in time to clean up and head to the Nashville downtown area for the evening. After a couple of stops for drinks and dinner, we ended at BB King’s place for the evening. The music was good, the beer was cold, and every time I stole a glance at M he was smiling. Gosh that makes a gal feel special!

Not much was open on New Year’s Day, though we did walk the grounds of the Grand Ol’ Opry, play a round of glow-in-the-dark mini golf (very fun), and stroll by the Parthenon. The pond in the photo is in the same park as the Parthenon and the shadows, of course, are ours.

January 2 we headed to Lynchburg to tour the Jack Daniels Distillery (highly recommended) and then on over to Memphis to experience Beale Street for the evening. We drove the back roads from Lynchburg to Memphis, which made for a long day, though we talked the entire trip. At one gas stop the clerk behind the counter told us to make sure and come back. As we walked out I looked at M and laughed and said, “Sure, I’d come back, except I have no clue where we are!”

Beale Street was as much fun as Nashville. Great music, cold beer, lots of people out and about.(There was a bowl game in town that day so we were among plenty of other tourists.)

Before heading back we made one last stop – to tour the Gibson guitar factory. We also said hello to the ducks at the Peabody Hotel and M had Memphis barbecue for lunch.

Everywhere we went in Tennessee the people were great. They were friendly and helpful and never too busy to answer a question or chat for a few minutes.

The trip itself - so awesome. Gosh, M was the perfect traveling companion. Willing to explore, talk to people, and generally relax and have fun. Such a treat! I will say it again --- I am a very lucky gal.