Tuesday's Teeming with Treasures - Super High Flyin' Don

The other day, I took my father-in-law, Don, to the VA Hospital to have some tests ran (he's ok, other then the usual tragic 'the sky is falling' attitude).

While Don was whisked away for his procedure (whisked is not a word to really describe the VA, but it sounds better then how it really went down), I was busy working in the waiting area.

A couple of hours later, I look up from my laptop.  Standing in front of me was quite a sight!

Much like Don looked,
 but this is
Kramer from Seinfeld

His hair was an entangled, disheveled, standing straight up on end messy, much like Kramer from Seinfeld.   One sleeve partially rolled up to above his elbow, the other completely down and unbuttoned at the wrist.  His button up plaid shirt half tucked in on his left side, and un-tucked on his right side, his baggy levi's barely hanging on his hips.

Swaying side to side, holding his hands out for balance, he looks at me with that look of, 'What's next, where am I?' kind of stare.

I quickly place my laptop on the ground, jump out of my seat to help him.  As soon as I place my hands on his upper arms to help calm the spins, he bursts into the giggles like a little girl!   Through the giggles he says to me, '"No, no don't help - this is kind of fun!"

At that point, I lost it!  I fell back into my chair laughing so hard at the sight before me.  Between the two of we were calling so much attention to ourselves that the entire waiting room full of vets and their families start laughing along as well.

Yes, this is just the beginning of an afternoon with Super High Flying Don!  

Tuesday's Teeming with Treasures are quick motivational notes from my life.  Mainly I post them for my use, to help me treasure each day, focus on the AMAZING-NESS that surrounds me.  Most importantly they help me remember to get out of me head and into my true self.

Tuesday's Teeming With Treasures - Giant Heads of Broccoli

Just the other day, I swear, I planted 5 small broccoli plants in my vacant freshly tilled organic garden.  During their short lives, I've watered and fed them with some home made good for the earth compost.


To the side and behind the broccoli, I planted pumpkins with the idea that when the pumpkin vines twisted, turned, and took over, the broccoli would be harvested and ready to be turn back to mother earth.

Today was the day.  I tiptoed through the pumpkin leaves around the bachelor button flowers and to the broccoli.  Nestled in the middle of it's leaves, were heads the size of cabbages. I sliced the heads from their fibrous stocks, piling them in and on top of the garden harvest basket.  Each head so large that I could only place one in the basket before piling them on top of each other. 

Cleaning the heads, slicing them smaller, and steaming them in the steamer.  Bright healthy green trees on our plates to eat.  The flavor so fresh and filling one wishes I'd planted 30 more!






Tuesday's Teeming with Treasures are quick motivational notes from my life.  Mainly I post them for my use, to help me treasure each day, focus on the AMAZING-NESS that surrounds me.  Most importantly they help me remember to get out of me head and into my true self.

Tuesday's Teeming with Treasures 'I Can't Suck'

The other evening my daughter was laying in my bed, on my side no less.  Eating what looked like a homemade frozen pop.

I asked her to eat her food on the floor. She causally said she wasn't eating (technically she's right).  I then asked her to suck on the floor.  

She calmly looks at me and says, "Mom, I can't suck, I'm too awesome!"

Now if only all adults, and children, would embrace this awesomeness attitude, we'd all be living the life we were meant to live.



Tuesday's Teeming with Treasures are quick motivational notes from my life.  Mainly I post them for my use, to help me treasure each day, focus on the AMAZING-NESS that surrounds me.  Most importantly they help me remember to get out of me head and into my true self.

A Forgotten Primal Passion Re-Ignited. Why It's Good to Feel Like a Rat Running on It's Wheel

I've spent the last 10 years or so learning to love to run long distance outdoors.  Now don't get me wrong, I love to run, but not too far (like 1/4 of a mile max)!

I have been blessed with a very powerful and strong body (thanks to genetics) that helps me excel at running sprints.

In high school, I was AMAZING (the older I get the more amazing I was)! I was a better then average, almost collegiate quality sprinter, however the man that was in my life at the time persuaded me to not apply and then turn down the scholarships I did receive - that's a story for another time.

I remember spending hours, upon hours after school with my great runner friend, Melissa. We'd run the stairs, the track, do strides, lift weights, massage out each others' knots from such hard work. 


We streamlined our bodies into musclular, lean, power packed, sprinting machines!  

We could outperform anyone on our team, and we liked that!  

I remember one of my favorite things to do was see how much weight I could lift on the leg press. My goal was to be able to lift at least 300 pounds - almost 3 times as much as I weighed. This one day I remember a football player came to use the leg press after I just finished. It was pretty ego-tistacal when he had to take off over 100 pounds in order to uses it. I had the most muscular thigh quad muscles (looking back that wasn't the best strategy) and I was proud of them!

Now back to the reason I told you about my love affair with the high school gym. I recently got a killer deal on a gym membership that's only minutes from my house. At first I was a bit hesitant since I love the outdoors and I love running outside an being in the mountains. I just love having them as my personal gym. However, I have started to notice that when I run outside, my knees hurt longer and more then usual.

I decided to go for the membership, knowing that some of my knee pain is due to a weakness or imbalance in some of the my leg muscles.

While meeting with a personal trainer, I was telling her that my main goal was to strengthen a few key muscles for the knee so that they don't hurt as much while running. I also explained that I'd use the gym when the weather wasn't ideal outside for me to play in. After our meeting she helped create a plan that would fit my needs and still leave lots of outdoor play time.

After going to the gym for a couple of weeks, I can tell you why so many people run on treadmills for hours at a time. No, it's not because of the TV they watch (but that does help you take your mind off of the fact that you're esentially a mouse on one of those rat wheels), but because it doesn't hurt your knees!




After running on the treadmill, I'm still able to walk down the stairs without shooting pain up my leg, and then walk back up!

I've also found how much I truley LOVE lifting weights. 

There's something so primal about maxing your muscles to near exhaustion, that really pumps me up. I forgot how much I LOVE it! I feel so at home on the weight machines that sometimes I find myself transformed to 20 years ago!


Lifting weights, running stairs, sprinting around the track with a great friend, knowing we were all that, and laughing at ourselves along the way.

I can't wait for my gym day - tomorrow.

BTW, I still play outside 1 or 2 days a week so I can still maintain that base fitness, but man can my knees hurt some days.

Tuesday's Teeming with Treasures! Timely After Thoughts

I received an email the other day, literally in the nick of time, from my dear aunt Marilyn Houser.  This email was the answer to many unanswered questions about a project that is currently my greatest work - Friday's with Frank.

I felt I had exhausted all avenues of research and I kept coming up empty handed.  I was just about to 'hang my hat up' on this bit of research, when I received this lifeline of an email.

I'm sure Marilyn had no idea how long I've been searching for this information (just in case you wanted to know - 4 months).  For what ever reason she felt she should send this over, I thank you from the bottom of my soul.

When I think all of my avenues have been sought, it's then that the answers come.


Tuesday's Teeming with Treasures are quick motivational notes from my life.  Mainly I post them for my use, to help me treasure each day, focus on the AMAZING-NESS that surrounds me. Most importantly they help me remember to get out of me head and into my true self.

Tuesday's Teeming with Treasures! Patience or I Get the 'tude'

Have you ever noticed that when your child has an attitude towards you, it's generally their way of getting some control back in their lives.

Yeah, I've started noticing this from my daughter.  When I'm busy barking orders at her (which I hate when people do this to me), and don't give her the time to do it - she throws me some of her 'tude in an attempt to get some control in her life choices.  (Christel, important note here! She'll get it done, just on her time, not yours....)

Tuesday's Teeming with Treasures are quick motivational notes from my life.  Mainly I post them for my use, to help me treasure each day, focus on the AMAZING-NESS that surrounds me, probably most importantly help me remember to get out of me head and into my true self.