Day 41

Day 41

Tonight is what they call campus lighting.  It is a night where all the Christmas lights are turned on and then the students go and have a Christmas evening at their faculty family homes.  Before the festivities, I walked campus and took pictures of the lights.  It was beautiful.  Don't think that walking campus is an easy task.  The campus is nothing but hills.  As soon as you walk down steps you are walking up a hill.  There is nothing flat.  There is no question the lights pulled me in.  I love lights.  I love how the sparkle, how the transform a space.  I love how they make everything including me feel festive!  I loved this walk. 

Gods light show was putting our light show to shame. 

Day 40

Day 40

Forty days of walking.  Forgive me for pausing on that thought.... wow.  I'm so thrilled.  Well... So today my walk was just around the campus. This was the sky that inspired me.  What a beautiful place this is.  The sky has been amazing.  I walked about 20 minutes, but my phone died after taking this picture. (I need to figure out what is going on with my phone it is not holding charge like it should). 

Day 39

Day 39

Today I almost missed walking.  I'm not sure what happened.... well Lensa was here with us and needed to go to the mall and do some shopping for her family.  So we headed out as soon as stores opened and walked the malls until 4pm.  It was an incredibly long day of walking but not walking inside and NOT in a contemplative way.  So I decided after arriving home that I still really needed to go.  However it wasn't at 4.  Because after dropping her at the bus at 5pm. I stayed at the church and decorated it for Christmas.  However because of some people practicing our decorating was put off until later. Chris and I didn't get home until after 10pm.  I walked inside, put on a warmer coat and headed out into the darkness.  I walked down our street.  It was pitch black, but still so beautiful.  The air filled my lungs and I was thankful that I had not tried to cheat and use walking the mall as my walk.  There is no substitute for an outside walk.  The fresh air in the lungs is reason enough.  

Sorry no pictures it was just too dark.  

Day 38

Day 38

Packing Day

Today was the day we packed up to head home.  I got up and took a short walk.  It was almost to short to count, but I specifically wanted to soak in some of the beauty around.  

As I looked at the water I was reminded of sitting by the lake as a little girl in Ethiopia and loving my time just looking over the still water.  It was a wonderful time.  I found a secluded spot up on some rocks over looking the lake.  There were some bushes around me so I was hidden.  I would just sit there for hours and soak in the beauty.  I think that is why this process is wonderful.  I am soaking in the beauty, and walking in a contemplative way.  Contemplative works for me. 

Day 37

Day 38

This was much like the day before.  We as a group walked down to the field to play around again.  This time I sat out on the foot ball, and called my daughter.  I was missing my kids like crazy and we didn't have any signal at the house so I walked with everyone and then sat down and had a conversation via cell phone with Anna.  We then walked back.  

The beauty around us was amazing.  The sky was spectacular, the sun so warm and healing.  The trees grand and majestic.  I kept thinking how much I have missed for years sitting inside.  Seriously, even if this process had no effect on me physically just experiencing the beauty was amazing.  What a joy!  

Day 36

Day 36

Another huge step for me... I don't like walking with people.  I am slow and it makes me insecure and way to focused on what I'm not doing, to fellowship and enjoy the experience. So the day after thanksgiving it was time to walk, and everyone decided they wanted to go to a soccer field not too far away.  I considered going on my own walk alone, and then changed my mind.  After all it has been 36 days, so maybe I can shut down the negative voices and just walk and talk and play and enjoy, not just the walk but everyone.  So I put on my shoes.  What a beautiful picture this was! It was a perfect day, beautiful sun, sky and a beautiful 73 degrees.  Oh how beautiful this walk was! 

We arrived at the field and I stood around and talked with Carolyn, while the kids played around with the ball.  Then it was decided that we would play a game of football.  Next thing you know I'm playing football. My team consisted of Luke, Josh and myself.  We played for a while and then after the game was decided Chris joined in and they played a game of adults against kids.  I sat that one out.  This is a picture of that game.  What a huge change though.  I don't think I have ever played a football game with my kids... :(   The good news is I'm making progress, and maybe, if my kids get busy, I can play football with my grandchildren! 

Day 35

Day 35

Thanksgiving Day 2015

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal on the porch at the lake.  It was such a special time and like every year, we all ate too much and were at great risk of going into a food coma.  However... I went and put on my walking shoes and headed out for a walk.  I kept thinking about a conversation I had had with Andrew about the importance or the benefits of taking a 10 minute walk after each meal.  I didn't do that but I was headed out the door after Thanksgiving, with a house full of people.  It was something I don't think I have ever done.  

It was a perfect 72 degrees and bright blue skies.  What a joy to walk on a day like this.  I also had the privileged of walking down a road I had never walked on before! I love that!

As I came up over the small hill past some abandoned looking homes, I saw these ducks sunning and enjoying the dock.  The sad part is they saw me too and didn't stay put for long. 

This walk was a huge victory for me.  I love being with people and leaving friends and family to go on a walk instead of sitting around talking in the living room was a huge huge change for me.  A few months ago I would have never even considered doing such a thing.  It was weird.  I hated to go but once I started walking I was so glad I had.  What a blessing.  What a huge blessing.  

Day 34

Day 34

Day 34 was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  I spent my day packing up the car with groceries and food, after braving the Walmart crowd to do the shopping for the entire weekend.  We were headed to the lake house at Lake Watery in SC.  Chris had to work, so I was the one to load the car etc.  After packing up the cooler, and then a Rubbermaid container full of food and looked at them all and said to myself, "how am I going to get these to the car?"  They were incredibly heavy.  Then I bent down, used my legs, stood up and walked them to the car.  After two incredibly heavy loads I still had load after load after load to walk out to the car.  After loading, I met Chris at his work where we reloaded everything into his car and then we headed down the road to SC.  This picture was taken on the drive down.  Arriving at the lake house we started the process of unloading everything.  The only way into the house is up a very long flight of steps.  So up and down we went for a good 20 minutes.  After unloading the car we rested a while. Then Chris headed out the door to pick up Lensa.  Soon after he arrived the Kendalls arrived at the house and I went out side and then up and down the steps again to help move them in.  I decided after all that I would count it as a walk.  Those steps had been quite a work out not to mention all the work loading the car at home.  Not my typical walk but a good work out just the same.  Honestly it was a great day, where I could see the difference all the walks have been making.  I didn't dread going up and down the steps.  I didn't find a way to get out of it.  I just did it and felt great! It wasn't easy and I was tired but, BUT, I did it and I enjoyed it!  I say that is huge progress!

Day 33

Day 33

Today I got braces put on my teeth.  Crazy.  The whole process has made me very reflective. It is amazing how braces can make you feel twelve again.  So with my new medal mouth I headed out for a walk.  It was cold but the sun was shining.  Not five minutes down the road, it sounded like a huge creature was in the woods right next to me. I stopped and looked and this was the huge creature making all the racket.  He was so cute, working so hard to gather nuts.

Such feathery looking weeds.  Again, I found it ironic.  These look so soft and feathery but in reality when you get close they are not soft, or feathery, they are just weeds, rough weeds at that. 

Oh the sun is so beautiful coming through the trees.  I took a moment and just stood under the tree.  I breathed in the cold fresh air and tried to decided if I turn around or keep going.  After a minute or so I decided to keep going.  I headed down toward the creek and  then up to the vinyard.

As I turned into the vineyard I noticed this, the curve in the road.  I am more and more loving the idea of the new road, a new turn, the new unknown around the corner.  What joy!

I then decided to walk up to the vineyard and ask permission to walk there anytime.  I walked up and and talked to a very nice lady who told me I was welcome to walk there.  I then walked down a hill past the rows and rows of vines and was struck by the beauty and the beautiful scent.  I took out my phone to take a picture and my phone, was dead again.  I was so disappointed.  So I just soaked it all in.  Ahh the beauty.  The smell of grapes drying on the vine was so beautiful.  It is quite possibly one of my favorite places now!   Maybe Chris and I need to move to Italy and buy an old vineyard! LOL! Wouldn't that be awesome!  

Day 32

Day 32

The last few days have been plagued with technical difficulties.  Two walks my phone has died so I wasn't able to take many pictures.  My computer has been not willing to down load the pictures etc etc.  I think I finally have it all worked out and am catching up on the blogging.  I have walked each day though.  Monday, after a long day of work I headed out for about a thirty minute walk.  This was the only picture I caught before my phone died.

This walk was slow, and very very cold.  It was freezing outside.  I was getting ready to teach drama class and then head home.  It was hard keeping my head in the walk.  I kept thinking about the up coming holiday and all that needed to be done.  It was hard to sit still.  To sit still in the cold and just focus on walking.  This is one of those days when I just checked it off my list.  Walk, done!

Day 31

Day 31

This picture tells you what my walk felt like....

If you haven't figured it out this is a clue....

It was cold and very WINDY!!!!

Refreshing?  Maybe even too cold for that.

This is some of the last color of fall. Oh the beautiful color! 

These trees were covered in color just a week or so.  Now it is just grey.  

Grey Grey Grey and COLD!!!!

As I walked this road with the wind hitting my back and nothing but grey surrounded me, I thought about the fact that I started this journey in the fall, right before all the grey starts.  Winter in this part of the country is just grey and cold. Grey for months.  I wondered how I will handle months of grey. Then I had the thought that maybe, maybe I need to sit in the grey.  Maybe instead of trying to mask it, hide from it or just look the other direction, maybe I need to face the grey, not just in the weather but face the grey in my life.  Maybe if I face it, embrace it in a way, I will have a more beautiful spring!  So I looked around and embraced the grey around me and wondered what it will be like to really live a life where I'm not numbing but facing, and embracing.  Hmmm.  Then.....

I saw a snow flake.  REALLY SNOW?  I couldn't believe it.  Maybe I was imagining it.  Then it really started flying around.  It was more like snow mist. Little tiny tiny balls of snow.  As it hit my face and stuck to my eye lashes, and hit my tongue, it was as if the Grey was gone.  I kept looking up loving the look of the white flying around in sky.  I couldn't help but think of...

 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; 

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

So maybe if I sit in the grey, or face the grey, not hide by walk in it with God, I will come out the other side in the spring, "whiter than snow".  Maybe at the end of all this is something beautiful! 

The snow on my face was strangling energizing.  I loved it and felt let exploring so up a road I had never been before.  It was quite a hill!!

As this walk came to an end I am hopeful!  ENJOYING the grey and looking forward to all that it offers like snow, growth and healing.  Spring will come but right now I am entering the winter months and I plan to embrace them.  I am also hoping to really face anything and EVERYTHING!!!