I am thankful for so many people, experiences, and things I have in my life that it would be impossible to capture them all in one post. What I can capture is my deep fondness for the beloved hand turkey.
You drew them in elementary school (and I drew them in high school…) Decked out in glitter glue, feathers, pipe cleaners, beads, googly eyes, and anything else found in the decorating drawer, these are pieces of art and testaments to the season. At a potluck last Thursday, I supplied some of those crafty items and diners provided the creativity. Below is the result. A big shout out to my friends who participated, thank you! If you have drawn a hand turkey this season and would like to share, I would be happy to post a picture.
And if you want to learn how to make your very own hand turkey, eHow has you covered: LINK!
This is the most recent picture I have of myself running. This was taken during the Southern Odyssey Relay which the Old Guns Young Ones WON!
When I consider the last eight years, 2004 to 2012, running is one of the few constants I maintained. During those years, I moved over 700 miles to go to school, I earned two degrees, I had several jobs, and I traveled extensively. Throughout running kept me grounded. It’s what I do when I am happy, upset, frustrated, confused, thoughtful; when I want to celebrate and when I want to escape; rarely is there a time I don’t want to go running.
Just the other day, it amused me to realize that I do not watch where I put every footfall (to be fair, I was not running trails). By rough estimate, I have run over 13,000 miles – enough miles for my brain to understand my stride and to know how to place my feet without being told. By contrast, when I was hiking to Tamassee Knob, I was often looking down, very conscious of the trail ahead, perhaps even more so than I would have been if running. I had to remind myself to look up and observe the beauty around me. By generous estimate, I have hiked about 300 miles. Perhaps if I hiked the AT or Pacific Crest Trail, I would have the same confidence in my hiking stride as I do my running stride.
Mid-fall is the season I love to run in most. Winter and spring running can be hit or miss when layering. Summer running can feel more like swimming in the humid southeast. Fall running takes a comfortable lead: with crisp mornings and warm afternoons; sunsets of yellow, orange, pink, and purple; and wisps of clouds brushed into the sky, there is so much to enjoy. In the fall, I wish I was running now and later and again. I cannot get enough.
There is so much more I have to say about running, but finding the right words is more challenging than a ten miler. I know running will continue to influence the person I become, so do not be surprised if we occasionally run laps around this topic.
Taking it back to High School with my Bff and Spudd Zebbie!
Alicia, one of my best friends, my Big Sister in fact, came to visit me last weekend, and we had a marvelous time!
Sister Sister
It took no small feat to get her here – after having to reschedule around a prior commitment, then a day-of delay at the airport causing her to have to change flights. Thankfully good fortune prevailed and we were reunited after 10 months of being apart!
Our first agenda item: Fall Crawl 2012. The afternoon was filled with friends, laughter, music, and drink, as any good bar crawl should be. I enjoyed introducing Alicia to many of my closest friends while we both pretended to be back in college. It was fun and carefree and ended with a delicious slice of pizza. How could we go wrong?
Crawlin’ with friends = The good life.Good times
Ever ambitious, we rode the bus home to prepare for a Halloween party with my friends from graduate school. I went in my standby penguin costume while Alicia dawned a sheet to be my iceberg. (Apologies! No pictures were taken.) We enjoyed a brief time at the party, and Alicia met more of the people who shaped my time at Clemson. However, the crawl crawled up on us, and by nine, we were both ready to sleep.
The next day can be described by a single gerund: walking. After a tasty homemade breakfast, we made for campus. While others slept, we went on an extensive walking tour.
Welcome to the Tiger family!
Alicia commented several times on the abundance of Tiger Paws and the Clemson name. I let her know this is the norm, we are a Clemson Family, and we take that commitment seriously. From years of Solid Orange and One Clemson, I have come to assume this is the standard on all college campuses. Having Alicia comment on it allowed me to realize that this is a special quality and not one to take trivially. As I write, I feel my Clemson Pride stir, something I will always cherish. Go Tigers!
Our next stop was Greenville. We thought we had a respectable Sunday lunch at 1 PM only to learn after that my car clock tricked us with the time change! With plenty of time, we took off on foot to explore Greenville. We saw Falls Park, open artist studies, many little shops , all the while chatting and catching up as though we did this every Sunday.
On the bridge in Fall Park!Kiko!
Eventually, we felt we had seen what was available, but still had some time left, so with spontaneous glee, we took off for the zoo. With childish excitement, we both shouted “Elephant!” as we approached the first exhibit. Then remembering our age, we took on an ever so slightly more restrained demeanor. Cats and primates and reptiles, oh my! My favorite exhibit was the giraffes where we could see baby Kiko, born less than a 14 days ago, on October 22.
We concluded the visit with a delicious treat at Spill the Beans and a short ride to the airport.
