I did something today that I never thought that I’d be able to do again...I ran!
It may not seem like a big thing, but believe me it is. We have these awesome neighbors that live about a quarter mile away and we were walking home from a play date at their house. My son was getting pretty cranky in his stroller and I knew we were reaching nap time. Looking down at him in I pondered, “I wonder if he would fall asleep in here if I picked up the pace a little.” We are blessed with another beautiful day today. The sun is shining, birds are chirping and butterflies are dancing all around, so I thought “Why not? Let’s see if I can run a little.” I use the term “run” loosely. It was more like a wog, a cross between a walk and a jog. Seriously the butterflies were flying faster than I was moving, but that was okay with me. I’m not a runner at heart. I’d like to be, but the only time I would run in the past was when I was playing a sport of some kind. I picked up a book about running from the library once. Yes I know, I am a nerd, but I did find it very helpful. It basically pointed out that I’d been doing everything wrong while running as an athlete my whole life. “What? There is actually a way that you are supposed to breathe while running? You mean It’s not just gasping for air? No? Well clearly I've been doing this wrong!” Today was better, way better. I picked a destination and I found a rhythm. I breathed in with four steps and out with four step, in with four, out with four and focused on that. Before I knew it we were at the driveway and my little man was almost asleep. So, I kept going. I picked the next the destination and continued breathing…in with four, out with four. I came to a curve in our road and turned around. At about the 1/2 mile mark I could feel that I was losing my breath and my rhythm so I regained focus: in with four, out with four. I was surprised by how easy it was. I stopped at 3/4 of a mile because we had come to our driveway again and I wasn’t sure how much my body could take. Lord knows I don't want to end up in the ER again. I knew that I still needed to stretch, eat something and rest before Tre, my son, woke up from his nap. Resting has become very important, and I’ve found that so have the smoothies I’ve been drinking. I made one today called Sweet Potato Pie. It is a recipe from Tess Masters, aka “The Blender Girl,” and it is easily becoming one of my favorites. I decrease the recipe to one serving, add two scoops of my all-in-one vegan nutritional shake powder, and am good to go. I cannot live without shakes like these. They keep me going. They are the My Grace In A Glass! I have attached the recipe for the Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie below. You should give it a try! In fact, maybe you should give something new a try - who knows, maybe you CAN do it! Have a great day my friends! Love, Danielle Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie Courtesy Of Tess Masters, The Blender Girl http://healthyblenderrecipes.com/recipes/vegan_sweet_potato_pie_smoothie1 Ingredients:
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Hello my friends. I hope that it is sunny wherever you are today. It is beautiful here as we have had an unusually sunny June. It feels as though summer has come early. Being a first time gardener I found it true that sun makes your garden grow. I harvested my first large batch of spinach this week and I must say that I have a new found respect for farmers. It takes a lot of work to harvest and process the foods you grow. We were visited by rain recently and those tiny drops knocked down my lettuce. So the whole family went out this morning to begin harvesting. We picked our first carrot and I even made friends with a slug. Time passed quickly and even though we got an early start, the sun came out hot and quick and before we knew it, the lettuce started wilting. I’m working like mad to get it cleaned, prepped, and ready to share. Besides sharing this experience with my son, sharing the foods we produce with others is my favorite part. I couldn’t wait to get on the phone this morning and start asking our friends and family “who needs lettuce?” Giving the vegetables to people that I love makes me so happy. Deep down I hope I’m meeting a need of theirs. Maybe not, but I hope that this small gesture shows them how much I care about them. Who knows, maybe it’s my Love Language.
I was asked recently “How do you do it?” “How can you take of your son and your family and fully live when you feel so sick all the time?” Truth be told I can’t, not all the time, but I try my hardest every day. I choose to look at things differently. Life for me is no longer a race. It’s not about the things I do or do not have. It’s about who I have. I’m living for the moments. It is true what they say: people come and people go. I’ve had to say goodbye to some of the greatest people this last year. It is hardest when they leave, but I love making new friends too. I love when old friends resurface. I’ve reconnected recently with some of my favorite people. There were always there, but I just didn’t see it. I had to open myself up and learn to reach out. One of the blessings about going through a hard time is that sometimes people reach out to you. Sometimes you need those people, but you just didn’t know it. My son and I are about to get elbow deep in a sink full of lettuce leaves. I know already it is going to be one of my favorite moments of the day. “Are you coming?” He just asked with a wave of his hand. He’s going to be three soon and I can’t believe how much he’s changed this last year. I don’t want to miss this moment, so I must be going. I hope you take the time today to make some memories. You may want to take a picture too, it will last longer. Have a blessed day my friend! Talk to you soon, Danielle |
AuthorHi there! Welcome to Grace In A Glass. My name is Danielle and I am so happy that you are visiting this site today. We all have something in life that we are working to overcome. I began blogging about my struggle with overcoming Esophageal Dysmotility and Crohn's Disease with the hope of reaching others with words of encouragement and hope. Thank you for letting me share my stories with you, and hope you have the most wonderful day! Archives
November 2022
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