Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Celebrating All Hallow's Eve


Like many people, I'll be rushing home early from work tonight to prepare for the trick-or-treaters who will be ringing our bell from 5:00 on.

Though I haven't any children of my own, I always enjoy Hallowe'en. When my sisters and I were small, the day was magical. Even now, if I close my eyes and think back, I can hear the sound of children screeching with fear and delight as they run from house to house, smell the scent of dry leaves crunching underfoot, and taste the rich hot chocolate offered by an elderly neighbour. The night always felt so safe and so dangerous at the same time. Safe because we were well-loved children living in a close-knit caring community. Dangerous because oft-repeated stories of razor blades in apples and knife-wielding boogie men filled us with fear.

Much as I enjoy Hallowe'en, I've often wished it was more like Mexico's Day of the Dead, when families take time from their normal routines to remember and celebrate loved ones who've passed away. It strikes me the celebration must make death and dying feel more normal and less final somehow - one more transition in the cycle of life with bonds of love remaining to keep the departed close in spirit.

After we've said goodnight to the last of the trick-or-treaters this evening, I plan to pour a glass of wine, light a candle then spend some quiet time remembering family and friends who've gone before me, wishing them well on their journeys and praying we meet again one day - in my dreams, if no place else.

Happy All Hallow's Eve!

Don't forget to check back here tomorrow for the first installment of my Creative November Challenge.

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Catching up and planning for my Creative November Challenge


It's hard to believe it's been so long since I last posted. Or maybe not. September and October were busy with work, travel, family time and extra chores on account of husband being laid up with a hernia. And the truth is writing feels hard these days so I avoid it when I can.

First, the catch-up. I managed to finish two races this fall - the Maritime Race Weekend Tidal Trail 15k at the end of September and 9runrun Half Marathon the middle of October. I wasn't happy with my time at either event but I collected some nice bling at least and I'd highly recommend both.

The weather for the Tidal Trail 15k was far hotter and more humid than I expected, and I ran out of water a few kms before the end, so it was a long hard slog to the finish. On the upside, the views along the route were gorgeous and I arrived early enough to snag a good parking spot and chat with folks at the start line, which was great fun.




9runrun in Stittsville, Ontario, was an entirely different sort of race - really well organized with tonnes of community support. Though it's a relatively small event, it still raised something like $160,000 for youth mental health services, and the firefighters, paramedics and police officers volunteering on the course made for some very nice scenery. ;-)  The icing on the cake was the high resolution photos provided free of charge.  Here are two of my favourites:



In the photos, it looks as if I'm enjoying myself but the truth is I went out too fast (a rookie mistake), hit the wall at 16k and finished in a disappointing 2:20. On the upside the medal's pretty. And did a mention the handsome men in uniform?



The other very nice thing about doing 9runrun was that I was able to meet up with my former running buddy, Marathon Jane. She also completed the half (in a much faster time) but it was a mere warm-up for another marathon next month and Big Sur Marathon next spring. Way to go, Jane! It was wonderful seeing her - especially since it gave us a chance to chat about another former running buddy, Brent, who was participating in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, the same weekend. I am such an underachiever compared with those two!


In other news, Husband, Jackie and I spent Thanksgiving with long-time friends in Cape Breton. It's become something of a tradition and we had heaps of fun. Activities included hanging out on the beach, hiking, mellowing in a hot tub, playing board games, visiting a local craft brewery to take in a Celtic Colours concert, savouring gorgeous fall foliage, watching the puppies play, and - of course - eating and drinking lots.






Sunday morning, while everyone else was recovering from the effects of too much fun the night before, I headed out for a 10k run. It wasn't one of my better efforts but the scenery made it feel worthwhile.


The weekend after Thanksgiving, I headed to Ottawa for three days. My best friend's mum had just passed away so spending some quality time with her was my top priority, but I also managed visits with my brother-in-law and two dear friends (who Husband and I first met in Papua New Guinea nearly 30 years ago!), and of course ran 9runrun. As I traveled around the city, I was reminded of all the places Husband and I have lived,  worked and studied over the years, the people we'd known and the adventures we'd had. I look forward to a longer visit one day soon soon!

Squeezed in amongst and around all the traveling and racing were Jackie's Blue's spay, Husband's hernia surgery, my baby sister's 40th birthday celebration, time with our nieces, a visit with friends at our country place, and various beach walks with Jackie - so, all in all, a very busy couple of months. Jackie was incredibly patient with having to wear a cone for 10 days, and managed to look adorable in it.


Now that she's fully healed, Husband's on the mend, and my fall races are behind me, I'm making plans to carve out more time for creative activities. Things are too hectic to contemplate registering for NaNoWriMo so I've set a less ambitious challenge for myself - that is, to take a photo and blog every day in November. I may not have much to show for it by month's end but I'm hoping it will help get some creative juices flowing again.

Given how busy I am, even taking on that much of a challenge feels like a lot, so I've decided to give up Facebook for the month too - which won't be much of a hardship, to be honest. For the last while, I've been quite overwhelmed by all the negativity in my newsfeed so it will be good to get away from it for awhile. I will, however, continue posting occasional photos on my Instagram account.

And what about you, dear reader? Did you run any races this fall? How did they go? Are you tackling a November challenge as well? If so, I'd love to hear about it! And I hope you'll check back on Wednesday for the first installment of my Creative November Challenge. (To receive new posts by email, enter your address in the box under "Follow by email" on the right-hand side of this page.) 

Until then, happy running and writing!