White to Black

What makes me almost as excited as a new school bag? That's right, a new work bag. I loved switching my white summer purse out for this shiny black bag to carry to work today. This is the second version of this bag actually. The first one had a handle break within the first two days of carrying it. Cross your fingers that this one lasts because I do not have the energy to fight with the mean Dillard's workers again because I don't have the tags (I usually take these off to carry the bag!).

I am also excited to pull out my big comfy boots. On the way to class last night I really didn't want to wear flip flops, but I wasn't quite ready to pull out the fuzzy boots. I will give my classmates one more week. After that, I will not be embarrassed to be the first one wearing my MWSU hoodie and fuzzy boots to night class.

The River Why

I wrote a post and didn’t post it because this blog is not so much a diary to me, but a social place. The post I wrote talked a lot about a book I was excited to start and why I was excited to finally start it. And this made me realize, in not posting, that I forgot to tell you that I’m starting a new book! I started the book The River Why by David James Duncan. This is a favorite pick of Sister #2 who has been suggesting I read it for years. I don’t know what my initial hesitation was – maybe I thought it was too complicated – but I am absolutely loving it so far. And I just found out there is a movie so now I can read the book and then see the movie! You know how I love doing that. Popcorn for dinner anyone?

Back to the book, I am loving a few things about it that I think are important to note. First I have to say that I’m not too far into it yet, so most of the things have little to do with the actual book. However, I can already tell that I love the author’s writing style. He challenges his readers to stay engrossed and uses a vocabulary that I can only dream about having one day. What I also love about this vocabulary challenge is that I get to see Sister #2’s annotations and definitions. I think there is something very powerful in recognizing someone’s handwriting, especially in a book that she lent you years ago declaring it as one of her favorites. I get to wonder what she was thinking about when she underlined something and which definition she chose to use as explanation. I love it. (And I also think I would miss this feeling if I use an electronic book).

Another thing I already love about this book is the poetic way the author wrote it. I haven’t read anything else by him, but I looked up some quotes and figured out that he always wrote and talked this way. His writing is very poetic.

For instance, today I found this quote and thought it was a good one to share before the weekend. I hope this weekend you can see the world as a gift and allow it to open your heart wider even when it’s scary.

“[There is a] kind of all-embracing universality evident in Mother Teresa’s prayer: “May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in.” Not just fellow nuns, Catholics, Calcuttans, Indians. The whole world. It gives me pause to realize that, were such a prayer said by me and answered by God, I would afterward possess a heart so open that even hate-driven zealots would fall inside... [My] sense of the world as a gift, my sense of a grace operative in this world despite its terrors, propels me to allow the world to open my heart still wider, even if the openness comes by breaking—for I have seen the whole world fall into a few hearts, and nothing has ever struck me as more beautiful.” ― David James Duncan

Crockpot Cooking On My Mind

When I got home from class last night, some of my siblings and I talked trash while finalizing our Fantasy Football picks. I was in my favorite grey sweater and shivering under my blanket. This morning I woke up and layered on all my running gear for a cold, 45ish degree run. All of this, school, football, sweaters, and blankets, tells me one thing: Time to pull the Crockpot off the top shelf...It's finally Fall!

Now, someone please tell this crazy Midwest weather to stick around and not spike back to 90 degrees at random times...I did not appreciate that this past week. How am I supposed to drink my Pumpkin Latte in that heat?

Anyway, I was searching around for some new recipes and found the cutest blog all about easy Crockpot cooking! This blogger did a 365 days of Crockpot cooking theme. I already found four or five that I can't wait to try. This Sunday I'm going with the Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup. Here's the blog if you want to check it out for yourself.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Check out A Year of Slow Cooking for fun new ideas:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

"These are the days"

Last night David and I drove home from Kansas City, from a weekend packed completely full with the people we love and wonderful memories. A couple of years ago Sister #2 had me listen to this song that has been on repeat in my head for the past week, and last night was on repeat on our drive home from our wonderful weekend. One of the parts I love the most goes like this:

"We're making moments we won't forget
We fill in ones that haven't happened yet
Whooa, whooa, whooa, whooa, whooa
We can't forget these are the days"

As you can tell from my last few posts, I am so busy loving my life right now that it's hard to take any time to even pause and write about it. But this weekend deserves a post. And if what they say is true and a picture is worth a thousand words, maybe you will cut me some slack and not make me try to explain the happiness this weekend filled my heart with - you can see it in all these pictures anyway.

It all started with a surprise from one of my dearest friends - this is the friend that had to move the day after our wedding. She flew back with her tiny baby to surprise our other dear friend at her baby shower. I can't describe what this did to my heart. I am a big ball of emotions these days. Look at the joy on these faces.

Surprise!

My beautiful mom with the beautiful momma-to-be!

Sister #1 molding a baby themed sculpture with my mom and mother in law - ask her what she made.

How gorgeous is this woman?

Surprise! Our Kimi Girl!

The baby shower hostesses.

And then, right from this shower, David picked me up so we could rush to KC for the beautiful Bahrke/Diederich wedding. It was a night filled with family, friends, dancing, and so much love I could barely handle it. This group of friends is a constant inspiration to me.

Sister #2 and cute David

Sister #4 and me enjoying the wonderful dinner.

Absolute joy.



And then, from the wedding we woke up early and headed to the Chiefs game. The game was on 9-11 - the ten year anniversary of 9-11 that is. We were able to take some time before the game and remember, pray, and celebrate everything that 9-11 means to our country. The ceremony was very emotional and somber, but at the same time, the stadium was filled with love and hope. You could honestly feel an entire body of people praying and remembering together. It was beautiful and I will remember this ceremony as a precious moment in a very sad time.

Sister #2 and her fiance!

Dine and Dish Chicago, me, and Sister #2

Mrs. Diederich and a wonderful friend!

I hope you also had a wonderful weekend with the people you love the most.


Disclaimer: You might notice that Sister #1 and I didn't sneak in one picture together this weekend. Urgh.

I was 15

“Oh beautiful, for heroes proved,

In liberating strife,

Who more than self, our country loved,

And mercy more than life.

America, America, may God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness,

And every gain defined.”

There are some things that I simply can’t write about or talk about. September 11^th is one of those two or three topics. So I am not going to try now necessarily. All I can ever really do once I start thinking about not only this one day, but what it did to all of us over the next ten years (wow, 10 years) following it, is pray. I can now get through an entire prayer. My prayers on these few topics are similar actually. In these prayers I apologize and ask for forgiveness, ask for peace and healing to those who are hurting because of it, and end with all of the thanksgiving I can think of – I thank God for whatever good I can think has come from the tragedy and ask Him to show me what I’m missing.

So ten years later, I still can’t really make sense of it, but I can thank God for our strong soldiers and nation, pray for those who are still hurting and always will be, and remember all of the brave people who were lost.

 

Fall Back

Maybe you’ve heard me say this before (for Summer, Spring, Winter..) but this is my very favorite time of year! Fall has to be the most beautiful time – especially when you start your morning with a run on Ashland. I can’t explain everything I love about this time of year. It has a little to do with crockpots, open windows, hooded sweatshirts, and the Chiefs. But all of this would mean nothing to me if it wasn’t for all of the memories that go with these things. Fall reminds me of two years ago this time, when David would drive up on the weekends to see me in my little Plaza apartment, when I would run around the Plaza after work and then sit on my favorite bench, and when Sundays were spent at Chiefs games or at the little sushi place across from our apartment drinking bloody mary’s and watching the game. Fall reminds me of my wonderful mom’s Birthday and Halloween, a baby shower for Sister #1, the Plaza with Sister #2, and watching Sister #4 dance at the football games of my beloved Griffs!

I remember the first time I really saw David after knowing I had my huge crush on him. It was a beautiful day at a Chief’s tailgate and I could barely even make myself talk to him (this is an understatement of course, you might need the real story from Sister #2). And here’s the crazy part, this was only two years ago. Two years ago Sister #1 was pregnant with little Eli, Sister #2 and I were living on the Plaza, Sister #4 was dancing and turning 21, and David and I weren’t dating, engaged, or married. Two years have flown by.

And this is the part where this Fall starts to make me nostalgic. I remember thinking that it was weird how grown-ups talked about time flying by so much. I thought, come on, two years is a long time! Now I look at the pictures in my cube which was not my cube even a year ago and see a picture of me with my best friend pregnant with her now 6 month old baby, of David and me the day we picked out our house, my second nephew (that one we had the Fall baby shower for two years ago) standing by a big 1 that will now be 2, and a picture of my happy grandparents who are no longer here. I remember last year at this time running on Ashland and going over and over in my head what I would say at my interview – my interview for this job that I have now been with for a year. This year has flown by.

I’m not sad about any of this. I love each of these memories. And I know that this Fall will bring even more wonderful memories with it. Memories filled with a lot of firsts for us. This will be our first Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hunting season, Chiefs season, and Christmas as a married couple. Nothing makes me happier than making these memories with David. But there’s a part of me that knows that it will go by too quickly. And that a year from now I will sit here and look at pictures of David and me at the Chiefs home opener, my sisters and mom wedding dress shopping with Sister #2, a college graduation picture with Sister #4, and a picture of Sister #1 with her husband and my nephews in Halloween costumes. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait for these new Fall memories, but I also know that Fall flies by too quickly. So for now, I think I can just wake up early each morning and enjoy this short season on Ashland, and drink a cup of coffee with my husband while thinking about that wonderful Chiefs morning two years ago and what wonderful memories we will make this Fall. And I can accept that next year when I look back at these pictures from right now, I won’t be the same person I am now, and I won’t be in the same place that I was when the pictures were taken, but that it will be wonderful and exciting, and that the Fall of 2012 will be filled with its own memories just like this Fall will be.

3 Day Weekend Fun!

Since I have spent about seven hours reading articles and books for class this weekend. I decided to share the fun things I did in between reading and homework instead of posting about technical communication or my job this time. You're welcome.

So Friday David and I had homemade pizza night and wine. And yes I did still wake up at 6 and run 6 miles Saturday morning, pizza and wine and all. Hooray.

David preparing the pizza dough that you cannot see in this one but it really is above his head!

Pizza dough ready

Bo inspecting pizza dough (also please notice the hideous knobs on the cabinet. This will come up again in this post.)

David preparing the pizza and me doing my job: staying out of the way and drinking wine.

Our finished pizza! My side was all cheese and his was pepporoni and sausage. Yum!

Then Saturday after my run I had coffee on my deck with Sister #4 and then met Sister #1 at Target. It was a wonderful morning full of sister time. The only negative was that Sister #2 wasn't here, but I get to spend all next weekend with her (I promise a post on this after next weekend - a baby shower, wedding, and Chiefs home opener kind of weekend!).

Then, since David was spending some time with his friends I decided to start a few projects before going to a movie with my adorable mom. Project 1 was to remove ugly wallpaper border from our room. This was a fail. I worked for two hours and removed one tiny section. My mom has promised to come help me do this soon since this is obviously not normal. But then again, the border is not normal! Look at this, it drives me crazy every night. I lay in bed and wish it would disappear:

Project 2 was new cabinet knobs! Sister #1 suggested I try painting the knobs before investing in thirty new knobs. Here is a before and after. I'm thrilled with the results. I had to sand them and then spray paint them twice over a 24 hour period.

Before

During

 

After!

So between running, studying, reading, and cleaning, I was able to do some fun crafts, cook a few dinners with my husband, and prepare for a fun four-day week! I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend too.

Oh, and I had a few pumpkin lattes and then bought this pumpkin candle. I am obsessed with this cheap Wal Mart brand that smells great when you burn it - and their pumpkin scent is back! I love Fall!



Books of the Weekend

This weekend I will be reading quite a bit of technical communication articles, and so for breaks in between, I decided to give Suzanne Collins the chance to not re-break my heart. But I'm warning you, I will be done with her forever if she pulls a stunt like she did in The Hunger Games trilogy. I will also be removing the annoying 1980s wallpaper boarder from our bedroom. I will let you know which distraction works out better for me.

Collision of School and Work

Last night I had a great conversation in class that stemmed from the age old questions (if “age old” means since the 1960s) that arise from trying to define technical writing. This is a common and constant conversation in our technical communication community. Is technical writing writing about technical topics, or is it writing in a technical way? Don’t stop reading yet, I won’t attempt to answer these questions here, don’t worry.

What I think is interesting about this discussion came up later in the class. We got to talking about how this definition of the phrase isn’t the only area where technical writers disagree. Another major topic comes up when we start asking whether we make technology adapt to the consumer or the consumer adapt to the technology. For instance, my professor shared how within the department they thought about changing a course to fit in with another course but were told no because the system couldn’t handle that. What? We couldn’t combine two classes for credit because the computer system couldn’t combine them and make it work in the student’s schedule – not because it didn’t make logical sense or because the professors didn’t agree it would be acceptable, but instead because the computer system wasn’t set up that way. I hope we all agree that this isn’t fair – we can’t allow the technology to make those decisions for us. There I said it, and most of the people I work with would be gasping right about now.

Because this is where it leads to what I do for my career. Implementing an electronic medical record (EMR) and a health information exchange (HIE) into a clinic or hospital causes change. Providers have been practicing medicine for years, and doing a good job of it, before we walk in the door and drop this technology into their workflow. And here’s where, just like within the field of technical communication, professionals have differing opinions. Should we help the providers change their workflow, based on the best practices and lessons learned, to work well with the new technology? Or, should we implement this technology to enhance their current workflow and practices even if it means tweaking the technology at times? I will give you a hint, there’s no right answer.

However, since this is my blog I get to answer and you get to not tell my coworkers on me, I will tell you that I’m not a clinician (gasp) and I don’t know the first thing about what workflow works best in YOUR clinic. I am walking in to your clinic and hoping that I can help you, the clinician with the bright and shiny framed diploma hanging on your wall, use this technology to make your day to day work easier and make information more accessible to you so that you can save more lives. The bottom line is that I want you to be able to do what you do all day every day, but to do it in a better, safer, and easier way. If I stick with this process I am saying that the technology should adapt to you. I’m saying that we shouldn’t not allow for change because the technology doesn’t want us to change or won’t allow it. I think you can combine classes if you think it’s best for the student and not have to worry about whether the computer will allow you to do this. I think you can practice medicine the way you have established is best for your office, and just let the system help you to be able to see more patients and see more about those patients so that you can treat them. I think you have to allow for change so that you can grow, and the technology shouldn’t hold you back from this growth. And I think that near the end of a three hour class, when your professor asks if you want to cover one more topic or get out a little early, you should answer "get out early" without hesitation or else you will receive many glares from your fellow classmates.

Live United

Today I had the privilege to attend the 2011 Campaign Kickoff breakfast for the United Way of Greater St. Joseph. I will admit that when I woke up early this morning on what is usually my day off from waking up early, I wasn’t all that excited for the breakfast. My mood immediately changed as soon as we pulled on to MWSU’s campus for the meeting. You can feel the positive energy coursing through people, people that have to get things done because they love this community.

I wanted to take a minute and brag on our community and our United Way. One of the speakers today talked about how sometimes the only media coverage we seem to absorb is negative. I hear people talking badly about our community, the community that they are a part of, way too often. These people also seem to be the people that are sitting around and not doing anything to make it better. One speaker talked about how there are times that we as humans want to sit, but the times and feelings that make us want to stand are more powerful. For instance, when we are frustrated we usually stand, when we are excited we jump up and stand, and when we need to get things done, we stand. He asked us all to stand up and be frustrated for the children in our community that are living in poverty, be excited that our United Way uses 92 cents of every dollar for local programs and services here in our community (let that soak in – seriously, 92 cents of every dollar you donate goes back to your community!), and stand up to get things done here.

Do you know what the United Way does in our area? I have to admit that I didn’t know as much as I should have known about it until this past year. This year I served on an allocations committee and learned a lot about our partner agencies and what the United Way does. By supporting the United Way we support the education, health, and financial stability of our community and the agencies that are focused on those areas. I think it’s important to understand what your money and time are going to, and so I listed the 19 partner agencies at the end of this post if you are curious. The United Way supports these 19 agencies that you have probably heard of, benefited from, or know someone they have helped.

The campaign goal was announced today, and it’s a big one. I’m not going to tell you it’s not. But I completely believe we can get there. The United Way hopes to raise 3.3 million dollars this year - and because of the help of the companies that have already run their campaigns, an almost million dollar dent has been made in that goal! If you want to know more about how you can give to, advocate for, or volunteer with the United Way take a look at their website: stjosephunitedway.org

Here is a list of the 19 partner agencies the United Way supports:

American Red Cross

Bartlett Center

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Catholic Charities

The CENTER, A Samaritan Center

Children’s Mercy Hospital

Community Missions Corporation

Family Guidance Center

Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri

InterServ

Legal Aid of Western Missouri

Northwest Missouri Community Services

Pony Express Council, Boy Scouts of America

St. Joseph Safety and Health Council

Salvation Army

Specialty Industries of St. Joseph, Inc.

United Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Missouri

YMCA

YWCA

A Blogiversary

Tomorrow marks One Year since “our” first post. You might be wondering why I use the plural here, but check back to our first post – August 31, 2010 Ally, the Pal of Ping and Pal, and I decided we should try out this blog thing together but we never really took off with it. I am so thankful that I have stuck with this blog alone though.

This blog has meant a lot to me, and looking back over the titles and posts of this past year is a little overwhelming. In this time I have been through a lot of wonderful – and a few difficult – times, and it’s been so amazing to have a place to share some of these emotions and events with you. I am constantly amazed by the people I have met through this blog world. I’m thankful for the little bits of encouragement people leave as comments – people I might not have ever even met or rarely get to see. I have felt a connection with you all by reading your blogs or knowing that you read mine.

Thanks for sticking with me throughout this year – a year filled up with a lot of newness: a new job, a new house, a new marriage, new friendships, new experiences, and of course, new books.

I read through our first post, explaining why we wanted to start this blog in the first place. At that time I was finishing a difficult book, Paul Elie’s The Life You Save May Be Your Own, that let me look at some of the reasons we write and what writing does to us and the people we share the writing with.

In my first post I included this quote from that book: "A pilgrimage is a journey undertaken in the light of a story...the pilgrim seeks not only to confirm the experience of others firsthand but to be changed by the experience. Pilgrims often make the journey in company, but each must be changed individually; they must see for themselves, each with his or her own eyes. And as they return to ordinary life the pilgrims must tell others what they saw, recasting the story in their own terms."

I remember thinking that a blog might be a great place to share my thoughts on the books I was reading and how they related to my life and what I experienced through them. I have had a wonderful year sharing these books and experiences with whoever is out there reading these posts. Thanks for sticking with me while I recast the stories in my own terms. Here's to another wonderful year of new experiences!

The Hunger Games Spoiler Post

Every once in a while I read a book that fits in perfectly with what’s going on in my real life – and the quotes work and what’s going on in the characters’ lives just fits with what’s going on in my life. I feel connected to them and find myself thinking how ironic some of the similarities are. And sometimes I read a book that I connect with from the beginning.

Here is where you stop reading if you are taking my recommendation and reading The Hunger Games trilogy. Seriously, please stop with this paragraph if you are going to read the three books. I am going to completely ruin it for you, but not before I tell you that I recommend you put the book down and stop reading if you are in an emotional state. And here’s why.

SPOILER ALERT!!!! Seriously stop reading if you are reading these books or seeing the movies. Come back when you are done reading them!

From the minute I picked up the first book and Katniss knew that Prim’s name would be called in the Reeping, I thought about my little sister. I followed Katniss through each Hunger Games arena and through this war and her love messes with the boys, all the while focusing on her relationship with her little sister. For some reason this wasn’t a love story between her and Gale or her and Peeta, it was a love story between sisters. A love story I continued to follow knowing somewhere in the back of my mind that if it’s really a love story, something or someone is going to be tragically lost. I buried this nagging foreshadowing my mind knew about thinking that I would be okay if Peeta or Gale had to die to end the book. I thought that surely the love story was about Katniss and her boys.

I was wrong and I knew I was wrong from the beginning. What I wasn’t prepared for was my reaction to the loss of this fictional sister. And here’s where the tragedies of the recent weeks all came flooding out. In the past few weeks I have watched two of my sisters each lose a friend, I have read about local tragedies of bike accidents and helicopter crashes and watched what they did to the people around, and I have prayed very hard for a stranger whose baby was born way too early and a coworker who is losing his father. And then, with the loss of this fictional character, I lost it. I was too invested with that little sister – so invested that I wish I had never read the book and I refuse to see the movies.

I did with this book what I do with most of my books, and had thought about it through the day and was invested in the journey with the characters. Most of the time this happens I have wonderful memories of where I was when I finished a journey with some character and what was going on in my own life. I will forever associate Little Women with late night talks with David when he was in St. Louis and I was in my little Plaza apartment. I will forever remember the first time I finished East of Eden and was in such awe. I remember finishing Fall on Your Knees in Texas with Sandy. And now, I will remember finishing the Hunger Games at a time when our city was experiencing a lot of loss, and I will remember that over the few weeks I was reading these books, I was thinking of my own little sister and terrified of where these books were headed. I know it was fiction, and it was a wonderful series. Very smart about the political situations and the terror of war. But also very smart about the feelings of loss. And at this time in my life, for some reason, I couldn’t handle it. To me,  I was reading over the course of three books, my biggest nightmare that I don’t even like to put words to and refuse to say out loud.

So I’m very sorry about pushing this book and I’m very sorry to admit that I can’t handle the thought of seeing the movies. And I’m sorry if I spoiled it for you. And I’m sorry for the dark post and negativity about a very wonderful book. I thought about not writing about it at all and just forgetting it. But I have posted about it and recommended you all read it so I thought I needed to wrap it up. But now I get to move on from it.

What are some silly, light, and easy recommendations you have for me? I think I deserve a silly, beach read.

First Fallish-feeling Morning of the Year

Since this is a blog based on books and reading (or at least that’s what it’s supposed to be about), I thought I would share that September 8th is International Literary Day. My Better Homes and Gardens magazine had some fun ideas about how to celebrate this. Here are my two favorite ideas: e-book swaps and websites to find new favorites.
 
If you think about my first suggestion for a second you really should point and laugh because I don’t actually have an e-reader. I have chosen not to get into this craze just yet. I love holding my books. I also understand all of the awesome benefits of the Kindle and Nook and all others, however, I just don’t think I’m ready. I love folding back pages, highlighting, and holding a book. Please ignore the fact that my entire job is based around encouraging and training physicians to “go paperless.” But, and this is a big one, my job is truly around change management and helping people adapt to these concepts. So I am giving myself what I give physicians who need it – time to accept and change. And that isn’t happening for me until this Christmas-ish. I decided this winter I will give this e-reader dilemma a chance…..maybe.
 
But back on topic, e-readers can check out ebookfling.com to swap books with Nook and Kindle users for free! You get to check out books from your friends for 14 days. I think this sounds cool. But for all of you out there not like me and stuck in the dark ages of paper books, I think we should do a swap! Who’s in? Wouldn’t it be fun to grab a few people and all agree to send one of our favorite books to another swappee for a month. This would just be to “rent” these books and the swappee would need to return the book to the swapper at some designated time. I think it sounds great!
 
And then I also can’t wait to check out Pulitzer.org and nationalbook.org to see what my new favorite book might be. Along the same lines of my willingness to change and try an e-reader this winter, I decided it might be time to try some new Fall favorites that are not written by John Steinbeck. Don’t gasp or try to persuade me otherwise because I’m ready to throw this idea out the window (along with any dumb book that isn’t Steinbeck) if you let me. I think you should hold me to it. There’s no reason that I should spend all of October reading The Winter of Our Discontent and East of Eden again (for the billionth time). So I’m going to try to a new book from one of these sites. See. I’m capable of change after all. Well, check in on me in a month.
 
Speaking of a month from now and one more change I wanted to share with you so that you can hold me to it, my friend has convinced me to buck up and really have some goals for my running. I have been running for years now, and running a consistent 3-5 miles daily or every other day for a couple of years. Actually typing it out shows how silly this is. I have argued and fought back whenever anyone has told me to try an organized run. Running is the one thing I do that I just let myself do – I’m not competing and I’m not letting it become something that I have to do on my checklist. I love running and don’t want to change that. But my friend pointed out on our same old four mile run this morning that these excuses are pretty lame. I couldn’t really argue.
 
Last year she did her first half marathon and she seems all giddy and happy about this fact all the time. So I decided that since I am actually a pretty giddy and happy person too, that maybe I would try it this year. So there. We are 50 days out from my very first half-marathon ever. And 50 days doesn’t leave much time for training, but it also doesn’t leave much time for scaring myself away from it and backing out. Training started today.
 
And here’s how I will celebrate when I’ve finished my first half marathon: I will buy a Kindle and download a book that is not by John Steinbeck and does not include the names Harry, Hermione, or Ron, and I will spend October reading that new book on my e-reader after I’ve sent one of you readers one of my favorites in our swap. Deal?
 

You Have My Permission to be Selfish

I think I shared with you before how one day my mom turned to me and said, "Katy I give you permission to be happy." Today I want to share a blog with you that gives you permission to be selfish. And this permission comes from a doctor. Not that being a doctor makes this more credible than my amazing mom.

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/08/care-means-selfish.html

Spotlight on Missouri Hospitals