A year of running!

This year I am working on staying shape by running. In early January I signed myself up to run a half-marathon on Memorial Day Weekend. Because I am not a runner I decided to ease my way into running by training for a 10k race. All of January and part of February I trained to run this 6 mile "race." I was feeling great. The snow, wind and cold did not keep me from running. Mid February I began the journey to the half marathon. Today I finished running 11 miles! As the weather becomes more and more nice outside and the sun is shining down on me I try to remember back to the morning I ran in 3 miles in 11 degree weather or the days of running in wind and rain. You would think the running would get easier. I have learned running is a mind game. If you have your lungs and your legs nothing can stop you - except for your mind. Wish me luck these last three weeks of training! Hopefully I will be happy at the finish line.

Spring is here!

For the past 6 weeks P and I have been busy getting our landscaping under control. The previous owners did not seem to mind weeds and clutter outside. I am just the opposite. P has taken many trips to the compost pile to rid our yard of the clutter of weeds and mess.

Winter in Wisconsin

The weather outside is frightful, but I enjoyed the day inside baking. A baker I am not - nor do I really like baking. I feel I should at least learn so I decided to make a variety of goodies today. Some turned out beautifully and others no one would try based on looks alone. All of them are pretty tasty. I started out with a very traditional pumpkin spiced bread. I love how the house smells and feels when there is bread baking in the oven. One of P's favorite treats are peanut blossoms. Instead of trying to compete with his mom's recipe I decided to use the recipe my grandmother has used for years. P approved. I also decided to make Mexican Chocolate Cookies. They are a delicious chocolate cookie spiced with just the right amount of red and black pepper. I had to make a favorite of mine as well. Classic white cut-out cookies are always at the top of my list. After struggling with the dough for a little while I was able to manage the cookies like a pro! Finally I finished my baking extravaganza with Spicy Oatmeal Crisps. Crispy they are! If you can get past the crunchiness they have a wonderful flavor. This holiday season I would love to try a fudge recipe, Chex Mix and make some carmel corn. I guess practice makes perfect - I am just looking for edible! :)

The House

Being alone in our home at night is not something I enjoy. Every few months P is gone for an extended weekend and I fend for myself. Not that I cannot take care of myself - I just prefer some company. During the day life is as usual but at night I here every noise. Does the furnace usually make that noise? Does the water heater normally run that long? etc. Kilo is no longer a help because he is deaf and senile, he tries but I know the truth. :) My usual plan of attack for weekends alone is to keep so busy during the day I can't help but fall asleep. This weekend was no different. Friday night I spent painting the kitchen. By the time I was cleaned up it was 11pm and I was ready for bed. Saturday I spent the morning shopping for decorations for the bedroom. After lunch I spent about 9 hours cleaning, painting, and decorating our room. I sat down at 10pm for a "rest." I woke at 5am with 3 very angry animals. They had apparently given up on supper, but they were determined to wake me for breakfast! I feel guilty about the pets missing supper, but I would say mission accomplished for the rest of the weekend.

Home

I went home last weekend - a place that I haven't been much in the last year. Normally when I go home we have a specific purpose and agenda. This weekend P was in Indy and I was bored and drove home. Kilo loved the drive home sound asleep in the back seat. It takes a lot for him to get excited now days. Friday night I spent at home with my mom and my cousin Jessica. We stayed up talking till the wee hours of the morning. The next day I spent the morning with my grandparents and hung out for lunch. My grandfather and I watched the Badger game together. A small victory over Purdue. The afternoon was spent helping my mom around the house. Since purchasing our own house my grandmother's buffet and china hutch need to be cleaned and moved to our new place. I was supposed to head home that evening but was having such a great time I decided to spend another night. We decided to have a bonfire. The rest of the evening was spent catching up with family I have not seen in quite some time. Being back home this past weekend reminded me of what an amazing family I have.

Autumn

I wouldn't say Halloween is my favorite holiday but the season surrounding it is tough to beat. I absolutely love the fall season. I enjoy the the beautiful leaves changing color, the wonderful fall foods from the garden, the brisk air with the warm fall sun. There is not much about the fall I don't enjoy, except the hint of the

winter to come. Each year I take my nephew to a local pumpkin patch where we can play in the cornmaze, crawl on the giant stack of haybales, and pet the rabbits and goats that live on the farm. We always conclude our day at the pumpkin patch with a wagon ride out to the area where the pumpkins are grown and each pick our special pumpkin for the year. In the evening we clean the pumpkins and carve them while watching our favorite TVshows. What a great time of the year.

Mineral Point B&B

P & I are always on the lookout for fantastic local brews. Just last weekend we decided to travel to Mineral Point for a day. We had dinner and drinks at Mineral Point Brewery. They had the best Porter I have tasted in a long time. I also enjoyed the pale ale. We always like to try something new so we ordered Pickled Herring for an appetizer. My grandmother used to eat pickled herring every year for christmas and all I remembered was it smelled bad. But you have to expand your palate and to my surprise it was delicious! I had a delicious Grilled Salmon Salad with bacon and blue cheese for my entree. It was delicious. We stayed at the Bed and Breakfast located on the second floor of the brewery. I would highly recommend this place to anyone. The next morning we ate at the Red Rooster. They have been serving customers for 30 years and they are known for their Cornish Pasty. It took P two seconds to decide that was breakfast.