The Stone Rabbit

NOTHING SAYS FUN LIKE A HALLOWEEN 5K RUN. . . .IN ELMWOOD CEMETERY!!!

 

My niece gave me this wonderful book last year.   It was written by Bruce Matthews.

It is filled with great information and stories about some of the 36,000 "souls" who are buried in this historic spot. . ..people who helped found and build the Kansas City, Missouri, area.

I believe she gave me the book not long after we ran our first 5K together a year ago.  At that time, she was aware that a 5K run, held to benefit the maintenance of the cemetery,  was held on the 43 acres of this landmark. . .somewhere around Halloween!!!  We had discussed signing up for it for the 2011 event. . . and, well, we DID !  Her friend Kate and my friend Mary did, too!!

Last Saturday, October 29th, was the day for The Elmwood Cemetery Run 2011!! 

 

 

 

Oh my. . . it was the PERFECT day, too.  The trees were gorgeous. . .they had "dressed" for the occasion in their most colorful attire and the sky. . .well, it answered in a glorious blue!!!

The temps were pretty nippy early that morning, but by the time the run started, it was very comfortable.

 

 

We found out this young deer is a resident of the cemetery. . . it was actually born there!!!  It didn't seem one bit concerned about the the hundreds of folks who were milling around. . .getting ready to run or walk the 3.1 mile route!

 

Here we are in a little "pre-run" photo.  Mary is on the right and I'm on the left.  We didn't get too creative with our "costumes" (shout out to Walmart!). . . but we're gonna do lots better next time, now that we know what to expect.

The building behind us is the chapel, which is used for weddings and memorial services.  On the day of the run, the packet pick-up and late registration were held inside the wonderful structure.  

 

My niece Carrie(on the right) and her friend Kate did a great job of dressing in their scariness!!  Check out the ax in Kate's chest. . . . .oooooooooh!  Mummy Carrie looks mighty scary for 8:30 in the morning!!!!

 

 

Thing 1 and Thing 2 caught my eye. . .

and so did these great "swimmer" gals with their shark theme.  They ran with those PINK shark balloons the entire way. . .making them easy to spot!!  They even had foam flippers attached to the tops of their running shoes. . . and "bites" taken out of their shirts!!!

 

 

Another fun group were the folks dressed up in their Wizard of Oz outfits!!

"Dorothy" was very proud of HIS swell looking legs. . .and well he should have been!!

 

We were just moments away from the "start" of the run.  I was talking to a very nice gal I had just met that morning (Joan) who lives very near me and is also new to running!!

And we were OFF !!

I started my RUN with a SMILE, but knew I wouldn't last long with either.

A week earlier I really hurt a hamstring (it was already "kinda" hurt, but this time it was for sure hurt).

Anyway, I hadn't jogged since the additional injury, trying to keep from making it worse.  However, what I did do in the days leading up to the run was a whole lot of major house cleaning and yard work. . .which included lots of bending, stretching, squatting. .  .things that really irritated my injury.  Not smart.

Also, not smart. . .actually running most of the run. . . but that's what I did for as long as I could.   I ran until it was really, really hurting. . . then I would walk until it stopped, then I repeated.

 

Anyway, this was the beginning, while I was still not hurting and was still really excited about being a part of this fun event.  I took the next two photos while I was running.

Ahead of me are Kate and Carrie. . . .

and this was a shot across the cemetery of the runners who were really fast and already waaaay ahead of me!!!  :)   Of course, I doubt too many were snapping photos for their blog like I was!  :)

Carrie and Kate managed to stay in their scary characters!!!  There's Joan next to the lady in a PINK jacket. . . I think she had bloody type make up on her face. .  .another scary look!!1

Mary was ahead of me and . . . 

so was Joan. . . who was mixing with Thing 1 and Thing 2 and ET!!!!!

 

I never dreamed there would be a time that I would be running through a cemetery. . . on purpose. . .and yet, there I was!  :)  

(I had just turned and waved at my husband. . . thought I would explain my strange running form.)

My husband seemed to enjoy being at this run.  He had lots and lots of amazing scenery and fun people to photograph!   Here is captured "Dorothy" . . .

and this super scary creature in her PINK cocktail dress!

 

There's the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz group!!



By now Carrie and I had both shed our jackets and tied them around our waists and I had  stopped a couple of times to walk.  Even though my leg was really hurting. . . . 

it was still a ton of fun to run/walk this event.  Carrie was putting on that scary face again!   I'm so lucky to have such a fun niece. . . who lets her "elder aunt" tag along!!!

My husband positioned himself by the "finish" line and captured The Tin Man as he crossed over!!

 

 

There's Dorothy!

Here comes Mary and Joan and ET!!!  I wonder if our hostess Beverly will spot the DUKE runner!!  :)

There's Kate and the scary runner in the PINK jacket!!

 

 

ANNNNNNNND. . . .here are Carrie and I!!   She's doing her mummy impression as she crosses the finish line!!!  

See that smile on my face?

Even though my leg was yelling at me, I was still having fun!

OK. . . so I lost the smile right after I crossed the line!  :)  I was REALLY glad that run was over, but at the same time. . . I loved it! !

Here's our "post run" photo!!!  

After everyone had completed the 5K, there was a contest for "best costume".

I was pulling for either Carrie or Kate, of course, and also The Shark Gals, Thing 1 and Thing 2 and The Wizard of Oz Group.  

BUT. . .do you know who won?   Just look on the far left of this photo . . .and check out the little one dressed in orange.  THE BABY won. . . .  dressed in a pumpkin outfit!!!  Hmmmmmmm. . . oh well. . . 

this was the cool trophy the Pumpkin Baby won for being dressed in the "best costume".  

So, The Elmwood Run probably wraps up my races this year. . . mainly because of my injury.  My leg has felt better every day this week, but it's still hurt and I'm not gonna push it any more for awhile. 

I do have to say, that each of the 5K runs I've participated in have each been special in their own way, however, The Elmwood Run was right at the top of my "favorite" list.

 

         * * * * *  * * * *  * * * * * * * * * * * ** 

 THE STONE RABBIT  can't keep his nose out the book Carrie gave me.   He thinks some of his relatives might be in that cemetery, too, as many of his ancestors sat in the yards and on the porches of  Kansas City's founders!

 

 

Please visit our hostess Beverly of HOW SWEET THE SOUND.  Week after week, she makes certain everything is in order for us to celebrate and share our PINKS!!  THANK YOU, Beverly!!!

Happy PINK Saturday!!

DANA

LABOR DAY WEEKEND.....it was a busy one!

 

Did you have a big Labor Day Weekend?

Mine was full. . . and could have been even fuller had my buddy Bonnie not been visited by a respiratory bug that sidelined her for the holiday.

These photos show where we were a year ago last Thursday. . . at a flea market!

Yes, Bonnie and I were planning on attending again this year, but cancelled because she was sick. 

 

I'm sorry she felt horrible, but we probably should not have gone anyway. . .the temperatures were up near 100.  Last year, we shopped in the rain . . . and it was lots cooler. . . but pretty muddy!

 

Something else we always do together on Labor Day Weekend is visit the local festival that goes on around our historic square in Independence.  It's called Santa Cali Gon Days.

We always gripe about how it's not as good as it used to be, but we still head up there....just in case something great is waiting for us!  :)

I took this photo last year when Bonnie and I arrived. . . .first thing on the opening day.  You can see it wasn't too packed at that point.  That's why we always go super early....to avoid the massive crowds that come later in the day and every day through Labor Day.

 

 

 

 

Since Bonnie was still sick, I decided to go check out the craft tents.  You can see that many of the vendors were still setting up, but most have learned that the "hard core shoppers" get there early and they should be ready for business a couple of hours before the "official" opening!  :)

See how lonely I looked. . . shopping all by myself!  :(  Meeeeeee and my shaaaadow. . . . .

 

 That night, my husband and I had planned on attending The Irish Fest.  These photos are from last year's event.  

However, it was still crazy hot on Friday night, so we decided to wait and hit it on Saturday evening. . .

after we attended the second birthday party of our little great niece!

Unfortunately, the heavens opened up and it poured buckets and buckets of rain, so we skipped the festival this year.  :(

BUT. . . the rain was a welcome sight because it brought in a COLD FRONT that is still going on as I type this some three days later!

I sure wish we could send some of our amazing weather to Texas and Oklahoma. 

 

Oh, and because I was entered in a 5K Labor Day Run, I started "carb loading" on Saturday morning!  Carb loading is my favorite part of running!!!  It gives me a legitimate excuse to enjoy one of my favorite food groups..."carbs".  OK....I know carbs are not really a food group, but they are still my favorite foods.

This was my "lunch" on Sunday after church....a cranberry, nut, wheat germ pancake!  SOOO deliciously carbohydrated.

 

 

On Sunday afternoon, my daughter and I headed back to Santa-Cali-Gon Days.  I like this shadow photo much better!

I have to say I have not taken her to this event since she was about 2 years old.  We went there with my brother and sister in law and their two kiddos....we took our two kiddos.  The cousins were five, four, three and two.  It was horrible.

But this time, it was wonderful to be there with her!  :) 

 

And now this was a shot of the crowd around the historic court house on that day. . . .THOUSANDS of folks!  It was almost too much for me.

I was being a real pain to my daughter.....whining about how hard it was to make our way through the crowds, when we spotted the FUNNEL CAKE BOOTH.

YAY!  Another carb loading opportunity!!!

 

While we had to wait quite a while for our funnel cake, because the line was sooooooo long with others who were also anxious to carb load, it was soooooo worth it!

 

 

There were about 7 or 8 huge craft tents at the festival.  On Sunday afternoon, they were PACKED with shoppers.  There was no way I was going to go through them....I'd already done that early Friday and my girl had zero interest in doing that, but she would have if I said I wanted to look.  :)

 

That evening, we grilled steaks and I continued my carb loading with awesome twice baked potatoes!!  After all, the 5K was the next morning!

 

 

Besides the activities mentioned, I checked on my friend's cat while they were out of town over the extended holiday.  

He got friendlier as the days went by!  I also bribed him with kitty treats.  :)   Just call me the "Cat Whisperer"......meeeeeooooow!

 

Another place I went on Saturday afternoon was a funeral.  It was that of the mom of one of my best friends in high school.

I am so glad I did make the effort to attend, even though it meant I was driving, driving, driving that day from one thing to another.  

She was a very important figure in my high school years. . . always opening her house to me when I needed a place to stay after school or over night.  I lived 12 miles from the town where my school was located.  It wasn't easy for my parents to pick me up after school events, so she kindly let me join her family whenever I needed to.

Plus her daughter and I were very close during high school.  Sadly, we drifted apart over the years....she moved to another state and I left that rural area and rarely saw anyone I went to school with.

On Saturday, at the funeral, I had the honor of visiting for awhile with that friend and three others.  The last time  I saw them was three years ago when another high school friend had died.  At that time, we vowed we'd get together and not wait to see each other at such sad times.

We didn't follow through with those plans.

I hope we do this time.  We're all in our mid sixties.  What on earth are we waiting for?

 

OK...so bright and early on Labor Day morning, I ate a banana and a piece of whole wheat toast.....carb loading to the bitter end.

I  put on my running clothes and shoes and. . . .

 

 participated in my first every Labor Day 5K run!!!

It was the perfect day. . . cool and clear and the course was FLAT!!!

I will share more about that fun experience in a couple of days.

I can't believe that I just started running a year ago and have now participated in six 5K runs.  It's something I'm very proud of. . . and so is my doctor.  In fact, when I went to his office today to  review my recent lab report, I was THRILLED to see that my over all cholesterol level had dropped 30 points since February.  I was a really bad girl over the holidays.  I've backed off the sweets and was able to get back to my running as well as taking a couple of great classes at our gym each week that are big in cardio exercise, strength, balance and core work!!

*I'm in my mid-sixties.

*I am a runner.

*Push ups are still a challenge, but I can jump rope. . . and I don't mean "skipping" rope....I mean JUMPING rope!  :)

*I love to carb load!  :)

DANA

FINDING PINK AT "FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY"!!!

 

 Recently, THE STONE RABBIT pointed out this article in our Kansas City Star Newspaper.  It was all about the "food trucks" that are in our Kansas City area. . . and how some of them were going to gather the following Friday for us to "sample" their tasty products!

 

 

 I thought this sounded like fun, so my husband, daughter  and I headed to the event that Friday evening! 

The gathering was held in the parking lot of the Kansas City Star. 

 

One of the first folks I spotted when we entered the parking lot was long-time friend....Candice!!  She works for The Star and was helping put some last minute touches on the Food Truck Event!!!  Here she is with my husband!

There were six food trucks parked around the lot.  We arrived just as it opened and judging by the lines that quickly formed, this was going to be a popular event.  

This food "truck",  Port-Fonda,  was really a great Airstream trailer that had been converted to serve up Rick Bayless-style Mexican food.

 

THE MAGICAL MEATBALL TOUR is where we dined.  This business is about to "open" on the streets of KC soon. . . selling wonderful meatball sandwiches!

COFFEE CAKE KC serves up cup cakes and gourmet coffee!!

Kansas City native, Heather Shouse, was on hand selling the book she wrote:   "FOOD TRUCKS: DISPATCHES AND AND RECIPES FROM THE BEST KITCHEN ON WHEELS".

 

Heather worked at LIDIA'S in Kansas City before she moved to Chicago to pursue a career in  food journalism.

 

I enjoyed this awesome Red Velvet Cupcake I purchased from. . . . .

this truck with great PINK touches!  Yep, 3 GIRLS CUPCAKES was a popular spot!

 

We sure had a great time seeing a few of the awesome food trucks that are in our area!!!  If you want to know where they are parked for business each day, just check them out on. . . Facebook!!!

Note:  To see a complete list of the food trucks that were at the Kansas City Star Event, please go to THIS LINK!! 

Well, we all know where we're "parked" each weekend. . .right here at Pink Saturday!!

To see a long list of other bloggers ready to share their PINKS, visit Beverly of HOW SWEET THE SOUND!!!!

 

Also, next week is the super duper "3rd Pink Saturday Birthday Party".  Every one is invited to attend!!!!

Happy Pink Saturday!

DANA
 

OUR JOURNEY

 

I had been experimenting with walking/jogging intervals earlier in the summer, but it wasn't until I heard that my niece Carrie, Mary, her step mom, Jen, her step sis and Kate, a good friend of Carrie's were training to actually run a 5K in October here in Kansas City that I jumped on board, too.  With the exception of Jen, the rest of us had zero serious running experience!!    

To train for such an undertaking, we used the  COUCH TO 5K RUNNING PLAN.  As August turned into September and then into October, we had all made significant improvements in our running endurance!  By the time we had completed the program, we were running at least 3.1 miles at a time, which is the distance of a 5K .

My son, who had already participated in two marathon runs and a variety of other shorter running events,  decided to run the 5K with us!!! How wonderful this would be. . . completing such a goal TOGETHER with four other "first timers" and with my boy to boot!!  :)

Last week,  I shared on my blog what part of the first mile of the 5K course looked like.   It was described as a "slight incline" on the official web site of the WADDELL & REED KANSAS CITY MARATHON.    The incline didn't look so bad as I was standing there. . . pointing at it.  Later, while riding in a car over the course, it looked pretty scary!!!

My niece kept pumping me up with positive thoughts about that stretch.  I just knew it could really put the skids to much of a  run for me - - -if I was totally wiped out at the end of the first mile I would have to walk for a while, and I really didn't want to do that.

So, our plan was- - - go slow on the first mile!  :)

The day before the 5K, which was held last Saturday, October 16, my husband and I headed to CROWN CENTER to pick up the registration packets for myself and my son.  The packets contained our "bib" numbers (what you pin on your shirt for identification) and our shoe "tags". Our tag would record the actual "time" it took to complete the run.  We also got a snazzy commemorative T-shirt!!  

It was official.  I couldn't chicken out at that point.

As we left CROWN CENTER, my husband suggested we have a late lunch at one of our favorite barbecue spots in Kansas City. . . .FIORELLA'S JACK STACK BARBECUE.  This particular restaurant is located near CROWN CENTER. . . behind UNION STATION.   It's in an area  called the FREIGHT HOUSE DISTRICT.   LIDIA'S is also located there.

 

 The weather was PERFECT for dining outside on the patio and  watching the trains go by.  In this photo, you can see the white/blue of the AMTRAK  getting ready to load passengers. (lower right corner)

Here's one of the many freight trains that  zipped  along the tracks. 

Since I was "carbing up" for the big run (don't I sound like a real runner?), I ordered their "loaded" barbecue potato, but had everything put on the side so I could eat just the amounts of "extras" I wanted.

 

A customer at a table by us had this dish, so I ordered it, too.  It was delish......sauteed green beans and red peppers served in one of their WORLD FAMOUS onion rings!!!

This is a little bowl of "burnt ends" that came with my potato......I'm not a huge meat eater, but this stuff was very good!!!  I didn't eat lots of it...but what I did tasted amazing mixed with the potato, cheese and sour cream!!  It was a PERFECT meal....not heavy, but extremely tasty and carby!!

My husband had The Jack Stack sandwich......beef on a bun basically.  He also enjoyed sides of their WONDERFUL baked beans and coleslaw!

We've been eating this barbecue for over forty years.  The business started out as a small family spot called The Smoke Stack.  In the early days, the sandwich my husband ordered last week at Jack Stack was called the Sixty Niner cuz it cost 69cents.  The price in this day and age....$10.00!!  It's still worth every penny!

If you ever eat at JACK STACK'S you'll have to have a stack of their onion rings.  This was the last of the six rings we ordered that day......I had ONE.  :)  Normally, I would have consumed at least three, but I didn't want my stomach to remind me during the night that I had eaten them!!!

 One was PERFECT!!!

The run started at 7:30 a.m.!!!  That meant we had to leave our house at 6:15.  Info we  read about the run suggested we be warmed up and in line by 7:15....so we needed to arrive early enough to find a spot to park. . . .

and hit the "potty" before we headed to the "start" line.  

The above photo shows a bit of the interior of CROWN CENTER....a wonderful shopping venue.  The starting line was just north of this area. . . you can see runners beginning to line up.

Here we are for our official "BEFORE"  photo!!!  Front row L-R  Kate and Carrie.    Backrow L-R  Mary, Jen, me, and Nate.  

Mary and Jen had flown in from Little Rock the night before just for this event!!!  

I have to say that Mary is one of the toughest and most determined gals ever!!  She had (and still has) an injury on her left leg and had not run for three weeks prior to this 5K.....hoping her leg would improve with rest.  She just sucked it up, took some Advil,  plopped a "pain patch" over the injured area......and jumped in the the race line, ready to go!

Here is a portion of the runners making their way to the "start".  There were about 11,000 participants entered in the various events that morning, which included the 5K, a half-marathon and a full marathon.  

I had NEVER been in such a crowd before.....there was so much excitement in the air!!!  Oh, and the weather was PERFECT, too!!  It was sunny and clear. . . a bit of a nip in the air, but just enough to keep us from getting overheated.   

 

Our official photographers for the run were (L to R) my husband and my niece's husband!  They were so awesome to get up very early on a Saturday morning and "mix" with the thousands of folks, just so they could cheer us on and take a few photos!  Thank you so much!!!

Somehow, my husband found us in the throng of runners.  I have on the blue shirt, red visor and big smile...and I'm waving at  you!!  My son is ahead of me....white shirt, big smile.  My niece is to his right. . .  cute red head, head band, waving,  and a big smile, as well!!!   You can see Jen's ponytail to the left of Carrie.  Mary and Kate were nearby, too, but not visible in this shot.

It was pretty tricky keeping our little group somewhat together as we made our way to the STARTING LINE!!!!!

Before we ran, they played the National Anthem.  Kate remarked that this was the first time she'd ever been a "participant" at an event when it was played.....she was typically a spectator!   Her statement rang true for me, too.  

Another  PERFECT moment!!!

That was the first time I had met Kate.....she is SOOOOOOO cute and funny!!!  In fact, Kate is the reason we participated in this event in the first place.  It was her idea to do it.  Then she asked Carrie if she wanted to.  Carrie said "yes"!  Over the 4th of July Carrie mentioned it to Mary and Jen. . . they wanted to do it, too!  I found out about it a little later and thought that sounded like fun.  What a thrill to find out that my son was planning on running that day, too!!

Wow. . . and here we were.  After all of the training and exchanging of e-mails and Facebook conversations. . . . .we were slowly moving toward the official START line. . . . getting ready to run!!! 

I couldn't stop smiling.......how often does that happen?  

I love this photo of the cousins. . . Nate and Carrie. . . getting ready to take on the 5K course!

I think this was taken moments before we took off. . . I was setting my "stop watch", and I think I see a few other folks doing that, too.  The shoe "tags" we attached to our laces would be activated as soon as we stepped on the starting line.  As I said earlier, I was more concerned about finishing the event running the whole way. . . the amount of time I did it in wasn't the "biggie", but it would still be fun to find out how long it took me to complete it!  




We don't have photos of the dreaded mile long "slight incline".....however, we all made it.  It wasn't that bad!!!   BUT the right turn we made that took us to the next street....WELL that stretch was REALLY a hill.  I was certainly  winded by the time we made it up that stretch, but the next mile was slightly down hill or flat, so I was able to recover.....sorta.

I think we are a bit over two miles at this point of the run.  My husband had left the START area and waited with his camera at this point....hoping to catch sight of some of us as we sailed by!!!!

 Nate is behind the turquoise shirted lady.  I think she was a "walker".  You can see I was not smiling!    
 

I was really starting to feel tired at that point.  My legs felt like they had 50 pound weights on them. . . and we still had a ways to go.  Thoughts of walking were floating through my brain and I know my son could hear the audible sounds of my labored breathing.  He was amazing. . . he kept telling me what a good job I was doing and how proud he was of me!!  Life just came full circle on that run with him!     

 

At this turn, we realized my husband was taking our photos and happily waved to him!!!  That helped take my mind off my negative feelings- - - for a bit!  :)



He also captured Carrie!!!   She had on the capris with the stripe on the leg. . . red ponytail flying!!!!    Doesn't she look great?

 

In a bit, we all crossed the FINISH line!!!!  Here we are,  not too long after we reached our goal.  What a PERFECT moment!   

 

Carrie, Mary and Jen are shown here right after they crossed the finish line, too!!!!  How wonderful!!!  

All of the time we had spent "learning to run" had paid off!

 We don't have finish line photos of Kate, but she made it just fine, too!!  She was celebrating with her family as soon as she completed her run.  

 

 

One of our AFTER group photos!!!

A side view!!  :)


We are standing in line at the tent where we found out how fast (or SLOW) we ran our event!
 

My fleet footed boy could have left me in his dust, but he stuck by my side every step of the run.  I have to say it was one of the best times in my life. . . he's such a good person and I love him so much.  Yep, he hung in there with me and we stepped on the finish line at  the same time.  We officially ran the 5K in 34 min and 59 seconds.  I'm pretty sure he didn't break a sweat with the run and I am certain that was his slowest official 5K run time. . .ever.    I moved as fast as I could that day and was very pleased with myself for not walking a step!  

This was the time that elapsed on my stop watch during the run from start to finish....but I started it before we actually stepped on the start line.  SO, I'd like to think that the Official time was accurate!  :)

Here our little group is enjoying some post-run chatting and relaxation.  After that, we had a leisurely breakfast at a local restaurant. . . another PERFECT part of the day.


Three cheers for the photographers!!! 

That afternoon, Carrie's husband took a cute photo of her, Mary and Jen.  They had gone to a local spot to dine and watch their beloved Arkansas Razorbacks play Auburn.  

Aren't they a cute group?  Ya would never know that just a few hours earlier, they were running in their first 5K!!!

 

Carrie is always so thoughtful.  She got each of us this great postcard of the POWER AND LIGHT DISTRICT, with a photo of THE SPRINT CENTER on the bottom portion.   We ran on the street in front of THE SPRINT CENTER for the first mile of the 5K!!!  She wrote the most wonderful message on the back of the card. . . referring to our run as a "journey".   Hence, the title of this post.  We did share a wonderful journey!

Knowing the importance of chocolate in the diets of females, Carrie purchased a bar of ANNEDORE'S chocolate for each of us.

 Kansas City was imprinted on top of each one!!!



Mary surprised us with the greatest silver bracelets - - - each one had a  "5K" charm attached!!  I am nuts over it and have been showing it off every chance I get!!!  It will always remind me of our special day.....running our very first 5Ks. . . together!!!  

PERFECT!!!
 
THE STONE RABBIT was also very proud of me for completing the 5K Run and happily posed with the postcard, chocolate and bracelet.  

He asked me what I had given to the others to commemorate the big run.  I sheepishly sad "nothing". . . .I had thought about it, but I just couldn't come up with a good idea.

So, as a little gift, I'm dedicating this post to my fellow runners.  

To my son.  Thank you for giving me one of the best times in my life. . . running by my side for 3.1 miles. . .giving me loads of encouragement along the way.  My heart just swells with pride over you.  

To Carrie. Without your initial enthusiasm the rest of us would not have been a part of this event!!  You are my favorite red-headed niece. . . and I am so proud of you for completing your run!!  You bring such joy to all you do and to the lives of those you touch!

To Mary.  You are such a determined person!!  With all of the pain you dealt with prior to and during the run. . . you forged ahead and completed your goal!!!  You are a force to be reckoned with. . . and I am so glad you did what you set out to do!  You are awesome!  

To Jen.  You were the first over the finish line. . . way to go!!!  I so enjoyed spending time with you and getting to know you better.  It was a thrill to be a part of your special day, too!!  I definitely see bigger running goals in your future!

To Kate.  If it hadn't been for you, none of this would  have happened!!  It was your idea to do the run in the first place!!!  To you, I say THANK YOU for being a part of one of the finest times in my life!! You were instrumental in changing our lives!    Congrats to you for reaching your 5K goal!

 

Here is a bit of PINK that was seen on the back of a T-shirt that day.  I think it pretty much says it all.

 

 

 

 

 Please visit Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND.  She will have a long list of bloggers with terrific PINKS to share!!!  

 

Have a great PINK SATURDAY.

 

DANA

IT'S THE DAY!

By the time most of you read this, I will have already completed my very first 5K run. . . I hope!!! :)  

 

Beverly asked me if I would be wearing PINK as I ran in this event.  Well the answer is: OF COURSE!!!  As I type this, I don't have a special PINK shirt or hat, but I hope to find one or both before the day is over.  I do know of one PINK item that I will for sure have on  while I am running and that is this great PINK watch!

 

 
 

 When I bought it, I never thought I would use the stop watch feature, but I have to say it has been one of the best things I could have ever purchased!  I have used it from the very beginning of my training for this event to time my warm ups, various jogs, runs and walks.  I will have it on during the 5K to keep track of my time against the mile markers.

 

Many of you have left such wonderful words of encouragement as I have shared this goal of mine with you.  You guys are great.   I can tell you I deeply appreciated your well wishes and have enjoyed your good spirited remarks!!

 

So, if you happen to see coverage of the KANSAS CITY MARATHON on the news this weekend, keep your eye out for the old gal with a PINK watch as she attempts to complete her first official 5K!!!  I hope you don't see her stretched out on a sidewalk about half-way through the course, gasping for air after attempting to jog the looooong incline of the first mile.   Instead,  I hope you see her smiling, wrinkled face as  she crosses the finish line!!!  She won't be setting any records- - - as her goal is not to finish in 20 minutes or less.  She just wants to finish!! :)

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you all have a wonderful SATURDAY OF PINKNESS!!!  I know you will if you visit Beverly at HOW SWEET THE SOUND!! She will have the longest list of bloggers. . . who all have special pinks to share with YOU!!  

 

DANA

IT'S ALMOST THE DAY OF MY FIRST 5K !!!!

 

 It's hard to believe that in  a couple of days, I will be running in my first 5K!!!  I  had to document a bit of my last official "training" day before the big event.

 

Here I was, bright and early this morning . . . about to make my last run in our hilly neighborhood before the 5K on Saturday.  

As I wrote in THIS earlier post, I had never been a "runner". . . I've exercised for years, but not in this manner.  I had to slowly build up my stamina over the summer and into the fall.  I went from barely being able to jog for 90 seconds to being able to jog/run for over 30 minutes.   Some days I did it better than other days, but I consistently worked at it 2 and 3 times a week.  

This morning, I gave a little prayer of thanks for being able to accomplish this goal . . . especially at my ADVANCED age!!  :)

Here I am after officially jogging 35 minutes.  I have a NIKE app on my iPod that tracks all sorts of things in my runs, but mainly I pay attention to distance and time.  Sometimes I wonder just how accurate it is on the distance part, so  I've been adding 2-3 and sometimes 4 extra minutes to each run.  I have also been including hills in the  runs. . . I had  five in there this morning.  The first, second and third hills were very challenging. . . heck, they were HARD!!!  At times, I think I could've walked faster than I was "jogging", but I kept trying to run as best I could even though I was winded.  

I'm certain I must provide quite a bit of neighborhood entertainment!  :)

 

 

Later in the morning, I checked out the route of Saturday's run.  It's actually a part of WADDELL and REED KANSAS CITY MARATHON, which starts at CROWN CENTER.  Besides the 5K, there is also a 10K, a half-marathon and the marathon.  The marathon is a qualifier for the BOSTON MARATHON. 

I am shown near the beginning of  the 5K. . .  pointing to the first leg . . . which is a little over one mile "that way", with the elevation going up  over 100 feet during that stretch.   The incline doesn't look too bad from that spot, however. . . .

 

driving the first leg of the run put a different perspective on the challenge of the first mile.   It's DEFINITELY an incline.....that increases over the entire first mile, and then goes on a little more!!!

I am concerned over my ability to run that long of hill and have "steam" left to go two more miles.  I have practiced hills that are much steeper, they just aren't anywhere near as long.  I will definitely have to take it easy on that stretch, cuz once we get past it, the course is downhill or flat...for the most part.

Anyway, I am not going to run again until the day of the 5K.  I plan on exercising in other ways, but nothing as strenuous as running.  I need to rest. . . and CARB UP!

 I think the Carbing Up aspect of running is my favorite part!!

I also thought I needed a little "celebratory" treat for getting this far, so tonight I made a yummy apple crisp!!



Sorry the photos are not focused.  I think I was shaking from  exhaustion because of running so hard this morning.....or maybe it was the excitement over the thought of eating that apple crisp warm from the oven- - - with a little dab of vanilla ice cream!

Definitely. . . it was the excitement about eating that dessert!!
 
If you have ever thought about running, but you weren't sure about how to go about doing it, I highly recommend  THE COUCH to 5K RUNNING PLAN.  It is such a smart way to slowly condition yourself!  I'm living proof!!

DANA

 

Note: as I finished this post, the last of the Chilean miners was pulled to his freedom.  What an incredible group of strong and brave men!  There are sure to be some amazing stories coming forth from their time trapped in the depths of the Earth.  Then, there are the rescuers who worked so tirelessly to save the men. . .and the strong families who waited and prayed for the safe return of their loved ones.    The news keeps reporting the struggles that are still ahead for the men, but what a blessing that they were all saved.

MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS 2009. . . . . Part One

Lately, posting on my blog has been very limited, however, I did want to make up, just a bit, for my recent lack of sharing by showing you some of  the great times I did experience during the days leading up to Christmas.  Better late than never!

As I was reviewing the tons of photos I took during that time, but had not shared on my blog, I realized what a wonderful two months I had prior to Christmas and how very lucky I am!

I guess I am probably posting these photos for a selfish reason, too.  I want to hang on to the magical time of The Season.

Brace yourself. 

There are a lot of photos on this post.  This collection  shows bits and pieces of the events that took place in my life during November of 2009. . . MOST of which helped to put the season in motion for me.

I will refer to this post as "The Holiday Season Begins"......

In my book, the "holidays" officially start when the shops in Greenwood, Missouri, have their Open House.  It is held on the first two weekends of November.   My friends (Bonnie, Patty and Marian) and I look forward to it and try very hard to attend this event every year.

Greenwood is located South and East of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the home of some of my favorite antique shops .

 

This building houses Vicky Hale's OLD GLORY, a shop that specializes in primitive and Americana as well as wonderful handpicked seasonal decoratives.

 

Across the street is the GREENWOOD ANTIQUE MALL and COUNTRY TEA ROOM.

 

This mall is packed with wonderful vendors.

For some reason, I wasn't busy taking photos of the awesome displays and the few I did take were blurry.  However, this  photo gives a little glimpse of a few of the tempting vintage decorations for sale.

Perhaps, I wasn't taking pictures of the booths because I could hardly wait for our lunch in the Tea Room!  Shari, the owner, always has a fantastic menu! 

This photo shows just inside the entry to the main dining room. . . our table was located across the room,  next to another fireplace.

 

Shari has three dining rooms within her Tea Room.  This year, the middle room was decorated in the most gorgeous PINKS and silvers.   

 

I  had to have a photo of my lovely plate!  The quiche and salad were perfect!

 

HOWEVER, the best part of the meal HAD to be the appetizer we shared. . . fried and seasoned sweet potatoes and green beans.  They were served with two types of amazing dipping sauces!  I think this meal was the beginning of my holiday weight gain!

 

After we visited the rest of the shops in Greenwood, we journeyed to the Independence Square, as their Holiday Open House was going on, too!

We first stopped in Sharleen's store. . . LUTICIA CLEMENTINE'S, then . . . .

 

we visited the rest of the shops that surround our newly renovated historic court house square! 

We visited Greenwood and the Independence Square on Friday, November 6th. 

On Monday, November 9th, my Breakfast Group traveled to the Briarcliff Village Shopping center in Kansas City North to celebrate Mary's birthday!  Besides lunch at The Cafe', we couldn't make a trip to that location without spending lots of time and money in. . . . . .

 

NELL HILL'S, the store owned by this lady, Mary Carol Garrity!  Mary Carol wasn't there that day for me to take her picture, but here is the next best thing!!!!

 

NELL HILL'S is totally a feast for the eyes......amazing decorating ideas and over the top displays are situated in and ON every square inch of the gorgeous store.

 

 

 

Patty and I loved this colorful wreath, however, we couldn't resist the temptation to . . . .

 

see how we looked in the elf hat we found on the bed !!!

I think Mary Carol leaves that hat out just so folks like us can have fun!

 

Cynthia, Patty's cousin, posed with us for our group picture.  She is on the front row, left side.  Cynthia is a designer at Nell Hill's and plays a big role in the amazing displays seen all over the store.

Pictured, left to right on the front row are:  Cynthia, Patty, Beth, and Dana (that's me!).  On the back row, left to right are:  Laura, Mary Ann and Mary The Birthday Girl!

 

I decided I wanted a photo with Mary Carol.......this was the best I could do on that visit.  I know if she had been there, she would have graciously been in our group shot, just like she did (HERE) last summer when fellow blogging pal, Jeanne of BACKYARD NEIGHBOR , paid a visit to Kansas City!

After we left NELL HILL'S, we  checked out a few of the other stores in the shopping center.  In one of them, we found this heartwarming sight.

Each year, Bonnie and I put up our "Country Living Tree" and fill them with vintage ornaments.  The tree is a live tree......a very scraggly kind that I can't recall the name of right now. 

THIS year, we decided we would each get a fake tree. . . one we could keep the lights on for storage and ease in decorating the following year.  We're getting old and tired.

We  looked at several stores, but couldn't find the tree we had in mind UNTIL we spied the tree of our liking for sale in one of the fall issues of   * "Country Sampler"  magazine.  We called in our order on Saturday and by Wednesday.....the boxes  arrived!

*  Sorry about the punctuation of "COUNTRY SAMPLER"....I couldn't get the italics editing thingy to work on the post!

 

My 8' tree came in three sections .  It looked very sad when I first put it together.  I truly had my doubts about the decision we had made. 

It took me two hours to "fluff" the tree (they use that word in the business of artificial florals....."fluff".....doesn't that sound funny?)   Let me tell you, there was nothing "fluffy" about that job.......those are some danged stickery branches! 

I stood back and thought the tree was beginning to look better.....maybe I was just getting sick of dealing with it......and it wasn't cheap.....it needed to be looking better!

 

I even bought special lights for that baby!  Vicky, who owns the shop OLD GLORY in Greenwood, was selling strings of mini-lights with brown wiring instead of green.  Since this tree has lots of brown mixed in with the muted green of the branches, I figured I'd be happier with that type of light.  It was a good choice.

I'll show you the decorated tree in a later post.

These next two photos don't have anything to do with Christmas.....except maybe more about how THANKFUL we should be.

This is the front end of our daughter's car. 

A few days after I took the pictures of the above tree.  This is what happened to her car when a deer ran in front of her (on a BUSY city street)!    She was very upset that there was deer blood on the side of her car and . . . .

THIS stuck in her headlight.

She said it just ran off.

We have so many deer/car accidents in our area during October to December--- their mating season.  She was so lucky that the deer caught her with just a rear leg.  Many of the accidents are very bad. . . we were thankful this one wasn't.

 

On Thanksgiving Day, with the help of my daughter-in-law and daughter, a scrumptious dinner was prepared and enjoyed by our little family. 

A little family that had grown by one this summer. 

A little that family sat together in our home and gave thanks for the many blessings that had come our way that year.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we returned to the Christmas Tree Farm with our son and his family, where we had tagged our trees in October.

Santa had heard  I was coming and he asked if he could have a photo with me.  I happily obliged!  :)  You see,  Santa is a big MIZZOU fan, too! :)

We took off to the area where our trees were waiting!  Note the wagon load of folks ahead of us. . . it was full, so we decided to walk!

Walking was a good thing. . . the holiday pounds were coming at me right and left and I still had a month to go before Christmas!

I had placed a PINK lei of flowers on top of our tree, so I knew exactly which one was ours.  I'm smiling as my DIL was taking my picture.  Our son is attempting to cut our tree. 

The tree cutting is a story in itself.  I will try to remember to tell you about it on another post.  It's a good one.

This photo of me was actually taken December 3rd.   I am, dog tired.  Patty and I had just unloaded my van in preparations for setting up for my LAST sale of the fall season.

Once that sale was over, the real fun of the holiday season could begin for me!

One of the first things I decorated was my fireplace mantel.  I used two frosty swags I purchased at NELL HILL'S. 

Oh, and I HAD to have Mary Carol's newest book, too. . . . for inspiration!

THE STONE RABBIT finds it inspirational, too!  He just wasn't too keen on me making him pose in the middle of the "frosty swags". . . he has a delicate skin condition!

DANA

Finding Pink at NELL HILL'S!!!

On Thursday, I headed to NELL HILL'S in Kansas City North with my friends Bonnie and Patty.  We were soooo excited---not only because we were going to visit one of the best stores  around, but also, because we were meeting up with fellow blogger, Jeanne, of BACKYARD NEIGHBOR, and her sister-in-law Shirley!!

We were so happy to have a second opportunity to see Jeanne this summer.  On this trip, she and her husband had traveled from North Carolina to meet with a large group of friends who were attending a Royals game together.  Jeanne's sister-in-law and her husband live in the Kansas City area, so they were spending a few days with them, too.  (To read about our first visit this summer, please click HERE.)

Mary Carol Garrity is the talented owner of this store in the Briarcliff Village shopping center and also, her very first store, ( named NELL HILL'S) and GARRITY'S ENCORE, which are located in nearby Atchinson, Kansas.  We we thrilled to find out she was there on the day  we visited AND so was Patty's cousin, Cynthia, who is a gifted stylist for the store.

They were so gracious to pose with us for a group picture.  Standing left to right are: Bonnie, owner Mary Carol Garrity, Shirley, Jeanne, Dana (me!), Patty, and Cynthia.

NOW ----- let the shopping begin!!

Of course, for you Pink Saturday folks, you KNOW we looked really, really hard for some PINKS along the way!

My eyes popped out at the sight of this beautiful black cabinet---the chair and ottoman were pretty danged wonderful, too!! 

The furniture, prints, accessories, bedding and fabric displayed at NELL HILL'S are unique, beautiful and offered at a variety of styles and price points.  Basically, there's something for everyone!

If you have the chance to come to the Kansas City area, a visit to this store is a must.  You will love the amazing and creative vignettes that are EVERYWHERE---all designed to showcase the possibilities of the products offered for sale. 

Not only was there visual inspiration galore, there was plenty of visiting going on, too!!!   What fun to be in a place surrounded by great friends,  wonderful decorative products and a delightful staff.

My photos certainly do not show the true loveliness of the items featured at NELL HILL'S, but I wanted you to have a glimpse of the treats that are in store for you when you visit this location. 

This tablescape featured a mini cloche on a pedestal stand, positioned atop each place setting.  Mary Carol's tablescapes are known for the use of  layers--- with touches of surprise!  The layers beneath each cloche included a wonderful framed print, a napkin, two smaller plates, a larger white plate and a square woven tray. 

Mary Carol's tables often feature huge centerpieces---she makes great use of unexpected items such as concrete urns and risers.  Silver candelabras, trays and pitchers are also frequently mixed in with her tablescapes and  vignettes.

Shirley and Jeanne are shown in one of the many show rooms of this store---all filled with wonderful decorative and functional items.

With the amazing variety of merchandise available for sale at Nell Hill's,  it would be tough to visit this place without walking out the door carrying a sack full of purchases!   I know we each managed to fill up a shopping bag!

Jeanne zeroed in on this darling rabbit cake plate!  She knows my fondness for bunnies!!

 

 

This photo shows another gorgeous tablescape.

 

 

We had so much fun shopping and visiting at NELL HILL's!!

Jeanne and I had already taken our bags to the cars when we decided to get a final photo at the entrance to the store---aren't those some wonderful door handles?  What attention to detail Mary Carol displayed when designing her fabulous store!

After a delicious lunch at the nearby restaurant, called "The Cafe", our time together came to an end.

I really hated to leave Jeanne----I truly hope I am lucky enough to get to see her again!!

 When I returned home, I showed THE STONE RABBIT the purchases I made at NELL HILL'S. 

He LOVED everything---the woven tray, the two rusted cloches and the battery operated candle (WITH A TIMER!!!).

I also showed him the three books (written by Mary Carol) that I had purchased some time ago.  I had intended to take them to her shop, hoping she would be there to sign them.  HOWEVER, in my rush to leave that morning, I'd left them at home.

 

He said he would remind me to take them on my next trip to Nell Hill's. 

Then he looked at me and said, "So, didn't you find anything PINK in the store?"

I said,  "Yes, ........

 

and it made us soooo HAPPY!"

 

PINK Saturday also makes us sooooo happy!!! 

To find many great links to other PINKS, just visit our wonderful hostess, Beverly, at HOW SWEET THE SOUND.

Have a great day!!

DANA

PS  Our little Grand Boy continues to do well---we were able to visit him, his big sis, his mom and his other grandparents today!  He was sleeping, but we were able to get in lots of "holding" time.  Again, thank  you for your comments on last Saturday's post and the prior posts.  While I haven't had a lot of time to answer each and every comment, they all meant the world to me---your kindness will forever be remembered and appreciated.

 

WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD! Part One

What ended up as the theme for our grand girl's recent third birthday party actually started in February, with an outing to the "70 YEARS OF OZ" exhibit held at The Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

It was actually my husband's idea, her daddy's daddy, who read about the exhibit which was celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the motion picture release and was featuring an extensive collection of memorabilia from local Oz enthusiast, Jane Albright.  He thought it would be a great idea for us---her grandparents here in town---to take her to it.  I, her daddy's mama, was a bit afraid that it might "scare" her......you know with the green faced wicked witch and the flying monkeys, and all.  She was just a BABY---- four months away from her 3rd birthday at the time!!!! 

We ran the idea by her mom and dad---I promised if I saw anything I perceived as "scary" that I would promptly cover the eyes of our sweet little grand girl and whisk her OUT of that place.

It took about 12 seconds for us to obtain permission to have her for a few hours and expose her to The Land of Oz...........

Dorothy, Glenda and Toto were waiting for us as we entered the exhibit.

Her Grandfather was fairly quick to yank her little hand from Glenda's dress----the sign clearly said "Please Do Not Touch Dorothy or Glenda".  That's oh so hard for a little non-reader to know---or understand!   Glenda said it was OK and that the little one just needed to "Follow the Yellow Brick Road!!!!"

OH MY!!!!!

And  the little one DID "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" !!!!

She saw The Scarecrow, who only wanted a brain!!!

She saw The Tin Man, who was hoping for a heart!!!

Then she saw The Lion, who wanted some courage!!!

Oh my goodness, they all passed through the Poppy Field-----

until they found The Wizard of Oz!!!

Several of The Munchkins were "working away"---trying to help the Grand Girl "find her way home to Kansas!"

First, she had to climb up into The Wizard's palace and zooooom down the magical slide!!!

When she reached the bottom, The Wizard had arranged for a balloon ride back home. 

When the balloon "landed", the little girl loved looking at the amazing collection of Oz items!!!

After a quick lunch to regain her strength from all of the excitement of visiting The Land of Oz, her Grandpa took her outside to the fountains......

for a little exercise and........

pure joy! 

It was a gorgeous day in FEBRUARY---in Missouri!!

While they were outside, I visited one of my favorite shops inside Crown Center!!!

They had lots of Oz stuff for sale--including the sweetest little Dorothy dresses and "ruby slippers".

When we arrived home that afternoon, I shared with THE STONE RABBIT our Oz Adventures at Crown Center.....then I read the story to him about Dorothy, The Wizard, the Scarecrow, the Lion, the Tin Man, Toto, the Wicked Witch, Glenda the Good Witch.......he LOVED every word.

As he hopped off to share the story with his little yard ornament friends, he turned to me and said, "I hope I can hop down a Yellow Brick Road someday!"

"Maybe you will", I told him,  "Maybe you will!"

DANA

AN ART SHOW!

Built in 1920, Brookside was Kansas City, Missouri's, first suburban shopping district.   It continues to be the home of many wonderful shops and restaurants and is just minutes south of the Country Club Plaza shopping area.

Brookside is also the site of a wonderful annual art fair.  If you click HERE you will see many  photos of participating artists in this year's event.

We attended on the last day of the fair and it was still packed with shoppers and. . . . . .

cute little doggies.  Some of them sported terrific clothing and  great hair cuts!

There was the "unique" and. . . . . . . .

more pups and. . . . .

more "unique" and . . . . . .

 more pooches and . . . . .

little kiddos enjoying the "unique" and . . . . . . .

more well dressed canines and . . . . . .

a fabulous artist, named DANA FORRESTER,  whom I have long admired  and . . . . . . .

he was so gracious to pose with some of his fabulous work and spend lots of time talking with us.  What a small world---we found out he lives right down the street from us!  As I was enjoying talking with him and looking at his wonderful work, I realized the lady who came into his booth and who was also thrilled with his prints and paintings, and also started  speaking with him was . . . . . .

one of my long time friends---Diane!!  We've known each other for (gasp) almost forty years (and we still look as cute as we did on the first day we met!!!). . . . and then I met her friend, Connie,  and . . . .

we realized we BOTH go to the same hairstylist (note the darling hairdos!!!) and she lives in the same neighborhood as Diane (and so does my hair stylist!) and THEN they introduced me to their other friend, Mary Lou (for some reason, I didn't get her picture!) and we found out we go to the same church!  I don't recall if she lives in the same neighborhood as they do, but heck, it was all so much fun to figure all of this out!!  After several minutes of tying up Dana's booth with our excited conversation, we continued on our tour of the wonderful works of art and . . . .

more cute doggies and then . . . . . .

I purchased one of the great souvenir posters for the art fair painted by the fabulous artist, MICHEL TSOURIS.  She was so nice to autograph it for me and . . . . . . . .it was soon time to head home.

 

THE STONE RABBIT was really impressed with pictures of the art fair and with Michel's poster.  He asked me if I would let him use some of my supplies so he could brush up on his painting skills.

I think Twiggy was a great subject, don't you?

Also, I think THE STONE RABBIT has some hidden talent---he always surprises me with the things he can do!!

DANA