A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND A LITTLE BIT OF THAT!

This last week and a half has been filled to the brim!!!  It started on the Friday evening of Labor Day Weekend when we attended the Irish Festival held at Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri.   Everything is GREEN for the celebration. . . .even the fountains!

The Irish Fest is an annual event and is PACKED with those who are Irish, part Irish, a tad Irish, wanna-be Irish and those who are "no part, nor do they wish to be Irish, but it's just a fun place to be" kinda folks!!!

There are bag pipers and . . . .

dancers and singers and exhibits and food and Irish merchandise and lots and lots of beer!!

 
 

In fact, the BOULEVARD STAGE you see below is sponsored by our very own Kansas City Boulevard Brewery!!  They make some of the finest beer around.

If you look beyond the Boulevard stage you will see Grand Street as it goes North,  beyond Crown Center and toward  downtown Kansas City.  That street is the one I will be running on, for about one mile of the 3.1 mile course,  come the middle of October when I participate (I hope) in the WADDELL-REED MARATHON. . . the 5K part of the event.  

Do you see how that street is really a HILL?  OMG. . . I know I'm not ready for that!!!  I hope I can get ready over the next month!!!  Gulp!

I think I may be biting off more than I can chew.  Gulp.  Gulp. 

 Moving on. . . . .the following day, we attended the first birthday party of an incredibly precious great niece!!!

Over Labor Day Weekend, I was also checking on my friend Patty's cat while they were out of town.  This is the one and only time I saw "Lucky" during the three visits I made to their house.  

On that day, he thought he would outsmart me and hide under their sofa, but I surprised him!!!  I think he was really surprised when I lifted the skirt on the sofa and took this photo. . . with the flash!!  I tried to bribe him with a little treat, but you can see, he wasn't interested in small talk.  :)

Here I am the next morning after I completed Week 6, Day 3 of COUCH TO 5K. . . I had just jogged 25 minutes STRAIGHT!!!  I was sweating like a pig. . . but it was a good sweat!!  I never thought I could do that!!

 

That afternoon, my daughter-in-law brought the grand-kiddos over for us to watch over night!!  In this picture, the grand girl was on the patio drawing with sidewalk chalk and blowing bubbles using  her stockpile of bubble bottles  at Nana's House.  The little grand boy was content to watch her from inside. . . occasionally tapping on the window to tell her "hi"!!

While the kids were playing, THE STONE RABBIT was taking a little nap.   The activity levels of the little ones do wear him out!!!  :)

 

When my DIL came back the next day, and was in charge of watching the baby and fixing our lunch :), I started making a proto-type of the grand girl's Halloween costume.  She wants to be ANNIE!!!  How PERFECT will that be with her sweet red curls!

I had found a vintage dress pattern at a flea market sale and adapted it to look ANNIE-ISH.  I had placed some white scraps at the waist, a sleeve and the neck area to see if that would put the ANNIE touch to it.  While the prototype was wine with little white stars imprinted on it, the real dress will be bright red.  I'm holding the ANNIE fabric in this photo to show her that her real ANNIE dress will NOT have stars on it.  :)

Last weekend Kansas City was buzzing with excitement.  Our Kansas City Chiefs Football Team would finally make a Monday night football appearance!!!  They were playing the San Diego Chargers. . . here at Arrowhead Stadium in KC.  The game didn't start until around 9:30 that night!!!  During the game, we had a tremendous rainstorm!!!  Amazingly, the Chiefs hung in there and WON!!!  They have had some very bad seasons over the last few years!!!  I have already decided that if they win one of the next three games, I will invest in a new Chiefs T-shirt or sweatshirt.  That's not too much to ask of them! ;)

I am a bit out of sequence.  The game was Monday night, the newspaper was from Tuesday morning.  HOWEVER, on Monday morning, I received a phone call from Community America Bank, which has a little branch inside our local HY-VEE store......telling me I had WON the Chief's Tailgate gift card drawing for this week!!  OMG....do you realize I am one of the most UNLUCKY folks in the world when it comes to winning drawings...or anything!!!

I was giddy with excitement. . . it's worth $50.00!!  

 
 

On Tuesday morning, I completed Week 7 of the COUCH TO 5K program.   That means I jogged 25 minutes straight on three different days!!!  There was at least one day between the running days. . . this old body could use more than one or two days rest, but I'm on a schedule!!!!

The days were all very, very hard for me.  By the last five minutes of each time out I was cursing inwardly the day I had decided I would do this.  I was begging for jogging mercy.  I didn't quit, however, because, even though my little tootsies were not going fast by the end of each run, they were still going. . . jogging. . . not walking. . . .and when I hit that 25 minute mark and could stop. . . .I was the happiest granny around!!!  What an accomplishment for ME. 

While incredibly hard for me to complete, I did notice by the end of Week 7, I wasn't quite as "wobbly" at the end of the 25 minute run as I was on the first day I did it.  I have to think that is was "building up your endurance" is all about!!  Baby steps.  

Sadly, I think, after studying this photo, that jogging makes my wrinkles appear deeper and my left eye droop is more noticeable!  Hmmmm. . . . the sacrifices we "athletes" make!!  :-)  BIG belly laugh!!!!

 
 When I look at this hurdle that waits for me. . . this hill from H _ _ _ , I have to question my sanity.  At this point, I haven't practiced HILLS!!!!  I'm barely able to jog on fairly flat surfaces for 25 minutes and still manage to inhale and exhale without keeling over.   I still have to build up  to jogging 3.1 miles within a reasonable timeframe.  I'm a long way off from all of that.

S  L O W L Y     I N H A L E. . . . .

OK, so for now, I will just not think about what I have to do over the next month. . . I will focus on what I have done over the last two months.  I have gone from barely being able to jog 90 seconds, to jogging 25 minutes. That's pretty great for this elder chick!  
 

That brings you up to today. . . Wednesday.  

Bonnie (L) and I (middle) are getting ready for our 4Th annual tag sale!!  

Below we are pictured with Patty at our sale last year.  Patty jumped in and helped us  out (once again) so much. . . we wouldn't have been ready without her!  We are posing in our Cracker Barrel shirts. . . we have NEW ones for this year!!

Last year, we set up four  tents and hauled in corn stalks and pumpkins along with our "treasures".  It was exhausting!!  

This year, it will be set up in Bonnie's garage. . . with a couple of tents out front.  We are nixing the extensive fall decorating. . . opting for a simpler, saner sale!!   

Heck, nothing is simple and sane for us...what am I talking about?  :)

 

Over the next week,  we will spend hours hauling all of the stuff to her garage  that it takes to pull off our tag sale!!  Tables, chairs, tents, treasures, signs. . . oh, and food to serve to the folks who come on the "pre-sale" night!  Yes, we turn it into a regular party!! See, I said we don't do anything in a simple and sane way.  However, we have a whole bunch of fun and that's what it is all about!

The Chiefs have an "away" game this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.   We will have to take some time off to enjoy the game. . . my mouth is already watering thinking about the yummy stuff the gift card win will buy for our own mini-tailgate party that we will hold HERE!!  

GO CHIEFS!!  :)

BLOGGING UPDATE!!!  Pat of BACK PORCH MUSINGS has changed her her blog address to

                                   http://backporchmusings.typepad.com

 DANA

Comments

[lynne@lynnesgiftsfromtheheart]

Dana, good for you girl. I tried to walk everyday, can't imagine jogging..lol.. what a feeling of accompolishment you must have. You've inspired me to "think" about taking something like that on... hugs ~lynne~

[Donna]

Wow, Dana, that is fabulous that you can run for 25 minutes! I'm slow on my 90 seconds right now but my kids jog with me. Sheridan just got her mile tracker for the Santa Clarita marathon and she needs to run 25 miles before Nov. 7 to complete the last 1.2 miles of the marathon. I will be in the 5K. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Darlene]

WOW Dana that is incredible that you are jogging for that long. WAY TO GO! I bet the Annie costume is going to be delightful! Awwwww the little black kitty looks like my Midnight...too CUTE.

I wish I lived closer because I would sure be at your tag sale. I bet it will be so fun. Hope you make lots of money!!! Enjoy your weekend.♥

[Cheri]

I know you are sooooo proud of yourself. Since injuring my foot I have missed my daily walks. We "old gals" gotta keep up the exercising...you are an inspiration to us all. Sure wish I could come to your sales...sounds like your really do it up big!

[Sandy Blaxland]

You and Rabbit have been busy. Great going on the jogging too.

[Pat@Back Porch Musings]

I sure enjoyed this post, Dana! Loved all the news about what is going on with you.

Thanks so much for putting my new link here. I am so overwhelmed with the love and support I've received from everyone, this week!

[Jean]

Dana,
I just came over from Jillian's Bella Rosa Antiques to see you. You GO girl! Jogging 25 minutes three or four times a week! That is awesome! I thought I was "something else" for doing Zumba for an hour a week! LOL! :) I also liked your tribute to NYC and seeing your pictures from your trip to New York of the twin towers. Let us never forget! Good to "see" you!!

Hugs,
Jean

[Pat]

Keep up that practice towards the 5K, Dana! I know you can do it!