The Stone Rabbit

What Visor Will I Wear???

 

 

This weekend marks the 40th Anniversary of a famous Kansas City event...THE HOSPITAL HILL RUN! 

I am really looking forward to this Saturday because it means I get to check off a goal on my "to do list" of running experiences.  I am going to participate in the 5K ( 3.1 miles) portion of this historic run! .   

The race is actually composed of three parts:  the half-marathon (13.1 miles), the 10K (6.2 miles) and the 5K (3.1 miles).  I believe I read that there are 10,000 runners/walkers signed up for all three distances.  

Maybe in the future I will be able to participate in one of the longer runs, but for this year, I'm just thrilled to be there doing the 5K!!

 

Forty years ago on the day this run started,   I was twenty-five.    I'd been married for five years,  out of college for two years and had just completed my second year of teaching.   I don't remember having any kind of an exercise regime at that time. . . actually, I don't recall any of the folks I hung around with giving exercise (except maybe the occasional tennis match) a thought.   Eating healthy wasn't a consideration in my life either.  Heck, I didn't need to.  I was young!!   If I gained a few pounds, then I'd take the starvation approach for a week or two and drop the weight. . .and I was good to go.  No, not a smart way to lose weight, but that's how we did it, then.

Oh. . .and I was a heavy smoker.

Forty years ago I was young and I weighed quite a bit less , but I would have to say, I was not as healthy as I am now.  Forty years ago the thought of RUNNING, even down the block, would have NEVER entered my mind!  Actually, I didn't know any one who actually RAN because they liked to run!!

I'm positive that 40 years ago, I could not have completed the 5K distance, but at the age of 65, I'm positive that I can and will. . .even with the challenge of "the hills".   

  Actually, three of the six  ladies in my little running group are going to be participating in the 5K.  My son will be running the 1/2 marathon and I will be standing on the sidelines waiting for him to cross the finish line !!!  

Tomorrow I go pick up my "packet" for the run.   That means I'll get my bib number (the piece of paper I'll wear on my shirt that identifies me and contains the chip timer that records how long it takes me to complete the run).  I'll also get to pick up one of the awesome jackets (instead of a t-shirt) we are getting this year for being a part of the event.   There will also be a lot of vendors set up who are selling various running "needs" (clothing, shoes, etc.) and others who are promoting future runs.  It's a pretty fun place to be the day before "the run"!

 

So now, I have a really important decision to make.   I have to figure out which visor I'll gonna wear on Saturday!

THE STONE RABBIT and Twiggy helped me pull my collection together to show you all.  

 

 

Of course, my first choice is the PINK one!!!  A lot, however, depends on the weather conditions on Saturday morning and what shirt I'll have to wear......and the color of whatever shirt I wear will determine the color of visor that gets to grace my locks while I run the 5K portion of the Hospital Hill Run!!

 

 

 

Please visit Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND!  There will be a lot of other bloggers waiting for you to check out their PINKS!!!

 

Have a great PINK Saturday!!

DANA

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY BIRTHDAY.....NO. 5!!!!

 

SERIOUSLY.....it CAN'T have been FIVE YEARS since Beverly launched her Pink Saturday idea....can it???

Oh  my. . .it just seems like yesterday that I joined in the fun and published my very first Pink Saturday post!  

 

So. . . what to do to celebrate this awesome occasion?  

Well.....of course I wanted to put my cake decorating skills to work and create an amazingly beautiful cake for Beverly because, as Julia Child said:

 

 

But sadly, it's been on the warm side in our neck of the woods. . .and we are holding off turning on our A/C until we just can't stand the heat a moment longer. . .and, therefore, cranking up the oven to bake a cake just won't happen.

I thought and thought and thought about how to celebrate Pink Saturday's 5th birthday without baking a cake. . .and yet I WANTED a cake!!

When I saw THE STONE RABBIT out in our yard on "dandelion patrol" I told him about my cake problem and as soon as I shared this with him. . .well, I could see the "wheels spinning"!

That brilliant rabbit told me he had an idea and to wait for him on the patio .

 

 Before I knew it, he'd returned with THIS!!   The LAST of my pink cuppy cake stash. . . hidden deep within my freezer!!

I'd forgotten I'd put them there. . .but he hadn't!!

Of course, most of you may have heard that HOSTESS went out of business. . .and when I heard that and tried to buy up more of my pink cuppy cakes. . .well, they were ALL GONE!!!  Such a sad, sad day!

 

 

Anyway. . .because I only have two of these yummy treats left. . .and because, Beverly, you know how very much I love them. . . and because you know how much I love YOU . . .and because they are so SPECIAL. . .and because Pink Saturday is so special. . .well. . .I decided to thaw one of them in honor of this big day!!

 

 

So. . I lovingly removed the wrapper from this little pink cuppy cake and slipped it in the microwave to thaw .  When I removed it from the micro, I realized the yummy filling had escaped and was oozing out the top of the cake!!

 

 

No problem. . . .yummmmmm.

 

 

With the  cuppy cake thawed, we added FIVE PINK candles. . .lit them and sang "Happy 5th  Birthday to YOUUUUUUUU!"

The whole time we were singing, I was thinking about the hundreds of Pink Saturday posts I've written over the last five years. . .most of which have been upbeat, a few weren't. . .but all in the spirit of celebrating the PINKNESS in my life and the friendships I have formed through this great event that YOU, Beverly, have so faithfully kept going for us!

 

 

 

I ate the first bite in honor of this great Pink Saturday milestone and the second nibble in honor of Beverly's hard work and dedication . . .and THE STONE RABBIT ate the rest of it because he deserved it!  Afterall, he's been a part of  every Pink Saturday post I've written!

 

 

 

So here's to many, many more years of Pink Saturday fun!!!  

 

Happy 5th Birthday everyone!!

 

 Please visit Beverly's blog HOW SWEET THE SOUND!  You won't be disappointed with all of the PINK celebration you will see there!

 

DANA

 

 

****** Just added!  Exciting news!!!  Jillian ,of Bella Rosa Antiques, is having a GIVEAWAY in honor of Pink Saturday's 5th Birthday!  Be sure to head over there and get in on the fun!!

It Was a SEA of PINKNESS

 

 Here I was (on the right) at 8:00 a.m. with three of my five running buddies last Sunday on Mother's Day. . .getting ready to run a 5k!!  I have to say I LOVED the PINK t-shirts we received this year!!

The morning started out pretty chilly, but once that sun came out and we were into our run, I was really regretting that I'd chosen to wear a long sleeved shirt!  Actually, there was no room to complain ....it was a gorgeous day!

 

(L to R)  Linda, Mary, Joan, me!

 

 

While waiting with 3,999 other female runners/walkers for the official "start" of the 5K, I took this photo in an attempt to capture just a bit of how HUGE this annual event is.  The Mother's Day 5K Run/Walk is put on each year by a local girl's running club, The KC Express.  And it is a BLAST !!

 

 

I don't have any photos of us actually running, but this was taken after we'd finished!!  I think we all look pretty good for having just completed 3.1 miles!

 

 

We are holding little papers entitled "Why I'm Doing the Mother's Day 5K?"    Our answer...."BECAUSE WE CAN, LADIES!"

I have to add how much more I look forward to these events now that I know one of my running buddies will most likely be there, too.   

Part of the fun of this event is all of the great "after the run" food!!!  Lots of great items like bagels and bananas and yogurt and chocolate milk just to name a few!

 

 

Another item we receive each year is a charm!!!  This year. . .we were given the PINK one!!  I love these!!!

 

 

This year, we also received socks with PINKNESS in the heels and toes.....and our bib numbers were on PINK, too!!

I have to share with you that I also had a huge thrill to find out my time was good enough be first place in my age division. . .and for that I was given those wonderful DICK'S gift certificates!!  

 

 

The good stuff doesn't stop there!!  They always hand out tiaras for the participants, too!!   I needed a model for mine and THE STONE RABBIT was only too happy to do that for me!!

Oh, and while it doesn't show up very well in this photo, I also received an awesome little trophy for my first place time!!

 

 

I have to share with you that this is one of the many decorated porta potties!!  Oh my, you just know it's gonna be a good time when you see this waiting for you!!

 

 

 

 

The rest of my Mother's Day was outstanding, too!! I hope yours was as well!

Please visit Beverly's blog HOW SWEET THE SOUND because there are lots and lots of other bloggers ready and waiting to share their PINKS with you this weekend!!

 

Have a great PINK SATURDAY and get out and do something FUN!!

DANA

A Little Drizzle DIDN'T Spoil Our FUN. . . nor will it!!!

 

 

When I started running, nearly three years ago, I had absolutely no idea that I'd still be doing it at this point!!  What started out as " Run a 5K?  That sounds like fun." has become a staple in my life!  In fact, I am so enthusiastic about it that I try to pull others into the fun, too!

Last Saturday, our local Parks and Rec. Department held it's 2nd annual FREE 5K on the park grounds that surround the near-by Bass Pro.

It's not hard to get folks enthused to participate in such an event when they don't have to pay for it!!  Right?  Well. . .mostly.

Below is a pre-5K shot taken of the group of my walking friends and three running buddies and my HUSBAND!!!   It was his first official such event. . .and I was so proud of him for following through and doing it. . .even though the weather gave us some chilly temps and a bit of drizzle!

OH. . .and I'm sooo happy that Joyce wore PINK that day just so I could post this on PINK SATURDAY!!

L to R:  Bonnie, Michelle, Joyce, Linda, Joan, Mary, Kathy, me, and hubby!

 

Even though the sign says "finish" it was really the "START" of the 5K that we were waiting on!   It says "finish" on both sides???

 

 

Still waiting for the 5K to start were (L to R) Kathy and three of my running pals: Linda, Joan and Mary!

 

 

I was especially happy to see this lady arrive as we were waiting for the start of the 5K!   She was not so easily convinced that getting up very early on her day off work just so she could walk for 3.1 miles in the cold and drizzle was the best of ideas!!

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't get any action shots while I ran, but I was able to capture some of the others as they approached the finish line!  Here comes Linda!!

 

Marian looked much happier in this picture. . . now that she and Joyce were moments away from crossing the finish line!!

 

Michelle and my hubby were all smiles, too!!  See how much fun 5Ks can be!!

 

 

His first "finish"!!

 

 

 

Bonnie and Kathy made it just fine, too!

 

 

Here's our Post-5K picture!!!

I think we are a mighty fine looking group. . .don't you?

Check out that ambulance background. . .thankfully,   none of us needed it!

 

 

I told the group that I'd serve them a post 5K breakfast if they participated!!  Actually, they pitched in and brought wonderful goodies. . .and Bonnie and Marian even fixed the scrambled eggs and made the gravy for the biscuits as I took pictures!!  Not a bad deal, huh?

 

 

After breakfast, my hubby set up his camera and tripod so he could get a group photo of us wearing our. . .

 

 

mustaches!!!

 

 

What a bunch of good buddies and good sports!!!

 

 

I have another 5K I'm participating in on Mother's Day.  It will be my third time to run this one.  Three of my running friends are going to be doing it, too!  You can bet I will be  taking as many pictures as I can of it.

I'm really excited because the t-shirt the run is giving out this year is PINK!!!  I'm not excited about what I just heard on the news a bit ago. . .there's a 40% chance of RAIN!!!  Oh well, even if it rains, it will be lots warmer than it was last Saturday at the 5K!!  And I am certain we will still have lots of fun!

THE STONE RABBIT thinks I've lost my marbles. . .running in the rain and having my friends wear mustaches!!!  However, when he thought I wasn't looking. . . I caught him in a mustache, too!!!  :)    

 

 

 

I hope you have a great Mother's Day weekend. . .and that you have the time to visit Beverly's blog HOW SWEET THE SOUND!  There will be lots of other bloggers waiting for you to check out their PINKS or Mother's Day posts!

Happy Mother's Day wishes to Beverly. . .and a big thank you for keeping our Saturday gathering up and running!

 

DANA

Is this Spring-ter?

 

I heard someone on the TV use the term SPRING-TER to describe this crazy weather we've been having here in Missouri.

Early in the week we had wonderfully warm temps and our plants were looking so fine!!!

Here's a picture of little Twiggy looking out a window in our living room. . . her view of the street blocked by all of the luscious PINK blooms on our weeping crabapple tree.

 

Here's the pretty flowers on the vinca that's spreading in a front planter.

One day I even opened the windows. . .and Twiggy spent hours hanging out in the window sill. . .watching birds and bumble bees.

On Wednesday it was sunny and our temps were in the mid 80s, but but by late afternoon the clouds started coming in.

And they kept coming.

And soon the  80s were gone.

By Thursday afternoon the sleet arrived. . .followed by SNOW!!!!

Here is my beautiful weeping crabapple this morning. . .not looking so pretty since most of the petals were blown off by the strong winds that pushed the wicked weather on us.

What a disappointment to have this happen right now!!!  We are all so ready for winter to be gone.. . . .we want and NEED a Spring!!!

However, THE STONE RABBIT actually LOVES cold weather.  He says it invigorates him and makes him feel alive!!!  :)

I feel more alive when my toes aren't frozen!

I hope the Spring in your neck of the woods is much better than ours!!

Please be sure you "hop" over to Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND!  You will find a long list of bloggers who have PINKS to share with you this week!

Thank you, Beverly, for keeping us up and running!!

DANA