Tag: Healthy

Not my Chi…..Anticipatory Failure

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Friends, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, Writing5 Comments

On the journey to recapture my fitness, I am trying to remind myself to draw on my chi. Chi Running, defines chi (pronounced ‘chee’) as the energy that unites body, mind, and spirit.  How awesome is that.  If only I could learn to tap into that!

A few years ago, when we traveled to in San Francisco, CA for the Nike Women’s Marathon, my running partner and I purchased stones with Chinese symbols engraved on them.  We each chose a symbol that had special meaning for us.  We often trade them at the beginning of a race as a symbol of support for each other.  We call them our chi.2015-03-25 18.31.44

As fun things often do, they took on a life of their own.  On our training runs, if  someone just a little faster ran past us, we would challenge ourselves and pick up the pace, shouting “It’s our chi!”

If someone sprinted by much faster, we would look at each other and proclaim, “Not my chi!”2015-03-25 18.33.29

Those little engraved stones have become a symbol of support and companionship, but occasionally even they aren’t enough to push me up a hill.

Years ago, someone told me a secret to running hills.  You should visualize a rope at the top of the hill and imagine someone is pulling you forward.  It’s a great visualization and can help.  But it can’t really pull you.  You still have to move your legs and when you haven’t trained; well it isn’t as easy to make it up the hill.

Recently, I was out for a run with my two favorite running partners.  It was an easy and pleasant run and things were going well.  We were at the start of our training plan, so the run was short and not too aggressive.  Near the end of the run, we were faced with a hill.  The hill is about a 45 degree incline alongside a busy road. When I looked ahead and saw the hill I said, “I’m going to run to the bottom of the hill and then I’ll walk the actual hill.”  I was thinking I was already tired and would not have the energy to run up the hill.  Both my companions nodded and headed for the hill determined to beat it.

Hill no plate

I realized I had allowed anticipatory failure to keep me from making it up the hill.  No it’s not ‘rocket science’ but for me it was an eye opener.  I actually got it.  If you don’t start, you can’t finish is a real thing.  I ran the hill, huffing and puffing the entire way, but I didn’t stop until I reached the top.  Even if I had taken a break half way it would have been fine.  I wasn’t attempting to set a record, just keep moving until my body said stop instead of my head.

I have a half marathon to run in this weekend and haven’t trained as well as I could have, but I never do.  I considered switching to the 10k instead.  Then I remembered the hill and changed my mind.  I may not finish, but I will start and I will listen to my body not the anticipatory failure in my head.

Crazy, Compulsive Multi-tasker!

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Humor/Light Hearted2 Comments

Monday morning found me standing in the shower, the water flowing, deep in thought.  I reached for face wash and realized I was about to scrub my face with my toothbrush.  Still wearing glasses,  a fitness band circling my wrist, I paused.  For a moment I wondered if I should consider taking a step back and slow down.  Nope!  One of my favorite quotes, is “Someday I won’t be able to do this, but today isn’t the day.”

I am a compulsive multi-tasker as my husband, Ron will attest.  Every morning, I get to the car with more bags than I should carry.

Many mornings, I shut the car door, buckle the seat-belt and realize my phone,  purse, or lunch is missing.  I unbuckle, go back inside and backtrack to find the missing item.

When I sit down to view a television program, I gather a novel, a crossword puzzle or a sewing project or two.  If I’m working on a writing project at my computer, I will open a class I’m enrolled in or edit a different writing project.  Hey, it helps jump start the creative process.

This month, I am actively training for a half-marathon, taking 2 online classes, working 40+ hours a week, crocheting an afghan and working on a quilt.  I say actively, because I have many other projects, in various stages.  I don’t profess to be proficient at many of the things I tackle, but I enjoy attempting new things.

During a recent day off, I took an online class in calligraphy.  When Ron asked why, I smiled and replied, “It was free, and it was fun.”

I don’t sit still well and I love variety.  Ron, however, will stop what he is doing to give me his full attention when I talk to him.   What a wondrous ability he has to focus.

In my defense, we commute an hour plus each morning and each afternoon. That’s two hours I can write, crochet and brainstorm or anything else I can manage in a car.

The next project will be a weekend of soap making for the girls, at my house.  I want to learn the process.  Sharing the experience with my daughter, granddaughter and sisters will be a lot of fun.  I can’t wait!  If anyone has a favorite recipe or special tips, I would love to hear from you.

So am I the crazy one?   Probably, but If so I like this kind of crazy!

Nature, miles and friends

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Food, Friends, Writing4 Comments

While much of the country has been dealing with extreme weather,  in my area we’ve been more fortunate.  Austin, TX residents woke Saturday morning to a mild 64 degrees.  It was a perfect day for a long training run. If you have to run long, you may as well run for fun! Bastrop State Park is a short 15 miles from my home.  Running in nature while I train is a great distraction.2015-02-22 15.34.35 (1)

A fire devastated Bastrop State Park in September 2011 along with many other areas of Bastrop County.  The fire destroyed many of the ancient pine trees.  It affected 96 percent of the park.  The fire was a tragedy, but it has been wonderful watching the rebirth of the park, aided by many volunteer organizations and their members.

Dez, Ron, and myself arrived at the park with two expectations; to complete an 11 mile training run and to enjoy ourselves.  We put no constraints on time or speed.  Dez and I kept to the trails as much as possible while Ron opted for the park roads.

The trails range from sand, gravel, or packed dirt and is easier on your body than pounding on pavement.  The steep inclines and declines work muscles not used in street running and compel careful navigation to prevent falls.  The combination is a great workout.

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We quickly realized that it was going to be a silly, fun day when we started laughing at everything.  We stopped along the way to take pictures, to view the blackened, fallen trees and to enjoy the newly planted baby pines.

Throughout the morning, park guests greeted us and we shared waves and greetings in return.  At mile 6 we found a restroom, which had been recently renovated and was sparkling clean.  While we were stopped, we visited with Ranger Carpenter and learned a few facts about the park rehabilitation.

We stopped at mile 9.25 to enjoy a bit of solitude at a pond hidden among the trees.  I had spent the day in search of the elusive Houston Toad.  We were pretty sure we heard one in the distance while we were at the pond.

The Pond!

The park ranger we spoke with encouraged us to find a tree and claim it.  He suggested we take our picture with the tree and return annually to document the growth.  So we each picked one and began a tradition.

Our final mile tally of 11.5 miles was full of fun.  After surviving  our trek through nature, we ate lunch and stopped by Austin City Wide Garage Sale.  This weekend the sale was being held in Bastop, Texas.  After an hour and a half of wandering through the maze of exhibits we were a few dollars poorer and a few items richer, and our energies had been fully expended.

We ended our day with sweets from  the Sugar Shack in Bastrop.  We each had two scoops of ice cream and I brought home treats for later.  It was a lovely day and the best one I’ve had in a while.  A special thanks to my cohorts today for helping me make wonderful memories!

Veggie Burger , can I get fries with that?

On By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Humor/Light Hearted, Travel, WritingLeave a comment

When I first gave up red meat, chicken, pork etc., there were very few options for fast food dining.  Sometimes when you travel it feels like fast food is the only option and certainly the most convenient.  Today most national chain restaurants and many small local diners offer multiple options for vegetarians, vegans or any other meal plan you may follow.

Veggie burgers aren’t my favorite meal, but when Burger King started serving veggie burgers a few years ago, BK went to the top of my list for grabbing a quick meal while traveling.  Today, people who want more alternative menu choices have many more options.  I can almost always find a salad, a fish option or a bean dish.  At the Counter Custom Built Burgers in NYC, I had a wonderful custom made Ahi Tuna burger.  Many restaurants have developed their own veggie burger recipes.  Elevation Burger in Austin, TX has a vegetarian and a vegan option.  Both are equally delicious and made from real vegetables.

Recently, in the Dallas, TX area I was trying to find a quick drive thru meal.  We stopped at a Taco Cabana, but I was stuck on the phone.  I waved my husband inside thinking I just wasn’t in the mood for beans and rice.

There was an In-N-Out next door to the Taco Cabana.  We pulled up to the drive thru window, I asked, “Do you have a veggie burger?”In-N-Out

A cheery, “Yes we do!” floated through the speaker.  “Awesome”, I thought and replied, “I’ll take the combo with a veggie burger.  No cheese and no sauce.”  As she repeated back, “A veggie burger with lettuce and tomato only?”  I answered, “That’s correct.”

As I Anticipated some yummy salty French fries, I pulled up to the window.   This was my first visit to an In-N-Out burger and so far it was looking good.  Receiving my food from a smiling server, we pulled into a parking spot to “check” the order.  Diving into the fries was a delicious treat; hot, crispy, fresh and salty.  Unwrapping the burger, I quickly realized something wasn’t quite right.

There was definitely lettuce and tomato, but that was it.  No patty, just bread, lettuce and tomato.  My husband carried the burger back inside.  When the server asked if I only wanted lettuce and tomato and I said yes, that’s what I got.

20150203_175219When he came back out carrying the burger , he confirmed, “Nope, this is the In-N-Out version of a veggie burger.”  Laughing, I had a delicious lettuce and tomato sandwich.    At least it didn’t have any soy.  Kudos to In-N-Out on the most authentic veggie burger I’ve ever had.

Rocking the Streets of San Antonio Texas

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Friends, Travel, Writing2 Comments

The Humana Rock and Roll Marathon was the weekend of December 6th through December 7th in San Antonio, Texas.  This is the 7th year l  have participated in the San Antonio Rock and Roll marathon. I signed up months ago before this became the year of broken bones.  In August, I broke my toe and the healing outlasted my patience!    Not to be left out, my husband Ron fell and broke his wrist a few weeks ago.  And then, just because we are a little insane we signed up for the Remix challenge which means we ran a 10K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday.

San Antonio is a beautiful, magical city and one of my favorite places to visit.  The expo in the downtown convention center was as entertaining and chaotic as always.  I never seem to leave without purchasing something.  This time it was new socks and some GU gel blocks.  Leaving the expo, we stopped to enjoy the twinkling Christmas lights along the Riverwalk and the Tower of the Americas.  It was lovely in the soft evening light.

San Antonio Christmas LIghts

We didn’t stay in a downtown hotel for this trip, so we had to get up a little earlier to ensure we could find parking.  On Saturday, the 10K didn’t start until 9:00 AM and there were only 2500 or so competitors.  The parking was easier to find and it turns out it was considerably cheaper.  Sunday morning, the official start was 7:30 AM, so we left the comfort of our warm beds a bit early to head back to our parking garage from the previous day.  Supply and demand was definitely in play as we had to pay double the fee we had paid on Saturday.

I should clarify that I am not an elite athlete and I enjoy the fun and camaraderie found by those of us crossing the start line 30 minutes after the sprinters in the first corral.  When you run slower you can see all sorts of sights along the course.

Sunday morning, we all lined up; the elves, the tutu wearing competitors, the old, the young, and all other 12,000 plus runners, walkers and wheel chair participants.  The music was pounding and the weather was just a little chilly.

As expected, I crossed the starting line about 30 minutes after the gun sounded.  The course was a bit downhill in the beginning, heading from the Alamodome toward downtown.  As we passed the Alamo, many runners, stopped for selfies with the façade and spirits of the Alamo.  Leaving downtown took us through Trinity University and hills.  The spectators lined the road through Trinity, cheering us up the hills.  The enthusiasm was wonderful, but it didn’t really make up for all those hills.

The course in a Rock and Roll marathon is always alive with music and excitement.  It is also lined with coaches, family members and complete strangers.  Sunday was no exception.  Signs along the course proclaimed, “Worst parade ever”; “Run like a Zombie is chasing you” and my favorite, “I’m proud of you complete stranger.”

I think my favorite coach along the course was the gladiator wielding his sword, his face encased in a metal helmet in the parking lot of a Cross fit gym shouting encouragement as we passed.  My most memorable athlete was the young man I passed at mile 12, limping to the finish line, carrying his shoes and socks because of blisters on his feet.  Dedicated or stubborn I’m not sure but he finished!

At the end, I was so relieved it was over!   It was the slowest I’ve ever finished a half marathon, but I felt quite proud to have survived. Heavy Medals

We ended our San Antonio trip with a wonderful meal at Canyon Café, a southwestern grill in the Quarry Market.  I am never disappointed with the food or service.  It was a great meal to end a great trip.

Good Friends and Fresh Vegetables

On By DGThomaIn Food, Friends, Writing2 Comments

I participate in our local Farm to Work, a program of the Sustainable Food Center in Austin, TX.  As defined on their website, Farm to Work is an employee wellness and Farm Direct marketing program that delivers farm-fresh, locally grown produce right to employees at partner worksites.Fresh Vegetables

Every two weeks on Monday, we receive an email reminding us it’s time to order our produce.  Last week, my email was delivered, but my reminder notification didn’t display.  At 7:00 PM I was leaving the office for the day and remembered it was the week I needed to place my order.

Frantically searching I found my email and immediately realized I was too late.  The stated deadline to order was 5:00 PM.

Not willing to give up quite so easily, I replied to the email with a message asking if it was too late to order and included the explanation of how I missed the deadline.  I’m sure the order email is only monitored for payments and orders, so I received no response.

On Wednesday when the produce was delivered to our office building, I was feeling sad to have missed my vegetable delivery.  My sweet friend Nena stopped by my office.  She often has to remind me it’s time to pick up the order, so she asked me if I had picked up my vegetables.  Of course I had to share the whole story of how and why I missed the deadline.

Smiling she said, “I’ll share. I have extra.”  Responding that it was okay,  I explained I was going out-of-town and it was probably better that I hadn’t placed my order.

“No”, she explained, “I really have extras.  I was the last one to pick up and they gave me extra produce.   I told them I would share.”    Feeling blessed, I said, “Okay, I’ll take a bell pepper and maybe one zucchini.”

She sat her bag of vegetables on my desk and pulled out a zucchini and a pepper.  But then asked, “Do you like potatoes?”  When I replied yes, potatoes were added to my pile of veggies.  At this point the pile was getting large enough to require a bag to carry it.  As I searched for a bag, she added peaches, okra and a butternut squash.

I have to clarify.  When Nena said she got extra veggies, she actually picked up a few extra pieces of produce but not more of everything.

At this point, I have as many vegetables as she does if not more.  Honestly, it was like the biblical story of thee fishes and the loaves multiplying.

Although she did pick up a few extra vegetables, in truth she is really a dear friend who decided to share her vegetables with an absent-minded, forgetful friend who forgot to order timely.   Good friends and vegetables what a lovely way to brighten a day.

Cheerios and Shoelaces

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Food, Humor/Light Hearted, Travel, WritingLeave a comment

For several years, the  Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco had been an elusive goal.  It was on my “to do” list, but it seemed something always interfered.  Either my training schedule was off or the timing of the race kept me from being able to participate.

After all who wouldn’t want a medal from Tiffany!Meda

When I decided that I would take the time to train and would definitely run in 2008 I discovered the only way for me to participate was through a lottery.

Although I didn’t believe I would make it in, I decided to register and take my chances with the lottery.  I immediately started soliciting family and friends to participate with me.  My first call was to my daughter, who was in law school.  I convinced her to train with me so we could submit for the lottery as a team.  I soon had enlisted my sister and my son’s girlfriend as well.  Of course the unexpected happened and our team was selected in the lottery!  Now I was forced to train!

I was determined to stick to my training program.  I am notorious for getting pulled off my training schedule by daily demands.  As a result, when I went to visit my daughter and granddaughter in Tulsa, OK, I made sure to pack both my running bag and my commitment.

Tulsa has a very nice running trail not too far from my daughter’s apartment.  I got up early on Saturday morning, and created one of my favorite running snacks, (Cheerios, pecans, dried fruit and bits of a bagel).  Since I managed to forget my SPIbelt (a stretchy fabric pouch on a belt), I pinned a baggie to the back of my shorts and my husband and I set off for a quick 8 mile run.  I chose to run out 4 miles and back and my husband soon left me behind as I settled in at a comfortable pace.

Cheerios and fruit

At about mile three, my shoelaces began to loosen and for some reason, they were hitting against the back of my legs.  Frustrated, I stopped, retied my shoes and took off again.  My new shoes had particularly long shoestrings and soon I could feel them blowing against the back of my legs again.  Checking the shoes, I discovered the laces seemed fine.   Puzzled, I finished my run.

Dee and Dez
Dee and Dez

As I waited for my husband to meet me I reached for my snack, only to discover the baggie was empty.  Apparently, friction had worn a hole in the plastic and the snack mix had slowly dropped through until the bag was empty!  It turns out it wasn’t the shoelaces  hitting my leg, it was the snack mix.  I wondered why everyone I passed had such big smiles!  My husband confirmed that fact, when he said he followed the trail of Cheerios and pecans to find me.

Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon – Part 2

On By DGThomaIn Family, Travel, WritingLeave a comment

CCF10052014 (2)

The Seattle marathon started June 21, 2014 at 7:00 AM sharp on a cool Saturday morning.  After grabbing coffee and a bagel from our hotel, we walked the few blocks to the start line.  The temperature was in the low 60’s; perfect running weather for me.

As I waited outside the portable toilets, commonly known as Port-a-Potties, I met a fellow runner from Seattle.  We visited and spent about 15 minutes discussing the best angle to take a picture of the space needle when you are directly below it.  As we said goodbye and left to find our corrals, she asked where I lived.  I responded, “Texas.”  Laughing she said, “I could tell you weren’t local, you have a strong accent.”  I laughed too and said, “I was just about to say I knew you were local because you have an accent!”  Smiling, we both headed to our corrals where we lined up with more than 14,500 eager athletes.

One of my favorite parts of running a marathon is meeting new people and making new friends.   After you’ve run a few marathons, you start seeing familiar faces.

Lining up in Seattle, I stood near a group of Team and Training (TNT) participants from the San Francisco area.     TNT is an organization, that in exchange for training and support, you raise money towards cures for blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.  As an alumni participant I am always watching for the bright purple shirts.  Participants are always so upbeat and energetic.

The starting gun sounded at 7:00 AM and the first wave of runners were off.  Since I was in a corral several blocks from the start line, my start was about 30 minutes after the elite lead runners.

My plan was to run 4 minutes and walk 1 minute, a method developed by Jeff Galloway.   I finally made it to the start line, and John Bingham, also known as the Penguin, started us on our way after announcing this would be his farewell tour.  He is a champion of the non-elite runners.   I set my Garmin (watch) on intervals and pushed the start button.  I was officially off!  I was able to maintain the 4:1 ratio for the first 18 or so miles and still felt reasonably okay.

At about mile three, I met more TNT runners from Texas.  There were two ladies from San Antonio, whose name I didn’t get.  Then I met Tom from Dallas.  Tom was run/walking  for Team in Training and on the out and back paths where we passed each other, Tom would call out to me “Go Texas!”

The course took us down Ranier Ave and through Seward Park both offering a beautiful view of Mount Ranier.  By the time I hit mile 15 it was starting to warm up significantly.

At mile 20 when I was starting to wonder if I had enough cash for a taxi, Tom spotted me again and yelled, “Go Texas!” so I did.

I finished about 45 minutes after my husband based on time, but since he started almost 20 minutes before me, he had quite a wait for me to finish.  Still moving forward, I crossed the finish line much faster than I had expected.  I was thrilled to have the finishers’ medal placed around my neck and a cold bottle of chocolate milk to drink.  I wanted food and rest, in that order!  Marathon number 16 was done.

Finisher's medal

Finisher’s medal

We were too tired to participate in the post marathon festivities, so we opted for a bath, a nice meal and pajamas for the evening.

On Sunday, we scheduled a tour of the Pike Place Market.  The tour started at 10:00 AM.  We booked the tour through Public Market Tours.  We walked about 12 blocks to meet our tour guide so we could stretch our muscles after the run on Saturday.  We were a few minutes early and went for coffee while we waited.  We skipped the line at the “original” Starbucks and ducked into Tully’s for a delicious cup of coffee.  We were the only two signed up, so we had a personalized tour.  I won’t spoil the tour for you in case you ever make it to Seattle, but it was a great guided tour with a lot of historical information and laughter.  It was just what we were looking for and the highlight of my day.  I even managed to view the gum wall without getting too grossed out!

We ate lunch at Maximilien which sits in the heart of downtown Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market.  Maximilien is a charming restaurant located with a view of Puget Sound, Elliott Bay, West Seattle & the Olympic Mountain.

Before heading back to our hotel, we visited the Lionheart Bookstore, located in Pikes Market.  The owner likes to respond to questions by singing his answers.  He told us he wasn’t just an owner but was the sixth custodian of the bookstore.

I love bookstores and Lionheart did not disappoint. We wandered in and out of the shops of Pike Place market exploring the shops at each level.  In the afternoon we headed back toward our hotel, tackling the steep hills leading away from Pike Place Market.

We stopped in at Cherry Street Coffee House where I had a piece of Ginger Peach, Gluten free bread with a Coffee Latte.   It was a lovely treat!

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When we reached our hotel, we put our feet up, and snacked on some fresh cherries we purchased at the Market.

All in all it was a wonderful trip!

Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon – Part 1

On By DGThomaIn Musings, Travel, Writing1 Comment

A lot of people think running marathons is absolutely crazy and some days I agree.
Other days, it keeps me sane. My husband and I normally run one or two marathons a
year. I may run or I may walk, but there is something about completing a 26.2
mile course that makes me think I can do anything.

However, my dedication to running this past year has been almost nonexistent. I was
sidelined with some health issues for a while and had difficulty regaining my motivation to restart my training.

Nevertheless, when my husband suggested we should run the Seattle Rock and Roll
Marathon in June, I decided to give it a shot. Seattle would be
marathon number 16 for me and the first for Washington State. I was hoping
registering to run 26.2 miles would motivate me and maybe it did, just a bit. We
registered for the marathon, made flight arrangements and reserved our hotel. The big “C”, (commitment) did get me out of bed on weekends. I managed to get in some runs with
my running group and even a few runs on the treadmill.

These shoes were made for marathons

Finally marathon weekend arrived and we headed to the airport for our evening flight.  The marathon was scheduled for Saturday, but we were hoping to maximize our relaxation time and minimize any last minute stress by leaving on Thursday.

Our trip started out a little rocky.  When we pulled up to our regular car park, we were stopped at the gate by a very nice young man.  “Reservation?” he asked.  Of course we didn’t make a reservation.  In response to our “No”, he replied, “Sorry, we are completely full.”  Well, a bump in the road, but nothing major, right?  We headed for the airport in search of terminal parking.  Still on schedule, we arrived at the airport and discovered that due to construction, all parking was full except the overflow parking lot.  Off we went to find a space in overflow parking which was out in the middle of nowhere.   Fortunately, we were able to find (uncovered) parking quickly,  catch a bus back to the terminal,  and finally make it through security.

Knowing we would arrive late in Seattle, we grabbed some food and made it to our gate with a little time to spare. Hoping the rest of the trip would be uneventful, we boarded on time and with the exception of the crazy lady on the plane (but that’s another story!  Planes, misgivings and singing), we had a pleasant trip.

When we landed we exited the plane, made our way through the chaos of airport security and retrieved our luggage.  Discovering our hotel didn’t provide a shuttle, we opted to rent a car.  Dragging our bags behind us, we followed the rental car signs to reach the rental counter and negotiated a vehicle.  Finally, worn out, we headed to our hotel.

Checking into our hotel turned out to be the best part of the day.  It was late when we arrived, but the night manager was awesome.  He was already working with a guest, so there was a small wait to check in.  It was almost midnight, but the manager was upbeat, smiling and apologetic, even though the wait was only a few extra minutes.  We even scored free parking!

The hotel was a suite with two bedrooms, a kitchenette and a separate living room area.  Much more space than we needed, but staying there for four days was wonderful.   The Space Needle was one block from our hotel and could be seen from the window.  Everything we needed was within walking distance.Seattle Space Needle

After a great night’s sleep, Friday morning, we headed to the Seattle Health & Fitness Expo.  The expo was a huge market where exhibitors offer free samples, showcase the latest in running gear, sports apparel, health & nutritional information and more.  We walked a block to the Seattle Center Monorail station and rode the monorail to Westlake Center where we caught a bus to Century Field Event Center for packet pickup. (shirts, race bibs, timing chip, etc.).

We spent several hours wandering around the expo before leaving a few dollars lighter, juggling our packets and multiple purchases.  Weary and hungry we went in search of lunch before heading back to the hotel to relax and prepare for our early morning event on Saturday.  More on the Seattle trip next post……..

Labor Day Celebration

On By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Writing1 Comment

Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September.  It is intended to be a celebration of social and economic successes for American workers.  What it has become is a celebration of eating food and family gatherings. (Made possible by the economic successes of American workers)

My Labor Day plans this year were to relax at home, foot elevated.  I was sidelined with a broken toe, my husband Ron was out-of-town and the rest of my extended family had made other plans.

The Designer Shoe for a Broken Toe
The Designer Shoe for a Broken Toe

My plans were very non-specific . I anticipated a quiet day at home catching up on some reading, writing and sewing.  Happily, my plans changed.

On Saturday I found out my son was coming on Monday to spend the day and my husband was planning on returning early in the afternoon on Monday.  I love company and I love celebrations! I was excited I would have enough people for a quasi-celebration, but suddenly I needed to plan a meal for Monday evening.

I wanted to serve something non-traditional.  Normally, we would just grill burgers and hot dogs for the guys and maybe tuna steaks or shrimp for me.  That just didn’t sound appealing this time.

So stepping out from the norm, we came up with something a bit different.  Our menu consisted of Jalapeño chicken and venison sausage for the meat lovers.  For me, it was Lentil Hyderabad (lentils with spices and chilies) and a curry wild rice mix.  We bought some freshly baked Naan bread and grilled fresh sweet potato and Irish potato spears, lightly salted.  It was a wonderful meal, but even as wonderful as it was, my favorite part was the dessert. (Of Course!)

We sliced peaches, topped them with fresh blueberries, then sprinkled them lightly with a small amount of brown sugar and nutmeg.

Grilled Peaches and Blueberries
Grilled Peaches and Blueberries

We served the warm fruit with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  It was absolutely delicious and completely different from our normal holiday meal.  Considering it was last minute, I think it just may be one of my favorite holiday meals.