I love Chicago

Yesterday reminded me why I love Chicago. It was the first day since mid February where we have had anything worthy of being called nice weather. It was almost 70 degrees yesterday with a slight breezy and sunny. It was perfect, spectacular, paradise, wonderful. It was the kind of day that you just have to smile about because the breeze that blows by you turns up the corners of your lips. People couldn't have been in a bad mood yesterday if they tried.
I went to the marathon clinic at Moody in the morning and settled all of my fears and doubts about the whole thing. I'm in. The road is long and hard but I plan to work hard and be strong. I need to know what the experience will be like. This is the next physical, emotional and spiritual step I need to take in my life. Running for clean water is going to do that. I have joined Team World Vision and all the fundraising money I earn is going to support programs that bring clean water to South Africa. To think that if I lived in Africa, one of my babies could die from something as treatable as diareaha. It is heart wrenching and wrong and if we can do something, anything to help fix this problem, we need to. There is a pandemic in our world called Poverty and if we all focused on the methods to help these people get to the point where they can sustain, the world can be changed.
So, I know why I'm running now and I will need to think about that, focus on that and obsess on that reason every time I feel like I want to stop when I shouldn't or not go when I should.
After the clinic, I went over to Fleet Feet and got fitted for new shoes. YEAH! New cushioning! I felt great and decided to go for a run on the lake. I ran about 5 mi. and enjoyed the blue, aquamarine, turquoise colors of the lake. I did take it easy and did a run walk combo after being sick all week, but it felt sooo wonderful to get back out there.
I ran the way back by the zoo and stopped in the conservatory to see the spring flower show. I kicked myself a few times, every time I realized I wished I brought my camera, but it was kind of nice (for a few min.) to soak in the sights without thinking of how I was going to shoot it.
One image that has stuck in my head is the Bleeding Heart flower I saw on my way out. That was the flower my grandma and I like the best. She kept them in her garden and it brings back a rush of memories when I see the flower of being a child with her. I miss you Gram.
I plan to get the kids on the gardening path today after baseball practice and make the newspaper seed pots with some shade plants for the front of the house.

YEAH!! IT's FINALLY, RALLY SPRING! WHOOO HOO!!!