12.6 miles run (whoda ever thought!!)

12.6 miles later.

Running through deep running streams... stepping down into mucky water up past my ankles...  getting completely soaked... and then I start running again, listening to the squish-squish-squish sounds of the water in my socks inside my shoes.  


Thank God for Drymax socks.

And I'm not getting paid to say this. They absorbed the moisture in my water-logged shoes ---each time, I stepped into another raging stream or sitting puddles too large to jump across I would hear the squishing for a bit.. and then it would be gone.

Whenever I could.. I would run alongside the paths.. but oftentimes, even that was deceiving and the edges were water-logged as well!

No blisters to note.. and I ran with wet socks and shoes within mile 1 out of my 12.6 mile run.  It was a long way to run. This time I hafta admit... it was kinda hard.

I ran over waterfalls. I ran through mud so thick and deep.... it felt as though my shoes were velcroed to the ground. It also felt like I was lifting 5 pound weights off my ankles as I stumbled through it. I ran underneath fallen trees from last week's storm. I climbed over other fallen trees. It was an obstacle course. Many of the moss covered trees looked florescent! It was extraordinarily beautiful! The views were breathtaking.

At one point in the run, a woman ran past me with short dark hair.

I shouted, Karen! recognizing her as one of my sister's running friends.
She turned briefly around to say, No.. I'm Maria....

I shouted, Maria Ronchelli!!

She stopped and spun around to look at me as if in disbelief!

It was fun to see her. We went to elementary school through high school together and now I know she lives in my neighborhood. Small world! I think she graduated in my brother's class.


Are you gonna run in the half-marathon?! I asked her.
I signed up.. .not sure if I'm fit enough for it! ... she responded as she blazed past me.

I shouted.. "You are!" but I don't think she heard me. She was running too fast to hear me.

Two hours and six minutes into my run, my legs feeling the fatigue, I guess I wasn't lifting my feet high enough to carry myself over all the rocks and mini boulders and I tripped and gashed my right kneecap onto a bolder.  It bled.

Anita was there behind me and helped me back up.  I felt shakey at first... and walked maybe 20 seconds before I started running again.

It wasn't long before Anita would take a tumble as well. This time, she was near high clifts... and was lucky she didn't fall all the way down into the ravine.

It was a crazy run.

Two hours and 31 minutes later.. i arrived to my destination.

Next week I think we're only going to run 7.5 miles...  to ease off. And then the following sunday is our half-marathon. 

I don't have the same elated, blissful, exhilarated feeling I have felt in other runs, but I'm so grateful I made it through this run.

Another record breaking distance.

And I should be proud.

Afterall.. I've only been running two and a half months.

Getting State Fright

It has been raining crazy this past couple of weeks. It has rained more in the past 10 days than it has rained in the past three years.

I am worried about the muddy trails up in the hills this coming sunday morning. They turn into flowing rivers as the water uphill starts to flow downward. It's crazy when you're running uphill while the water is rushing downhill.

The trails weren't so bad when this picture was taken, because the rains hadn't really started. The trails hadn't turned into rivers just yet.

 I love having Angie and Heidi running this with me. And in this photo, they are literally there sandwiching me in. 

Knowing we are all in this together, really helps. And i love our bonding time.

 Angie in the middle.  We are her sister-in-laws. 

This coming Sunday we'll be running 12.6 miles in our practice run for our Half-Marathon race.

I only ran once this week.

It was on Wednesday night, in a very small drizzle... Heidi, Dennis and I ran maybe four-and-a-half miles singing songs.. "can you guess this tune!?"  We hadda blast.  Singing songs from the 50s to the present.

I felt like were on on a road trip.


I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy...  and  I got a brand new pair of roller skates.. you gotta brand new key... 

Running really is fun. It is!

The forecast for Sunday calls for: RAIN.

I know it will be an experience I will never forget. My hope and wish is that we all make it to the finish line in one piece and be ready for the Half Marathon on Feb 7th... just two weeks away. I can't believe how quickly this training has taken place.

And I'm ready.  I'll keep you posted. Please come back to visit!

i ran 11 miles this morning

I am sleepy.

I ran eleven miles this morning.

In the mud. Up and down hills. Over rocks. And roots. Jumping over mud puddles when I could and jumping in them when I couldn't jump them.

At Mile 6... I was soaring. I believed i could run all day long.  I am glad that didn't happen.

Eleven miles really was enough.

And it was really a special day.
And I love the newness of it all. Breaking records with myself by running further than I have ever run before. Or even imagined was possible.

When we lived in a small hilly town in Fairfax, my 5-year-old sister Kelly and our 4-year-old-friend, Eric taught me how to run. They both grabbed me by the hand and ran as fast as they could with my tiny little 3-year-old legs carrying me as quickly as Kelly and Eric could pull me.  I was scared! But! I was running!

And I have never forgotten that moment.

Six weeks ago, the idea of me running this far was daunting.

But...

Remember how scared you were to take the training wheels off your bike? Or how much courage it took for that first kiss?

Nothing stopped you then.....

Gnomeville

Here is another one of my fabric designs that was released this month. It's called Gnomeville. I designed two other coordinates to go along with it.  This one is a Border Print....

10 miles

This picture of me was taken around the 7-mile mark.... 

I tried clocking 10 miles in my car the other night.  Driving 65 mph .... it still felt like a long time before i hit the 10-mile mark. 


I dreamed of running last night. I always dream of running the night before our Sunday training run. I wonder if my dreams help carry me the following morning. As if I have mapped the course out already in my dreams so it makes my running less effortless when I am actually running it.


At one point during my run this morning, I looked up and in that split second, I had a Deja vu of that same moment already happening.


It does make me curious.


My run this morning covered three parks! Howard, Spring Lake and Annadel and we ran around three lakes: Lake Ralphine, Spring Lake and Lake Ilsanjo, but I had my head down on the trail through most of it and didn't even notice two of the lakes!


While running, I overheard two women behind me talking about fruit and carbs and protein. I listened hard as I don't have a clue on good nutrition. Especially during training runs. I heard one of the women call the other "Wendy" and I instantly recognized the name as one of my sister's friends.


When they were through talking, I introduced myself, while sucking in air, pushing up a long, hard uphill climb.  I was happy to hear they were BOTH fans of my sister and they told me how much they admire her. I felt warmed by their kind words and it pushed me to run a little harder.. as they passed me on the uphill.


I ran alone most of the morning until I caught up with Anita and she and I ran the rest of the run in together. 


This morning's run had less elevation gain than any of our other training runs so I was able to run it in 1 hour and 47 minutes compared to running nine miles last Sunday in 2 hours and 10 minutes! 


But we still had some hills to climb and my calves at one point felt like they were water balloons about to explode! I tried pointing my toes downward as I ran and it seemed to relieve the pain somewhat.


The half-marathon is one month away. 


I am still feeling surprised and happy that I was able to run 10 miles today. Each Sunday I am running farther than I did previous runs.  It just makes me crazy with giddiness.


It is so rewarding to watch my body change and do things I never dreamed possible.

P.S. My Uncle Jerry passed away this morning on Long Island, New York.  RIP. I will miss you and praying for the family.

Two Hours and 10 Minutes

This brave runner actually ran through the puddles while I skipped and danced around them.

Two hours and 10 minutes is how long it took me to run a little 9 miles.

A couple weeks ago I mentioned something on my post that it took a little over an hour to run 8 miles. That had to have been wrong. Someone told me later they think it took more like an hour and a half.

I believe them.

This morning was tough but I expected much worse. I was nervous all week before running this morning because I was busy between Mid December and New Years with the holidays and traveling and didn't run as often as I had hoped. And never nearly as long as I should have because I was running in unfamiliar places alone with just my ipod playing in my ear.


This morning we started up the Canyon Trail into Annadel Park and then up the gravel grind known as Richardson.... and from there, we ran up even further on a gnarly single track called South Burma.

It had beautiful views from up there. It was really breath-taking, looking down and seeing Santa Rosa swallowed up under the fog. The sun was shining above the clouds and it felt warm on our faces.

Mossy tall trees everywhere. And the air was so silent. All I could hear was the pounding of my shoes and the water slushing back and forth in my water bottle.

And then we reached Buick Meadow and headed down Marsh.

I love running downhill... it's where I can catch my breath. I feel the muscles changing in my legs as I push myself downward ... my shoes suctioning into the mud... and slipping an inch or two each time my feet touched down.

We had been running an hour and 23 minutes and I didn't have a clear sense of how far we had run during that time.

I was running with Angie, my sister-in-law but we had lost Heidi (Angie's sister-in-law) at the beginning and we were both silently worrying about her when Angie offered me a shot-blok and when I turned back to grab it, I caught a glimpse of Heidi bursting out from a fog bank running full speed.

She looked great and she told us she was feeling great despite a few set-backs earlier in the run and she had to keep running or she'd feel pain in her knee... so off she went running right past us.

We ran about a half mile up Canyon Trail again.... and then criss-crossed and ran around the lake in the opposite direction of what we ran earlier and then we carefully descended the rocky, rooted Spring Creek trail. By then my legs were feeling a bit fatiqued... and had to be careful winding my way down.

It felt really good to finish. Angie and I finished at the same time. Heidi arrived two minutes earlier.

And it really was a great run! I was sick with a cold earlier in the week but it didn't detour me.

I feel happy and excited that I ran 9 miles. I never ever dreamed I could.

Next Sunday... we'll be running 10. Only a few more weeks before we run the half-marathon.

I'll be home For Christmas

So. I'm listening to Christmas Carols and I hear Bing's warm, soothing voice singing: "I'll be home for Christmas... you can count on me."

So that's reassuring. He RSVP'd.

He then says to "please have snow and mistletoe" which sounds a little bit demanding. Especially the snow.

He also wants "presents on the tree."

I think he meant UNDER the tree, but whatever. On the tree.. under the tree.. guess he already figures there will be a tree or he'd be asking for that, too! A flocked one, no doubt, because he's beginning to sound like someone who is difficult to please...

He emphasizes it again... "I'll be home for Christmas..." and "you can count on me"... and it's like, "alright aleady! You'll be here! I'll have the snow and mistle toe and presents here waiting for you..."

Then... he goes into something that doesn't really make sense.. something about ... "Christmas Eve will find me where the lovelight gleams...".

During that moment, I'm sure the person on the other end of the phone is looking for a pen to write down all his wishes...
And wonders why are there a hundred pens in the house but none of them work!

1. pick up mistletoe.
2. Order snow.
3. Buy presents.

He's really coming! We can count on him!

But then... he ends the song with this line and he slows it down and really lets his words linger.... "I'll be home for Christmas... IF .. ONLY .. IN .. MY .. DREAMS..."

What is up with that!? That, my friend is not a true RSVP.

I havva feeling he's holding out for a better offer...

running 8 miles in the rain and fog

I ran 8 miles yesterday morning and then again this morning. Both nights previous to the runs, I laid in bed and kept hearing the pounding of the rain pouring down outside my window and I felt nervous going out in it to run the trails in a downpour.

What will it be like? I worried.

It was amazing!

Jumping over crawling newts, loose rocks and mud puddles was surprisingly very exhilarating and it kept my mind focused on my safety other than running the distance.

Seeing people emerge in and out of thick fog banks was breath-taking.

Hearing the rain pouring down around me ... yet feeling protected overhead by much of the canopy of trees was comforting.

Running down a steep narrow trail with water rushing down it at the same time was exhilarating.

I fell once.

My toe hit the top edge of a boulder and I went down into a face plant. It happened so suddenly. I was running and then I wasn't. I rolled my tongue around and over my teeth for any chipped edges and I was relieved to find none, so I pulled myself back up and continued running. Funny what adrenalin does.... you don't feel anything, but your heart pounding. And then my legs picked myself back up and I continued on as if nothing had ever happened.

Stunning, beautiful views. Large ferns growing on the sides of the steep cliffs. Fog rising up the hill.

I worried if I fell down the cliff, would i bounce and roll down to the bottom? Or could i break my fall, by grabbing hold of a limb or tall grass. I tried not to think of those scenarios, but once you fall... you realize how easy it is to slip like that. So I moved closer to the upside of the hill as I weaved my way down to the bottom of the mountain.


Such a feat. Such a huge accomplishment for me.
I really feel proud of myself for pushing myself to do this. Because I know only too well.. how easy it would have been both mornings to turn off the alarm and cover my face under the blanket and sleep a couple of hours more...



Always before we run in those early mornings, the coaches give us a pep talk before we begin...

I ran seven miles this morning

This video is what I filmed from my point of view this morning as I ran. I used my new FLIP camera! We ran as a group up at Annadel State Park in the frigid low 30s. It was fun. And it was hard. But it was so completely worth it! Next week 8 miles! The Half-Marathon will be set up in those hills in January. And that is what we are all training for. I look forward to being able to achieve that goal.

Cat vomit on your sofa

Some days are like this.

You're feeling happy. The house is clean. You have candles lit. The house is warm. Food in the oven. Friends are coming over. And then the cat vomits on your sofa.

Disappointments always show up unexpectedly.

Home repairs.
Sickness.
Money difficulties.
Disappointments.
And cat vomit.

I think the most importance in all this is how we react to these challenges. My reactions to disappointments today ultimately affects the happiness and quality of my life tomorrow. And then the next day.

Life isn't perfect. But there are perfect moments in this life. Just like the one that's slipping away half-noticed as I finish writing out this sentence. Makes me feel sorta anxious like I ought to be doing something much more significant than typing this post.

So off I go.... have a great day. And seek out those perfect moments.

You can do it and so can i

it's been an incredible four day weekend. I ran 25 miles this past week. Seems incredible to some. Not so much to others.

But to me, I felt as if I could do annnyyythiiiing!!!!

I was so impressed with meeeee.

I can do it!!

I laughed at times. "Look at meeeee.. i'm still running... six miles later..."

Lahhh-teee-daaaahhh!!! I would sing to myself!!

Six months ago, I was singing a different tune.

"No way".

I could run maybe a block.

But I couldn't run a lap... I knew that.

But now. I can.

I run. I run and I run and I run.

And it's amazing.

Now I know if you can set some goals you can meet them. I promise you that.

Just like my miles. If you push yourself a little bit each week, you'll be amazed at what you can do. I'm not kidding you!!

And I know you can do it. And you will.... and I will, too. Together. You and I.




It's us! The Sisters and Sister-in-Laws. Whadda Group!!

Week 1: trail running for a half-marathon

i was a mule carrying a loaded wagon uphill. i was an indian runnin' from the cowboys under the trees. i was the pony express running through the puddles. I was a kid playing in the rain. And near the end I was a downhill skiier jumping the moguls.

i pretended to be all those things while running five miles up and down through the hills in the rain and mud this morning.

Today is the mark of my first day of training for a half-marathon set to be held in February.

It was so mentally stimulating that it didn't feel anything like exercise but more like a great playful adventure. Dodging puddles and trying not to slip in the mud, I even had to jump over a deer carcass which nearly caused me to slip and stumble...

I feel really good right now. I know this will propel me into an amazing adventure and it will help mold a new attitude about believing in myself and attaining the goals i set my mind to... because, afterall, "all things are possible to him who believes..."

I'm off to pull off my muddy clothes and warm up in a hot shower...

Making the most of it

Because how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. ~Annie Dillard

Ready, Set, Go!

Yesterday was one of those days I'll remember for a long time. I ran my second 10k race.

And it felt really good!

And it was fun!

I started the race near the end of the large pack of runners and I struggled to find a nice, clear spot where I wasn't constantly on people's heels. The urge to pass anyone and everyone was strong.

Run your own race, I repeated over and over again. It will clear out. Don't wear yourself out.

I turned back to look for Karen and Heidi and Anita and Vanda and Martha, but all I saw were faceless people charging behind me.

So I pushed ahead. I saw Dennis and Mark about 20 yards in front of me. I kept my eye on them. I imagined myself catching up to them and I did and but never did I dream of eventually passing and ultimately finishing several minutes ahead of them.

I loved the little kids at the water stops. They'd lean way out.. their arms stretched out as far as they could extend them holding up small paper cups of water. I worried for a really quick second who's little hands would I accept the water from! I didn't want any of them to feel left out. But it happened so quickly and in one swoosh, I grabbed the cup, said Thaaank Yooou! and gulped it down .. mostly missing my mouth and drenching my shirt instead... as I continued on.

"You can do it!!" someone would shout. "You're looking strong!!" someone else would call out. Others stood clapping or slapping high-fives. I especially loved seeing my running coaches standing there calling out our names and cheering us on and really meaning it.

I found myself pushing harder and running faster.

Before I knew it and seemingly quite suddenly I was at the 5th mile post and I knew then, that nothing was going to stop me now. By now I was working on a breathing rhythm so I wouldn't become too breathless and I picked up my pace. Within a few minutes, I started hearing the cheers from the crowds at the finish line which really got my adrenaline going.

As I got close to the finish.... I instantly recognized my mom and Lloyd and Kelly and Matt in the sea of faces cheering me on. My mom carrying a small bouquet of sunflowers to hand me at the finish line. It was such an incredibly emotional experience seeing them standing there waiting for me to turn the corner and run for the finish line.


Six months ago, I never dreamed I would be running 6.2 miles in a race. And paying money to do it! ha!

I am still not in a place to tell you I enjoy running because I do not. But I certainly love the feeling afterward.

I am overall happy with my run. I ran it in 61 minutes though I made a mental note and goal to run it in under an hour.

And now I know I could have. If ONLY I watched the clock and kept track of my time! And next time I will do that. I still have a lot to learn.

So what was the other lesson learned this time out? I learned that whether in running or in life, it doesn't matter how fast I go out or how careful I am to save some for the end .... what it all boils down to ... is that I simply get out there and give it my best shot and run to the finish and never give up until I reach my goal.

We're all running in this life. We all feel the push at various times.

What run are you learning to run?

Maybe it's not long distance, but maybe, instead, you're putting off cleaning out your garage and getting rid of clutter you've held on to for a long time. Or maybe you've slowed down in your search for a job thinking you'll just wait to look when the economy picks up.

Whatever that is that keeps you from reaching your goal because it's uncomfortable or tiresome or doesn't feel good... my hope for you is that you keep running.

Focus on the goal and don't give up until you reach it. It'll stretch you and it'll hurt sometime and other times you just won't feel like doing it... but you can accomplish anything if you want it badly enough.

I so believe that.

And. I so believe in you.

Me, Karen and Heidi after the race

The Blur

Eye glasses are really remarkable. What a great invention. Who woulda thought by taking an out-of-focus piece of glass and putting it up to the blurry eye... it would sharpen our vision. Well. If it's the right prescription. Two wrongs don't make a right, but two blurrinesses can turn something really fuzzy into such beautiful clarity.

Now if only one can invent an eye piece for our thoughts....

Discontinued Fabric

Goodbye Kitty Capers. Goodbye Sea Monkeys.

I just heard these two fabrics I designed are going into retirement. (That's a kind word for saying they're being discontinued).

It was bound to happen. Not all fabrics can work their entire fabricated lives. I guess I'll just hafta come up with something new! (And I am!)

Happy Retirement.

Vintage Farm fabric

So this was fun to do.

I was given some farm art and was given the job to recreate it into a repeat and just like I don't like telling stories without adding a bit of color and punch, I don't like creating fabric without doing the same.

I added some dogs. An extra horse. More roosters. A tractor. A windmill. A wagon and a bucketfull of apples, pigs near a trough, a fence, geese, rooster, a fence, ducks, hills, pathways, hills, sky, etc... and voila!

I rarely ever have this opportunity to take someone else's art and have the license to recreate it by combining it with my own art. It's really a lotta fun and a kick to do.

I'm really enjoying these opportunities as they present themselves.

Frozen

Seemingly overnight, the hills have turned green by the recent rain we had last week. Between cooler mornings and hot afternoons. I'm never quite sure how to dress for this type of weather and by evening, I mostly feel as if I'm stuck inside a snow globe.

Kooky and Gross Candy

Halloween candy can be funny, huh?

Here's some crazy candy that you can buy anytime of the year and it doesn't have to be at Halloween. I have yet to taste any of them.

My fascination with this spooky, halloween treat began when a friend of mine recently posted this photo on facebook. It's Ear Wax candy. Inside this plastic container shaped like the human ear is a fruit-flavored gel that you gather out by using a cotton swab-inspired device.


Bag O' Blood: This is a liquidized candy that comes in sour watermelon flavor and pours out of the Bag O' Blood like.... er, well, like blood... I would have loved this as a kid whenever we played doctor. Or even as a funny trick to play on April Fools Day while in the second grade!


On the label of the Box of Boogers box, it says "Tangy Gummy Boogies that look and feel REAL!" The flavors are Lemon Loogy, Sour Green Boogy and Snottermelon. The box also boasts that it's "Ssssnot your regular gummy!" ... with a consistency similiar to snot and has that sweet-and-salty flavor. This is not the candy I would ever enjoy... but apparently there are those out there who do.This candy reminds me of those wax-candied lips we'd wear and eventually chew til our jaws wore out. These rotting teeth and unhealthy gums simply dissolves into sweet candy as you chomp down.

You can obviously see that this is a giant plastic nose that you strap onto your face so all that lovely liquid candy can just oooze onto your tongue!! Pretty gross, huh? Boys will just love 'em!

I grew up with these lovely pimples enveloping my face like wrapping paper, so this candy would not be my favorite at all! These Zit Poppers are soft and gummy, and when squeezed, a lovely gooey red substance oozes out, just like when you you pop a zit, but this time it's completely painfree!

How would you respond to someone opening up a package of these bloody band aids and asking if you wanna suck on them. There are even bandages in the box that comes complete with a bloody-looking scab. "No thanks!" I would respond. Politely, of course.

And this just might be the worse one of all. Simply because it LOOKS like a urine sample container. And get this! This lovely package of Tower of Sour Liquid Candy Urine comes in FIVE different super sour flavors!

Enjoy!

IF: Pattern

Click on artwork to view larger

Here is a retro piece I designed as fabric. The pattern is put into a half-drop repeat. And one of these days, by golly, I will be sleeping in pajamas made of this flannel fabric.. even if it's only in my dreams.

09-09-09 at 09:09

I was driving up Hwy 101 from picking a friend up at the San Francisco Airport when I couldn't help but notice the time. I quickly pulled off an exit in Petaluma and took a quick picture. Things like this happen but once in a lifetime.

Or.. until next year when it turns 10:10 on October 1oth!

A Call from an Old Friend

I picked up my ringing phone and was launched back to high school! Best friends forever, The BeeGees, playing volleyball in her church youth group, cowl neck sweaters and Farrah Fawcett hairdos.

"Shawn! I'm coming to your area! Let's get together and hang out for the afternoon."

And I thought we shouldn't so I told her that we would be like ships passing in the night because I was going to be gone that weekend. And, oh how sad, because we have so much to catch up on!

Catching up was precisely why I didn't want to see her. It all seemed so exhausting. We really don't know each other anymore.

Her life is strange to me. She is married to a pentecostal pastor and they were going to be in town to meet with other church leaders in the community.

We found each other through classmates.com and in a recent email exchange, she sent me a photo of herself. She is as beautiful as ever. She was standing in front of her fireplace at home wearing a long necklace with a cross. She exchanged her Farrah Fawcett hair style to a length longer than her gown she was wearing.

When I think of her, I think of notes passed between desks in Government class. "I love Dave but Coreen loves him. So I'm going to settle on Kenny. Do you like the song Torn Between Two Lovers. Have you heard it on the radio? KFRC is playing it alot these days. Sounds like me! Ha!"

My mom can drive us to see Grease tomorrow night. Can your mom pick us up? If not, I will ask if Karen's mom can."

We washed our faces with Noxzema and shampooed with Gee-Your-Hair-Smells-Terrific and played the BeeGees, Fleetwood Mac and Peter Frampton on our stereos.

When she moved away with her family out of state, I worried how I would endure another year in school without my best friend. She hugged me and promised to write and I followed the UHaul truck all through town until they reached the onramp to the highway and disappeard into the distance.

I remember feeling so lucky to have her as my friend and I didn't know what I'd do without her.

But now I do. I do without her all the time.

It has been too many years we haven't kept in touch that it's difficult to conjur up the energy now to spend an afternoon with her. Maybe another time. Maybe because she is pentecostal and I am not. Maybe because she knows I was once a missionary, living out of a suitcase living in neighborhoods some cab drivers wouldn't even venture down and doesn't know that was a lifetime ago for me and I no longer go to church.

Maybe I'm just not ready to talk to her about it. Maybe I worry about being judged by her. Maybe because I am still sorting out all the feelings and thoughts surrounding my full time ministry days. Maybe it is all those things. I am just not ready to talk to her about it.

But she will never know that.

Benny and the Birthday Berries

I got a phone call from Tony that summer.

"Ya wanna do some writing for me?"
I knew him personally, plus he was a huge name in the Christian Publishing and I was just 23, recovering from a major injury and of course, I shouted, "YES! YES! YES!"

Initially I called the berries rash berries because I wrote into the story how they broke into a horrible rash.. a result from losing self-control and eating them. That was deleted among other things. I like to think that my original story was filled with sweet emotions and "ah-ha!" moments in cute, simple word structures. Once it was edited, I barely recognized my story. But that seemed okay by me. I was now a published writer. And I was just 23.

You can actually view my book here that turned to video:

This was during what I like to call my internship years. I was paid $30.00 a week to write the book which is still in publication today. My name is long gone from the credits but I still keep a few of the first editions where my name is still there in print.

I also did the inking in the illustrations using pantone felt pens and later when we put these books to video, I did the camera work, which makes me cringe when I see the quality of work.

We were all so young back then. Each day I would show up to work, I would pinch myself to wake me incase I was dreaming. I was so happy to be in such a creative job. It was one of my dreams coming true.

I've had many since then. But this was the beginning. This was the platform that started my fun, creative career.

Funny the things you can find on google.

Dooog's Garage Theater brings memories!

I stumbled upon this video while on a google search of a kid's book i wrote in the middle of the 80s called Benny and the Birthday Berries.

I was the camera operator on this very episode ... among other things.

We were working in Pleasanton, California and I would pinch myself every morning before going into work because I couldn't believe I was working at such a fun job. We spent some crazy hours on this. I have a videotape making this film. A fun behind-the-scenes footage incase I ever decided on creating a documentary, which sometimes i still daydream about doing.

I giggle at this video now. It really does appear amateur and when I think back to those fond memories of us working on that video ... I realize the reason why it looks so amateur was because.... we were!

My very first 10K Race. Ever!

It was only this morning.

In Oakland, California I ran around Lake Merritt, twice, and created history for myself.

It was a monumental moment for me. I ran 6.2 miles alone... quietly, with only a few knowing my name, I was Bib Wearer #133.

I drove the 60 miles there alone and back again. Anyone driving behind me or passing me in the lane on the highway... would never know what I was about to embark on .... or what I had just accomplished. Something quite small, actually, to the regular seasoned runner.

But to me.

I did it.

I did something I never imagined I could. Or wanted to.

I ran more than six miles at once.

And, just because.

Just because I wanted to believe in mind over matter. Just because I believed our physical body can do so much more than what our brain can dictate.

I wanted to push myself. I wanted to feel the stretch. I wanted to push past my comfort zone and feel the empowerment in doing that.

I realize it was just 6.2 miles.

But, I have never run that far before. This morning, while running past people walking alongside their dogs or friends, or talking on their cell phones... I knew they had no clue, that there was history in the making for me. But there was.

I felt truly alive.

I felt like I could achieve anything when I set my mind to it. And I have. And I will.

6.2 miles at a time.

See you at the finish line!

I was talking to a licensed artist recently and she said that she was surprised at what sold well for her. They were lines she never considered anyone would really take interest to.

The designs she thought would be big sellers weren't so.

And then some she threw in the line at the last minute ... became her bread and butter.

Her words stayed with me for a very long time.

I'm an in-house designer.

I have no idea if any of my fabrics are selling well and those that are, what style is it that customers are drawn to?

I'm unsure whether or not, I should continue drawing the style as I have been doing or try momentarily, to push the envelope and try something new.

I am curious about that. I always want to push myself as an artist. To try something new. And different.

Perhaps in some obscure way, it's why I have started running.

I don't enjoy running, but I joined a running group and run three days a week. It pushes me. Pushes me beyond my comfort zone. Pushes me beyond my limits. To the outer-limits.

When it's all said and done, I can say, "i did it!"
I can say, "I gave it my all.."
"I pushed myself beyond all I could hope for."

And in the end, I want to hear as a result,
"I am so proud of you!"
"Yay! You DID it!"
"I didn't think you could do it, but you did!!!"

But. Aren't we all this way? Aren't you this way?
As a nurse, as a teacher, as an admin assistant.. don't you push yourself, too?

See what I mean?
We're not really different, afterall, are we.

See you at the finish line....

Princess fabric!

Here are a few more fabrics I designed. This was specifically designed for chidren's sleepware and possible bedding. It sure was fun creating these.

Cat Scratch Fever

So, my lovely Max -- the stray cat who has camped out on my front porch since last July --snuggled up behind me and laid down at my feet while I was watering my row of boxwoods.

I didn't see him.. and I stepped back to water at a better angle and .... CRUNCH!!!

He bit into my ankle to let me know I had him penned between my shoe and the sidewalk!! His teeth slicing into my bone was painful! But I didn't look at my own injury until I checked out Max's injury... feeling every inch of his sweet, purring body, I felt confident he wasn't in any pain so I went inside and took a good look at my injury.


By morning I couldn't put any weight on my foot so I called the doctor and they told me to come in right away.

I was given a tetanus shot and a week's supply of antibiodics and three days later, my cat bite looked like this:



I'm feeling much better now. The two fang bites are still healing, but please, if you experience a cat bite and it swells up, please contact your doctor at once. I don't know if I had Cat Scratch Fever but I did have a serious infection. And they say it is much more common than we think it is. Now I dare you to say cat scratch fever without singing those lines.

Go ahead.

Couldja do it?

I couldn't!!!!