Breathe

Feeling scattered, frantic and tired all at once. My mind whirs with a million thoughts. The house is a mess. No bananas for Ryan's smoothie this morning, not that he complained, must get to the grocery store. XC is great, Sam is loving it and it is good for her but it means three times a week we are getting home after 6:00 pm and still need to eat dinner, do her reading and homework and try to get to bed at a reasonable hour. Sam's birthday party is next weekend. Family is coming into town. TARC is only TWO weekends away!

My to-do list is a million miles long. Need to order a cake for Sam's birthday party next weekend. Wonder if all the kids will come? Why do people not RSVP?!!? Mustn't forget to get a set of sheets for the loft bed, the old ones got ripped in the washing machine. Should I get small or big bottles of coke for TARC? Do I have enough gels? When am I going to get things all packed up? I really need to clean the shower. And on and on and on...

These thoughts swirl around in my head as I run. Finally I settle into a rhythm and the worries slow to a trickle. I focus on the trail and the woods and run steadily along. The cotton sedge in the Heath is like a white blanket beneath the blue sky. Purple aster and yellow goldenrod stand out among the browning grasses at the edge of the field. White and yellow mushrooms pop up from the debris on the forest floor. The run doesn't make all it all go away but at least it gives me a few hours of peace ;) And now, I better get moving on that to-do list! It's certainly not getting any shorter while I sit here...

Autumnal Heath

Aster and goldenrod

Practically glowing