It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Crazy that it is now December! The days both fly by and drag on, are the same but different. One of the Oxford Words of the Year for 2020 is Blursday, which just about sums it up. Seems like it has been a whole lot of nothing and a whole lot of everything this year, and now we are in the final month of 2020. I don't expect things to get magically better once we hit January 1st, but it is also hard to acknowledge that the pandemic and the way things have been the past 9 months is going to continue on, despite the change in calendar year. There's no immediate transformation that is going to happen just because we move into a new year, although I am hopeful that 2021 will be a bit brighter. And in the meantime, trying to remember to breathe and enjoy the little things that bring me joy and keep me sane. 

Monday was a dreary, rainy day, with temps in the 50s and winds whipping later in the evening. While we only had one very short blip when the lights went out Monday evening, a lot of people lost power overnight. More rain and wind on Tuesday. Power was out at the office until around noon Tuesday, so we all worked at home in the morning and then I went in for a few hours after lunch. No running either day and no walking either. Ugh.

Got up and out Wednesday morning for a rather random run on the cart paths, back dirt road and powerlines. Nice morning with pretty light. Saw a group of 20+ turkeys. Tired. (6.0 miles)

After being inside for two days straight, we rallied and got out for a family walk after lunch. Windy but nice to get out! (2.0 miles walked)

Ronnie was up yowling in the middle of the night Wednesday night and I just could not get myself out of bed Thursday morning, so instead I headed out around 3:00 pm after Sam got home from school. Ran out on the powerlines and enjoyed the mild temps. Outran the darkness, but just barely! It really was a pretty afternoon but I still prefer morning running assuming I can get myself up and out the door first thing 😉😂 (7.0 miles)

Friday, I headed over to Freeport for a run on the Chase and Calderwoods trails. These trails span a beautiful stretch of woods between Flying Point Road and Pleasant Hill, and are rugged and varied. I went further out into the system than I have before and made a nice loop utilizing most of the trails. It was fun, but definitely slow going with mud, slippery bridges, lots of debris and blowdowns from Monday's storm and some hard to follow stretches of trail due to heavy left cover. One of the trails skirts a wide open field in which I saw a flock of at least 40 turkey. Neat. A good and different run on a mild December day. (9.0 miles)

I picked Sam up at school and we went downtown to do some Christmas shopping, then came home for sushi and ghetto pie with Mom and Dad. Yum! Had to do something with all that leftover Thanksgiving Cool Whip! 😂😉 Dana traditionally makes this pie for Christmas dinner, so it had us thinking of him 💗 It is really hard knowing Sam won't be going down there to help decorate their tree and that we won't be able to see them for the holidays. Darn virus. 😢

A storm was on its way Saturday, and I didn't quite escape the start of it on my morning run. Rain and temps in the high 30s. Luckily it wasn't yet pouring or windy, but these conditions are my least favorite to be out in. Well, maybe unless it's low 30s and freezing rain. Stuck to the roads to get it done a bit more quickly and then hopped right into a hot shower to warm up after! (7.2 miles)

Rain and wind and snow for the rest of the day. We did head out to Target to get a bit more Christmas shopping done and then Sam and I picked up Neenie for a quick trip to the winter farmer's market, while Ryan and Dad worked on some networking issues at the new house, but after that, it was inside and happy for it! Spent the rest of the day relaxing, watching TV, and working on Sam's latest puzzle. Gigi thought Sam's lap was a decent spot for a rest, well, at least for a few minutes! 😹

Woke up to wind whipping around the ice and snow-encrusted trees outside in the early Sunday morning darkness. About 2" of wet snow atop a whole lot of water. I knew pretty much immediately that I should just scrap my long run plans. Headed out around 7:45 across the street and looped around on the Cathance trails, where I definitely got first, and likely the only, tracks for the day. The trails were saturated, with many sections flooded and a whole lot of large, deep, cold puddles. Whipping wind and roaring river. Downed trees, debris and bowed ice and snow laden branches. Snow, ice, slush. Wet feet and deer prints. It was ridiculously slow and sloppy out there, but fun to just be out enjoying the wet winter wonderland!

Hopped right in the shower when I got home to warm up, but still wanted to get Sam out to enjoy the first snow! We bundled up and finally headed out around 11:00 for a walk across the street. The sun was shining brightly on the ice-covered trees and bushes and we enjoyed a tromp through the wet snow. Beautiful! (2.4 miles walked)

Then it was home for lunch and right back out to get our Christmas tree! Let the holiday cheer commence! 🎄

Ryan's early Christmas gift 😂

A lot of memories on this tree 💖 Always so special to get out all the ornaments!

And poof! It's looking nice and Christmasy in here!

Gigi approves 😍