The greatest love of all . . .

Being a mom wasn’t high on my priority list when I was a growing up but all that changed instantly on March 29, 1986 at 4:24 am. Before my precious little baby girl was laid in my arms, I could not imagine loving anything so fiercely. At that moment, I knew that I would willingly give my life for this little girl. And in so many ways I have. I haven’t climbed tall buildings, dodged speeding cars, or taken a stray bullet but have simply chosen to put my life and wants on hold. I am much like many of the other moms in the world. We eagerly put our children first. We run lunch money to the school despite not having had time to shower. We change sheets in the middle of the night although we have the flu too. We don’t believe the dreaded “I hate you” and love our children even and especially when they are being unlovable. We quickly run to the library before closing for a much needed book in order to finish a procrastinated project. We wait all day in the rain and cold to cheer our child as she runs a 12 second sprint on the track. We eat at McDonald’s more times than we would like on vacation. We watch The Little Mermaid until we have it memorized. We spend our birthday money on groceries. We trade a string of pearls for a precious fruit loop necklace. We weary the Lord with prayers in behalf of our children. We even choose to eat the burnt piece of toast and give up the last slice of cake. And if asked, we would gladly do it all again for just the chance of being able to see our child make the game winning shot, walk in their cap and gown on graduation day, proudly stand in their tuxedo as they whisper the words “I do”, share in the joy and heartache of elections won and lost, and watch with awe as she becomes a loving mother to your sweet little grandchild. I never imagined absolutely loving being the mother of five precious souls, but I am grateful for Him whose plan for my life is always better than my own.

My Life without Wal-Mart

 

This week, an article in my newspaper ranked 52 grocery stores. Two of my favorite local stores were not on the list, but Wal-Mart was. To my surprise it was ranked 51 out of 52. I think its low prices saved it from being dead last. Excellent was its rating in the pricing category but failed miserably in customer service, cleanliness, and perishables. One shopper commented that he doesn’t need a smile when purchasing a banana. It isn’t necessary, but it sure makes the shopping experience better.

I always leave Wal-Mart much grumpier than when I entered the store. After my last trip during the Christmas shopping season, I made a commitment to forgo the frustration of poor customer service for at least one year. The last time I set foot in a Wal-Mart store was December 9^th, and I just may never shop there again. My husband is a big fan of the store, so I am not sure what will happen if he pulls in the parking lot while on a vacation. 

It’s not that I want to see Wal-Mart fail; I just want other stores to be able to succeed as well. I don’t want Wal-Mart to become my only option. I love Harmon’s, and had they been on the list, they might have scored low in the pricing category but would have scored very high in cleanliness, customer service, and perishables. I LOVE their produce. And yes, that banana does taste better when it comes with a smile.  Until my recent Wal-Mart ban, I hadn’t given WinCo a chance, and now I am a fan. I think it could clearly be the low price leader. I have to bag my own groceries, but now if my bread is smashed, I am no longer annoyed with the Wal-Mart employee because it is my own fault. And, I can easily correct myself. 

Might I spend a little more? Probably, but when fresh produce, a helpful employee, great selection, and cleanliness make me a happier person, you could say that is simply priceless!

Marathon Training Tip #SPF 30+

In my head, I have these silly physical standards for myself. Many people do a triathlon without actually knowing how to swim. They float, do the back stroke, or doggy paddle their way to the finish line. I couldn’t do that. For me to participate in a triathlon and have it count as an accomplishment, I had to actually put my face in the water and swim. Thus, it took me several years to learn to swim and reach my triathlon goal.

Last year, I ran my first marathon, but for some reason in my illogical thinking, I cannot consider myself a marathon runner. That can only be an achievement when I have run at least two marathons.  And so the training for my next race has begun. 

Earlier this week, on a nice sunny day, I did a 16 mile training run. I am slow but consistent, and so it took me about 3 hours to finish. Usually I wear a visor to protect my face from the sun, but because of the wind chill, I sported a headband to cover my ears. I am not sure if that is where I went wrong, or if not applying sunscreen was my mistake, but at the end of my run I was sporting a ridiculous tan line.

So my marathon training tip for the day is a) apply sunscreen, b) wear your headband equal to your hairline, or c) consider yourself a marathon runner after just one race. 

All things being equal

This morning at 1:14am the sun crossed over the earth’s equator, and today we will experience the same amount of sunlight as we do nighttime.  It is supposed to be the day we welcome spring, but a snow storm came instead.

Why does Kim Kardashian tweet her disgust about a woman breastfeeding her baby in public but is mum about Jennifer Lopez’s overexposure to 39 million viewers during her appearance on the Academy Awards. The rule of thumb must be that a breast may be exposed as long as a baby is not attached to it. 

I would have thought there would have been more outrage from the media about Colton calling Leif a munchkin and an oompa loompa on a recent episode of Survivor. I am sure there would have been talk if Leif would have made derogatory gay remarks about Colton.  I guess they haven’t figured out how to address a gay bully. 

And a 48 year-old man has recently adopted his 42 year-old girlfriend in a crazy attempt to protect his substantial fortune. Just wondering, if John Goodman doesn’t have to pay for the young man’s death caused by his drunk driving, could he be prosecuted for sexual relations with his “daughter”.