Half Marathon Times

Thank goodness I had my knitting on Saturday!

I ran my first half-marathon in 4 years. To say I was stiff would be the understatement of the week. Stiff, with a side of bad knee/hip on the right side, made for a bit of a long day.  No worries though, as I was able to alternate periods of resting and icing my joints while knitting (of course) with getting up and keeping moving on the final clean-up of our refreshed kitchen. My husband and daughter got a lot of laughs watching me hitch myself up and d0wn the stairs. I didn’t mind. I’m glad to be well enough to run.

I am happy to report success in all activities from Saturday. The race was great fun in every way. Check. I am on pace to finish my White Birch Fiber Arts mismatched socks before Stitches Texas. Check.  I am SO pleased with the kitchen. Check. It’s still not quite ready for the official photos because we’re waiting for paint to cure and haven’t installed a new countertop and sink yet, but it’s back to fully functioning (YAY for no more restaurant and microwaved food for a while!) and for a low-cost, DIY redo, I couldn’t be happier. It’s bright and cheerful, which, for a small, interior room that gets no natural light, is pretty darn good. Oh, and my muscles feel much better.

I’m feeling grateful today to have interests and skills enough to keep busy, to feel creative and to be able to make my world look and feel the way I want. I’m also really grateful for the community I’m finding as merely the far-away family member of someone with cancer. If you don’t follow me socially, you may not know that my mom was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Her outlook is pretty good, but after fighting rheumatoid arthritis for 40 years, her health is already pretty compromised, so no one really knows how she’ll tolerate the treatment. Being a continent away and having little to do with her everyday experience is frustrating for me, and has made little things like making hats for Halos of Hope or running in races that fund cancer research feel meaningful in new ways. I’m amazed at the compassion and love that instantly comes my way when I mention my mom, and it inspires me to try and ease things, even if it’s only a little, for others.

What are your favorite organizations to help, whether it be with knitting, running, or donations? Let us know so we can share with the whole 2 Sides community! Also, if you’re feeling inspired to make a hat for someone with a tender head, check out Halos of Hope’s pattern library. I have a design in their Designer Invitational collection! This was a donated pattern, so all proceeds go to the organization.