Spring has finally sprung

We have really had a terrible Spring. Cold as all dickens. The leaves here in Hammonds Plains finally sprouted this weekend and the grass is now really green. Couple of pictures of the green grass and my tulips that we planted last Fall. It was really nice weather here this weekend and again today.

Ralph is going fishing with Doug Lynds up in the Branch tomorrow and on Thursday he leaves for Newfoundland for a five day fishing trip. Guess I will be eating a lot of fish soon :) Everybody is doing well here hope it is the same for all reading this post. Ralph and I are getting excited about our upcoming trip. Jake gets shaved next week. I will take a picture of him before and after.

Bluenose Marathon

I survived!! Well, here you go. A couple of pictures of yesterday. Bottom is San and I just as we are coming up to the finish line for the 13.1 mile 1/2 marathon. Top picture is my race number and finish medal. Note the bad condition of the paper number. Well it was soaked through many times between the sweat and the rain. Our official time was 3:22 which was fine as we were aiming for between 3:00 and 3:30 hours. I did not come in last...apparently from the official stats I beat 15 other women between 50-59. Having said that I must say that 93 beat me:)

It was a miserable wet day but the sun did come out in the afternoon once it was all over. I was pretty dehydrated so felt quite sick most of the afternoon, nauseous and dizzy. I am fine today though. My legs are a little stiff but other than that everything is a okay.

Ralph did really well in the 5k. His time was 25 minutes and he took third place for the 50 - 59 year olds. Here is a picture of what he won...a hat:) Anywho I just wanted to post today to let everyone know I did it and I am still alive:) Another life goal acheived. What next I wonder?

Resting up for the half marathon

Well here it is another......and I mean another, rainy day in Halifax. The weather here is absolutely miserable. Cold and rainy. Tomorrow is the half marathon that Sandra and I are doing and I do hope that it is a little better weather wise but it doesn't look like it is going to be. They were doing some events for the Bluenose marathon today and I don't envy them as it was just pouring here today.

This picture is of Ralph and I at our piece of land down in Barrington Passage. The other is of my Mom on Mother's Day. Her 79th birthday was on Wednesday. She looks good doesn't she. She is doing really well right now which we are all thankful for. So here we are with this long weekend and such bad weather. I think that they are going to have to start changing the date of this Bluenose Marathon as the weather has not been nice for this long weekend in May for the last three years.

At least the grass is turning green and my tulips are up. They don't open up though because it is still too cold. Only 5 degrees here yesterday, guess I should move back to Goose Bay Labrador as I heard it was 20 degrees there.

Ralph's Blog

I put the picture up but the rest of this blog is being written by your's truly (R.M.) because...just because. This is my latest idea for the next family reunion. What do you say to a museum tour? comments please. Ralph

Tuesday, May 8th

Hi Everybody,

First of all I had to put this up here on the blog to show everyone Flo's new tattoo. Isn't it cute. I have already told Flo but I will tell everyone else now that she is my inspiration. I hope that I always will find the sense of wonder and the joy and fun in trying new things that Flo does. At 65 she parasailed for the first time(and talked Ralph and Velvet into doing it with her) and now at 67 she gets her first tattoo. What next I ask? Whatever it is I hope that I am brave enough to go along with her :)

Got back from Cornwallis last Friday and had a very busy weekend. San and I walked/ran 10 miles on Sunday to prepare for our 1/2 marathon. My butt is just now starting to feel better:) I have to do 12 miles on Saturday by myself as San will be in Shelburne/Barrington for her monthly clinics. I am going to do a loop so that I stop here at the house after six miles. I will take the cell phone with me for the last six miles in case I have to phone Ralph to come and get me :)

It was a very nice day here today. Sunny and warm but a strong wind. We bought the patio furniture upstairs so it must be summer. I am leaving for another conference in Cornwallis tomorrow. Here is a link if you want to see what the conference center in Cornwallis looks like, http://www.abcc.ca/. Back on Friday and Friday night is Joe's 30th birthday party at his parent's condo in Dartmouth. Happy Birthday Joe. I got your gift today but you will just have to wait and see what it is. We go down to the south shore on Sunday to spend Mother's Day with Mom and the rest of the family. I am going to take a turkey and a hashbrown casserole.

I think that next week I am home the whole week and so is Ralph. Things are starting to get a little crazy I must say. I got a call yesterday from the Nova Scotia Advisory Council for Women to let me know that the application I had put in for "Campaign School for Women" had been accepted. Please see http://www.gov.ns.ca/staw/politicalwomen.htm if you are interested in knowing more about that.

I guess that is it for now...oh yeah, Jake. We had his blood tested for hypo or hyper...I never remember which..thyroidism which would explain his weight gain and lack of energy. Tests came back negative which confirmed our belief that he really is just "fat and lazy" :) Poor Baby, he is now on a "weight management program" so he is not happy.

Take care everyone who is reading this and remember your Moms this Sunday.

"Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes by dozens and hundreds. Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers, and sisters, aunts and cousins, but only one mother in the whole world."-- Kate Douglas Wiggin

Good Tuesday morning

Well I am posting from beautiful Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. I am here for a week long conference. Got here Sunday afternoon and leaving Friday to go back to Halifax. The conference center is the old military training base. I may be staying in the same building that Ralph lived in during his basic training back in 69. The weather has been rainy and misty...not cooperating at all. This would be such a beautiful place to walk outside if it was only sunny. The center is right on the water, the Bay of Fundy.

So today is the first day of Spring. It doesn't really look like it or feel like it here but hopefully it does for some of you. Velvet is bringing Drew down to be checked out at the IWK this morning and I heard on the news that the strike is over so they won't have to cross any picket lines to get in the hospital.

We have free passes available to us here to go to the new fitness center that just opened in March. I went down yesterday and did some running and walking on the treadmill and some free weights. What a nice place. All of the equipment is brand new and everything looks and smells new.

Gotta go, our morning session is starting in a few minutes. Will check in later in the week.