Yesterday was one of those days.

I awakened thinking about the Valentine's 15K which would be taking place without me.

I ran in this race two years in a row. The first one was a sheer effort to ensure that I would continue to run all winter. I had not been a fan of winter in any fashion in the past and the idea of running in winter was truly very intimidating. But in the midst of my training I discovered that winter running can be quite beautiful and I added the feeling of accomplishment that comes with doing something that had been imagined as impossible.

The second time I ran this race (last year) I had hopes of improving my time but realistically since I had not run as much as I should have, and since it was colder than cold, I didn't accomplish that. But again I had the joy of doing something epic for me....running 15K with temps so cold that I couldn't speak clearly at the end of the race. I felt as though my lips and tongue had been injected with novacaine.

This year I got sidelined with injury. No races for me this winter. I swallowed my disappointment and committed to working on those things that would keep me injury free when I am ready to hit the road this spring.

But thinking about this race filled me with regret. I know it's not the saddest thing a person could experience....but....well, it made me sad.

Then I stepped on the scale for me weekly weigh in. I lost another 0.8 pounds. Not a huge deal except any loss after months of either no loss or losing and regaining the same few pounds.....well, I became joyful!

Then of course I dressed for a sad occasion. We had a funeral to attend for the wife of one of my husband's cousins. Only 48 years old.....very sad. What can you say?

And then, as so often happens, we walk into the church where the visitation is to be and we see aunts and uncles and cousins all of whom we have not seen since my FIL's funeral this past summer. Many hugs, stories, news of family doings and yes.....laughter. Funerals are for the living and we honor those who are lost by tightening the ties of family and friends. I know it may sound strange but we had a wonderful time. Sadly, our family is at a stage where there are few occasions to gather together. It seems the younger members of the family don't have weddings. Birthdays tend to be celebrated by the individual family's and are seldom an excuse for a big party. So we take advantage of the funerals and in the next several years I fear there will be far too many of these occasions as the elder members of the family seem to be edging closer to that time when we will say goodbye.

It's nice that there is a balance for the sad times with the joy of family.

After lunch, we ran some errands and stopped in to a sport shop which is having a going out of business sale. I am so weird, but just walking through the door kind of excited me. Lately it seems the most fun kind of shopping is for athletic gear. Now there really wasn't that much of particular interest or value to me. I looked at some shoes....but you know running shoes are something that is kind of particular so no....I didn't buy any shoes. My husband saw some of those folding camp chairs that he wanted and I saw a rack of skorts at 50 % off.

I LOVE skorts! There wasn't a large selection, and at first I thought they all were too large for me. WOO HOO! Isn't that a joyful discovery? Not long ago, there wouldn't have been one large enough for me. I walked away from the rack but I returned to it because they were really nice fabric in a pretty soft blue color that kept calling my name. I riffled through them all again looking more closely for my size. I finally found two possibilities....Hmmm...these things can run small...which of the two would fit? I unclasped the two of them and held them up to myself and decided on the smaller of the two. Now, it's only a number....but I know I am not the only one out here who gets a kick out of being able to buy a smaller size. And yes, it made me very joyful!

When we got home, I slipped out of my clothes and into the new skort....it fits like a dream and I love my purchase. Sometimes it doesn't take much to make me happy.

Now if only spring would arrive so I could hit the pavement!