A Mother's Day Weekend.

Time to get the shoes, and my feet ready for the SF 3 day. Believe me I am daunted by the lack of training this year. This Saturday was basically open so I elected it to be the day for my long walk. I had a hair appointment at 3:30 so in order to walk 18 miles I would have to start bright and early.

Another wrinkle is I need to break in new shoes. My New Balance "go to " style has changed this year, and in as much as they assure me it is basically the same, the blister at the end of the day proves, they are slightly different. I haven't had a blister in a couple of years from walking. It's a goof thing I am getting a jump on this now and hopefully by the 3 day I have new calluses where the blister is now.

Today's walk was from the Sausalito Ferry dock around ATT Park and back to the Ferry. I left at 7:15 and needed to get to the Ferry by 1:25, to be back in Corte Madera by 3:30... Not to mention printing flyers for my Sunday open and ordering a duvet cover.  All that juggling means I walk faster. I stop a little less... so maybe that is why Mr Blister is here.....

Here's your SF walk pictures . for some of you 3 dayers, this is a little preview of "some" of your walk.

Mornings in Marin and SF are often foggy.... like today.

Wild flowers on the way

 Birds

 Cavallo Point... Our auction item (YES YOU CAN JUST EMAIL ME A BID) would include one night in one of these buildings and breakfast for two at Murray Circle!

 Lots of weekend warriors...Bikers, runners and sailors

 Coast Guard station at the Golden Gate

 Uphill climb

3000 Girl Scouts were "bridging" becoming Cadets

Back in my day there were a handful of people doing this. Now it is a HUGE event with many people along the route down to Crissy Field were there were games and tents and stuff!

 



 Crossing the bridge with the girl scouts

 Crissy Field

 EVENT!

 They have taken some of the beams from the old freeway structure of Doyle Drive and transformed them into art.

 Beach at Crissy

 Coffee and pastry stop

 Maple Glazed Bacon Donut with Cappucinno

 Soccer Games on Marina Green

 Goalie

 Jefferson Street through Fishermen's wharf torn up. I think they are getting it ready to run street cars all the way to Marina Green.

 Fishermen's Wharf

 Cruise Ship outside Pier 39

 Preparations for the America's Cup

 At the America's Cup building the flags fly at half staff for "Bart" Simpson, British sailor who lost his life in an accident. Tragic

 Ferry Building

 One of my favorite flowers, sweet peas

 People dining outdoors before the game at Red's Java Hut

 Pre-game wine party

 I wasn't invited :(

 Folks waiting for the Atlanta/SF game

 Lou Seal and me

 The Embarcadero

Waiting for the ferry. I grab a quick Carnitas taco and Sandria.

 

I made it back in time to quickly shower, jump in clean clothes to my hair appointment.

PHEW. This day proved to me... I am close to being ready for the 3 day. If my feet hold and the creek don't rise, I just might be able to do it!

Sonoma wanderings

In the past few days, between the work thing... I have attempted to get back to training. I started with this walk in Sonoma. I stopped to pick up a quilt I had finished (it is gorgeous by the way) and then walked about 7-8 miles around the Sonoma square and down a bike path.

 

Here are some pictures for you.

 

 

I made it back to Marin by 2 in time to show a house. My battery was dead on the phone though.

 

But it felt good to be back in the swing of things.

Back from Grandmothering

They say, when you have a grandchild there is this quantum shift in the universe. I think I must of instinctually known that when at on 4/15 I couldn't go to sleep. I lay awake for most of the night with an ill defined anxious rumbling in my soul. Looking at the clock I watched the hours pass by until I fell asleep around 5am. About an hour later I got a call from my daughter saying she "thought" she might be in labor.

I threw just about everything I could think of into a bag and hastily made reservations to fly out later that day. It was a wonderful thing that I made it before Alexandra was born. The universe conspired to make me a part of this incredible moment (even if I was in the waiting room).

The joy of holding a grandchild in your arms is at once magical and wonderful and yet strange and takes a moment to sink in. Who is this little creature you are holding. They tell you her name is Alexandra Joyce Katherine Welch (the third name in honor of me, my Mom and my great grandmother).  You let that sink in and look at her nose, her hairline, her chin and seek to find the familiar in this unique little person. You look deeply at every part of her saying her name over and over in your head to properly place her in your mind. And as you do this you look back on when your own children were born. The newness, the wonder, the tiny bit of nervousness all is still fresh in your memory. And this feeling you are aware of is as familiar as those memories, something has changed.

My time I spent in Virginia was a blessing beyond measure. This little girl this grandchild of Glenn and me, will spend most of her time far away from us. And in as much as people seek to comfort me with words like "Facetime" or "Skype" I know there is little that can replace dancing with your granddaughter to show tunes, or soothing her with a steady hold and make believe lullaby.

We celebrated my 60th birthday the four of us. Three generations. I realized that when I think of my grandmother, that is Alex's Great Great Grandmother and I feel my age. But the feeling I get is not sad, it is rejoiceful. I rejoice that I can be the messenger of the women who went before me. I can sing Grandmother Dietel's song to Alex and she can feel her love through me. I can dance a jig in the living room and cry at the drop of a hat and share little bit of my Mother with her.

I have been blessed with enough time to make this happen, when there was a day in which I would not have been able to.

We went on an adventure to Assateague Island and stood on a beach not far from where our ancestors walked. We saw ponies running wild that were part of my childhood favorite books. Together we welcomed life, its past, its present and its future.

Yes, something has changed in a profound way, but in an odd way it really hasn't. It has sharpened everything to a fine and definite portrait of life. I am so very grateful to have been given this gift.

When I left Virginia, I was mighty brave until I left the car at the curb of the airport where my eyes welled up with tears. In the years to come I am sure to have many moments where I share tie with Alexandra, but it is hard to imagine any more moving than these three weeks.

And whatever you call me, whenever you call me know I will always be there.