I'm going to pick up a dozen donuts from Five Daughters Bakery a few shops down, then head over to see my mom this morning.
I've been better the last couple days. Not nearly as down. Maybe it's that Christmas is quite literally upon us and the boys are so excited. Maybe it's because the year is almost over. Maybe it's because I've been making a concerted effort to get to St. Patrick's on Sundays with Jude and the boys. Maybe - probably - it's because I've been running more and that seems to clear my head and my heart.
In fact, I ran 10 miles not he trails at Shelby Bottoms the day before yesterday. I haven't had a double digit run in a while. It was so great to be out on the trails, in the mud and water, for 10 miles. I listened to a Spotify Christmas playlist for the entire run, which was nice. I saw a deer on a small branch of the Cornelia Fort Trail I don't often run. I stopped and snapped a photo of him and he (or she) just stood and stared at me.
I also ran out and back on the runway at the Cornelia Fort Airport which, of course, has been closed for a few years. A lot of history there, for sure. It's always strange to run out there and see the abandoned airplane hangars and the runway with grass and weeds growing all around it.
Anyway, I felt good and strong as I ran. An ancillary benefit of dropping a little weight is that it's just easier to run longer, I think. That's what no bread, no potatoes, no pasta and no sugar to speak of for 5 + months will do for you, I suppose. When I'm in a decent running groove like I have been lately, the middle of the week 3 mile runs magically turn into 5 and 6 mile runs. The mileage just piles up.
I'm thinking about - only thinking about - trying to run 1,000 miles in 2019. The last time I did that was 2010. I looked back on the blog today and read the entry where I ran my 1,000th mile that year - in Shelby Bottoms on the trails, of course. I remember finishing that run in the morning and having an ice cold Newcastle in the park afterwards. Then, I met Uncle Carley and J.P. for lunch at Battered and Fried in East Nashville. J.P. was almost 3 years old. The photos are hilarious.
I digress, because I also might feel better because we had a perfectly wonderful brunch at my mom's place on Saturday morning. There were a lot of family members and staff there. Tracy and Alice came and I brought J.P. and Joe. I met a woman who is the daughter of mom's friend, Carol, and we had a nice conversation. I also ran into a guy who has sold me clothes for years. It turns out his mom has been at the Courtyard since last summer.
Donna, who is the activities director, had the residents in a circle singing Christmas carols when I arrived. It was a singular and beautiful moment. Then, she took 2 or 3 balloons and went around the circle, hitting the balloon to each resident and encouraging them to hit it back to her. Tracy and another woman hopped into the circle and helped Donna.
There was a lot of love in the Courtyard that morning. A lot of family, a lot of food and, really, just a lot of love.
I wish every day was like that.
Merry Christmas 2018.
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