Our last flight.

Cricket and I had meetings in San Francisco this past week. Our flight over was quite delightful. Prior to boarding a little girl and her mom were interested in Cricket and asking many questions. I then got on the plane and a few minutes later heard a little girl crying a row back. It turns out this same little girl, age 6, was flying alone and now had left her mom and was feeling very sad. The flight attendant asked if she could come sit by me. I said certainly and she sat down and we began to talk. She began to get settled and was feeling happier. We shared our peanuts and pretzels and talked about life :). Halfway through the flight she said - what is your name - I like you. She then told me We could be friends and did I want to join her club? Next meeting is at her treehouse in her backyard! We landed and the flight attendant took over to help her get to the family member that would pick her up at the airport. As I was walking through the airport I heard this little voice say Hug. Then again a Becky, Hug. I turned around and there she was with her family. We hugged. Very sweet. I went on my way. Grateful for the lessons learned from a six year old that day -- share, be open to making new friends, and show gratitude and love.

Cricket did wonderful at the airport and getting us to the hotel. As we walked out the first evening she walked very slow. I recognized that she was really done. As much as I had hoped she was up for two more trips, she let me know this will be our last flight together with her as my guide. We were super busy with her having lots of time to sleep during meetings so it didn't fully hit me until we were back at the airport to return home. We went out to our grassy spot for her to relieve. I took off her harness and the tears came. She came to my side and gave me a big kiss to wipe away my tears. I hugged her tight and whispered I love you Crickers. Thank you.   I put her harness back on and we walked into the airport to catch our final flight home.

GDB Fall Luncheon

My dear friend, Debi, and I had the opportunity to share our story this past Friday for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Fall Luncheon in Oregon.  Such a special experience that I will treasure forever. (Short version:  Debi and I met 13 years ago when my first guide, Pantera, had to have surgery.  Debi was the angel that cared for her during this critical recovery time.  She shared email/phone call updates with me and we formed a beautiful friendship.  Isn't that an amazing blessing amongst a challenging experience!)

We were each able to share about our special relationship and the gratitude we feel for Guide Dogs.  I shared some stories that brought some laughter and even some tears from the audience about the impact of a guide dog in my life.    

I am blessed with incredible support - my husband and parents joined me for the trip.  

So very grateful that dear friends and my first guide's puppy raisers, Meg and Peggy joined us!  So wonderful to see them and share my gratitude to them and all the puppy raisers.  THANK YOU!   

Wish we could have gotten a picture of all the support that was there from our tables!  Thank you!  

The next day we just enjoyed being together and having some fun adventures :)! 

Steve, Becky, Debi, Steve & Cricket in Portland

Thank you to Steve and Debi for a wonderful weekend.

Thank you to Guide Dogs for the Blind for two beautiful guides and so much more!

Running in Fashion

This time of year when flip flops are changed to boots is a nice time to be brave of my nail color! The color of my toes is the color of my skirt for the GDB Oregon Fall Luncheon on Friday! Mint green? It is also the color of a jacket and layer for running that I just found at TJ Maxx! Is part of feeling like a runner that you enter a store and want to check out the running clothes first :)? If it is, then I am a runner.

We ran 5 miles this morning. I was feeling pretty sluggish before we started -- headache and really sore eyes. We came back and I feel great! Is it the enjoyable time outdoors with friends or is it the running? Either way, its great. Beautiful day here in Utah with Cricket enjoying some sunshine on the deck. Wow. So different than in other parts of the country. Wishing you well in your part of the world.

Travelling. Retinitis Pigmentosa.

I was asked to write in a little more detail about travelling blind. One of the questions I was asked was - You seem to enjoy going on 'sightseeing' vacations? How? Why? I understand the wonder ... you are walking through all these places that are wow - that is beautiful. Very visual. Indeed, I am experiencing and seeing beautiful in a different way.

I certainly have friends that happen to be blind that also love to travel. I also have friends that are blind that prefer not to travel. I don't think it is about blindness but more a personality, preference and affordability. Cricket and I would hop on a plane much more often if we could :)! I love new adventures, learning and exploring with my family. Over the years as I have lost my vision, I have learned to adapt to experiencing this adventure in different ways. I have also learned how much is still enjoyed without sight. I did not see the brown bears doing somersalts at the Moscow Circus, but I thoroughly enjoyed sitting next to Steve as he described the whole scenario to me. I was surrounded by people from our group that I enjoyed having conversations with and loved the laughter from the crowd as the clown teased and performed.

After the Circus in Moscow

Moscow Subway - rubbing the dogs nose for good luck (it is gold from everyone walking by and doing so)

So my personality is a love of travelling and adventure but over the years I have found some additional helpful things to make travelling enjoyable.  

1. I have some amazing tavelling partners.  Steve has become a natural as a sighted guide (infact, we were told recently we looked like we were dancing as we were navigating a busy area ... ah sweet, I  know :) and also at describing.  He is great to point out things I may like to know or have described.  I also am not real particular about knowing all the visual details.  I thoroughly enjoy the aspect of us enjoying being together whether it is nearby or across the world.  Cricket is a fabulous traveller and the two of us are always game for an adventure!  I also love girls' trips with Natalie.

2.  Generally, I try to keep it simple - clothing that goes with each other so I'm not sorting through each morning or having to ask what a certain shirt is, etc.  The last trip I wasn't too good on this one as the craziness beforehand led to some forgetfulness in packing.  It worked and forgetting makeup made the mornings nice and easy!

3.  Orientation and Organization I try to get a layout of the ship, the hotel, the resort as soon as possible.  I've also learned it takes a little while so I don't get too worried if I get lost a time or two before finding my way around.  If I'm with Cricket she is awesome to 'find the room' after a couple visits to it. Keeping items organized and in the same place is so helpful so each morning I'm not asking or searching.

4.  Exercising is grounding for me so we try to keep a routine wherever we go.  We find the gym, or a route outside to run or bike (oh so fun when we come upon a tandem bike rental) or walk.   Especially on a vacation like this past where so many new days were a new environment, a new hotel to learn, etc it is helpful to hop on that treadmill, hold on and run.  

5.  I just don't sweat the small stuff.  A cliche used often but I just relax and try not to get too stressed over feeling lost at times.  Breathe in and breathe out :).  I look at it as a privilege to be there, an adventure and smile and have fun.

There are not any travel plans at the moment, and I am hoping that changes soon :).   I love a new adventure that I experience in many ways the same as someone who can see ... relationally, touch, taste, sound, and smell.  I will always remember the musty, old smell of the Basil Church in Moscow and the beautiful music.  I will also always remember how I felt when we walked along the remaining portion of the Berlin Wall or giggling on the zipline in Jamaica (feeling a little relieved that I couldn't look down).

I would love to hear how someone else who is blind may feel about travel.  What are your tips?  Also, are there other questions someone reading might have?  This is fun to share :) -- thanks for listening!  

Marathon Journey:  8 miles this morning on Week 11 of the 18-week training.  I feel so grateful that even with my time-off due to heal from a concussion I have been fortunate to resume this goal. 

Sounds of Norway

When I think of our time in Norway there are many sounds that come to mind. I loved when we walked down the streets of Oslo in the evening and hearing the hustling and bustling of the people. The beautiful Fjords with the rushing water that splashed on us as the wind was blowing was another amazing sound. Also at this waterfall there was a woman singing on the mountain. So cool! Between the train and boat ride there were many fun conversations as our group got to know each other better.

And of course, the squeals on the bus as we rode down a super steep, windy road. Sighs of relief as we reached the bottom.

Creativity in Running & Walking in Europe

Prior to our vacation I had to take a break from running due to a concussion. By the time we started our vacation I was symptom free -- yay! We were so very grateful that little mishap didn't hamper our vacation. So, my first run was on the treadmill on the cruise on our way to Finland. I remember thinking this is a memorable first run back. It felt great. Our second run on the vacation was in Norway. I realized I had forgotten my tether. Time to be creative. We just needed a flexible belt/rope for me to hold on. Steve had a belt that worked great. It was pretty awesome to run the streets of Norway.  We also ran in Moscow, Russia each morning on the treadmill. A wake-up call meant fresh orange juice delivered to our room which was so much fun.

Lubeck, Germany (love these shorts from Limited and this sweater from United Colors of Bennetton)

We did lots of walking and more walking.  We walked sighted guide  along with my cane out most of the time.  I love the collapsible cane that easily slides in and is out of the way when I don't need it.   When it is out, such an amazing, helpful too.   We developed a few hand signals that gave me clues on steps, crowded areas, etc.  When it was an open area .. hand in hand - so much fun :).
We had so much fun being creative on this adventure in running and walking.  It is our routine, but I am so touched by Steve's incredible kindness and tenderness to me each day.    

Ferry on the way to Germany on the 4th of July!

So, if you are following our journey:  our trip itinerary: we flew to Sweden  - day  3 we  boarded a cruise ship for five days with stops in Helsinki Finland, St. Petersburg, Russia and then back to Sweden.  Then, we flew to Norway for 3 days, caught a plane to Denmark, bus & ferry to Lubech and then Berlin Germany, then plane to Moscow for 3 days!  If you are in the neighborhood, we will be happy to show you our 1000 pictures.  Watch out kids when you are invited over for Sunday dinner :).    


I returned home to learn that the marathon training is on!  We ran ten miles on Wednesday, and I am so excited to be back in the game of running.  

Labyrinth in Sweden

If you've read my blog, you know I am such a fan of labyrinths.  I encourage my clients to have the experience.  Steve, being the great sport he is, has helped me find many throughout our state.  So, when on day one of our vacation and we were in Sweden and he said, Beck you won't believe what I can see.  I laughed and knew that he had found a labyrinth.  We had to quickly get a picture -- no time to walk the labyrinth with our group waiting, however.

What are the chances?

We were waiting at the JFK airport for our flight to Sweden when we were tapped on the shoulder to discover our dear friends from Centerville!  How fun to reconnect at the airport.  The story gets better - we were on the same flight because they had been bumped (sorry for them - yay for us).  Then, we learned we were staying the same night at the same hotel in Sweden!  We spent the evening together in Old Town in Stockholm, Sweden.  We laughed as we have tried to get together and schedules haven't quite worked in our own town but across the world we were able to pull it off.  Love them and what a fun way of connecting to start off our trip.

Funny note - just before we met up with them I realized I hadn't packed any make-up.  What could I do but just not worry about it -- side benefit for not using a mirror, right!  It was pretty nice - I may leave it home next trip :).  

Amazingly Beautiful

Home Sweet Home. We are getting back into our routine after an amazing vacation.  The time flew by as we spent 16 days touring Europe.  Each new day was an adventure in so many ways :).   I was asked on several ocassions -- how do you enjoy travelling without vision?  I can't wait to tell you the many ways I enjoyed travelling with this amazing guy :) and an incredible group on our tour.    

St. Petersburg, Russia

One of the many sweet memories I will treasure is in St. Petersburg in the WC (restroom).  Each restroom was a unique experience with different set ups in where things were located.  I was searching for the sink.  A woman took a hold of my hand in kindness.  We didn't speak the same language and so it took me a few moments to understand what she was doing.  She proceeded to guide my hands to the soap, sink, and then towels.  She waited until I had completed the whole process and walked out with me until I met up with Steve. Language of kindness is universal. 

New doors

I am learning much about concussions. I think it would be helpful if they clarified what 'rest' means. To me, that meant do a light run not our long run this morning :). I was feeling pretty good so we tried it today. I spent the rest of the day wiped out - managing a 1/2 day at work and then to the doctor where I learned rest = rest. She explained it clear and specific.  You have a serious concussion and you need to not do anything that raises your heartrate for 2-4 weeks after you are symptom free. Oh. Okay. Still have many symptoms.  It will be several weeks before back on the roads running. Sad. No cycling up hills on our tandem. Sad. Our 24-mile date night cycling loop that we love will have to wait.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door

 that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.  Helen Keller, We Bereaved, 1929

As I sat in the 'hallway' reflecting on (tempoarily) closed doors,  I felt some sadness.  Then, reflected on What is life trying to teach me right now?  I will be open to learn. Then, cheery texts from my running friends.  Alternative of lunch and shopping doesn't sound too bad!  And, then started to think what new doors are open.

We are anticipating a wonderful trip of a lifetime to come.  We have been saving and planning for months. I need to get prepared and feel healthy to enjoy and take it all in. Cricket and I want to get lots of walks in before we leave. Walks are good.  She will be staying with family and friends that will give her much love and care. There will be some leisurely bike rides with Steve in the weeks to come.  A drop in visit from Natalie.  Such a day brightener!

Cricket seems to be loving our second backyard as much as we do in St. George.   We found some new cycling trails that will be waiting for us when we can get back on the bike and get our heart rate up!

I serve on an amazing alumni board.  I have been touched by their kindness and support to me during this difficult time.

Life is indeed good.  

Simple, great moments

I am developing a workshop surrounding Positive Psychology - still working on the title and times. I think it will be a class format. I love to create and feel fortunate that I have a profession where there is so many opportunities to do so. If you want to join in on the discussion, start with taking the questionnaire: www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu and click on VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire.

There are so many great moments in my life. Here are three I captured with my phone:

Enjoying another amazing, beautiful summer night on our tandem.  Ah, I just had to stop and enjoy and click before I started pedaling again :).

Cricket 'finding the trash'. Not just good, but great girl!  I know past good girl it might be blah, blah to her but I proceeded to tell her thank you and how much that means to me that she can find the trash in unfamiliar areas.

This beautiful flower in our backyard.  I love how they just keep sharing and giving more starts.  This one is for you Natalie and your yard.    

What's in your store for your weekend?  

Hope it is full of some great moments :)!

Beautiful Weekend is Here

Some further notes from our travel to Atlanta. I recognize one reason I love travel is I go from feeling a bit overwhelmed in a new area and feeling totally lost to in a couple days learning the area and feeling very comfortable.  Its an adventure and victory. I've mentioned how well Cricket, my guide, did on the trip. She was focused and seems to recognize when this isn't familiar terrain for me.  I rely on her even more and she steps up.  There are often comments that bring a smile ... one said - Your dog is beautiful. She has Marilyn Monroe eyes. Getting off the elevator a little boy, seeing Cricket, said to his mom - Why again can't we bring Biggie with us?

I was so excited to get to spend a beautiful
lunch with Lydia .  (If you haven't read her blog and you'll find yourself Seeing Beautiful in new ways.) I'm wearing my beautiful necklace from her site as I type this :)! We met at the lobby of the hotel not having met before.  I felt instantly like I was off to lunch with a friend.  We spent a yummy lunch on a beautiful sunny day getting to know each other better and finding more and more that we had in common!  Cricket and I absolutely loved our time with her.  Thank you. 

An interesting bonus from the trip was this session at the conference:  Sight Unseen:  Grief and Vision Loss. Heather Marshall-Fleenor, shared her journey of vision loss.  I found myself saying -- ah, can relate to that experience ... yes,felt that emotion before.  She also had a degenerative eye condition so shared the experience of loss - adjusting - loss - adjusting.   Cricket is not shy :) so afterwards we went up and had a chance to visit with Heather.   

May you have a beautiful weekend.  We had snow this morning and now the weekend is expected to be sunny and warm.  Crazy, Utah Spring weather!   As I type this I recognize this is how my week felt ... much was spent dealing with flashy lights in vision - craziness of Retinitis Pigmentosa while juggling a busy week and now feels peaceful and sunny. 

That's my girl

Cricket was fabulous on our journey to San Francisco. I think we are grounded now for a while ... oh, we shall see :). We are always up for an adventure. What can I say? The gift of a guide dog is a gift of adventure.

Cricket navigated the trolley, bus, bart, and lots of walking.  She experienced protesters/sirens, crowds, a few barking sea lions all in stride.  Although, she does seem to be enjoying a quiet weekend of getting caught up on her sleep! 

We were so fortunate to stay in a lovely hotel overlooking Union Square. The first night we were tired and went to bed early like 9 pm! We were hoping that the change in time would lend to her settling in for the night knowing that we would have an early morning wake up call from Cricket.   Just after midnight she let us know she needed to go out.  A sweet dog sigh on the side of the bed saying ... gotta go out. The city was bustling and full of energy. By our second return to our hotel room she knew the way.  Find the room, Cricket.  That's my girl!
 

view from our hotel room

 The lady ringing the Salvation Army bell at the Bart Station had such a beautiful voice as she was singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

Natalie, Adam and Dahlia will be coming into town soon.  We are SO excited!  

Party favor at the luncheon - sticker that said:  Wag more.  Bark Less. Great message, don't you think!

Butterfly, Tree, & Tias Wisdom

We had the chance to visit Natural Bridges and go to the Butterflies. We spoke in our 'butterfly voices' and enjoyed the beauty of the quietness.  (Apparently, there were butterflies flying above :).

Advice from a Butterfly (Ilan Shamir)

Let your true colors show

Get out of your cocoon

Take yourself lightly

Look for the sweetness in life

Take time to smell the flowers

Catch a breeze!

We stayed in a cabin and reflected on

Advice from a Tree (Ilan Shamir)

Stand Tall and Proud

Sink your roots into the earth

Be content with your natural beauty

Drink plenty of water

Enjoy the view!

Cricket was pretty intrigued with the sea lions.  We enjoyed walks along the beach.

Tias Little was an amazing yoga instructor.  His gentle teaching and instruction was awesome.  There was a class of about 100, yet he connected with each and our individual challenges.   Some of the poses were not so easy to describe and his assistants were ever so helpful.  I met a woman whose son had RP.  We connected.  I hope our paths cross again. 

Tomorrow is already Friday!  I'll leave you with a quote from the Yoga Retreat:

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and

try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and

like books that are written in a very foreign tongue.

Rainer Maria Rilke

 

Reflecting

We're back. Did you miss us? We have much to share ...

... on the way home, got notice that I need to go into work. Guess blogging and laundry will have to wait.  Smooth uneventful flights for us.

Lucky Day

Cricket girl is about to go on Flight #60 on 11/11/11 with a flight time of 11!  

A quote from our yoga retreat newsletter:  

As long as our orientation is toward perfection or success, we will never learn about unconditional friendship with ourselves, nor will we find compassion. "

~Pema Chödrön
 
Happy Weekend, my friends.  

Thoughts

Our quick trip to Oregon to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Fall Luncheon was delightful. So very grateful we were able to do so. Cricket was able to spend a little playtime with her friends:  Culver, Desma, and Dakota.  So very special and they are so welcoming to her including offering her a nice fluffy bed for the night. 

Debi, Becky and Cricket at the Luncheon

Does it surprise you that I shed tears hearing other grads share their amazing stories of what a guide dog has meant to them?   And then puppies delivered while Katy Perry song in the background.  Loved it.  Danelle was the keynote.  Checkher out.We were able to touch her Olympic medal! Amazing woman and thrilled to think of getting to know her better. There's even talk of tandem biking together with our husbands.  Skiing - perhaps.  Wow! 

I get to be a part of the Holiday Luncheon in San Francisco next month.  Will I see any of you there?  Stories, memories, SO MUCH gratitude for Guide Dogs for the Blind and all involved have been flooding my brain.  This weekend, I hope to get some of those thoughts into my ipad. 

 

Adventures

Today Cricket and I had an adventure.  Since last Friday with arm in cast we have kept life fairly simple - no extended guide work on our own.  Basically, with someone - sighted guide or at the office where it is such familiar terrain and Cricket is often off harness.  And, as one of my colleagues said the other day - I know to steer clear when you are walking around without Cricket :).  The doctor said use your good judgment - don't overdo and use pain as your guide.  If it hurts, don't use that arm anymore.  Listen to your body.   When I asked GDB, they also said use your good judgment - listen to your body AND your dog.   Today after our run (no commitment on the 1/2 yet), we started with an appointment at the Apple store for a little more training on the ipad.  I have been so impressed with how helpful they have been.  If they don't know the answer on the voiceover, they have been willing and interested to find out the answers.  I love how excited they get on realizing the accessibility of their product.  As I was leaving the store getting my ipad in my purse, getting situated to work Cricket a lady came up to me and said - Your life looks really hard.    I smiled and said, yes logistically right now its a little tricky.  I thought she might have offered to give me a hand, but I think she then left.  (If you talk to someone who is blind - it helps when you say you are leaving.) I also thought to myself - my life is not any harder than another - just a little more visible. Then, my friend that I was scheduled to do lunch with - called and said she couldn't meet after all - a family emergency that put my little logistics in perspective.  So, this left Cricket and I with some time on our own before our ride was scheduled to pick us up.  So, what is a Becky & Cricket thing to do?  We first walked to Ben's for a lemon cookie and a diet coke and sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine.  Sitting there, I had two other people extend their sympathies to me :).    A couple things I have noticed - I use my left hand a lot!  I didn't realize I use it to swipe my credit card at purchases.  That became apparent today when I couldn't do it too well.  Okay, I don't need any clothing items.  However, we wear jeans a lot at our office and with the new season change, I realized that a new dressy pair of jeans almost could be a needed item.  My friend and one of my running partners told me to go into Lobellas Boutique and gave me awesome directions on how to find it.  Three stores past the apple store and walk in and they will help you.  Help they did!  She pulled out six pair of jeans, had me try them on and let me know which pair looked the best.  Done. 

I love that Cricket knows to turn into the restroom past Ann Taylor Loft without being asked.  What's going through her head?  Okay, Becky had her diet coke now we've got to make a stop at the restroom.  Thanks, Cricket.  Also, thanks for being six years old and making this broken arm deal as easy as can be with your settled into your ways.  Pantera was five when I broke the last arms :) which was a nice age too.    Visualize, by the time we were at the restroom, I am the lady with the broken arm, guide dog, purse with ipad in it (love that it is so much lighter weight than my big planner), and a couple shopping bags.  My phone was in my pocket, and I leaned into it and the speech went into high volume.  A little girl asked her mom - what is that lady doing?   Such a good question We had a little chat and laughed at the comedy of it all.

We did some yardwork and then to costco and dicks.  By this point, the arm was letting me know enough - hurting.  Listen to the dog?  She was still eager to work so it must not be phasing her too much.   The words of listen to your body came clear especially as we ran into some good friends - he is a nurse and he said, go home and put your arm up.  Okay will do.

Speaking of adventures - we are still dreaming of a choice between two vacations:  Scandinavian Tour or Peru Tour.       

Last time my casts were on summer months.  A new little challenge of casts in colder weather is fitting long sleeves over this bulky cast. 

Lots of Little Things

Steve's been out of town this week with work.  I miss him!

Missing ...
Him telling me with such enthusiasm each morning  - Your husband is the luckiest guy! After 27 years, its still this sweet comment that comes out of the blue at different times, and I smile like its the first time I've heard it :). 
Me dumping the clean laundry on the bed and later he has it folded and put away.  Its an awesome system! 
Having him tell me if this shirt and sweater matches or, giving me a visual and letting me be the judge ... like well, I haven't thought of those colors together but now that you put it together yeah I think it looks good.   Missing him so I put on the Logan High colors ... are they still red and gold? I also pulled out my earrings and necklace that Steve bought me from Greece.  Such a fun memory.  They have the symbol of 'eternal love' on them and Steve had picked out a really large necklace.  The jeweler teased Steve and said - I know you are a man and think bigger is better and showing more love but that necklace will drown your wife's little neck.  He was so funny about telling Steve to get me a smaller necklace and that still meant he loved me.

Have I mentioned how he designed our cupboards so it takes a lot of effort for me to bang my head on them!  Love him.  He kind of goes around making my life easier. 
Loading and unloading the dishwasher.  I'm not sure how that routine started years ago, but I like it. 
Giggling with him about random silliness.
Singing and dancing in the morning.  I may not be as informed on the news of the day, but I love getting ready to music and randomly dancing with Steve when a good song comes on. 
I'm looking forward to soon having my best friend back home.  Miss him.
We've been asked to give a marriage lesson in church in a few weeks.  I think we will have some fun with this assignment and maybe share on the importance of the little things that we can do for each other.

Pedicures tomorrow over the lunch break with a friend.  We have much catching up to do!  I spent time today encouraging a group to celebrate their victories.  Its okay to do.  So, I will take a moment and do so before I won't bring it up again :).   I received word yesterday that I was accepted as a Fellow of Thanatology..  FT behind my name doesn't mean much to many.  There are only two other in my state.  It will mean an opportunity to go to Atlanta in March to the ADEC Conference.  The big exam three years ago was one of the most extensive that I have ever done.  The hours and professional requirements of the past three years was much hard work, but now I'm  just feeling joyful.  Celebrating my little victory and the continued growth and commitment that will take place through this designation. 

Just went on a 'date' with Kendall to get chicken nuggets and ice cream at McDonald's. I have a feeling the run in the morning is going to feel a little slow :), but hearing his chatting about life was worth the treat. We are excited for a visit from Natalie  this Sunday! Yippee!

A quote I love - If you are your authentic self, you have no competition.  Scott Stratten. 

So, ready for this weekend.  You?

Week Recap

Cricket and I returned last night from our journey to San Rafael - affectionately known as Guide Dog Country for our alumni board meetings and a chance to connect with Mimi. It was so much fun to see her.  We had a chance to enjoy lunch and some time on the beach. Thanks so much!  She took the lovely pictures - next time one with her!

I absolutely loved my time at the board meetings.   Yes, they were meetings and much work to do.  There was also much time for laughter and connecting.   I loved getting to know our new board members as well as furthering getting to know the others.  Its a small world after all is ringing through my head as Melissa and I connected on our dogs and dear friends we both knew!  There is something very special about being back in the student dorms ... the memories return. 

Plane delay on the way home.  Cricket was not impressed, but a great sport about it.    A sweet lady came up to me and said she saw me getting out of the van and thought Cricket must be from Guide Dogs for the Blind because of her sweet face! Her enthusiasm for GDB and these dogs was so genuine and kind.  I left San Rafael with such deep appreciation for the many people that make a working guide dog team possible.  Truly inspiring. 

Arriving in the SLC Airport, I was walking quickly to baggage claim to see Steve.  This Delta employee came up to me and said he'd been trying to catch up with me so he could assist me to baggage claim :).  We walked and talked the rest of the way.  He gave a subtle left - right at times that made our journey easier.    

My friend and yoga instructor calls life at fast pace times - high speed wobble.  I'm in a bit of high speed wobble right now.  Life is good and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a fabulous organization - Guide Dogs for the Blind that has blessed my life tremendously.  

Going to click 'post' - knock at the door that my running partner is here :). 

What's in store for your weekend?