Week 11 Celebrate Living Reading Chicken Soup for The Soul and Eating Chicken Soup for the Cold!

Beginning week 11, lost my voice due to cold/flu symtoms and I hold onto a chair while I Zumba 5 to 10 minutes every time I get a burst of energy.

Week 10 ended with a 5 mile jog/walk along the Beach and when I came upon vollyball players barefoot in the sand it reminded me of handsome Barefoot Todd and I wanted to take off my shoes. 

 Barefoot Todd, a Barefoot Running Coach, has been very encouraging during training for my first marathon.  Thank you Barefoot Todd.  It was great meeting you. 

Zumba! Beginning of Week 10 Celebrate Living Dancing to Zumba!

These two little boys are watching Grandma Zumba!?  A great way to start week 10 with an upbeat attitude to compensate for the downbeat attitude I'm feeling today after watching the stormy weather yesterday during the notorious LA Marathon with 26,000+ people crossing the starting line in the rain(whew!).   And the September 2011 Disney Half Marathon that I was training for has SOLD OUT!   About two weeks ago I was introduced to Zumba by my daughter Tasha and dancing for my health looks much more inviting now in lieu of a marathon.  My grandsons look fascinated watching grandma Zumba and I see a little doubt in both faces when I look closer, like, "Do you think grandma is OK?"  Starting week 10 dancing Zumba is fun since it rained most of the day today and I haven't gotten brave enough to walk in this kind of weather yet.   So, all I wanted to do was Zumba, Zumba, Zumba and have fun making miniatures.  Of course, I love having my boys over for the weekend and when they went home yesterday I missed them to the max.  They are so much more fun now that I'm dancing and walking my way to better health and feeling great!  What a way to end Week 9 and start 10!  Zumba with my boys while looking outside at the pouring rain!  Thank God that when one door closes another one opens and all we have to do is have faith and ask.  How simple.  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."  Matthew 7:6-8

Yes, faith: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Psalm 23:4 

I memorized the above Scriptures when I was a child and as an 11 year breast cancer survivor, heading to age 62 in a couple of weeks,  I've repeated them over and over during my walks through the valley of the shadow of death and they are very comforting.  Lets pray for all the people in our World.  Pray that we can all find comfort in whatever valley we are walking through today, tomorrow and forever.  Thank you!

Again, thanks to all of you for your e-mails and words of encouragement as I continue on my journey to Celebrate Living.  Please keep them coming.

Come Out Of The Closet With Me - Celebrate Living Week 8

If you tell me I'm not having fun I will not believe you!  Week 8 was brutal.  Yolanda's calender filled up so my husband had to take over my training for the Disney Half Marathon and he was so happy.  If I thought Yolanda was brutal, I must say he is liking his title too much.  He walks behind me with a golf club in his hand to measure the distance between us and I have to stay ahead of the club.  If I slow down to talk to him he nudges my behind with the golf club to keep moving forward at a fast pace.  Now imagine doing this every day of the week for five miles in which two and a half are uphill.  Is it fun?  Yes.  Is it good for me?  Yes.  When we finish I am ready to go.  Go where?  Go figure.  I think some women really like to be pushed.  Don't go figure.

My hope is that you will come out of the closet with me to celebrate living.  There are things that I have energy to do since coming out, for instance, in the above pictures I was at KTLA 5 Morning News - Live yesterday, the beginning of week 9, with Yolanda as one of her friends and supporters during an interview by one of my favorites, Michaela Pereira.  The LA Marathon is this weekend and I was so happy to be on live television in Hollywood as part of the ongoing celebration.  It was a blast and we had a great time.  They even fed us at the end of our filming!  See the interview on video by clicking on the link below: 
http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/b0f7a1cf-091c-495d-985f-a980380866fa/News/KTLA-LA-Marathon-Yolanda-Holder

End Of Week Seven - A Second Day Of Adventure!

We went back to  mountains.  This little buddy in the picture to the left was looking at the video of his brother and grandma in the mountains having great fun and adventure.  Looks like he got so angry his eyes started turning to slits, his tongue started to move outside his lips and quickly he jumped down out of his chair, went to the front door and wanted out!  When I opened the door he pointed towards the mountains and said, "Go!"  What could grandma do?  We (Papa went too) went back to the mountains to take him and had lots of fun.  It's really great that grandma is having more fun with grandsons now that she is walking her way to better health.  Thank you God!  Thank you Yolanda!  Thank you Daughter and Son for giving me this great opportunity to enjoy Celebrating Life with my grandsons!  Thank you Papa for supporting me all the way!  Week eight is going to be brutal.  Thanks to all of you for your supporting e-mails!