Mobile Bound

This past weekend Rollins helped load up the Trailblazer so we could take a little trip to Lower Alabama for some sunshine, family time and the Azalea Trail 10K. Thanks for this pic Kat!

34th Annual Azalea Trail!

Due to Matt’s need for Hart’s ice water as well as some sluggish traffic, we got a late start at the race.

Even so, Kat and I cranked out a pr:

RANK NAME AGE TIME PACE

                          7    Jones Kat      30  41:17  6:38

                          6    Womble Laura K 27  41:17  6:38

*To maintain the integrity of On.a.Whim, I may need to clarify that Kat and I ended up running the 5K race due to lateness. But, our 10K bibs credited us with a 6:38 pace! I wish we were that fast!

Mr. Johnson let us take his sweet ride for race day.

Back at G&G's the family enjoyed a sunny day outside.

Uncle Mark served as Grill Master with his custom burgers as well as chicken, dogs and Conecuh.

Trixie couldn't help herself from licking up the grill ash and walked away with a singed 'do on top of her delicate head.

At the end of the day, we were all stuffed, satisfied and shared Toby and Trixie's longing for naptime!

On.A.Whim Spring Booklist

I’m particularly excited about this spring’s On.a.Whim booklist. Since Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s bio is quite immense, this quarter’s list will be of a more realistic, pared down variety.

Less then a month ago, I had the extreme pleasure of hearing Author Eric Metaxas speak at Beeson Divinity School’s weekly chapel service. To hear this articulate, amusing and highly intelligent writer speak about his subject Bonhoeffer only further whetted my appetite to dive into this historically relevant, superbly written volume. Thus far, the reading has been worth every moment. If you want a challenging, thought-provoking read, pick up your copy of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy today.

Lance Armstrong may be a winner when it comes to cycling, but he lost big time when he let ex-wife Kristin go. There is an ongoing list of people I’d like to share coffee with some day, and this lady is certainly at the top. She’s a writer, strong Christian, runner, mother, knitter and motivational speaker. Her weekly blog, Marking Miles on www.runnersworld.com, is the first blog I started following several years ago, and her newest book is a compilation of highlights from the years. It’s entitled Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run, and I can't wait to have a couple in my hands!

It takes a bit of chutzpah to admit it, but we all struggle with insecurity. In So Long, Insecurity Beth Moore speaks candidly to the heart of the Christian woman and her battle with insecurity in this autobiography of sorts. Read it. Then read it again.

I'm always excited to add more cookbooks to my collection. Chicken & Egg caught my eye in Anthropologie and the reviews for My Father's Daughter speak only praise for Gywnneth's culinary acumen. We shall see!

Benjamin has done a fine job of introducing me to the used bookstore world first with our local 2^nd & Charles in Hoover. Then last Friday, he surprised me with a road trip to Chattanooga, TN and took me to what must be the largest used bookstore in the South – McKay Books. I’m a huge dork for admitting this, but I’ve been searching for a good thesaurus and picked up a Roget’s International Fifth Edition for only five bucks at McKay! On our way to The Scenic City, we stopped for a picnic, and then explored downtown, strolled along Market Street Bridge, and dined at Minnesota-native Famous Dave’s. The only thing that could have made the day better would have been more time for us to sit and actually spend time READING!

Thanks for following along. Please don’t be timid to share your recent readings, as I’m always looking for new material! I think I’ll do a cookbook giveaway for the summer On.a.Whim booklist. Stay tuned…

Spring Break Basket Giveaway Winner

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Spring Break Giveaway

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Happy Spring Break Friends!

Daylight Saving Time

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!

~Mark Twain

We'll move our clocks forward one hour this Sunday in a grand introduction to my favorite time of the year. This means: running after work in the daylight, cookouts, baseball, the beach, Easter, shorts and sundresses, and hopefully lots of play time outside with my honey. Welcome to spring y'all!

Large and In Charge

Do you ever catch an unflattering glimpse of yourself reflected in a mirror or window and wish you didn’t make that expression, act a certain way or look quite so momentarily crazed?

I was cleaning out my personal computer files at work today and came across this very telling, frozen depiction of myself from a couple Decembers ago. It was Christmas morning and the family decided to go for an early morning jog around my parent’s neighborhood. Bossy and big-mouthed as ever, I was demonstrating via a pointed finger and clinched fist exactly what I needed someone – namely my poor father – to do. When I saw this picture, I cringed then laughed out loud and vowed to become a more quiet, submissive woman in the coming year.

B. and I went for a nice 30-minute jog last night, and it felt amazing to move my legs again. I’m excited about running the Azalea Trail in three weeks, toning up for the summer and quickening my pace. B. has committed to be my running coach as long as I provide him with vigorous plyometrics workouts in between runs, and I’m already seeing visions of London 2012. Here we go!

12

Do you remember 12? Yesterday, the very first day in March, Emme turned 12. She, Elizabeth and I picked up cookie cake slices then treated ourselves to the height of feminine indulgence: PEDICURES.

Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like cookie cake, Coke Icees, and pampering!

The girls were loving the massage chairs so much they had to be pried out to meet the rest of the famdamily at P.F. Changs for Emme's birthday dinner.

I was trying to recall some memories from that last year of childhood, and this is what came to mind:

Transition from St. Luke's Episcopal to UMS-Wright Preparatory: Starting junior high in a brand new school where for the first time, we had lockers and switched classes.

Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs: Being introduced to Jewish culture by UMS-Wright's thriving Jewish population.

Boys: Going on my first "date" to see Ed at the movies and being nervous and giddy about my first boyfriend (In hindsight, mom and dad maybe should have force-delayed this by about 20 years).

Dances, The Limited Too, softball games and the sunset of childhood.

Do you have any special 12-year-old memories?