Back on schedule (2nd post on Sun, Mar. 7)

I thought I would add a short entry this evening to get back on my schedule of posting at day's end. Thanks to sharp reader, Rick, I now realize I didn't have a clue what time it was today, and I passed the confusion along to my daughter and son-in-law.

Jeannie walks for an hour several times a week, and Sunday morning is one of the days. She goes to former Mather AFB where they have walking trails, soccer fields, skateboard park, basketball, baseball, and you name it. There are always a lot of people around so it is a relatively safe place to go. Jeannie carries Arianna in a "Baby Bjorn", sort of a harness for the baby, but in the front of the mother. I used a "Gerry Carrier" when my kids were little, and they rode on my back (while holding on to and pulling my hair). So she walks for an hour, approx. 4 miles, carrying the baby, while Autumn rides her little bike for a while with Donald walking alongside her. When she tires of riding, she and her Daddy go over to the playground to wait for Mommy and little sissy to finish their walk.

Jeanne has been walking ever since they visited me at Lassen last summer. In that time she has lost about 75 pounds - some of it is what she gained when pregnant with Arianna, and some that she had never lost after she had Autumn. She looks and feels healthy and the difference is amazing. Of course, having control over her diabetes means she eats healthy and measures her food intake, so the combination of nutrition and exercise has been wonderful for her. My sister Amy has begun to walk the same paths at Mather several evenings a week and has started to notice a big difference in how she feels, and has also begun to change to more healthy eating as well. I'm so proud of both of them!

I am a former hiker and backpacker, and at one time it was not unusual for me to hike up to 16 miles a day (sometimes more) carrying a 45 pound pack, up and down hills and mountains. I have gotten lax in the past few years, and she wore me out today. What's more, I am going to really hurt by morning. My pride kept me going, and it will probably have me back out there now and then in the future. The only thing is that I'm afraid of losing weight and I hope it increases my appetite.

When I drove to Jeannie's house this morning, at either 9:30 or 10:30 a.m. depending on whether we had yet gone to daylight savings time, I took Lady with me. When we left for Mather, I just let Lady out in their fenced back yard. She likes to drink out of the swimming pool, so I knew she wouldn't dehydrate, and there are shady spots all around for her to hang out when she tires of being in the sun.

We had a wonderful lunch at their house after returning from the walk, and I came back home knowing I wouldn't be able to walk if I didn't get moving. As I was turning my truck around to leave, Autumn came outside to tell me, "I love you, Nana". My heart just melted and I turned to jello! This is what I couldn't wait to get to Sacramento for - little moments like these. I will be the same way when the urge hits me to tear away for New York and my grandsons.