Happy 1st date anniversary

5 years ago, we had our first date. And to say I was nervous, is an understatement. I am surprised that we went out again, because I probably had too much wine and just talked and talked about random stuff. Probably not the best impression! But we had a good time and have had a great 5 years!
Cheers to many many many more!
And to celebrate more pics of the Grenoble, France!
ELH

We saw these sheep all over the city. A google search found that it is a group called the sheepist and then put sheep all over the city. I'll have to post a blog with all the pics!

Happy Birthday....

to an amazing Mom!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Love you
ELH

I'm back

Sorry for being gone...we have been busy.
Moving me from one state to the state GAH has been living in since before the wedding (yes, you read that correctly - we have spent the first 11 months of our marriage living in different states! We have good reasons, but they are a little too personal for this blog, sorry), getting settled in the house, packing for Europe, spending 2 weeks in France and Spain, starting a new job, and deciding to paint the living room! If you have been keeping track - the living room is the last room in our house to paint!!
It currently has the first coat of paint up. Hopefully, I will finish it this weekend.
Oh and don't forget the marathon training!
Yes, I have been busy.

I promise to update the blog more in the coming weeks.
For now - how about some pictures of Grenoble, France....
Enjoy!
ELH

Wedding dress

I sold my wedding dress!
It was a bittersweet decision and moment. The dress was in a box, in a closet, in a room that I don't go into but to feed the cats and change the litter.
I know, if we have daughters they won't want to wear it. But still.

I did have my veil preserved in a separate box, and I have every expectation of convincing any daughters that they have to wear it. It is cathedral length with simple crystals spread out on the last 3feet or so. Very classic.

And there are my shoes - Kate Spade! I would have loved to wear my mom's shoes, but they were a 5 1/2! At the time they cost $12! Originally, I wanted to get cheap shoes and toss them after the wedding, but my mom convinced me to get a great pair of shoes that I would keep and wear again and possible pass on. I did wear them to dinner a few weeks ago with a Gap t-shirt and trouser jeans. I think Stacey and Clinton would have been proud! The shoes will be passed down.

We had talked about selling my dress and using the money to buy a piece of jewelry that I could pass on. A much better legacy! In March I did list it on PreOwed Wedding Dresses and had a few inquires, but no follow-ups until July. 1719 people looked at my listing!
I know, after I bought my dress, I checked out that website to see pictures of how other girls styled the dress and did the bustle, so I imagine some of the 1719 people were doing the same thing. Also, pictures of the dress on the designers webpage make it look almost a light gold color. Not the color at all in real life!

After ~20 back-and-forth emails deciding on a price and shipping, the dress was sold! I used Escrow.com for the payment. Great service and piece of mind. They are the middle man and hold your money, protecting both the buyer and seller. From what I read paypal mainly protects the buyer, which for a wedding dress, you don't want to be out the dress and the money!

Now I have to decide on a piece of timeless jewelry....
I am thinking of getting a ring made. A simple band with channel set garnets (matching the wedding colors)
and edge detailing to match a ring I had made with sapphires - stack them together to make a great right-hand ring. The sapphire ring was made to honor my grandmother after her passing. Her birth stone is sapphire and I used my "inheritance" money for it. I really like symbolic jewelry.
Any other ideas or suggestions....

Enjoy!
ELH

Summer book review

I am a little behind the times....just found out about www.goodreads.com
I will have to create an account and post my reviews there.
Since I started tracking my reading during the summer of 2004, I have read and listened to 288 books!
This summer was a little lite on the reading, mainly because some of the books I started were not that great, so it was hard to read more than a few pages a day. I usually read during lunch, but the last few months have been doing internet "research" during that time. And then add that I get 4 magazines a month (great Christmas present) - Bon Appetit, Real Simple, House Beautiful, and Better Homes and Gardens.

I did read 4 books and listened to 3 others.

Honolulu by Alan Brennert - I got this book for cheap at The Borders closing. I thought it would remind me of our trip to Hawaii. Not so much. It was a book about a Korean girl who becomes a picture bride and moves to Honolulu. Her life is not prefect and fill of adventure. It was a good read, but not a must read. Too many other great books! Skip-it!

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan - 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner. This book is a flash back into the lives of a group of friends and their adventures through life and growing up. It was a good book to listen to, but another PP book that could be passed up. Skip-it!

Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - Part 1 of the All Souls Trilogy. Love it!
A book about witches, vampires, and demons with a history and love story. The only bad part it is that the other 2 books haven't been written! I found this review on Amazon "The only trouble is, when you reach the end you will throw the book across the room and yell because the sequel is not already in your hot little hands. So then you'll be forced to read it again!" I was listening to this book while running and of course it finished and I still had 45mins left in the run, so I did start it again! Highly Highly Recommend this book!

The Calhoun Women (Catherine, Amanda, and Lilah) by Nora Roberts - This book is a series of three stories about sisters and their famous house and a hunt for a missing emerald necklace. Each story is a whirl-wind love story. Great fast beach read. Recommended.
Also note that there is another book about the last sister (Suzanne) and a sister-in-law (Megan). I'll probably read this soon!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowlings - reread this before the last movie. It was bittersweet, but I was glad I read it. Great book. Great movie. Great series! PotterMore here I come....

Arrowsmith by Lewis Sinclair - 1926 Pulitzer Prize winner. This was a book about Martin Arrowsmith a med-student and his life through school, falling in love, having a medical and research career. This book had a beginning, middle, and end! As PP books go, it was a good book and if you are looking for something different this is a good read.

Dracula by Bram Stoker - After listening to The Historian, I wanted to learn more/read Dracula. If you like vampires and history, this is a great book! Recommend!

Right now I am working on The Paris Wife, Alison Wonderland, and Fly Away Home. Next - I am going to start the Hunger Games Trilogy.
What have you been reading? Any suggestions??

Enjoy!
ELH

August totals!

127.35 miles this month!! 15 more miles than July. Got to love marathon training :)

That brings the yearly total to 646.93!

Enjoy!
ELH

More workout updates

Monday, August 29th - So my training plan has sort of gone off track. This past weekend was scheduled to have run 22miles, but then I had the 10mile race.... The race got cancelled because of weather, so I didn't do the 22miles either. So I decided to do a long run on Monday - 18miles.
Again, it was rough - stopping twice at the bathroom and at CVS to buy gatorade and water. My shorts also chaffed the inside of both legs (first time this has ever happened) so the last few miles were painful in many ways.
I am thinking that I can race a 5k up to a half-marathon and run the marathon. Finishing under 4hrs would be awesome!
On to the splits -
Mile 1 - 8:56
Mile 2 - 8:23
Mile 3 - 8:36
Mile 4 - 8:29
Mile 5 - 8:43
Mile 6 - 8:27
Mile 7 - 8:30
Mile 8 - 8:34
Mile 9 - 8:43
Mile 10 - 8:39
Mile 11 - 8:34
Mile 12 - 8:46
Mile 13 - 8:46
Mile 14 - 8:32
Mile 15 - 8:47
Mile 16 - 8:58
Mile 17 - 9:17
Mile 18 - 9:08

Total time 2:37 with and elapse time of 2:59. Not too shabby.
I did reward myself with an Epsom salt bath and nap!
We did take Molly for a 1.85mile walk in 36min before dinner. It was nice to get my legs moving.

Tuesday, August 30th - Sore legs! I did take Molly for a 1.2mile walk in 25min to get my body warmed up before pilates. I love the stretching aspect of the pilates to help with the soreness. Before dinner, we took Molly on another hot 2mile walk around the neighborhood and to the dry cleaners. Nice active/cross training day!

Wednesday, August 31st - Warm-up walk with Molly - 1.2miles in 24min. Then compact chain with 10lb weights. I started at 10reps and stopped at 7reps - I felt a twinge in my lower right back. Crap!! It hurts :( I did finish the workout with some abs and stretching and more stretching through out the day. It felt better at night, but still a little sore. Thursday is supposed to be a run day.....

Thursday, September 1st - Welcome Fall!! My back still hurts :(
It hurt to bend down to put my running shorts on, so I decided to go for a past pace walk - 3.08 miles in 50min - 16:20min pace. More abs and stretching when I got home. I am going to take it easy and hope that it heals soon.

Enjoy!
ELH