Why I Love Winter Running

It is normal for people to laugh about my obsession with running and how that I run in all kinds of weather year round. Infact, considering winter running is my all time favorite time to run, I find that people look to me as some kind of hero, which I plainly am not. But I do know that if you are dressed appropriately for the weather conditions, you will not be cold while out running on the trails in the winter.

This morning, I met a group of friends to go out for a run in the National Capital Commission (NCC) Greenbelt. As I was running, I was thinking about why I love running in the winter so much. It became clear to me that it is the beauty of the trails in the winter, the friendships along the way and the physical exercise that helps my body to feel so much better.

NCC Trail 24 Ottawa, ON

The Beauty

The beauty in among the trees on a narrow trail is by far one of the the most beautiful things to see. The snow covered branches dipping down providing an arch to go through, the snow covered boardwalk trodden down by footprints, fat bikes and animal prints. A chipmunk scurrying along the ground quickly and the silence in among the forest creates an atmosphere of peacefulness and tranquility. It seems that as soon as I enter the forest, all the stresses of life are gone as I just enjoy nature and the beauty of winter. The cool temperatures cause rosy cheeks and a feeling of accomplishment being out in the cold weather to run though the trails in the forest.

The Friendships

The friendships and social time during running is by far the best thing of this sport. Some of the best friends I have are friendships that began on the trails running together. I have met so many beautiful people and am experiencing a strong friend group as we train for races together and talk about our families, work, and everything running! And coffee at the nearest cafe after our run is always a huge plus!

The Physical Exercise

It’s no secret that physical exercise supports mental, emotional and physical health. By being physically active, your whole body is being supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle which leads to brain stimulation, stress relief, healthy mood, proper sleep, decreased depression, anxiety & disease – to name a few. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) suggests 150 minutes of physical exercise per week for adults age 18-64 years old. This is simply 30 minutes a day for only 5 days a week. This is reasonable and achievable and is the reason I run through the winter. More information from CSEP regarding physical activity for adults can be found here.

Summary

Winters are long in Ontario and can be cold and lonely which often leads to depression and mental health challenges. Winter Running can provide a place to enjoy the great outdoors and the beauty in the winter. It can also help to develop friendships as we are created to be in community with people and not isolated or lonely. It also provides a way to get physical exercise so that you can be healthy physically, emotionally and mentally.

Call to Action

What about you? Do you enjoy winter running or is there another sport you would rather do during the winter months? Do you have a sport you do during the long dark days of winter? If not, I highly recommend you start winter running – for the beauty, friendships and the physical health!

Facebook: Is there a sport you do during the long, dark days of winter? Do you have a way to have a healthy lifestyle by staying healthy mentally, emotionally and physically during the winter? Read about my love for winter running at https://bit.ly/3uYK8pw.

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Snow or No Snow: Is Snow Needed to Truly Enjoy Christmas?

Today is December 1, 2023. Our home in rural Ottawa, ON is decorated for Christmas and most of the gifts are bought. Plans are being made for Christmas dinners and parties throughout this month. Our new tree was purchased at Canadian Tire during Black Friday sales and it is decorated in white, silver and a bit of gold. The pine needles have a white powder on them giving the image of snow on the tree. Christmas music is being played in the home and plans are being made for which Christmas Eve service at church we will attend. The feeling of Christmas is in the air…until I look outside!

How is it, that on December 1 in Ottawa, On we have no snow? The sudden feeling of Christmas evaporated from me as soon as I looked out my window. If Christmas evaporated so quickly, how is it that around the world people celebrate Christmas with no snow? I recall, a few days ago, on November 27, a Facebook memory came up of the kids having a snow day 10 years ago because we had a major snowstorm. And, today, my backyard is all grass.

With a quick search online, I stumbled across a blog written by tourists that call themselves ‘Travelholics’.

I appreciate their entry on December 27, 2015, Christmas in Senegal, with their experience being in a mostly Muslim country for Christmas. This picture of Christmas decorations for sale in Mbour, Senegal, Africa. It just looks so strange to see Christmas trees standing in sand and people sitting outside in a t shirt. So different from the way people sell Christmas trees outside in Canada! It was interesting to read of their experience in Senegal on Christmas Day.

Another quick search, I came across Green Global Travel, a couple who travel the world and blog about it. Their blog led me to an entry called 50+ Things To Do For Christmas in Georgia which then led me to the craziest picture EVER!

Santa being pulled in a sleigh on the grass at Pettit Creek Farms in Cartersville, Georgia.

This brings me back to my home filled with Christmas decorations and the traditions that we have in our Canadian family. I’m so thankful for social media and that within minutes I could look at two different places and see pictures of how they celebrate Christmas, which is so different from Canada and our cold, snowy winters. Reading the blogs of both couples was very informative and helpful. But, seeing the pictures of Christmas in Senegal, Africa as well as Georgia, USA has confirmed one thing for me. I love the snow at Christmas and I need the snow to really get in the Christmas spirit and truly enjoy Christmas.

What about you? Do you love the snow? Do you need snow to truly enjoy Christmas?

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How a Grey Cup Party Turned into a Game of Where’s Wally

It all started last night. Friends were arriving to our home to watch the Grey Cup football game with us. The menu was chili, pulled pork sandwiches, chips, a finely baked carrot cake complete with a label and barcode on the container and a plate of vegetables, just to say, we ate healthy! For myself, it’s more just a fun time with my girlfriends to hang out and talk. For my husband, it’s a seriously fun night with FRIENDS, FOOTBALL and FOOD! For my kids, it’s all about whose playing. They know that if the Saskatchewan Roughriders are playing, everyone arrives in green and the food is in abundance!

Play Time

The usual happened of Ryan playing with our dog Niko outside at first and getting him all wound up. After 10 minutes of incessant barking and playing outside, Ryan and Niko came into the home to join all of us. But, that was when Ryan discovered his glasses were missing. He knew they were on his ball cap when he got out of his truck. After a few minutes, a few of us went outside with the flashlight on our phones, tracing the steps from his parked truck to the front door. No glasses.

We then got a real flashlight!

A DEWALT 20V MAX Lithium Flashlight

Features:

• 3 bright LEDs illuminate dark jobsite work areas
• 2 brightness settings with 500 and 250 lumens provides flexibility for maximum light output or extended run-time
• 140 degree pivoting head provides versatility for lighting work surfaces

With this bright, snazzy flashlight, we searched and searched outside for the glasses. The front walkway, gardens, driveway and the front lawn. However, the football game was starting and so after searching widely a decision was made to call the search off over a Costco pair of very cheap glasses!

The Search Continues

First thing in the morning, I went outside and immediately saw the glasses lying on my front garden that was all cut back and ready for winter. There was a bit of frost on the ground and so not only did the temperature remind me that winter was coming, but the frost on the glasses too. I took a picture of the glasses just to show where they were as I knew everyone would be asking me where I found them. To me, the easiest way to let everyone know the glasses were found was to just post a picture of them on our group Whatsapp. It’s Monday morning and I just didn’t have time to answer everyone’s questions.

A simple post with a picture and a short caption turned into a game of Where’s Wally? Some saw the glasses right away and some didn’t. The notifications on my phone were just going non stop. Before 8am, a simple post turned into a game – a really fun game! One friend even commented on how she feels this is our very own version of Where’s Wally?

Back Then…

This got me thinking…what did people do 50 years ago? When someone left something behind, did you stand in your hallway or kitchen and be tied to a corded phone to call the person to tell them your glasses are found, all while hoping they are near enough to the family phone to actually answer it? Did you just wait till you saw them next to give them the glasses all while they wonder if they have been found.

Today…

In a world of so much independence and self sufficiency, have we actually found ways to become more of a community by group chats on platforms such as Whatsapp? Has social media created some fun ‘impromptu games’ by simply posting a picture and a short caption? In some of these cases, are our children becoming more included with adults, by simply being passed the phone to find ‘Wally’? Perhaps social media does foster inclusiveness by creating a sense of community and fun for people of all ages.

What about you, can you answer the question, Where’s Wally? Ahem, Ryan’s glasses?

For Fun…

And, just for fun, sit back with the family and have a few laughs as you watch one of the Where’s Wally episodes here.

Perhaps, you need to find your own glasses before you watch the show!

Facebook: A fun, light-weight story on how an impromptu game of Where’s Wally just happened through a simple social media post, creating a sense of community and inclusiveness to people of all ages. #impromptugameforallages https://bit.ly/49M5jeI

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The Unexpected Road to Handmade Christmas Gifts

I love decorating my home for Christmas. I like the rustic country Christmas vibe. It makes it cozy and warm and goes well with the wood burning stove in our family room. Last week, I was in a local store and came across the cutest little houses of all different sizes. I could picture them on my rustic wood shelf in the house, I could also picture them at the top of the stairs on the antique dresser that my late Aunt left for us. They were like little villages of similar homes, all different sizes and different windows. It gave the feeling of community and warmth and most of all Christmas. I wandered to another store and again saw more houses of 3 or 5 grouped together with different size and shape of windows, but still quite similar. Some had a spot for a tealight in it which would give such a cozy ambiance in my family room. I wandered to a third store and again saw more houses! This time I decided I had to buy one. I am quite frugal and hate to spend money on things especially decor. So, I bought the cheapest one there was at $12.99.

My wooden house on my shelf in my home- all alone.

After I got home, I placed it on my rustic shelf in the family room and decided it needed community. It just had to have more houses. But, I am unwilling to spend $29.99 and $59.99 for the medium and large house that went with this. Then, I thought of Pinterest! I am not a crafty person at all and so I rarely ever even look at Pinterest. As I opened my Pinterest account, I chuckled a bit that I hadn’t been there for over a year. However, I very quickly found houses, lots of houses, cute rustic homes to make little villages for my family room. The best is that there are instructions on how to make them out of wood. And, then I had an idea! What if my 17 years old son made these for me and as Christmas gifts for my friends and family?

It didn’t take long to show him pictures of houses on Pinterest and pick out exactly what I wanted. Shara from Woodshop Diaries provided excellent instructions on exactly how to build a wood village, which can be found here. Quickly he was adding up how much wood he would need and figuring out exactly how I wanted this done. He put together a list for Home Depot and reviewed it a few times to make sure he had the right amount of wood that he needed in order to make all the houses I wanted.

Shara’s Wooden Village and the design that my son will make me for gifts for my friends and family this Christmas

I’m excited to see how all this will turn out. I’m also excited to see him put his carpentry skills to work and for him to see what he is capable of. I also think this will be a great lesson for him to learn the joy of making a Christmas gift rather than buying a Christmas gift. I’m super thankful for Pinterest and the help it has been for me to figure out how he can build these and the different designs he can do. Without, Pinterest, there is no way I would have been able to know how to do this. I just don’t have the creativity when it comes to crafts and yet I have experienced the love and joy of receiving something that someone handmade for me. I hope this will be the start of him making some gifts for people rather than buying gifts.

What about you? Does your family make any Christmas gifts from scratch?

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