I think the last couple of years I’ve been holding back emotions. Tonight my daughter helped me break through. Miss y’all. Sorry for my absence.

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I think the last couple of years I’ve been holding back emotions. Tonight my daughter helped me break through. Miss y’all. Sorry for my absence.

What little I truly NEED to get by…the last 10 weeks or so have been hard, but they’ve also given me a new sense of appreciation for my life. During the first 8 weeks, we truly played by the rules. No friends. No going out. No driveway “social distance” parties. Nada. We stayed home. My husband was the only one to go to the store, and other than us both having to go in to work a few times (we’re both teleworking now), home was where we stayed put.
Obviously we had to get creative with how we’d attack the upcoming weeks of “just us.”
We bought an above ground pool and spent the weekends in the sun.

We did several puzzles, despite my husband’s lack of excitement.
We played games, Monopoly being a favorite of ours.

We re-did our budget and have been dutifully paying off debt. The interest rate grace period was such a blessing for my student loans, which should be DONE in just a month or two.
We started walking after work almost daily, as its just too hot to run.
We binge watched several shows on Netflix, my favorite being “Schitt’s Creek.”
Sure, vacations were canceled, trips postponed, missed out on graduations (my Niece graduated COLLEGE!! So proud), my daughter’s 8th grade trips/ceremony were canceled, and have I mentioned my hair and nails look HORRIBLE…but that’s ok…LOL
I truly feel we are closer as a family. Bless my 13 year old for taking all of this like a champ. It’s been extremely hard for her not to see her friends and miss out on so much.
They’ve lifted stay at home orders here in Florida a couple of weeks ago. We did go to our local beach a couple of times (not touristy spots, very spread out and monitored by the Sherriff’s office), and we brought our large canopy tent and stayed far enough away from everyone. I will admit, leaving my neighborhood for the first time in WEEKS felt awesome. The beach is something I NEED. It truly takes away all of my stress and makes my soul happy.


Moving forward, we plan to continue social distancing but we’ll slowly entertain the idea of hanging out with friends.
So these are my take away thoughts from the last couple of months. How are you handling this “new normal” as they say? Anyone else really HATE wearing masks out in public? I know I sure miss seeing people smile. 😦
Cheers,
Michell
I’ve been through some very difficult times in my 47 years. But this day, one year ago today, will forever be one of the worst days of my life. May my sweet Sammy be resting in peace. Life is short my friends. Don’t waste a second. Tell those that you love-exactly how you feel. You never know when it will be too late. 💔🐾

So sorry I’ve been absent. Life has been crazy and as a healthcare worker there is no quarantine option. I pray that you are all safe and sound.

Cheers,
Michelle

Ooof…this getting in shape while battling menopause is no joke. With the help of my hubby, we’ve added weights to my workouts with a goal of 3x per week. 3 sets each (various weights from 10-40 lbs) of Shoulder press, lat raises, tricep pull downs, and weighted rows. Add in my 3.5 mile run and a short plank, and this girl is pooped. No one said this was going to be easy!! Who’s with me???

Cheers!
Michelle
Thanks for all of the encouragement, y’all!! I felt so good in the beginning of this run that I got a little over zealous. Thankfully my husband slowed down to run with me, so between that-and all of YOUR awesome support, I finished this 5k feeling great!! Figured a five minute plank would pair perfectly. How was your day?

Cheers!
Michelle
So our power went out today. Smallish storm knocked out a transformer. Thankfully I got my run in, and I planked by candlelight. Gotta make the best of it, right?


How do you make lemonade out of lemons? Ever have to break up your runs?
Cheers!
Michelle
Good luck to everyone racing this weekend. It’s been a year since I’ve done a half marathon and 5 years since I’ve done a full…but this quote was always something that hit home with me so I wanted to share it! Cheers and good luck!!

What’s your favorite distance to run? Are you racing this weekend?
Cheers!
Michelle
One thing I’ll say about Florida, is that the weather here has really slowed me down. When it’s humid like it was today, I find myself taking a lot more walk breaks than I ever would. But as I found myself getting frustrated, I reminded myself that so many can’t even run a single mile anymore, and that I should be thankful for each step I take. So my new thought process is, “I no longer care about the pace I run, as long as I’m getting it done.” I’ll forever be thankful for the supplements I take, Novo Renew, that have afforded me the ability to keep moving. Click HERE for more information, and make sure to use my code Michelle25 at check out to save!!!
Good thing for you Gasparilla runners this weekend:we’ve got a cold front coming through this weekend!!! Let me know if you’re running!!! I’ll cheer you on!

Are you currently training for anything? What is your favorite distance to run? Do you notice yourself slowing down as you age (or is it just me, haha!)?
Cheers!
Michelle
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