Mission Creep

The military calls it "mission creep." You start out with a manageable few things blocked in on your calendar, and suddenly there are events squeezed in and doubled up and conflicting, and all the best laid plans tumble on top of each other like a child's block tower. That's November and December for you. And that's my excuse for the last post being over three weeks ago.

I did some brisk walking around a toney neighborhood in Woodstock, Georgia, where my step-daughter and her family have just moved in. That nicely worked off the Thanksgiving repast.

And last Sunday I explored Cherokee Park in Louisville. That city is blessed with absolutely gorgeous Olmsted parks. I walked a couple of times around a loop there, filled with runners, moms (and dads) pushing babies in strollers, lovers linked arm-in-arm, friends urging each other on in good-natured jogs, kids on bikes, and serious cross-country bikers popping out of the bushes! It was great!

Next time I'm up in Louisville, I am going to check out Cave Hill Cemetery. Folks say it is beautiful, too. And I have a fondness for cemeteries. One served as our backyard while we grew up as preacher's kids. (Dad got pretty mad at us when we were cavorting there during a funeral one time.)

But it is getting harder and harder, I must admit, to get out and walk as the weather gets cold and wet and dreary. My husband always says you don't need to practice suffering. It comes naturally. And I know that my pilgrimage will mostly tend to be hot rather than cold, with a bit of wet thrown in. So I don't want to invest in expensive cold weather gear. (Oh, my gosh, there's some crappy excuses. Pitiful.) BG rescue me! Let's go for a walk! "Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!"