Ice Cream Social and other things

We held our 2nd Annual Ice Cream Social yesterday. It is such a fun idea and something that takes everyone back to a simpler time. There are no bells and whistles and flashing lights that come with carnivals. This is just ice cream, lemonade, hot dogs, a barber shop quartet, people strolling in period costume and a civil war era band playing from the gazebo. It is a trip back to a simpler time. Neighbors pull up lawn chairs and enjoy the evening and childen chase fireflys.

As with everything, it is a lot of work done by a few people. As far the success of the event, it was huge. As for the attendance, it was poor. It was not that it was not an enjoyable event, it was the newspaper coverage. Again, the little blurb for the paper somehow was 'lost' on the social editor's desk. hmmmm, seems like a lot of news regarding our town is 'lost' on the sport's writers desk as well. 'nuff said and no finger pointing. As with any struggling artist group, we can not afford the cost of publicity. We rely on word of mouth and a kind article in the human interests section of the paper.

So we are not discouraged. I have already sent the information to our board with the number of lemonades and ice creams sold and it looks like we made enough to pay the band. Already planning improvements to next year's methods to get the word out and ways to improve our event while keeping true to our premise.

Now that was part two of my day. Which really was MY day. It was my birthday and for me, they are no big deal. Truly, my friends and family are not ones to make a big fuss. I received well wishes from my daughter via phone and my son walked up to the park where I was working with my Ice Cream Social and gave me one of the most heart warming cards. He is 29 and he made my card. Now that is love. I laugh inside at girls at work that get all bent out of shape because a spouse or lover didn't give them a big hoop-de-do for their celebration of waking up to participate in the fifth Friday of the month or something completely as inane. What do I need? Nothing. What do I want? I buy it.

So for my birthday, I walked in a 5 K for the Blood Bank. It was for me. I need to start doing more for myself and put work and civic duties a little further back on the burner. I think if I can do what makes me happy and feel good about myself, then I can be a better friend, worker, wife, mother.......So back to the 5K. My son and future daughter in law joined me as well as my brother. And not to mention 105 co-workers who really weren't there because it was my birthday. This is only the second 5K I have done. I tell you my short little legs couldn't go any faster. People in front and people passing me were just walking or STROLLING along and I was like a little steam engine...up/down/up/down with my fat little legs. All I knew was I was determined not to be last as I was in my first 5K. Seriously, the man in the John Deere gator was following behind me picking up the cones as I round each corner. Serioulsy.

I manage to hook up with a woman before the race starts and we, two strangers, walk together and encourage each other along. It is amazing that 30 minutes prior I had never seen her and as we walked, we found we have many pararrels in our lives. Trials and tribulations of parenthood and careers that we thought we were the only ones to deal with we found our paths were so similar. So we walk, we talk, and we walk some more, we sweat, we walk and I manage to be able to carry on a conversation without huffing and puffing. I feel good. Pushed to the limits but good. She has walked in the 3 Day Susan Komen 60 miles Breast Cancer walk and says it is one of the best things she has ever done.

As we approach the finish line I see the timer. I have in my mind that on my first 5K I completed it in the 57+ minute range. Nothing to write home about but for someone 30 lbs overweight who is a couch potato, it is alright. I see the time and it is clicking at 52:00, 52:01, 52:02 and I am exicted. I can better my last time by 5 minutes I say and we start to jog. I am thrilled to have finished at 52:21 and it is at least 5 minutes faster than the last time. Yeah for me!!! Next time I will aim for under 50 minutes.

Now reality sets in. I check the internet for times of past races. Seems I finished at 52:30 last time. I only cut off 9 seconds! Alas, my new target time remains to be under 50 minutes. I have something to strive for.

Today to help continue my efforts, I will walk the one mile to visit my son. I will enjoy the weather, the sun, the birds, the flowers, the breeze and then will return home to the reality of I am leaving on vacation at 7 a.m and I have to shop and pack!!!! It is priorities and today the priority is to walk and while I walk, since I am a multitasker, I will make my list of what to do and what to pack.