Today was a good day. At lunchtime I laced up the running shoes and went for a nice run around the neighborhood. I ran about 2 miles and my knee felt pretty good! It is still a little sore but I think it is getting better. I am just glad I can exercise! It is frustrating to have an injury prevent you from doing what you want to do. These days though I have a new appreciation for exercise. Now I am not as concerned about burning calories, but I focus on just being outdoors and seeing the neighborhood and breathing the fresh air. It’s a wonderful feeling to just “be in the moment”. I’m not sure if it is because I am growing older, but I kind of am finding more appreciation in just being alive and not letting stress bother me so much. I think I’ve always been pretty laid-back, but sometimes these days I am at a different state of mind where I cannot even imagine what stress feels like. Of course that doesn’t last long, but it is pretty great when it does happen. And it happens most often when I am out for a run or walk.

Later in the day, I went on a bicycle ride with my son and his friend. Biking is a lot of fun too, and spending time with the youngsters is valuable. There may come a time when they do not want to spend time with the paerental units so I think it is important to be together when we can.

The photo above is of some bluebonnets that I saw while running. They still looked pretty good but I think there’s maybe only another week or two they will be around. The other photo is one I took when we were on our bike ride. It’s not too difficult to hold a small camera while riding, so I took several photos and I think this one came out the best.