The 7th Almost-Annual Turkey Trot, Amble, Walk or Crawl

This past week Jim, Jack and I traveled to the Fort Worth area to visit Jim's family for Thanksgiving.

The day after our feast we held our Almost Annual Turkey Trot, Amble, Walk or Crawl.  I say Almost-Annual because, for some reason, we didn't manage to roll off the couch last year to go on our one-mile escapade.

This year, however, we were ready.  And our group had expanded a bit to include close friends and extended family...



Jim prays at the starting line every year in case he dies along the way.

This time our starting line was missing a very important person as Aunt Ruth passed away earlier this year.

Though I had been feeling her absence the past few days,  it wasn't until we all lined up at the START and she wasn't there that I missed her the most.

When Ruth died, she was 91.  That means that she was in her late 80s for many of our Annual Trots.  Ruth is on the far right in the hot pink pants in this pic taken about five years ago...

Every year, I admired the enthusiasm and energy she brought to the starting line.  She was always grateful and happy that she had the ability to just show up...even if it meant she was only going to walk a few yards to the end of the block and back.

But times change...

And there are younger lives that show up to take the places of those that have gone before us.

As I find myself getting into the older category, I too appreciate our health and ability to move.  These men are both looking great...but my brother in law in the back is 20 years older than the young buck who leads him...



Way to go Mike!

My nephew who always wins...won again.  But this year, my other nephew gave him a bit of a challenge...

Notice they were working too hard to smile for the camera.

Most everyone else was smiling in spite of the fact that they were running...



And some were smiling because they had a Godfather to give them a ride..

Jack whizzed by too quickly to get a picture of him running in his stocking feet...

Evidently, those shoes he was carrying weren't his running shoes.

We all survived the run so Jim's prayers must have worked.

The youngest was carried across the finish line...

But she wasn't the only one.  My SIL hitched a ride across the line as well...

And so another family ritual marks the passage of time and the joy of celebrating with family and friends.

And me?  I'm going to remember one of the most important things that Ruth taught me.

Always show up at the START because you CAN...

And wear JAZZY PANTS!

5th Annual Turkey Trot, Run, Amble, Walk or Crawl

This past week, Jim's mother Nina rented a house in the Florida Keys for our Thanksgiving celebration. This is Nina and her older sister Ruth.

They both drove for four days and 230 miles to reach the house in Marathon. (Thelma and Louise have nothing on them!) When they got there, this is what they found. A beautiful house located right on the water that slept 12 very comfortably. What a treat...

The views were incredible.

And we spent lots of time playing cards, playing Scrabble and eating!!

And it's because of all that eating that we started the Annual Turkey Trot, Run, Amble, Walk or Crawl. This year was our fifth year and my SIL had shirts made for all of us...the 495 is the combined total of all of our ages.

Once again, there was lots of jostling on the starting line and Ruth, Jim's Great Aunt, wore some pretty jazzy pants for the occasion.

Ruth is 88 (!) and has promised to bequeath me those pants when the time comes. I hope they'll keep me walking at 88!

Needless to say, all the kids ran...

And the rest of us jogged, ambled, limped and walked. The course this year was beautiful. Here's my nephew, aka the leader, heading toward the finish line...

And here is proof that Jack does, indeed, roll his eyes at his mother even when he says he does not.

He's either rolling his eyes or being possessed by the devil...

Tomorrow, I'll tell you about my trip to the Southernmost Point of the United States, Key West.

And the two stores I found that focused on needles, threads and fabrics...

And before I leave the subject of thanksgiving...thanks to all of you for stopping by, reading my blog, and participating in my life. Without a doubt, my life is much richer because of you.

Without a doubt...

3rd Annual Turkey Trot, Run, Amble, Walk or Crawl

I know the rest of the world has moved onto Christmas but I'm just not there yet. I'm still processing Thanksgiving and my pictures from our trip to Texas to visit Jim's family.

Three years ago, I made the tentative suggestion that we start a one-mile Turkey Trot the day after Thanksgiving. I thought it would be good to "air ourselves out" after eating such a big meal and lounging around watching football the day before...

Well, it went over a lot better than I thought it would. Jim's family was actually open to the idea -- but they did have a problem with the word "trot". They thought that sounded too ambitious...a one-hour discussion ensued on the various titles for our now annual Turkey Trot, Run, Amble, Walk or Crawl.

As you guessed by the title, anything goes -- the point is to get outside and cover the one mile distance and back. So, early on Friday just after coffee but before showers and breakfast, we lined up at the starting line for our Third Annual event.


My husband Jim felt the need for a little prayer just in case he didn't make it back.



This is Ruth.


She's Jim's 85-year-old Aunt. She is always rip-roarin', rarin' to go and up for a good time. I love her zest for life and her pink warm up pants! Last year when we had to run an errand to the liquor store, the store was giving away free tequila shots. Ruth and I had three shots of tequila apiece because Ruth was trying to decide which tequila was the smoothest. This woman can party! She just will tell you that she has to take a three hour nap in the afternoon, that's all.

After minimal grousing, everyone seems to look forward to our event. My SIL Patricia made us all matching shirts for this year's race. She also won this year's "Make-Over of the Year Award" for losing 50 pounds!! I already put my husband's name in the running for next year -- we'll see if it works!


This Thanksgiving, my MIL also announced that she was tired of cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Next year she won't be cooking.


Evidently, next year, the Fourth Annual Turkey Trot, Run, Amble, Walk or Crawl will be held here, on the deck of the Disney Magic Cruise Ship!!! Woo-hooo!!!!!