There are lots of things that have a way of muddling up a perfectly fine day. Most of the things that do the muddling don’t usually give you a heads up. But as they piled up the other day, I decided to force myself out of any ruts this muddling had caused. I headed over to Deerfield Farm for no other reason than to find a way to snap out of it.  I had a hunch that it would be a sure cure for the little things that ail me. Just the view out the back end of the barn was enough for the miracle cure. I looked down upon the field of well kept cows that stood among the spectacular colored fall backdrop.  I thought to myself,  “Hello Ladies, your view is a special one”. If that wasn’t the cure all, the magical pill came next as I got a dose of the barn’s three resident kittens. They jumped about in a pile of wood shavings blissfully unaware of their perfect lives. As I watched them in their unassuming perfection, anything that felt heavy, became light.  

…and so it really would be that simple to turn things around.

….I brought my daughter there today after I had experienced the place’s simple pleasures. I had told her that I wanted to bring her somewhere special and she dropped everything to come for the ride.   She too cuddled with the kittens that easily managed to add some ethereal quality to her day.  While this was only a simple serving of positivity, my reason for bringing her there was planned.  I was hoping to help her realize that the most effective tools are often the most simple ones.  I hope that she learns to seek out those things that will make her life good and unfettered propelling her through obstacles. Only you can see yourself through.  If you can do this, life is yours to enjoy. 

Connecticut has taken its lumps over the past few years. We've lost jobs, money and a good dose of pride. But on Saturday, something felt different. For the first time in a good long while, I felt like there is no state I would rather be. I stood waiting for the runners of the Hartford Marathon to come barreling down Asylum Avenue. As a mass of runners turned the bend, I could feel their energy and vibrance converging upon me. It was like our State capitol had become an epicenter for positive energy.  I snapped away with my camera, seeing determination, willfulness and good nature among the masses. I felt comforted knowing many faces in the crowd and felt encouraged to reach out to the new ones. Running builds a community. I believe this with all my heart.  It has a way of fixing what's fractured by enlisting in the combined efforts of many. The entire field wins when they run united together with similar purpose of becoming better individuals.  Somehow running has a way of reaching into deeper depths of the human spirit.

My husband stood high on the hill of Wickham Park, watching our daughter compete in a cross country race with several thousand high school students. I wished I could be in both places with my camera.  The fall colors were spectacular and he felt inspired looking down upon the city knowing thousands more were running through its streets for the marathon. Under the fall foliage, I saw a perfect scenario of effort and reward unfolding all around. Something as simple as honest efforts and just rewards are so rarely revered in the times we live in; but on this beautiful day in Hartford, it was celebrated. We witnessed both of our children stepping out and finding themselves in a better place.  Hartford was a proud place to stand thanks to Beth Sluger and her team at Hartford Marathon Foundation. They masterfully created an exact recipe for a successful and a happier Connecticut. Their hard work paid off and this citizen thanks you. The race slogan appropriately suggests for us to, "Come Together, Right Now".  It harkens us to find a better place here in Connecticut, if not for one day, but hopefully for many to come.

Durham and Middlefield Results

Growing up, I spent a lot of time on a starting line. It’s probably one of the most important places you’ll ever stand for the lessons it teaches. It holds a warrant for your most raw feelings to be realized. It’s so simple, merely just a line; but in reality it’s the most complex of places. In that brief moment, each person is on the very same level, while in mere seconds, everything changes.  The starting line represents all the possibility from within and the imminent revelation of your own personal truth. Somehow, it allows the most intense human interaction often without a word being said to one another.  It acts as a midway point for your previous and future experiences. In the world of Monopoly, we could consider it a whole new chance to pass go.  While everyone likes to reach the finish line, there is no greater promise than where it all begins.