I Must Admit

Well, I must admit that it is nice to be outside again. 

My swims are, for the moment anyway, indoors. The air at the pool is a bit, um, lacking in the fresh department. Unless you're one of the people who find the smell of chlorine fresh...

My morning cycling routine on the trainer takes place in our basement. I have the fan blowing so there is air movement but, again, it's not particularly fresh.

Now that I'm working my way back to running form, I get to tie on my running shoes and head OUTSIDE!!

I smell lilacs, lily of the valley and mulch. After a rain, I smell fresh dirt and worms. Freshly mown grass and barbecuing. It's a wonderful wonderful thing.

Well, I must admit that it is nice to be able to stretch on my back deck again. 

From fall to spring, I do my stretching and icing routine on the living room floor. Often with a coffee beside me. The radio is usually on, unless it's Sunday morning, and then Sunday Morning is on. It's nice.

From spring to fall, as soon as the sun is warm enough, I bring my mat and muscle relaxing paraphernalia out to the back deck. I find myself a sunbeam and I bask while I stretch. It's really really lovely.

Well, I must admit that it is nice to hang up my coat and tuck my pants to the back of the drawer. 

Living in Canada means that, from one extreme to another, we have a range of 60 degrees of temperature that we rotate through. We can go from minus 30 in the winter to plus 30 in the summer.

I love the extremes as well as the middle. I rejoice when it starts to get colder because I much prefer to be cold than hot. But I also dislike the amount of clothing I need to pull on when I run in the winter time.

As winter changes to spring and then summer, the removal of layers and the transition from pants to shorts and jackets to tanks is cause for celebration. It's celebration time!

Well, I must admit that it's nice to: 
- have breakfast and dinner on the back porch
- come home to a glass of wine and a plate of crackers and cheese waiting for me on the deck
- spend the weekend puttering in the garden, washing windows, and riding around Niagara
- sleep with the windows open
- head to the driving range after dinner to practice my swing
- bring out the arsenal of summer salads and barbecue recipes

I must admit that it's nice, and really important, to always be grateful for the little things.