One year ago today ...

39, really

... my best friend and I landed in Paris to begin the celebration of my 40th birthday.  It was the perfect time of the year to go (fewer tourists, cooler temperatures).  I can't wait to go back again with my husband someday to explore all the parts of the city that I missed.  Thought I'd share my journal entry that I wrote after the completion of our very first day, along with a few pictures, to add a little color. 


    September 3, 2009 at 1:57 a.m.:

"Gracias" has turned into "merci" and I have comfortably found my way around Paris -- The City of Light -- on this our first day.  

The Deportation Memorial

    A whirlwind day of which I won't soon will forget.  I have survived on four hours of sleep in the past 36 hours.  I have taken an hour run thru the streets of Paris and seen the Eiffel Tower for the very first time in my life and it brought an incredible child-like smile to my face.  We toured Notre Dame and I was touched by the panels depicting Jesus' appearance to the disciples after His resurrection.  The memorial to victims of the French Deportation during the Holocaust great moved me and brought tears to my eyes.

Carved wood panels inside Notre Dame

    Janice and I ended the night at an Irish pub on the River Seine where we finished in 2nd place as "Chicago Style" in a trivia challenge.  We were awarded free shots of some concoction that looked like the Irish flag.  We represented the "Second City" well.  It was a great night.

    We're slowly figuring out the Metro and learning the neighborhood where our hotel is located.  There are so many restaurants around.  We even have an Afghanistani restaurant around the corner from us.

    Tired, excited, blown away -- can't believe that I'm finally here!  Tomorrow's the Louvre.  

    Bonswa!"
 

 

Street musician performing along the Seine River across from Notre Dame.

 

Joyeuse Fete Nationale ... Happy Bastille Day!

IMG_3977, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

Wishing I was back in Paris to celebrate on this day. Freedom is a good thing.

Garden Update: June 30, 2010

Echinacea

Between the girls' graduations and the open house, there has been no time to add my much hoped for raised bed vegetable garden in the back along our garage. It has been all about maintenance at this point. Here are a few pictures to show how the old tried and true are coming along. You just got to love perennials!

Bee Balm from my Aunt Mickey's garden in New Hampshire.  It reminds me of fireworks.

This is the garden which is next to our patio. Very full - lots of color.

These are Weta's Tiger Lillies. I snagged these a few years ago when they were tearing down the house of my best friends that grew up next door to in Bucktown. Their entire green chain link fence was lined with these beautiful, tall Tiger Lillies. The Summer day I stopped by in the old neighborhood to see the demolition, I was able to slip into the yard and save a few and replant them safely in my own yard.

Baby bumble bee on Echinacea.

You might have heard news reports that the bumble/honey bee population is declining throughout North America.  You can get involved in helping to contribute data to scientists to study tracking info on the population status of the bees, make a "bee friendly" garden, as well as the importance of bees (the good bees).  Check out the Bee Spotter Project.

268 Years Ago ...

George Frederic Handel's "Messiah" was performed for the first time on Fishamble Street in what is now known as the Temple Bar area of Dublin, Ireland.  © Meridith Canning Photography

"Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

Recitative (Part I)

Naomh Pádraig

A High Cross at Kilfenora, County Clare, Ireland.  © Meridith Canning Photography

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  St. Patrick was born c.  AD 373 and is widely-known as the patron saint of Ireland.  You can call him a missionary and evangelist, too. At age 16, he was taken captive by a group of pirates to Ireland and it was during this time, he came to a personal faith in Christ as he understood the gift of God's grace.  “... before I was humbled, I was like a stone lying in deep mire, and He that is mighty came and in His mercy raised me up and, indeed, lifted me high up and placed me on top of the wall.  And from there I ought to shout out in gratitude to the Lord for His great favours in this world and for ever, that the mind of man cannot measure.”   (The Last Confession of Saint Patrick).

After a few years, he escaped back to Britain, but felt the call from God to return back to the land where he had previously been held captive in.  Over the course of 60 years, Patrick traveled throughout Ireland preaching the Gospel and baptizing those who believed.  Over the course of his ministry, many churches were established and elders ordained.  

"I am greatly God's debtor, because he granted me so much grace, that through me many people would be reborn in God, and soon after confirmed, and that clergy would be ordained everywhere for them, the masses lately come to belief, whom the Lord drew from the ends of the earth, just as he once promised through his prophets: 'To you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited naught but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit.' And again: 'I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the uttermost ends of' the earth.'  (Ibid).

Sources: http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/patrick.html#_ftn4

 

The stone (left) which covered the traditional site of St. Patrick's Well.  St. Patrick's Cathedral (right) in Dublin, Ireland. 

© Meridith Canning Photography

Window in the Skies

PICT0027_2, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

I took this picture inside Blarney Castle on a beautiful, October afternoon. I was trying to capture a multi-demensional shot with the two old window frames as the bridge between the trees in the background and the moss in the foreground.

Locate in County Cork, the original castle dates to AD 1210. The famous "Blarney Stone" lies at the top of the castle and as the legend holds, if you hang upside down to lean over to kiss the stone, you will be blessed with the "gift of eloquence" (a/k/a the gift of gab). Jance and I both managed the steep climb to the top and took part in the tradition.

"The shackles are undone.
The bullets quit the gun.
The heat that’s in the sun will keep us when there's none.
The rule has been disproved.
The stone it has been moved.
The grave is now a groove.
All debts are removed."

- Window in the Skies by U2

Life in Dublin

PICT0010, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

Since St. Patrick's Day is a few short days away, I thought that I'd share a few pictures from my trip to Ireland in '07 this week. I was aiming to get the red door of the church down the street, but just as soon as I hit the shutter on my camera, a truck just happened to go by. Despite that mishap, I do like the way the picture captures a slice of daily life on a street in Dublin's Temple Bar neighborhood.

Crêpes + Nutella = Love

IMG_4598, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

February 2nd is the the French holiday, La Fête de la Chandeleur, or Candlemas, as it is known in other parts of the world. It is celebrated on this day because it is 40 days after Christmas and it marks what is believed to be the date that Jesus would have been presented at the Temple for consecration. The festival was originally celebrated with a candlelit procession at mass. The holiday itself has become to be known simply as "crêpe day" in France. It is traditional to hold a coin in your writing hand and a crêpe pan in the other, and flip the crêpe into the air. If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year.

While vising Paris in September, we did stumble upon numerous crêpe stands throughout the city. Simply, delicious!

Safe at Home

IMG_7589, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

Members of  the "Team 7" medical missions group from the Little by Little organization stand near the aircraft that brought them back home to Chicago's Midway Airport on 1/16/10. Also in the picture, Congressman Mark Kirk, who assisted in getting everyone back to Chicago. 

Chicagoans Caught in Haiti Quake

This is a clip that our local FOX affiliate ran last night on the Little by Little organization, which Janice & James are a part of:

Pray for Haiti

This is my best friend, Janice, and her fiance, James.  They are currently in Haiti serving on a short-term medical missions team through Mountain Top Ministries.  They were supposed to fly home today, but due to the devastating 7.0 earthquake that struck the country yesterday, their return is unknown right now.  There are 23 members of the medical team from the Chicagoland area that have been working at a clinic in the village of  Gramothe for the past week.  They worked into the night assisting two doctors at a local hospital where they treated over 100 severely injured people as a result of the earthquake.  I received an email from Janice this morning.  Everyone is shaken up, but okay.  They are going back to the local clinic to help sort things out and attend to patients there.  Please pray for the people of Haiti at this time.  Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hempishere and is not equipped to deal with an event of this magnititude.  Also, please pray that God will keep Janice, James and the entire team safe as they provide medical assistance to the people of Haiti.

The Red Cross is reporting that over 3 million people will require aid.  The Haitian prime minister believes that 100,000 people have died in the earthquake.  Make a difference in your world by making a donation to: Haiti Earthquake Relief.

 

(Tribune photo by Jorge Cruz / January 13, 2010)

Looking Back 2009

2009, December. Chicago experienced its earliest bout with sub-zero temperatures last week. The bitter sting of the frigid wind slapped every one of us making our daily trek walking up Randolph to our various office buildings on Thursday morning. We are of Midwestern stock. This is nothing new to us who call this city home. Sure, the first taste of it during the season is never pleasant; but, over time, you learn the proper way to bundle up, head out and carry on. So, we continued on walking up Randolph, with a shred of sunshine peeking out, and we moved forward – holding on tightly and breathing in life’s sweet breath.
“Every day I die again, and again I’m reborn. Every day I have to find the courage to walk out into the street with arms out, got a love you can’t defeat; neither down nor out. There’s nothing you have that I need, I can breathe, breathe now.

Caitlyn with her friends, Larissa and Aaron

Caitlyn’s junior year of high school came and went and she is now in her Senior year at Chicago Hope Academy. She spent a lot of time this fall working on college applications, taking her ACT and writing essays. Darrin and I cannot believe that our oldest will be graduating and heading off to college next year. It has been a tough few months, but she has pushed herself and done well. She has now received acceptance letters from eight different colleges and universities, and she has also received a few merit scholarships. Caitlyn is interested in studying forensic science. We are very proud of her and look forward to what God will be doing in her life.
The roar that lies on the other side of silence.

The forest fire that is fear so deny it.


Alexandra is now an 8th grader and counting down the days until graduation when she will get her cell phone (as well as how many more months until she gets her braces off). Practice just began this week for the upcoming basketball season at St. Andrew. The Bruins had a successful volleyball season this fall, taking first place in the conference tournament. Alex was also named an all-star. For this year’s Chicago Area Lutheran Association’s forensics competition, she placed 1st in Declamation for her rendition of a speech by Indian Chief Seattle.

Alexandra and her friend, Dominique, at the softball tournament in September.

In June, the contract between Darrin’s union and AT&T had expired; so, we were in limbo for a few weeks as to what was going to happen. There were lots of rumors swirling around about what the company was offering and what the union was demanding; but, after many weeks of slow negotiations, both sides finally reached an agreement. They now have a three-year contract, which, in this day and time, is all that we can ask for. Darrin has taken up a new sport/hobby: golf. On his days off (and in much warmer weather), he likes to head to the driving range to practice his swing or to a local golf course for a few rounds. In October, the family celebrated Darrin’s parents 50th wedding anniversary by throwing a surprise party in his mom and dad's honor. Many family and old friends came out to celebrate this special day with us.

Walk out into the street, sing your heart out. The people we meet will not be drowned out. There’s nothing that you have that I need. I can breathe now.

This past year I set out to reach some big goals in celebration of turning 40 in September. My friend, Jennifer, and I had talked during one of our runs last fall that this would be the year that we would run a half marathon. So, right after the Shamrock Shuffle in March, we started training for the 13.1 Chicago half marathon, which took place in early June. Jennifer had registered for the Chicago Marathon months beforehand and kept asking me to run it; while a few months earlier, my church announced that they were putting together a running team to raise money for frontline HIV/AIDS caregivers in Africa through World Vision. I felt my heart being tugged at. If I was ever going to run a marathon, it was going to be here in my hometown and it would be for a goal. So, after we ran the half, we started the 18-week marathon training program which required a lot of juggling of schedules, support of my family and sacrifice of sleep. I was grateful to have a few other friends running the marathon this year and we were able to provide encouragement to one another through our Facebook wall posts and chats at church. When that morning of October 12th finally rolled around, it almost seemed dream-like. All those months of training were done and it was time to just go out there and run the course. It was a cold, windy, and sunny Sunday in Chicago that day. The crowds that lined the streets were unbelievable. Just seeing all of the people cheering as we made our way through the different neighborhoods and hearing your named called out as you ran by was such a motivating feeling. The last six miles were tough because of calf cramps and the final three were the hardest. I could not have made it without the help of Jennifer who stayed alongside me the entire course. Darrin and the girls met us and different places along the course to cheer us on. It meant so much to see my parents out at Mile 21 and then to have my entire family, my best friend Janice, and the Zabors at the finish line. I ran as strong as I could and through the generous financial support of family, friends, co-workers and strangers, we were able to raise $ 985.00 toward helping to make a different in Africa through World Vision.

Paris in September ... this is where I celebrated my actual 40th birthday. My best friend, Janice, and I decided that we wanted to mark our milestone birthdays with a unique trip. She choose Ireland in ‘07 and I picked France this year. What can I say about the City of Light? It was more amazing than I had imagined. The culture, cuisine, the sights, the sounds ... it is easy to see why so many writers have gone to Paris for inspiration. We stayed in a hotel in the Latin Quarter and from there we set out each day on an adventure. We visited the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay (where my love of impressionism was further deepened); took the train down to Versailles to tour the palace and stroll the vast gardens of the former monarchy; took a cooking class with Chef Pino at Cook'n with Class (which was the highlight of our trip); rode to the top of the Eiffel Tower; walked around Montmartre; toured Notre Dame and Sacre-Coeur; continued our Summer concert tour with another Coldplay concert in Parc des Princes soccer stadium and rode the Metro everywhere! I especially enjoyed my two runs along the River Seine while I was there. It was very surreal and awe-inspiring to be able to take in all of the history and beauty as I wandered the city during my runs there. I will post the rest of the pictures with links to my flickr albums in the days and weeks to come, so check back.

We are people borne of sound.

The songs are in our eyes, gonna wear them like a crown ...

And I remember ... the beauty that you can sometimes miss in the every day moments of life; early morning prayers with a friend; the joy of freshly brewed coffee at 5:30 a.m.; dreaming of Paris mornings; winning tickets to meet the boys from Ireland at the Metro courtesy of ‘XRT; the working the concession stand along with other Chicago Hope parents at Altgeld Park on Friday nights; "you're Italiano"; honeysuckle and fuller hydrangeas; the community of runners and walkers that would greet me each weekend at Marquette Park during my long runs; watching Alexandra participate in her sporting events; chocolate croissants and café au lait; July road trip up to Alpine Valley to see Coldplay; Espresso Love GU; reconnecting with old friends; the last two miles of my first half marathon; singing the line "Chicago bursts to life" during the song "Hands Open" with Snow Patrol; seeing the city from Jackson Park on a Sunday morning; the long good-bye to my daughter’s classmate, Marcel; celebrating more “40th” birthdays; the day we lost the 2016 Olympic bid; hugs from the 4's & 5's on Sundays; landscaping the corner garden; running along the Seine River in Paris as the sun came up; opening night of the North American leg of the U2360 tour at Soldier Field and then going back the next night with Yvonne and the girls; Guitar Hero and Rock Band jam sessions in our basement; the sound of the people cheering as I ran up Roosevelt Road with Jen as we approached the final turn onto Columbus and made our way to the finish line; answers to prayer; celebrating an engagement; lunchtime runs up to the Adler Planetarium; hearing a voice that’s still whispering; the ability to fill my lungs with air to breathe and muscles that continue to propel this still 40-something body; and just how good God is.

Walk out, into the sunburst street, sing your heart out, sing my heart out.

2010. May the new year - this new decade - bring you much love and peace. We pray that during this holiday season, you will be reminded of the blessings and gifts that money cannot buy. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

Thank you for being a part of our lives.

I’ve found grace inside a sound; I found grace, it’s all that I found and I can breathe, breathe now.”

“Breathe” by U2 (Hewson/Clayton/Evans/Mullen)

Allies & Friends

IMG_4530, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

09/6/2009: Ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe

Moulin Rouge

IMG_4159, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

Finally getting around to uploading the rest of the photos from my trip. This was taken towards the end of our afternoon walking around Montmartre.

Ready to Leave My Mark

The start of the Chicago Marathon is now less than 33 hours away. I could barely sleep last night. What will I do the next two nights?

Today I attended the Marathon Expo at McCormick Place where all of the runners go to pick up their running bibs, timing chips, t-shirts and goody bags. There are vendors from a wide variety of sport nutrition companies, race reps, running gear gadgets, shoe companies, etc. who have booths set up that you can visit and pick up samples and buy stuff. Nike has the biggest section because they are the official seller of official Chicago Marathon merchandise.

As I took the escalator up to the exhibition level, I could feel a waive of emotion coming over me. I got teary-eyed just walking over to pick up my timing chip. It has taken a long time to get to this point. I have put a lot of hard work and sacrifice into this effort; and, just like the tag line from Myoplex, I'm "not done yet."

While waiting in line at the Asics booth to meet American Olympic runner Deena Kastor, I met Carola, another first time marathon runner, who came by herself all the way from Chile to run here in the Chicago Marathon. We shared our reasons why we're running the marathon and how emotional it will be for us. We were the last two people to meet Deena before she left. I told Deena that she has been such an inspiration. She wished me well. I was even able to take a picture of Carola and Deena together. It will be a nice memory for her.

"I always loved running ... it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." - Jesse Owens

Eiffel Tower in Sepia Tones

Eiffel Tower in Sepia, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

Paris was amazing! It made turning 40 that much easier. I had two great runs through the city; one of which was a long run that began on an early Sunday morning before the sun even rose. You can see the city in a whole different light when you're out and about before the rest of the waking world.

My Footprint

Create your own for Team World Vision at http://footprint.chicagomarathon.com/ and Bank of America will donate $1.00 to World Vision. Thank you.

Weeks 9-12: Get Your Mind Set; Confidence Will Lead You On*

15 Miles: August 8th. Woke up to gray, overcast skies and a “breaking news” story on the Chicago Tribune that someone was shot and killed in Marquette Park overnight. There’s nothing like a killing in the park that you train in to cause you to think twice about heading out the door for your long run. After reading the full article, I come to find out that the tragic incident occurred east of the park. I head out the door right before 6:00 a.m. and tell Darrin that I may call and have him come pick me up if it starts raining hard. The first 2 ½ miles are fine – just a few light sprinkles; but, by my second lap, the sky gets darker and the rain begins to really fall. Should I stay or should I go? I decide to stick it out. The rain stuck around for about an hour and then it tapered off. The worst part was just being wet.

16 Miles: August 15th. When I left the house at 6:45 a.m., it was already 78 degrees and quite humid. It was one of the hottest days that we’ve had this Summer and I was kicking myself for not leaving sooner. My leg turnover was slow. I must’ve drank about 60 oz. of water and electrolytes in the first half of my run. Sometimes I swear I can feel salt coming out of my pores (sorry, I know that sounds weird and gross, but when you’re blowing through 2,000 plus calories on a run, you begin to notice bazaar things with your body). It’s like I wanted to run faster, but I just couldn’t. The heat just knocked me out and it wasn’t just me. A lot of my friends who are training for the Chicago Marathon also had similar issues with their long runs on this day. The best thing about this run was that I finally wore this Adidas running visor that I picked up months ago at an outlet store up in Wisconsin. This visor not only blocked out the sun, but it did a great job at soaking up the sweat and keeping the sun off my face. Celebration dinner later that night at Wildfire with Darrin to mark out 17th wedding anniversary.

12 Miles: August 22nd: This run seems like a walk in the park now. Although I stayed up too late the night before adding new music to my iPod, the loss of precious hours of sleep was worth it because the new tunes helped liven up this run. I still enjoy seeing my Saturday morning park friends who are doing their exercise thing each week. I wore my Team World Vision marathon t-shirt so that everyone can see what I’m training for. On the back it says, “26.2 for Africa.”

18 Miles: August 29th. My longest run ever. Remember that part of the movie in Forrest Gump when Tom Hanks is running all across America to the Jackson Browne song, “Running on Empty”? Well, that crossed my mind during this run (and the song is on my iPod, too). I now know that I need a new pair of running shoes because these New Balance have reached their limit. It was pretty cool out for August and the wind was fairly strong. I was able to see members of the Chicago Fire Soccer team who were at Marquette Park putting on a soccer clinic for the kids, which was cool. It’s always encouraging to see kids involved in sports. When I crossed over Kedzie, the passenger in a car going by looked at me and made the sign of the Cross (I wasn’t sure what to make of that). I still visualize race day and how it will play out. I do believe that I can finish the marathon in under six hours. My legs were incredibly sore for the rest of the day, but since this week is the two-year anniversary of my knee surgery, I’m quite happy to be where I’m at with my running … that I’m even running at all.

* Message I received on a fortune cookie in August.

Week 8: Routes and Road Trip

Woke up last Saturday morning with a terrible headache/borderline-migraine. I had to run my 12 miles early because I was heading up to Wisconsin later that day with my best friend, Janice, and my daughter Caitlyn and her friend, Layne, for a much-anticipated Coldplay concert at Alpine Valley. As I headed out the door, Darrin wished me a good run and I burst into tears as I told him about the headache. I had taken Advil and my migraine medicine before I left the house and knew that once I got going, I'd be okay. About a half-hour into my run, I was feeling much better. Thank you, God!


Caitlyn and I at the Coldplay concert - Viva La Vida!


I extended my lunchtime runs on Tuesday and Thursday up to the Adler Planetarium and back on my old route, which gives me a 4 mile plus loop. Tuesday's run was the first attempt at this new route and it kicked my butt because it was 87 degrees outside and I didn't have a snack beforehand. I retried it on Thursday and had a much better result.


It seems like Wednesday's strength training sessions are the hardest to sneak in because of scheduling conflicts. I used our Wii Fit this past week because I had to take Alex to a doctor's appointment and couldn't make it to the gym. Every workout has to be written down or else it's too easy to be missed.


Fridays are a "rest" day, which make them even more great.


Yesterday morning, I completed my scheduled 13 mile run. It was the first time I had run that far since the half marathon in June. I felt so much better this time. I did not had to deal with any leg cramps, which made a huge difference.


It's nice seeing the familiar faces at the park during my Saturday morning long runs. The track boys always cheer me on when we pass on our loops around the park. When I start to visualize marathon day, I start to get emotional. I mean, as many of you know, I'm a pretty emotional person as it is; but, the training and preparation for this has been such a mental, physical and spiritual challenge for me that I cannot adequately put it into words. I'm running for a greater cause ... because I know that lives can be touched in a personal way.

http://www.firstgiving.com/meridithcanning

Week 7: In Search of Espresso Love

Today begins week 7 of Chicago Marathon training. This past weekend’s long run was only 7 miles; so, from here on out, the distances increase until taper time. The GNC stores by my office are out of Espresso Love flavored GU (energy gel) and I haven’t had a chance to order a box of GU online. I've been stuck with the chocolate, which is just okay (much better than the orange flavor). I must find espresso love GU before this weekend’s long run!


I ran strong 800m repeats today at lunchtime on a treadmill (quite an improvement over last week). Basically, you run a half-mile as fast as you can at an even pace and then you jog an easy 400m (quarter mile). You complete the cycle until you reach the distance you are running (three miles for me today).

I’ve been doing my long runs at Marquette Park early on Saturday morning. Every weekend, I see the same people on their walks and runs through the park. We exchange our friendly waves, smiles and "good morning." The track is usually crowded with a mix of people by the time I crossover Kedzie on my first loop.

Loops. I have never been good with numbers; but, I have the mileage of every running loop that I utilize memorized down to a tenth of a mile. It becomes something of a sick obsession at times. Running and numbers just go together ... like peas and carrots ... like songs on your favorite iPod playlist. The long loop at Marquette Park is 2.4 miles; the lakefront lunchtime loop is 3.08. They are neatly stored under my Runner’s World profile where I log my runs. Once my long runs move over the 13 mile mark, I’m going to try to head down to the lakefront to join in the group runs with others who are a part of Team Work Vision.

I am greatly encouraged and motivated by everyone who has pledged their support to Team World Vision. I am running because I want to help change lives. http://www.firstgiving.com/meridithcanning