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

Clematis in Bloom

These are the clematis that are growing in the southwest facing garden at my home. I photographed them this morning.

Earth Hour 2009

Earth Hour 2009, originally uploaded by Earth Hour Global.

A small way to be a good steward of God's planet.

Remembering Marcell

IMG_7557, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

Marcell Murphy, my daughter Caitlyn's friend and classmate, died early Sunday evening after an apparent heart attack during a basketball game. What can I say about Marcell? He always had a smile on his face and was helpful and polite. Marcell would be one of the first football players to run over to the concession stand after the Friday night games looking for food. He was a big guy with a big heart. Marcell was a senior and would have graduated this June.

Caitlyn shared a few stories last night on the way home. Last year, her and Marcell had a few classes together. In Spanish II, if the other boys were bothering her, he would ask her if she wanted him to beat them up for her. When she would walk by, Marcell would joke around and clear a pathway for her in the crowded hall.

I was worried because she did not show any emotion when she first starting receiving the news via text messages from her friends. She told me that she did cry once she was in her discipleship group. There were lots of counselors and youth pastors at school yesterday for the students and they had an opportunity to share stories or give a testimony about Marcell and their friendship during chapel. Marcell liked to sing; so, the student body sang "Amazing Grace" and "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand".

Caitlyn told me last night that Marcell had just received his passport last week for his senior trip, where he would have been part of a group heading to Mexico to build pre-fabricated homes with his class for families who literally live in cardboard boxes. I believe the Class of 2009 will now have a greater drive in accomplishing this goal in Marcell's honor.
Please keep the Murphy family and the students and teachers of Chicago Hope Academy in your prayers at this time.

Buckland, Champion, Martin & Berryman in Section 119

Buckland, Champion, Martin & Berryman in Section 119, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

Coldplay won three Grammy awards this past Sunday for "Best Rock Album" for Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, "Best Pop Performance by Group" for for Viva la Vida and "Song of the Year" for Viva la Vida.

I shot this picture during the band’s United Center concert back on July 23, 2008.

Randomness ...

NavyPier050040, originally uploaded by Meridith Louise.

I shot this picture of my youngest daughter while we were on a boat ride along Lake Michigan in late August, 2005.

One Night, One Voice

SaveDarfur.org has a post called "One Night, One Voice" that's worth checking out...

Silence the weapons of war. Help end physical and sexual violence against women in Darfur. What: An Advocacy…

New Year ... New Goals

Welcome to 2009! After being unable to particiapte in last year's race, I registered this morning for the annual Shamrock Shuffle 8K. It's the first big race of the running season up here in Chicago and probably the largest 8K in the world. I'm excited because my goal is to train for and complete a half marathon before my 40th birthday in September. My friend Jennifer from work will be my training partner; so, that will be very helpful for the two of us. She wants to run the Chicago Marathon in October.

Today is our big New Year's Day family dinner. Darrin has to work; but, I'm busy cooking up a storm: turkey breast, ham, broccoli & cauliflower, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce and gravy. I made a pumpkin pie this morning, too. It's our own tradition ... our parents and Janice come over for dinner, we give thanks to God for another year, we eat, we play games, we relax and welcome in the new year.