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Finding Gratitude: The True Meaning of Thanksgiving with Family
Written November 26, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
The fourth week of November is always a busy season for me. In the United States, we have Thanksgiving Day. My family always holds a dinner party on Thanksgiving Day. Instead of one family hosting and serving everyone, we usually bring dishes when multiple families gather for the feast.
My sister and I love baking. I usually prepare dinner for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and my sister sometimes bakes bread. My brother-in-law usually prepares the main dishes. He is one of the best people to prepare the main meat dish for Thanksgiving. He is a meat smoker and has made fabulous dishes in the past.
Since it’s feast week, I plan to bake pies today. I’m going to bake a pumpkin and an apple pie this afternoon. The last thing I want to do is make them all in a rush. Last week, I selected the recipes and noted the ingredients needed for these desserts. I shared this list with my wife so we could buy them during our grocery shopping.
Sometimes, ingredients such as spices (cinnamon, all spices, Nutmegs) run out from groceries if we try to purchase them at the last minute. My wife ensured we had those spices in October because we didn’t want to hunt them around.
I was not always very close to my family. Before I got my brain stroke, I didn’t spend much time with my family. We were living far away from our families. I have so many cousins and relatives, and they have so much family drama, and I tried to stay away from that. Then, I became sick. I think when you have a near-death experience, you see life entirely differently. When my wife suggested we live near my family, I was happy. She probably noticed the changes in me. She was aware I called both my parents at least once a week. Even though I live closer to my family, I still call both my parents each week.
A family gathering like this holds deep meaning. We create something special for one another and express our gratitude. That is how we celebrate our Thanksgiving days. The celebration may not be extravagant, yet it fills me with contentment. I feel their love for me just as strongly as I love them.
Clearing A Roadblock for the Goal Is Important
Written Novmeber 23, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
As the end of the year approaches, I noticed that I’m close to hitting a 1,000-kilometer run this year. It’s less than I ran last year because I focused on the running pace. I want to be more ambitious since I already achieved my goal for the year. I have a little over a month to go before 2024 ends. I want to reach the nice round number of 1,000 km.
Once I determined the new running goal, I started a quick calculation. If I continue to run 25 kilometers each week, I think I’ll be hitting 19 kilometers short of the 1,000 km. If I want to hit 1000, I’ll need to run a bit extra in the remaining five weeks of the year. If I run 10k daily next week instead of 5k, I should be close enough to hit 1,000 with only one additional 10k.
There are obstacles to achieving this goal. We have big holidays in November and December, so I need to consider the days I’ll miss running due to these holidays. I think I’ll just start by adding extra distance to next week’s runs and then reexamine and plan after next week. Once all my goals are set, I need to execute my tactics.
A roadblock to the goal means any obstacle or challenge to achieving the goals, which is critical when planning. For example, let’s say you want to do a project, but you will need some approval to start the project. Getting approval will be your roadblock. “Holidays” are my roadblock to hitting 1,000, so I need to find a way to prevent that. For the first example, you may want approval before starting the project. For this goal, I must readjust my running distance because I need to block out some days for the holidays.
Increasing running distances would be a bit tricky. Again, we have about five weeks, so stretching 19 km over the five weeks is okay. Is my goal achievable? Yep, I can do it.
I saw my wife do this daily and weekly. She finds any roadblock before starting a day or a week. She also adjusts her goals weekly. I know this is how she gets things done. She says she has too many roadblocks when juggling many projects simultaneously. It is necessary to do the planning right. A planning blueprint for achieving the goals in a way.
“A roadblock” is quite a good analogy. Once the plan is set, I am more motivated. You cannot reach your destination with a car and be just pushing gas. You must plan how to get there. I will be executing the new running goal I set this morning.
Resilience and Persistence are The keys to Getting Better
Written November 21, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
Yesterday, my run felt perfect, and I could finally beat my pace time, so I avoided allowing my target pace to creep back up to 10 minutes per kilometer. I’m not sure what made my pace time better. I even felt much better when running and pushing harder. My wife said that maybe I am getting a runner’s high from it. I think it’s a bit different. My muscles may have finally gained enough strength to keep up with my desired pace. Regardless, I was pretty pleased with how it felt and the effectiveness of my run.
The first time I started running was sometime in 2017. I got my brain stroke in 2015. My wife and I walked daily after I was out of the rehabilitation center and started living in my house. I remember I had to rest very often because I got neurofatigue from just walking. It felt like I played a chess tournament and played three games daily. In 2016, I started jogging. I could do only 1.5 KM (less than 1 mile) at a time. It was more like walking now about the time. Then my wife got me a good pair of running shoes. It motivated me because I knew my wife was trying to adjust my budget since she had to stay home to take care of me, especially from 2015 to 2016.
After she went back to work in 2017, I continued running. My mother was surprised at how much I developed my calves when we moved to Tennessee, where she lives. My wife wanted to move to Tennessee to be near my family. She has considered it since she returned to work in 2017. She said she was worried a lot when I was in a rehabilitation center. My mother came to live with me in 2015 to help us, but she also had her mother to care for. She had difficulties depending on my family for help, and her family is in Japan. After I moved, I continued running.
It helped where we live, which has a lot of hills, unlike the place we lived in Portland. Running up and down the hills helps me develop different muscle types. I worked to increase my distance. Last year, I ran four 10 km runs per week.
This year, I started working on my pace. I mainly used my running apps to monitor my pace. I gradually increased my running speed. One thing I was very careful about was never setting unrealistic goals, which is something I taught my students at University.
My body is much more robust, and I have gained much more endurance despite my kidney condition. That is why I am not feeling the running high I am feeling. My body is in better condition for running.
Here is my plan for now. I will adjust my goal if I run at the same pace on my next run. I am still hoping to reach 9:00min/kilometer by the end of next year, and each small victory encourages me to believe this goal is achievable.
This is How I Overcome My Cold Procrastination
Written November 20, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
Winter can be challenging for running. The temperature in Nashville has swiftly dropped in the past few days. It’s just over 10 degrees cooler today than yesterday. Since it has been so warm until last week, my body has difficulty adjusting to the new temperature norm.
Since the brain stroke, my body has not been able to regulate the temperature well. Compared to February’s temperature, today’s temperature is not too cold; it’s just noticeably chilly compared to yesterday. The sudden temperature change impacted me in many ways, including my ability to do chores outside and run.
When I think about these activities, procrastination becomes more tempting. It looks chilly outside, and my weather App also confirms this. While these tasks are essential, I also want to stay inside the warm house.
So I just put on long sleeves for a run. I don’t think I need my windbreaker or running gloves yet. I act like this on the first step every time. Surprisingly, it works for me. Maybe it has something to do with humans’ very nature of difficulties letting go of something they started to work on. For me, running is something I have invested in for several years.
My wife didn’t hesitate to get me nice running clothing. She said I was motivated to run the first time she got me a nice pair of running shoes. It motivated me to run longer. So, she made sure I had excellent running equipment. For herself, she made sure that she had running shoes or equipment with cold wind for running, but such equipment was only for her health purposes. She doesn’t care about a shirt or pants unless she starts to run longer distances, which she used to do in her 20s and 30s.
Anyway, I put on my running clothing and shoes, and all my procrastination temptations went away. I managed to run despite this chilly weather. So, this is my little win against procrastination.
From Mowing Leaves to Life Lessons: Embracing Consistency After a Stroke
Written November 19, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
Today, I’ve elected to forego leaf collection. Due to the warm rainy days last week, I decided to mow the lawn. As I mowed the lawn for the last time, I mulched the remaining leaves in our yard to the point I could skip leaving vacuuming chores for the day. Compared to the previous week, we are having some cold days. My body was somewhat used to the warmer days; I am having difficulty adjusting to this chilly weather again.
We usually don’t have to mow around this time. I was somewhat disappointed at needing to mow again, as I had thought I’d finished that chore for the year. Somehow, the weather had its own plans. The erratic weather resulted in some late extra growth to create a little spring to the point that promoted grass and trees to create some new greens. Hopefully, I’ve now reached the end of mowing for the year.
The mower mulched the relatively few leaves on our lawn, leaving it reasonably clear. So, skipping the leaves will be a pleasant break for me. I noticed some of my neighbors started to put Christmas decorations outside. Once Thanksgiving is over, there will be a lot more decorations.
Ever since my brain stroke, I have learned to be consistent. I can’t imagine how I changed. I was more impulsive and liked to procrastinate. When I had to re-learn even basic actions, such as how to eat or walk, it taught me to be more patient. I learned that the best way to avoid forgetting to do something is to plan well and create a checklist. My wife is big on planning and making checklists. She jokes she does not trust herself to be consistent otherwise.
I realized that consistency has excellent benefits. For one, I was able to run 10 km without problems. I even started doing my muscle training, and I gained a lot more muscle. I always had toned muscles because I used to do gymnastics. When I was in bed for almost two months after the stroke, I lost a lot of muscles. I sleep and wake up at the intended time, so my biological clock works. I had difficulties reading books due to my eyes, so my wife got me audiobooks. I listened to my audiobooks all the time. I also learned how to cook and Japanese. Now, I pick up on writing.
Chores, like vacuuming leaves or even mowing, need consistency. I get tired much faster than before, especially when the weather is extreme. I will do as much as possible within my capacity, but I do them consistently. I get them done all the time. If I think like that, I lost a lot from my brain stroke, but I also gained good habits from it.
From Cold Mornings to Warm Reflections: Navigating Life After a Brain Stroke
Written November 16, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
It was one of the days that I felt like I just wanted to stay in bed. Ever since I got my brain stroke, I cannot stand cold at all. Before I had my brain stroke, I had a much higher heartbeat and blood pressure, and I always felt hot. We used to live in Canada; my wife complained because I would open our bedroom window while sleeping. Ever since I can remember, my wife has kept her temperature around 65F or 18C during the winter. So our house would always be cool in the winter. I was hot all the time. Now, I feel cold.
I had difficulty forcing myself from bed this morning. I initially woke 45 minutes before my alarm. During the summer months, I would start my run early. But it’s so chilly. I hesitated. I crawled back to bed after using the restroom and fell back asleep. When my alarm sounded, I turned it off and snuggled back under the warm covers, staying awake but in bed and warm for a half hour. Despite the early morning, my wife was already out of bed a few hours before me. She wakes up much earlier every day.
Eventually, I forced myself to throw back the blankets and start my day. When I woke up, my wife was already done running, studying Geman, and writing something in the notebook in the dining room. She has more things to do in her morning routine, as she will create the menu for the upcoming week and create a grocery list. Somehow, we bought four limes that became bad after ten days, which she was upset about. She does not like wasting food ingredients since we should be able to control that with proper planning. Also, she thinks it is sinful to waste food. I know she lists why we wasted the food on the lists. Then, she would write about how to avoid such an event again. The year is almost over, but we don’t have one page of wasted food.
Observing my wife also made me question whether I had wasted time today. I’ve been delaying my run in my office, allowing it to warm up further, but I think I’ve wasted enough time now and will start my run shortly. I still need to do weekly house vacuuming chores and clean leaves outside.
Later, I talked to my wife about this morning, and she said she would put on the space heater before she goes running going forward. She also understands that my body condition is different. I hope it will work better.
Chilly Days, Leaves, and Adjusting to Nature’s Rhythm
Written November 12, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
It’s so darn chilly today, but I must push myself to clean the leaves. The windy and rainy days made our front yard cluttered with leaves. This is what happens when I skip working on collecting leaves.
The hurricane gave Nashville a couple of chilly days. It has been so cold today that I almost wanted to stay inside the house. I waited a bit longer, hoping the temperature would be more tolerable. After I had a brain stroke, I lost control of my inner thermoregulation system. My skin feels the heat or chills more profoundly than before my brain stroke. I will adjust my schedule for outside chores since external conditions impact me more. If I didn’t have to finish the task today, I would instead want to complete the task in a better condition.
Just like I hoped, a few hours improved the temperature. It seemed much warmer after a few hours. The lovely sunlight dried up the leaves enough to vacuum easily when I got outside. The wet leaves could be nasty sometimes; they get clogged in our leaf vacuum cleaner in the middle of the cleaning.
On a day like this, I tweaked my schedule. I can still do the other chores in the house before doing any outside chores. I still have several tasks I need to complete besides the leaf vacuuming today.
The several consecutive warm and humid rainy days confused our lawn with the season. They seemed much longer than a few weeks ago. It needs to be longer to mow the lawn, but I need to see how long it gets.
I plan to do one more round of leave vacuuming this Thursday. I’ve checked the weather forecast. It will likely be another chilling morning. Luckily, no rain is predicted between now and then. The trees in front of our house lost a substantial amount of trees, hinting that my leaf vacuuming task will end soon.
Celebrating My Wife’s Journey to U.S. Citizenship
Written November 13, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
Today is a very exciting day. It is the culmination of my wife’s journey to become a US citizen. In less than an hour, we’ll depart for the federal building in downtown Nashville, and eventually, she’ll go through the citizenship oath swearing ceremony. She’s been excited about this final step for quite a while now.
My wife is uneasy about losing her immigration cards, both current and expired, which must be surrendered after being awarded citizenship. She told me that it is pretty expensive to get a new card.
Since coming to the United States, she planned to get citizenship. She made sure not to leave the Country, as she said she would add more documents to submit to the immigration office. She wanted to make sure she could apply for citizenship without any sponsorship to satisfy all the requirements.
A few years after we moved to the United States, I got a brain stroke. We talked about many things, and we decided to move to Tennessee. She wanted the same job and exact address for 5 years to make the process easier. So she delayed the process. She thought it would be ideal to wait for 3 years and did not see any big problems. She decided to get another professional designation and a graduate degree while working full-time. She wanted to ensure she could contribute something of value to the United States.
Everything she does is part of a long-term plan. While her goals may span several decades, she reevaluates them weekly. I initially thought she acted quickly and impulsively when I didn’t know her well. Then, I realized many unscheduled items were on her list, and she inserted them into the schedule like a puzzle piece whenever the opportunity presented itself.
I know she has been preparing for a long time. Our entire citizenship process was much shorter than we thought. She already had an interview a few days over six months ago and received a letter for the ceremony less than seven days after the interview. Unfortunately, it was scheduled in the middle of her interim audit. She had to work around her schedule to make time for the ceremony. She looked swamped, trying to get things done in time.
She looks delighted. She has been dutifully carrying her immigration documents as instructed for several years. It will take some time for her to grow accustomed to being unencumbered by documentation, as she soon will be. She’ll need to acquire a US passport and then have travel rights again.
Running Through the Seasons: A Humid Morning in Tennessee
Written November 6, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
It felt almost like the early morning of early summer in Tennessee when I woke up. When I woke, it was raining a little, and that, combined with the unseasonably warm weather, led to an uncomfortably humid run. After my post-run shower, I checked my weather app and learned it was near 80% relative humidity. We have had hurricane after hurricane the last couple of weeks. We don’t get direct hurricanes like the southern coastal states of the United States, but we still get some secondary hurricane effects such as excess rain and wind.
We thought the temperature had been getting chilly in October, but it started warming up again. Compared to the dry August this year, we have had a lot of rain these days. It’s been pretty warm and humid. My wife told me that it felt like early summer morning when she ran this morning.
It feels like there are more rainy days than last year. Rain can make leaves gain weight. I am planning to clear some of my leaves tomorrow. Hopefully, the rain will stop, making it easier for me to clean them. However, I am afraid we will have rain tomorrow. I hear there will be another hurricane approaching Texas. It is nothing new. The hurricane season usually lasts until the end of November. We will use up all the alphabet for hurricane names. Unlike the weather in Oregon, we do not have many rainy days in the winter.
I love running in this season, though. The holiday season is approaching. We have Thanksgiving at the end of November. Some houses still have Halloween decorations. Some houses have autumn decorations for Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving Day is a big holiday for Americans. My wife said she felt odd because Canadian Thanksgiving Day is on Columbus Day. It makes sense since Canada is much colder than the United States. Once Thanksgiving Day is over, we will have Christmas and New Year. However by the time Christmas is near, the temperature will have dropped significantly. I wonder if I would enjoy any decorations while I was running.
It is beautiful outside despite the rain. One downside of a day like this is that it is inconvenient to collect leaves. However, it’s not as bad as it sounds. The leaves around our house still change color and look beautiful, and I enjoy the comfortable temperature. It’s more humid than I like, but at least with this humidity level, my skin is unlikely to feel dry while running. I should cherish the temperature and enjoy my running.
Fall Maintenance Chronicles: Tackling Leaves, Hurricanes, and a Leaf-Vacation in Nashville
Written November 7, 2024
Hello Dear Readers,
Near Thanksgiving day, our trees start to lose their dry clothing. They dropped so many leaves that there were so many to vacuum today. There were more leaves this year. A recent Hurricane brought a few windy days, and the wind carried the leaves from our neighbors. Due to our garbage bin being full of leaves from Tuesday’s collection session, I elected to skip today’s session as there’s nowhere to put them.
Since October, we have had hurricane after hurricane. Hurricanes don’t hit Nashville directly, but our weather seems to sing along with them. We get the rain and wind. There is rain forecasted for this weekend, which may make leaf collection next week a bit more difficult, but I’ll do what I can.
In the future, we may want to get an extra garbage bin to hold a bag to dump leaves into. We have some bags I could use, but throwing the leaves into an unsupported bag would be a lot of trouble. So, today will be my vacation from leaf gathering, and I may have to pay for it next week. Maybe I’ll be lucky, and the wind will magically blow all our leaves away without blowing new ones in to replace them.
Leaf vacuuming is one necessary maintenance task. When old leaves turn into soil, it creates unwanted deposits between concrete. Despite my work, there were weeds on the driveway. We had to weed them and clear them out with a power washer before damaging our driveway further. Besides, these dry trees make our front yard messy, so I want to keep them as neat as possible.
Fortunately, leaf vacuuming is not as hard as lawn mowing, and the weather is more tolerable now than in summer. The days have gotten shooter, and winter will show up quickly. The trees in the backyard have lost most of their tree already. There will be 2-3 weeks of leaf vacuuming. Of course, we may get a rare snowstorm, which hit us every year for all 6 years we lived in Nashville. For now, I will enjoy this leaf vacation.