why run why train why diet why why why

i'm asked pretty consistently why i run. do i really like it? questions like do i really like going to church seem to be of interest to others. it's the oddest thing. then i'm put into the category of individuals who enjoy running. well i do. but i don't think i train because i like it. i train to be ready for that next challenge the next mile. it is the preparation that it provides me for everything and everyone else in my life. when i had brain surgery i remember vividly how prepared i felt for something i could never have imagined would happen to me. my karate taught me the art of not quitting and my running taught me to just move through with the same commitment i made time and time again. these activities gave me the skill base and the tools to do what my faith requires: to accept willingly His will and to desire that it be done. even in the face of death or disability i had to move to a place of total and complete acceptance of God's will and not push against it or try to undermine it with my own preferences. this doesn't exclude healing or treatment but it is freeing to know that God's in charge no matter what the outcome or journey. I have tried to submit to His cross. i prayed for a miracle second only to His design for my life. flash forward my neurosurgeon told me i had a complete and total resection a cure. I was visited the day after my surgery by his support staff who was encouraging me to go home (yes the day after brain surgery). Elias and i insisted on a second night because i felt that i needed to be monitored for a second night and to get my pain managed. Surgery on July 11th home on the 13th; and training six weeks later. i'm not a superhuman endurance athlete this is what makes this so perfect i am the most unlikely person to move off the couch. not to paint an untrue picture i was not myself entirely for several weeks because of medications but my recovery was impressive by any standard. four months later i was at the Phanar for the Papal visit (Nov. 2006) and a month later (Dec. 2006) i conceived Euphemia. I had people all over the world praying for me. Holy people important people who took the time to pray for me and to call my family making all the difference. I have to show my love and appreciation for them by succeeding and giving testimony that all is true. so currently i don't see my life well lived without the run. it's not about my figure or about bragging rights which seems so lame to me. its about what it does for the rest of my life. as for dieting i don't think it is beneficial. i eat what i enjoy and i tend to enjoy carbs and not fats. unless of course they come in the form of potato chips or french fries. i am always amazed at how many times people seem so perplexed for example my mother or mother in law or relatives ask about my eating. everyone seems to be preoccupied with what i eat or what they eat and how much. i eat to live and to enjoy my lifestyle. i am more concerned with healthy living through movement then through diet. this escapes most women i guess. i don't think it's very rational to starve yourself when you can afford to eat. i think that it offends those who go hungry. i also take umbrage with people who eat to the point of gluttony. so i have issues what can i say. i hurt my back yesterday moving the treadmill and i just had to move today because i think not moving enough stiffened up my back. my foot is still bothersome but less so.

great post check out the link

http://byztex.blogspot.com/2009/04/being-mission-minded.html?showComment=1241038980000#c1047067639735046644

pray and play together

http://www.myleague.com/orthodoxplayers

do you play canasta? if so i have started a ladder for orthodox christians. please register once there are player we can begin hosting tournaments and games. there is no fee to play and prizes to win. it is s social site for christians and particularily orthodox christians.

running the good race despite disappointment

Stavro and i set out again for another try at geocashing. Mia of course was along for the ride. this has been a lesson in try try again. and of course when you fail or fall keep your eyes of the prize and keep trying. we still couldn't find the geocashing but we did find a pygmy rattle snake. this has been testing the limits of Stavro's patience and endurance. He has had to contend with setting out on these hunts traveling miles on his bike or on foot to get so close and yet come up short. His frustration levels have dropped off somewhat as he is learning patience and what attitude find success. I of course have to manage my own frustration with his reaction. I didn't want him traveling too far into the brush considering the snake we passed. I had the question posed to me 'what do i feel passionately about (aside from running). I don't think I'm passionate about running but i know that it is a very important part of the structure of my week and day. It helps me put into practice all the Biblical and Church Traditions in practical ways. I feel passionately about my faith and the Ecumenical Patriarchate but i am more focused on raising the baby and training up my teen and preteen. This might be to the frustration of some. I know that within the next year or so i will return to working as a social worker or life coach and then it will be my preoccupation but not my passion.

three's not the charm

Another day of Geocashing this time at Starkey. Stavro and i couldn't find this one either. Not knowing what we are actually looking for made it impossible to find anything in the lush landscape at the park. I had Stavro run this one with me instead of ride his bike to avoid having to haul it. Mia was along for the ride (as usual) and enjoyed this short trip, just .81 in one direction and then back. We ran out of sunlight and almost gas so i kind of locked us into a tight time frame and impossible task. The gps got us within 7 feet but Stavro and i began to dispute what we were actually looking for. We will head back out and take Xena my trail and family dog with us. I will strongly consider taking his bike and leaving Mia with Elias. He must have success as he says once his school obiligation is finished then it can just be our hobbie. My toe has really been hurting and how that much of the swelling is down and the color is back it hurts all the time least of all when i run. It throbs when i run and sears the rest of the time. I hope it's not broken. I would like to run during the movie The Passion of the Christ. It will be so different running through the movie instead of running for time or distance. I will wear a heart monitor to see how it changes based on viewing.

Christ is risen. Indeed He is risen.

half and half

(old photo) after leaving the kids at karate i decided to take Mia for a run. I was not planning to run but between Holy Week and my foot i felt like if i could run, I should run. I was only going to run there but when the baby got in the car (at the studio where my husband waiting) i decided to run home mostly because i didn't want to and also because we were not going anywhere but home. it was not a very pretty run and it was the first time in a long time that i questioned even liking running. i know i'm in love with running but i don't love it. not right now anyway.

geocashng and cashing out

today i thought i would take stavro on a hunt to actually find something not in the woods. only problem...i didn't account for private property and road construction. i ended up with a two mile (2.05) run on the grass for most of it. talk about resistance training. i was also of course pushing mia. The distance was tiny but the workout descent. my foot is the black phase of the healing process and my toes is not oozing anything. my new line is from the movie 'surfs up' and its become a family motto to lighten things up 'no joy...fail.' anyway i was still glad to get in a few miles they add up slowly like saving... i want to spend next month building back my mileage to 30 mile weeks and if that is not realistic then to at least 20. i think in may i'll plan on actually for real this time join the ymca. this way the kids can connect with other kids for the summer between out traveling and i can get a work out with the techno crew. i really want to start training for a tri although at this point i will settle for just training. it was had to justify the membership because i own a pool, a road bike and a treadmill but this will give me time to supervise the kids and connect with other grown ups who also train. birds of a feather flock together after all. anyway things at church have been much better with our new priest and now that Met. Jonah has stepped away from publicly pushing for autonomy and an American Patriarch. Such matters are left to synods and not groups who wish to secession. Christ is risen.

geocashing with stavro

once i was sure that my toe wasn't getting infected or any worse i decided to run on it today. so being who i am i put in a 7.25. after all i love running so much i should actually do some. stavro has started geocashing. it is a world wide phenomena which disinterested me until today. you essentially go on a treasure hunt. you can search anywhere you decided based on your location. Stavro and i decided to keep this search within a five mile radius of the house so he could ride his bike while i pushed mia. it was fun as he used the compass on my garmin to find the location based on the coordinates i downloaded. we couldn't find the spot because after crossing a golf course (not advisable) it took us into the woods not feasible with the bike and the baby. It was a great adventure non the less and it is a great way to keep him interested in our outings. you can also create sites which will be a lot of fun too. it is another way to use technology to get back to good old fashion fun and exploring. as for the running part it also sets a pace more reminiscent of childhood running endlessly through the neighborhood. the rhythm of the run is based on knowing where you are going. It is directed by the game which is a nice change of pace. It reminds me of the Great Race or whatever the reality t.v show is called. somehow the structure of the project makes running seem less artificial. my toe doesn't seem any worse after the run and wasn't unbearable.

Saint Vitalis (see link)

http://joypeacehope.blogspot.com/2009/01/st-vitalis-of-monastery-of-abba-serid.html

Christ is Risen!

How many critics of the Ecumenical Patriarchate can explain the event depicted here by painter theophilos?

Today we celebrate the Pascha the Risen Christ proclaiming his resurrection. I had many people to my house from all over the world. Greeks, Russians, Arabs and and even Americans all sang "Christ is Risen" in their native tounge before eating the Lamb. It was all great and the food couldn't be beat. I have great friends and a wonderful family thanks be to God. Yesterday i broke my foot (toe). Yes, it is quite numb today. If i can get it in a sneaker i will try and run a bit tomorrow otherwise i will have to wait for the swelling to go down. CHRIST IS RISEN!!

morning run Holy Friday

I woke up and headed out the door. i did some procrastinating but i realized the run would never happen if i didn't just go before the day began. the weather was a great blessing a cool breeze and partial cloud cover. i couldn't believe that between my home and the icon studio three houses which severely impacted by the storm of a few days ago. it made me think about my blessings and the day of cleaning in preparation for Pascha (Easter). If blessings become burdens then i am an unfaithful and ungrateful steward. Cleaning the yard, doing floors and windows for example is not glamorous but it is a privilege to have so much. i am personally working on not equating anger with strength.

Met. Jonah's return AMEN AMEN AMEN

News and Events
Metropolitan Jonah issues statement on recent sermon
Posted 04/17
SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications] -- On Great, Holy and Good Friday, April 17, 2009, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, issued the following statement in response to recent commentary on his April 5, 2009 sermon, delivered at Saint Seraphim Cathedral, Dallas, TX. “I greet you in a spirit of repentance and forgiveness as we celebrate the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Certain comments that were made in the course of my sermon have provoked a reaction from my Orthodox brothers that I did not intend or foresee. I regret making those comments. In particular, I realize that some characterizations regarding the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Patriarchate of Constantinople were insensitive. As the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, I am motivated only by the desire to underscore our fervent hope that future discussion about the so-called Orthodox Diaspora will include the Orthodox Church in America and other Orthodox jurisdictions in North America. It is also my purpose to affirm our Church in the face of those who would question our presence as a local Orthodox Church in North America. “It is now clear that I made statements that were uncharitable. I do apologize to His All-Holiness as well as to others who were offended. I also hope that through personal contact and acquaintance we might be able to overcome any misunderstandings that might arise or have clouded the relationship between our Churches in the past. My hope is that we might cooperate in an attitude of mutual support in our common mission, to spread the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the spirit of this Great and Holy Friday, I sincerely pray that as we contemplate Our Lord, Who ascended the Cross to “bring all men to Himself,” we will see in His patience and long-suffering the way to continue our work together for the witness and mission of Orthodoxy in the world and for Orthodox unity in North America.”

Responses from byzantine texas blog on archon response

TAKE YOUR STAND

4 comments:
elgreca262: angela damianakis m.s.w said...
God bless the Order of St. Andrew the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate righteous defenders of our All-Holy Father. Sincerely, An American Patriot, Greek Immigrant and first and foremost an Orthodox Christian.
April 15, 2009 2:49 PM
rwp said...
Yawn.
April 15, 2009 3:42 PM
Josephus Flavius said...
My personal hope is for decisive movement from the Church that limits squabbling. The uncanonical mish-mash in America needs a solution.
April 15, 2009 4:49 PM
elgreca262: angela damianakis m.s.w said...
A solution... wonderful. But it must be an Orthodox solution not an intentional coup. The planting of mission churches anyway there are Greek Orthodox Churches (Orthodox being the operative word) in some weak attempt to demonstrate a need where there is none. or the subersive attempts to establish new boards and new missionary efforts to undercut the tremenous success of already existing organizations like ocmc or or iocc unacceptable and deceptive. it is a kin to evangelical groups who want to bring christianity to the russians or to the ukranians. and to people who can yawn through this 'so sad'.
April 16, 2009 7:54 AM

Order of Saint Andrew Responds to Reckless Comments

Statement of the Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America
New York, NY4/15/2009
The Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, laymen who are deeply devoted to the Great Church of Christ and dedicated to the protection, defense and the mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, take this occasion to raise serious concerns and questions over the recent public remarks made by the Primate of the OCA during a Pan-Orthodox Vespers (April 5th) in Dallas, Texas. We do so sorrowfully, not only because the Church is now in the midst of Holy Week, but because the reason for our doing results from language that is unworthy of any ecclesiastical setting. Nevertheless, to be an Archon is to have a special concern and interest to protect and promote the Ecumenical Patriarchate, its mission, and the person of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Therefore, we can not and must not refrain from speaking the truth in love, even though the moment is not the best.
For those who have seen the video that has been widely circulated on the Internet, or have read the transcript that is still on an OCA website, it is immediately apparent that inappropriate language, to say the least, is used against the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Consider this phrase:
There's one solution that's being proposed in which we all submit to Constantinople. We all submit to a foreign patriarchate where all decisions will be made there. Where we will have no say in the decisions that are made, we will have no say in our own destiny and we surrender the freedom that we have embraced as American Orthodox Christians to a patriarch that is still under Islamic domination.
Who has proposed any kind of subjugation to Constantinople? No one! The fact is that all of the Autocephalous Primates agreed in Constantinople on October 12, 2008 that there should be a swift healing of every canonical anomaly that has arisen from historical circumstances and pastoral requirements, such as in the so-called Orthodox Diaspora, with a view to overcoming every possible influence that is foreign to Orthodox ecclesiology (Article 13, ii). This statement was signed by all the recognized Autocephalous Primates or their Official Representatives. Metropolitan Jonah's statements demonstrate not only a lack of knowledge and of discretion; they demonstrate something which is plainly foreign to Orthodox ecclesiology.
To maintain that we, Americans, cannot ... be controlled by people who have never heard a word of English much less would allow a word of English to be spoken in the liturgy. We can't allow our church to be controlled by people who have no appreciation of our culture and have to bow to the Turkish Islamic authorities, is an erroneous, irresponsible statement in any public setting, much less a liturgical service. The fact is that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew speaks six languages, and had a wonderful conversation with the President of the United States in English two days after this inflammatory remark! Furthermore, when the Heads of the Autocephalous Churches celebrated the Holy Liturgy together last October 12th in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George, there was an abundance of tongues used, recalling the Day of Pentecost.
Finally, we, Archons of the Great Church of Christ, must register our concern and pain over the general tone of the Metropolitan's remarks as insulting. When a statement is made, speaking personally about the Ecumenical Patriarch: if we wanted the Pope we'd be under the real one, it is not possible for the Order of Archons to be silent. This kind of disrespect is beneath any Christian. And we must also ask how a phrase like, Communists who now call themselves Democrats, does not cast aspersions on the very Nation whose martyred Church, the Patriarchate of Moscow, created the OCA in the first place?
As we are in the midst of Holy Days, when we all apply ourselves more vigorously to prayer and fasting, as we strive to follow Christ on His Way to the Cross and His Glorious Resurrection, we hope that Metropolitan Jonah will publicly retract his ill-considered remarks. While we rejoice that all things are forgiven in the Resurrection, as Orthodox Christians and as Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we will continue to be vigilant and express our grave concerns whenever such injustices as these are committed. May God grant to us all the strength and will to work for peaceable, reasonable relationships within His Holy Church, so that the Message of the Holy Gospel may shine forth.

three with mia after a three day as disney

this evening was a great time to run. the only drawback was the headwind for the first mile of the run. this home loop is great for several reasons the first of which i live in a great neighborhood and as the seasons pass i can appreciate the diversity in the landscaping something with is sorely missing in many cookie cutter neighborhoods. I also especially like that is never takes 30 min to run even with mia so i can almost always get a quick out and back. did i mention no traffic with the exception of a quick crossing at perrine ranch road. all is well here thank God. tomorrow is the first service with our new priest!!!

transcript form Metropolitan Jonah (DISGRACEFUL)

Transcript for the "talk" offered by Metropolitan Jonah in Dallas at the Pan Orthodox vespers on April 5, 2009.
Key quotes referring to His All Holiness:
"There are those there, in the old world... Who are ignorant of our Saints"
"We surrender the freedom that we have embraced as American Orthodox Christians to a Patriarchate still under Islamic domination."
"I would submit if we wanted a Pope we’d be under the real one."
"the true indigenous Orthodox Christians of our land"
"I don’t think the holy fathers in the Phanar understand"
"not to some kind of alien ideology, not to some nationalist or imperialist ideology from some forgotten empire, not the imposition of foreign customs and the submission to foreign despots."
"There are those there that say that there was no canonical Orthodox Church in the North American until 1924 until the establishment of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Greek archdiocese. Excuse me."
"Seven months ago I was still an abbot in a monastery in northern California. Just a few months ago I was made Metropolitan and I had no idea, really, what the scope of Orthodoxy is in America. And, now I’m beginning to get an idea."
"is not about some kind of international organization where we look 8000 miles away for some source of canonicity."
“There is an American Orthodox Church. Leave it alone.”

Breaking News

Home > Breaking News > World > Story
April 7, 2009
Patriarch meets Obama 10 min-->
ISTANBUL - THE SPIRITUAL leader of the world's Orthodox Christians has thanked President Barack Obama for appealing for more religious freedom in a speech to Turkey's parliament.
A church spokesman says Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is based in Istanbul, met Obama in private for 15 minutes at the president's hotel on Tuesday.
The spokesman, Rev. Alexander Karloutsos of the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States, says Bartholomew also thanked Obama for advocating Turkey's entry into the European Union.
According to Karloutsos, Obama said he would continue to promote religious freedom.
In a speech to Turkish lawmakers on Monday, he urged Turkey to reopen a Greek Orthodox seminary, a key demand by the European Union to strengthen Ankara's bid for EU membership. -- AP

News release Obama meets with Ecumenical Patriach

ISTANBUL (ANA-MPA) -- Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I on Tuesday expressed optimism for the reopening of the Halki seminary and resolution of the long-standing problems faced by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, after a meeting here with new US President Barack Obama. "The Ecumenical Patriarchate is much more optimistic, both on the Halki theological seminary and regarding the problems we face, in general," Bartholomew said after a 15-minute in-camera meeting with Obama, held at the hotel where the US president is staying in the Bosporus metropolis. The meeting was also attended by White House chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel and Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America Demetrios. The Ecumenical Patriarch thanked Obama "for all he said concerning Halki yesterday (Monday) from the podium of the Turkish national assembly", underlining to the US president that the operation of the Orthodox Christian seminary on the eponymous Sea of Marmara island was essential for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. "This institution is necessary to renew its (the Ecumenical Patriarchate's) clergy and officials and to fulfil its lofty mission with dialogues with other Christian Churches, as well as the dialogue we have commenced in the past 20 years with the other monotheistic religions," the spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians emphasised. Bartholomew further expressed appreciation for Obama's backing for Turkey's European course, which "we, as the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and I personally, have been doing for years and continue to do so". The Ecumenical Patriarch commented that Obama had been "very unassuming and very friendly, while he added that the congratulated the US president for the University of North Carolina's (UNC) victory in the NCAA final a day earlier. "He was impressed that I knew of it and was very pleased, laughed, and thanked me, and in that pleasant atmosphere we parted," the Ecumenical Patriarch stated.

running on the dreadmill

i don't know why my fellow runners dread the treadmill. i ran just over 4.25 miles last night. it was great. the temperature was perfect, no traffic instant information about heart rate an objective understanding of what is comfortable and what isn't. speed work on a soft surface perfect!!! i'm so glad my husband got me my treadmill two Christmas' ago. by the way if you are in the market for one get one with 3 horsepower, a larger belt surface and one designed for running.

Jonah (WAY WRONG DIRECTION)

Pan - Orthodox Sermon by His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah @ Yahoo! Video

Obama in Turkey

(photo from millenium congress constantinople)

Freedom of religion and expression lead to a strong and vibrant civil society that only strengthens the state, which is why steps like reopening the Halki Seminary will send such an important signal inside Turkey and beyond.

italian take out and Mia take out

after ordering Italian for the family i took mia out for our home loop (3 miles). it was so satisfying that i finished before my husband got home with dinner. it was a wonderful evening run. the weather was warm but not hot there was a breeze but no wind. mia would call out during the run pointing out whatever would catch her eye. squirrels are in full swing this spring. we have a raven that has called our house home. we have started feeding him. Prophet Elijah was fed by one and we thought weld repay the favor. Elias (Elijah in Greek) has taken this as his pleasure. Our neighborhood is a bird sanctuary and we have always enjoyed hawks, wood peckers, hummingbirds, cardinals and blue jays. the blue jays are mean suckers. anyway i have really been enjoying the rhythm of my runs. there are relaxing and keep in good enough shape that i can jump into a half marathon. it's nice not having the pressure of training in a formal sense. in some ways it's like prayer being a natural extension of living. although now in Great Lent it is more regimented with Holy Week being the marathon. Anger, depression, disease and negativity are all the results of the fall nature. Too many people and society in general not wanting to modify life have chosen treat the outcome rather then temper their actions. this new vaccine they have now for adolescent girls is marketed as being a preventative for cervical cancer. why? they found out that when women are promiscuous having multiple partners they often contract genital warts which later in life increase (almost guarantee) the likelihood that they will develop cervical cancer. It would seem rather then getting a shot it make sense not to sleep around. the pharmaceutical community of course make big bucks so they are not pushing for self control and restraint. The medical profession takes a 'what does it hurt to be preventative or to take a prophylactic measure. The problem is that we have already then conceded and sent the message to our girls that pre and extramarital sex with multiple partners is a given and that some shot will inoculate them against the consequences of said behavior. of course it may only vaccinate against cervical cancer but not against the spiritual cancer that grows and ultimately erodes the marriage and one's purity. The divorce rates in America is driven by all the poisons individuals infuse into their live. we can't compartmentalize sin or dysfunction. additionally one's attitude about marriage i think is the driving force behind long lasting marriages and failing ones. the culture used to expect restrain outside of marriage then, it a culture of serial monogamy was acceptable and now we are a culture of serial marriage. society has limited marriage to a secular union and not a bond before God. we make what is unnatural an alternative and we seek pleasure as if it were a virtue. i'm just saying.

wind gusts a plenty WATCH OUT

(Photo theophani and elias). today was a day for reflection and the 'tides they are a changing'. this blustery day was a metaphor for the the call to action and making a stand for what is morally acceptable. I have come to a place where i resent having to take the worldview that mandates that faith, religion (yes that dirty word) and Judea-Christian morality and values must be checked at the door of one's house. I am sick and tired to the point of nauseaum to be bound and gagged by pointing out that much of the difficulties that we have in this country (and others) is driven by our inability to discern right from wrong. so many of the epidemiology of what plagues us is spearheaded by the liberal media and libertarian world view that anything goes without consequence or at least judgement. everyone with the exception of planned parenthood would like to see a decrease of abortions but you cannot dare say that setting standard for abstinence is unreasonable. we can't even address poverty in this country because then we have to explain how single parent households are a primary cause of poverty. No we need to mandate that everyone regardless gets an equal share. unwed mothers increase the likelihood that they will live in low income households exponentially. but to tell them to refrain from sex, to refrain from unprotected sex to refrain from having children with multiple men is not to be explored. what a great disservice we do to them. until we accept that much of the pathology we see in this culture is avoidable then we can't hope to fix the problem. expecting youth not to drink is not realistic so we have to have policies like prom promise seminars which ask them to pledge not to drink and drive. don't drink is a fool proof way of dealing with the problem. if you don't want emphysema don't smoke or work in a coal mine. treat the disease but cut off the generational cycle by refraining from smoking. all of the challenges and disappointments in my life have been a direct result of my short comings and poor decision making. behavior has a resonating and systemic effect. sin yes i said sin leads to death: spiritual and physical death. it metastasizes in the individual and in society. let's talk about that. in honest terms and not politely escort people to hell.

today was a four miler from the dojo. after my run i met elias and the baby at walmart to pick out some dvd's. the wind was so strong today that even though it was from the side it constantly pushed me to the side. i was grateful that i didn't have the baby with me because pushing her in the stroller would have been an impossibility. the sky was lovely and even though the temperature is in the 80's the wind was refreshing. keep it positive. today i spent some time exploring personal accountability and moral imperatives. in life too often we choose the path of least resistance we don't get involved for take action because it's not convenient. Stand up for what is right because the devil exploits the politeness of good people. i have been taking advantage of the great Florida weather and i took the baby to the beach for the warm fresh air. it was a good day. i know today's entry is all over the map but that's how it goes sometimes.