Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada and Columbus Day here in the U.S.
While I am Canadian, I’m not having a Thanksgiving feast today, but I am still feeling thankful nonetheless. I must admit I have had better years than this past twelve months, but, on a positive note, I always count my blessings for my friends and especially for my good health. I’ve never taken my health for granted because I watched my mom suffer for many years, barely able to put one foot in front of the other, the result of a childhood accident. This past July 11th marked the 80th anniversary of that fateful day. Mom spent four years in the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and had over forty orthopedic operations over the course of her lifetime, all resulting from a split-second decision to run across the street from between two parked cars at age eleven.
Over the years, I would see people walking along Fort Street as I was waiting for the bus to go downtown to work, and I’d often remark to my mom that “one day I am going to have a walking regimen like those folks … probably when I’m retired” and her response always was “you have two healthy legs, so why wait … just start now.”
Well, I took my good old sweet time before I started walking regularly at Labor Day 2011, and, now walking has become more than just a means of staying healthy and getting exercise but is a joyous way to begin my day. I love the good feeling that comes with having the ability to get out and walk every morning, the camaraderie with other walkers, communing with nature at Council Point Park and then writing about it.
I am mindful of the shorter days and feel a little sad as I know those walks will dwindle, but I am hopeful for a mild Winter like the last two have been.
My eventual goal this year was to supersede my 2016 walking miles and this morning I crossed that threshold. It would have happened yesterday, but that rain on Friday put a damper on the morning walk. So, there are 83 more days until yearend – dare I set another goal, or do I just revel in whatever miles I have walked by December 31, 2017 and be grateful for that final tally? I believe the latter will be my plan going forward. I have been pushing myself to get five miles a day walked since Labor Day, and that last five miles this morning pushed me to the milestone of 755 miles walked so far in 2017, one more mile than the previous year.
Onward and upward!
[Image by John Hain on Pixabay]
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Miss Linda…………………..now I know why we had no mail delivery today! …………..and happy Thanksgiving to you being you’re a Canadian girl!………………..and also congratulations on completing one more mile this year than last year
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Ann Marie – Yes a bank holiday and postal holiday but we still had garbage day and our City Hall was open which I saw on Facebook when I was checking for the upcoming Lincoln Park Farm Market information for you. Thanks for the well wishes for Thanksgiving and also for the congratulations on making my goal. I made that goal so quickly since we had so many rain-free days, and because we had all those cooler days. Had it stayed hot and humid, I would not have accomplished so many five-mile days. On the really hot days, I did my grocery shopping for the pantry items for the Winter for the basement. That way I could walk in the store and still got miles in at the store, hauling stuff in one bag at a time, and into the basement, as I wore my pedometer, even though not walking in the Park. I know that now that the walks will be shorter until the time changes again, and by that time we’ll have snow potentially. I’ll see how many more miles I can rack up now before year end, but set no goal going forward. I would have actually done this goal alot earlier had I not had so many contractor issues as well – many walks were missed staying home to be here for them or their aftermath. This was an unusual year walking-wise for me.
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