Running With Perseverance

Running In Lucerne Switzerland

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Coco

When I saw the paved path by the lake, I hoped that I would have time during my business trip to go running in Lucerne Switzerland. My first morning I was so jet-lagged that I hit snooze for 90 minutes, but by the second day I was back to my usual schedule, and woke up before dawn.

(You can see the daytime view in this Wordless Wednesday post)

Looking out the window, I could tell that that path by the lake was lit, so I decided to put the cold weather running gear that I had stuffed into my suitcase to good use. (It was in the low 20s!) As is often the case is Swiss hotels, you are supposed to leave your room key with reception whenever you go out, so I waited until 6:30 so I wouldn’t get any comments about going out so early on my own.

See how big that room key is!

When I got to the path, I was thrilled to see that not only was it lit–it was plowed of the bit of snow that had fallen over night!

It stayed dark for a while, but I saw other runners and dog walkers and people heading to work, so I felt completely safe. I ran about 1.5 miles away from the town center and then back past my hotel and over the bridge to scope out a chocolatier that I hoped to visit before I had to catch my train to Lausanne. I ended up covering about 4.4 miles.

After a hot shower, I was ready to refuel with some yummy bread and butter and jam!

Are you able to mix business with pleasure on business trips?

Posted in Fitness | Tagged Beauty, Business Travel, Running | 8 Comments

Prayers For Our President On Inauguration Day

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Coco

There is not as much excitement about the Inauguration this year as there was when President Obama first took office, but it still is a momentous day.

There will be ceremonies and celebrations, and public and private prayers. (The website for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies explains that there will be a private swearing-in ceremony on January 20, and a public ceremony on January 21.) The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church has this prayer “For the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority.”

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world:
We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that, being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace.
Grant to the President of the United States, the Governor of this State (or Commonwealth), and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Shortly after election day, we read Psalm 146 as part of our Sunday service. I thought it might have been more fitting before the election, but I decided to keep it in mind for Inauguration Day.

Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the Lord, who remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the alien
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

This Psalm is a good reminder that even the greatest human leader is human, with faults and failings, imperfect judgment and limited power. On the other hand, if we put our trust God, we will not be disappointed. God is always faithful, and serves a broad constituency–including those that may be disenfranchised from human politics.

Posted in Life | Tagged Bible, Christian, Politics, Prayer | 1 Comment

I Don’t Know How To Eat Chia Seeds

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Coco

I was late to the Greek yogurt craze (and still only like Chobani®).

It took me many tries to like yoga.

I’m still not sure about Chia.

After hearing about them for months, I finally found some Chia seeds at Trader Joe’s.

The first thing I tried was Chia chocolate pudding.

It was ok, but I’m not a big pudding fan anyway.

Then I tried sprinkling some on my toast.

It added crunch, but not much taste–I prefer a sprinkle of ground flax seeds.

Finally, I tried it in yogurt.

This may have been my favorite way to eat Chia, but I haven’t really bothered to do it again.

Can you teach me how to eat Chia seeds?

Posted in Food | Tagged Nutrition | 11 Comments

Wordless Wednesday (The Lucerne Edition)

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Coco

Posted in Life | Tagged Beauty, Business Travel, Wordless Wednesday | 4 Comments

Five Ways To Enjoy Eating More Vegetables

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Coco

We are all familiar with the “5-A-Day” and “Strive for Five” campaigns. We are supposed to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. I usually am pretty good about that, but my vegetable consumption hit a low over the holidays. Now that I am getting back on track, here are five ways I enjoy eating more vegetables.