Carteret, France

     I am Carteret, France.  It is on the Coretin Peninsula that juts northward toward England.  We are on the opposite side from where the Allies landed on D-Day, 6 June 1944.  I hadn’t run since Monday—today is Thursday.  I ran largely to keep up the habit.  Sometimes when I don’t run, I start to feel listless or anxious.  Not so today.  We are in the middle of a short vacation—yesterday, we saw site of the landings and all three of us immensely enjoyed the museum, books, and movies.  What’s more today I had an interview with a school in Moscow that sent me a sample contract to read.  Ooo-rah!
       Anyway, I ran down toward the beach on a route that we walked the other day, starting at about 6 am.  I didn’t take my iPod so I was hearing everything.  As I ran, I thought about the fact that every part of my body is running well and feeling well.  My gratitude is limitless.  We are supposed to be working here at this cottage in exchange for room and board.  It has been raining quite a lot.  We have been working in the rain—picking strawberries, digging, trimming hedges and gathering the clippings.  The boys have been helping very well.  This a.m., I thought, “Well, it’s not raining.  Maybe I should start trimming rather than run.”  I ran and then showered and got ready.  I got out the electric trimmer, stood up on the ladder—not plugged in.  I went around the house, took off my boots, went into the house, plugged in the trimmer.  Went outside, up the ladder—still not plugged in.  I went around the house, took off my boots, went into the house, plugged in the extension cord for the extension cord or the trimmer.  Went outside, up the ladder, made two movements with the now working trimmer…and it started to rain.  I carried on trimming, the boys came out and we all worked in the light rain for an hour.