So today, as I read my meter, I am thinking, Pat! You found more courage to make it one more day! Yippee! And yes, I was mighty tempted to smoke today. I have a lady who lives up in front of me. (I live in a duplex.) She is wonderful. Nice, sweet, gentle and a smoker. She's in her early 70's, I think, and sounds so bad, she worries me. It is both bad and good to have her near me. "Bad" because a cigarette is just steps away. I don't even need to go to the store, buy a whole pack. I could have just one maybe..... you think? Hummm..... And "good" because all I need to do to convince myself further about my need to quit is to listen to her try to breathe. I wish I had that sound on tape. When I get weak, I could just play that sound for a moment and I bet I'd find some strength somewhere to say no thanks, I've quit smoking. Whew! Nasty sound.

I bet you all are wondering if I've kept up on my walking. And the answer is, Yep! I just got back. It's so cold out there. I have a hard time believing this is the end of May. Didn't the Creator intend for us to be planting and growing our flowers in sunshine right about now? Well, somehow Mother Nature is not following the cue cards. Would someone out there please get her attention and tell her she forgot to warm us up here in the Sierra-Nevadas? I'm waiting and waiting and waiting for warmth! Anyway, my walk. I did make it around a few more blocks. I live in the older part of this city and we have these huge cottonwoods all over the place. And the birds love these big old trees. So as I am walking in the street -- because they didn't make sidewalks way back then -- I am listening to all of these birds just singing away. Wonderful music to my ears. And as I am walking along, I am breathing deeply of this crisp, cold air. And all of a sudden this air strikes me as refreshing, this cold air is refreshing. So I take another deep breath, filling my lungs with this wonderful fresh air and all of a sudden, I wasn't so sure I wanted it to warm up too much. This air is just heavenly. Then I got to thinking....when was the last time that I had walked this street, breathing in this cold, clear, mountain air and appreciated it so much? The answer, to my embarrassment, was never. So my gift for today was the clear, cold, lung full of mountain air. Do you all know that feeling? Hummm....... wow, what a feeling?

Enjoy the day! Breathing clear cold mountain air here....

NewladyPat
4 days, 2 hours, 5 minutes, 35 seconds, 81 cigs not smoked and really proud of the courage it takes to do that!