I was looking for another picture. One of my dog actually.  She's not doing well.   I have to remember to call into our vet and I'm gonna try a few things as well but she's older- 10 years old now and her hips are not doing good.  She's a big ol' lab mix and is a rescue.  Her life, until we got her, was not good =(   She's a beautiful sweet dog who has come so far in the 2, almost 3 years, we've had her.  When we got her she wasn't even housebroken and was scared to death of people.   Now she's housebroke and loves people.   I'm not ready to loose her to be honest.  So we are praying and gonna think positive thought for sure.    Anyways, I am digressing.   I found the picture here and I had saved it a while back and forgot about it.   But today its speaking volumes to me.  Right now my house is crazy with all that is going on but when I look at the bigger picture... we are making amazing progress already.  It feels like a home! and that's important.  Its safe as well.  Its not perfect, no house ever is, but its good.  Its on its way to being great.   Last night the one thing that stuck out to me was when my neighbor and I were talking as he was helping me.  We were talking about how the previous owner left my place and things and I basically said "I don't want to be THAT neighbor. I want to be a good neighbor, one that you feel like you can pop over for coffee or a beer and chat with. Or drops cookies off to you or chicken soup when you're sick.  I want my place nice and maintained well. I get that right now its rough and I'm sorry" and without hesitating he said "are you kidding me? You already have it a million times better than it was. You are working on it still.  And you are the neighbor we are glad to have."     This made me feel much better. I can't wait to have them over when things are further along.  Of course he's offered to rehang all my cabinet doors when I'm done painting them so he'll see it sooner because no offense but I'm not dumb enough to pass up help.  
So then I was thinking about how I haven't been able to work out. My mileage of swim, bike, run for October was really low and that is frustrating for sure. But I did do an amazing run and most of the miles were run miles.  My back and this pinched nerve are taking a toll on my training this month. I guess its a good thing I'm officially in off season. My diet/eating these last 2 weeks has overall been much better. I see a nutritionist this Friday to hopefully help nail some things down better.  But  I feel more blobish as a result of all this.   But then I'm reminded that really my tummy or that alone isn't perfect but together I'm still me and me is pretty amazing.  I think we all need that reminder.    So today I focus on the bigger picture.... the cake! Not on the baking soda or the raw egg parts.