River City Marathon for some, 5K for me

So, as I was looking at life after the Half, I saw the River City Marathon.  It is for St. Jude and since I am all about the St. Jude, I signed up.

Ran the Half, April 27th and then proceeded to run exactly three times before the River City Marathon.. Had a great time hanging out with Ed, Stephanie, their kids, Katie, Paul and Moira Marshall.  Being around positive people who also happen to be runners is SO refreshing.  Note to self, hang out with runners more.  Ed and Katie (brother and sister) both rocked the Full Marathon OUT!

Anyway, started the run, it was a small event.  Only about 2000 runners overall.  Chugged along at my normal pace.  I found that I missed my Half Marathon running buddy Karen ;(  but ended up about the same pace as this lovely lady in a cute running outfit, skirt and all.  We were chugging along and she asked me if this was my first 5K and I happily told her, no, I had just finished a Half Marathon 3 weeks ago.  She was surprised.  I think I could get used to surprising people like that.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I will leave work early and head to Champaign, IL for the Illinois Marathon.

Six months ago, this was a "wouldn't it be cool" thought that I shared with very, very few people.

I have done the training, I have run the program. I missed a few short runs, but throughout the winter, I did not miss one single long run AND I ran them all alone, outside during an Illinois winter.

My kids and TGF and my mom and dad have watched me work towards this goal and bless them, they never one single time, discouraged me and let me tell you, that was probably not the easiest thing to do as I was a bear with a sore ass on long run days.

I am contemplating the Victory Pose and the Facebook pictures and running into Memorial Stadium down the chute and crossing the 50 yard line. The Chief danced there and I will stand there too, with a Finishers Medal around my neck.

I and my team have raised enough to fly a kid and parent to St. Jude in Memphis and feed and house them for at least a week. I remember my dad dropping Michael and I off at the airport that first trip to Memphis and I am proud that our team can provide at least that comfort.

My left heel hurts, my right knee twinges, my feet felt like ground beef just over one week ago when I finished my 14 mile run and I'm scared because 13.1 miles is a long way, but today the thought occurred to me, "What if the training was the hardest part?"

I'll let you know after Saturday.

Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon or BUST!

Last Saturday, in the dark of the night after an exciting day of swimming and diver watching at the University of Minnesota, I finally came out of the closet and sent donation e-mails and posted on Facebook that I was running the Half Marathon.

When the first donation came back just moments later, I cried.  I cry every time I get a donation.  If I ever get myself into a place where I think there is no one who loves me or no one cares, I will look at the donations and remember.

http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Heroes/Heroes?team_id=34062&pg=team&fr_id=3842

Glory Days

HAHAHAHAHAHA~! I was looking at the posts that I had composed and never published and this is one that I created at the beginning of my Half Marathon journey 10 or more weeks ago. 3 miles...now it seems so "pedestrian" as I would jokingly tell the kids.


 So, it might not be quite common knowledge, but I am running a Half Marathon, The Illinois Marathon on April 27, 2013. I started this journey to health more than a year ago and I have kept at it now for a year. I started thinking about it in June when Michael was diagnosed and it has gotten to the point of "why not". On one hand it is a crazy idea, I am 48 years old, weigh more than the charts say I should and have never been a runner. BUT, I remember the glory days. I played sports in high school and wasn't all that bad at them. Never the best, but could always be counted on when the chips were down. I have some stellar soccer memories, some goals, some injuries and in fact was inducted into the Serena High School Athletic Hall of Fame a few years ago. I remember during the induction, I was thinking, "I bet no one that knows me now would ever believe that I was an athlete". Well, at 48 years old, I am again transitioning from a couch potato to an athlete and I pray that this time it sticks. The Half Marathon training program is 16 weeks. I just finished week 2 which required a 4 mile "Long Run". I was grumpy about it, I was afraid I couldn't do it, but I know that I need to follow the plan or I will not be successful in my Half Marathon attempt and I will be a Finisher. SO after mile 3 of the "long run", I got to thinking about the fact that I would indeed finish this first long run and that in 16 weeks, I'll be finishing the Half Marathon and how glorious it will be to cross the finish line at the 50 yard line of Memorial Stadium and strike my "Victory Pose". I almost started to cry. It will be so cool at 48 to have an athletic Glory Day again.I'll keep you posted.

From Runners World

This came from Runners World. I wanted to save it, it is NOT my creation.


Hey, Fat Girl Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe. You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you. You are awesome. If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others. You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible. You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again. You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration. I bow to you.

I really ran 9.5 miles?

It's starting to get real now. The long run has been steadily increasing and while it has been hard so far, it has been "doable". I would finish thinking "13.1 won't be that bad". It will be hard, but it is simply a matter of walk/run/walk/run. Endurance, not speed is my goal. Well, yesterday I ran 9.5 miles. Dude it was HARD...I ran out of GU the last 2 miles. I kept thinking 1 minute at a time, 1 minute at a time...My dad came to check on me and I had about 1 mile left and I told him I was fine, but I really, really wanted to crawl into the truck and let him drive me home, but I didn't. When the little voice in my earphones said, "Congratulations, now lets cool down"...I almost cried with relief. I walked the rest of the way to my starting point and stretched and ate and stretched again and again and again. I was stiff for about 3 hours after but by the evening, I was doing pretty well and today, I am HUNGRY, but other than that, I feel pretty good. This linebacker body of mine seems to be doing its thing and getting stronger. Let's not talk about the next long run (11 miles).

My Half Marathon Journey

I am told that I should blog my journey to the Illinois Half on April 27, 2013. Hmmm, well, ok, I'll try...On one hand, I've always thought it would be cool to run. ALL healthy people run, right? And I WANT to be healthy and so if I run, I'll be healthy. I started the C25k program back in....late summer/early fall 2011 and ran the Turkey Trot in Oglesby. I puttered at the Y and half-ass tried to continue the program trying to use it to get faster. I ran the Walter Payton 8k in June, 2012 and then didn't really run much until the fall of 2012. When Michael got sent to St Jude, all I could think of was "I may never get to run a 5k with him". I know that wasn't the right attitude, but I was terrified. When we experienced St. Jude, I wanted to give back. Sure we will be a Partner in Hope until the day we both draw our last breath, but I wanted to do something harder than just donate money. It became a crazy, crazy dream to run the St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis. You see there is a picture at St.Jude of which I am particularly fond, it is a famous athlete, bit I don'to know who it is, wearing a St.Jude Hero singlet. But that is a long time away. Could I train and focus on a goal that far away?

I started thinking about a "warm-up Half" and found the Christie Clinic Marathon in April in Champaign and THEN, I discovered that I could run the Illinois Half as a St. Jude Hero individually or I could form a team. Anyway, to make an endless story short, I formed a Team "Team Michael and the M&M'S" and thus I am now committed to running the Illinois Half Marathon as part of a St. Jude Hero team. Eeekkkk... The good news is that I can kill two birds with one stone!

SO... When swim season started, I got myself to the Y as often as possible. I did Lose to Win in the fall and started taking Power Hour on Mondays and Wednesdays, a Cardio class on Fridays and started the c25k again. Attempted the Jailhouse Jog in Peoria (benefits St. Jude and Walked the 2012 Turkey Tot because a friend was walking. December 1 I started the training for the Half. I am using the Galloway method. I am at a 1/1 progression. Meaning I walk for a minute and then run for a minute. I am shooting for a pace of 15 min per mile which is extremely slow and kind of shameful for a runner, but it is what it is. I have learned that people run marathons and Half marathons this way or some variation of this method all the time. I had always thought that all marathon runners ran the entire 26.2 or 13.1 miles. This is evidently not the case. When I found out I could run/walk I thought, "Hey! Maybe I can really do this?" and I began training in earnest.

I am scared, scared to death. I don't look like a runner, I look like a linebacker. I have told people, too many people for me to have to face if I don't do the race...I have haters, haters who when they hear of my adventure will scoff and say nasty things behind my back and ask me what my time was. I have a response ready for them. People who love me have said, "oh, you'll cause yourself osteo problems" and "aren't you taking too much time from the children" and "oh, marathons are so hard on your body". In all honesty, many people have encouraged me to the moon and back. I work almost full-time, have a husband, 3 kids, 2 dogs and all the other issues of a busy woman in 2013. But I have decided, I will stick to the training, I will put in the time and log the miles. I will run this one Half Marathon for Michael and when that is over....I'll see if I want to do another one, or not....

Jailhouse Jog

Well, yesterday I was to run the Jailhouse Jog for St. Jude in Peoria. I did run part of it. It was a humbling experience, but I just couldn't finish it. A good bit of it was on grass, I had to pee, I got up a 4am to get there. Only 160 cals for breakfast, 3 one hour workouts last week, one the night before the run. I thought I was strong enough. Afterall, it was only 3 miles...I can do that! Not yesterday. Excuses, excuses, excuses....I just couldn't catch my breath, couldn't get into a rhythm, my calves were cramping, silly head games, I tried visualizing St Jude and the wonderful people and how I wanted to run with Michael someday and I just couldn't focus, couldn't settle down. I am a runner, a badass runner-some say, but yesterday, I was a pussy...

I am confused...

This Chic-fil-a thing. It confuses me. I believe that a business owner should not be kept from being in business because it's company philosophy is one way or another. If Chic-fil-a wants to say that they are only supportive of marriage between a man and a woman, I believe that is their right. I a am thankful that this tidbit of information came out. I have never eaten at their restaurant and now that I know that is their philosophy, I never will eat there. I am not a biblical or religious scholar as I recently learned that my religion is not simply "catholic", but "Roman Catholic", but that is another discussion. BUT I seem to vaguely recall that at the end of days, God is the ultimate judge of the rightness or wrongness of our life on earth. It puzzles me that it seems that most of these fundamentalist religious groups, individuals or whatever, Have somehow decided that THEY get to judge. Do you think they will be surprised when they meet their maker and they find out that their beliefs and their interpretation of the bible is wrong? I can't imagine why anyone would care if Tommy has 2 daddies or 2 mommies. Surely that couldn't be any worse than having no daddy and that has surely become commonplace. Life is hard enough to just live your life being the very best person you can be. If that is what you are and it makes you happy? Who am I to judge?

It was a long weekend.

It all started well. My final undergrad Mothers weekend at the University of Illinois. Compared to 4 years of high school, these 4 years of college have gone SO quickly. Please don't misunderstand. My #1 son is not perfect, I have never thought myself the mother that says, "OH Jack would NEVER" simply because I know he very well might.

I am so proud of my tall, strong, handsome, smart, funny, bullheaded, bossy, arrogant, opinionated, ridiculous #1 son that my heart is bursting. I have taken so much grief from so many people, "well, you are just not that into being a mom", "you are too easy (or hard) on him" "you give him too much" "you'd better get him under control"....he was certainly not easy to raise, he was my first and I didn't even bother buying a book...I learned when he was about 6 months old that I could not control him. I have erred on the side of depending on him to be more of a grown up than he should have had to be and that caused problems that I don't know if I will ever be able to rectify, but I think he understands and will someday forgive me. I am his parent for sure, but I think we are friends, too.

We had a good weekend. We shopped and spent a ton of money. We ate good food, I met some of his friends, we drank some beers, had some alcohol fueled whipped cream and a shot or so. But I left Champaign with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. He is done. No way he does not graduate on May 12th. The event I have been working for since August 8th, 1990 has occurred. He is educated, I will have his picture in front of the Alma Mater in his cap and gown, i bought him a Univeraity of Illinois diploma frame. How I will manage to get through graduation with any makeup on at all will be a miracle...as Jack would say, "Angie, you are one hot mess"...

He starts graduate school at the University of Illinois on May 20th, so at least I get to look forward to 2 more Mothers Weekends...

I drove home and met the family for MG's swim team banquet. Long story short, at the end of the banquet, her coach of 4 years, Joan Jobst, resigned. Joan is a good coach, she is a tough coach, but a fair coach. She is a coach who stays on the sidelines during a meet. She commands and receives respect from her swimmers. She is not a demonstrative coach. This year when MG's Medley Relay team made a State cut, she huged each of the girls and I felt that was the highest of compliments and so did MG. I was embarrassingly tearful as is normal for me. Joan is all we know. She will be missed.

Running?

I want to be a runner, I want to run a 5K, but running is SOOOOO boring...the gasping for breath seems all consuming and I just can't settle to focus on something peaceful.  I think of the beach at Tybee Island, GA and the color and the waves lapping and after about 15 seconds, I've got nothing else. 
 
I stared the C25K last fall and made it to a 20 minute run.  By run, I mean 4.3 or so on the treadmill.  I participated in the Turkey Trot in November, I've heard all my life, "Well, Ang, you just aren't a runner".....When I say run, I have no desire to be fast, I would be happy to be able to accomplish a decent steady JOG,
 
I've started back at the middle of the C25K and this morning, I accomplished the warm up (5 min), run (4 min), walk (2), run (6) and a cool-down - totalling .98 miles.  That was all the time I had for a work-out. 
 
I want to use the running as my "regular" exercise because you can do it anywhere and still do the Step and the weights and I'm going to check into martial arts for the summer (with MG)
Do you have any ideas?  Perhaps this is just a practice thing?  I did manage the 20 minutes at one time, but this morning the 4 and then the 6 minutes, OY....I wanted to poke my eyes out.

I am told that I just need to keep working at it. It is a goal, a long term goal... A work in progress

 

I Believe

Reprinted from

I don't believe anyone is evil. I don't believe demonizing helps us in any way, shape or form. It leads us to easy targets instead of hard choices.

So, what DO I believe?

I believe every person carries the light of God within them from birth. When I attack another of God's children, I turn my back on that light and disrespect not only the person, but myself as well. We are better than that.

I believe if we only do what cannot fail, we miss the best of what we have to offer the world. We must not run or hide or hang our heads if we are less than 100% successful in everything we do. We have so much potential in our hearts & souls and the world needs every blessed one of us.

I believe we should reach high. That way, when we come up short, which we usually do, we are still above the mediocrity so much of our world wallows in.

I believe we are still learning and evolving. We may not be what we will yet become, but, by God, we are not what we once were. And that is progress of the best kind. Whether it is a new knitting stitch or a new way of seeing the world, no one has all the answers. To each of us is given a piece of the puzzle; we must work together to make a harmonious whole.

I believe only she who is without fault can cast the stones. Don't know about you, but that definitely leaves me out of the rock throwing business.

I believe in the communion of saints, and by that I do not mean those marble statues in church. I mean us. Quakers are often accused of eliminating the clergy. We have not. We have eliminated the lay person. All of us are saints. All of us carry God within.

I believe we can accomplish more by working together, than we can by pulling apart.

I believe it is better to build up than to tear down.

I believe girls like Legolas, but women prefer Aragorn ( oops - wait a minute - I digress - my bad!)

I believe in purposeful living. We are not just marking time. We are here for a reason. Our lives matter. They mean something.

I believe it is the responsibility of each individual to discover for themselves what that purpose is.

I believe my purpose is to love and support those I come into contact with on a day to day basis, whether that individual is a member of my family, an unhappy customer, or the man selling brooms outside the downtown post office door.

I believe, when we fall, we should pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and not waste time in moaning about it; we must learn from it, and go on about our business, which is, to paraphrase the Ghost of Christmas Present, "[hu]mankind."

I believe forgiveness is the hardest challenge we face in life, and the one that builds the most character.

I believe in the power of love to overcome death, war, pestilence, anger, sloth, selfishness, petty argument, bigotry, and all the other ills which our world is heir to.

I believe that even as we wind our way to the end of our journeys , we plant the seeds for a new beginning.

That is what I believe. What about you?

Disney 2009

Our Disney trip. MG loved the swimming, she was a little intimidated by the dolphins, we saw the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom, Discovery Cove (where MG swam with a dolphin - Lester) and SeaWorld. I would have to say that Discovery Cove and SeaWorld were our favorite. For some reason the thin filter on my camera wasn't working (I am surely much thinner than I appear in those pictures). We could not have wished for better weather, the company was perfect. It was really a wonderful trip, but I was glad to be home.

When I called home on Sunday, Michael said, "Are you coming home, mommy?" Melted my heart.

For some reason, I can't link to my flickr account. If you want to see the photos, go to www.flickr.com, click the people tab and search for amarshall102, you will then see all my pictures, the Disney pictures have their own folder.

I Laughed Until I Cried

This past weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a gathering of friends. Somehow I was fortunate enough to get included in a weekend retreat of quilters last year and I behaved, so I got invited back. This year, I took extra precautions and I made some kick-ass cinnamon rolls, so I think I'm in next year, too.

It is hard to explain what is so much fun about these gatherings. This weekend, there was 14 ladies, mostly quilters, but some knitters/quilters. Basically, everyone hangs out and quilts or knits and what is so fun about that? Well fellowship, humor, commiseration. My dear, dear, bff, Janette is a hoot, she is silly and she gets me going and we enjoy playing off of each other and it ends up to be kind of like dinner and a show. Last night we literally laughed so hard that we cried (and it wasn't just us laughing alone), I don't remember the last time I did that, probably last year at the retreat. I got some knitting done, got some catching up done (I usually only see these ladies once per year) and recharged my batteries. I came home a tired, but happy to be home mom. Friends - Such a blessing.

Mr. Greenjeans

I blocked the Greenjeans sweater and it fits (good thing), but it is too long (butt hugging isn't a good thing) and the button is too low on the sweater. That Dream in Color really grew in length. The good news is that I can pick the button band off and rip an inch or so off of the bottom and then re-knit the button band putting the buttonhole in the proper place and then the sweater will be perfect! Or at least I hope so, this is the first time I have ever done any of this. I am not going to do anything until I come to knitting on Tuesday as I want some help with marking how long it should be. TGF (hubby) didn't see anything wrong with the sweater, but what does he know?

I am slightly sick about it, but I won't wear it the way it is and I'd rather rip the whole thing than have a sweater I won't wear staring at me. Or so I say when I'm not looking at the sweater. We'll see what the knitting group says about it.

One word

Your hair? Thinning
Your mother? BFF
Your father? Protective
Your favorite thing? Knitting
Your dream last night? College
Your favorite drink? Tea
Your dream/goal? Weightloss
What room are you in? Office
Your hobby? Knitting
Your fear? Abandonment
Where do you want to be in 6 Yrs? College
Where were you last night? Home
Something that you aren't? Thin
Muffins? Yes
Wish list item? House
Last thing you did? Lunch
What are you wearing? Shawl
TV? Yes
Your pets? Dog
Friends? Treasured
Your life? Grateful
Your mood? Hopefull
Missing someone? Grandmother
Drinking? Coke
Your car? Cadillac
Something you're not wearing? Necklace
Your favorite store? Kohl's
Your favorite color? Sage
When is the last time you cried? Christmas
Where do you go to over and over? Bathroom
My favorite place to eat? Chinatown
Favorite place I'd like to be at right now? Home

RRRRIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP!

I have never done this before. I have just finished the Giant Clapotis Ipictures by Lor-raine). I think I look rather like Pocohantas wrapped in it, but I do love it. Could have probably made it a little smaller, but it is done and I love it.

THEN

I finished the third and final button band on my Mr. Greenjeans and to seal the deal on it, I BLOCKED it. Done, done, done, it is, well, except for the button. I have contacted someone on etsy.com to make me a custom glass button, but I can't find the (*#&$(*@#&$(*@#&$(*@#&*($& swatch that I made for the sweater. And so goes my life. I will sew a button on it when it was dry and replace it later with the glass button. Pictures next week when it is dry.

THEN

See, I have had these two pairs of socks laying around, both half finished, both less than satisfactory for many reasons. The guilt was cumbersome, but socks wouldn't have been up to snuff and I would have remembered that every single time I put them on, so RIP! They are now again in cake form and ready to be re-knit in a more satisfactory manner.

It feels so good!

Plans

I was reading blogs the other day at work of course and someone was posting about their things to do or "wishlist" for 2009 and I thought that was a good idea. I want to do some things new in 2009. However, before I list my wishlist for 2009, I want to post about 1 more FO for 2008. In early March, I was lucky enough to attend a little get-together at a friend of a friends "cabin" in Galena, IL. I think I posted about it back in March. Anyway, Martha Stewart doesn't have anything on Maureen. Later in March, while on a yarn crawl with my Tuesday knitting homies, I came across some Noro Aurora in a colorway that I thought would look wonderful on Maureen. It followed me home and I began knitting a Clapotis (from Knitty.com) for Maureen. I finished it some time in November (thank heavens for swim meets) and finally mailed it to her around Christmas time. I got a lovely, lovely note back from her and even better than the note, she sent me a picture of her wearing it on New Years Eve oh, that is her handsome husband at her side.


I don't usually make things for other people. There are precious few people who appreciate how much time and effort goes into a handknitted item or a quilt or basically a lot of crafts. Anyway, Maureen is a knitter and I knew she would appreciate it. I'm glad that she looks as lovely as I thought she would wearing it.

Ok, 2009, what kind of things would I like to do.

1. Make a sweater or 2 for myself, a sweater that fits.
2. Knit winter accessories in the summer so I can focus on cold weather knitting during the cold weather rather than making accessories at the speed of light because we desperately need them
3. Go to Knitting Camp
4. Steek a sweater for myself
5. Stranded knitting - do some
6. 6 pairs of socks

Well, that's that, I have a plan, now for the execution.

Finished Projects

I have been occupying my time on weekends by attending Swim Meets with MG. I can barely swim myself, but MG swims like a fish. She decided that she wanted to learn to swim and she has taken to it. She has said that she wanted to try out for the swim team. Wellll, swim team starts the end of September and we at the Marshall house have some pretty important things going on the end of September (harvest) and I didn't push the issue at home. Enter school swim lessons at which she announces, "I want to try out for swim team" and they tell her that she can join, anyway, she loves it, GCM tells me that he "did" archery and I get to do swim team - not a problems for me, as it provides lots of opportunity for knitting. I finished....Clapotis for Maureen, started in the spring, March, April, May




And I finished the Brioche Hat using my friend Ellen's handspun yarn.




I finished my "All Shawl" (Doris Chan) using a single skein of hand dyed sock yarn. I would have liked to put more on the bottom so that it is lacier and closer to what the pattern called for.


Huge thank you to Lori Nicoli for taking the pictures for me, she is an awesome person and an awesome photographer.

In case you are wondering, the glasses are from Target Optical, believe it or not, $99, purchased in 5 minutes flat. I lurve them and get lots of compliments on them (that is nice).

November 4th, 2008

I want to get this in before the election results start to come in. I was raised in a Democratic family and married a Republican. I don't agree with everything the Republicans support and I don't believe in everything the Democrats support. I have not yet had the opportunity to support a candidate, rather usually I find myself voting against a candidate rather than FOR a candidate and this year is no exception. I hope and pray that whomever wins does the right thing, steers this country to self-sufficiency, brings this military campaign to an equitable solution, fixes our health care system, brings our troups home triumphantly and with the respect and praise they deserve, provides opportunities for all citizens to be productive active members of our world, allows folks to enjoy the fruits of their labor. We are an innovative, resourceful nation, I fear whomever wins will need us to remember that and act upon it. God Bless America - Heaven knows we need it.