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Blog #757: I Am My Sneakers

by Ana | August 13, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I felt it.I really, really felt it. All of it. The serious heat.My empty legs.My slowing pace. ______ I had been walking over an hour. I started the walk when it seemed a manageable 79 degrees. Looking at my phone at that moment... It had climbed fast to a scorching...

Blog #756: Is Your Try Running Out?

by Ana | August 6, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

He is tired of trying. ______ “Hey Shawn, Thanks for always showing up. When I’m at my lowest, you write what I need to read. I need something big now. I keep trying, but it feels like I’m getting nowhere. I’m wondering if it’s time to throw in the towel.” ______ I...

Blog #755: Don’t Walk Past Yourself

by Ana | July 30, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

Most people walk past them.I couldn't. For 35+ years... I’ve eaten rice, beans, and saladsbecause I love animals. But there's a little life my heart can't ignore. ______ Snails. I’ve written before about saving worms struggling across hot sidewalks. I’ve also carried...

Blog #754: The Teachers I Almost Missed

by Ana | July 23, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I see it clearly now. Two of my greatest teachershave never spoken a word. Two little dogs teaching big lessons. ______ For 15½ years… My Chihuahuas have taught me more about life than I’ve taught them. They taught me to celebrate. When I walk through the door, they...

Blog #753: The Uncomfortable Mirror

by Ana | July 16, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I was getting ready to go for a hike. My shoes were waiting by the door.My backpack was loaded down and ready. Then a thought quietly walked into the room. ______ "I don't feel like it." Nothing unusual. Except this time... I heard it differently. A second thought...

Blog #752: I Couldn’t Look Away

by Ana | July 9, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I was flipping through TV channels...until one of them stopped me cold. I didn't know the singer.I didn't know the song. But I couldn't look away. ______ It wasn't his voice that caught me. It was how completely he gave himself to the moment. He wasn't just singing.He...

Blog #751: I Pressed Send Anyway

by Ana | July 2, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

#750 is behind me.#751 is right now. Still going.Still showing up.Still giving it my best. Every.Single.Thursday. ______ #751. That’s a lot of Thursdays. More than I ever imagined when this began. And although I'm acknowledging #751... I'm celebrating #1 more. That’s...

Blog #750: What Are You Leaving in Them?

by Ana | June 25, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

At first... This blog was about a frog named Camino.Then it became a question. Ready to see where this leads? ______ First story... There’s a little frog that’s lived outside my front door in Sacramento for as long as I can remember. I call him “Camino.”Named after...

Blog #749: The Email Said She’s a Ghost

by Ana | June 18, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I read her email.I stopped breathing for a moment. "People don't say things like that." ______ The email read: "I’m a ghost. People don't see me. I don't even see myself anymore. I read your blog and maybe I'm not changing, but at least I see I don't want to be a...

Blog #748: It’s Time to Go

by Ana | June 11, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

Moving forward. Not because it's easy.Because staying changes who you become. ______ The past has a powerful pull. A favorite memory.A former relationship.A great success.A missed opportunity.A different version of ourselves. It's easy to revisit what was. Especially...

Blog #578: Hello, Oprah

Blog Post

Aging.It's on my mind. Three stories will connect this blog. ______ Story #1: The Feeling Sucked I recognize I need to do exercises that get my heart rate up and blood pressure down. My body has grown accustomed to walking 7 miles with 20 pounds on my back five days a...

Blog #577: His Time Was Up

Blog Post

It was a HUGE bummer. The once-amazing 100-foot tall Eucalyptuswas now lying across the bike path. The vicious winds and rainwere stronger than this great giant's roots. His time was up. ______ There is a line of... Eucalyptus trees in the park outside where I live. I...

Blog #576: We’re Gonna’ See the Wions

Blog Post

It felt like I was walking in an oven.360 miles across Italy. "Just a little bit further."Those were my constant self-urging words. ______ It's how I keep will going. When I think I have no "juice" left in my legs or heart, when I feel 100% cooked, defeated and think...

Blog #575: They Don’t Show Their Faces

Blog Post

We gotta' get over it. The negative stuff. Hangin' on to it gets us nowhere. ______ I received this email: "How do I stay positive when every day some new shi**y thing happens that adds to my f***ed up life. I don't know how you do it. You either have more good luck...

Blog #574: I’m on a Safari

Blog Post

In southern California near my home...LOTS of people walk their dogs. I'm lucky...and meet many of them. ______ Some get to know me and sign up for this blog. One day I was walking with one of them. She asked: "What if you couldn't find a story to write about?"I...

Blog #573: Bring a Plus One

Blog Post

Dipping into my email folder... ______ Hi Shawn, A co-worker forwarded me your blog a couple of years ago and I signed up. I don't miss a week. You must know me because you write what I need to read. I'm sorry to read you got hit by a bike. I hope you're doing okay. I...