So in my newfound interest in cottage style, I went to the internet.
I found a whole lot of stuff that had nothing to do with the styles I had seen in that book. Hmmm.
Coastal living?
Coastal cottage living?
Eclectic style?
Casual PNW coastal cottage eclectic style?
I don't know what the proper name for it is, but I'm still intrigued.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Saturday morning
The family is still sleeping - all four of them. (Mozart has taken to sleeping on the foot of Tessa's bed, which she loves - she's been begging him to do that for years. Shep is curled up in a little dog ball on his bed, and I know that Ryan's still asleep because I can hear him snoring.)
I logged in to work a bit on the book before they woke up. And to drink coffee - mmmmmm coffee. I made progress on the book yesterday, and today is more or less a day off, but tomorrow I'll work on it sunup to sundown in preparation for my meeting with my boss on Monday.
Gardening, a little trip to REI, and playing in the sunshine are in our future today. Ahhhhhh - sunshine.
I fell asleep last night thinking about cottages and how they reflect a lifestyle. It is amusing to me that I've been reading "deep" books about simplicity, but somehow this fluffy little book with the pretty pictures has made a more lasting impression on me. I think that it gave me permission to embrace eclecticism, which is really the ultimate simplicity. It's a form of letting go, while still embracing the beautiful. The text of the book made most of the cottages sound like vacation or summer homes, and implied that the owners had busy lives at home, but came to the cottages to escape all fo that, and I just kept thinking "why not LIVE like that?" Yes, there are jobs and homework and school and such, but why not approach it in a simpler way? If the best part of life is drinking coffee while curled up in a chair and reading a book, surely we can all find fifteen minutes a day to do that? I love my commuter mug - it helps me to sustain my coffee addiction - but isn't the best way to drink coffee in one's pajamas, out of a favorite mug (the one I have know was purchased in Portland maybe ten years ago, and it's hand painted with a cobalt design and hecho a mano in Mexico)?
What's right for me isn't right for everyone, but this is right for me.
Another thing I'm trying to do more simply: food. I get all caught up in food, and it sometimes feels like I spend half of my life cooking or planning to cook. I use recipes most of the time, experimenting with new food ideas, and finding those recipes and executing them can take forever. Last night, though, I just wasn't in the mood, so I went with some old standards....and they were delicious. I made a pot of brown rice, and grilled asparagus (snap the ends, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt, and grill; serve with lemon wedges) and grilled salmon (a little garlic powder, some lemon pepper, and put lemon slices on top to lock in the moisture; grill) and it tasted fresh and good and Tessa didn't even complain about it. I kept my sanity, it was healthy....is there a down side? I need to do more dishes like this.
(Note: My unfussy daughter has become SO PICKY ABOUT FOOD! Is she doing this just to torture me? She is also in a period of a few days of being a sass-talker. Yesterday I resorted to all kinds of "consequences" and I'm not sure a single one of them made an impact on her. Arghhhhh! She's so lovely, why is she doing this? Sigh. Nobody's perfect, but I really hope that today is an easier day for us.)
Stumbling through, day by day. I'm learning a tiny bit every day, and I know that I have a forward momentum to the life I dream of. It does go slower than I'd intended, but c'est la vie. I suppose it is la dolce vita, anyway. (And there you have just about all of the French and Italian in my vocabulary.)
Here's wishing you some la dolce vita today, too.
I logged in to work a bit on the book before they woke up. And to drink coffee - mmmmmm coffee. I made progress on the book yesterday, and today is more or less a day off, but tomorrow I'll work on it sunup to sundown in preparation for my meeting with my boss on Monday.
Gardening, a little trip to REI, and playing in the sunshine are in our future today. Ahhhhhh - sunshine.
I fell asleep last night thinking about cottages and how they reflect a lifestyle. It is amusing to me that I've been reading "deep" books about simplicity, but somehow this fluffy little book with the pretty pictures has made a more lasting impression on me. I think that it gave me permission to embrace eclecticism, which is really the ultimate simplicity. It's a form of letting go, while still embracing the beautiful. The text of the book made most of the cottages sound like vacation or summer homes, and implied that the owners had busy lives at home, but came to the cottages to escape all fo that, and I just kept thinking "why not LIVE like that?" Yes, there are jobs and homework and school and such, but why not approach it in a simpler way? If the best part of life is drinking coffee while curled up in a chair and reading a book, surely we can all find fifteen minutes a day to do that? I love my commuter mug - it helps me to sustain my coffee addiction - but isn't the best way to drink coffee in one's pajamas, out of a favorite mug (the one I have know was purchased in Portland maybe ten years ago, and it's hand painted with a cobalt design and hecho a mano in Mexico)?
What's right for me isn't right for everyone, but this is right for me.
Another thing I'm trying to do more simply: food. I get all caught up in food, and it sometimes feels like I spend half of my life cooking or planning to cook. I use recipes most of the time, experimenting with new food ideas, and finding those recipes and executing them can take forever. Last night, though, I just wasn't in the mood, so I went with some old standards....and they were delicious. I made a pot of brown rice, and grilled asparagus (snap the ends, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt, and grill; serve with lemon wedges) and grilled salmon (a little garlic powder, some lemon pepper, and put lemon slices on top to lock in the moisture; grill) and it tasted fresh and good and Tessa didn't even complain about it. I kept my sanity, it was healthy....is there a down side? I need to do more dishes like this.
(Note: My unfussy daughter has become SO PICKY ABOUT FOOD! Is she doing this just to torture me? She is also in a period of a few days of being a sass-talker. Yesterday I resorted to all kinds of "consequences" and I'm not sure a single one of them made an impact on her. Arghhhhh! She's so lovely, why is she doing this? Sigh. Nobody's perfect, but I really hope that today is an easier day for us.)
Stumbling through, day by day. I'm learning a tiny bit every day, and I know that I have a forward momentum to the life I dream of. It does go slower than I'd intended, but c'est la vie. I suppose it is la dolce vita, anyway. (And there you have just about all of the French and Italian in my vocabulary.)
Here's wishing you some la dolce vita today, too.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Three in a row
"Look, Mom!"
Wiggly tooth #3 is right next to the already-large gap on the bottom front. I think that raw carrots and apples are going to be out of the question for a while.
(It's not gone yet, but from loose to lost was a mere day last time.)
It changes the way she looks - I can barely catch up with her....
Wiggly tooth #3 is right next to the already-large gap on the bottom front. I think that raw carrots and apples are going to be out of the question for a while.
(It's not gone yet, but from loose to lost was a mere day last time.)
It changes the way she looks - I can barely catch up with her....
Little bits of progress
I am working on the book today - taking a break at the moment to write this. It goes so SLOWLY! I am hard on myself, and I want the word to flow trippingly from my tongue, and instead I have to stumble and fall and pick myself up and try again, and again, and again, and walk away, and come back in order to make it "right."
Yesterday I went to a workshop on home organization. It was interesting, and I'm glad that I went, because it's always helpful to hear others' perspectives, and to gain perspective of my own clutter (better than some, worse than others, which I think is how it should be). I was glad to find that I felt more or less on top of things as the speaker presented her materials, and when she offered free consultations I was confident in declining. I know what to do, just need time to do it. I did do a little organizing when I got home yesterday, cleaning out two of my three dresser drawers, and organizing my clothing closet a bit (finally solved the shoe dilemma by getting a rack for the bottom of the closet).
I am participating in a monthly Simplicity Circle through our church, and I find it fascinating to hear others' ideas of simplicity. What was a little confusing to me was that for many, it seems, simplicy is equated to a clutter-free lifestyle. I wasn't looking at it that way, but I was in the minority in that regard. I was thinking about how to recapture some of my zest through regaining simplicity; others were approaching it as a ways of simplifying their things. Certainly, there is an overlap, but this has given me pause for thought.
I checked out a ton of simplicity books from the library, and the beauty of the library is that I didn't have to just get the ones that I KNEW were right on target, and I was able to check out big piles of books. One of those is a "Cottage Style" book with the tagline about "living simply" and strangely, even though it's mostly just pretty pictures of cottages covered in flowers with big porches and adirondack chairs, it has me thinking in a new way. As I looked at those pretty cottages, I found them increasingly beautiful. And nothing matched. And their were patterns of all kinds - stripes and florals and plaids and paisleys; there were textures like chenille and wool and wood and paint and stone and pottery. There was even a form of chaos - cups stacked on shelves, open shelving with big bowls all piled up, eclectic art in unexpected places. Formal pieces right next to yard sale treasures. Chipped paint that was unashamedly so. But beautiful things - particularly pretty prints, beautifully shaped pitchers filled with gorgeous flowers, and elegant things, too. Bright colors - these cottages did not have taupe and tan, they had robins egg blue and pumpkin and cobalt and turquoise and sunny yellow and crimson and pastel pink and mossy green.
And I wanted to jump right in. I wanted to sit on a big painted cobalt wicker chair with rose floral cushions and tuck my feet under me and invite the cat up. I wanted to grab a mug off the shelf, grab a blanket, and curl up on an Adirondack to peer out at the garden and drink morning coffee. I wanted to sit around a table with friends and have a potluck with things fresh off the grill.
What I really want? I want this quieter life. For me, the pictures captured a lifestyle that is slower, and THAT is simplicity to me.
Identifying it is important. Now, I must work toward it. Well, I AM working toward it. The garden, home made bread, and our own Adirondack chairs - which DO get used, and regularly - are all part of that.
I only have Tessa in one after-school activity (horseback riding lessons, her greatest joy and passion), and because of this we're able to have her friends over with some regularity. Yesterday, the weather was nice for the first itme in a while, and we stayed at the playground after school until dinner time! I had packed snacks enough to share, and many of us sat on a bench talking while our children played. One family stayed as late as we did, and we ended up getting dinner at Sunfish (fish and chips - and man were they good....I usually avoid fried food but this was worth it) with the dads when they got off work.
And THAT is simplicity. A little bag of snacks - string cheese and pistacios and apples - and not much more, and it was SO relaxing. Tessa and her friends ran all over with no toys and not needing any - drawing with sticks in the dirt of the baseball diamond, doing the monkey bars over and over (sideways this time! now skip bars!), chasing one another, building things out of twigs and sticks.....essentially, a whole lot'a nothing.
I think that the world needs more nothing, and that is what I'm working on. I don't want to give up on the big stuff - oh no, I certainly don't - but I want more of just the simple stuff. Not email and voicemail and trying to connect with everyone, just playing on the playground with whomever is around and loving every minute of it.
I said "no" to a couple of volunteer things recently. I did NOT sign Tessa up for running club. I have unloaded more armloads of stuff from my closet to get rid of it.
I am seeking out the simple. I think that I am finding, in my own way, that the simple is what makes me the very happiest, and that is the most complex thing of all. Being simple is not at all simplistic, either, and takes great creativity and thoughtfulness and perseverence. Some of being simple will even change the world: simply standing up for what is right, without a fuss; or making simple, unprocessed food; or writing a simple letter; or saying a simple prayer; or simply marching for peace or love; or simply picking up a little litter.
Tessa is six. I want to teach her these great, simple joys. In uncertain economic times, we never know what is next, and I certainly know that life is short. I want to teach her simplicity....or perhaps I want to teach her not to lose what she already knows. Perhaps I can learn from her.
Back to the book - no time to proofread this. Here's hoping that I can keep my writing simple and straightforward, because there is great beauty in simplicity!
Yesterday I went to a workshop on home organization. It was interesting, and I'm glad that I went, because it's always helpful to hear others' perspectives, and to gain perspective of my own clutter (better than some, worse than others, which I think is how it should be). I was glad to find that I felt more or less on top of things as the speaker presented her materials, and when she offered free consultations I was confident in declining. I know what to do, just need time to do it. I did do a little organizing when I got home yesterday, cleaning out two of my three dresser drawers, and organizing my clothing closet a bit (finally solved the shoe dilemma by getting a rack for the bottom of the closet).
I am participating in a monthly Simplicity Circle through our church, and I find it fascinating to hear others' ideas of simplicity. What was a little confusing to me was that for many, it seems, simplicy is equated to a clutter-free lifestyle. I wasn't looking at it that way, but I was in the minority in that regard. I was thinking about how to recapture some of my zest through regaining simplicity; others were approaching it as a ways of simplifying their things. Certainly, there is an overlap, but this has given me pause for thought.
I checked out a ton of simplicity books from the library, and the beauty of the library is that I didn't have to just get the ones that I KNEW were right on target, and I was able to check out big piles of books. One of those is a "Cottage Style" book with the tagline about "living simply" and strangely, even though it's mostly just pretty pictures of cottages covered in flowers with big porches and adirondack chairs, it has me thinking in a new way. As I looked at those pretty cottages, I found them increasingly beautiful. And nothing matched. And their were patterns of all kinds - stripes and florals and plaids and paisleys; there were textures like chenille and wool and wood and paint and stone and pottery. There was even a form of chaos - cups stacked on shelves, open shelving with big bowls all piled up, eclectic art in unexpected places. Formal pieces right next to yard sale treasures. Chipped paint that was unashamedly so. But beautiful things - particularly pretty prints, beautifully shaped pitchers filled with gorgeous flowers, and elegant things, too. Bright colors - these cottages did not have taupe and tan, they had robins egg blue and pumpkin and cobalt and turquoise and sunny yellow and crimson and pastel pink and mossy green.
And I wanted to jump right in. I wanted to sit on a big painted cobalt wicker chair with rose floral cushions and tuck my feet under me and invite the cat up. I wanted to grab a mug off the shelf, grab a blanket, and curl up on an Adirondack to peer out at the garden and drink morning coffee. I wanted to sit around a table with friends and have a potluck with things fresh off the grill.
What I really want? I want this quieter life. For me, the pictures captured a lifestyle that is slower, and THAT is simplicity to me.
Identifying it is important. Now, I must work toward it. Well, I AM working toward it. The garden, home made bread, and our own Adirondack chairs - which DO get used, and regularly - are all part of that.
I only have Tessa in one after-school activity (horseback riding lessons, her greatest joy and passion), and because of this we're able to have her friends over with some regularity. Yesterday, the weather was nice for the first itme in a while, and we stayed at the playground after school until dinner time! I had packed snacks enough to share, and many of us sat on a bench talking while our children played. One family stayed as late as we did, and we ended up getting dinner at Sunfish (fish and chips - and man were they good....I usually avoid fried food but this was worth it) with the dads when they got off work.
And THAT is simplicity. A little bag of snacks - string cheese and pistacios and apples - and not much more, and it was SO relaxing. Tessa and her friends ran all over with no toys and not needing any - drawing with sticks in the dirt of the baseball diamond, doing the monkey bars over and over (sideways this time! now skip bars!), chasing one another, building things out of twigs and sticks.....essentially, a whole lot'a nothing.
I think that the world needs more nothing, and that is what I'm working on. I don't want to give up on the big stuff - oh no, I certainly don't - but I want more of just the simple stuff. Not email and voicemail and trying to connect with everyone, just playing on the playground with whomever is around and loving every minute of it.
I said "no" to a couple of volunteer things recently. I did NOT sign Tessa up for running club. I have unloaded more armloads of stuff from my closet to get rid of it.
I am seeking out the simple. I think that I am finding, in my own way, that the simple is what makes me the very happiest, and that is the most complex thing of all. Being simple is not at all simplistic, either, and takes great creativity and thoughtfulness and perseverence. Some of being simple will even change the world: simply standing up for what is right, without a fuss; or making simple, unprocessed food; or writing a simple letter; or saying a simple prayer; or simply marching for peace or love; or simply picking up a little litter.
Tessa is six. I want to teach her these great, simple joys. In uncertain economic times, we never know what is next, and I certainly know that life is short. I want to teach her simplicity....or perhaps I want to teach her not to lose what she already knows. Perhaps I can learn from her.
Back to the book - no time to proofread this. Here's hoping that I can keep my writing simple and straightforward, because there is great beauty in simplicity!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Must...sleep....
I feel like I was sleepwalking all day.
Did chores. Took Tessa and Shep for a walk (Tessa rode her Razor). Made dinner (ham and cannelini bean soup using the Easter ham bone).
And I feel like I ran a marathon (not that I know what that feels like, exactly).
Gotta go to bed.
Did chores. Took Tessa and Shep for a walk (Tessa rode her Razor). Made dinner (ham and cannelini bean soup using the Easter ham bone).
And I feel like I ran a marathon (not that I know what that feels like, exactly).
Gotta go to bed.
Healthy
Okay, sniffly, but the girl is healthy.
So, breakfast and get ready and off to school.
What is WITH the lack of sleep?!
So, breakfast and get ready and off to school.
What is WITH the lack of sleep?!
Bumpy
Was a bumpy night. Tessa went to bed at her appointed time - around 8:15. We let her read until 8:30. She was WIDE awake at 10:30. She was then awake at 1am.
Yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
I'm letting her sleep in this morning, and she is still asleep. What is UP with this? I have ten billion things to do and this is not helping.
She's still sniffly - is she sick? Only the day will tell. I feel bad for her if she's sick....
Yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
I'm letting her sleep in this morning, and she is still asleep. What is UP with this? I have ten billion things to do and this is not helping.
She's still sniffly - is she sick? Only the day will tell. I feel bad for her if she's sick....
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Take two
Tessa improved over the course of the day, and rallied to play with her Weitz cousins Heather & Kendra, as well as Aunt Linda, in the evening. (Much gratitude to these lovely girls/ladies - they were very accomodating of their younger, crazy cousin.)
She's still stuffy, but headed to school today, and horseback lessons after school, followed by dinner with Grammy.
And me? Book book book. I'm working on finishing the overview and writing the chapter on Leigh S.W. Hunt. (By having two topics at a time, when I hit writer's block on one I can skip to the other.)
Off to the races...
She's still stuffy, but headed to school today, and horseback lessons after school, followed by dinner with Grammy.
And me? Book book book. I'm working on finishing the overview and writing the chapter on Leigh S.W. Hunt. (By having two topics at a time, when I hit writer's block on one I can skip to the other.)
Off to the races...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Scratch that
The plan: work on the book all day.
(And get the house ready for guests, and make dinner for a friend who just had surgery.)
The reality: child who is feeling a bit under the weather, possibly from overdoing it all weekend, and has a stuffed up nose. Charlie and Lola on the tellie, Tessa on the couch.
I'm feeling punky and out of sorts today. Must....snap....out....of....it.....
(And get the house ready for guests, and make dinner for a friend who just had surgery.)
The reality: child who is feeling a bit under the weather, possibly from overdoing it all weekend, and has a stuffed up nose. Charlie and Lola on the tellie, Tessa on the couch.
I'm feeling punky and out of sorts today. Must....snap....out....of....it.....
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter
Getting ready for dinner with a few neighbor friends, and enjoying a lovely day.... Pictures show Tessa on her egg hunt, with her loot, in her Easter dress, smiling with a big gap, and the table set for supper (ham, eggs, asparagus - does it get any more Easter-y than that?). We went to church and the farmer's market today, and we're having a quiet afternoon before guests arrive. Tessa is excited to have a table for the two girls (Elena is a guest), right beside the big table, because that seems even more special somehow.
Happy Easter, everyone!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny
Tonight both the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny will visit our home. I stayed up late last night stuffing plastic eggs (recycled - these are the original eggs from Tessa's first Easters) with stickers and chocolates, and today Tessa proudly showed me her SECOND lost tooth, with an extra wide gap in the middle of her bottom teeth.
It was a great day. We went to the community egg hunt and saw friends and hung out and had a great time. Tessa, Anna, Beth & I went to see Hotel for Dogs at the Admiral, and the girls got a good giggle out of it, which made me enjoy it, too. (I love to hear Tessa laugh.) And then tonight, bliss of all bliss, we went out to Pegasus Pizza with Anna, Beth & Artie, and we even ran into Kari and her family.
A wonderful day. Of course, I'm completely worn out....but hoping for a good night's rest and another equally wonderful day tomorrow.
PS Last night I couldn't sleep - not sure what was up, but I was awake at 3am and never got back to sleep. :-( I decided to do mending at 5:30 in the morning - probably not my wisest plan, because while mending Tessa's jacket, the needle slipped off the thimble, and and poked it into my thumb right to the bone. OUCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. My thumb feels as big as a hammer, and it is truly unpleasant. :-(
It was a great day. We went to the community egg hunt and saw friends and hung out and had a great time. Tessa, Anna, Beth & I went to see Hotel for Dogs at the Admiral, and the girls got a good giggle out of it, which made me enjoy it, too. (I love to hear Tessa laugh.) And then tonight, bliss of all bliss, we went out to Pegasus Pizza with Anna, Beth & Artie, and we even ran into Kari and her family.
A wonderful day. Of course, I'm completely worn out....but hoping for a good night's rest and another equally wonderful day tomorrow.
PS Last night I couldn't sleep - not sure what was up, but I was awake at 3am and never got back to sleep. :-( I decided to do mending at 5:30 in the morning - probably not my wisest plan, because while mending Tessa's jacket, the needle slipped off the thimble, and and poked it into my thumb right to the bone. OUCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. My thumb feels as big as a hammer, and it is truly unpleasant. :-(
Friday, April 10, 2009
Lost tooth and Easter Eggs
It was a very exciting day in six-year-old-land.
Tessa ran up to me after school with the proud pronouncement that she lost her first tooth today, at lunch, in the cafeteria, while eating an apple. The school apparently has a policy around lost teeth (clever, if you ask me) and Tessa was sent to the nurse, who mopped up the couple of drops of blood and admired said tooth as appropriate. Best of all? Tessa was given a tooth necklace, where the tooth was taped inside a small tooth-shaped "locket" that Tessa could wear all day.
The kid is walking on air. It cracks me up, and I just love it. She is just filled with the joy of being six, and of losing her first tooth, and feeling so grown up from it all.
(Mama is recovering. My baby is gone! She's been replaced by this lovely young girl! I love this girl....but my baby is gone!)
And as if that wasn't enough...
Today we dyed Easter eggs, as planned. We chose a glitter-style for some, and stripes for others. We'll be eating deviled eggs for a couple of days....but not until the eggs have been admired for a bit longer.
"Mama, this was the best day ever."
PS Best day ever included ordering Pagliacci. Bad news for WW fans - I ordered the salad, and ate it, feeling virtuous. I looked up points AFTER eating it. Ummm, I ate 16 points worth of salad. SO not worth it. I blew all of my points for the week and I'm hacked off about it....sigh. I'll go for a run tomorrow to try to recover a bit. :-(
Hip Hop Princess
Here is Tessa's video from her performance yesterday. How does this hip hop dancer dress? In black velvet and pink satin, of course, with her fancy Easter shoes and her green Christmas sweater. The pictures are of the kids waiting for their performance, with a close-up of Tessa with beloved-Anna, and Tessa with her PE teacher, Ms. McChesney. (Tessa ADORES Ms. McChesney.)
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Slow down!
Tessa just proudly showed me not one, but two, wiggly teeth.
It made my stomach all flip-floppy. My baby girl is growing up so fast. Just yesterday I heard Ryan whisper the words, "It's Tessa!" as she was born....and now she's proud of her wiggly teeth, her ability to read, the books she writes....
Wow.
It made my stomach all flip-floppy. My baby girl is growing up so fast. Just yesterday I heard Ryan whisper the words, "It's Tessa!" as she was born....and now she's proud of her wiggly teeth, her ability to read, the books she writes....
Wow.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Official
I am officially back on Weight Watchers, in every way. I've been tracking my food for 9 days using the online programs, and today I went to my first meeting and got all the booklets and learned about the new Momentum program.
It feels good. It feels great, actually, despite my miniscule, awfully-small loss last week. I know that if I stick it out it will work, and I have a proven track record with this program.
I am going to feel good. I can't wait to feel good. I'm tired of my aches and pains, and I'm absolutely certain that some of them are from weighing a bit more than I ought to.
Visions:
Fitting back into the 7 Jeans (the brand, not the size) that Jenny gave me. I love those jeans.
Wearing a bathing suit at Alki beach this summer.
Running in the half marathon wearing my new running skort.
Getting dressed without that frumpy feeling that I have currently.
Moving without creaking so much.
Giving away the pair of jeans that I am forced to wear EVERY SINGLE DAY right now because they are the only pair of pants that fits me at the moment.
This is gonna be great!
It feels good. It feels great, actually, despite my miniscule, awfully-small loss last week. I know that if I stick it out it will work, and I have a proven track record with this program.
I am going to feel good. I can't wait to feel good. I'm tired of my aches and pains, and I'm absolutely certain that some of them are from weighing a bit more than I ought to.
Visions:
Fitting back into the 7 Jeans (the brand, not the size) that Jenny gave me. I love those jeans.
Wearing a bathing suit at Alki beach this summer.
Running in the half marathon wearing my new running skort.
Getting dressed without that frumpy feeling that I have currently.
Moving without creaking so much.
Giving away the pair of jeans that I am forced to wear EVERY SINGLE DAY right now because they are the only pair of pants that fits me at the moment.
This is gonna be great!
Quote from Leigh Hunt
I am working on the Hunt section of the Hunts Point book, and came across this quote attributable to Hunt:
Thrift begets self respect.
I like that. I like that a lot.
(Liking that is better than whining because I want to buy every clothing item in the Athleta and Title Nine catalogs that persist at showing up here.)
Thrift begets self respect.
I like that. I like that a lot.
(Liking that is better than whining because I want to buy every clothing item in the Athleta and Title Nine catalogs that persist at showing up here.)
Revisions
Well, yesterday's prediction of my day was way, way off.
My mom called because she wasn't feeling well, so we canceled our dinner with my parents. And then I decided that it was too far to drive to pony lessons for just a 45 minute lesson,s o I canceled that.
Instead, I went running! I managed close to four miles without killing myself, and with short walk breaks (The Galloway Method) thrown in. It is amazing to me how one minute of walking changes my entire body - it completely renews me and preps me for more running.
And then I locked my good keys in my car, and the "running key" that I'd tied to my shoelace didn't work. Ackkkkk! I think we must have held on to an old van key (keep in mind that we became a one car family about two years ago) and that's what I brought. Fortunately, my friend Audrey (who came with me) was able to call her husband to come and pick us - and Shep! - up, or I'd have had to walk a couple of miles home again.
Anyway. Not the day I had planned, but not a bad day. I'm proud of my running success, and hope to do it again tomorrow. (Tomorrow I'll volunteer in the classroom, then run home - Ryan will have the car. Enforced running! :-) )
Today I've got dinner cooking in the crock pot - beef stew. I got the beef at the Farmer's Market this weekend, so it's pasture raised, and I feel good about that. Still, I'm trying to cut back on beef so I cut the beef in half and raised the quantity of vegetables in the recipe, and we'll see what my family has to say about that! (I won't tell them - will they notice?) This will make it a lighter dish, too.
....Which is good, because I am sticking out WW and trying not to be too sad about my nearly-nothing weight loss last week. I'm hoping for a GREAT weight-loss week this week, but whatever will be will be. I go to my first meeting tonight, and I'm kind of excited about it, because it's a sign of my commitment. I am committed to this.
Yesterday Tessa and I joined some Alki friends and played on the beach after school - it was lovely.
So that's my life in a nutshell at the moment. Tessa's at school, I'm going to do some chores and then work on the book, and here we are.
My mom called because she wasn't feeling well, so we canceled our dinner with my parents. And then I decided that it was too far to drive to pony lessons for just a 45 minute lesson,s o I canceled that.
Instead, I went running! I managed close to four miles without killing myself, and with short walk breaks (The Galloway Method) thrown in. It is amazing to me how one minute of walking changes my entire body - it completely renews me and preps me for more running.
And then I locked my good keys in my car, and the "running key" that I'd tied to my shoelace didn't work. Ackkkkk! I think we must have held on to an old van key (keep in mind that we became a one car family about two years ago) and that's what I brought. Fortunately, my friend Audrey (who came with me) was able to call her husband to come and pick us - and Shep! - up, or I'd have had to walk a couple of miles home again.
Anyway. Not the day I had planned, but not a bad day. I'm proud of my running success, and hope to do it again tomorrow. (Tomorrow I'll volunteer in the classroom, then run home - Ryan will have the car. Enforced running! :-) )
Today I've got dinner cooking in the crock pot - beef stew. I got the beef at the Farmer's Market this weekend, so it's pasture raised, and I feel good about that. Still, I'm trying to cut back on beef so I cut the beef in half and raised the quantity of vegetables in the recipe, and we'll see what my family has to say about that! (I won't tell them - will they notice?) This will make it a lighter dish, too.
....Which is good, because I am sticking out WW and trying not to be too sad about my nearly-nothing weight loss last week. I'm hoping for a GREAT weight-loss week this week, but whatever will be will be. I go to my first meeting tonight, and I'm kind of excited about it, because it's a sign of my commitment. I am committed to this.
Yesterday Tessa and I joined some Alki friends and played on the beach after school - it was lovely.
So that's my life in a nutshell at the moment. Tessa's at school, I'm going to do some chores and then work on the book, and here we are.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Gearing up
I'm still drinking my first cup of coffee, but I'm also gearing up for a busy day. Once I get Tessa to school, it's time to work on the Hunts Point book. It's also Tessa's riding lesson day, so when I pick her up from school we'll head to Woodinville, and after her lesson we'll have dinner with Grammy & Grandpa.
The weather prediction is for another day like yesterday, so I think I'll work outside today. I need as much sun as I can get, and I know that the forecast is for rain later this week.
Last night we had our first Simplicity Circle meeting, which took place at our house. (What was I thinking making a chocolate bundt cake when I'm on WW? The first piece was fine. It's the second piece that'll get me!!!) I committed to sitting quietly with my journal and thinking about time simplicity....
I'm longing for summer. I'm longing for days spent on Alki, evening picnics, and camping. Yesterday Shep and I went for a walk at Alki, and it looked like summer - girls in bikinis and guys with no shirts playing volleyball - and then when we picked up Tessa we went to Whale Tail Park with friends and the moms sat on a blanket while the girls played. It was delicious - the sun, the friends, and all. The more days like that the better, because this Seattleite feels like she's been patient enough. Bring on that sunshine!
The weather prediction is for another day like yesterday, so I think I'll work outside today. I need as much sun as I can get, and I know that the forecast is for rain later this week.
Last night we had our first Simplicity Circle meeting, which took place at our house. (What was I thinking making a chocolate bundt cake when I'm on WW? The first piece was fine. It's the second piece that'll get me!!!) I committed to sitting quietly with my journal and thinking about time simplicity....
I'm longing for summer. I'm longing for days spent on Alki, evening picnics, and camping. Yesterday Shep and I went for a walk at Alki, and it looked like summer - girls in bikinis and guys with no shirts playing volleyball - and then when we picked up Tessa we went to Whale Tail Park with friends and the moms sat on a blanket while the girls played. It was delicious - the sun, the friends, and all. The more days like that the better, because this Seattleite feels like she's been patient enough. Bring on that sunshine!
Monday, April 06, 2009
Garden pictures
The rosebush under Tessa's bedroom window....with a carrot patch beneath it. (That carrot patch looks like dirt right now, but there are seeds...)
Pots with flowers and herbs....the chives and sage and thyme came back, and the primroses, and some other flowers....but it's time to replant most of them.
Raspberries, over by the swingset. (Look closely. Three sticks poking up = raspberries.)
The beginnings of the new beds - about 1/4 of the lawn has been dug up so far (thanks, Ryan). The patch here is where the tomatoes will go - the best sun up front.
Last year's garden bed, all planted and ready to go this spring. Strawberries, fava beans, garlic, sugar snap peas, lettuce, chard, onions, spinach. Plus four parsley plants.
Part of the raised bed out back - the problematic raised bed because of the way it gets sun throughout the day (very bright, then not at all). The reddish plant is a peony, and this pic shows a big rosemary bush, and then there's dug up dirt with potatoes under it, and there are irises and lady slipper and bleeding hearts....
Last year's garden bed, all planted and ready to go this spring. Strawberries, fava beans, garlic, sugar snap peas, lettuce, chard, onions, spinach. Plus four parsley plants.
Part of the raised bed out back - the problematic raised bed because of the way it gets sun throughout the day (very bright, then not at all). The reddish plant is a peony, and this pic shows a big rosemary bush, and then there's dug up dirt with potatoes under it, and there are irises and lady slipper and bleeding hearts....
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