Eco-friendly letterpress inspiration | Smock

Eco-friendly letterpress inspiration | Smock

Is it possible?

Dave, I love you - and as I was checking out Valentine's for some clients today, I came across this card - makes me wish I was there.

Today I am 40 ...

and damn it, nothing is different. Today I am 40 and I feel great. I have worked my butt off (literally - 3 inches of it) this summer. I have cleaned up some very unhealthy eating habits (more on that in a later post). I have been out of work for three months and have loved every last second of it. Today I am 40 and in ten days I leave for France. Today I have three children, who are so sweet, they even volunteered to stay home with me today so I wouldn't be lonely on my birthday. Today I have a husband who respects my choices, my ideas and lets me be who I am. Today I am 40 and I baked myself a kick ass cake! Today I am 40 and I am the same person who I was when I went to bed last night (with a stomach ache and terrible gas). Today the highlight of my day was delivering a forgotten library book to my Clara Jane as she walked, bookless, to the library. Today I am 40 and my powder room still needs to be painted or wallpapered. Today I need to clean out my basement and sell a used drier (do you need one?), baby cribs and assorted other oddities. Today I remind myself that all this will still need to be done tomorrow, so I will just keep it on the to-do (someday) list. Today I will enjoy dinner with Dave and kids and watch them eat noodles with chopsticks ... so fun. Yesterday I was 39, today I am 40 and tomorrow I will still be me, with three kids, a bad leg, all the same crazy insecurities and issues I have always had and an insatiable desire to be a better me than I was the day before. Cheers! (photo courtesy of my bike computer after a 40 mile bike ride this morning)

If you love something...

smile.

This morning while working out at Fusion I was reminded of something very small, but very important - smile!

And it got me thinking. I love, and I mean love, hard, intense workouts that really push me. I am one of those people who could work out all day - regardless! But there I was with I am sure some very intense, not pleasant look on my face and the lovely trainer reminded me to smile! It is easy. And I should have been smiling, because I loved every second of that pain!

So next time you are doing something that you love, even if it is challenging or intimidating, remind yourself you love this - and smile!

Doctors as Nutritionists...

What is not to love? The New York Times posted a great article here regarding a new wave of medical doctors also practicing as nutritionists.

Dr. Eisenberg who started “Healthy Kitchens/Healthy Lives” an organization in partnership with the Culinary Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health, based on the radical notion that if doctors could learn to channel their inner Julia Child (sans butter), they could serve as role models and cheerleaders for their patients.

He even goes as far as to say that he would be fine if his medical services were longer needed. What a breath of fresh air - don't you think?

All I can say is...

when you stop writing for a while and stop thinking about writing it is liberating and easy.

The hard part is turning back on, starting back up. So, I am back. Everyday for the last month I have had a really funny endearing story about our life I have been meaning to share, but somehow they seemed not worthy. I felt as if I needed to find the perfect thing to start writing again. And there it was, the whole problem. That crazy search for perfection.

So this post is not perfect. It is not funny or cute or witty or worth sharing. There isn't even a picture.

We shall see what comes of this.

Sometimes...

life gives you lemons and you don't want to make lemonade. Maybe you don't want lemonade because it is to cold out to drink lemonade, you don't like lemonade or your local grocery store simply doesn't have enough sugar for all the lemons. Maybe you don't even like lemon cake or lemon cream pie or lemon poppyseed muffins.

So, when life gives you lemons and you don't want lemonade, what do you do?

Do you stay home, speak up, ask for help, cry, leave town, eat, work, go to movies, clean, hug your kids, your boyfriend or your mom?

Do you listen to rap music or country, practice yoga, meditate, run, shop, pray or cook?

Do you sleep more, sleep less, take long walks, long drives?

Do you seek out change, look for something new, wonder about what could have been, should have been?

I won't say life has given me lemons. I feel as if I can't say that. I have three amazing children who I can not imagine my life without. I have a warm home in the winter and cool home in the summer. I have clothes on my back (and I like most of them). I have time to work out, run, go to pilates. I am not hungry or cold (well sometimes cold, but only because I like it that way). I have friends who I wouldn't get through the day without. So, I feel guilty sometimes when life's circumstances affect my outlook on life, because my brain tells me I am not allowed to feel this way - there are people who have lost loved ones, sick people, hungry kids.

And yet, here I am. My heart feeling as if it is lost in a bowl of lemons and my head telling me to get over it. What do you do? Where do you go from here?

Late Adopter

I have never been an early adapter. For example, I got an iPhone 3 years after the first one came out - and I still don't have an iPad. I didn't buy a pair of skinny jeans until, last week. I think they have been "in" for several years now. And today, I attended a Fusion class at Fusion Fitness KC and it kicked my a--!

Yes, that is right. I have been hearing about this class and this studio for over a year. I have had the best of intentions to get there. Today, I made it. I thought, walking in the door, "today is a cardio day for me, I sure hope I break a sweat." Wow! I was sweating so profusely that my mat was too slippery to downward dog on at the end of class.

Usually I can "mind over matter" myself through almost any workout. Today, I had to take a break several times. I will be paying the price tomorrow, I am sure. But it was fun. I will be back there on Monday morning at 5:45 a.m. I will not let this class win.

Hope y'all have a great weekend. It looks to be so beautiful here this weekend - fun times ahead (if I can walk!)

20 Days

Has it really been 20 days since I posted? I was just thinking, "I really need to update the blog." Had no idea it had been 20 days.

So, what has been up? Not much. I had a birthday. I had a visit with a great friend. I started my fall 21-day cleanse (I am on day 10 - and feeling great). Other than that. Just a lot of spelling words and science projects.

I will say that part of my absence can be explained by this cleanse, I tend to navigate to food blogs late in the evening, so I have been trying to stay away from my home computer except to check e-mail, etc. The temptation is often way more than I can deal with - see here!

During this cleanse, I have really been trying to focus on some more "spiritual" (not religious) issues. What I am calling, "focus." It has been good and I have enjoyed getting up each day and reading these which come from the book "Crazy Sexy Diet." The author, Kris Carr, faced with a cancer diagnosis several years ago, changed her life and diagnosis through clean eating and has a great book all about it - now everything in the book needs to be taken to heart and then adapted to meet your needs, etc. I can not eat Vegan as she does and I don't agree with everything, but there is a section in the back about a 21-day cleanse. Her cleanse is a little different from the Cleanse I do, but her daily tips are fun. I really enjoyed today's, so I am sharing it here.

Today's "focus" was to:

Make a love list - ten things you absolutely love. This simple act reminds us that life if full of blessings. It's amazing how many beautiful things we notice when we train our eyes.

Here is mine (and I make no excuses for how vain and shallow it may seem - this is not a forever list - just a today list) - not in order of importance.

1. Some great new fall skinny corduroys I just got with a birthday gift card



2. Wallpaper for my powder room



3. Fall mornings

4. This guy (and his sisters - not pictured)



5. Honeycrisp Apples - they are back!

6. My bed

7. That Dave empties the dishwasher in the morning

8. Vitamix - I could not do this cleanse without it.



9. Colorado - yes the whole state.

10. Jump ropes


What do you love? Make your list. It can change daily and probably does.

School Thoughts

Last night was back to school night at St. Michael's. A night I usually dread. And last night, I was especially dreading it because I was going solo as Dave was working in San Francisco (his company's offices are based in San Fran). I am easily overwhelmed by the number of people and the amount of effort that seemingly goes into the dress code for this rather uneventful night.

The night begins with an introduction from Father Porter and Mr. C (the principal), then the parents break up and spend about 20 minutes in the classrooms of each child.

The teachers introduce themselves, talk about the upcoming year and hand out a few papers with schedules, etc. In the packet of information that I received from Eden's teacher there was a great quote.

"I promise you every day your children will learn something. Some days they'll bring it home in their hands. Some days they'll bring it home in their heads. And some days they'll bring it home in their hears." Valerie Welk

Thank you Mrs. Elston - you made the whole night worthwhile for me.

Have a great long weekend.