Why I love Sundays...

Just finished up a yummy salad for lunch and wanted to catch up on email, blogs and writing cards. Sending friends and family "snail mail" is one of my favorite things to do, which is right in line with my other 80 year old woman tendencies (i.e. going to bed early.)

This morning I slept in. Well, woke up and had a PB & nanner english muffin and then crawled back into bed. (Something that I haven't done since my Bellevue days) It rained overnight and my body didn't want me to emerge out of the house quite yet. Eventually I did arise and headed over to Green Lake to pick up my new running shoes, yes! I was in and out of Road Runner in 10 minutes, super eager to head out on my run around the lake. My goal was to run Green Lake twice, so about 6 mi. That dream was cut short however due to another rain shower, so I only made it around the lake once. On the bright side - the shoes felt great!

Not wanting to head back up to Queen Anne quite yet, I swung into PCC Natural Market. I have such an obsession with visiting new grocery stores. There is something fun about checking out the different types of produce or vegan options. I filled my basket with a couple goodies: Tofu Scrambler (was seriously addicted to this a couple years ago), Extra firm tofu, Tazo Passion Tea, Trail mix, and Low-fat Vanilla Almond Milk. I was inspired by Jenna from "Eat, Live, Run" and her amazing breakfast smoothies she makes. One of her smoothies uses Almond Milk, which I've never tried (I go back & forth between Soy milk and Skim milk.) I'm really excited to try my new blender this week by making a yummy smoothie.

This afternoon I plan to catch up on some reading. I'm completely comfortable admitting to folks that I just started ready the first Twilight book - New Moon - and actually really like it. This means a lot coming from me, as I was originally abstaining from this whole Twilight craze that has been taking place for months now...but I'm officially on the bandwagon!

Next week should be another busy week around the office, so today I shall rest and relax all to my heart's desire! Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

*"Love that you run, Love that you can" card from Banana Blossom Press. This card is sitting on my desk, and I think I'm keeping it for myself.

Happy Friday!!

Well, I made it to Friday, which always seems difficult after a holiday weekend. I started the day with an early morning run around Queen Anne - I am just loving the different running routes I've discovered (errr...gotten lost on) since moving up here. Each route most definitely includes a little hill action of some sort, my calves are thanking me for that right now! This morning I was surprised by all of the other runners out n' about, and I think they were also surprised by my "morning" greeting. If you're running by me, you will get a "hello" or "hey" or some type of acknowledgement...the MN nice is in my blood folks.

After some ab work/stretching, I ate the largest bowl of cereal ever. All week I've been diverging from the 'cereal for breakfast' tradition and trying to incorporate some additional protein to start the day - english muffin with PB and a nanner. Don't get me wrong, I'm still snacking on cereal at night. I eat way too much cereal, favorites include: Peanut Butter Puffins, Life (cinnamon), Kashi Go Lean (looks like gerbil food), and Honey Bunches of Oats.

After refueling my body, I got ready to "WFH" (work from home) for the day. Thus far, Friday has been perfect (outside of the giant spider I had to kill this morning - where do they come from!) I'm still figuring out what I want to do with my weekend, and love that the possibilities are endless. I do know for certain that I'm going to pick up new running shoes at Road Runners in Green Lake. I'm switching to a new shoe - eek - as my old shoe has been discontinued. I've ran through four pairs of Asics Gel Cumulus 10s and will be moving on to the Gel Cumulus11s. I plan to give them a test run around Green Lake as well! Wish me luck...

*Not sure where this photo was taken, but would love to be able to run here.

For tonight...

This is just right...

Independence Weekend

Today’s Journal Juice from Sark felt like a perfect homecoming from a weekend away in Bremerton – “Be still and let the beauty come…” I did a pretty good job of practicing stillness in one shape or another this weekend while visiting my friend Kathleen’s boyfriend’s (James) “lake home” in Bremerton (personal thank you to KS for encouraging me to go and being such a lovely hostess!) From the moment I walked onto the ferry and found a place to exercise my inner sun goddess, I knew it was going to be a good weekend.

(Side note: I was excited to see what Bremerton was like – a couple local friends looked slightly confused when I told them this – So quick background: My parents lived in Bremerton about 30 or so years ago when my dad was in the Navy. Much I’m sure has changed in the town since then, but I was still excited to visit a place where there lives some kind of family history.)

Upon arriving at the lake home, I was immediately brought back to the many fun summers I spent visiting the Klein family cabin in Cass Lake, MN. Needless to say, I was excited to find my new home for the weekend – a reclined patio chair – and change into my weekend wardrobe – my bikini – and just relax. It was fun to watch the tide slowly come in as the afternoon turned to evening.

I woke up the next day excited to head out on a run back into the city before the temperatures heated up (which they did!!) While traveling, I’m constantly amazed by what I find or learn while taking off on foot for a run. No matter where you’re going, pack your running shoes. You never know when you’ll have a couple free hours to squeeze in an exploration run or a workout.

Back in my weekend wardrobe, sunscreen and book in tow, I spent a few too many hours lounging in the sun. But it was exactly what I wanted to do. Everyone eventually migrated over to the deck area as the grandest 4th of July feast I’ve ever seen was prepared. After dinner, my dessert stomach opened up for a second round of yummy sweets – S’mores… (aw yes!) As dusk fell we found ourselves in an amphitheater of mini firework shows around the waterfront. I even had an opportunity to light a few little fireworks myself!

By the end of my stay in Bremerton, I discovered the following beautiful things:
1. My love for living near the water. If a cheap plot of land opens up on Lake Washington, I’d move in a heartbeat.
2. Seashells and sea glass. Oh my goodness, I came home with the most glorious collection of new shells and colorful sea glass to add to my little dishes around my place.
3. S’mores galore. This dessert can only be enjoyed to its fullest when prepared with by a campfire. Why aren’t there more campfires in the city?
4. Good friends and their good family. I was amazed by how wonderfully friendly James and his family/friends were all weekend. It’s good to expand your circle of people every once in a while.

*Kathleen and I, all sunshined and ready to cook!

*Sea glass in a little dish on my desk

Approach the bus as it were your friend...

This morning I did something I've never done before. Outside of my alarm not going off and missing my early morning run opportunity (which rarely happens,) I successfully rode the bus to work for the very first time. I know, exciting, right! In all honesty, this was a really big deal for me because I've been a bit of a traffic wimp lately and cursing the commute to the west side every night. There is a bus stop right across the street from my place, and I've walked/run/drove past it with guilt far too often. Many people at my office who live in Seattle take the bus to work and made it sound so easy to do.

With the help of my friend Kathleen, I mapped out my route and pickup times. I even coordinated the ride with a guy on my team, who would also hop on the same route as me, just further on down Queen Anne Ave. However, I was a smidge early to the stop and ended up hopping on an early bus. When I arrive at where my coworker was supposed to hop on, I saw that he was still leisurely enjoying his coffee and paper outside of a cafe, and didn't get on the bus. I knocked on the window (standard bus protocol?) to get his attention and then waved goodbye as my bus scooted away, without my riding companion-personal GPS-bus guide. At that point, I'm sure I looked like a lost puppy. I grasped onto my bus schedule paper and waiting until I arrived at a new terminal to transfer onto another bus.

Minor problem, I have NO idea where this elusive terminal is...is it underground, in a building, I'm confused. So upon exiting the bus, I latch onto a girl who looks approachable based on her L.L. Bean monogrammed beach tote and cross bearing jewelry. She proceeded to point me in the right direction.

The bus ride in total took about 45 minutes. No one talks to one another - not sure why I thought it would be a chatty atmosphere? I people watched the whole way, and almost thought I could take an early morning nap, but I had to keep my eyes perked for where I needed to get off in Bellevue. Based on other rides, key items that I should bring for the next ride: iPod, a book and sunglasses.

To head into this long weekend, (I have Friday off from work) I wanted to close this post with a view from my favorite park in Queen Anne. Some call this park by its formal name, "Kerry Park" - however, the park is located on Highland Drive just down from my place. I like calling it "Highland Park," as I have no idea who Kerry was. Enjoy! (How could you not love living here with a view like this!)

Impossible to "I'm Possible"

Today’s journal topic stemmed around possibility, and reframing what we deem as “impossible” to mean “I’m possible.” Not only is this a very clever play on words, but also feels so timely with working through everything going on in my life right now. It’s interesting to think why I don’t give myself the same level of “possibility” in my personal life as I do in my work life.

Maybe because work (aka my career) is structured, there is guidance and principal attached to almost everything. We’re encouraged to dream big at work – do more “blue sky” thinking, where anything is possible. This is one of the greatest aspects of working where I do. So, typically when I approach relationships I dive head first into the sea of possibility – I imagine the second date before the first one has even taken place, how cute our children would look, (marriage fits somewhere between the second date and children, I promise…but you get what I’m saying.) Then somewhere down the line the possibilities seem to diminish, - this, I’m not sure quite why or how it happens. But it does. And you’ll rack your brain for “the” significant moment when “I’m possible” turned to impossible.

Moving forward, I’d like to continue thinking big at work, home, in relationships, at the grocery store, on a walk. Practice more possibility thinking, because, really, the possibilities are endless.

How do you approach possibility?

"Juicy Journaling"...adventures with SARK

Today I received a calling from the blogging gods. Just when I was questioning my ability to write meaningfully both at work and at home, I came across some inspiration and decided to sign up for an e-course "Juicy Journaling with SARK." I've followed SARK in some capacity since my senior year of high school, and have turned to her books over the years whenever I was in the need to reconnect with myself or even for inspiration.

The Juicy Journaling is a self-paced, 30 day course that includes a variety of inspirational materials to encourage self-reflective writing. Every day I will receive an email containing "journal juice" and an exercise to help guide some of the creative juices. Some days there will be recording from SARK or even personal journal entries from a variety of female bloggers. SARK's artistic capabilities expand beyond the written word. Her drawings and paintings ooze with beauty and are filled with inspirational quotes.

I dived into the journaling tonight along with my yummy salad in hopes of fueling my belly and my mind. I should preface first that lately I've found writing to be too daunting, as it feels like I'm actually living some horrible break-up movie. So having a focused topic at hand, with some extra guidance, should hopefully help to pull me away from focusing so much on this particular aspect of my life.

The guidance for tonight centered around developing two lists. The first was open-ended, requiring us to list 25 gorgeous moments. Of course the possibilities for this were endless, from breath-taking moments atop Mount Si to hearing my best friends' laughter in unison. The second list was more focused with a topic, requiring us to list gorgeous moments associated with nature and the outdoors. Then from this list we were to use each item in a line of a poem. Here is what I came up with:

The babbling brook, like you, is waiting for my reply, questioning if I can hear it
Crunching leaves beneath your feet, declare for you where you stand
Dewdrops leap to my ankles as I try to run away
Swaying trees keep you at bay, wind at your back and nowhere to go
Foggy mornings between Queen Anne and Alki leave me longing for more
Waves against the boat ask me if they’re on course
Fresh clean air and sunlight through my windows makes me wonder where you are

Writing a few lines of poetry is definitely a start in the right direction. I already feel a bit more inspired and look forward to seeing what Day 2 brings from Juicy Journaling.