three out of three

i started running last year.
it seemed like a good idea at the time.
then, i joined CMS (Cambridge Multi Sport)
also seemed like a good idea at the time.
now i have three sports to train in.
and new friends to train with.
so for now,
it's still a good idea.

in the last two weeks i have
swum 5 miles
run 32
and biked 158 miles.
its all relative.
but when you consider that
i never used to do any of it
it still feels
like a pretty good idea.
it just feels pretty good.

a reason to get new running shoes

work in progress

organized and ready.

seeking inspriration

waiting for me in my craft-supply-filled closet.

in the closet

for christmas
i asked santa
for a closet organizer.
for president's day,
i got the time to put it up
(with a little help from my hubby...
okay, a lot of help).
then, i got to spend
magical hours
sorting and organizing
and making it my own.
the best part is
there's still room to grow-
so i can go shopping. :-)

the garden planting: year two

tilled soil.
fresh air.
sunshine and sunscreen.
dogs romping.
good friend helping.
footprints in the soil.
dirty bare feet.
patches of green.
cool breezes.
new kneepads.
sore muscles.
water bringing life.
tomatoes. cilantro. basil.
beets. green onions. lettuce.
spinach. squash. zucchini.
cucumbers. watermelon. parsley.

"To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves." Gandhi

laughing at myself

back from 10 days in CO
and getting back on track.
back to work tomorrow,
but for today
i can have a little fun.
(beginner) DDR style.

inspiration

blogging has been drawing a blank for me lately
with life just at status quo
and everything out there just continuing to spin on by
me.


so i have been searching for inspiration
in new friends that paint
(and deciding to take out my "learn to paint" kit hiding in my closet)
i didn't know it would be a multi-day process...
(i am currently waiting for further inspiration...)

and in thoughts of things that i have always wanted to learn how to do
and maybe i'll be brave enough to try
now...
or maybe this summer.

and we are bracing ourselves for a glorious 10 day trip to visit family and new babies in Colorado.
ah,
spring break.

let me count the days...

New Fun

in january, i made some resolutions for the year.
i am revisiting them this week, as i look back to one goal:

this resolution has many parts to it. the gist: have fun. i have discovered that i need to go far beyond my comfort zone to be social, to be active. todd and i love to be home, love to hang out together, to nap, to eat, to relax, to watch movies, to be mellow. in short, we are homebodies.
my resolution is this: have more fun. get our more. be brave. take risks. do something different. try something new each month to get out there and get active.
my first step was to invite people to our house. now on the list: bowling, church, local museums, travel to baltimore and d.c. (preferably with friends), meet someone new, find all the local thrift shops, find a book group or sewing group, take another class at the community college... any ideas?

well, we have been trying new things.
we've made new friends.
we've gone bowling.
we've joined a church.
we've done a few of the local attractions.

this week, we also decided not to make excuses,
try something new,
and go to a curling lesson with our friends, D and R.
and its a blast.
let me tell you...
it is way harder than in looks on the olympics.
its a great work-out as you run on the ice and "sweep".
and it takes a lot to get used to.
but if you've never tried it...
its worth it.
so. much. fun.




what have you done that's new this year?

busy

my school countdown is definitely on
and my new year school jitters are beginning to effect the length of my fingernails.
i am nervous an excited
and of course trying to cram in the rest of my to do list for summer in my last days.


i have accomplished many goals and finished projects
but many more are underway
and i would like to have them finished and tucked away as fall approaches.
while my mom is here next week, i am even hoping to two-person-assembly-line some christmas gifts.


so today will be full of:
dogs and walking
coffee and milk
elliptical trainers and weight machines
classroom storage and organization
shopping for last minute this and thats
reading and cleaning
phone calls and notes
projects and sewing
or whatever combination of above tasks i can squeeze in.

garden update

here it is, in all of its delayed july glory.

banana peppers almost ready for harvest.

eggplant blossoms.

melon blossoms.

a whole juicy row of basil.

pumpkin blossoms.

a little bit of lettuce, left by the rabbits to regrow.


and my favorite, pepperocini peppers.

i can hardly wait.

new beginnings

and so our garden is in the earth.
we spent last saturday shopping plants at the farmer's market and local gardening center, before spending all day sunday--- digging and digging and watering and watering and digging and digging.
we got the electrified fence up and ready.
we got the plantlings in the ground.
we put the herb seeds in to begin our first journey in gardening...
what a way to start.
40x40 feet of hopes for vegetables later this summer.

mom got here mid-week and she helped plant the rest of our seeds.
getting dirt under our nails and cramps in our backs.
now we wait.




what we planted:
basil
cilantro
spearmint
chives
green onion
oregano
three rows of carrots
three rows of beets
three rows of green beans
16 tomato plants of all kinds
cucumbers
3 kinds of summer squash
cantaloupe
watermelon
peppers, sweet and hot
butternut squash and
pumpkins.

wish us luck.

photoshop

so.
i am taking a class on photoshop to figure it out.
its is a really bizarre program that is not at all intuitive or logical, but we are learning slowly. each thursday, we have begun to just play around with silly images and see what we can do. i am certainly not an expert, but here is tonight's fun.
after the disk that i brought with me was blank, i had to use images from my blog to play with... little easton and a big flower.

scraps of love

these are a few of the 54 pages that i made last week-end when i was home with mom and dad.
i work fast because i don't have the tools at home- i only work with my mom... so 54 was enough pages to get me from june to december.
mostly, i like the company, the reminiscing, the craftiness, the simplicity, the creativity... but mostly the company.
thanks, mom.

my love, my valentine

its been snowy here all day, and i have still been under the weather... but naps and popsicles have brought me a long way.
i thought i'd backtrack and post some of these fun valentine's day pictures that i forgot i had.
todd and i had a quiet evening in with hot chocolate in the garage as we grilled up my favorite treat on the grill outside, ribs. yum. yum, yum. ribs and roasted veggies and baked potatoes in front of the warmth of american idol.
i gave todd this new ho scale barn for his train set- and it sits right now in a barren desert of plywood until we get our real set-up built downstairs.
i love these next two shots of my love- one of exasperation and the other of joy. i am glad he has his new new hobby.
i am glad i have him.