I want to feel good about a break.....

Wow. September 1st was the last time I had written. As week by week went by, I constantly thought about writing, thinking daily about adventures and things I wanted to try. The weeks have gone by quickly and here we are in mid October.  I guess I haven't been writing because I've been too darn busy trying to get my new job in place. Not to mention trying to be everything else on my wish list.

This past weekend I let it all go. I did have a very eventful weekend, we threw a gathering for my dad at our house, which I will write about later, which turned into a long evening with my sisters and friends. After all of it though, I was tired and I just wanted to do nothing. I do have a lazy afternoon every once and awhile but after a couple of hours, I snap out of it or I do 10 different things before I bring on the lazy. I didn't even want to think about caring about anything. All the things I want to be were pushed to the side. I ate bad, I drank bad, I didn't exercise, and I messed up my sleep. This attitude carried on into the work week. I worked hard at work but after work, I have come home, made dinner and seriously just played on my computer until I feel asleep. I could have been writing or doing work but I've been playing card games!!! Since Sunday I have had a pile of clean laundry to fold on my guest bed, the dish washer hasn't been emptied, and my packed lunches have been terrible!! What is wrong with me? Worst part is, I haven't even really felt guilty.

A much needed break and a good dose of "who gives a crap" has taken over. It has been nice, but really, I do not like it. I do not like this feeling...I like caring about everything we put into our mouths and giving the pup a substancial walk everyday. I like getting 15 things done in a short period of time! I guess this mini mind vacation was needed because it took on a life of its own. I am slowly starting to care again. I did make good lunches for us today, Penny Lane got a walk, I am writing this and I plan on hitting the hay early (only a few games of solitaire before bed). It's been good to see that maybe I just need to take a few mind breaks before this monster shut down takes over again. Let's relax and enjoy.....when we need it, not just when it happens. I'm coming back but adding in a few naps every once and awhile.

I want to eat good food...

When I say "good," I don't just mean yummy. Yummy is very important, but "good" to me means yummy, healthy, and good for the environment. I love this video from Chipotle. It's a great introduction to start thinking about where our food comes from and what is put into it before we put it in our mouths.

Watch "Back to the Start" on YouTube

I want a little change...

I like change. I always have. After about three years of doing the same thing, I start feeling it. Then during the fourth year I start preparing or panicing or looking for ways to change it. Last year was my fourth year at my school-it was an awesome year, but by the end, I was glad the year was done and was planning out opportunities in my head. Up until Saturday, I was thinking that my big four year change wasn't going to happen this time. I would have to make some kind of change happen at home or in my routine. I was settling into that.

Little did I know that on Saturday I would be getting a call from my principal. I saw that he called and thought: #1 I have to give up my classroom or #2 something really important has come up. Turns out, both were right. I was offered a new position that is going to be an awesome challenge. A Big, big change!!! I had been curious, ooking for new possibilities, but it's very strange how this all came together. This new gig, is going to be a good fit to what I want to do. I do know it is going to be very hard work and it is going to test me in new ways. I am so thankful for the opportunity and excited to see how this adventure unfolds. And after a day and a half on the new job, I still have A LOT to learn and A LOT to do!!

I suppose though, once you "get it," the challenge is really over. I know these "Big changes" won't happen all the time- if they do, I'll be exhasted! So as long as we are still striving to learn more and be more, the changes can be little but the ideas can go far. As for now, this "big change" is going to keep this wondering mind quite busy:)

I want to exhale.....

Big yummy sigh.....ahhhhh. That is how today has felt. It was my first real day off. No out of town trips or celebrations, just me at home with a little agenda- yoga and a haircut. Thursday was the last day of summer school and Sunday was my last day as a land guide. What a summer- In a little more than a week I will be back in my classroom getting ready for the year waiting for the next big exhale. For now though, I'm sneeking in a little down time and a little catch up time as well.

It's funny on "the last days," not much can bring you down. I easily go with the flow and everything just seems to be brighter. Whether it be the last day at a job, the last day of school, or the last day of vacation.....it's then we finally soak it all in. We accept the bad and we take the good, taking it all for what it is. Thursday, the kids seemed sweeter and on Sunday the customers seemed thankful....but they were like that the whole time. I was just wrapped in who knows what, to appreciate it.

I guess that's why they say to "live every day like it's your last." Get that hug and kiss in, smell the roses, and just linger. What I've learned from this.....If it's the first day or the last day, or a day in between, take a second to appreciate what it is.

I want to can can!

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. This summer our garden has given us tomatoes- lots and lots of tomatoes. Daily, the hubster was bringing in four to five tomatoes from our crop. We could not eat them as fast as they were coming. Something had to be done.

Lucky for me, we have awesome neighbors that had brought us two types of toppings for our brown rice pasta that she had just canned. I had watched a couple canning videos on youtube but she answered a few questions that were still lingering. I bought my jars and was ready. This was my first time canning and I did not use any of the special canning tools. Really, I am crossing my fingers that they came out okay. I will be making a purchase for them the next time. I can see why they would be worth it.

Salsa was the answer for our tomatoes. We had jalepeno and bell peppers growing that I utilized as well. My cilantro took a turn about a week ago from the intense heat, so I bought from the store.
From peeling the tomatoes, to chopping onions and peppers(I love my food processor), to simmering, to all the mess with the jars....I did it.

This was a long process. If they turn out right, I think it's worth all the trouble. My food sayings for the last year have been, eat/buy local, eat with the seasons, and eat real food. Canning would be the perfect addition. I am envisioning my entire backyard becoming one giant garden that I will can throughout the year. I am feeling inspired. If I can't get the whole yard, I am going to at least double what I have now. As you can see from the pictures, the garden is overflowing.

I want to juice....

Juice! Wonderful juice! Juicing has become a part of our morning ritual. I'm even looking up juice bars close to our hotel this weekend. I'm addicted to juice! It all started because of my new clean life I'm after now that I'm 30. I was reading "Crazy, Sexy, Diet," & feel in love with Kris Carr. She is inspiring and has made me want to make some serious adjustments to my health- this is the only body I have and I want to fill it with beneficial, nutritious stuff so it works as it was intended. So, for one big change, I bought myself a juicer, some serious veggies and fruit and have been juicing away. Yum yum yummy!!!

Luckily for me, my husband is always supportive of my new adventures and jumps on board drinking it up every morning. I'm trying out different combinations and have even made some muffins out of the pulp. The muffins need some serious tweaking, but we'll get there. For now, the pulp is making my compost happy. As of today, four weeks in, my top five juicing ingredients are: 1. Blueberries, 2. Cucumbers, 3. Chard, 4. Apples, 5. Celery. Imagine getting all that good stuff in for breakfast!!

Juice rocks and has made my mornings even brighter! After watching a documentay, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead," where two men go juice fasts that changed their health and lives forever, it made this jucing thing seem so smart and I didn't feel so crazy anymore. I proudly juice. In the film, the main guy tries to convince people to try a 10 day juice fast- he says you have to go at least seven days to feel all the benefits. This may be my next step. The hubster will probably put up a fight on this, but we'll see if my sales talk will work.  All I need is seven days off in a row so I can make juice all day long......seven days in a row........

I want to handle this gracefully...

I have a problem. Not only do I want to do everything, I try to do everything. These days I'm working 7 days a week, trying my new thirty look on life, and still trying to have a clean house and wear clean clothes!

Now, this was my own doing and I do like what I'm doing, so I'm not complaining. I like the summer school, except for about an hour of it each day. I like being outside for my land guide gig and I like this new time consuming health kick I'm on. I just want to be cautious, as I have now signed up for something else to do that requires me to look very smart.

Luckily, I am a strong believer in taking care of yourself - because of that, I am including lots of yoga in my schedule and I am now trying to meditate everyday. Once is with my yoga practice and the other is in the evening, usually before bed. I need a clear head with all this stuff going on- if not, it would all be jumbled together and I would never get anything done. Now, I'm not up to thirty minutes or anything, but little by little, I am adding some time. I'm not meaning to cheat, but it takes time getting used to sitting in silence. I have read some great techniques that help me concentrate and forget about the time. One has to do with all the people that are close to me now, in the past, or are just in our lives for reasons unknown to us now. I want to do all these things, I am trying to be a better person, I want to experience new things- When all thatcomes in my head, to the meditation station we go....