single shot saturday

old habits

Before my kids were old enough to leave home and be on their own, I used to have to cram as much as I could into each day while they were at school. As a result, my exercise time was very early in the morning. Most mornings I would wake up before the sun. I longed for the day when I could sleep in a little longer and live life at my own pace. This morning, out of necessity, I took a page from the past and rose a little earlier than usual. I decided to run at the lake and it was so peaceful. The colors in the sky were beyond beautiful. I can't even describe it. I had almost forgotten how much I loved watching the world wake up in the mornings. And, its got me thinking that maybe I need to go back to my old habits. Some mornings I feel like the day is half over by the time I finish exercising, get showered and get ready. I have been feeling lately like the days are passing so quickly. Perhaps that's because I'm missing the first half of each day getting ready for the day. I think I will do a little experimenting now that the weather is getting a little warmer in the mornings, and see if I can't get more out of my days.  

time flies

Is it just me, or is time flying by more quickly than ever? It seems like just yesterday I went to the park with my grandson and pushed him in the little infant swing while he shrieked with laughter. Today, he shows up on a bike. What in the world?? When did this little boy grow up? I'm not ready for him to grow up. I'm not ready for him to be thrust into real life. And yet, I know I can't shelter him from it forever. Sooner or later he will have to face whatever challenges come his way. And so, I leave him with this advice.... Don't forget to wear your helmet!! Literally and figuratively.

a "pretty" good reason

People often ask me why I run outside in the wintertime with all of the cold weather and dark, dreary skies. My answer? Well, just look at the beautiful reason I captured with my iPhone today. You just can't get views like this in a hot, sweaty gym, running on the treadmill. No thank you. I'll stick to my beautiful, dark, dreary skies.

single shot saturday

steal of a deal

I belong to a gym, but I haven't been since March. I prefer to work out at my other gym, where membership is always free. It's a steal of a deal. It has many of the same amenities as my other gym such as weight benches, balance beams, treadmills, stairclimbers, stretching areas and, of course, a swimming pool. It even offers rowing, biking, rollerblading and paddle boarding. The views are spectacular and the air is fresh and clean. Unfortunately, my days are numbered there. November is moving right along, and the colder weather is moving in. The cold doesn't bother me, but when the snow hits this place will become a frozen tundra. Last year, the mild winter kept my gym open year-round. Oh how I hope that happens again! There's just something about the sweaty, hot "regular" gym that I dread. Fortunately, it looks like I have at least a few more weeks of suitable weather. The only down side to this place? Oh wait, there isn't one... 

finding gold

Ahhhh...the sweet golden tones of Autumn. The photo prompt word for this week over at 52 Photos Project is "Golden". I'm loving the soft light in this photo, and the little bits of bokeh here and there. Such a beautiful time of year to capture great images.

  

Single Shot Saturday

Whole Grain Goodness

It's time for another Monthly Health Challenge

April's challenge is to eat

whole grains, whole grains

and more whole grains.

There are so many benefits to eating whole grains,

so this month let’s really pack them in.

Say no to refined and enriched products,

and yes to whole grains like

brown rice, whole wheat, oats, and quinoa.
Try a couple new grains 
you have never eaten before.

Here’s to a month filled with complex carbs!!

The Thaw Is Coming

The ice on the lake is starting to thaw.

I've been tracking it's progress 

each time I'm there.

I feel like it's starting to come to life.

There are more birds

and ducks,

and I've even seen a few people fishing.

I feel like I've been a little like the lake,

lately.

A little stagnant and slow moving,

frozen over.

I've been trying to run every other day,

but to be honest

the effort has been lacking.

Doing just enough to say I did it. . .

just enough to get by.

No real progress or passion.

I suppose we all go through a winter freeze

of sorts.

It's cold and bleak outside,

stinky and sweaty in the gym.

Neither sounds that inviting.

It's hard to stay motivated this time of year.

But, just like with the frozen lake,

there is an eventual thaw.

It breaths new life into the old routine.

I can feel it coming on. . . 

creeping in, slowly.

I feel a little stirred today.

A little more motivated.

It's time for that winter freeze to end.

Time to get back out there and push myself.

Go beyond what is comfortable.

At my age,

comfortable no longer gets the job done.

Yep, I feel that thaw coming.

It's time to get moving.

Join me?

Cattails and Curiosity

curiosity |ˌkyo͝orēˈäsitē| noun 1 a strong desire to know or learn something.
I am an advocate of curiosity. In fact, I amprobably curiosity's biggest fan.
Yesterday, I went for a walk. Along the way, I came across a father with his son who wasaround three or four years old. They had leftthe walking path and were down in the marshypart of the area. There was a lot of mud inthat area and it was very soggy.
My first thought was: why does that man havehis little boy down in all of that mud. Hisshoes are going to be ruined. But then a tenderlittle scene unfolded in front of me.
The father grabbed on to an old, weathered cattail by the base and pulled up hard, pulling all of the brown part off of the stem.Then he opened his palm, closed his eyes andblew as hard as he could. It literally lookedlike fairy dust as it caught the sunlight. It was positively magical.  The littleboy giggled with excitement. I thought it wasso great that this dad would go off the beaten path to show his son something new,something exciting. It was one of thecutest things I had ever seen. I was leftwondering why I was forty (cough, cough)something and didn't know about wishing ona cattail.
Today, I find myself thinking about it allover again.  I've been asking myself thesequestions:  Why are children so curious, andat what point do we as adults lose thatcuriosity. Do we just get content with ourlives the way they are? Are we afraid to goout of our comfort zone? Do we get lazy?Do we lose our confidence? 
If you are reading this post today, I challengeyou to get curious again. Try something newor start doing something again that you usedto enjoy. Try a new recipe or go someplaceyou have never been before. Go ahead andstep in the mud and do something that's out-of-the-box. Challenge yourself. We arenever too old. Get out there and getcurious. . . today. I double-dog dare you!!

There Is Beauty All Around

Well it's the middle of winter--

a time when everything is usually frozen over,

covered in snow, and icy cold.

The sun was shining today

so I took a little walk

to see what I could capture in pictures.

Here's a little peek at the beauty of winter

that sometimes gets overlooked.

Even in the dead of winter

our world is beautiful.

This little Boy

I smile at a lot of things each day.

But, nothing makes me smile like 

this little boy :)

I think of him 

at least a hundred times a day.

Maybe more.

He owns a piece of my heart.

XOX 

A New Perspective

Every other day I wake up early to head out on a run at Daybreak Lake.  

Most of the time I am tired and filled with dread
because I know in a short time the sun will come up,
I'll be sweating like a dog, and it will be HOT!

Today was an exception.
Today I was on a mission.  

I  decided to take my camera with me
and capture some of the beauty that I usually overlook.
I was reading in a photo book about the importance of paying attention.
Really paying attention.
And so, I am taking the challenge.
Today I decided to pay more attention to the beautiful things around me
and document some of what I see in my day-to-day life.
 I started by capturing the beautiful silhouette of the mountains.
I see them each morning as I walk out the door.
They look beautiful against the early morning sky.

I arrived at the lake just as the sun was coming up over the mountain tops.  

Here are a few of the pictures I took along the my running route.

                                           

and my personal favorite . . . . . 

The little boys in this photo were too caught up in looking at the fish to even notice me.

Their reflections in the water were so great.  I just had to capture it.

Turns out I love my runs in the morning . . . no matter how hot it is.  

It really boils down to your attitude.

I think my just had an adjustment. :)