hump day

I have a coworker who likes to tease on Wednesdays, "What day is it? C'mon, you know what day it is...". At first I had no idea what the joke was about. There are many benefits to not having a TV.

Today is that midweek hump for us Monday-Friday folks.

And here is something I like to do any day of the week: walk to work.

2.5 miles, not too close and not too far.

On the way to work, striding along late: picked up by my friend & coworker and made it on time.

On the way home, stopped at the library for returns and reserve pick-ups, and had a great conversation all the way home (I held off until last spring on getting a cell phone, but it does have its benefits).

How was your hump day?

simple sunday style

I have decided to try going natural.
I am already a pretty natural kind of lady (gal?).
But I'd like to be more so.
Good health and self-care are most beautiful.

I do wear makeup, but not so anyone would notice.
Just a little brown eyeshadow, mascara, and natural lip color (more of a gloss).
I think I'd like to try to do without.

I'm not really sure what "real" color my hair is now--I've been using henna on it since I was 15 years old!
It's been a lot of shades, from aubergine to auburn to bright red to dark brown to a medium brown now.
I used to enjoy mixing the powdered henna colors and waiting for the surprise result.

Henna is a plant-based color that also naturally conditions the hair.
However, it is becoming quite expensive, and it's a lengthy and messy process
(think slathering green mud on your head and leaving it on for several hours!).
I'm getting tired of the quarterly upkeep.

My hair is growing in silver around the temples now...

One of my coworkers has the most beautiful silver hair, looking very stylish.
My mother also has lovely cascading silver hair.
I'm ready to try. I cut off about three inches last night.

Following the recommendations of Mrs. MM (and many others!),
getting a good night's sleep of 8 hours, daily exercise, and healthy food with many fresh fruits and veggies, are among the best (and certainly most frugal) beauty practices.

drama-free

As I rode my bike home yesterday I thought about choices.
I love my job and enjoy my co-workers.
I learn new things every day. I use what I learn to help people.
Basically, I'm very happy at work.

All the staff in my program share responsibilities.
There is quite a lot of camaraderie and teamwork.
There is also a little bit of office politics.

Is this typical? It's not something I'm very familiar with. I'm a little unsure of how to respond.
Communication becomes something that takes careful thinking.
I don't want to over-think, however, because then everything becomes awkward.

I have decided that I will not participate in anything resembling gossip.
(It can be tempting--but brings nothing of value to the situation, and can cause damage).
I need to learn to either step away, or say "I don't need or want to know that."
If something affects how I do my job, or there are inappropriate dynamics, I also need to speak up.
That's challenging sometimes.

I spend a lot of my life in the workplace these days. It's an uncomfortable feeling to "watch my back".
I can't quite let my guard down, but I can choose to create the environment I want to work in.
So no engaging in negative behavior or communication, either overtly or covertly.
Put positively, being respectful and courteous to all, recognizing strengths, and assuming positive intent.

I like drama in the movies, in novels. That's enough.

How about you--have you ever had this kind of experience?

mood magic

I keep thinking about a term I read long ago in a book called Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.
That term was "wrestling with the tofu" (or how about "wrestling with the futon"-ever tried to move one?)
It's the process that one's mind can go through when sitting down to meditate.
Or in my case, trying to overcome inertia or grumpiness.

Rather than wrestling with my own mind (sounds so complicated), I resort to linguistic tricks.
When I am sitting on the couch with my laptop and need to get up and get moving,
telling myself "You know you need to go EXERCISE" just makes me feel teenage rebellious.

So instead I use...it's time for a little Mood Magic!
Once my shoes are on and I'm out the door (with my trusty big brown dog), I feel instantly better.
And that elevation lasts for hours. Effects are doubled when the sun appears along the way.

Minou used to complain when I headed out the door to jog, leaving him alone with two tiny p'tit minous.
He learned over time to say "Good for you--it's good for your heart".
These days I bet he's pretty glad for the existence of Mood Magic.
I'm much nicer to live with because of it.

Some days he even says "Don't you want to start your day with a jog?"

How about you? What's your Mood Magic?

saving

I am constantly thinking about ways to live frugally. It's pretty a pretty ingrained habit by now.

Here are some things I did this week to celebrate frugality:

• am holding off to the weekend for a big(ger) planned grocery trip, cooking with what's in the bare cupboards and ignoring my cravings for popcorn and chocolate
• am thinking about what I can prepare with what we have for an office birthday potluck
• did not go out to lunch with colleagues (I also had homework to do)
• drank office coffee (instead of using up a lovely coffee card that I was gifted)
• rode my bike to work four days out of five
• waited four days to wash my hair (French people wait a full week!)
• turned a shrunken merino wool sweater into the warmest circle scarf ever
• drank warm water instead of faux cafe (Pero or Inka, a non-caffeinated favorite) after dinner
• put holds on five movies at the library (one has 47 other holds) and did not go to Redbox
• had pineapple upside-down cake made by Minou instead of taking Mamie out for ice cream
• ate beans or lentils I soaked & cooked myself for dinner or lunch five times this week

Because I did those things, I went ahead and 

• turned the thermostat up to 71 (because it's coooooold)
• took a hot bath (it has been quite the week, and it's a semi-monthly treat).

Are you frugally minded? What is one thing you did this week to save?

intentions

Intentions. They are the guide, the pointer.
Imagine a child preparing to take a turn at the pinata at a birthday party.
Blindfolded, she is spun around and around, and then sets out with her stick in the direction she thinks the pinata hangs, swinging wildly. Sometimes she is heading in the opposite direction.

When we take off our blindfolds and point ourselves in the direction we want to go, we make progress.
We may not break the pinata and be showered with candy, but we are getting closer to it.
(I'm not sure this metaphor is working, but you get the idea).

I have so many intentions in so many directions.
Sometimes I feel like I'm spinning in circles because I'm not sure which way to head first.

I find myself thinking and worrying about finances quite a bit. It's not a bad thing, but it can become a mental groove that I am stuck in. This is really not where I want my life's energy and intentions to be focused. Security for my family and myself  is important, but fretting is not productive and is a limitation. Our time here is limited. I'm middle aged--yikes! Where do my intentions really lie?

Growth. Spirituality. Relationships. Creativity.

Last night, I sat down for my nightly Sitting and could not turn off my monkey mind. What was worse was that I didn't really want to. It was much easier and more comfortable to go around and around the questions of the mortgage and retirement savings and how to pay for college than it was to focus on Love and Kindness.

I want to set concrete goals and take steps toward them in the areas of my life, such as finances, that I tend to worry about--to put them on auto-pilot. Instead of worrying each month how much extra I can put toward the mortgage, I can make a lump-sum payment now, and stop thinking about it. Instead of fretting about the ever-increasing food bill, I can plan meals and use the envelope system. That way, I am working on goals and making progress, even if incremental, and can let go of the fretting.

Then I can  focus my life energy on the core values.

Retreat

Oh it is bliss to have a retreat space, I tell you.
It's hard to imagine how restful this feels unless you have been without one for a while.
Here is what our Attic looked like while it was still under construction, just over a week ago:

And here is that same space now:

Nice, yes? Just under that window is my Sitting Space.

We are currently five people in the house, and we have a total of seven pillows.
Two were borrowed for the occasion of Mamie's visit.
I'm in no hurry to go out and buy anything.
In fact, when that thought "I need to get...."  arises, I do my best to think my way around it.
Do I really need to get whatever it is? Why do I want it?
Is there some other way to meet that need?
In this case, there was a way to meet the wish of padding while sitting: Sheepie.
A beloved relic of my childhood that has remained, despite not being embraced by the P'tit Minous.
(for some reason, maybe his beady button eyes, they found him creepy).
He makes a very fine pillow.

And this makes a very fine reading and retreat space, even if the insulation isn't covered yet.

january 1

New Year's Eve was less than hoped at our home...a good lesson in letting go of expectations.
I worked all day and was more tired than I realized. I also ate more doughnuts than were good for me.
(that would be any number over 0, right?)
I walked home in the dark evening, as Minou was making sandwiches at the cold-weather homeless shelter.
We ate late, a special Italian gratin Minou prepared. Tasty.
But somehow at dinner, the energy was not good. Both p'tit minous came down hard on me, for reasons I'm not entirely sure of. No matter. I did not respond well, felt ganged up on, left the table and went upstairs to the Attic to read (Mountains Beyond Mountains, very inspiring so far).
Came back down, had dessert also prepared by Minou.
The boys (which includes Minou) watched an inane movie, I worked on a puzzle.
At 11 pm I went to to bed, to general disappointment. (Mamie had already gone at 9:30).
None of the family was feeling very happy. That's an understatement.
It was a sad, numb feeling. It is hard to love people, because they can hurt us.
It's hard to remain open when there is that possibility for pain.
But when we close ourselves off, staying safe, we are also closed to love.

I woke up early this morning, it was still dark, and thought,
Keep Trying.
Then I went back to sleep.
A few hours later...
Get up, give kisses, say sorry, and try to stay open. Open to the love and pain.
It's not easy, at least not for me.

Tonight I will Sit for the first time. 10 minutes? 20 minutes? Not sure.

babel

Mamie is here. (Hurray!)
The books are off the floor.
There is the possibility of a dusting of snow.
All good.

My language skills are pretty rusty, however.
The French somewhere in the back of my brain is being further mixed up with the Spanish I'm trying to refresh and use at work. And all the rapid-fire code-switching in our house is confusing. Who speaks which language to whom, and when, and how....

And this evening, to make matters more complicated, our close friend and neighbor came by for tea. In Spanish nouns (no French, Mamie's adopted tongue of 60+ years), she was talking to Mamie about a friend who was learning Portuguese (Mamie's first language), and as I tried to translate what she said to Mamie, for some inexplicable reason I was trying to translate into Spanish (Mamie's second language) and she was speaking Portuguese (which I don't speak or comprehend at all) to me....

...and nobody was understanding anybody...

at which point I said to Minou, "I think I need to get up from the table!" and he replied "too bad--please stay here!"

It's laugh or grind my teeth. I'm trying to laugh.

fresh slate

before

This weekend we had a painting party.
It wasn't spontaneous, but I didn't anticipate that I would get as much help as I did, or that we would paint the kitchen, living room, half the entry, and both boys' rooms.
We are tired.

we're having fun

But it was fun. What was good was that we worked together. There was very little losing tempers or harsh words. There was a lot of patient helping. Also chocolate chip cookies, and brotherly teamwork. I am so thankful.

painting party

I had been going back and forth on colors for a while. After several years of the warm, bright colors you see above, I wanted a change. And so did P'tit Minou Un, who strongly lobbied for white. Not sand, not taupe, not greige, but a clean, bright, white. 

So we went with it. I remembered a post from Miss Minimalist about white walls, in which she said that in every house she'd ever lived in, she painted everything white right off the shelf at the home improvement store. That's what we did. We got the big cans of Ultra White. No color mixing required. No agonizing between cloud, marshmallow, or palest wheat, but WHITE. I wasn't sure if I would like it.

after

But I do! It really opens the space and makes it look bigger. I love it, in fact.
P'tit Minou Deux was not sure how he felt about losing the colors, but he said afterward, "It's like we live in Italy!" I'm not sure why that association came to mind, but I'm happy that he likes it too. And his room is now a lovely deep spring green, accented with the wood window trim. He was going for a forest effect.

We will create our color downstairs with art and fabric, but right now I'd really like to leave the walls bare.
I'm looking forward to getting a tree and decorating it for the Christmas season.
The only issue now is the books. What to do with the books?

The P'tit Minous voted not to have the massive bookshelves in the living room now (they were made of recycled gym bleachers, sanded down)...and again, it feels much more spacious.
While Minou and I made a run to the home improvement store, they began cataloguing our collection.
We will have to see where they can be stored. I have always dreamed about having a home library...

I can't believe the weekend is over! What did you do, the last two days?

be kind

Sometimes, there are those days when I have to take a deep breath and remember these words: be kind.
To myself, my loved ones, those around me.

There are days when it would be so easy to let myself get worked up in irritation, anger or self-righteousness.
And it is so much better to stop and remember that everyone is doing the best they can.
To give the benefit of a doubt.

To remember that looking back, I will be so glad to say "Oops--oh well, we're learning!" instead of scolding when a teen forgot his new weekly job. Or "Thank you for coming to get me!" instead of "I left work thirty minutes early and spent them waiting for you in the rain" when my husband made a special trip downtown to pick me up. Or "If I seem irritable it's because I didn't sleep enough and my eyes are tired--it is nothing to do with you, and I love you" to cut off the insecurities at the pass, those we all have.

At work: instead of feeling micromanaged and resenting it, to say "We have the same goals and you are trying to teach me from your experience. This way feels more comfortable to me because of xyz. I'd like to try it like this and check back in with you".

And with myself: I laughed and mopped it up instead of getting mad when I flooded the bathroom in my rush to get a morning shower and out the door (darn untucked shower curtain). I sighed, and said I'll do better tomorrow, when I had a second calzone at dinner. I forwent plans for washing the ceilings and sat on the couch with my boy and a big cat because I was tired. And I won't be disappointed in myself. I'll get to it tomorrow. And I did something kind with my sweet boy, who wants to use the money he saved up himself buying bees and geese for families far away, through Heifer International.

woke up

What a rollercoaster ride of emotions this last week has been.
Thankfully, I woke up from a dream of a Japanese house to realize that, although I long for space and beauty,
there are many, many, ways to create them in my life...
and that I do not want to be saddled, weighed down, leashed, or chained,
to an enormous mortgage or any other debt.

Whew! Am I the only one who has these fade in/fade out moments?
Seized with a new passion for something, swept by emotions that temporarily overcome the rational parts of my brain.
I  live in both the rational and emotional parts.
I have discovered, though, that the "middle way" of living is more sustainable.
Slow and steady. I keep coming back to that theme, because I have found such stability and comfort in it.
Not to mention progress.

 I'm back to the "ten a day out" decluttering system. This sounds like it would move quickly, but many of the things are too tiny to be noticable. Still, it keeps me moving forward.

So, no grand sweep of the house (the attic avalanche is sadly still piled on the couch). I'm having the hardest time making progress with the baby clothes and little-kid toys. My preference would be to keep a few of the classic, favored toy sets, like the wooden train and Playmobils (I'm hoping for grandchildren some day far in the future, and we do have younger kids over to play occasionally). Also to keep just a few of the cutest, most memorable outfits...and pass the rest on to some other adorable baby or toddler to wear and make their own memories in. Most of these clothes were passed on to us from little Bastien, Tasman, and Zane. However, here is where I must defer to the P'tit Minous, who are inexplicably attached to their three-month old outfits and two-year old coats. Sigh.

We are (I'm claiming some credit, but really I should say Minou is) making progress on the attic remodel too. He pulled out all the rough flooring over the weekend and installed a new ventilation system to deal with moisture from the shower upstairs. I'm so excited to imagine this as our cozy little sleeping loft space (shhh...I mean, "storage space", since we aren't installing a legal staircase at this time. The City does not like lofts with ladders, since the fire marshal couldn't get up there). We live in the rainy Pacific Northwest, and I can just imagine falling asleep to the lullaby of rain on the metal roof just over our heads.

And in other news, I'm back to jogging, tonic for my soul and mood (there's nothing like a good run in the pouring rain), and I love my new job and co-workers. Life is good.

mia due to CHN

I apologize for some sparse postings this past week.
There has been a lot going on in the Casa de Minous.
I started a new job this week.
It was really hard to say goodbye to my wonderful coworkers at my past job, my first nursing position.
I loved working in women's health. I loved the privilege of talking with clients about very personal details of their lives.

However. I took a leap, in equal parts for my minous (the hours are much more family friendly) and for myself, craving a new challenge and wanting a broader base of experience as a new(er) nurse.

And let me say that I love, love, love my new position as a Community Health Nurse. My new coworkers have been very warm and welcoming, the job will be (I can already tell) constantly changing (that's a good thing), and it is so, so interesting with many areas to learn about. There are a lot of parts to this job that I have never done before, and it will be a personal and professional stretch. There is much to learn and a lot of support for learning it. In the few spare quiet moments, I have been working my way through a video series based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Guide to Immunizations and Vaccine Preventable Diseases". This is much more fun than it may sound like.

It is also enjoyable to be downtown. I wander over to the library at lunch time, and walk to P'tit Minou Deux's ballet studio after work to watch the last part of his class and catch a ride home. The location and hours have me feeling more integrated with my family's daily life, which is just what I wanted. I was actually at home cozily cooking dinner in my pajamas at 7:00 p.m. one night, thinking that I would have been just getting off work and starting my 45 minute bike commute home the week before. Now when I ride my bike, it's just 15 minutes!

I haven't touched the attic avalanche this week, but now it looks like a neatly stacked tower that has completely taken over the landing couch rather than an avalanche, thanks to Minou. I'll get to it this weekend, if only a little bit.

How has your week been? What are you up to?

Great Glasses!

OK, let's have a vote!

I need a new pair of glasses (my old one has been repaired more times than I can count)
and...I have $300 of insurance left that are earmarked just for that. How lucky am I?!

More lucky than lucky, except that I find glasses shopping to be quite stressful.

First, I'm utterly blind as a bat without my current pair of glasses, so to try and get an impression how a new pair looks, I must place my face 6 inches from the mirror and squint my eyes fiercely.
Let's hope that distorts my usual affect just a little bit.

Second, I find it hard to be objective about my appearance, usually estimating glasses to be either much more or much less flattering than outside opinions corroborate.

And my family has limited patience for weighing in as I try on pairs in different poses. (My local wonderful glasses store allows clients to check out up to 4 pairs of glasses for up to 3 days before deciding). How about like this? From this angle? Pair A or Pair B? Mama, who cares?! (Husbands/sweeties know better than to express their opinions on such matters too forcefully, so Minou comments with caution).

Therefore I am relying on you, my readers! Because I know you will tell it like it is.
Right? Please leave me a comment and let me know which pair you prefer and why.
As a reward you will have my gratitude forever and one less nurse in unflattering glasses walking around.

Here are the choices.

Option A:

Option B:

Option C:

Option D:

I do realize that they are mostly similar. But slightly different--honest!
P'tit Minou Un took the pictures, and I was trying to look serious.

Please weigh in--I need some help!

simplify for family

My life is so full of competing goals and desires.
It's often difficult to realize what is most important.
And then something happens...
A child's suffering can be just that.
But it can also be the "canary in the goal mine",
a signal that something is out of balance.
A reminder that daily life without time for snuggles, stories, and home-made muffins is too busy.

Yes, I recognize the privilege in making that choice to slow down, to decline work in order to reduce stress and focus on the needs of my kids (and sweetie).
As a mom, I'm usually trying to teach the skills of self-sufficiency.
But even the most self-sufficient of us need a little nurturing and looking after.

So, slowing down...nurturing myself and nurturing my family.
Making the doctor's appointments.
Making the lunches (they can do it).
Making gingerbread chocolate-chip pumpkin muffins for snack.
Making something yummy for dinner.
Helping with homework with extra patience,
and reading an extra chapter or two of Huckleberry Finn.

Also: making time for friends and support (walks, special meetings out).
Looking for the bright spots and encouraging him (them) to do the same.
Enjoying the warm and cozy glow.
Let's hope this helps restore hope and nurtures optimism.
Putting the focus on what's most important...

TGFT

When I was a child, one of my mom's favorite expressions was "TGIF"--Thank God It's Friday.
She was a teacher.
She worked full-time, was a single parent, did continuing education to be a better teacher and for individual growth, and corrected papers after she made dinner and washed the dishes (I know, I should have helped).

Today, after attending two open house parent nights last week, I want to say TGFT--Thank God For Teachers!

I don't know what the public education system is like in your neck of the woods, but I was truly shocked by what I learned there. First, some background. My boys attend what are widely considered the best middle and high school in our school district. The younger one is in a French immersion program and the older in a French Immersion International Baccalaureate program. How wonderful is that?!

It's very wonderful. And so are their dedicated and committed teachers, who arrive at 7:30 a.m. and don't get home until dinnertime. To correct papaers and plan lessons later, I am sure.

But listen to this. There are thirty-five student (!!) between the ages of 11 and 13 in my son's middle-school algebra class. High school biology can no longer do labs with the entire class (there are 42 in there), so they must alternate days, with half the class working independently in the hall during lab days. Middle school full-time teachers have 8 class sections of 25-35 students. And here is the real shocker--the brand-new to the district, not full-time, middle-school band and orchestra teacher has SEVENTY-TWO STUDENTS in her 6th grade band class. Now there is a truly scary thought. Seventy-two 11 year olds new to their band instruments, all at the same time.

Also, the custodians no longer have time to sweep the classrooms, we were informed.

How long is that wonderful new young band teacher going to stay fresh and committed? This is crazy!

Due to class overcrowding, scheduling snafus are infinately harder to fix. My younger son, who has played the violin since the age of 7, was mistakenly placed in 8th grade Band (with kids who have played their instruments for at least 2 years) instead of 8th grade Orchestra. If he switches back to orchestra, he will be giving up his science class--for the year. Also, there are no available electives for him to take during the band slot--so he could be a "teacher's assistant" during that period. That's it. He was also mistakenly placed in a French cooking class that he has already taken.

I just don't understand. Public education is an investment in youth, in our community, in our society. How can things get to this point? And why would anyone choose to become a teacher, with the ever-increasing class sizes, budget cuts, and stresses?

Thank God For Teachers!!

...and another thing....

Today's post (which I actually wrote last night) was timely, because I woke up to a grey, drizzly morning and wet clothes on the clothesline.

I did get on my bike and set out to work, but a couple of miles into my ride I was done with riding in the rain, unless I could acquire some little windshield wipers for my glasses.

So, I stopped downtown, wheeled my bike onto the rapid transit bus, and mulled over why the hefty $130 felt like such a good investment for this frugal mama. I usually hate spending money (every dollar spent is a dollar not going into the Roth IRA), but I feel well satisfied supporting my local transit company.

I'm investing in my community. Not only helping the environment, but helping keep the bus company afloat with my fees. If enough customers subscribe, it keeps rates low and routes open for non-driving populations who depend on public transportation: youth, the elderly, disabled riders, and low-income people.

here's what I need!
image source: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6640379.html

saturday

soft grey day. project complete. whoo-hoo!
one boy is sleeping off a sleepover (or maybe eating pancakes up the street by now), the other is off to the vet's with our cats (he is the guardian of the animals, very in tune with them).
Minou is building a beautiful bench for my mother.
and I'm sitting on the couch, revelling in the sound of the washing machine and a peaceful moment.
many thoughts swirling around, many projects to complete, but none of it feels heavy right now.
rather, inspiring!
I have had a lot of gifts this past week. let me share:

• a beautiful birthday. loveliest surprise dinner and birthday cupcakes.
• future kundalini yoga classes. maybe tomorrow.
• an opportunity at work: taking action that made me very unpopular (this is hard for me, I like to be liked) but may actually have prevented a future tragedy. sometimes the hard stance is what is needed.
• a student nursing conference and chance to grow, learn and share with some amazing women.
• a day at the coast. great naps both ways.
• a partner who invites me for walks every night but understands if I don't go (je t'aime Minou).
• patience and encouragement from people around me. I'm grateful.
• a new-to-me sweater & japanese maple from a friend at work.
• a reminder, which I needed after a brief loss of perspective last weekend (note: never visit giant open houses for sale in the neighborhood you want to live in, if simple living is your real goal), of how privileged I am. why was I born where and when I was? I don't know, but the choices and comforts I have here and now are unusual in our world.
• a new mantra: to look at a situation with clear eyes and heart and ask "Now, what can I do?"

I hope your week is full of inspiration. What gifts did you receive last week?

Choosing

Tonight, leaving work at 6:30, I was struck with contentment as I walked out the door into the evening sunshine. It was so warm and beautiful! Looking forward to my bike ride home, I set out. Then I noticed something:

flat tire

A flat tire! Darn it! And I just had a big bike tune-up last week....

Then I stopped myself. On my morning ride to work, I had been contemplating the power of choice to reframe a moment, a situation, our lives. Here it was.

I love, love, love to walk. When I was in high school and college, one of my favorite things to do was to set out on a long, long walk, often without a destination, either alone or with a friend. So relaxing. So slow (though I do walk quickly). So enjoyably human-paced.

So I happily set off. I was grateful to be wearing these shoes:

Paris shoes

I call them my Paris shoes. Maybe a story for another day, but on a weekend visit to Paris with Minou in 2009, I decided that I wanted to walk everywhere. There was so much to see, and I wanted to do all our transportation above-ground. Human-paced. See, I told you that I love to walk! About 2 hours after we arrived, the one pair of shoes that I had brought, strappy sandals chosen completely because of vanity, broke apart in the Jardin de Luxembourg. I bought these ones above in a shoe stall just outside for 12 euros, and probably walked the equivalent of a marathon in them over the next two days. The salesman was right, they are flexible and comfortable.

They also gave me horrific blisters during that first walking trip in Paris!

So my first thought today was...

I am grateful that these shoes are broken in and won't give me blisters.

I feel my heels striking the ground and I'm grateful for the contact with the earth. Happy my bones get stronger too. I'm grateful for these legs that walk, and lungs that help me....I choose to love this moment.

It helped that the evening was gorgeous. I knew that no-one needed me at home, so I could take my time. Nature was calling in more ways than one, my only concern. The first part of the walk was a little industrial...

flakeboard factory

But I was soon past that part. I tried to appreciate something about each area I passed, not wish myself past it. And I noticed some things I might not have seen:

interesting grasses

Next I came to a wetlands nature preserve area, where I was resourceful and thankfully found a Porta-Potty. And some beautiful scenery:

old oak

Then wended my way home. More sights along the bike path:

red grasses

wild daisies

wild critter--see it?

I walked 6.5 miles (10.5 km), taking about 2 hours. The sun was lower and the air was cooler by the time I arrived. The dog was so happy to see me. Now I am home, and so grateful to be resting and tired and feeling peaceful.