Farm fresh eggs and other simple pleasures

   Hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend. I caught up on a lot of sleep. But on Saturday I did have a nice day out with a girlfriend. It was on the cool side with wind, but sunny. We wenr window shopping and driving through wine country. In the evening  we saw at least 30 deer just wandering, crossing the road and grazing right, in front of us. It seemed they were crossing the road every few yards. We drove very carefully.

   I did not get a picture of the deer but I did get this image to share with you. These were moving much more slowly than the deer. Haha!
   These marvelous brown eggs are from the happy chickens that live with one of my coworkers. She has a sort of personal, family-size farm and sells what the family can't eat or store for winter. I love that the eggs are of varying shades, shell texture and size. I am definitely looking forward to breakfast.

Little art project

Pardon the glare and I realize you can't read all the little words inside the stamped areas, but you can get a feel for it. The face you see is actually mine from a photo I took that has been given a photocopy treatment in photoshop, basically turning it into a line drawing and then some hand watercoloring, stamping etc ... 

Making a day of it

Learned to put my bike rack on the car 

Today was one of those lovely days that is warm with a cool breeze. Sort of windy actually. Couldn't stay indoors on a day like this.

After a warm ride, a nice mint chocolate chip ice cream in the square.

Bike and basket

     

The Lake and Cheever

Depot Park

Drove about half an hour northeast today to have a day at the lake. The water here is crystal clear and just cold enough to be brisk but not painfully cold.

I arrived shortly after noon and there were families and couples scattered across the park. I was the only person there alone. A large, extended family was to my left. Every age range was represented. These scenes are always bittersweet to me. I like to see families like this, but without my own, it makes me feel a little sad. But today was my first day out doing something fun for a long while and my mood was good.

It was a brilliant day: Sunny with the occasional fluffy cloud to let the cool breeze have its intended effect. Motor boats created a distant, scattered buzz and a lone sailboat lazed across the lake at a pace that created a soporific sensation in my brain. A man hung from a rainbow colored parachute flew above, towed by a boat.

I'd brought along copy of John Cheever's stories and listened to Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald sing. The scenes in Cheever's stories were brought to life by the bucolic setting I was in. I could look up from any page and see Cheever's world precisely today as if decades had not passed. If alcohol and a whiff of scandal were added to the scene around me I could have been living a Cheever story. But that is the way with his stories too. The scandal is always there, in the houses, in the hearts and in the minds of men and women even at a seemingly frivolous lake or party day. The darkness isn't visible, just lurking nearby or within, waiting to pounce.

I was reminded of my own recent heartache when a wedding party showed up to take pictures. As folks wandered down the waterfront to watch the photography session, I took my cue to leave. I was in a decent mood, why spoil it? Besides, I was turning pink.

I did get some swimming in though. I used a snorkel and goggles to watch fish nibble lake grass and play with air bubbles. I've never seen clearer water.  Largest fish seen today was about two and a half feet long.

How This Blog Came to Be

So, some of you know what is happening in my personal life, and some of you don't. I only mentioned here that I was facing a couple of crisis that many people face. One crisis is of a universal nature, the other, Shakespearean.

I think I'm ready now to tell what I've been through. I'm not free and clear, but I am emerging from the other side. In 2007 I lost my job as a retail manager when the store I managed closed. That was fine because it coincided with my finishing my master's degree in Mass Communications. It was no great loss. However, as the economy declined under our idiotic leader Bush Jr. I found myself made redundant again. Yes, last January I was laid off as a copy editor at a newspaper, my first post-grad job. Newspapers in general are suffering and mine was in particular. What made it especially harsh was that I had wished I could've quit before being laid off since I didn't care for the place. But it hardly matters now. That particular crisis has passed. The job I have now is at a place I've been working toward for about 2 years. I love the work. It's never dull or repetitive and the people are lovely. The atmosphere is positive and it's a nonprofit. We make the world better through our presence. That's the best I can ask. It's a dream realized. I don't make a lot of money but I do good. Last year I thought my ideals were foolish. I was thinking,  "I am foolish to hope to make a difference in the world. Perhaps the real world isn't like that." Now I'm glad I didn't give up all of my idealism. In small ways we can make the world better.

This blog came into being while I was laid off. My then fiance suggested it as a way to keep myself busy and positive and in touch with people while I was job hunting. I thank him for that encouragement because it gave me an audience to be accountable to when all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and succumb to depression and reruns of Becker.  

Then, while I was down, things got worse. I was supposed to get married March 6 of this year. It remained the bright spot in my life after losing my job. But it didn't happen. My fiance decided that he couldn't do it. My mother recently told me she couldn't figure it out. I told her not to try, because after living with the man for roughly 2 years, I still couldn't figure out what was really going on. In the end, the love of my life and I parted ways. I admit, I do hope he will return to me. I also realize now that if he doesn't, I will survive. I experienced the dark night of the soul and I've come through. I love him. I want him. I would gladly have children with him. I once felt as though I couldn't breathe without him, but I did continue to breathe. Now, breathing is easier. I realize life goes on. I did live. I will live. I guess that my wish now is that if someone is going through what I have gone through, to lose and regain a livelihood and lose the person you love and survive, I guess my wish is that they find my blog and find some hope. It will be OK. You can go through Hades and come out the other side. You can drown and breathe again. And if you don't believe that, email me. I'll talk you through.

*Image from Watkins Glen State Park, photographed by Cherie Stull

Nice Sunday

Had a pretty day. Friday and Saturday the water left the streams. Every blade of grass, every tree, every shrub collectively exhaled its moisture. The air coated you in wetness. You felt as though you were sweating, even when you were not hot. The weatherman described it as "gross, an official new weather term," he said.

Sunday morning it broke with cozy, stay in bed and talk on the phone with a cup of coffee in hand gray, gray, rain. After noon, I emerged to a new weather system. Blue sky, cool breezes and a kind sun. The deck furniture beckoned. I brought my coffee and Hemingway's "Men Without Women," out with me. I read Hills Like White Elephants, a very short story that put me in mind of a Twilight Zone episode I once watched. But I really enjoyed The Undefeated, which I read while cooking dinner and finished with a couple of glasses of white wine on the deck. Talk about the ability to build tension in a story. Morally, I'm against bullfighting but when Hemingway, a big game hunter and man's man, writes it you do pull for the bullfighter especially one such as Manuel, the underdog. I found myself holding my breath while reading, in spite of the relaxing wine. (though I can't recommend the Dooby Blues, which comes from the Finger Lakes where I live, unless you like super sweet). I prefer a drier, viscous, peachy Chard or a spicy, black pepper red. I like to eat Lindt's Chili Chocolate with the red and chicken with the Chard.

In a twitter for toile

  

Really mad about toile fabric these days. So pretty for totes.

Poetry Everywhere | Naomi Shihab Nye | PBS

I really love this poem!!!!

Poetry Everywhere | Naomi Shihab Nye | PBS

Home | LibraryThing

Check out this neat way of keeping your personal library organized. Want to remember a book title for later? There's an app for that.

Home | LibraryThing

Poem

peeled

raw
like a grape
not like an onion
peeling an onion leaves layer after smooth whole layer
peel a grape and you go straight to the inside, where the nerves are

yesterday I had a glass of wine
it was a spanish wine
the grape went to a relaxed part of me
it was a calm happy grape
like a calm happy baby after a calm happy pregnancy
fat and happy in the sun, those grapes

today
i had a glass of wine
the grapes were sad grapes
they went to a sad place inside of me
i cried and felt deep despair
no, they were not bitter like the fable
they tasted of the most lovely sadness
like opera or shakespeare
like a love letter found when the love has gone

Where am I? Looks like Kansas before the storm

What I'm Reading

Zen in the art of writing - Bradbury
The Golden Compass - Pullman
Inkheart - Funke
We'll always have Paris - Bradbury
Uncommon grounds : the history of coffee and how it transformed our world - Pendergrast
Pigs in Heaven: A Novel - Kingsolver
Great Expectations - Dickens
We tell ourselves stories in order to live: the collected nonfiction - Didion

All around the Mulberry Bush ...

Greetings friends!

I guess I do have a little time for the occasional post still. I'm loving my new job and the prospects are good that I will be hired permanently in the fall. Hoping to take a little vAcA before then or in September. We'll see. In the meantime ... what do I do all day? Well it's like play and that's how I know I'm in the right line of work. I design flyers for library activities and work at the kids' desk, reference desk and circulation desk. I also write press releases, do the occasional interview and generally spend my day in a Candy Land of books. I love it!! The people I work for and with are varied and delightful. I feel lucky and blessed. I've been here for about 5 weeks and I'm afraid I'm going to wake up.

I'm still running although I was knocked low by a virus of some kind shortly after starting work. The library is a lovely place, but with so many kids, it's very germy and I missed a good 9 days of running. This set me back further than I thought it would. I went through breezing through a 5K three to four times a week to struggling to finish 2 miles. It took me just over a week to get up to 5K again but I've slowed a couple of minutes. Now I know why runners hate to miss training. Even my bad ankle was complaining afterwards. I recently added weights to my training and that has made a huge difference in how easy or hard a run feels.

I also wanted to mention a couple of products I really like. I just purchased a new Sally Hansen nail polish pen. It's the Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pen in Turquoise Chrome. It goes on smoothly, drying in an instant and requires only one coat. According to the ingredients it does not contain Thalates, which I understand are not good for the body.

A second item to mention is Lindt's Chili Chocolate. If you eat this you will wonder why all chocolate doesn't contain chili. And hint hint try it with a dark, medium dry, spicy red wine. Talk about a taste explosion in your mouth! Xcuse my terrible blurry images this evening, using my phone.

Just sharing a poem by Teasdale

Those Who Love by Sara Teasdale
Those who love the most
Do not talk of their love;
Francesca, Guenevere,
Dierdre, Iseult, Heloise
In the fragrant gardens of heaven
Are silent, or speak, if at all,
Of fragile, inconsequent things.
And a woman I used to know
Who loved one man from her youth,
Against the strength of the fates
Fighting in lonely pride,
Never spoke of this thing,
But hearing his name by chance,
A light would pass over her face.

OK so that wasn't the very last post

Today's 5K was run after my writer's group meeting. They are an inspirational bunch. And I did another personal best run this evening: 5K in 37.07. YEAH. !!! A good 3 minutes faster than 3 days ago.

Good bye for a little while

I think for the moment this blog has outlived it's usefulness. I'm working again (at a temporary position so maybe I'll be back here in 2.5 months) and have less time and think I'd like to refocus on issues outside my own head. And after a few months of not paying too much attention, I'll have to start reading the news again (my last job was at a newspaper).

Had a good run the other day. 5K in 40.07 that's down another 18 seconds. Making progress.  I'll keep that up.

So long ...

Request from me

Dear readers,

I so appreciate the comments that come to my e-mail box. However, I would love for you to post these comments right on the blog in the comments link that appears at the end of each post. I made a settings error in the beginning that required registration to leave a comment. I've now removed the requirement. So let the feedback flow. Thanks for reading! Also, Now that I am working again and no longer blog just to keep myself sane, I'm thinking of starting a new blog soon which will address world issues that I care about, maybe some politics and solutions I think are plausible. So be on the lookout for that.

Like to also give a shout out to my dad in advance of June Father's Day (cause I'm always late for holidays and occasions!!). He is a man I've come to know at a 20-something stage in life but nevertheless, the best dad on earth. Love you dad!!! Thanks for giving me life!!!!!!!!

Thanks all

Best Birthday Ever [VIDEO]

This is the sweetest example of human kindness I've ever seen. Talk about feeling the love!! Enjoy

Best Birthday Ever [VIDEO]

One of the best days of my life

Had such a nice day today. Made better by the fact that I worked all week and felt I had earned my lovely Saturday. The only thing to make it better would have been the presence of one person; you know who you are. 

Got up around 9 with plans for housework. I soon discovered, however, that it was so absolutely perfect and lovely out that staying in to do housework would have been morally wrong. I cut up a mango and strawberries, made coffee and ate on the deck. I lingered for as long as possible before going to the library where I had a fantastic book of Pablo Neruda poems waiting for me. This book I took to one of my favorite cafes and had a latte and read steamy love poetry while the sun warmed me and the wind blew my skirt around. 

While energized by coffee and beautiful words I only had to cross the street to be at my gym. I'm a slow runner but had a personal best today. I did my 5K in 40.25. Soon I hope I'll break 40 minutes and be closer to my 30 minute goal. 

On the way home stopped at the nursery near my house and saw these roses. This one is called hot cocoa. I made a note of that for future reference. 

It was a simple day but absolutely wonderful. 

Hello readers

Met with the writer's group I will be facilitating for the next three months and aside from some nervous sweating it went well. I am shy but that was taken over by passion for writing and nurturing young writer's. I think I earned some points with these young writers and I know they will inspire me as much or more than I inspire them.

On another note, I am totally in love with Pablo Neruda at the moment and highly recommend him. Night all.

Wandering about today at Barnes and Noble

Today I was at Barnes and Noble wandering about and read a wonderful poem by Pablo Neruda. Here it is:

Absence


I have scarcely left you
when you go in me, crystalline,
or trembling,
or uneasy, wounded by me
or overwhelmed with love, as when your eyes
close upon the gift of life
that without cease I give you.

My love,
we have found each other
thirsty and we have
drunk up all the water and the blood,
we found each other
hungry
and we bit each other
as fire bites,
leaving wounds in us.

But wait for me,
keep for me your sweetness.
I will give you too
a rose.

Winter?

We had frost this morning and cold and rain and gray. It's like winter is coming instead of summer, which is weird when you consider I was just doing yoga on my deck last week. Today I turned the heat on again. Second  day on the new job was better than the first. I went in earlier and got out earlier so I went straight to the gym. After yesterday's good run I was sore in ankles but decided to run today, too. That may have been an error in judgement. I went back to a more supportive shoe because of slight discomfort instead of resting, now I have enough pain that I don't think I should run for the next 3 days at least, but I'll want to run and may do it anyway. No, perhaps I won't. Running makes me happy and I don't want to spoil it with a setback.
Here's a poem in parting. Night all.

Water bearer

In the sun and in the rain
in joy and in pain
excitement, fear and anger too
tears well up
there's little I can do
they come at their own bidding
morning, noon and night: running,
talking to a stranger, debating politics,
ordering a coffee, buying an artichoke
not sleep nor medicine nor sheer force of will
has been able
to keep them still
heat of embarrassment creeps up my face
as I continue whatever conversation is taking place
Trying to ignore I look like a four-alarm-fire
while my voice appears even, detached and in command
What oh what is this gremlin that pours water out of my eyes?
Is there a name for she who weeps?
And can I send her back to whatever deep well she sprang from?

I'm back ... to work that is

Thrilled to be working again. Thank God! Being laid off is no vacation at the beach. Ah that would have been nice though. My first day was interesting enough that the time passed quickly and I still had energy for errands, dinner cooking and trip to the gym.

I had a lot to think about so my run was even easier than usual. I ran two straight miles without a walk break for the first time and did my 5K in 40.30 which is down from 47.0 (it's been gradually coming down). I'm still slow by racing standards, but I'm improving and that's the main thing. Then I enjoyed another 40 minutes of yoga, sit ups and push ups at home. Feel good and tired but refreshed now. I love running, even if I'm pokey. One thing I've noticed though, (and I'm not saying I wasn't wondering if my salt intake was too high), the thing I've noticed is that one could harvest the salt off my body after I cool down and the sweat dries. I'm powdery with it. I mean I've been checked out, my health is good. I'm just really salty. I wonder if that's bad?
Completely off the topic wanted to take a moment to recommend the film, Amelie. I played it again the other day (it's been a year at least) and it always makes me feel wonder and joy. Rent it and see if you don't agree.

Beautiful Day

What a gorgeous day it has been. I spoke with my favorite person this morning then dashed off to yoga where I achieved for the first time the crow position. I only held it for a few seconds but I am very proud of my little victory. In the afternoon, after lunch, I went running and then home to finish up some cool down exercises. All this exercise just makes my mind feel so clear and happy. But I'll tell you something makes me happy. Yours truly has obtained a new job. My new title is Public Relations Coordinator/ Library Assistant, at least for the next 3 months. It's a contract position for the summer but has potential. I'm thrilled because I've wanted to work in our library for some time now and feel so happy to have my foot in the door. Yippy!
During the four months that I was laid off I went through many emotions. I had other challenges going on as well, some continue, but the main thing I guess is the practice I received in coping. The gym and friends are a God send. The time to think and contemplate is good in moderation. Even so, I won't say this was fun and I hope I don't have to face it ever again.

From Soul Full Cup

 Had a good day today. 

Celebrating small victories with a nice latte at the Soul Full Cup cafe. Weather's good. Yoga class was good. Got some good news in the afternoon.

Gorgeous day

Tuesday it snowed and today it was sunny and 81 degrees! Took advantage of that by eating breakfast on the deck and spending time outdoors after mailing a job app package and doing a run at the gym. My time is still slow, 5K in 42.22 minutes. I wasn't rushing after yesterday; ankle is sore. I planned to rest today but the treadmill was calling. It's sort of addictive. I am definitely resting tomorrow... I think. :0) See you next week.

Woke early this morning and went to the gym. Felt pretty good and somewhere around mile 3 I felt really great. Happy for a few minutes. So I did 4.25 miles today then walked to 5.2. When I look back on this time in my life I will say the gym. And running saved me.

Snowsday not Tuesday

Yep that's right. While buzzing around doing my Tuesday things the forecasted rain was actually sleet. It sleeted off and on all day while the sun dipped in and out of the clouds. Even though it was cold and windy I have to say I preferred the sleet to rain because it just bounces off and rolls away. The air was dry enough that the sleet vanished when it melted. The streets remained dry. I'll take my rain dry any day. Unless of course it's a nice soft warm rain and I'm strolling with my sweetie. Night all.

Giving a bee a ride

In our town spring has sprung. All of the flowering trees are in full bloom already. On Saturday, I was coming out of the library when I noticed that a bee had developed a relationship with my driver's side mirror. In spite of the blooming buds close by he only had eyes for the mirror. "Go get into the trees," said I, as I opened my door. No, he wasn't having any of it. This bee wanted in the truck. "You're not coming with me," I told the bee and scooted into the truck and waved him out.
As I started to back out and head to the market the stubborn bee held on to the mirror. He looked so awkward, I was sure he'd blow away. But no, he shifted into the wind and hunkered down on top. As I headed up the main street, I swear the bee looked like he was having fun, with his antenna whipping back into the wind. I could imagine his little bee face smiling and his bzz going wheee instead of bzzz. I tried to avoid red lights so my little friend could enjoy his speed nonstop.
Once at the market, I chose the side of the parking lot that had even more beautiful trees than the library. The bee seemed to rest for a moment before heading off into the blossoms. I guess he had some marketing to do.

I'm back ... I think

The Internet is a strange beast. It can lull you into a false sense of safety with it's seeming anonymity and vastness. You may think to yourself, who's going to read what I write or say on YouTube so I'll bare my soul or trash my coworkers.
I've never done the latter, but last week was a bad week for me and I put up a post that was less than positive. A good friend of mine asked, "Can anyone read this?" I responded, "They can but they don't." That is because it's easy to feel invisible on the Net or indeed in the world. Truth is, I have no idea who is reading what I write. So after I thought about her question, I decided to pull the post. When it comes down to it, even if no one ever reads a word I write, I still want what I put out into the universe to be positive not negative. So I took a week off. I was in the bell jar. I may still be, but I'm not going to lay down and die.
If you are reading this and you don't know me from Eve I'm not going to divulge details but just say I'm facing at least two of life's great universal challenges at the moment and created this blog as a way to keep my head above water. Some days it works, some days I disappear for a week. Sometimes I include photographs. Other days, nothing inspires me.
If you've been following then you know I've been trying to become a runner. Another lifelong dream of mine that also has the benefit of making me feel happy when I do it. I reached a pretty nifty milestone the other day: 3.2 miles doing a run/walk. I did a full mile first in 11 minutes which is not bad for a beginner with asthma and a bum ankle. Then I continued at a slower pace walking and running but mostly running until I did more than 3 miles. I find the ankle and shin do much better when I wear the skimpiest shoes I own (see earlier posts about book Born to Run and my Crocs experiment). I hope to run a 5K sometime this year. Haven't got one picked out yet. I usually let my asthma dictate my training. But since a 5K is 3.11 miles that means I did my first practice 5K Monday April 19 in 40.12. My goal is to do it in 30 then I will sign up for a 5K. Hold me to it you invisible billions.

Eggs and other things

Yesterday's rain brought in a cold front that I should have expected but didn't. So it was quite a surprise when I poked my head outside this morning expecting to eat breakfast on the deck.
My dog seemed to like the cooler air. He went zinging around the yard like a tiny greyhound. So so cute.
Decided to mix things up a little today. Usually I do the gym first and applications after, but the chilly air encouraged me to stay in and do apps first. I made my way to the gym around 3 p.m. and had a really satisfying workout. I particularly enjoyed my run. I love that place in a run when my brain just gets really happy and my legs feel good. I get this cool feeling on my arms and face and goose bumps and I just feel like I want to run forever. That's why I want to be a runner. I can't run very far yet or for very long but I've had a taste at points in my life and it's a very good drug.
Dinner: Scrambled egg with all the spinach I could cram in. Yum. Feeling good today.

Lunch and other thoughts

Met with a friend for lunch today. It was really a gorgeous day. Weather in the 80s, sunshine. I wore a light, summery skirt and strolled on our picturesque main street. I had a good burger, not a fast food burger and watched the spring wind sweep the street, sending plumes of dust toward the west end. I don't have a picture for you today. Perhaps I can plan a photography day trip soon. We'll see.
In the meantime I can leave you with this happy thought: Imagine a sunny deck with a table for working or having a cup of coffee in the morning, surrounded by new spring greenery. That's where I generally start my days. Appreciating nature is a wonderful way to begin each day.

Beautiful day

We've had another beautiful day: mid-seventies, mostly sunny, nice breeze. I had a good workout at the gym and my spirits are generally good. The pooch and I are on the deck feeling appreciative.
An interesting thing happened the other day. It was Easter Sunday actually. I woke to a flapping sound. At first, I thought it must be my dog shaking himself in the living room, but he was asleep on the floor next to my bed. Later in the day I heard it again, but couldn't trace where it was coming from. A foray into the basement revealed a greenish puddle on my box of dryer sheets and a small scratching sound. In retrospect, I should have been able to identify the puddle right away. But the source of scratching eluded me.
I proceeded with my plan to put away winter clothes (yes I know not terribly festive for Easter). In the basement once again came big scratching and flapping and suddenly a big brown speckled bird was flying at my head. I shrieked, just a little. It was more of a squeak really and ducked. The bird was out of its mind with terror. It had already flown at the door upstairs twice, I now knew. I couldn't imagine how it knew that was the way out as it certainly hadn't come in that way.
After a few laps (him)  and a few more squeaks (me) he was upstairs in the apartment proper. I came up, ready to duck. He was hanging off the blinds in the bathroom. When he saw me he came zinging through the living room, into the kitchen and up under the curtain on our front door. There, he beat his wings against the glass as though he might push through.
My quick plan was to catch him up in the curtain, since he was already there and shake him out outside. But he must have felt me creeping up because he shot out and back to the bathroom.
OK new plan. I opened the door and turned to chase him out, but he was two steps ahead of me. Out and straight up a wall of trees like a rocket he went. It was amazing to see.

Yoga Tuesday

I've been staring at the screen, the trees, the dog for about 5 minutes. I was busy today but my activities were not especially interesting to anyone but myself.
I tutored my student this morning. Afterwards I went to a yoga class at my gym. They started offering classes in February but I wasn't able to go until now. I found it very relaxing which means I should probably plan to workout before tutoring on Tuesdays or after Yoga. Then, I ran errands. Now, I'm home trying to talk myself into going into the basement to fight with a scanner/printer machine that doesn't like me.

About a week ago I posted a picture of the trees in our yard. They had the smallest hints of buds. After a week of sun and a smidge of rain, take another look:

To swing and sashay upon my feet 
to pant and pray for strength to defeat
the road ahead which does scrape and fray my tired soul and so to rest
perhaps I may, perhaps I may


That's all I've got for today.

Manic Monday

Is that possible for an unemployed person? Apparently, as I'm just now getting to this blog entry. I spent a good chunk of the day preparing a lesson plan for tomorrow's tutoring session. I spent time on job applications. But I suppose the highlight of my day was continuing my running experiment.
Today was day three of running in Crocs, the goofy looking sandals people love to hate. My entire trip was just over two miles and I ran a total 1.83 miles. As a non-runner, I'm pretty pleased with myself. Today's run was on asphalt. My first Croc run was on a trail, the second on a treadmill. My cantankerous ankle had no trouble on these surfaces. I was a bit nervous about concrete, but the Crocs did well. I felt OK during with just a smidge of shin pain on the bad ankle leg. The ankle felt 99.9 perfect. Afterwards, I'd give it a 98. Now that I've run on all surfaces, I'm going to give Crocs two thumbs up for running, but that's just what works for me. I think my next move in this experiment is a smaller size shoe and try to increase my mileage. I don't really care about my pace yet. But I won't be sharing that here because I'm pretty sure there's a short shelf-life for this subject unless you're into running.
Today's poetry prompt was 'TMI" as in too much information poem. Honestly, I could just take the above paragraph and put it in stanzas and there you go. But I'm not going to do that to you. Nite. And thanks for reading.

Poetry prompt was history, very loosely

April 4

Season changing heavy for light

I find a pair of your blue jeans in the basement

I plop the knit scarf pile into a box and grab these soft, worn jeans

You're not here but these are

I try them on and they fit perfectly the way you fit me

Winter is history

I await your return

New addition to the free for all this blog is becoming

I'm participating in a poetry challenge through Writer's Digest. This fellow writes a prompt each day of April and we write poems from it. My aim is to write as quickly as possible whatever comes first to my mind. I won't promise masterpieces, but I'll share them here as the blog the fellow is running is overwhelmed with traffic and I can't post there.

April 1 prompt was "One is the loneliest number," and here's the poem

waking
again
your side
of the bed
is empty

April 2 prompt was "water," and here it is

Poured from a well-worn copper vessel
water glows golden in the morning sun
 and pats down the dust  in front of my door

April 3 prompt is "Partly (fill in the blank)," and here it is

Partly worn

dirty, second-day updo
racoon eyes hidden behind sunglasses
she attempts to return the gown
the tags are still on obviously it's not worn she argues
the sent of perfume and deodorant wafting from the dress begs to differ

Running an experiment

Today I do not have a craft for you. I have an experiment. I may have mentioned previously that I'm reading a fascinating book, Born to Run.
Let me start here: Have you ever had a junior high crush? The kind where if you didn't get this guy to like you then life was not worth living? It's a painful, not fun crush. That's generally how I feel about running. I'm starry-eyed for it, but it hasn't liked me since I got breasts in 6th grade.
I remember the day I realized something had changed. I was sitting outside with my friend Micheal (I think that was his name) and he says to me, "How come you don't chase me anymore? You used to run like the wind." That was probably my first aha moment in life. I told him I didn't know why but in my head images flashed: Training bra yesterday, B cup today, posture gone to pot, boys picking on me in school, slouching, crossing my arms, completely trying to be invisible. Holy crap! I don't run because I've got boobs! I didn't know what to do with them and didn't know who to talk to about it.
Since then (and its been a couple of decades) I've tried off and on to be a runner. A persistent ankle injury caused me problems, asthma (diagnosed in 6th grade also), weight gain in adolescent years and loss and gain. I felt so awkward in my body, like I didn't know it or what it could do.
Look at runners and dancers and children. They truly inhabit their bodies from the core out to their toes and fingertips. You can see joy in the movement and ownership. It's spiritual to reach out of yourself like that. Then there are people who are uncomfortable in their bodies. You know those uncoordinated ones or people like me who fear not being able to breathe or are concerned about people starring at particular body parts, and on it goes. This sort of person's spirit is bunched into the core of the body. The further from the core the more of a stranger the limbs become.
Last year, I attempted a couch to 5K training program. Within the first week my shins were on fire and my troublesome ankle was constant agony. I ended up taking physical therapy, and it helped. In the meantime I went back to elliptical training (no bouncing there).
Couple weeks ago: Spring is here. I've learned to wear two bras, and I've got that old feeling again. I want to run. I want to live to the end of my limbs. I don't want to be a shy stranger in my body. My asthma seems somewhat under control but what about my ankle?
That's where all of my reading comes in. I've read about Vibrams, the idea that barefoot running limits injuries and the Tarahumara (the Running People of Mexico).
Is less more when it comes to preventing injury? I wondered could my shoes be aggravating my ankle. I wear a decent Nike running shoe but they do come up higher on the ankle and hit right on my tender spot. It's OK for the elliptical but not for running. So I decided to try a Sketcher shoe that was softer all around in terms of structure and cut lower on the ankle. I felt OK during a 30 minute run/walk and afterwards my ankle was swollen and a little sore, but nowhere near agony. For the next three days however, my legs were very sore. Apparently, I need some strength training because the elliptical is not helping in that department.
Present day: I was pouring over the Vibram Web site and these "shoes" look awesome. I imagine one would feel as springy and free as a mountain goat in these babies, but at the moment I can't drop 80 bucks on an experiment. It got me thinking though. My Crocs are light, cushy. Did I dare? I'd kill myself in a shoe that sloppy, right? I ruminated for some time on this, checked online, saw a YouTube video of a guy running the NYC marathon in Crocs, and what finally convinced me to give it a try was this blog. Croc Runner runs all of her marathons in Crocs. Granted she hasn't posted in 2 years, but she posted enough to convince me. I tried it today. As a newbie, non-runner I ran about 20 minutes in Crocs with no pain. I felt nervous, and my legs are not terribly strong but once I got into the flow and realized I was not going to keel over from asthma I did OK. I did take 3 20 to 30 second walk breaks to get more air, just long enough to make dizziness stop (damn asthma) but each time I started to run again my leg not only didn't hurt but felt great. I ran on a trail of grass, dirt and rocks. I wore ankle socks inside the shoes and did not feel unstable even as they shifted. The looseness of the Crocs actually changed the way I ran, too. I was landing towards the front  of my foot, which my ankle liked. I also concentrated on not bouncing too much and that smoothed things out as well.
After completing 20 minutes I felt only the slightest discomfort in my ankle and no discomfort in my shins. I'm excited. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. Now, if only I could stop wearing 2 bras. Sighhhh.

Winging it Wednesday

Gave myself permission to sleep late today. Got up at 10:30. I woke to a miraculous surprise. It was sunny. It was slightly warm. Where did it come from? I was fortunate to speak to my favorite person in the world last night and perhaps that is why I woke to sunshine today instead of the predicted cold and rain.
I made my way to the gym late in the afternoon after running errands. This old laptop of mine has been threatening to melt so I picked up one of those fan coolers. Seems to be keeping my little guy cooler.
On another consumer note, has anyone out there tried Vibram FiveFingers barefoot running shoes. If you'd like to share your experience with me, I'd love to hear.
Today I want to mention Literacy Volunteers of America. Find one in your county and give some time. If that's not your cup of tea, try something else but get out there and do something. You'll thank yourself.
Final note of appreciation goes to PBS for being so entertaining, educational and inspiring.
Told you I was winging it today. My flint is skinny. I'll try to introduce more crafts in the coming weeks or I'll just keep entertaining you with my fantabulous thoughts.
Cheers until tomorrow.

What a busy day. I began tutoring my new ESL student today.It went pretty well. My student learned and I was pleased with my lesson plan. I have never prepared a real lesson plan before, unless you count the one I did for my training class. This was much more in depth than the class requirement I think. So hopefully, that much better for my student. 

The afternoon was taken up by the gym, and after I dragged my dripping carcass home I fought with the USAJobs Web site. Well, that's not entirely true. It was more of a fight with my broadband. It seems that whenever I am in the middle of a job application I lose Internet service. Well today, I didn't just get the infamous service is limited yellow triangle of death. Oh no, I completely lost the Web page. I was on question 34 of 37 away from being done. Just when I think, "Maybe I'll kick this laptop across the room," I look up and see a liquor store ad on television. "Is this a sign?" I ask myself. Absolutely not. I take a deep breath, ignore the suggestion that I give up for today and drown my sorrows in a tasty bottle of red and restart my computer. My Internet is mysteriously all better now, and I proceed without further trouble, although I hurry, in case it should happen again. 

So the highlight of my day was tutoring and the gym. So what if it went downhill from there? Sometimes staying out of the bell jar is a matter of not ceasing to move forward whatever you may be doing. I can say I did that today, and my laptop is still in one piece. 

We seem to be back on track

Greetings again. It seems my art is back in place even if the spacing is a bit odd looking. Here in the northeast we've been blessed with yet another gray day. However, I've been so busy I'm only now just noticing it. But after three days, I must admit it is getting to me.

"What have I been busy with?" you may ask. Well, over the weekend I carried on with my felting project and created this no-sew felted bag. The felting work was fun but the grommets gave me some trouble. They just refused to sit properly. But overall, I am happy with the bag, and the pocket is really cute. Not sure how well the color is represented here but it's Kelly green and deep eggplant purple.
Today I've been working on a lesson plan for my new ESL student. I've tutored casually in the past, but formal tutoring and lesson plans are a new experience. I've been out of school for a few years now, but once I got into the planning, it felt pretty good to be doing this type of work.
I took a course through Literacy Volunteers of America and ProAction last fall and have been anxiously waiting for a student. I highly recommend this sort of volunteering to anyone looking to give back to their community. Well have a great day, and do something good.

Something has gone wrong

Well dear readers, as you can see, my images have vanished. They were present yesterday and overnight have gone away. I'm working on fixing this however the steps I took to add the photos initially is failing to add them now. Hang in there as I work to resolve this problem.
Thanks,
Cherie

Almost missed it

OK, I have seven minutes before it is officially Saturday, which would mean that I had missed posting a day on my first week blogging. That would be a bad start.
To follow up from Thursday I did make a trip to the fabric store today, but it turned out to be a very quick trip. Nevertheless, I've got some felt and have started a project which I hope to share with you in the next week. I do want to take time with it though since I have so much time these days.
On a filmy note, in the last week I've seen The Women (1939) and The Women (2009?) and much preferred the '39 version. I used to love Meg Ryan but honestly it seems she's the same woman in every character these days. I'm so sorry, but I thinks its true. No,  I still love her, just not her newer movies. Two minutes have to stop there.
See you Monday.

Tin and water

The rain and a noisy Blue Jay called me outside. The Jay was quicker to flee than the tin roof. 

It seems that spring is on the way. Buds in silhouette. 

Fabric Friday

You may have read yesterday that my felting needle tool and mat came in the post. Very excited about that. Tomorrow I'll be able to head over to the fabric store to get some felt. Until then I will be at work trying to figure out what my first project should be. I could do a quilted bag or a soft throw with patterns appliquéd on. We will see. 

Today, the cold is returning to our northern region. Beyond heading out to the gym this morning and taking my little buddy Chili for short walks, I haven't desired to be outdoors. The temp says 50 but it feels about 45. Tomorrow will be back in the 30s. 

This makes me really appreciate my gym membership. Not only does it give me a break from job applications and a reason to leave the house but it's good for the spirit. I enjoy cranking up some house music from my Pandora station and hopping on the elliptical machine for a good hour. My gym is on a very walkable street and that makes for great people watching. The hour goes by quickly. 

Felting is fun

My needle felting tool and mat came today and I can tell already this will be an addictive hobby. If you appreciate quilting but don't have the patience for it this may be a nice alternative. 

Below is a close up of what the needles look like. They go smoothly through the felt but tear it up on the way out. This is how the two fabrics are intertwined. Never, ever stick yourself with these needles or parts of you will get intertwined that should not! Read on ...

So I've already felt together some seems and want to appliqué a heart (why not a symbol of love?) onto what will be a book or laptop sleeve. The heart has already been completed. These images are just to show the process. I place the mat into the sleeve  and smooth the fabric over the top. Then use the needle felting tool to secure the heart to the sleeve. (I really did not intend that pun). Read on ... 

Press down on the fabric. The needle will go through both layers and safely down into the bristles of the mat. Do your edges first to secure the top layer. Then, continue until the two layers are well secured. 

 

So that's how it's done. Below is a finished sample. I put the fuzzy side out for a more subtle effect. All of the edges were joined using the same technique. 

I can just imagine the complicated landscapes or abstract patterns that could be created using needle felting technique. I'd love to see what other people are doing with this. That's all for today folks. Have a good one.

These are a few of my favorite things ... when the dog bites, when the bee stings

No projects in the works today, but in an effort to keep the momentum going, I thought I would list a few of my favorite things. Maybe some of these are favorites of yours or are things you may try for yourself. Enjoy.
I love taking pictures. To the right is a little diddy from my iphone, first processed through the "Old Camera" app and then "Shake It," which lets you process pictures like an old Polaroid. And speaking of old cameras, I have a growing collection. I have a couple of Twin Lens Medium Format cameras, one of which says "Made in the USSR." Hows that for history? It still makes great photos. I got it on eBay for a song from a guy in Ukraine.
My latest addition is is a Kodak Brownie Holiday, which I've used but have yet to get the film developed. Really looking forward to that. Love bringing life to an old camera that thinks its picture taking days are over. 
Books I'm reading at the moment: Brava, Valentine, it's the second in a trilogy by Adriana Trigiani. Also, Born to Run  by Christopher McDougall. The first is a romantic comedy set in Italian-American and Italian culture. It's rich in cooking and shoe crafting descriptions, and is a fun read for 30-somethings. The latter is about an amazing group of people in Mexico that are beyond terrific runners. I'm not doing a book review here so we'll move on. A favorite I've read twice  is The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.
Now a few favorite movies: Charade, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Amelie, Chocolate,  The Women (the original version), Space Balls. I'll stop there or the list may never end. 
While this is not the most inspired post, it's sort of like writing, you need to do it every day whether you are on or off that day in order to call yourself a writer. Hopefully, you found a couple of interesting things here today or had a feeling of "I can relate to that," at some point. 
In the meantime, I've ordered felting needles and a needle felting pad from Amazon. This will arrive soon and I'll be learning a new crafting skill to share with you. For an idea of what this is click here and watch the video. Anyone working at Jo Ann Fabrics should do so as they had no idea what a felting needle was when I stopped by my nearest location.

Marshmallow bed inspired by The District Hotel

Here is what I promised yesterday: The marshmallow bed, recreated because there is something so nice about hotel beds. I built the head board and my fiancé and I created the canopy from bamboo and soft muslin. Nothing beats down feather pillows and white linens for a lux feel. I look forward to bed and hate to get out in the morning. Now if I could just figure out what to do with the rest of the room. Well, keeping myself busy with these projects is nice. I always find doing things with my hands, having a creative outlet is vital to my happiness. Bye the way, I did sew the pillow linens on the long neck roll pillow and the two square European pillows. Now, I'm off for a snooze zzz
Not sure what you'll see here tomorrow. The rainy spring weather is less than inspirational at the moment, though it does remind me that sometimes, while it seems nothing is going on on the surface, there is much going on behind the scenes or in spring's case below the topsoil. Let's hope that is the case with life as well. There's something to think about. 
It's comforting really to consider that things are at work in other places at other times that may take my life, your life, anyone's life in a direction we don't expect but may give us great joy in the future. Something to hope for, yes? See you tomorrow. 

It's been a cheesy day

I decided yesterday to try making cheese at home. Gourmet Sleuth has a number of recipes for cheese, and I went with a really simple one called butter-
milk quark for my first effort. I cannot really describe the smell the buttermilk made while sitting in a 150 degree oven for eight hours, but I will say, to me it was very pleasant and invoked a kind of Heidi in the Alps mood: good air, good cheese and bread and fresh milk, goats running about eat sweet hay. 
Before heading to bed, I poured out the whey and the moved the cheese to a tightly woven cheese cloth in a colander. It drained overnight and looked sort of like paneer today. It crumbles like feta and tastes similar. The recipe suggested adding milk for a sour cream texture, which I tried, but in future I think I'll stay with the crumbly texture for salads. 
I think this would go really well with garlic stuffed olives and cucumbers. Mmm deeelish. 


Tomorrow: I'll show you how I recreated the cozy marshmallow beds from The District Hotel in my own room, with the help of my fiancé.  

OOh la la Chocolate Mexicana

Tried a new recipe this evening. Mexican Chocolate Ricotta, which I found on the Gourmet Sleuth Web site. I found myself with leftover Ricotta after an attempt at homemade ravioli, and searched for recipes that called for it. So in addition 

to the cheese, you will need honey (I used raw cane sugar, fair trade), cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla and a mixer or food processor. I also added Chipolte Chili Pepper because I love it in my drinking cocoa. 

The result is an incredibly rich, thick and tasty treat. It's like a mousse but much more dense. 

Welcome to the beginning

Hi and welcome to my Bliss Bubble. This has been a challenging year so far and it's only March. In January I was laid off and in February my wedding was postponed. Talk about an emotionally charged time. I could say emotionally crushing time but I won't. 
When disappointments, or seemingly awful things happen it's easy to fall apart. And, it's OK to fall apart for a couple of days. You owe it to yourself. An emotional bomb is like a cold. It can take you down, so treat it that way: with rest, some good food if that's what you want and some couch time. Things do fall apart, but staying apart or broken is no way to live. After a reasonable amount of time (depends on the bomb) you've got to get up again. 
This blog is about doing just that. Everyday I am trying to do things that make me feel happy while I search for a new career and wait to marry the man of my dreams. Because just waiting is not an option. 
So what makes me happy? So so many things. So lets begin ...
In the above image, I'm standing in front of The White House in D.C. I went there for two days with my fiancé (who is taking the picture). I enjoy travel, historic places and the company of my fiancé, Ernest. 
The weather was fine, if a little sprinkley, but it didn't bother us. We had a great meal at Thai Tanic, just around the corner from our hotel, The District Hotel. 
The District has small, cozy rooms and beds that look like giant marshmallows and are just as comfy (I would imagine). Location is the District's greatest feature.
From our hotel, we were in walking distance to all the monuments and museums. (Tip: Book the District through a travel site like Orbitz for a lower rate than those found on the hotel's Web site). 
The Lincoln Monument was most moving for me as was standing where Martin Luther King Jr. stood. These two men have affected more people than we can even fathom. 
Thank you for visiting my Bliss Bubble. I ran a little long today but in future will aim to keep it shorter. Come back soon.