Cleanse

I have felt really blah for the past few weeks. I think it amounts to not enough exercise, bad food, and the "end-of-winter slump". So I am doing a self-prescribed "detox" for the next week. I'll be exercising, getting GOOD sleep, eating very little, but eating well and meditating on how I've been doing things, in general.

I think a revolution is in the wings.

My sister-in-law recently introduced me on to this blog:

http://www.progressivepioneer.com/progressive-pioneer/

A lot of her blog is about motherhood, and while I'm not there yet, she also has lots of great insight into good, simple living.

I need a change and I really like some of Progressive Pioneer's ideas.

I think I'm going to start with this:

Progressive Pioneer's loose recipe for granola.

Yum!

I've been skipping breakfast lately in the interest of time, which I know is a big no-no. So I saw her simple recipe for granola and instantly understood that with something as simple as this, I would have no excuse not to eat in the morning.

A new perspective on breakfast is just the beginning. I hope to change the way I sleep, eat, spend my free time, think, love, work, etc.

Here's to change!

Ready

Wow. Yet again I've gone more than a month between posts. I promised myself that I would try to post at least once a week. I'm no good at keeping a journal, so I thought doing a weekly blog post seemed like an attainable goal. I guess I was wrong. I really have no valid excuses. Lately, I have just felt an aversion to staring at the computer screen after work. Yet I will stare at the tv screen. Hmm. It really makes no sense, but oh well. Moving on . . .

Not much going on in Atlanta.

I'm working.

David's schooling.

We're both ready for warmer weather.

See, I tell myself that once it becomes a little warmer, THEN I'll feel motivated to go running. Maybe it's true. I like to believe that it is.

One thing that IS happening is a much needed Spring break trip . . . to Mexico!

We're headed to Tulum, Mexico very soon.

I am so ready.

I will be donning this,

with a chambray tunic something like this,

these sandals,

a bikini, lots of sun block and a smile.

I can't wait.

We're staying in a cabana on the water with no electricity.

Just a hammock to swing in all day and candles to read by at night.

We're renting a car - we want to see all of the temples in the area, and maybe even drive down to Belize.

Till the trip, I'll be planning, shopping and jumping up and down.

Lots of pictures will follow, I can feel it!

images via polyvore, j crew, and steve madden

Currently Reading

I've already finished this book, but I'm way behind on posting, so this is to catch up.

I recently read My Ishmael, the "sequel" to Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.

I won't say too much about this novel, because it shares many of the same ideas as Ishmael. However, I will say that I enjoyed this novel much more than Ishmael. The narrator is Julie, a twelve-year-old girl searching for answers to the same questions Quinn presents in his first novel. Questions like "From whom can I learn about how people ought to live" and "How did the world end up in the state that it's currently in". She works out the beginnings of the answers to these questions through the same means Quinn introduced in Ishmael - through telepathic dialogues with Ishmael, the gorilla.

I found the dialogue and story in this novel much more engaging and interesting than Ishmael's conversations with Alan Lomax in the first novel. Julie is young, but very curious about the world. I like her as the narrator, because I feel that her youth allows her to look at the information Ishmael presents without prejudice, or pre-conceived opinions about his ideas. I also found the book to have a much more hopeful tone, but I think that may be due to the difference in narrators.

I liked this novel so much more than the first. I identified with Julie's sense of not knowing what to think, but having a strong sense of the need for change.

I'm not familiar with the subject matter of Quinn's third novel in the "series", "The Story of B", but maybe it will be even better than My Ishmael. We'll see . . .

Snow days are the best days

On the last weekend before David started the new semester, we decided to head to his parents' house in the mountains. We talked to his mother and learned that they had received a nice dusting of snow. We were both really excited for a relaxing, snowy weekend.

Our requisite view of the valley.

The Cates' casa.

Walking on the "Brown Dog Trail".

The brown boy himself.

After our little hike we took a drive on the national forest road.

Scary drives are made way better by the Cates' trusty Wrangler!

We headed to downtown Blue Ridge after our drive for window shopping, which is literally what we did - almost every store was closed and it was freezing. Not the best plan. Luckily, the fudge shop was open. yum!

We had lots of fires and cuddling with Murphy, but the best part was playing in the snow.

The Cates' have a great sled, perfect for flying down the center of their street.

Donna taking the first ride.

David getting ready for his turn.

Here he comes . . .

. . . there he goes!

My turn!

It was a great end to our break.

Back to work!

Mr. and Mrs. Heil

It's a new year and I was so happy to begin 2010 with the wedding of my bf, Summer.

I have known Summer since I was fifteen. She is the sweetest, kindest person I know and I always have the most fun with her. Basically, she is the coolest, and I feel very lucky to have her as my best friend.

She was my Maid of Honor at my wedding and I was thrilled when she asked me to be her Matron of Honor.

She and Greg decided to get married on New Years Day, which I thought was such a fun idea.

The wedding day came around and we had a great morning getting ready and taking pictures, and as always, being silly!

The beautiful bride and her beautiful sister, Sydnah.

The ceremony was lovely and the whole day fit so well with who Summer and Greg are.

I had fun getting to wear a pretty dress and carry pretty flowers.

And my love was kind enough to be my date to the event.

I am so, so happy for my bf!

Love you, Summer!

Your 27th

I'm about 10 days late, but I thought; it's never too late to say happy birthday to my love.

We had a nice, quiet day, complete with David's idea of perfection - an ice cream cake and being surrounded by all of his favorite girls.

Happy 27th to my favorite guy.

As always; I wouldn't do, without you.

Forgive me. I couldn't resist. Your happy face and tiny broken foot make me smile. I love you.

p.s. Milan - if you read this - David did his "cold food face" in that picture just for you!

Christmas 2009

Let me preface this post by saying, this is going to be another long post with lots of pictures. Sorry. This is what happens when you have one of the busiest Christmas seasons EVER. I think we spent more time on the road and partaking in festivities this Christmas than all other Christmases combined! It may have been the busiest Christmas, but it was also one of the best Christmases ever.

That said, we started the holidays off with a little shindig at our new place in East Point. We made lots of yummy treats and had a few good friends over to enjoy some games, some chatting, and as always, lots of laughing.

David's delicious cookies.

Mr. Paul Mitchell, Esquire treated us to a Christmas reading of "Strange Seashells and Their Stories" - a holiday classic. In front of a "roaring" fire, too!

We played a brutal round of boys vs. girls Christmas Win, Lose or Draw and I finally got to break out my $1 Target junk bin reindeer ears that I insisted I must have or my Christmas would not be complete.

Sarah's brilliant representation of "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer". Only, this Christmas, the reindeer decided to really cement the deed and use a truck.

Sarah liked the switch.

. . . and so did Joseph.

We chatted and had fun playing more games.

A party is never a party without Ashlyn and Miles. Love them.

And as always, my love finished the night with a cookie.

After the party, and a week or two of merriment in Atlanta, we headed to the mountains to begin Christmas with our family. We started the fun with a stop at the Niggley's beautiful home in the Cohutta Wilderness. The Niggleys always make the holidays special with great food and great company, and this year, with a great dancing, singing Christmas tree hat!

David with his pretty mom.

The hat, literally dancing off of my head.

Christmas Eve with Grandmom and the Murdocks.

Christmas Eve love.

Christmas morning, awaiting the mayhem of present opening.

Dewey and his new gun. Time to leave.

Christmas Day evening, we found ourselves at my parents' abode, playing more Christmas Win, Lose or Draw. This time it was a little less brutal, but still hilarious.

Our good friend Josh, playing along with the crazy Dunns.

Daddy drawing the best interpretation of "figgy pudding" ever.

Figgy Pudding. The two little blobs at the top that look a little like poo are figs. The bowl and spoon are self-explanatory. But the best is the rectangle with two rows of dashes. Those are Fig Newtons. Brilliant.

No Christmas would be complete without a family dance contest.

I clearly won.

Merry Christmas!