A Birthday Surprise and It's Not My Birthday

Today is an unexpected surprise. It's hubby's birthday and I thought we'd spend the day together, so I didn't put anything on my calendar. I didn't connect that it's Thursday and his golf league. I'm on my own until 2:30 with NOTHING planned all day. 

Praise be to the Alone Gods. 

I've fussed around the kitchen pickling cucumbers and jalapeños. Baked a birthday treat. 

Fussed in the garden cleaning up a bunch of plants, etc. Not a rushed moment -- took about an hour. 

Now I'm in the craft room -- morning routine a bit later than usual. 

Quick arm workout to follow. I need a fresh body to handle the hike in the heat tomorrow. 

Longer meditation.

I have a few errands to run.

A walk to the library to do a return. 

It's a morning that I've been craving for too long and it surprised me. Couldn't seem to plan one to save my soul, and this morning it just popped up.

Yesterday my volunteer case ended after over 2.5 years. I'll get another one when I'm ready and a case that fits my availability. For now, it's training time and general education. NO court reports in the immediate future and that's a break I'm very pleased about. 

I had a lunch with a friend to exchange my veggies for her fruit. We had a great conversation about books and travel. Planning a day in Atlanta to see a play with her too.

I made blackberry sauce with her basket of blackberries. They were perfectly ripe, but tart and needed to be used for something other than just straight enjoyment. The sauce is DELICIOUS. 

Mixed with coconut yogurt.
Love those flavors together.

It's almost gone already.
So tasty.

Happily simmering.

This was the garden picking today. It looks cheerful and fresh with all the colors. 

Loads of cherry tomatoes
underneath. More veggies
than you'd think in the basket.

I still want to chat about birthday year reflections and such -- I haven't forgotten, but this morning is other plans. 2:30 will come more quickly than I'd like and I have loads of alone things to happen first hah!

Hope you have a good day. Later gators.

Pretty Trail Mushrooms

I hiked 7.5 miles in crazy humidity and heat. Drenched was an understatement. The hike on Friday will be warmer, longer, harder, faster  ... but I think I'll be okay. Good news is I know Friday's trail well so if I need to sag out I can do it -- basically two big connecting loops. 

Mushrooms on the hike. There aren't many flowers this time of summer on this trail, but always something to find. 

I have an emergency court hearing first thing this morning. My volunteer case is probably ending today -- it's been over 2.5 years. It's a sad moment, but the best in a hard situation. We'll see -- the judge may continue it for a few more months. I'll be starting a new case sometime soon. 

Have to get going -- long drive in traffic. 

Hope you have a good day. Later gators.

A HBD Surprise

BIG NEWS ... drumroll ...

I'm going to be a Granny again in January!!!!!!!!

Got the ultrasound picture wrapped for my birthday AGAIN. 

So much fun. 

As soon as I felt the frame, I knew. 

We'll know the gender in about a month. 

Shhhhh ... for now it's a secret. 

My other DIL gave me a color analysis and I'm super excited. That's totally her love language. 

Funny story -- the night I tested positive for COVID, my son went to CVS to get a test for him and also bought a pregnancy test. They were both positive. Missed opportunity to take a picture of the tests together. Thankfully, my DIL was and stayed negative for COVID. 

Also funny story, my DIL and younger son said they hit it out of the park with birthday gifts this year and the only way they could be out gifted if my eldest announced a pregnancy. Hahahaha. And I absolutely loved their gift -- they did knock it out of the park. 

I've been slightly MIA. Dang, I'm busy and I can't seem to un-busy myself. 

Am I managing my calendar horribly?

Am I managing my mind poorly?

Something needs to change and I can't seem to change it. 

Actually, if I'm narrowing it down, what needs to change is my mornings. Summer mornings are tough because things need to happen early in the morning. Outside workouts, gardening. Add plans or obligations and my mornings are too full and too rushed. 

I barely have time to chat this morning because I need to get moving for a hike and before the hike, I need to tend to the garden. It's going to be high 90s today and I can't let a day slide in this heat. 

Broken record. Can I move things to later in the day? Doesn't seem to work well. I get interrupted as the day moves on and the peaceful morning routine to start the day well is anything but peaceful.

Should I decide peak summer months have a different morning routine?

Lots of questions, no answers. 

If I can get a couple/few days a week for a full morning routine, that's enough, but something screws up every single morning lately. Issues that I can't deflect or say no. It's beyond frustrating. 

So much to chat about, but I have no time. I probably CAN move this journaling to later in the day or before bed. I might do that this week and just "publish" in the morning. 

Food for thought on my hike today. NOT hiking with the Tuesday group because they are starting later and hiking 90 minutes away. No thanks. Local trail so I can acclimate to this heat wave before a big hike on Friday. 

Hope you're having a good week. Later gators. 

Back to Basics

I have a rushed morning today ... of course I do. Geez. 

Summers are hard on mornings anyway. Lots needs to happened before the heat sets in -- outside workouts, gardening, Farmers Market (today). Add the rest of my morning routine and it feels like a push, too much.

Maybe I need to put some of my indoor morning on for early evening. A calming bedtime routine!?!? I've tried this before with a very limited-run success. Time for another try because I'm not enjoying or having enough time in the morning to get to it all. 

I'm heading back to some basics and just a couple of days worth and it feels SO MUCH BETTER. I drifted unknowingly and it's time to tighten it back up again. It makes such a big difference.

Drink more water.

Daily meditation -- even if some days are just a few minutes.

Speaking up about what works for me (I can't go that early, can we make it an hour later?)

Smaller portions.

Walk more.

Less snacking, less sugar.

Making morning time for outside workouts -- hiking, running.

DNFing books when they don't work -- unclogs my reading.

Enjoying some poetry sprinkled in my reading.

Strength and balance work. 

Finding fun, unusual things to do.

In my hiking.

In my thrifting.

In the creative arts.

In exploring towns. 

Saying yes to adventures

BECAUSE

I've left space in my calendar for quieter things.

(This one is huge.)

More calendar space for creativity. 

Painting. 

Journaling. 

Projects. 

Outfits.

New recipes. 

Garden planning and putzing. 

Big gist is SPACE (my word for this year ... I must have known before it actually registered). I think the juice is in the space between things. Probably more on this later. 

This feels like ME and I forgot it a little bit. 

I'll be chatting about all the birthday year stuff soon. This is a little preview, but in the name of the above list, time for a meditation. Then an outside run. Then a little garden time. Then a big Farmer's Market (not our local one this week). 

Have a great day. Later gators. 

It was HBD (!!)

I had a really nice birthday.

Run felt very hard since it's been a minute, but always feels great when I finish. Got the run in this week before temps climb again.

Lunch was fun with my son -- 2nd year in a row lunching with him on my birthday. Found a street spot, parallel parked -- that felt accomplished. Ceviche for lunch.

Atlanta is super high tech -- driverless cars and delivery robots. Still shocking to see. They were everywhere.

Finished my first watercolor painting for the picture wall. That's on my 26 for 2026 list. Also filled a few more picture frames. 

Not exactly a masterpiece, but it's whimsy and I like it. Here are a couple of other filled frames.

Picture from a children's book.

Pressed flower card from my friend.

I had a few birthday calls too. 

The scheduled call with an old friend was interesting. We've been friends for about 27 years. Had SO much in common. We were so often on the same wave length even not living near each other for well over half of our friendship. 

What's interesting to me is talking to her shows me how much I've changed in the last 6 or 7 years. She doubled down on the same trajectory and I took a left turn. This is probably a little judgmental of me, but it seems like she hasn't grown. Lots of diet and body image talk. Lots of brag-book chatter with rose colored reporting. Outdated thinking. 

It's been this way for a while and yesterday's conversation hit home how different we've become. Believe me or not, it's less about judging her, than being grateful I made changes. It's a feeling like THAT could be me and I'm glad it's not. I could have continued to grow those things, but instead I planted something different. 

What a relief to be over body image and diet crap. What a relief to not feel like I have to peacock to show my worth before I could ever admit anything vulnerable. What a relief that I don't need to give subtle jabs to cover for what I really want. What a relief to update my thinking and evolve with new ideas. 

We are still close friends who've shared a lot of life. I wonder what's in store for us in the future. It was kind of a cool revelation on my birthday. A reminder to keep building WHAT I want and WHO I want to be ... keep going. It makes a difference. 

Hubby got home in time to tuck me into bed.

Lovely birthday. I felt the love and friendship and really felt seen by the people in my life. Couldn't ask for more. Also, a few little accomplishments scattered in and that felt like the right foot to begin this next year. 

From my garden. Little flowers
around the center -- incredible. 

I have my Friday morning coffee and then I invited the group to try the new Lebanese cafe for lunch. 5 or 6 of us going -- it'll be a fun morning.

Have a happy Friday too. Later gators. 

HBD to Me

Starting another year and I'm grateful. 

What's on the birthday agenda?

Outside run -- I try to do an outside run every birthday. I'm a bit stiff and cranky in my joints right now, but I'll give it a go. I'm not sure why I do a run, but it's tradition. I suppose there will come a year I can't run anymore so I'll enjoy it while I can. Hah -- might be this year, my hip is giving me grief. Always aches and pains. 

Midtown Atlanta with my son. He's working in the office today and invited me for lunch.

Birthday call with a good friend -- her birthday is Monday and we do a call every year at the end of June. She was available today so we scheduled it on my actual birthday. 

Maybe little spatterings of fun in-between things. Or some quiet time. Or watercolor painting. 

I registered for a club hike for next week. It's been a long time since I've hiked with the group. I'm ready to focus on getting back to it for longer hikes. This one is a fast 10 miler with elevation and a picnic after -- should be fun. It's a trail I know well so a good one to get back on the horse.

I made another cucumber chopped salad -- I guess this is my summer repeat while the cucumbers are producing. It's so good, but a lot of fiber. Nighttime gets a bit windy lol.

Look at this GF bread from Trader Joe's -- it's always wonky. This one looks like a tooth. Why, Trader Joe's?!? Never a square slice. 

New thrifted rug. It's handmade and really fun colors. Couldn't find a place for it, but I'm happy to add some color to the workout room.

Breakfast with my friend was really nice. She was up against babysitting so had to change the time -- I guessed as much. She bought me little vases from Montana and made a pressed flower jar. Very kind and perfectly me. We had a nice catch up and a good conversation.

I should have time for a birthday meditation today after all. I've been reflecting and reviewing the year -- more on this soon. It's kind of a return to basics for the year ahead. I've been playing around with new things and having fun with it, but somehow stepped a few too many steps away from my base. Time to strengthen it again.

Stronger and lighter -- this year's motto. I'll try it on and if it doesn't fit after a few months, one of the classics will come back (choose the bigger life, keep going, walk until the day becomes interesting). 

More on this later too. 

I also want to do a post about summer books. I've been lazy about book talk. Stay tuned.

Lots of "more later " --  mornings have been a bit rushed and I haven't had as much time to do the more thoughtful chats. That's a little part of that base I want to get back to -- slower rolling mornings to have more time with my morning routine which really sets me up for a good day.

On that note, have a good day. Later gators.

Eeek, A Birthday Mood

I'm in a bit of an ungrateful mood this morning. I know it's sort of my fault and I know it's JUST a temporary mood. 

The week seems to have gotten away from me. Where did my downtime, reset, reflection time go?

I have a lot of birthday plans this week and I'm very grateful to have so many people in my life who want to celebrate my birthday -- I feel this and it feels good. 

Here's the mood ...

I said yes to some changes that are making the quiet bits difficult. I didn't feel like I could say no since these plans are people celebrating with me. If I had all the facts (so to speak) before I originally said yes, I would've made different decisions. 

Then the add-ons of normal life interrupting. Duke threw up 3 times again this morning. Hubby called me at 5:30 because he's in the UK and "knew I'd be up." 

I'm trying to have a bit of a morning before breakfast with my cancel friend that WAS a lunch and got shifted. Now I have a very rushed morning and the long birthday meditation is out the window -- no time the rest of the week. 

Could I change some of my plans until afternoon? 

Not really.

Can't garden in the heat of the day because it stresses the plants.

Meditation in the afternoon doesn't hit the same for me.

Workout, dog walk -- all need to be early. 

Even if I can change some things around ... I don't want to and that's what's frustrating me. 

I don't want to!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Said with a total tantrum vibe.)

My friend shifted lunch to breakfast to accommodate HER schedule and in the process MY schedule got messed up this morning. 

And I agreed to it. 

And it will be fine.

And I'll have a nice time.

But ... ugh.

Guess I'm more frustrated with myself. I don't mind a full, energetic day at all, but I LOVE slow roll mornings with my routine and quiet evenings. I thought I had that protected this week. I have some soul searching to figure out how to do this better or shift my perspective. 

In other news ...

I did a practice watercolor picture ahead of a larger one for a wall frame in my bedroom. It's okay (not that the bigger one will be a masterpiece hah). That's why it's a practice on a small sheet. The plan is a bunch of little birds all over 9x12 with music notes floating around. 

Color isn't quite right. I'll add different shaped birds too. I wanted to start the bigger picture yesterday but my plans changed and I ran out of time.

Painting is the one thing that I can easily do anytime. I usually prefer afternoons so maybe today. Watercolor is at least a 2 day process so it can dry. 

Okay, that's all for today. I have to get going for a quick garden time, workout, and dog walk. I'm trying to change up this mood and bring in a different perspective. Wish me luck. Later gators.