Risk is part of life...

There is very little joy in life with out risk. 

You know this.  I'm not going to spend pages telling you what you know.  So add a little hot peppers to your latest meal and where navy blue with black when you go snow skiing for the first time.

Me?  I'm going to go dancing in front of other people.

Valentine's Day Zombies

For those of you that know me, you're not surprised that I'm looking at this stuff.  I call my exercise/health plans and skill set increases as Zombie Apocolypse Training.

I love these two songs, the Zombie Song by Stephanie Mabey -

and Zombie Love Song by Your Favorite Martian - 

 and this song by I even found this adorable looking children's book for Valentine's Day.

Zombie in Love

Happy Little Trees

Bob Ross of the show the Joy of Painting had a few familiar sayings.  Mistakes weren't mistakes to him, but happy accidents.

Life is full of mistakes.  I know I can't make them all myself, but I'll try.  Why?  Because if I'm trying to do everything right, then I'll miss out.  I'll miss going for the exploratory walk down the by the creek while waiting for the swim team because I remembered and found my swimsuit, towel, etc.

I'm double booked this week.  My bus route doesn't end till 4:30ish 20 minutes away from where I'm supposed to be picking up a team at 4:30.  So, now I'm spending my time looking for someone to fill in for the team, but I'm not upset about the double booking.  It's giving me an opportunity to call people and chat with people that I don't normally have an excuse to call.

When we make mistakes on purpose, they become less about mistakes and more about learning and exploring.  Taking a wrong turn on purpose is definitely about exploring.  Deviating from a recipe is what allows us to take what we know and tweak it into something amazing or disastrous.  Is it really a mistake or an accident if we do it on purpose?  That depends on how you view mistakes and accidents.

I've move around quite a bit due to marriage to someone that needed to move.  It's irritating to get lost when I need to be somewhere at a specific time, but I've found some of the best places by getting lost, whether by accident or on purpose.  Sometimes, life is Better by Mistake.

Better By Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong

“Fascinating, vivid, and spectacularly useful. Alina Tugend is a whip-smart guide to the secret landscape where our (so-called) errors are transformed into powerful opportunities. Make no mistake: this is a great book.” – Daniel Coyle, author of The Talent Code

Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea...

Yay!  I get to swim!  The swim team driver needed a break and I'm on the job!  She's toying with stopping completely so it might become a semi-permanent gig.  I pick them up at the high school/middle school and drive them an hour away to a school that has an indoor pool.  Wait 2 hours while they practice (and swim if the pool isn't crowded) and then drive them back.  Makes for a long day but I'm okay with that.  There are also some really nice trails around a nearby creek that make for a nice area to explore.

I can barely believe it got down to 7 degree Fahrenheit this Wednesday morning. It was crazy cold.  First, I decided my gloves weren't thick enough.  Then, I decided my jeans weren't thick enough, quickly followed by my coat.  I eventually decided my skin wasn't thick enough and that I would much rather be a bear with a huge thick shaggy coat.

Taking on too much!

Not today, or even in general, but I had this crazy idea that I was going to knit something for my fiance for Christmas.  You may have noticed, it's not Christmas anymore and I'm still working on this blanket.  I picked the wrong yarn.  I picked an ambitious project.  I'm not stopping though.  He's going to get this blanket.  Maybe he'll get it in time for his birthday.  Maybe in time for next Christmas.

I've found that taking on too much is the best way to get things done.  Planning a big garden might net me a little one, but it's better than none.  I like to putter at getting things done; trying to do everything at once makes me susceptible to feeling overwhelmed.  It's a matter of breaking down the job.

Each thing can be broken down to smaller and smaller steps till I find something I can manage.  Immediately after my first surgery, the idea of pushing myself to walk seemed insurmountable.  So I worked on getting up.    I broke that down to untangling the wires and tubes and sitting up.  Each motion can be broken down further and further, including the decision to move a certain way in the first place.

If you don't dream big, I won't get anywhere.  I'll keep dreaming big for now.

Your only limit is your imagination.

Stew Weather

I love the winter!

I grew up south of Miami, Florida, where I'm pretty sure it only snowed once in recorded history.  I still haven't tired of cold weather and I love snowy weather.

The best thing about cold weather are soups and stews. Oh sure, you can make them other times, but there is something about snow collecting on the grounds outside that whispers insistently, "Mmmm.  Stew would really make everything perfect."

Today is my son's birthday, so we're having pizza and ice cream, but I'm making stew as soon as the kitchen is clear.

I used to have a big recipe book of soups and stews that I bought in England.  Aside from the random challenges of converting the Queen's English to American English, and the measurement conversions, it was an excellent book that unfortunately was lost to water damage and mold some time ago.  I'm thinking about getting another one, probably one of these two from Cooking Light.

Any other recommendations? Don't worry if they are decadent.  I'm obviously adept at conversions after my last soup cookbook. 

It is in the imperfections I find my joy!

The snow piles up around me and I want desperately to be out of the house, but it is in being locked in that I have found the time to finally achieve some objectives in the house.  I have food, I have power (most of the time) and I have plenty to do.  The snow keeps coming, unplanned for, no longer desired with the joy that is my odd being a fan of the weather itself, but it keeps coming.  I wait it out as I can and I leave the house as needed.  Needed having a new definition.

One crockpot full of ham, beans and rice instead of the fancy pasta dish I was going to make and a cup of coffee with icecream instead of milk or creamer in it later and I can not fail to appreciate having a back up plan for lifes imperfections.  I still have not cleared either porch, but there is a path and that is not perfect but it is beautiful.

I pride myself on doing my best at whatever I am doing, whether it is cleaning up after customers at work or learning a new programming language but now I am practicing savoring where I am.  This does not mean never wanting more or letting bigger goals and dreams slide away, but being fully present and paying attention to where I am  now.  At this moment, it means savoring the winter weather and the results thereof while I work on working towards other opportunities. 

So, in the spirit of the unusual amount of frozen precipitation Virginia has received this winter, I am offering thoughts on savoring the weather. 

Savor the beauty!  Snowy scenes are undeniably beautiful and I have taken to looking out each window as I move from one room to another in my house and made some attempts at documenting the beauty photographically with my phone.  If it is safe to do so where you live, take a walk and enjoy the pristine shimmer of the snow before it melts away or is disturbed. 

Build a snowman!  Now, wait if the snow is all fluffy and slick to do this, you want sticky snow. 

Build a fire!  Preferably in a fireplace, but we had a little fire outside recently as well. A fire in your fireplace or woodstove will keep you toasty and be a good excuse to not go out into the chill or make returning from the chill satisfying.  

This is a great time to catch up on a hobby.  At least, any hobbies that don't require a warm outdoors to do properly.  (Sorry kids, but until it warms up, we will not be spray painting that birdhouse!)  Knitting, crocheting, beadwork, etc. are all easily doable while holed up

You can work on a hobby such as knitting or another craft project while listening to music. A warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate can help you savor winter while being warm and cozy indoors.
Popping popcorn and watching videos is another great way to spend a winter evening or afternoon when it's too cold to spend much time outside. You can also savor winter family times by playing board games. Winter is also a great time to make gifts for the holidays in your spare time if you start early in the season.
Engaging in fun outdoor activities is a great way to savor winter while getting fresh air and exercise. Whether you go ice skating with a friend, have a family snowball fight or just take a walk by yourself to smell fresh pine trees and feel the crunch of snow under your feet, it can be refreshing to enjoy the winter weather. Don't forget to dress for the weather with gloves, a hat and warm clothing.

You can also savor the giving holiday spirit of winter by shoveling an elderly neighbor's driveway and/or baking some extra muffins or cookies. You can savor winter's comfort foods by enjoying warming soups, stews and mashed potatoes. A bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon is a healthy and delicious way to start a winter morning and if you fill a slow cooker with food in the morning, you can come home to a hot meal after work or school.