the trials of growing up....

i adore simplicity....this wasn't always the case. in the past i embraced and even wanted complicated, chaotic, messy.....i didn't really realize at the time it was chaotic...i thought it was exciting, living life to the fullest, no inhibitions. I can now appreciate calmness and self-control....the ability to choose, and not give in to every whim without thinking first if it's the best decision for me....is it positive or negative?.....

We spend our whole lives growing up don't we?.....we all have various different areas we need help on...or growth...or change....we do the best we can...sometimes we don't though...and if we can recognize that we have the ability to grow and evolve into better people....it takes time, effort, persistence...hard work...stepping forward and back until we find our pace. it's ever changing.....life is hard...no doubt about that. What is important to us one day, no longer seems important months or years later.

I am beginning to see how much i've changed over the past few years.....when you withdraw for a bit, and step back into the world...everything is the same...but you aren't....what you would have settled for in the past seems absurd now....silly even. Without getting too specific i am starting to see things in a new light.....the certain sort of things that seemed shiny, sparkly, and glittery before, are now dull, lackluster, in the long run boring....

anyway.......

new adventures are on the horizon, and i'm beyond excited. what simple things are you enjoying this summer?

everything i know...

"People universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't, you will leak away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments." ~Eat, Pray, Love

blissfully free....

what did i accomplish today? forget all the little things......i ran 5 miles today. RAN them. yes, ran them. i am deliriously, blissfully, gratefully tired....grateful that i still have it in me to run...that i have legs to run with....that my health is well enough that i can even withstand running that far since i haven't in so long. blissfully.......i LOVE running....i love the feeling...the freedom....the burn in my legs....the sweat....the persistence....the knowing that i am doing something good for my body......all of it.

the photo above, is pre-running leg........let's see how i do after a week.

what i know is that....

i need the outdoors to feel alive, calm, excited, sane, wild, happy, driven, focused, relaxed, vital.

I NEED NATURE LIKE I NEED AIR TO BREATHE.

rainy day distractions...

I am determined to learn how to make videos......I figure if I practice with a video a day, I will be a novice in no time!!!
It's a rainy day here at the lake....lots of craft making, coffee drinking, reading books, doing random fun things......rainy days are the only time i feel content being indoors. What are you doing on this rainy day?

what summer is....

summer isn't quite what i thought it would be....but it's still summer.....hot, sunny, and bodies of water everywhere i look, so it can't be that bad right?

...and did i mention lots of popsicles and ice cream sandwiches? yep. indeed.

So it's been a crazy busy few weeks. I am playing catch up....trying to maintain my equilibrium amidst the chaos. I haven't really slowed down at all, but somehow i still can't do everything i need to do.

It's Sunday, and supposed to be a day of rest, but how can i rest when there is a 'silly summer of fun' list to be accomplished....a 'mission' to complete, popsicles to eat.....lakes to jump in, pictures to take, dirt roads to walk down, margaritas to be consumed....how does one accomplish all this in one day!? i'm gonna be a busy busy girl today. wish me luck!

color in my mouth.

checking off one of my summer to do list items....eat as many popsicles as possible.

today is sorta gloomy and rainy, so unfortunately i am not in my swimsuit.....but sunny forecast the next few days, so i will be then!!! outside in the sunshine and working....what more can a girl ask for?

lots of exciting things are in the horizon.....preparation under way.......popsicles and sunshine are necessary ingredients for this whole thing to unfold....duh.

hope everyone is enjoying the summer so far......find some joy....relish in it...roll around in it....revel in it.