Capacity (morphs)

I had to walk out of a class at gym the other day. I’m good about giving stuff a solid try, but I’m also teaching myself to be totally fine with letting go if it doesn’t work for me. After the first 5 minutes of this class, I knew I’d be struggling, miserable, and in severe pain if I kept it up for the whole hour. That combination is not part of my personal idea of a successful experience, so I left without regret or embarrassment and went to tackle my arms, shoulders, and back on the TRX instead. What an excellent choice.

My point is that for all the valiant “never give up, never surrender” moments that we are practically brainwashed into thinking we need to stick out, the real “win” often comes from accepting where you are and trying something new, instead.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating a plateau, I’m advocating the value of finding a different path to tread to the top of the mountain, even if it’s got a few more switchbacks.

 

 

So. Much. Fish.

I got a little over-zealous at the store yesterday when I discovered an entire side of salmon- 1+ kg, for half price!

…But what do you do when you are one person, and you have a kilogram (nearly 2.5 lbs) of salmon that is going to go bad very shortly??

 

You experiment!

I’ve been wanting to make traditional home-cured “gravlax” (lox) for a while now, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Watch a couple of videos to get the idea, and then have at it!

Mine’s got salt, sugar, tamari, lemon, dill, pepper, and fresh ginger. It’ll “be happy” in that for 2-3 days and then, hopefully be beyond delicious…

I’ll let you know!

 

 

 

Be Fit For Your Horse

Photo Credit: Linda Guanti: http://www.yogawithhorses.com/

I just started a group on facebook called Be Fit For Your Horse. Soon, there will be a blog and website to go along with it. In the mean time, check it out and, if it applies to you, join us!

Your horse needs to be flexible, athletic, balanced, and strong to perform at his/her best. But what about you? It always takes two to tango! 

This group exists to provide an encouraging community, full of resources and support, to riders and horse-people of all disciplines who wish to become a fitter, healthier, human partner. 
Together, we can become the dance partners of our horse’s dreams. 

How to…

This is the best “how to” I’ve ever seen for writing something as potentially intimidating and abstract as an artist’s statement.

Thing is, it’s about artist statements, but it could be applied to a heck of a lot of other stuff… like blog posts Nice.

Enjoy!

 

Lost in Translation

My roommate is from Bulgaria. She says that back at home, they eat a salad every day. 

Immediately, I get this picture of a lovely traditional house or caesar salad, but I dutifully ask, “what do you put in it?”

Apparently, it contains cucumbers, tomatoes, salt, and greek/bulgarian yogurt. Huh… Sounds interesting.

So I ask her, “If you teach me to make it, do you want me to teach you to make a salad from my country?” (Thinking of yummy mixed greens, a hand-mixed dressing, some cheese, salmon or chicken, and a handful of dried fruit)

And she says: “Oh! You mean the plate of grass you were eating the other day??”

 

Classic.

 

Enable Yourself

Image Credit: www.virginactive.co.uk

I went swimming today (in a real pool, with cap and goggles), for just about the first time since I stopped my competitive racing career almost a decade ago.

Yes, my cardio was pathetic, but I was surprised to find that my technique in the water, after all these years, is still nothing to snort at.

I write this, because it hit a chord about the value of learning something right the first time. Heck, drill it if you need to! (3 miles of laps a day, 4-5 days a week for three years anyone?) Because if it’s worth learning, and you’re really passionate about it, even just for a time, then it’s worth the investment of time/effort/money/sweat/tears to get it right, now. One day, that’s going to pay off

Oh, and on that note, get the bare-bones tools YOU need to stay motivated in the beginning! (Your tools might be different then mine. Great!)

In the pool, was shocked at the number of people trying to do laps without goggles. Sight is important. I speak from experience… walls and chlorine hurt like hell when you invite them into your personal space. I respect the laps. I don’t respect you not setting yourself up for success. Enable Yourself.

Break the Fast

                                           “Breakfast like a king,

                       have lunch like a prince and

                                                     dine like a pauper!”

I’ve been eating breakfast consistently every day for a week, now, and I feel miles better. No more mid-afternoon energy drops. No more “eat anything that moves” attitude at lunch and dinner. No more silent irritation at non-irritating things. Whew!

Today, I found this amazing FREE guide and explanation about that all-wonderful meal: Breakfast.

Please, if not for me, then for your own health and longevity, download this document and read it.

Note* I am allergic to eggs. Not all breakfasts have to include a huge amount of cooking. My delicious fruit oatmeal and pre-cooked chicken breast takes me all of 8 minutes to make, consume, and clean up.

The Greatest Quote on the Planet…

…Is the one that gives you the inspiration or chutzpa you need in the moment.

So what does your “moment” look like right now?

Here are a collection of quotes that I think of often.

Perfect Salad Du-Jour

Today, I was thinking about how different people like different tastes. It has crossed my mind before, but this time, it came about because my house mate walked in while I was eating my delicious morning oatmeal (with apples, rhubarb yoghurt, and honey) and said “eww!!” I thought that was hilarious!

So, at lunch, I found myself wondering what the “perfect” salad would be for me, today.

And when I made it, all the deliciousness that I added gave it a crunchy/crisp/fresh/flavorful/satisfying/chewy/healthy/ taste and look!

I truly couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful for lunch… or dinner (I made it twice because it was so fabulous!)

Ingredients:

• Mixed greens (rocket, watercress, red lettuce, spinach)
• Apple chunks
• Cherry tomatoes
• A handful of freshly cooked fusilli pasta
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Cold chicken breast chunks

Dressing:

• Hand-mixed pesto/tamari/olive oil

Garnished with:

• A handful of mozzarella cheese
• Oriental crunchy toasted lentil/peanut/breadstick mix

YUMM!! What’s your favorite salad du-jour?

 

 

 

No More “Sweeping”!

I just gave myself a big present in a little package by doing some “housekeeping” that I assumed would be a daunting task, in a little over half an hour.

I completely restructured, organized, and created file hierarchies in every personal folder on my computer. I also deleted almost 800 old, duplicate, or unused files, and now have a completely clean online “office.” It feels amazing.

Although I always kept my desktop clutter-free, now every time I save something, I don’t have that feeling that I get when I see a decomposable piece of food drop into a practically unreachable spot. “I’m never going to see that again, even if I wanted to, and I know it’s going to cause me stress and discomfort.” …yeah, not the greatest frame of mind!

The problem is now solved. No more sweeping it under the rug for me!! I am liberated, and it was easy!!