Day 10 of Creativity & Courage

 "This is the true joy of life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one." - George Bernard Shaw

Water- 2 liters so far.

Strength- A session of all core exercise, plus 20 push-ups on my knees.

Sweets- Blended bananas / Pineapple / Raisins (with cranberries & nuts)

Courage- Woh, a super great day today because I was brave enough to do something I wanted to do verses something I should do. I also made a way for things that are important to me to happen regardless of the unpredictability of the day.

Sunshine- Absolutely none. Can you believe it?

Sweat-I got slightly sweaty during the core workout. It was short in duration. If it was longer, it would have been more sweaty. But I was in a time crunch, so I had to make it short but sweet.

Greens- Same big bowl of cucumber noodles, except no nappa cabbage or tomatoes this time.

Creativity- Magic. Pure magic. I met with my new coaching group today. A two hour call about creative projects. Pure bliss I tell you. I felt like I was in the mothers womb. I was swimming in my element. 

Bliss- Being excited about life's possibilities & perfection. But also my responsibility to create that.

Day 9 of Creativity & Courage

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent van Gogh

Water- One liter first thing in the morning & more as the day went on.

Strength- 20 elevated push ups, 20 dips, 70 stair hops, & 100 jacks.

Sweets- Lemonade / Honeydew melon! / Raisins (with cranberries & nuts)

Courage- Oh my. I think my website is ready to launch. :) I'm waiting for my green light. It might shine for me later this week. I'll keep you posted.

Sunshine- A bit while exercising outdoors.

Sweat- A bit while exercising outdoors.

Greens-Not ready green because I peeled them, but I made a big bowl of cucumber noodles with cherry tomatoes & sliced nappa cabbage.

Creativity- Working on my internet life & new website. It's so close to launching!

Bliss- Listening to classical music while working. Such a gift. :) It makes me really happy.

Day 8 of Creativity & Courage

 “Action expresses priorities.” - Mahatma Gandhi 

Water- Maybe 2 liters.

Strength- 20 elevated push ups, 20 dips, & 100 jacks.

Sweets- Lemonade / Banana / Fresh figs / Raisins / More lemonade

Courage- Doing my strength exercises in an odd area in the public. I had to make it work. It was my only chance to do them.

Sunshine- Lots today, another hot day in LA.

Sweat- Sweated a little while exercising & being in the sun.

Greens- Nappa cabbage wraps (avocado, sprouts, scallions & blended cherry tomatoes)for lunch & dinner.

Creativity- Project work & creative coaching preperation.

Bliss- Finding Making the time to do what is important to me.

Day 7 of C & C ...(Creativity & Courage)

 "What is a rebel? A man who says no." - Albert Camus, L'Homme revolte (The Rebel), 1951

Water- 2 liters so far.

Strength- Exercised in a sunny park: push ups on knees, dips, jacks, ran fast lap, & misc. movement on bars.

Sweets- Watermelon / Mixed raisins & unpasteurized almonds

Courage- Going to a (last minute) dinner party with friends tonight. Sitting there not eating or drinking (alcohol) takes courage. I will bring some raw snacks & water just incase I need something.

Sunshine- Lots today, it's super hot.

Sweat- Sweated lots exercising in the sun.

Greens- Nappa cabbage (guac & salsa) wraps

Creativity- Ugh. Nothing yet.

Bliss- Sitting next to a turtle pond. It was a red-eared slider turtle filled pond with a fountain & cascading water. It was so cute to see turtles basking on rocks. I was nearby on the grass basking in the sun too.

Day 6 of C & C ...(Creativity & Courage)

Today was great. I went to two farmers markets. Bought lots of figs, fennel, cucumbers, watermelon. A small bag of almonds (not pasteurized yay!) & mixed raisins.

Water- Only one liter so far.

Strength- 20 push ups on knees, & 20 dips.

Sweets- Fresh mixed figs (4 pints!)

Courage- Wearing my friends bikini that is one size too small for me. / Buying as many fresh figs as I wanted at the farmers market.

Sunshine- Lots of sun at the beach & the farmers markets.

Sweat- No really. Kind of a lazy day. Some sweat from the hot day, but that is about it.

Greens- Savoy cabbage wraps with seaweed salad, salsa, mungbean sprouts & guacamole inside.

Creativity- Not really. Just a lazy day with friends.

Bliss- Being able to just tag along.

Day 4 & 5 of Creativity & Courage

YESTERDAY:

Water- One liter first thing in the morning, & more in lemonade.

Strength- About 25 minutes of various exercises like; push ups, dips, core exercise, etc.. I set the timer 5 times for 5 minutes each time. The 5 minute blocks were focused on either upper body, lower body or core. I loved it. The time flies by when it's divided into sections.

Sweets- Watermelon / Blended bananas / Lemonade

Courage- Wearing spandex! Today I wore a stretchy top & bottom & I thought to put a bigger looser tank top over it. Then I thought, "Who cares? I'm probably the only one criticizing my shape!"

(I accidentally erased the last half of the day. Ugh. I can't write it over. It was too long & I don't remember everything. Bummer, it was such a beautiful day & I was happy to share it with you.)

TODAY: (Flying to Los Angeles)

Water- A super-big lemonade liter first thing in the morning, & 2 bottles of water at the airport.

Strength- 15 minutes of various exercises like; 20 push ups, jumping jacks, & lots-n-lots of core exercise.

Sweets- Fresh figs / Raisin-chia bar / Date rolls / Sweet cherry tomatoes

Courage- Coming to Los Angeles! Planning a week in LA even though I know nothing about babies & have no extra money to be here with. (I'm here to be supportive & help a friend who is giving birth this week.)

Sunshine- Just a short walk to the train station & walking to the store.

Sweat- Sweated while walking & doing the strength routine.

Greens- Nappa cabbage leaves with guac & salsa.

Creativity- Only blogging.

Bliss- Being here in LA with my friend & her husband, feeling totally at home with them. I love them so much.

Day 3 of C & C ...(Creativity & Courage)

"One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest." - Maya Angelou

Water- One liter first thing in the morning, & more water in the lemonade throughout the day.

Strength- 20 elevated push ups, 20 dips, 100 j-jacks, incline running intervals, 20 modified pull-ups, & 20 hanging knee lifts.

Sweets- Lemonade / Mango / Grapefruit / Watermelon

Courage- Saying what is there takes courage, it's always worth the effort.

Sunshine- Strength workout in the park.

Sweat- Worked up some sweat at the park. -Yay!

Greens- Big mixed green salad with shredded red cabbage & red radishes.

Creativity- Major work done & two projects I'm working on.

Bliss- Being honest. I love when I say what is there, & others do too. Open conversations are so important. I'm grateful when they happen.

Day 2 of C & C ...(Creativity & Courage)

“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.” -Tennessee Williams

Water- 2 liters (some in lemonade).

Strength- 20 minutes in a sunny park: elevated push ups, dips, jacks, & misc. movement on bars.

Sweets- Lemonade (twice) / Fig puree / Almond butter (almonds always taste really sweet to me).

Courage-  Money concerns surfaced today & I didn't let them bring me down. I decided to take action on them or drop them. As they say, "The opposite of worry is action".

Sunshine- Park exercises in full sun.

Sweat- (The plan is to go for a super-fast-walk at 6ish tonight.)

Greens- Mixed greens, radish & red cabbage salad with a saucy-dip made by my mom.

Creativity- Worked on the project I'm doing with my sister. / Blogged a bit too.

Bliss- Sharing my nervousness (about my LA trip) with my friend & hearing her kind response. Sometimes she can be such a wordsmith. / Sharing my ways of how to save money this week with my nephew & hearing him say, "Auntie, would you like me to lend you $11 dollars so that you can buy fruit? I want you to have enough food for the week". -Ahw, what a sweetheart. I told him that the offer means a lot to me. That it alone helps a lot.

[Sweet picture of kitty & friend by Kate Magic]

Day 1 of C & C ...(Creativity & Courage!)

Yesterday (Not the best start, but oh well. I will be better prepared for tomorrow.)

Water- Only one liter (-wasn't even first thing in the morning cause I had to run out the door early.)

Strength- 20 push ups on my knees.

Sweets- Cherry Juice (1 liter) / Dried cherry-date bar.

Courage- I wanted to get my cardio in so I went for a walk late, too late for my taste because I could barely see the sidewalk on the way back. I also had the courage to get out of my bed (all cozy with eyes closed in the dark) and do 20 push-ups on my knees after realizing that I hadn't done any strength training. I was already in my bed half asleep before I made myself get up & do them.

Sunshine- Spent 1 hour working outside.

Sweat- Did a little bit of running on my evening fast-walk.

Greens- Romaine hearts (with guac dip) / Mixed veggie salad & dip that had chopped broccoli in it.

Creativity-Started my new 14 day program to create the next two weeks. / Worked on updating an online portfolio & got heaps done on it. It's looking good!

Bliss- Sitting next to a water fountain. It was a silly lion head with water coming out of its mouth. The look of it wasn't bliss, but the sound was. The sounds of ocean waves, rivers running & fountains pouring always make me happy. A very meditative & timeless sound.

Something New, ...sort of.

 I'm at it again! Another little program to explore daily. Having a new program will inspire & keep me on track while traveling next week. When in unpredictable environments it helps to have a list of things that I will do each day. (Like I've done in the past.) This will be from Tuesday the 21st to Monday the 4th. Fourteen days of consistent bliss & bravery! (It's all a mind game. But a fun one!)

Here is what I will be exploring on a daily basis;

Water- One liter first thing in the morning & more as the day goes on.

Strength- Push ups, dips, core exercise, something challenging.

Sweets- Juicy fruits, citrus juice, anything sweet that hits the spot.

Courage- Saying what's there, doing what scares me, whatever's uneasy.

Sunshine- Some quality time spent outdoors while working or exercising.

Sweat- Jumping jacks, running in place, anything that does the trick.

Greens- Something green & water rich, like green juice or green salads.

Creativity- Making progress on my projects & boldly designing my life.

Bliss- Being open & relaxed enough to enjoy life's subtleties. 

Tomorrow is day one. See you then... :) Xx!

I Went Blackberry Crazy

My trip to Oregon was great. Almost everyday I went on a blackberry hunt! I was foraging berries non-stop. :) Most of the trip was spent in two places (not including the car of course): Rogue River & Champoeg. Both of them were blackberry meccas! The other treats that delighted my taste buds were from Oregon shops that we found on the drive; Market of Choice & Zupans. Outside of the tasty food, it's hard for me to express the connection I felt with the trees & the sound of the river.  I loved being near them & I long for the day when I can spend even more time being near the water's waves or in the fresh air of the forest.

GONE CAMPING

Hello Fruit Lovers! I will be away for one week. I'll be camping in a yurt! :) Yipeeee...
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Today

“Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling.”- Margaret Lee Rumbeck
Sleep & Rest: Maybe 7-8 hours of sleep. I'm not sure cause I had a hard time falling asleep.

Yoga Practice: Does a "Zen mind" count? This guy at the produce shop (literally) snatched a bag of baby bananas out of my hand (that were discounted because they were ripe, which means they are like GOLD!). At first I was shocked that he took my bananas, but then I laughed about it. He is either a bit crazy, ..or a monkey. Who else would get that excited about bananas?! Besides me. :) (hee..hee..) I'm "bananas" for bananas too I guess. Wouldn't snatch for 'em though! Maybe if it were a bag of Candy Stripe figs. Then I might have to get wild. The animal side would come out. -Rarrrrr! (They are that good!)
Sun & Air: Went for a run/walk/climb/carry outdoors.
Sweat & Fun: Went for a 2 hour combo; "chop-chop" walking, a lil' jogging, stair climbing/running (2 sets x 15), carried a heavy fruit load home for 45min-1hr (-ugh!).
Fruity Meals: Banana-strawberry-apple smoothie / Bag of mixed figs (including Candy Stripe!) / Frisee salad with mixed fruit-veggies mashed in / (Not sure what's next!)
Creative Work: A little of everything. But definitely got webwork in.
Brave Move: Buying a last minute ticket to Los Angeles. Ugh. Totally don't have the time/money to go. But my friend needs my support. She havin' a baby! I gotta be there to see it come into the world. I just gotta.
Give * Share: Bought a tix to LA to be there for a friend. Gave a listening ear & some feedback. Offered to share my veggie-fruits (avocado, tomatoes, cukes, etc.). Gave forgiveness to the rude banana guy (or gorilla!).
Incorporeal Bliss: Color is always a big one for me. Feeds my eyes & soul. Saw lots of fuchsia & violet today. Also, washed my hair with cold water. Bliss! So refreshing.

Today & Yesterday

Monday

Sleep & Rest: About 8.25 hours of great sleep.
Yoga Practice: Nope.
Sun & Air: Went for a run/walk/jump outdoors & worked on my laptop & on some other stuff in the garden. -Woohoo!
Sweat & Fun: Went for a 45 minute combo; walking warm-up, push-ups, dips, running, jumping jacks. Had a blast & definitely worked up some sweat.
Fruity Meals: Seeded watermelon / Grape-banana-strawberry-spinach green smoothie / Veggie melange on romaine hearts with fennel-tomato sauce / Frisee salad with mixed veggies on top & a blended fennel dressing
Creative Work: Dedicated the day to starting a little vintage business with my sister. I'm basically starting two online businesses this autumn I guess. :) Life is crazy.
Brave Move: Starting a business with my sister. Totally unexpected. But what the hell, might as well give it a go.
Give * Share: Gave something a shot.
Incorporeal Bliss: Listening to relaxing happy music. A full day of swing & big band singers! All little Dean Martin & Ella too!


Sunday
Sleep & Rest: About 9.5 hours of sleep. -Woh! And it was filled with really intense dreams with lots of symbolism.
Yoga Practice: Nope. (I'm so tired of saying no lately. Gotta get it going again.)
Sun & Air: Another packed day. Family BBQ & final day to give the website a HUGE push. I didn't wake up early enough too make a sweaty work-out happen. Ahh… discipline. Where are you buddy?
Sweat & Fun: Nope. And I feel guilty about it. I also miss it like an old friend. Very few things feel as good as working up a nice sweat. Soon, soon...
Fruity Meals: Seeded watermelon / Veggie salad with too much avocado! / (I forget if I had anything else after, I might have had more of the same salad if anything.)
Creative Work: Dedicated half-day(?) to working on my website. And a few hours in the evening to looking for vintage images with my sister.
Brave Move: Spoke up for myself. Said "Hey family, I love ya, but I made plans already. I have to work this weekend. So I will be dividing my time at the BBQ between the two; lil' work & lil' family"
Give * Share: Gave family some of my time & gave work that's really important to me some of my time.
Incorporeal Bliss: Believing in myself & my choices. Ahhhh… what a feeling it was to plow through & move forward on a few things that are important to me today. Yay!

Today

Sleep & Rest: About 7.5 hours of sleep.

Yoga Practice: Same as yesterday. Nothing.

Sun & Air: Set up my laptop in a garden & worked outside. Did a tiny bit of yard work too.

Sweat & Fun: Same as yesterday. Nothing.

Fruity Meals: Seeded watermelon / A "super-loaded-ate-too-much" veggie salad with a side of zucchini-lemon-mint puree -Oof! I over did it.

Creative Work: Dedicated another full-day to working on my website. Got major stuff done. Yay!

Brave Move: Pushed through with ideas even though they sound crazy & I have no idea how they will work. Who cares! If it sounds great to me & I'm passionate about it, I'm doin' it!

Give * Share: Helped out in anyway I could. Everything from yard work to being a good listener.

Incorporeal Bliss: Working on my computer outside under the sun with a cool breeze.

Today

Sleep & Rest: About 8.5 hours of sleep.

Yoga Practice: Nothing today.

Sun & Air: Quick walk to the bank. That's all for the day. :(

Sweat & Fun: See above.

Fruity Meals: Hami melon  / Red cabbage-fennel-spinach-cucumber salad with celery-avocado-lemon dressing / Left-over mixed salad with lots of lettuce from yesterday

Creative Work: Dedicated the day to working on my website.

Brave Move(s): Scheduled a meeting with someone I'm totally afraid to meet with. I also had requests for 3 different people regarding money or better communication, which are scary topics for me.

Give * Share: Shared salad with my mom.

Incorporeal Bliss: Making progress on my website. What a relief moving forward is.

Ju Ju Bean?

TODAY

Sleep & Rest: 8 hours of sleep.

Yoga Practice: (Nothing yet.)

Sun & Air: 2 hour round trip walk to the fruit market. I like to call them "work-walks". I go over ideas & plans for the week as I do it. It's good for examining what's working & what's not in my life/work. These work-walks are my most clear thinking & productive time.

Sweat & Fun: I sweated & had fun during my work-walk. I also jogged a bit & stair climbed a bit.

Fruity Meals: Mikeylee watermelon / Fresh grapefruit juice / Halawy dates / Bag of fresh figs / Red cabbage & red radish salad / (I will have more salad tonight, lettuce will be the main ingredient on the next one.)

I saw some "Ju ju beans" next to my Halawy Dates at the market. (But now I find out it's "Jujubes" after researching on Google, I will have to go back and check the sign at the market to see if I read that right.) I bought one lonely one. I am clueless about it. I will have to do some research on the internet before I bite into it!

Creative Work: Lots of brain storming, notes taken & progress made on new ways for me to make a living. Change is coming!

Brave Move: I decided to add a new item to my daily routine. It will be called "Brave Move" because I want to work at getting over my fears & releasing the blocks in my life. Some years ago I made a list of my fears & checked them off one by one. It transformed my life! Imagine if I conquered a fear daily. -I could transform the world! Basically, I'm just thinking positive & doing whatever I can to take myself to the next level of peace & happiness (& accountability for it). I believe being responsible for your part in creating a wonderful world is the best way to create an amazing life & a peaceful planet.

Give * Share: Shared what I am committed to with my soon to be (again) creative coach Jamie Ridler.

Incorporeal Bliss: Knowing that I can't be held back. I, am my spirit more than anything else. No body & no thing can hold a spirit down. You can't touch it! It is powerful beyond measure. We all are!

YESTERDAY

Sleep & Rest: About 7 hours of sleep.

Yoga Practice: Nope. See below

Sun & Air: About 7 hours of standing around & walking around (& climbing stairs) in the sun. I had two french friends visiting. So I did the tourist thing & showed them around town.

Sweat & Fun: Nope. See above

Fruity Meals: Black grapes blended with banana / Red bananas / Dinner?…. Food became problematic while being out all day. I got hungry & I had little to chose from on a street filled with sandwich & pizza shops. My bright I idea was to order all side orders at a mexican restaurant (like guacamole, salsa, shredded lettuce & cabbage, sliced red radishes, etc. ), problem was, I didn't expect it some of it to be super-salty & doused with vinegar! But I ate it. :( As I type this I am all "puffed out". [Written yesterday.] I have a feeling I will wake up tomorrow even puffier. [I did.] I wish I would have held out till I found a healthier place to eat like a produce store or home. Note to self: Please hold out for better options. Wait for the best, there is no rush.

Creative Work: Dedicated the day to keeping my word. I promised to show a friend around town & that I did.

Brave Move: Didn't worry when I knew I had/have stuff to worry about. I trusted the universe & moved forward. Decided to live as if I was loved & supported unconditionally.

Give * Share: Shared my red banana & city sights.

Incorporeal Bliss: Being next to the ocean & its salty air for a good part of the day. I just loved it!