not feeling it

i have been struggling with sticking to the spirit of this blog and not simply grizzling and whinging about the trials and tribulations of my little life when the mood strikes me to write. therefore, i haven't been writing.

the intent of the blog was to find those small moments of delight and wonder in daily life, to hold them up to the light to be shared and enjoyed and cherished...

and so, i am being strict with myself and reminding myself to stick to it. if i want to moan and complain about stuff, i should start another blog for that. a dedicated "poor me" blog...

***

the sun was shining this morning when i took the dog out for a walk in the park. he's been staying with us for ten days, and since this is not a poor me blog, i won't tell you all the ways in which having him stay has been difficult. instead, i shall tell you that he's been good company and now that he has gone home i will miss him.

having a puppy around means that i have been going for long walks every day. this is good for my mental health. and, it has resulted in me being far less stiff and sore after my weekly long runs than i have been in earlier weeks.

the sun was shining when we went out for our walk this morning. there are snowdrops and crocuses blooming in the gardens at the conservation area a few blocks from here. the daffodils are starting to come up, and the buds on the magnolia trees look like gigantic pussy willows.

having a cute little red dog around is kind of like having a baby... people stop to ooh and aah, they ask how old he is, what kind of dog he is... and occasionally they notice that he has just three legs and remark about the resilience of young creatures... then they wish me a good morning/afternoon/evening and carry on their way. i've talked to more people over the last ten days than i have over the last six months of living here.

it's kinda nice.

***

now that i am running at least 20 miles each week (or more), i am ravenous most of the time. this has led to a burst of creativity in the kitchen.

one can only eat oatmeal with brown sugar so many times... so now i have it with walnuts, raspberries and honey... or peanut butter and mango... or strawberries, sunflower seeds and yogurt.

breakfast eggs are now rarely just eggs, but omelets full of veggies and cheese... or loads of fresh ginger... or feta and fresh mint. i bake bread every week just so we'll have good bread to have with eggs.

a lunch time sandwich is now never just a sandwich... it's a dagwood sandwich, full of cheeses and olives and sweet peppers and crunchy lettuce and hot pickles and stuff falling out the sides.

lunch time salads are salad extravaganzas... full of nuts and cheeses and seeds and herbs and fruit... and they're never small any more.

one can only eat pasta with tomato sauce so many times... now we're having it with sauteed butternut squash, hot chilis, asparagus and toasted pine nuts... or with chunks of feta cheese, garlic, fresh herbs and good olive oil.

we used to have left-overs for lunches... but now if there are left-overs they rarely make it past late evening snack time.

my sweetheart keeps telling me i'm spoiling him. but the truth is i'm being good to me. i'm eating like a runner.