Post Holiday

I worked over the Fourth of July weekend, but wasn't too depressed about it because we didn't have big plans this year. I did seen an amazing cherry red sunset from my office window Saturday night and caught a few fireworks going off in the distance. I love those white flickery ones that twinkle like fairy dust.

I was thinking back to a favorite Fourth of July of mine, which I think happened when I was about six or seven years old. I remember driving into town at dusk with my parents and stopping to get caramel corn, cotton candy, and milkshakes at a little stand called The Popper. We went through the drive-thru and then headed up to the top of a high hill in Asbury, where you could see miles of rolling hills and meadows. We had the windows rolled down, letting in the humid July air which smelled of hay and thick foliage. I could hear crickets singing and the familiar distant hum of stock car races at the county fairgrounds. I noticed the flicker of fireflies slowly starting to brighten the falling night. Off in the distance, my parents and I could see many, many colorful fireworks displays. My mom told me some of the fireworks were as far away as Wisconsin. The night stands out in my mind because it was so simple and somehow magical. The sights, sounds, and smells were so typical of my homeland on a hot July night. It was something I took for granted, which I now long for in a quiet nostalgic way.

And now, getting back to the present day...I stayed up way too late last night and had a tough time getting up this morning for my first day of a brand new fitness regimen. Two big cups of black coffee barely cut through my brain fog as a I dragged my weary old feet to the gym. I had my first Pilate's class ever with this perky young lady with doe-like eyes and a great tan. She had us doing all kinds of stretches and core exercises on purple mats. Along with noticing my overall lack of fitness, I became more aware of stiff spots where I habitually hold tension. I noticed I need to do a lot of core strengthening, but I did feel taller and more self aware after the class was over.

Part of our new family fitness plan involves eating healthier. I probably could probably cut back on all the sesame rice crackers and guacamole I tend to munch out on. I refuse to totally give up the occasional gluten free beer, however. It is summer time for God's sake and I have a lot of Irish and German blood in my veins.

July Sunshine

It is a beautiful early July day. The sun is gleaming gold through the window and I am finishing off some really good water melon. I hope we get some more melon and organic grapes this weekend.

I finally got some good sleep last night. It's been kind of a busy week with adding, attending, and then ultimately dropping a class I was going to take this summer. I finally looked back at these past two years of non-stop grad-school and work and decided to just take the summer off. I am already doing plenty between my two part-time jobs and volunteer work with kids. I seriously need some time to read, and write what I want to. Plus, hubby and I want to set up a writing night where we strictly work on our own fiction. I have this idea that keeps haunting my tired brain and it's time to work the damned thing out without the looming weight of academic deadlines stealing every ounce of strength.

I am going hiking with a friend tomorrow. This will be our third time out since the days started getting warmer and longer. Last time, we did an urban hike, which turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected. Lots of interesting shapes, colors, and textures appeared on that adventure. Tomorrow, however, we plan to hit the mountains and do something quasi-challenging. I don't think either one of us is feeling in great physical shape. I have to admit grad-school ruined most of my fitness program and I feel quite decrepit. I actually did hit the gym a couple times this week. Hubby is on a new summer fitness and diet plan, so this is a good time to make changes together.

I talked to my best friend from childhood on the phone yesterday. That was so awesome. Although our lives are quite different in many ways, I see some parallels. I really cherished our conversation and hearing her perspective on things. I told her about how I have been making some changes in my education/career path and have had some uncertainties this past year. She said some things that shed light on things and how some of my recent decisions might actually help me achieve future goals. That meant a lot coming from someone who I care about like family. I also know she has enough life experience and perspective to know what the heck she is talking about.

I know I started school with certain expectations and ideas. But over time I've weeded out some stuff that isn't working and find myself narrowing my goals a little bit. It is easier to to accomplish something when you focus your energy on what seems most important. Of course that will vary from person to person. For me, I want to focus on family, being healthy,my writing, and "the good enough job", that allows for all my ever-changing hobbies.