A Month of Fundays: Day 16 – Celebrating My Wedding Anniversary by Taking Time for Tea

Perhaps I should explain the idea of the mini-break in August is to celebrate our wedding anniversary – August 16th. I have a horrible (read: super-fantastic awesome) husband who wants to go somewhere every year, just us, to celebrate. Really, I don’t know how I cope with him sometimes. Last year we did a similar road trip, but headed to The Apostle Islands in Wisconsin, then straight through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Mackinac Island and finally down to Door County, WI. We met a couple celebrating their 45th anniversary on Mackinac last year and the woman pulled me aside to give me some advice:

Keep a journal, or at least a list, of where you go on your anniversary trips. Write in it each year and then remember to read through it after your entry for that year.

Well, you’ve probably figured out how I feel about journaling by now. Of course, I haven’t actually started said journal because I also have strong feelings about procrastination, but here’s a perfect place to record honeymoon and the first three anniversary mini-breaks. I’ll put them in a journal at some point. Promise.

A List of Trips:
2008 – Honeymoon: Land and sea Disney World trip included 4 nights in the parks and 3 nights aboard a Disney cruise ship in the Bahamas. It was hurricane season, but we lucked out with the hurricane/tropical storm occurring during our land stay and beautiful blue, calm seas during the cruise.

2009 – A long weekend in Chicago by Millennium Park and The Art Institute.

2010 – The road trip I mentioned above through WI and Michigan.

2011 – Another road trip. Well, last year was fun so why not. Also, in the many years Chris has resided in America, he hasn’t seen much of it; mostly stemming from my constant need to travel outside of the US. But since my husband is actually interested in seeing the country he’s chosen to live in, USA travel is on the agenda. Oh, and his passport expired at the end of July. It takes a really long time to get a new one when you don’t reside in the country it’s issued in. A really long time.

So here we are, anniversary mini-break, hiking to a waterfall and lazily wasting time. We began with a two mile hike into Jay Cooke State Park over the swinging bridge, to a waterfall and beyond. I’m not sure what we chatted about, but we walked and talked and enjoyed each other and our surroundings and set precedence. The rest of the mini-break could be coined: “Waterfalls of MN”.

After the day’s morning hike, we decided to go to Grand Marais and poke around with the tourist collective. I don’t know what else to call the meandering tourists who inevitably congregate in Grand Marais during their North Shore trip. You will congregate like the seagulls on the shazam (I don’t know the actual name of the bank, but “shazam” was printed on the ATM receipt) bank – the only building I could see with poky, anti-seagull structures on the roof. It’s unavoidable; you can’t fight it; just give in, drive down Highway 61 to Grand Marais and join your peers. We walked into a bunch of shops, skipped rocks on the lake, perused Drury Lane Bookstore, visited the artist colony – looked at pottery, jewelry and quilts, then debated where to eat lunch: Sven & Ole’s or The Angry Trout. In the end it was too late for lunch and we wound up at Chez Jude for Afternoon Tea.

I would like to blame this on the British man, but I can find tea anywhere; even Grand Marais, MN. If you would like to hear me expound on tea and why I love it so, go here.

While we were sitting on the porch of Chez Jude sipping tea and eating an amazing scone with even more amazing homemade lemon curd, it dawned on me that afternoon tea is an anniversary trip tradition. We’ve made a tradition without realizing it! No seriously, on our honeymoon we had tea at The Grand Floridian in WDW, the next year we had tea at The Drake in Chicago, and last year we had tea at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island (That’s right, they don’t have cars but they do have afternoon tea).

Apparently I’m a 60-year-old English woman from 1955. Who says reincarnation doesn’t exist?! So yes; thankfully I married Chris who doesn’t mind the occasional tea outing. And also that I have friends like Tera and Megan who love it as much as I do. And also that I have friends like Matt, Mara, Shane and now Anna who willingly partake in tea rituals and the cornucopia of yumminess when we travel.

Back to our anniversary and the afternoon tea at Chez Jude in Grand Marais; well, I feel I’ve used awesome a little too much during the month of funday blogs, but that’s exactly what it was: AWESOME! After the mouthwatering scones came a delightful turkey cranberry concoction on a cibatta roll, followed by a delectable chocolate cake and a luscious lemon cake.

I hope you find time for a nice cuppa today – or a scone, or tiny sandwiches, or even a cup of coffee with a friend or two. We don’t take enough time to sit down and actually hear our friends and family – or be heard, for that matter. Yes, it turns out my fun activity for today is active listening. Apparently you just can’t take the customer service trainer out of me.

Picture: Tea pot, coffee cup, afternoon tea table setting, who you’re sharing this extra bit of time with.

Song: Chris and I had a string quartet at our wedding and I made them play two contemporary songs. Or, I found sheet music for them so they could play two songs during the recessional. We’re going with those today: Enya’s “Wild Child” and U2’s “Beautiful Day”.

Tomorrow: Discovering Waterfalls by Day and Searching Stars by Night

A Month of Fundays: Day 15 – Go for Ice Cream

A mini-break should be about lazily wasting time; letting it spool out around you like golden thread. It’s about long walks and sipping lemonade on porches and swimming and sun bathing and also ice cream. On our way out of Duluth we hit some rush hour traffic, so Chris and I decided to go down near the Lake Walk again and uncoil a little more time before heading toward points north.

I’m not sure what it is about ice cream exactly, but it makes me think of summer fun-times more than almost anything else. In elementary school, we used to walk over to Bridgeman’s on one of the last days of school for ice cream. I remember I couldn’t wait for these walks and the ice cream. The Dairy Queen Dilly Bar treat day was a favorite at the corporate office job, and you can’t possibly visit Italy without stopping for gelato every two hours or so. Going for ice cream is something everyone likes (except the lactose intolerant. I’m glad I don’t have that allergy!) and it brings an instant smile. Who doesn’t scream for ice cream?

There’s this tiny little hole-in-the-wall malt shop in Duluth and I love it. Chris and I walked up to it and then back down as a farewell to Duluth. To start our walk, Chris pointed out the Cold Stone Creamery practically on top of where we parked the car. I shook my head at him disgustedly; we were going to enjoy a nice long walk to a ma & pop Duluth icon, dammit! Walking along the boardwalk watching the Lake Superior shoreline go by is really quite something. It was another beautiful day and since the seagulls were already busy harassing those people with mini-donuts, we got away with strolling while eating ice cream. Maybe their tiny bird brains get brain freeze? Remind me to force feed a seagull ice cream one day… As we were walking, we rounded a corner and saw the smoke stack for Fitger’s on the Lake; I was a little concerned. They have a Bridgeman’s stand on their deck and it seemed to be fairly popular. I like Bridgeman’s ice cream and everything, but don’t take away my malt shop. I shouldn’t have worried; we climbed the steps up towards the malt shop and found a plethora of ice cream fanatics standing by the little stone building, patiently waiting for their turn to order something sweet, cold and scrumptious. I ordered a Caramel Caribou shake – caramel ice cream with caramel swirls and caramel filled chocolate cups the ice cream people called truffles. Chris ordered the same but in a waffle cone. SO GOOD!!

The malt shop highlight: An inane conversation between the girl behind the counter and a man ordering for his family of four. Something about no vanilla flavoring just vanilla ice cream so he couldn’t order a vanilla malt with strawberry ice cream. He would just have to order a strawberry malt. I really thought we were in a Kafka novel for a bit. The next lady, from some central European country by her accent, wanted a float with coffee and the women behind the counter was really confused. Once she told the EU lady what a float was, she said, “Eww!” and made a disgusted face; then she asked for a double chocolate waffle cone instead – again proving the ice cream float can only be consumed by peoples of North America. We’re the only ones who can eat pickles too for some reason. I haven’t figured out why this is…if you have hard facts and truthfulness on the subject (root beer too. What’s wrong with you peoples not of North America?!) let me know in the comments!

We ambled back along the boardwalk and only felt guilty when the marathon runner ran past us obviously smelling our ice cream as he went. No, you don’t need a seaside/lake-shore view, seagulls or any scenery to go out for ice cream. I suggest picking a flavor that is new or strange to you. Getting a single scoop vanilla cone is NOT going out for ice cream. Enjoy summer in a cone, float, bowl or shake!

Picture: What flavor did you choose? Who are eating ice cream with? What are you looking at? Where did you go? The creepy ice cream truck in your neighborhood…these are all good choices.

Song: It doesn’t fit the picture I just painted, but Ani DiFranco’s “32 Flavors” works for me.

Tomorrow: Taking Time for Tea (and also celebrating my wedding anniversary)

A Month of Fundays: Day 14 – Road Trip To…Minnesota’s North Shore

Road trip day! Yes, I’m typing this up in a hotel room in Carlton, MN. The first leg of the journey left Chris and I near Duluth at the Black Bear Casino – super cheap, yet clean rooms about 18 miles outside of Duluth if you need that information. We meant to start extra early, but that’s the thing about road trips, it takes 4 hours to pack the car. I repacked my suitcase twice; it’s a 4 day mini-break and not a four week tour and yet I have enough baggage (personal and literal) in the car to run away for at least a month. I remember when a road trip meant piling in the car and just going. I’m not that girl anymore; this road trip had to be planned out and repacked. Of course, if your road trip is last minute and spontaneous – that’s great, and also, I’m a little jealous.

We made it out of the driveway by 9:30 and promptly pulled into the grocery store a block from the house to purchase things we’d forgotten and also for cash at the ATM. We really were on the road by 10:00 – actually pulling out of Bloomington and everything.

I asked what we were going to listen too. Actually I said, “Do we have anything voyage-like?”
Chris replied, “Journey”, and popped in a Journey CD.

Over the next two and a half hours:

- I got carsick
- I rolled the window all the way down for air and promptly got hit by a pebble from the highway.
- It was too hot then too cold and then too hot again.
- I spilled Chris’ soda in the back of the car.
- We had to listen to that stupid Journey CD three times in a row. As Trip Navigator, I was just too lazy to switch out the CD.
- I fell asleep; leaving Chris to fend for himself on the open road for at least 3/4 of the actual car trip. He woke me up around Cloquet. The car ride knocks me out every time.

We did Duluth-y things for the day.

We walked around downtown and by the lake trying to decide if we wanted to do anything touristy like the aquarium or Glensheen or the William A. Irving. Decided to sit down in Canal Park and watch the ships come in and the Aerial Lift Bridge move up and down. We also watched seagulls terrorize pedestrians, kids jumping off the big concrete block of mystery along the shore and counted how many of Crabby Bill’s mini-donuts made it into seagull beaks. I’d say at least 25%; seagulls are lazy harbingers of filth, but definitely not stupid.

Classic Bits of Americana Sightings:

- Bald eagle in flight
- Giant random stuffed buffalo sculpture along the road
- Frank Lloyd Wright service station in Cloquet, MN
- Corn stands every 10 yards along the freeway
- Scenic View pullover with no actual view of anything – scenic or otherwise
- Two giant turbine propellers coming down the highway each on their own flat bed trucks with police escorts and “wide load” flashing lights.

Things I Learned Today:
- The car windshield does not keep out the UV rays.
- Cloquet, MN is entirely peopled with hockey players.
- The Red-tailed Hawk likes to sit on the ground and the wild turkey can often be found in trees.
- Taco John’s & Steak Escape coexist as one franchise restaurant in Cloquet. This is my new favorite, ultimate American treat: A Hambrosia sandwich with Potato Oles! Awesome sprinkled with awesome next to a side of awesome.

Apparently today’s blog post is all about lists.

Picture: Anything you want to take a picture of along the way. I have many pictures of the dashboard I could share, and some of whizzing by trees and abstract construction workers (bits of blurry orange, yellow and gravel).

Song: I’ve decided I don’t like Journey very much so nothing by them. Two songs stuck in my head while traveling today: Lady Gaga’s “Americano” and The Proclaimers' “I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)”. No, that’s not at all stealing from How I met Your Mother they stole it from me…or anyone else going on college road trips in the 90s.

Tomorrow (or later today if I get it formatted into Blogger quickly): Go for Ice Cream

A Month of Fundays: Day 13 – Putting Together a Jigsaw Puzzle

puz•zle

Noun
1. A game, toy or problem designed to test ingenuity or knowledge.

Verb
1. Solve or understand something by thinking hard.

Apparently I am eighty. Seriously, my weekend fun day activity is putting together a puzzle with my husband. Wow, I’m lame. And we had a really good time: I’m old, lame and crazy. But really, when’s the last time you put together a puzzle? Or did some other brain game like Sudoku or a crossword puzzle? Sometimes we need to slow down and concentrate on a mind working project so we don’t get old.

Chris and I sat down to do a 500 piece Thomas Kincade puzzle, which I received as a gift at least a year ago. I like puzzles, but it’s just not something you think about doing with all of the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Yet, most of us think about sitting down in front of the TV every night. Puzzles equal more brain work than TV – go, do a puzzle.

What Makes the Puzzling Fun
That’s a puzzle. I am so cliché tonight. But I don’t really know. I mean we sat down and then Chris went to go get his puzzle mat – yes, he has a puzzle mat. He is clearly older, lamer and crazier than I. Then we spent some time turning all of the pieces over and sorting out the edge pieces. Side note: Before he met me Chris never sorted the edge pieces out. He always sorted by color alone and then just began putting pieces together willy-nilly. (Yep, I just used ‘willy-nilly’.) Now, he still sorts by color, but also by edge. Then I get the edge pieces and put them together because it makes me feel smart. By this time, Chris has sorted by color and then grouped by bit of picture on each piece. Not surprisingly, he’s better at this whole puzzle putting together thing than I am. Then we break for tea and stare at our little piles of color and completed border. (Ooh! Ahh!) Next, I complain about the glare from the dinning room light fixture because it makes the pieces really hard to see.

After tea has been consumed, we return to the puzzle-at-hand. (I really am on a roll.) This is when we get lost in the minutia of puzzle piece placement. You try a piece, it doesn’t fit. You try it again, it doesn’t fit. Everything about the piece matches, so you try for a third time. The puzzle piece has forgiven whatever crime you obviously perpetrated and is now willing to lay down in accordance. You fists of fury (or possibly just swirling finger of disdain; it is only a puzzle after all) the puzzle piece and then do the whole experiment over again. Time passes. At some point you start to feel the exhilaration of many puzzle pieces falling into place at the same time. You are nearly there and the thing in front of you isn’t just a heap of pieces anymore; it’s a pretty picture on bits of cardboard all stuck together without glue. There are a lot of cracks though – they kind of obscure the way the picture looks on the box.

Almost there now, your heart is getting lighter; just a couple more pieces to go. This is when the puzzle making world comes crashing down all around you. Why? How did you go from completion euphoria to the depths of despair? (By this time, I just have to keep throwing the clichés out there.) The problem is simple: You are one piece short. ALWAYS!

Now it’s fists of fury time. If you are lucky like me, you have a saner, calmer person puzzling with you. That person will look around and notice the puzzle piece lying on the floor – possibly under your cat. He or she will pick up said piece, dust it off and hand it over as an offering of good faith. You will take this piece, promptly smash it down into the final open spot and then do your happy dance with extra fist pumps. Who doesn’t want to do that for their fun day activity! Don't forget, you get to destroy the puzzle afterwards - very therapeutic.

Picture: A picture of your frustrated face when you too can’t find the last piece. That doesn’t sound fun, but now you’ll laugh when it happens to you. Before and After puzzle creation pictures are always good too.

Song: I was trying to think of something newer, but puzzles made me think of the Rubik’s Cube and that makes me think of the 80s; I’m afraid it’s going to be the most 80s song I can think of: Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round”. I already told you I was old, lame and crazy; I think this may actually prove it. Please feel free to comment on that video too. Wow. There are heavy metal covers by Dope and Marilyn Manson if you want an update – and of course Flo Rida w/ Ke$ha. That one’s new-ish.

Tomorrow: Road Trip To…
And here’s where I tell you all that I’ll be out of town for a few days with my husband on a little mini-break for our wedding anniversary. We’re going Up North or to The North Shore for those of you from MN. For everyone else, we’re headed up towards the Canadian border and hiking/biking/swimming along the Lake Superior shoreline. We’re staying at a ski lodge resort so my Month of Fundays will not include camping…s’mores and campfires are still on the table though. I’m telling you this now because it may mean I don’t have access to the internets for blog post uploading. I promise to write about each fun day and post when I get back, if needs be.

A Month of Fundays: Day 12 – Go to a Sporting Event

I love the idea of summer baseball games outside, so I can imagine this is a fun activity for most. If my facebook news feed has anything to say about it, it’s a fun activity for pretty much all of my facebook friends. I want to like it, I really do. I just don’t. When I first drew up my list of funday ideas, I thought: Huh, that sounds fun. Peanuts and Cracker Jacks and MN’s still new ball field for the Twins. I should go to a game.

And then I realized that I don’t like peanuts or Cracker Jacks…or hot dogs…or beer…or the game of baseball. So maybe it wouldn’t be fun for me, but it still sounds so happy and…American. The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd…sorry, I went to a NewsRadio place there.



I love YouTube. Yes, that episode. And valuable writing lessons too: You do have to take away some of those wonderful words now and again.

I think for a fun day activity any sport is up for grabs – watching it or playing it. In the last blog post I mentioned I’m not a team sport kind of girl. I think that goes for both watching and playing sports. The exception is ice hockey – I’m from MN after all. I get it though, the whole sports fandom. If you don’t know how fanatical I am about tennis, then look no further. I’m pretty sure I kept the sports themed activity in the mix because the US Open starts on August 29. But as much fun as me watching tennis on my TV screen – or iPod and computer as I don’t have cable – would be, I’ve decided to play the sports card early and talk about my niece’s swim meet.

My niece likes to swim! That’s awesome all on its own – because swimming is something I get; it’s a sport I can watch, enjoy and actually discuss with her. Also, I think it is more fun to participate in the sporting event for your fun day activity. I don’t know why participating as a fan in the crowd is better than participating as a fan at home, watching or listening to something far away; it just is. Back to the swim meet. Kayla is going into the 3rd grade next year and I think she’s only been taking lessons for 3 or 4 years. She’s a natural – and that’s not just the proud aunt in me talking; she is a joy to watch. Move over Michael Phelps. I’m holding out for the 2016 Olympics, especially after her dad told me it was too late for the 2012 Olympics.

Sitting in the humid and chlorine-filled Apple Valley Middle School pool today, I had feelings of nostalgia – remembering sights, sounds and smells will do that – followed by feelings of maternal pride. I’m not sure I’ve ever realized – if I have kids – I’m going to be one of THOSE mothers. At one point during her final race – the 50m freestyle – I found myself screaming, “Swim Kayla! Take out those 6th grade girls; you’re better than them!” She did, she is and she won. But I should probably not be screaming that at a family friendly event with the parents of those same 6th grade girls sitting near me. It’s really not my fault. She was in the middle lane; it was exciting!

Having fun and learning a little something about yourself – that’s really what this Month of Fundays project is all about. Go, me! Go, all of you! (Said in my best cheerleader voice with hand clap and raised fist move.)

Picture: The sporting event you’re attending. A picture of your favorite sport, or a sport you play.

Song: Um, it’s a blog about sports so I’m going to have to leave you with a little classic Queen: “We are the Champions”. One day my song choices might break into this decade…or the last decade even.

Tomorrow: Putting Together a Jigsaw Puzzle

A Month of Fundays: Day 11 – Practice Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates or Meditation

Here’s the thing. I’m not a team sport type of girl. I don’t like to exercise with a crowd (although I have gotten better at this). The most aerobic thing I enjoy doing is dancing like a fool in my kitchen, which is NOT something I do in front of other people. Yes, I think we should all move and exercise. Yes, I think calorie consumption and calorie burning should happen on a daily basis and that some of those – if not all – calories should be healthy, appropriate calories. In a nutshell, I’m a yoga practicing, hiking, swimming, bicycle riding type girl who could sit around for hours on end reading or writing. Today as you read this blog post, remember I am a girl living in MN who has strong religious and political beliefs I don’t like to share in this forum. I practice yoga, Pilates, tai chi sun and meditation on a regular basis but I’m not trying to make a religious or political statement by doing so – I’m telling you how much fun it can be to practice one of these disciplines. As with the Origami blog-post, I’m unclear about the cultural ramifications of practicing someone else’s religious and ceremonial beliefs as a form of entertainment. If you practice tai chi, yoga or meditate long enough, you will eventually figure out some of the ancient purposes for the discipline – when something makes me feel this peaceful and at one with my inner workings, I’m likely to do a little research on the subject. I still think this is a good thing – the wanting to know about other cultures and even practice some of their rituals, but I realize a lot of people don’t feel this way. I’d also still like to know what you all think on that subject – it keeps popping up during this month of fundays…

First a little basic info on the four disciplines I mentioned above:

Mediation – The simplest/most generic of the lot. To mediate you just need to think deeply or focus your mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.

Yoga – From the religious standpoint, I understand it is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. Most Westerners practice Hatha or Sivananda yoga as a system of exercises practiced as part of a daily discipline to promote control of the body and mind. Hatha is the strength building exercise, physical poses and Sivananda usually includes the poses plus focus on breathing, meditation, diet and positive thinking – healthy living through the disciplines of yoga.

Pilates – a system of gentle exercise performed lying down that stretches and lengthens the muscles, designed to improve posture, flexibility, and general health. It was developed by Joseph Pilates, who essentially urbanized many yoga poses whilst creating his core-strength building regimen. In other words not religious or ceremonial at all, but developed specifically as a core strength exercise systems. Think professional dancers. Trust me; they all follow a strict Pilates routine.

Tai Chi – Is a type of ancient Chinese internal martial arts. Westerners practice two kinds: Tai Chi Chuan – the more martial arts related version literally meaning Supreme Ultimate Boxing; and Tai Chi Sun – meditative exercise with 97 postures and 73 forms. The forms are all done in the same order around the world; if you know and practice them enough, it is easy to follow along in a half meditative state.

NOTICE: They are all variations on a theme.

How I Practice & Why It’s Fun:
I tell myself often I can skip the yoga because I did something more aerobic already, or I’m sick, or tired, or a million other excuses constantly running through my head making me so crazy sometimes I get nothing done at all. I think Netflix and Nothing have made a deal to keep me emotionally and physically stagnant. This is when I most need to ground myself and re-center. For me, yoga is about trying to bring different things into balance; yoga is a tool I sue to unblock my writer’s dam. If I can’t find my words, then I’ve been sitting here at the computer too long. I’ll stop, pull out the yoga matt or simply stand in tree pose for a while.

If you’ve never done anything like this before and you want to try today, then 10 minutes is all you need to begin a regimen of practice. Breathing is the best way to start any of these activities and it’s amazing how quickly you can pick it up. Just stand – or sit, or lie down – and regulate your breathing. In and out through your nose in a pattern: inhale for 5 counts, hold for 3 counts and then exhale for 10 counts. I place the tip of my tongue behind my upper teeth, but you don’t have to. Use music to motivate; experiment with different types of music for different types of practice. I know you’re thinking inspirational chanting or soft instrumentals, but try jazz, rock, country, whatever feels right.

I often stop practicing altogether for months at a time; then the first time I take the me time to relax and center - I feel 100% better. It’s so much fun; you think I would have learned that lesson by now!

Picture: A maze or Zen garden. A place you have practiced, or would like to practice yoga / tai chi or Pilates

Song: I’m already back around to Mary Chapin Carpenter again. Here’s one I use for yoga frequently: “Why Walk When You Can Fly?” Fine, I’ll give you two today. I also use Sophie Zelmani’s “Always You”.

Tomorrow: Go to a Sporting Event – I really want this to read: Take Me Out to The Ballgame; but you have probably already figured out my opinion of baseball – it wouldn’t be fun at all. I realize for most people it IS fun, so by all means, catch a game for your fun day activity!

A Month of Fundays: Day 10 – Tending, Planting or Sitting in a Garden

Day 2 of my lackadaisical self. Well, I had to work the part-time job-hobby this morning, but after that I was lazy-to-the-extreme again. Today’s fun activity is the garden. Whether you tend the garden (said in my best dystopian propagandist voice), plant something, or just sit in one if you’re as sluggish as I am, gardens are a sort of peaceful get away right at your backdoor.

I like all types of gardens from formal to secret, rock, water or vegetable. Working in the garden is rewarding. Picking out what to plant and then watching your plants grow is satisfying.

I do have a smallish vegetable garden – this year it boasts tomatoes, peppers, basil and berries (strawberry, raspberry and blueberry – although that blueberry bush has yet, in its four years of existence, to yield any fruit. It seems happy and healthy, so I keep hoping). My veggie garden is just a hodge-podge of containers on the deck, so I don’t think you need a lot of space to garden. Try it!

Today I went to Centennial Lakes and read in the garden (I didn’t finish This Rough Magic yesterday due to the four hour nap in the middle of the afternoon. Seriously, I’m worse than a cat when I have a cold). Reading in the garden is one of my favorite activities, topped only by writing in one. Honestly, I use the garden as my office space in the spring, summer and fall and often think I have the best life ever when I do. It could be all of the vitamin D I get when I read in the garden, but I think it goes beyond that. Nature is awesome! Until a bird poops on you or the mosquitoes attack. Alas, the price I pay for my daily dose of fun each day.

There: Gardens are therapeutic. You can’t help being serene and a little bit regal whilst hanging out in one. Can we take a moment to contemplate just how many times I use the word ‘whilst’ in my blog? Damn British husband rubbing off on me with his good and proper English nonsense. I should explain: Chris doesn’t read the blog, but I keep telling him I mention him in each one. Now, if he ever does look, he can easily find himself – he’ll be tagged and everything. Chris also frequently tells me I only married him because he’s British – this is emphatically not true, but I like to perpetuate the myth. He does have many other fine qualities as seen in his picture painting & paper folding skills of two blog posts ago. Back to the garden – at some point in my illustrious work history, I spent a few years as a florist. Maybe this is where I get my love of gardens. They sure do smell good…and look pretty…and calm the nerves. I’m reaching here for actual blog-worthy material; I’m pretty sure I’ve scrapped the bottom of the barrel. Maybe today is one of those days I just let a bunch of pictures I took do the talking for me:

I’ve lost you all now with my cold medicine and sun induced ramblings haven’t I? In other fun day news, the book I’m reading is almost done, it’s getting suspenseful – even if it is the umpteenth time I’ve read it. I’m off to finish it now; no more writing tonight. Have a fun day in which ever garden you choose to be in – we need a little peace and serenity in our lives right now, no matter where we are on this big wide globe.

Picture: A garden. What you planted, what you will plant, your garden’s yield. Your favorite garden, (I abstained from putting in another picture of the Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace. Aren’t you proud of me? It remains my favorite though. Best. Writing. Place. Ever.) or just one you visited today.

Song: Bach’s “Cello Suite No.1 Prelude in G Minor” because it was playing at Centennial Lakes today and made me happy and peaceful. Possibly part of the serenity is the piped in music sweeping through and filling up the garden’s quiet corners today.

Tomorrow: Practice Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates or Meditation