I never realized that mushroom hunting was a real thing until I heard a lady mention it and started noticing all the wild mushrooms growing in my neighborhood.  I have no idea if they are edible, but they look cool and make me giggle.

How I love Russell's Cafe...and especially when I get to take someone there and they love it as much as I do.  It's so warm and inviting, and their food is delicious and homemade.  Nothing like made from scratch biscuits with honey and jam to start off the day!  A relaxing Sunday with a hint of rain was exactly what I needed and for that I am grateful.

Blues music, delicious beer, sidewalk cheeseburger stand, and a warm spring evening make for a great Saturday night!  I love bars with a warm intimate feel and this one is no exception.  I'm grateful for live music and a fun end to a busy day.

A little sour and a little sweet....that could be used to describe a lot of things.  It could definitely be used to describe what these candies represent, one of the last days working with my friend before she moves and embarks on a whole new adventure.  It's both scary and exciting to move on, but the promise of new experiences gives us hope.  Today I'm grateful for the promise a new future holds.

I love tulips!  They seem to be all over the place right now.  I had a couple extra minutes before Wednesday's adventure to take some pictures and admire these purple tulips.  I'm grateful for spring flowers...now I just need some in a vase in my apartment.

It's Earth Day!  And I may not be too much of a tree hugger but it does make me happy to think about the beauty of nature, and I hope that we are taking care of it as best we can.  On my way to work, I loved this field of dandelions so much that I doubled back, was almost late to work, laid amongst dandelions to take photos, and got the evil eye from a kindergarten teacher (I may have parked in the elementary school parking lot).  They may be considered weeds, but what kid hasn't made a bouquet of dandelions for their mom?  I wanted to lay in that field of dandelions all day, soaking up the sun, and thinking about the carefreeness of being young.  I'm grateful for sweet, childhood memories.

I'm a marathoner.  An ultra marathoner.  A triathlete.  A half Iron Woman.  I've even won a few age group awards.  But I've had a hard time telling myself that lately.  I've got a lot of demons that are holding me back.  And every time I go for a run, those demons are hanging on to every step.  They whisper in my ear:

Remember when you ran a 3:44 marathon and were only 4 minutes away from qualifying for Boston?

Remember when a 9:00 minute mile was your easy pace?

Remember when you enjoyed running six days a week and hated taking a rest day?

Remember when you were thirty pounds lighter?

You'll never be that person again.

And the worst demon of all....remember the last marathon you truly trained for?  Your husband was having an affair with another woman while you were training and sleeping with her while you were running your marathon.

Every step that I take, every mile I run, trying to take back my sport and find my joy in it, these demons are nipping at my heels.  I try to ignore them...but there truth is I've lost that joy that training used to bring me.  Most days it is a struggle to get myself out there.  I sign up for races hoping that will light my fire and instead my marathon personal worst keeps getting slower.  I want to remember what it feels like.  I yearn to feel fast and fit and strong again.  I'm surrounded by friends, co-workers, customers, acquaintances celebrating their accomplishments and talking about their next big races.  I'm secretly jealous that I can't feel that excitement about my own running.

Today is one of the pinnacle days in the sport of marathon.  Boston is the exclusive marathon that is on most runners' lists, the marathon that most of us yearn to do.  It is my dream to do Boston someday.  And it has been exciting to track friends running it today.  Unfortunately it has also been a painful reminder that I'm not happy with my running.  Last week I decided to back out of the Flying Pig Marathon because of the lack of training and issues with my foot.  It was the right decision, but disappointing.

I started running long before I was married.  I ran because I wanted to, because I wanted to be healthy, because it was fun and felt good.  I didn't have any running friends or training partners.  I didn't have much running gear (except for my fanny pack), and it took a few years before I even stepped foot in a running store.  I ran for myself and no one else.  And somewhere down the line, I lost that.

I'm going to get it back.  It won't be pretty, and it sure won't be fast.  But I won't let the demons hold me back any longer.  I'm going to revisit my love for trail running.  I'm going to hold off on signing up for any more marathons until I'm running consistently and can finish comfortably.  I'm going to leave the Garmin at home and focus on the joy of running instead of how slow I'm going.  I'm going to focus on how I'm grateful for the spirit of runners, how we keep on going no matter what, how we refuse to give up.  And it's the fight that makes us stronger.

And someday I'll run the Boston Marathon.

Since today was Easter, I had to do something that resembled an Easter tradition since unlike everyone else I didn't spend the day with family, taking a million family pictures and eating a fancy dinner.  I have fond memories of being young and doing the Easter egg hunts in the Clay County fairgrounds, running like crazy through the huge field just to find the brightly colored eggs.  I'm pretty sure I never won anything big but just finding eggs was prize enough.  I'm grateful for fun little traditions, and keep in touch with my youthful side.

This Saturday was a day I had been looking forward to for a while...an extra day off to spend an afternoon with a great friend that may be the last one in a while since she's leaving.  We were totally on the same wavelength by both thinking about starting off the day at the piercing studio.  A new piercing and new piece of nose jewelry later, we were on our way to enjoy a few drinks on the patio on a perfect day of sun and relaxation.

She had the most beautiful comment, saying "I wish I could keep moments like this in my pocket, and pull them out when I need something to make me happy."  Memories are not that tangible, over time they may fade...but that doesn't mean the happiness they created has to fade.  And that is why I love pictures; they capture a moment so that I can look back and remember them.  I will look back at the pictures from today and remember what a perfect sunny day it was, that we sat on the patio and talked and laughed and didn't even think about any worries that we had.  All that mattered was that we were having fun with each other.

I love to show my personality through my wardrobe, rather it's with scarves, hats, jewelry.  Today I felt like a fun scarf was in order.  I don't need compliments to feel good about myself...I actually get kind of embarrassed sometimes with compliments.  But they are nice to hear.  I'm grateful for fun ways to express myself and my individuality.

I'd been craving tacos.  Taco Bell couldn't satisfy...I couldn't even finish it.  So I got all the ingredients to make my own fresh steak tacos.  It's amazing how much better it is when you make your own food as opposed to fast food with all its preservatives and mystery meat.  I'm grateful for the satisfaction that comes from making your own healthy dinners.

Doggie treats shaped like donuts, baseballs, and slices of pizza?!  After an urban adventure with Lindsey, it was time for some doggie love, filled with nail trimming, donut doggie cookies, peering out the open car window, and some serious snuggling.  With all the joy Isabelle gives me, I'm grateful for any little way I can give it back to her.

I could not stop staring at the sky today as I was driving to work.  Blue sky, fluffy white clouds, sun shining...in spite of my sleep-deprived state it was a gorgeous day.  I'm finding that when I take pictures of nature, I like the juxtaposition of beautiful scenery and manmade objects.  Maybe it reminds me that that we are just a small part in this big world.  I'm grateful for this beautiful sky and the good moods that it brings.

As soon as I heard about the total lunar eclipse/blood moon that was going to be visible late Monday night, I knew I had to see it, no matter how late it was.  This is the kind of stuff my nerdy self loves, and I can't remember the last time I saw one happen.  So I convinced my dear friend Laura to join me...and there we were sitting in my car in a deserted parking lot in North County, listening to Miranda Lambert radio, talking, and trying not to fall asleep.  She said, "last year I never would have imagined that we would sitting here."  And she was right.  You never really know where life may take you.  I'm grateful for still having that adventurous spirit and for finding my creative spark that has changed how I view the world.

After a lot of working and playing, I needed a night home to myself.  As much as I love seeing my friends, I need to spend time alone to recharge my batteries.  As I was relaxing on the couch, working on my pictures and listening to the rain hit on my windows, I decided it was the perfect evening.  I love the sound and smell of rain; I'm grateful for the mood and relaxation it provided me this evening.

I had the chance to go downtown tonight for the Chelsea Handler show, which was hilarious, and to check out the new Ballpark Village.  Before the show, we were walking around and admiring the gorgeous old architecture.  The City Hall building definitely caught my attention, doesn't it seem like a great setting for a horror movie?  I'm grateful for interesting architecture to contrast with today's modern buildings.

Today I made a special effort to leave my apartment early so I could stop by Tower Grove Park and take some pictures before work.  I still haven't gotten tired of taking pictures of all the beautiful Magnolia trees.  I'm grateful for their beauty and the fact that they are EVERYWHERE, bringing color all over the city.

Laughter cures everything.  After a day of work, what is more fun than having some delicious bar food and playing arcade games?  I'm so grateful to have friends that make me laugh no matter what, that we can have fun together doing anything and just being ourselves.  Playing arcade games in a bar in St. Charles isn't glamorous but it sure is addicting.  And I'll take on anyone at Hoop Fever.

This is one of my favorite times of year as far as the trees go!  I love seeing the pink blossoms of Magnolia trees and the white buds of the Dogwood trees.  I spotted this pink tree that was so beautiful that I had to stop and take pictures of my way back to my apartment.  The pink blossoms against a backdrop of a brilliant blue sky makes my heart happy.  I'm grateful for the beautiful nature all around us, even in an urban setting.

I love going into local places that are inviting and comfortable, and Great Harvest is one of those places.  Everyone that works there is so sweet, and they have delicious breads and sweets.  I'm happy and grateful to have a local shop like them next to my store so I can stop in for an afternoon drink, bread sample, and a smile.

I love rituals. Lindsey and I have been getting together on Monday nights after work for almost two years now. We don't go every single Monday anymore, but we make it a priority when one of us really needs it. So today I'm grateful for those rituals and routines that we share with those close to us. 

Today was a really special day.  I got to surprise one good friend by showing up at her post race BBQ, and surprised another good friend by cheering her on as she was heading toward the finish line.  The best part of my day was seeing the look on Amanda's face when she saw me, and her husband, and other good friends cheering her on.  I know today was a big day for her, and it means a lot to me to support my friends.  In addition, another great friend was documenting the whole day with her camera, and it was awesome seeing her in her element.  I'm grateful for having such supportive and loving friendships.

As I was leaving my apartment Saturday evening, I looked down the alley and saw this awesome view of the sun setting.  It was a fiery red ball setting into the alley.  I love the golden glow in the sky, and how it looks like my alley leads right to the sun.  I'm grateful for the roads in life that take us to both familiar and new places.

More signs that spring is on its way!  I love seeing the buds on the trees in my neighborhood.  I'm getting excited for my favorite warm weather activities....hiking, patio drinking, Tower Grove farmers market.  I'm grateful for the budding trees and all the other little signs that winter is finally over.

There's something really cool and sinister and beautiful about a tumultuous sky, especially when the tornado sirens start going off playing that ominous melody.  Don't get me wrong, I respect the weather and know the damage and harm it can cause.  But it's so intriguing...guess I know why I chose to study it so many years ago, and why it still makes me want to go outside to peer up at the clouds instead of hiding in the basement where I know I should be.  Don't worry, I took this picture when the storm was still several miles away (although the sirens were going off).  Today I'm grateful for all the weather warnings that have come so far in keeping us safe in the last few decades.  

It's no fun being sick and missing out on all kinds of fun plans.  The only thing that made it not suck too bad today was waking up to morning thunderstorms and hearing the pitter patter of rain on my windows all day.  And the fact that I have the most thoughtful friends ever!  One of my greatest friends stopped by with my favorite soup from my favorite bakery, and homemade chocolate chip cookies.  A lot of my posts are about how I'm grateful for the people in my life...because what is life without wonderful relationships?  I'm so grateful for kind and thoughtful friends that understand when plans change.

First spring flowers of the season in my neighborhood!  These were such a beautiful sight to see this morning.  I'm glad this project is making me more preceptive...I might have missed them hiding near a neighbor's stairway.  I'm grateful for all the little signs that spring is here.

Sometimes you just need a reminder that you're on the right track.  At times I get overwhelmed by how different my life is today from what I expected it would look like at 33.  I get worried that I have, and will miss out on some life experiences.  But this is a great reminder that life is what you make of it, no matter what your age.  And it's never too late to get what you want.