I was heading to Creve Ceour Park for another epic workout, and this tractor caught my eye.  It reminded me of growing up in the Iowa countryside, of my Grandma and Grandpa's farm, of corn growing as far as the eye can see, of playing hide and seek in the cornfields and climbing on Grandpa's farm equipment.  I always took Iowa's beauty for granted, but every time I go home, I love seeing the blue skies and fields stretching as far as the eye can see.  This tractor was a reminder of where I'm from, and a little "hello" from Grandpa.

 

It's so much more fun drink out of a mason jar!  Today's kitchen experiment was to infuse water with fruit and fresh herbs....resulting in cucumber/lime/mint, blueberry/lemon/mint, and strawberry/lemon/basil waters.  Drinking and eating healthy definitely takes a lot more time and patience than ordering Chinese from Panda Palace, but the results are worth it.

Yes, it's been a while since I posted...thank you to those who pointed it out.  So what have I been up to for the last 2 weeks?  Getting my new healthy lifestyle started with a nutritional cleanse that cuts out refined sugar, artificial sugars, wheat, alcohol, most caffeine, and processed foods.  It's taking some adjusting and a lot of willpower to withstand the cravings for foods that I've fed my body the last two years.  And I've realized that I've let food and alcohol fill some emotional voids, which has been the hardest to deal with.  But I've got more energy, lost some pounds, started cooking more, and been eating lots of fresh vegetables.  This week I got creative with the rhubarb plant I've got growing behind my apartment and made fresh rhubarb salsa.  It is spicy, sweet, and the perfect compliment to my fish tacos.  It's so much more satisfying to cook something healthy than to warm up a frozen pizza!

Why would I just throw away perfectly awesome beer bottles when I can write on them and spray paint them and turn them into vases?  This was the next project in my redecorating/decluttering game plan.  Having three bottles with beautiful flowers that I decorated lining my kitchen windowsill instead of random bottles, kitchen cleaner, and paper towels makes my kitchen feel cleaner, happier, and more organized.  And who doesn't need an everyday reminder to live, love, and dream?

Since green tea is one of my only allowed caffeine sources during this nutritional cleanse, I have a new found love for it.  There's something about that little tea bag seeping its delicious nutrients into my water that makes me happy.  I even bought some new flavors....green chai, ginger peach matcha.  I'm grateful to be learning to enjoy new foods.

The nutritional cleanse I'm doing isn't only about my diet...it's about my lifestyle and making everything cleaner, simpler, more enjoyable.  I've been thinking that my apartment decorations feel a little cluttered.  This is my first step at changing that.  Just a interesting glass container with cherry blossoms really cheers up my little space.  I'm grateful for simple and pretty little things.

Water is life.  One of my biggest goals is to drink more water.  It seems so easy, but for someone that is used to coffee, Monster energy drinks, pop, and carbonated flavored waters, it's really hard to switch over to plain water.  I know the difference drinking more water can make in weight loss and overall health.  I'm grateful for lemons, cucumbers, and ice to make drinking water more palatable.

I wish I could celebrate Mother's Day with my mom.  A phone call doesn't really do justice.  But it's really sweet seeing the husbands and kids treat their Moms to new shoes at work.  And even though Isabelle didn't get me anything, I'm proud to be her doggie mama.  At work, we hand out flowers to all the Moms.  The brightly colored daisies put smiles on so many faces today.  Since there were extras, we each took one to our own Moms.  I put mine on my window sill (in an empty beer bottle, of course) and it made me think of my own Mom and Grandma, even though they are very far away.  Love travels over any distance.  I'm grateful for the sweet little things we do to show others that we appreciate them.

I was woken by an early morning thunderstorm and unable to fall back asleep.  Wide awake, I called it quits on trying to get more sleep after two hours of playing on my phone and staring at my ceiling.  Too tired to accomplish anything and too awake to sleep, I was grateful that I got to view the irises still drenched in the early morning rain when I took Isabelle out for a little stroll.  It warmed up quickly and would have been dried up by the time my normal waking hour rolled around.  I guess every timing has a purpose.

So I mentioned how I love taking pictures of doors and windows....and I also love taking pictures of bridges.  The architecture, symmetry, and repetition of bridges makes for some of my favorite picture moments.  Saturday afternoon was a beautiful (and hot) day, and perfect for a photography date in Forest Park.  I was in a slump at first, not sure what to take pictures of until we started walking and noticing the beautiful sky with plump white clouds, and of course, the bridges.  The day ended in the Central West End.  I'm grateful for a friend that can accept me for who I am, and that we can be comfortable enough which each other to be our silly, moody, creative, funny, caring selves.

I love taking pictures of doors and windows.  I like imagining the possibilities of what is inside. Not only is this door beautiful, it's on a building right on the corner by where I live. I noticed it for the first time when I was doing a little run today. When I moved here, I'm not sure what was there but I remember it being run down. Now it's been totally redone and looks great!  I dream about opening a doggie bakery, boutique, coffee shop here. It will never happen but it never hurts to dream of possibilities. 

My early Tuesday day off started with the perfect morning of relaxing on my patio, enjoying a cup of coffee while Isabelle basked in the sun.  It ended up not being such a perfect day off, but I was grateful for some moments of relaxation and reflection to myself.

I've been waiting patiently for the irises in front of my apartment to start blooming.  It started with one, and now there's a whole patch of them.  The sunlight this morning just highlighted their beautiful purple color.  I love seeing these blooms and am grateful for the property management team that tends to my building.

What a beautiful sight, the setting sun peaking through the trees.  I'm a big fan of taking pictures of trees and sunsets so this was a great end to the work day, and a great start to a fun night of laser tag, bowling, and arcade games.  I'm grateful for the beauty we can find every day, if we just know which direction to look.

Some nights don't go as planned.  Sometimes I don't feel as brave as I am.  Tonight was one of those nights.  They say that time heals all wounds, and I want to believe that, but sometimes those wounds are reopened.  I spent the evening watching the clouds and sunset from my patio.  I was grateful to have that time alone to process and think.  My wounds run deep and may never completely heal.  I've accepted this, and all I can do to is learn from my experiences.

Sushi is one of my favorite foods...hard to believe there was a time that I didn't think I liked it.  Silly me.  Satisfying this craving was definitely the highlight of my day.  Grateful for a grocery store that I can find whatever I want.

I really like seeing all the green on the trees.  I couldn't help but admire the contrast of the trees with the brilliant blue sky and fluffy clouds this morning.  It makes me grateful for spring!

Confession...I had no idea Florissant had such a cute old downtown area!  While my car was being fixed, my dear friend Laura carted me around.  We had a great time eating, shopping, and laughing.  And she showed me the old plantation houses and cute little shops that I had no idea existed in Florissant.  I'm grateful for exploring new places and having great friends that help me out in a pinch!