walking in the rain {january 12, 2023}

It’s January. As the days draw in and the temperature falls, most of us hang up our walking boots. This is my first week of the Frozen Feet Challenge, where participants get outside everyday and walk or run at least one mile. It rained all day today. It would have been so easy to be put off by the inclement weather but I put on my big girl rain boots, grabbed my umbrella, and took a two mile walk. The outdoors was very peaceful and the air was so refreshing. Then the little kid in me came out and I stomped in a couple big puddles. Joy!

☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ 

Puddles

by Karen R. Sanderson

The puddle prompts a memory

of a simmering summer day

After the rain

A perfect rainbow arced across the sky

A little boy skipped, hopped, and jumped in

He scooped up the mud and smeared it

on scrawny arms and knobby knees

His smile shined through

His giggles, too,

The puddle reflects my face

and sees my memory

I jump in with both feet 

wordy wednesday..."q" {january 11, 2023}

Growing up I always learned that q and u always go together. You see a q and the letter u will be right behind it.

The occurrence of the letters q and u together in English goes back to Latin, where they represented the \kw\ sound. In the Romance languages that descend from Latin, the qu combination is retained but in some of them (and especially French) it may represent just the \k\ sound, as in quiche.

My first introduction to q without a u came happened a long time ago when I was learning about Australia in a Social Studies class and saw an ad for QANTAS, the Queensland and Northern Territories Aerial Services. 

More recently while watching evening TV, the numerous commercials are about medications and these medications all have q-no-u. This usage kind of rocks the status quo in the “qu” world. Nothing wrong with it, just something new and different.

Leqvio

Kisqali

Rinvoq

Cibinqo

Quviviq

The automobile industry is also jumping on this bandwagon with the Hyundai Ioniq and the Cadillac Celestiq. 

As language becomes more global, more words have been introduced in the English language that have the “non-traditional” q usage. These words mainly come from the Middle Eastern/Muslim, African, Hebrew, and Chinese languages. And that’s good. It leads to learning and thinking about the world, expressing ideas, and being able to talk to and understand those from cultures other than yours.

And one more word to think about, queue 😁

chocolate chips to the rescue! {january 10, 2023}

I don't have a sweet tooth, don't keep many sweets in the house, but there's always a bag of chocolate chips in the pantry just in case a sugar fix needs to happen. Just pop those babies in there. You can’t go wrong with simply eating chocolate chips straight out of the bag. There are so many chip options to explore (dark chocolate, peanut butter, white chocolate, butterscotch, semi-sweet, etc.). I do keep a few “options” in the pantry. (My chocolate chip cookies have three kinds of chips in them).

But…it never fails that when it’s time to make CCCs, I have to run to the grocery store to replenish my stock. 🍪 🍪 🍪

monday's mulling: be where your feet are {january 9, 2023}

2023. 

Twenty twenty three. 

Two thousand twenty three. 

Two oh two three.

The new year is here and rather than a resolution, I have a theme:

Be where your feet are.

“Be where your feet are” means stay grounded (no pun intended), stay present, be mindful, have awareness, and enjoy the moment.

“Be where your feet are” is a constant reminder, a way to keep saying to myself, “Hey, look around. Don’t be freaking out about the future or worrying about the past. Today wants to teach you something. Today matters. This matters.”

The present moment is what’s important. Appreciate its uniqueness. 

My photo, NYC 2017

resolutions {january 8, 2023}

New Year’s Day was one week ago and now it’s January 8, the start of 2023’s second week.

Resolutions. Yep, it’s that time of year when we feel as if we have to turn over a new leaf and have a fresh start. I go round and round about them.

One of my yoga instructors shared a thought that has really stuck with me. Many times at the beginning of a yoga session, you are asked to set an intention before you start. Emilie said that she prefers to use the word practice. Intention: you intend to do something. It may or may not happen. Practice: you do something to get better at it. It becomes part of your daily ritual. 

The year is new. I'm going to let my resolutions/intentions/goals/practices evolve as the year moves day by day.

dry january {january 7, 2023}

Just like so many New Year's resolutions, Dry January is often thought of as a challenge: Can you make it through a month without your favorite cocktail or a glass of wine with dinner? It makes sense to want to take a break from the spirited sips that are a hallmark of so many celebrations.

So, what is “Dry January?” It’s a public health initiative launched in 2013 by Alcohol Change UK. The challenge? Remove alcohol from your diet for 31 days. The idea is for people concerned they drink too much or too often to slow things down. It’s also for anyone looking to start the year on a refreshed, healthier note.

2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the campaign. 

This initiative has gained popularity worldwide and now companies are manufacturing nonalcoholic spirits. For too long, the options in the nonalcoholic section of restaurant menus or liquor stores were cloying “mocktails” and syrupy fruit sodas, or maybe a dusty bottle of barely-hoppy 0 percent ABV beer. Not the case these days. As sobriety, “dry” months, or even just saying “I’m not drinking tonight” become more socially acceptable than ever before, the beverages had to catch up.

There’s a distinct vibe that the new crop of nonalcoholic beverages occupy: They’re just cool. They don’t taste like the glorified Shirley Temples of the past. Cocktails have become part of the present and the future.

 

a wafflely good day! {january 6, 2023}

1. The well-used waffle recipe from a 1970s Betty Crocker cookbook.

2. The 40+ year old waffle maker...no cool touch lid.

3. The pour...

4. Almost perfect!

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🧇 What do you say when you run out of pancakes? Oh, how waffle!

🧇 Why are waffles so filling? Because they are WA-FULLS not WAFF-EMPTIES!

🧇 Waffles are just pancakes with abs!