When a Challenge Isn't That Challenging

Then maybe stop doing it.

I like challenges. Last January I did a no sugar/alcohol challenge. I've pushed myself to run 5k's and do obstacle courses. I try not to drink coffee before half my water bottle is gone. I thought doing the no social media challenge was going to be hard, but really, it hasn't been. If you follow Gretchen Rubin's work, I'm a Questioner tendency, so I like to do things that make sense, and not just-because. So I'm ending my social media blackout early, because it hasn't been a huge challenge. The real challenge will be how to not fall back into mindlessness when I return!

Speaking of challenges, Jeremy and I finished (almost) the corn hole boards this weekend. That was way more challenging than not being on social media for 12 days. I'll admit, I got frustrated, but he's a great teacher and helped me get to the end. His boards are the American flags, and mine are the blue arrows.

We went to the Mets game on Sunday for his friend Matt's birthday. It was a gorgeous day (I have the farmers-tan-burn to prove it) and we got to test out his new boards! I'm pretty bad at this game, but just wait till the end of the summer...

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Cherry Blossom Fantasies

Yesterday on my walk with Jack we came across these beautiful cherry blossom trees. "The significance of the cherry blossom tree in Japanese culture goes back hundreds of years. In their country, the cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It’s a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short. When the cherry blossom trees bloom for a short time each year in brilliant force, they serve as a visual reminder of how precious and how precarious life is" (Cantu) . Kind of ironic that I noticed and appreciated them on my dad's birthday, but if you read my entry from yesterday , you already know that I don't really believe in coincidence. I've been thinking a lot lately about the idea of impermanence, and how "safety" and "control" are really just false states. Whatever I have in my life, I get to have today, perhaps this moment, but it might not be that way in five years...

Planting on a Budget

I don't know about you, but in year's past I've literally spent hundreds of dollars on plants and flowers that, let's face it, I usually end up killing before their time. My high school has a botany class that plants in the greenhouse every year, and they sell wreaths during the holidays, and herbs and flowers in the spring. This year I took advantage of both events, and I was really impressed by them! Not only are their plants amazing, but so are the prices. I was able to plant my entire upper deck yesterday for $35. $35!!!! I'm officially converted. I love having flowers on the deck, and this year was super affordable. If you like to plant, I encourage you to find a local school that has a botany program. You get to support local programs, and plant on the cheap. Win-win. I think it turned out pretty nice! Plus, I got to sip on some wine while playing with dirt and listening to a podcast. A nice way to spend the afternoon. I learned that t...

Mondays with The General: Going with What You've Got

By nature, horses are unpredictable. Even so-called "bomb proof" horses have those moments where something spooks them, and you find yourself clinging to a galloping neck down a beach, hoping your horse doesn't jump the metal barrier onto a highway (see my 10th birthday for an example). When I was a beginner, I wanted stability. I barely had any riding muscles, and I hadn't been riding long enough to know all the things that can happen when you enter into a riding relationship with a horse. As I got older, and braver, I had a lot more experience, and craved those green horses, unpredictability, and the thrill of seeing what could happen taking a novice horse over a jump that was way too big. I rode consistently through college, and never imagined it wouldn't be a focus of my life, never mind that I would take any "time off." But, adulting happens, and something I once spent every waking moment thinking about suddenly became a memory. I had a few y...

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