Oh hai!

Long time, no write...

I've been thinking I should dust off my poor old blog and add a post. Then one of my very favorite bloggers linked to this post. Go ahead and take a look - I can wait.

I originally began this blog because I felt alone and unheard. Not that I have lots of followers (hi, Mom!), but the simple act of expressing my thoughts was enough. Then I got a new job with coworkers who were fun and supportive, so I didn't feel "unheard" any longer. Over time, things have changed at that job and once again my voice feels useless. 

In light of these changes, I've started thinking seriously about trying to start my own business. I'm hoping I can start small and work it as a side gig, then when the world falls in love with my chocolates, I can jump to full time. It's not easy because the depression is still there, which makes it difficult to think clearly. It's also tough to get back into the swing of a 2nd job. I try to do a little something every day and that should become a habit.

One of the first things is to get my recipes together. Some of my older confections don't even have a recipe because I just added flavors and chocolate until it tasted right. Oh, past Sarah... (shaking head)  Taste tester volunteers are easy to find, although careful testers are a little trickier to track down. Some of my testers are family members, which means I can also work out some shipping kinks in the process.

 If you have any tips for starting a side gig, PLEASE pass them along. I'm almost afraid to start making a task list because the sheer volume of stuff to be done is overwhelming.

Indulge Me

Once again, I am trying to break up with processed sugar. It's not easy and I backslide occasionally, even with maple syrup, honey, and agave to keep my sweet tooth entertained. I haven't been able to run (some sort of soft tissue injury in my left leg), so I've been doing yoga every day instead. Once in a while, I'd like to reward myself for working hard to stay healthy, but I'm having a tough time thinking of motivating but inexpensive rewards that are not some form of chocolate.

A long, relaxing bubble bath was one possibility, but none of the stores in the area carry non-floral bath salts or bubbles. There were almost no bubbly options at all, in fact. Bath bombs seem to be the trend, but the ones I found were mostly overly sweet floral. Yuck. I did try a rose/bergamot bath bomb, which wasn't bad but a little pricey for a small indulgence. Next option? DIY.

Luckily, bath salts are easy and I already have a variety of essential oils that I use for making toothpaste, yoga mat spray, etc. The other ingredients are pretty reasonably priced. My first attempt makes me happy, so I'm sharing it with you.

A couple of notes about these bath salts. The rose petals are VERY optional. They look pretty in the jar and floating in the bath, but they are a pain in the glutes to clean out of your tub. If you don't have some sort of screen over your drain, skip them. The coconut oil is also pretty optional. It makes your skin feel wonderful, but it makes your tub an impressively slippery place. Kinda like the old bath oil beads, if you remember those. If you use it, be prepared to climb out slowly and cautiously and to re-clean the tub immediately after your bath. Dish soap seems to clean it up the quickest.

(I started with the basic bath salt recipe from the Wellness Mama blog and added my own scents. Use the Dead Sea salts if you can find them--the ones I found don't dissolve completely and make a nice exfoliant.)

Spiced Rose Bath Salts

2 cups unscented epsom salts
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup Dead Sea salts
2 Tbsp coconut oil (optional)
1/4 tsp rosewater (food-grade)
20 drops sweet orange essential oil
20 drops lemon essential oil
5 drops cinnamon essential oil (be careful with this one--it can burn your skin if you use too much!)
1/4 cup dried rose petals (food-grade) (very optional)

Combine all of the salts in a plastic shopping bag or glass bowl. Mix together well. Add oil and scents. Stir (glass bowl) or knead (shopping bag) as if your life depends on it. It will take some time to get the oils evenly distributed. I worked mine until the logo came off the plastic bag. If you want to use the rose petals, add them at the end and make sure you toss out any tough pieces of stem or bud before you mix them in. Store in a glass jar (or several, since this recipe makes a pretty big pile of bath salts). Toss a generous handful or two into a hot bath, breathe deeply, and relax.

Back on singletrack

Much of my winter was spent training for a road marathon, which became a half marathon thanks to the flu. I got sick in March and missed 3 critical long runs in a row. Next fall, I WILL get my flu shot, thankyouverymuch. To the point--running on asphalt is kind of boring. The race is over and I have a sparkly medal to send to my I Run4 buddy:

So now it's time to get back to the woods. There aren't any races on my radar so I can focus on gaining strength and maybe building up some speed.

I've missed running in the woods. This fact became more apparent this morning, when I woke up with part of a "song" about trail running in my head. Without further adieu, may I present:

An Ode to Trail Running (to the tune of America the Beautiful)

O beautiful for singletrack,

For random waves of pain,

For purple bruises on my knees

And mud and rocks and rain!

Trail running! Trail running!

My heart belongs to thee.

It feels so good to run through the woods-

We feel that we are free!

Maybe I'll see you out there!

#haiku

I have an Instagram account that I post to about as often as I post here. Except my Instagram posts include more poetry--haiku, specifically. This feels a little like cheating as far as blog posts go, but I thought I'd share a few of my instacritter posts with you:

Other chores await

But sleepy lap cat says no.

Chores will keep waiting.

  Why are we stopping?

I love hiking in the snow!

I don't like stopping.

A freaked out feline

Found at a local Goodwill.

Treasure left behind.

You know it's cold out

When the radiator sprouts

A fluffy cover.

Snugglebeep

Two years ago, I adopted a troubled little cat named Bailey.  He was terrified of new people and had lots of other anxiety issues.  He had lived at the shelter for most of his two years and was in need of a good deal of patience and quiet love.  Even though Bella never made friends with him, he slowly and steadily came out of his shell.  

He's still frightened of new people and anxious about loud noises, but he loves to snuggle with me and my partner and is relaxed around our two big dogs.  When I reread my post from his early days with me, I realized how far he has come and how much he has opened up to us.  His name changed from Bailey to Beep, once he let us see what a sweet, funny little guy he is.  It's incredible to see him cruising confidently around the house, asking for dinner or attention, and letting the dogs know where his boundaries are.

Slightly annoyed at having his picture taken this early

Early "brave" moment

HAPPY 2ND ADOPTIVERSARY, BEEP!

My Morning Mile

Oh hai!  Where've you been?  It seems like it's been ages since I saw you all.  Dunno if you remember this, but about a year ago I was wondering what my winter/spring would have been like if I hadn't been training for a marathon.  Turns out that it's like major depression.  The kind that makes it easy to give in to my cravings for sugar and other carbs.  The kind that makes it difficult to do anything beyond the absolute minimum required.  Plus the minimum required at work has gotten pretty maximum in the last 4-5 months.  Plus other changes (and make no mistake--even good changes are stressful).  It's been tough. 

It's getting easier, at last.  The "I don't know how this is going to work" has settled into "we're finding our way through this."  The changes required more time than expected, so workouts have fallen to the wayside.  I went a full month without lacing up running shoes or unrolling my yoga mat.  Yes, yes--exercise is the #1 antidepressant--but sleep deprivation doesn't make depression any more pleasant to deal with either.  Still.  I keep waking up half an hour before the alarm goes off, so I decided to use that time to do something besides lay quietly and try to rest my body while my mind runs circles around my to-do list.

Yep.  That early.  (found the pic here with 10 tips to shut up and run)

One of my new roommates is a dog--a lovely husky/lab mix who is a bit neurotic.  I've seen similar behavior in purebred working dogs who have no work to do.  Working dog breeds seem to be more settled if they have activities similar to the ones they were bred to do. I thought that perhaps I could help us both.  About a week ago, I got up as soon as I woke up, laced up my running shoes, snapped on her leash, and went out into the cool of the dawn for a teeny-tiny, one-mile run.  I've done the same thing each day since then.

My running buddy, mid-wag

She gets very excited when she sees the running shoes go on my feet. She's also getting better at running on a leash and beginning to get used to the sustained effort the run requires.  She's learning to sniff things briefly without actually stopping our run.  She's learned a couple of commands and is slowly accumulating more. I'm not a morning person, so mostly this early running makes me tired and hungry.  However, it feels good to know that I'm becoming a runner again.  Plus, it's over before my sleepy brain realizes what I'm doing  (just like the motivational signs say).  

Found the poster here with 7 reasons to exercise early

And it's nice to start the day by making some creature ridiculously happy.

Three Good Things: Snow Daze Edition

Ugh.  Snow.  It's looking like work may be closed for the next day and half.  Super.  (When will there be a sarcasm font?!  I NEED IT.)  So I'm looking at lots of time all by myself and it doesn't make me all that happy because I'm once again wishing that things were different.  I'd much rather spend the time snuggled with my partner, and theoretically he feels the same way, but once again it just can't happen.  Knowing that is making it tough to look on the bright side.  I'm gonna try to do it anyway:

1. Being alone makes it much more likely that I will get plenty of sewing and crafting done.
2. No one will be around to see how much popcorn and/or chocolate I can consume in one sitting.
3. I don't have to share the sources of warmth (heater, blanket, cats) or the remote control.

So there you have it.  Snow days are for crafting and junk food.  And cats.

From the ilikeCATS Etsy Shop

 If it's cold and/or snowy where you are--stay warm and snuggle up with whatever or whoever is close by (and consents to the snuggles, of course--always get consent).

Three Good Things 1.24&25&26.15

Time got away from me yesterday, so I didn't get a chance to put together a blog post.  Here are my three good things from this weekend:

1. Managed to run 9 miles and got to do the last two with a friend.
2. Finished all the cooking that I planned to do.
3. Had a fun trip to the thrift store and my partner* bought me a dress that makes me giggle whenever I look at it.

The dress is one of those snazzy cotton blend straight up and down dresses from the 90's.  This particular dress is black with zebras and hibiscus flowers.  Who knew that zebras were native to Hawaii?! (hint:  zebras do NOT live in Hawaii unless they are in a zoo.)  I plan to take the dress apart and create something that will fit my shape better--a swirly skirt or a sundress.  Can't wait to show off my Hawaiian zebras!

And now for my three good things from yesterday:

1. My mom sent me a cool pair of short boots with no heel and they fit perfectly.
2. Had a long lunch with a couple of my favorite guys.
3. Nearly finished a project at work much sooner than the higher-ups anticipated (again).

Receiving the boots was extra-lucky because I was on my feet all afternoon.  I was wearing pumps that weren't terribly comfortable, so I was very glad to have more comfortable footwear to get me through the day.
 

The Hawaiian Zebra Hermit Crab is as close as Hawaii comes to a native zebra

*I use the term partner because some of my friends are married and some are dating, and because I believe the terminology should be the same across the board, whether you are gay or straight, married, living together, or dating.  You are romantically involved with that person currently (and if you’re romantically involved with more than one, you have partners—simple as that).  It’s easier all around, but I doubt it will catch on since it doesn’t give anyone a social cue about the status of your romantic relationship or if your significant other (or others) happen to be the same gender as you are. Humans are so illogical.  I did discover that one of my heroes defines it similarly, so if you have a moment check out Laci Green.

 

 

 

Three Good Things 1.22ish.15

Fell off the wagon already, but I’m climbing back on.  I had a day or two where making it through the day without crying was all I could manage, so figuring out good things and writing them down took more effort than I had in me.  But hey—now I have a couple of days to look through, so it should be easier.

1. New Orleans-style snowball break with a friend because sometimes you just need that much sugar all at once.
2. One of my favorite bloggers had good news to share.  Her hubby is a terrific guy by all accounts, so I was really pleased to read about her happeez. 
3. After-work drinks with a couple of my favorite coworkers.  Not too much alcohol, but definitely some interesting conversation.

 

I didn't actually drink enough to be hung over, but I considered it...

Bonus good things: it’s finally Friday and I have a dinner date!

Three Good Things 1.20.15

Not having an awesome day, can’t seem to escape the blues but here’s my three things:

1. Got to run with a couple of friends that I haven’t seen in ages.
2. Found a nerdy graphic novel at the library.
3. Made it to quittin’ time again.

Crossing my fingers that this is a momentary downswing and things will be looking up again soon.

Three Good Things 1.19.15

Back to work.  Mondays are a lot less fun now that my cool boss has taken his coolness elsewhere.  Still, it shouldn’t be too tough to come up with three things for yesterday.

1. The weather continues to be more comfortable.  It has continued the warming trend that started this weekend, which makes me happy.  Yay for lighter coats and no boots!
2. Made it to quittin’ time without getting myself into trouble.  Yay for quittin’ time!
3. Did yoga right away when we got home.  That’s the 3^rd week in a row—pretty soon it’ll be an actual habit.  Yay for good habits!

I’m starting to get comfortable with yoga again.  I was supposed to start it during my marathon training last spring, but didn’t quite manage it.  I’ve talked someone into doing it with me instead of using him as an excuse to avoid it.  You often see the suggestion to find a workout buddy to keep yourself on track, since you’re less likely to skip a session if you know someone is waiting for you.  That’s rarely been a problem for me, BUT… I am easily distracted.  Getting my distraction to do yoga with me was a good idea—no shirking now since he’s pretty tenacious (and I think he’s rather enjoying the sessions).

Or maybe he just enjoys the yoga pants.