One Sentence. (Well technically there's more...)

Nothing can beat a good, strong friendship.

I wish I could explain it better in one sentence, but why make something wordier when it doesn’t actually need to be?

There was a level of feeling a bit bummed yesterday afternoon.  And a part of me is hesitant to even mention it for a fear and of not wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings as I know my reaction was more emotional than was possibly even necessary, but the truth was that it happened.  So when I received a phone call to hang out with Tracey one-on-one this evening for some frozen yogurt, I jumped at the chance.  I went to the gym for about 30 minutes but wasn’t actually feeling into the exercise.  It was one of those days where I felt like I was going through the motions of hitting the gym, as opposed to having a strong desire and urge to go.  (Yes, unlike most people, I generally WANT to go and CRAVE a good workout).  But today wasn’t going to be the day.  Needless to say, I had no trouble cutting the workout short, making a quick dinner and heading down to Redondo Beach to steal Tracey away from everyone else for a couple hours of best friend bonding time.  And that’s exactly what it was.

I needed this tonight.  Thanks Tracey!

An oldie but a goodie. And one of my favorite pictures of the two of us.

I need to...

We are afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, afraid of death and afraid of each other.  Our age yields no great and perfect persons. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think I need to climb more trees.  And go for more walks.  An take more adventures. And let go more. And be free more.  And be more open.  And make more friends.  And take more time for myself.

I need to run more.  And smile more.  And sing more.  And listen to more music.  And find more new music.

I need to “fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; love more.” (Swedish Proverb)

Tree Climbing!

Would you believe I’ve never climbed a tree before?  It’s true.  I mean, aside from climbing a ladder attached to a tree to get into a treehouse, of course.  Well today turned out to be the day that this would change...

I picked up Tracey and Laura at the airport this morning, followed by an immediate trip to the ever so hole-in-the-wall (yet super delicious!) Tacos Por Favor.  We made it back to my apartment for a little chill time and then decided to take a walk to energize and get some exercise in the gorgeous weather.  Our destination was a nearby park but we kept walking and ended up walking about 3 miles total, stopping in the park on our loop back.  After making a statement that I’d never climbed a tree before, we decided today needed to be the day to change that.  So we did.

Tracey and Laura showed me how it was done first:

Blooper:

Tree pose in a tree:

Did you know climbing trees can make you feel alive?

I Flushed

Did I catch your attention?  ;)

I wish I could say I was filling you with good news, but sadly I’m not.  My poor little fish passed away yesterday afternoon.  I cleaned his bowl and while I didn’t do anything different than normal, I’m wondering if something wasn’t up to his needs that affected him yesterday more than any other day.

While you generally don’t think of fish as having personalities, mine did.  At least when it came to post-bowl cleaning.  After being returned to the bowl, he’d move the marbles around until they were just the way he wanted them.  No joke.  He passed while taking on this task.  I was worried because he was lingering more than usual but his little fins were still moving and when I tapped on the glass, he’d swim around a bit and go back to moving pebbles.  Then...there was no more moving fins...

I gave him time to come around.  But moving the bowl would just move his body and land him back at the bottom, head first in between two marbles.  It’s not true what they say about fish floating to the top of the bowl when they die.  They can also sink to the bottom.  And they do become “pale” and begin to decompose rather quickly.  I don’t know if he was decomposing but when I went to discard of his this evening (I was afraid last night and no time this morning), he was covered in floaty white stuff.

I flushed him.  It made me sad.  And now I feel lonely.  Did you know that a tiny little blue fish that you only saw when you went to feed him or clean his bowl could have such an impact?  Well, he can.  ...or maybe this is a clear sign that I really need to get myself a roommate.

Right after I got him for Christmas from my friend Dan

Happy amongst the marbles

I think I need to go to the pet store. :)

Our Deepest Fear

After this afternoon’s tweet: 

why is it that positive potential and opportunities can be so overwhelming? breathing through it...(or trying to)

I was told to look up this quote.  So I did.  Below is the quote in full plus a cool animation video for it.  The quote is originally by Marianna Williamson but after some research, it appears it’s been used in a few movies as well.  (I think that’s where the video dialogue came from.)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianna Williamson

Foodie for a Day

What a fun week to be a foodie! 

My friend Justine had one of her Westside Breakfast Club brunches on Sunday.  She made her ever famous egg bake and everyone else brought lots of fun things, including tons of fruit!  I brought a container of freshly cut oranges from the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market with lots of cherries.  (I bought a bag at Albertson’s that weighed on their scale at just over 1 lb but ended up actually being 2lbs and therefore $10!!).  Annoying.  But they are delicious and cherries are one of my favorite summer fruits, so I’m not going to complain too much...

I also brought some freshly homemade bread! Oh yes, that’s right! I made bread!  More importantly, I made my mother’s Swedish Coffee Bread!  It’s not actually my mom’s recipe but rather her grandmother’s recipe who brought it over from Sweden.  And boy is it delicious!

I had randomly been craving this bread for a couple weeks now and asked my mom to send over the recipe so that I could attempt to feed this craving, if I decided I was up for it.  Well, Justine’s brunch came around and I decided it was the perfect moment to make the bread.  (The fruit was my back up in case it didn’t turn out).  Well...it turned out and it was a HIT! 

This was my first time making it and I’m not going to share the recipe as I’d like to keep this a “family secret” but trust me, it is quite the process!  I also decided to take it a step further by making it vegan and a little bit healthier for you.  Here’s what I did:

• Replaced the milk with vanilla hemp milk
• Replaced the egg with flax seed + water
• Replaced the butter with vegan butter
• Replaced 1/2 of the white flour with whole wheat flour
• Cut the whole recipe in 1/2 because it makes two huge loaves and I decided to stick with two smaller loaves

I was so happy when it turned out just as delicious as when my mom makes it!

Cardamom seeds shells after crushing the Cardamom

Rising Phase 1

Braided and ready for Rising Phase 2

Out of the oven!

Yes there is a bite missing...I couldn't help myself. SO DELICIOUS!

I hope you didn't want a piece because it's gone! :)

Dear 16 Year-Old Me

I hope you had a box of tissues near by.  Now go put on sunscreen.  Kthxbye.