My friend Jaime- thanks for letting me guest post on your lovely blog this week about half marathon training! I have mentioned my love for Maddie on Things before, but I also love Maymo (maybe because Maymo looks like Zoe!) | Chia Seeds- add them to yogurt or smoothies! These mint and gold studs on Etsy |
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The title of this post is mis-leading, but I thought I would do a Warm in the Winter segment for the rest of winter. The first day of spring is March 20th, although I am not sure if it will look and feel like spring in Michigan. According to the Farmer's Almanac signs of spring range from chirping birds to green buds on trees. Signs of spring in Michigan look like hundreds of smiling people, the melting of the 3-month snow cover, and the shedding of down jackets. I can't WAIT until warmer days...so i thought I would post warm images in the mean-time to maybe help us get through this polar vortex from hell. **photo credit including in picture by clicking on he link**
Yesterday I posted about my weekend and revealed a picture of Homemade Cheesy Bread. During my college years, we had a place called Pizza Time deliver us cheesy bread weekly (most often around midnight--because that is a great time to load your body with cheese and dough). Unfortunately, that cheesy bread introduced me to the freshman 15 (maybe 20) and I haven't had it since! On Sunday, I felt like I could eat the entire kitchen after my 5 mile run and thought I would make some homemade cinnamon bread....which turned into homemade cheesy bread instead once RJ was on board with my need for carbs. From this recipe, we discovered a great dough recipe for pizza dough that I plan to use again in the future (sans butter garlic as the base).
DIRECTIONS:
This weekend was a nice mix of exercise, friend time, and relaxing. I didn't get a huge amount of time with RJ and I am anxious for him to take his dental boards part 1 in a week from today so I can get my husband back! I also decided to start watching Scandal (to add to my current love for political-based dramas) and I finished the first season! I felt like I deserved to lay on my bed and do nothing after running 5 miles! It is so exciting to finally see some progress in my half marathon training schedule.
Brace yourselves for some honesty in this post. This blog's headline is "Life is full of so many wonderful things", but there is also truth in saying that life has many ups and downs. With winter still in full force (see picture below for current conditions), I thought it would be okay to talk about loneliness (a common feeling associated with this season). Winter has an effect on so many people. It takes up our conversations; it consumes our mind. I didn't fully understand winter gloom until I moved to Michigan and, honestly, it makes me feel sad and lonely. Thankfully, we aren't alone when we feel lonely. Loneliness isn't static. It comes and goes for most people. You can be lonely, but not be alone. Thank God for that! With RJ studying for boards, and with us being away from so many friends and family that we love, Michigan at times can be lonely. It is a truth that has been slapping me in the face this winter. It is near the end of February and I am tired of feeling lonely. So, I am going to work on embracing the fact that I am not alone. In Michigan, I have a loving husband, I have colleagues at work that I consider friends, I have a work-out buddy that I met at my gym, a neighbor friend who is amazing, friends that are also supporting husbands/partners at Dental School, and I managed to find another best friend (yes, I am convinced you can have several..I have about 5). I also have a large support system thousands of miles away. Isn't distance just an illusion? I also believe that God is with me always and therefore I am definitely not alone. I am extremely blessed even in this current bout of loneliness. If you have been feeling the way I have been feeling, now you know you aren't alone in that either.
Let's commit to embracing those around us that can help pull us out of grumpy, sad, and lonely seasons. I have gotten into a habit of adding a ton of books on hold at the physical library and the online e-book library. Then, they all come at once. Because I have the goal of reading 50 books this year, I have to be a reading machine. I use Goodreads, other bloggers, and friends for book recommendations. Who do you go to for advice on your next read, or do you just walk quietly through the library to select books by the cover? 2014 Reading Challenge Lindsay has read 7 books toward her goal of 50 books.
I posted a picture of this banana bread last week, but it is so good that I thought I would give it it's own recipe post! Please make this today or at the very least this weekend. You won't be sorry.
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