Desert Magnolia

I like coffee. I am not an addict, really, but I like it. I like one cup of good coffee in the morning.  By good I mean nice beans, darkly roasted but not charred. I grind them fresh, then pour boiling water over them and let them infuse the water with flavor. It's simple, really. One of those daily rituals that you look forward to upon waking. I add a spoon or so of raw sugar, then enjoy the warm, dark liquid. I don't consider myself a snob, but I may have strong preferences. I don't like light coffees, or even medium coffees. I like French Roast or Italian Roast.  Costo carries a vendor we like, so hubby picks me up a two pound bag every couple of months and life is good. It's a New Mexico roaster, so we feel good about the choice - it's always nice to support local. The other day I was at Sprouts picking up a few things, and I noticed they had a sale on their coffee beans. I investigated, remembered that our stock was getting low, and decided to try an Org...

Have you ever known that you need to work out, known that you will feel better if you do, known that a better mood/outlook/world view is just a workout away? Me too. I've been working out in one form or another my entire life. Even before it was cool to work out I did. I have done gymnastics, swum (albeit briefly, for my high school swim team - the butterfly was my stroke of choice), run (though I have the body of a sprinter, I've never been fast, so I have always done distance), danced (Modern, Jazz, random styles too, and at the occasional wedding), Tae Bo'd (serious crush on Billy Blanks lasted nearly a decade), Jazzercised (at the behest of my dance teacher who was a nut and did Jazzercise 6 days a week), hiked (I am in the company of experts with a husband who is doing the John Muir trail this summer, but they're patient, thank goodness), skiied (ok, short story but I like to go fast with many skills yet to develop- need for speed nearly got me killed, beneat...

This morning the roofers got here, super early, to begin replacing our hail-damaged roof. They come equipped for a day in the trenches - dump truck, miles of plastic sheeting to protect our shrubbery and collect the falling debris, thermoses of what must be super coffee because those guys are working hard..oh, and their own porta potty. The kitties are hiding under the bed. I have Jesse Clark radio playing while I hunker down and get through the day. Right now, after seeing tons of stuff coming off the roof I feel a little nekked - and I hope and pray it doesn't rain. Which it's not supposed to do, but our weather has been known to be ridiculous from time to time. That is all for now. Hugs, Stevie

We finally got a snow. It was about an inch by our house, which isn't much, but the temps were so frigid, the snow fell over a layer of rain that turned to ice and became treacherous. The temp isn't supposed to get above 30 degrees today, and was 15 degrees when we woke up. Schools are closed. Hubby is happy. He's off somewhere in the Subaru enjoying his day off. I am finishing up an article for a client, then think I'll take the rest of the day to play. Why not? Have fun and stay warm! Stevie

I have often heard the phrase 'letting go of that which no longer serves us' used when describing personal growth, maybe leaving a job or relationship or abandoning old emotional tenets that have weighed us down. I am using it literally. Since the beginning of holiday break, I have started to seriously thin my collections of, well, almost anything that happens to catch my eye.  For awhile now I have been in a 'just in case' mode, where I just don't know when I will be earning enough money again to readily replace stuff. Any stuff- shoes, clothes, etc. That perspective has encouraged me to collect more stuff than I need, and to hold onto stuff I no longer use/want. No longer. In the last few days I have loaded up and delivered several more bags to Goodwill, and in the process I am learning more about myself.  Like that buying stuff just because it's on sale is insane, and often results in owning stuff that isn't ideal.  Most things are almost right...