Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

I spent part of my day enjoying the smoothie creations made wonderful and tasty and healthy by the great bounty I picked up over the weekend.  And there’s the hour of the school day that we spent out on the football field because of a gas leak across the street that was sharing the odorous joy with our building and brought some headaches and nausea before the evacuation.  Fresh air and fresh produce…not too bad if we forget about the headache that was brewing earlier.

Did I mention that there is a lot of new produce in my kitchen?  Between three productive stops (Pete’s Fruit Market, Trader Joe’s in Brookfield – my first visit to the newer store in the area, and Woodman’s) we picked up quite the haul of produce for this week’s smoothie-palooza creations.  I’ve already included a few new greens in the mix and am finding that I really like collard greens in a smoothie.  The dandelion greens are good too, with enough sweet fruit. 

I also cooked up a fresh batch of chickpeas and threw those into the food processor with toasted sesame seeds, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and a pile of roasted red peppers.  Yep, there’s homemade hummus in the house!!!  For now!

At Woodman’s, I got my hands on a few different varieties of DoctorKrackers Crispbreads.  I’m excited to give them a taste with the hummus.  Trader Joe’s had a really yummy Vegetable and Flax Seed tortilla chip – good with the hummus! – and seeded bread twists. 

I’ve been improvising with the smoothies the past few days, going with what’s catching my fancy or some of Dave’s ideas.  After Saturday night’s shopping and fruit and veggie cleaning, I started experimenting with the new greens and the mangoes.  Everything’s been really good so far!

Today, a student asked if I’d bring him one.  I had an extra in my office.  I don’t think he was very fond of it, but his friends offered him a few bucks to chug it.  Ha!!!  He then told me he needed more fruit and less greens.  Hmm…business deal???

A colleague asked me to bring in a sample, I’m hoping to remember that when I’m in smoothie mode tonight.  OR, I could wait until tomorrow when I will be making Wednesday’s smoothies in my new VITAMIX!!!!  Yes, I bit the bullet.  Or kicked the Ninja, I suppose.  Amazon made me an offer I couldn’t say no to and I jumped at it.

Alrighty, time to grab my bottles from the dish rack in the office, pack my bags and head out for a few errands.  I’m hoping the sunshine stays for the night, as I’d like to take in some more fresh air and get a walk in tonight.

Have a fabulous Monday!

Gratitude

A year ago, I had one of those life experiences that leaves you feeling like the floor suddenly dropped out from under your feet.  I came home from finishing my first week of the school year to my husband asking for a divorce.

The details of this are not important. 

That the people I often refer to as my advisory council were by my side within a half an hour – that is important.  That my parents and these dear friends surrounded me with love, support, encouragement, hugs, and yes, later there was pizza – that is important.  That for the past year each of these people, and so many more, have cheered for me as I’ve picked up the pieces, swept up the mess, put myself back together and become stronger and wiser and more determined than I have ever been – that is important. 

I look back on the past year and am amazed by what I’ve done.  There are so many changes that have happened and each of them brought amazing things into my life.  I live in a fabulous flat with a fabulous landlord – she left baked goods my second day here, supplies me with Sports Illustrated and the occasional bag of produce – seriously, I hit the jackpot here.  I’m in a great, safe neighborhood where I can bike, run, walk, hit the stores, see the family and walk to class.  I picked up running again – and at a time of year when us Wisconsin folks do not start running – winter!  I ended the year with a 5k and started this year with another Polar Bear Plunge.  I took my first completely independent vacation and fell in love Austin, Texas while clearing my head, shaking out the cobwebs, and celebrating my freedom.  I am back in grad school and am almost done with my reading teacher license – something I’ve wanted to do since I was an undergrad.  I am back on my road bike for the first time in three years – alleluia!  I am about to embark on a new adventure in teaching as I move to a new school to work with an incredibly enthusiastic, motivated and energized English department.  I have, more times than I can count or my mom gotten the words out of her mouth, witnessed that yes, mom, everything does happen for a reason. 

This does not even touch on the journey I have been on in my mind and with my body.  If you have been around, you know what I’m talking about.  The running and biking are part of the journey that has changed me inside and out.  I am down about seventy pounds from where I was a year ago.  Yes – that is important!

So many great things have happened in the past year.  It’s not because I’m lucky or followed some how-to self-help book.  It is because I focused on what is positive, didn’t let anger permeate my life and moved forward towards what I want.  I am still on a journey.  It never ends.  There is always something new – a challenge, a job, a class, a book, a relationship – to keep us sharp and fresh.  But I cannot say enough how focusing on what I have and what I want has pulled me through. 

So, today I will again start another month-long journey of focusing on gratitude.  Each day, here and on facebook, I will be posting three things that I am grateful for.  I invite you to share something(s) you are grateful for on my posts or to start your own month-long journey. 

30 Days of Gratitude, Day #1: 1. My family 2. My friends 3. My own strength and determination

Go get ‘em, tigers!

Super Saturday - A Tale of Academic and Weight Loss Victories

Happy Saturday, Friends!

My day has been amazing on so many levels.  I am still wrapping my head around it.

This morning I had my final presentation for my spring semester course , Integrated Literacy Development I – which should really be titled Everything You Need and Would Like to Know About Primary Literacy Instruction & Assessment in One Quick Semester.

I will admit that I spent the greater part of this past semester with my head spinning with all of the information from this course.  Yes, there was a LOT of new information to digest.  There was plenty of reading and piles of assessments to get acquainted with.  But, more than any of that was wrapping my head around the inner workings of a first grade classroom.  I teach high school juniors and seniors, people!  Beowulf and Shakespeare are my stomping grounds. 

So, with that in mind, imagine how I felt when handed a thick pile of first grade literacy assessments (the sample data) and was told to create a Primary Comprehensive Literacy Plan and present it as if I’m presenting to a school board for approval.  Uhm…

Well, this morning I gave that presentation.  I woke up bright and early, had my coffee, showered and dressed and walked the lovely six blocks to Alverno and delivered one heck of a kick ass presentation.  Yes, I did!

And, when I was done, my instructor beamed with pride and dished out the compliments.  The best was about how far I’ve come with my comfort level with the content and that based on my presentation, she’d never know that my niche is NOT primary literacy.  Ha!  Yes!  Success!!!

After getting home from my presentation, I realized I left the video recording in the classroom.  I quickly changed and walked back to campus to collect my recording.

Of course, this morning’s victory comes on the coat tails of another awesome victory.

Last night I was declared the Biggest Loser in my health coach’s May Challenge in our facebook group!!!  I was runner up for points for the month.  And, my team had the most points, so we all won a 3 month subscription to Gaiam TV online.  Yippee!!! 

Not a bad start to the weekend.

Now, off for a walk – because my two trips to Alverno and back were just the beginning of today’s walks!

Go get ‘em, Tigers!

Could It Be...A Manic Monday?

Yes, it was 6 o' clock when I woke up and discovered it was a MANIC MONDAY! 

I was up much too late last night, caught up in a facebook chat with my delightful Medi-friend Kelsey.  I didn't get as much sleep as normal.  I was all worked up about the challenge starting in my coach's facebook group, the Biggest Loser weigh-in at school, and just the plain and simple fact that...IT'S MONDAY!!!

My daily dose of green tea brewing.

Now, like any well-planned woman who has to step on a scale at an appointed time, I was not about to be eating, drinking, slurping or biting on anything until ALL of my weigh ins were done.  And this wasn't any ordinary Monday morning.  

Oh no!  There was no waking up and doing the birthday suit weigh in and calling it a day.  Nope!  

Today, I had to take a picture of the number on the scale...showing my feet.  And I had to post it to the coach's facebook group for all the world - well, all the world of the super-secret-it's-okay-to-post-your-weight-facebook-group - to see.  Yep.  That's what I did first thing today.

Then, I got ready for a Monday at school...still no food...and headed to school.  I started my first class of the day and then...I weighed in AGAIN.  That's right, friends - today was weigh-in day for The Biggest Loser at work!  And - I'm down 4.5 lbs. since we first weighed in last Monday.  Oh YEAH!!!

And, as much as I was in a funk, waiting to get my first meal of the day in and waiting for the nurse to make her way to her 3rd floor office so that I could 1. get the weigh-in over 2. see how I did on her scale and 3. get back to my classroom and enjoy my Cappuccino, I can't tell you how great it felt to see the 4.5 lb. loss and Nurse Natasha's face when she did the math.  Oh yes!!!  THIS GIRL is going to be winning The Biggest Loser...work edition!

The rest of my day went on as usual and I'm safely back home about to enjoy my Lean & Green dinner of Romaine, Light Hidden Valley Ranch, Spaghetti Squash and Ground Turkey with Italian Seasoning...mostly leftovers from last night - which I have been looking forward to all day.  Then, it's time to lace up the shoes and head outdoors for some fresh air and a walk.

My friends, have a fabulous rest of a Monday and I will see you tomorrow.

Go get 'em, tigers!