A groovy dance workout, a motivational lesson and coffee in the sun. I wish every morning I could motivate me to take care of me.

I started a fun new workout regime. I love my yoga but after being out of practice for the past few months I tried to be bendy and just laid on the mat and felt discouraged and sad. I’m 15 pounds heavier than when I left the workforce in May… and even then I was struggling with my weight. Cut out the 12 to 15,000 steps a day… yeah, hello extra 15 pounds.

I found a fun program that is dancing. I’m not a dancer and I’m definitely not coordinated but this is different in that you move as small or as big as you feel comfortable… no getting it wrong, no wrong forms just find the beat and move. Something I realized is I already move with music unintentionally so why not make those sways productive and add in footwork and arms. Ok, I may sound like I drank the kool-aid for one of those hideous and yet amazing aerobic videos from the 80’s and maybe I have but for now I’m up and moving and having fun.

So when we’re finally able to see eachother and go to concerts again… watchout… I’ll have moves. Lol, ok…no, probably not. But hey, stranger things have happened.

Enjoy your first cups my friends and find your own beat…

Sometimes mornings can be easy. It’s a very rare occurrence… but I relish them.

This morning the alarm goes off at 6:30 and I ignore it (yep, I’m one of those people) until just before 7. I head downstairs and snuggle up next to the teen (who also doesn’t wake up with alarms) and let her know what time it is. She needs to at least check-in with her first period by 7:15.

Part of my morning routine is also saying good morning to the birdies (3 parakeets) which we’ve been pet sitting for a while. And our inside joke is that their just our new pets since we’re not sure when they’ll be heading home.

I head up stairs get coffee brewing and decide to try a new recipe… because why not. 3 simple ingredients, and 15 mintues later happy breakfast cookies. Oats, banana and walnuts make for nutritious happy.

By this time the kid has checked into Chemistry, the husband has grabbed the local paper and sat down to read and the cat had settled into her spot next to the deck door… which all of us had offered several times to let her outside. The kiddo had also decided she wanted actual oatmeal so she made some of that too.

And now as I write this, the husband, cat (who only came out after I was settled outside) and I are happily on the deck and the teen is semi focusing on school inside. (OK, now the teen has decided to do schoolwork outside now too).

It’s mornings like this that I relish… when things go right and it all seems easy. This isn’t most days… this is rare. Typically at least one of us is grumpy and tired and those are the days I look back to days like this and remember I truly am blessed.

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Happy first cups

Today’s first cup I’m accompanied by the teen, cat and husband. To be fair… the cat was the first one out on the deck. I joined her after making breakfast sandwiches for the teen and husband. And then the husband and teen came out too.

I think we’re all realizing that time in the warmth of the sun is fleeting. We have a few more days of 90’s and 80’s but next week sees us in 70’s and a day in the 40’s.

Relish the warmth today my friends and as always… happy first cups.

Let’s not talk about how I’ve been absent for the last few months. Not that I haven’t enjoyed my morning coffee each day… I most definitely have… most mornings out on the newly refurbished deck… I’ve finished 5 books. I’m not going to talk about how I’ve had a hard time finding encouraging words in a different world of masks and social distancing… that this too shall pass… I miss people… I miss shopping, I miss traveling and eating out… relaxing in public, I miss my friends and concerts… oh goodness do I miss live music. I’m not going to talk about how Covid is or isn’t a big deal… I know friends who have had it… I know friends who have loved ones that have had it… Are there things I’m skeptical on… yes… but would I ever want to be the cause of someone I know getting it… no. I’m not going to talk about injustices that happen everyday to Black Americans and people of color… but I want too… I’m a white suburban stay at home mom… who will listen to me…. but isn’t that the point…There is a population who has continued to feel suppressed and unheard. So how do we change that? We listen, we respect, we educate… something I’ve never been great doing…but I’m learning to educate myself more. We start loving humanity… every color, every race, religion, sex. Why is that hard?

Enough of the things I haven’t talked about… the weather has changed… so change in mugs was in order…

Happy first day of September my friends… and happy first cups.