Reading and Eating
Let’s have some book talk! A couple weeks ago I took this short quiz to see what book I should read next. Here’s the book I got: I think part of the reason I got this one is, one of the questions was something like “Are you ready for spring to come, or do you want to hold onto winter a little longer?” Well, since I live in Florida and winter is our most beautiful time of year, I gave the winter answer. I’m not sure I’m up for a book that takes place during the Christmas holidays right now, but I did put it on my November-December TBR, along with Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret. I”ll have lots of books to read during the Christmas season! I finished my Agatha Christie… … and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I knew it wasn’t going to be a great literary adventure, or impart any deep truths, but as I crawled into bed, knowing I would finish it that night and find out who murdered the rich father, I reflected that some books are just pure FUN. On that note, my husband got me a book for my birthday! I probably wouldn’t have chosen this for myself. I like mysteries, but not necessarily thrillers (sometimes thrillers make me too anxious). But so far it’s been another fun book to read. It’s easy to get into and the storyline is compelling. It’s no Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but then, few books are. Sigh. Eating! I finally made pancakes that didn’t suck. To be clear, all my pancake failures are my own fault. I’m always trying to use weird flours, or make them healthier by adding flaxseeds or something else unusual. But, I found this recipe for protein pancakes from Chocolate Covered Katie. I used gluten-free all purpose flour for the flour, and a vanilla protein powder. Last time I posted a photo of my pancakes, complaining that they were all dry and lumpy, someone- and I’m sorry but I can’t remember who!- said it looked like there wasn’t enough liquid. I took this to heart, and when I made this batter it looked way too thick so I added more liquid. It definitely made a big difference. In other news, last time I was at Trader Joe’s I got this: If you have a jar of enchilada sauce, a pan of enchiladas is just a small step away (it’s the extra step of making the sauce that puts me over the edge). I used this recipe, because it has beans and tempeh in the filling, and my daughter is all about protein right now. But it seemed a little vegetable-light, so I added some cauliflower as well. I forgot to take a photo on the first night, and when we reheated them for leftovers they looked kind of charred and unappetizing, so I’ll leave it to your imagination. They looked like enchiladas, and tasted delicious. What are you reading now? Have you tried this enchilada sauce? – It was spicy and delicious! Top photo by Gil Ndjouwou on Unsplash
Weekly Rundown- Birthday Week
Hellooo! Welcome to the Weekly Rundown, hosted as always by Kim and Deborah (thanks, ladies!) It was a good week… let’s get right into it. Sunday Long run! My last long run was 19 miles, so I was aiming for 21-22 with this one. Well… this was HARD. I actually got back near my house at around 20 miles, and it was all I could do to keep running for one more mile. Of course I thought “How in the world am I going to run 50 miles if I’m this wiped out after 21???” Ack. In the afternoon my daughter wanted to go to the gym, and I had agreed to show her how to do bench presses with the bar. So somehow I found myself doing sets of bench presses and WAIT A MINUTE, I just ran 21 miles! I don’t want to be doing this! When she moved on to triceps I opted for the recovery room… Monday My legs felt pretty good- a little sore but nothing major. I got out for a 2 mile walk. Tuesday In the morning I did a Caroline Girvan abs workout. I knew I was meeting my daughter at the gym after work, so I saved my run for then. 4 miles on the treadmill. No photo because… treadmills are boring. Wednesday Leg day at the gym! I did RDLs, and then leg press in lieu of squats (following my new rule of not doing squats and deadlifts on the same day). I also did leg curls, leg extensions, and my piriformis exercises. Good workout! Thursday 4 mile run… …followed by the Caroline Girvan deadbug workout. Friday It’s my birthday! Strangely, I saved my most boring and tedious workout for this day- core work and hip stability exercises, SIGH! That’s just the way my schedule worked out, and I stuck to it. That’s okay- I ran on my Birthday Eve, and Birthday Boxing Day (what? That is TOO a thing!) Saturday I had a lovely 5 mile run- it was 55 degrees! Any morning that starts in the 50s is to be treasured now- soon it will be sweltering every. single. day. I followed this run with some work on the pull up bar (dead hangs, scapula pull ups, and negatives.) Boy, am I weak. At night… my husband and I went out! Sunday On tap for today- another leg day at the gym, this time focusing on squats (after sleeping in and waffles, of course). My next long run will be Wednesday, and I’ve realized long runs are like childbirth. When it hurts really bad you’re thinking “never again!” but then you somehow end up with amnesia- now I’m looking forward to it. I’m obviously insane! Do you celebrate your birthday on multiple days?- I celebrate “birthday week.” Did you see any sunrises this week?
Birthday Thoughts
It’s my birthday! I’m now officially in my extremely late 50s. A couple days ago Nicole left a comment on the post where I mentioned I’m turning 59. It mirrored the very thoughts I’ve been having- she said “Why should feeling old be a bad thing? What’s wrong with feeling the age we are? ” Seriously. Why is aging such a bad thing? We compliment someone by saying “You look much younger than (whatever age they are)” or “You’re so youthful!” What is it about getting old that we object to so much? Well, let’s see. We associate getting old with getting worse– i.e. our bodies and minds breaking down. No one wants to be sick, or in pain, or suffer from dementia. Also… most of us are afraid of death. Whether we’re terrified of it, or uneasy, or sad at the thought of leaving our loved ones- no one wants to die. On that level, it is better to be young (although- sadly, young people get sick and die too). BUT, I’m stronger now than I was in my twenties (because I didn’t lift weights at all back then). I could run faster then, but I can run farther now. Hmm! So are we saying it’s okay to get older, but only if we’re still strong and capable? We’re constantly being told there’s something wrong with us- it’s not okay to have curly hair, or dark skin, or wrinkles. It’s fine to say “You don’t look (or act, or seem) like you’re 59!” But I am 59 years old. The idea that I shouldn’t look or act like I’m 59 is just another way for society to tell me it’s not okay to be who I am. Yesterday I saw I client who just turned 90. Ninety! I had to resist the urge to say “You don’t look like you’re 90!” (Honestly- he’s in very good shape, both mentally and physically). Instead I said “Wow! That’s amazing! Congratulations!” Then, since he seemed inclined to talk more, I asked him if he had any words of wisdom to share. He did… He said he spent years in therapy until he got to a place where he loves himself and loves his life. If there’s something he doesn’t like, he changes it. He doesn’t let other people’s judgments bother him, and he doesn’t worry about the future, knowing instead that he’ll be capable of dealing with any future crises if and when they happen. This all sounds great! Although he presented these ideas as his “secrets” of longevity, I’m wondering if these are just natural mind shifts that occur as we age, as opposed to a “blueprint” for getting there. But… what do I know? I’m only 59 ; ) Top photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash
Birthday Week Continued
Oh, brother (you’re thinking.) HOW many times are we going to have to hear about Jenny’s birthday??? Oh, just a couple more. In the comments yesterday, Coco informed me that in Asian cultures, the “9”s are a bigger celebration than the “10”s- so 59 is actually a big birthday, and I’m making the most of it. I don’t work on Wednesdays. Sometimes I do a long run, or I have an irksome appointment (last week I spent my Wednesday getting a mammogram and going to the chiropractor.) This week, I had nothing on my schedule, which I LOVE! After I dropped my daughter off at school, I went to the gym, and then on to Barnes and Noble. I love sitting in the cafe drinking tea and working on various projects- today, I was inspired by Sarah’s latest podcast episode about planning for Quintile 2. (Quintile 2 goes from the beginning of spring break until the end of the school year.) I got out my planner and got to work. Honestly, Q2 isn’t that complicated for us. We have one trip planned, and the arrangements have already been made. I have a race, which I’ve already registered for and requested the day off from work (note to self- still have to get a hotel in Ocala for two nights,) Then it was mostly a matter of transferring my daughter’s band events onto the calendar. After I was done I felt like I had a much better grasp of what the next two months are going to look like. I celebrated by browsing happily around the bookstore. I LOVE browsing, but it’s hard for me to actually buy a book- especially if it’s something I know I could get from the library. I ended up buying nothing, but stopped at the library on the way home where I got these: I’ve never read anything by Elizabeth Strout, so I have a question for the Strout lovers out there- is it okay if I read this book first? Is everyone screaming that I should return this and get one of the earlier books??? If so, what book would I start with? When I got home I had a lovely nap (obviously) and then…. I cooked a dinner! Someone- and I’m sorry I can’t remember who- posted a photo of a stir fry with cashews this week, and it inspired me. It was yummy, AND THERE ARE LEFTOVERS! I will not be cooking tomorrow (as a followup to yesterday’s post- this was one of the nights my husband wasn’t home to make dinner.) 9 pm- reading in bed. What a nice day!!! How would you spend a day off in the middle of the week? Have you read either of these books?