How is August (already) coming to a close?
Anyone have an answer? Anyone? Bueller?
My best defense, in terms of the upcoming change of seasons, is to embrace every remaining moment of Summer while it’s still clear and present. Thankfully, this week afforded me such a luxury!
Those being said, there’s a few things to bring to the ‘Fessional before the month winds down. Care to join me?
Such was the theme, in terms of weather, this week. Although we did get some (limited) intermittent sunshine, the bulk of the week featured damp air and cloudy skies. At least it never snowed, so there’s that.
Although our weather is (currently) mild, and our temps are on an upward trend, I’m always down for a delish hot beverage.
Anyone else?
Disclaimer: most know I don’t care for coffee itself. Give me a hot & steamy foo-foo beverage, though, and all is well in my “coffee world.”
I’m always ready, as well, to gather with the gals for some lively chatter. What say we grab our beverages-of-choice and have at it? Shall we celebrate the upcoming spring season, together, over a coffee meet-up?
Holy Yikes, it done got cold this week!
I’m really glad there’s a virtual coffee meet-up on the roster. The conversation may be happening on a virtual basis, but my drink is real and it’s warm, sweet and oh-so-soothing.
Can you say Sunshine?
This past week was full of it! You know I was all about that, and I have some goofy tan lines (already) to show for it.
With weather like this, keeping my #OptOutside steak alive was an effortless no-brainer (BTW, as this post goes to press, my streak at 1,634 days). I’m all about that too.
It was almost as if Momma N was refereeing (or taunting?) the outgoing Spring and incoming Summer in a battle of seasonal weather. We had extreme heat (with sky-high humidity), plenty of rain and all kinds of psychotic wind.
Remember, this is Iowa. Anything calm just wouldn’t be our norm.
I love me some action-packed weeks, even if that means I'm craving a little extra sleep by week's end.
This week had me doing a little bit (actually a “lot of bit,” LOL) of everything. Hey, it keeps me young!
There was a lot to smile about this week.
After almost two weeks of endless cold, wind and snow (not necessarily in that order), we got a much-appreciated winter thaw. Case in point, the daily snow shoveling didn't have to happen on the daily anymore. I was able to get outside for more than just driveway boot camp. And, the excess layers of gear were no longer necessary.
Granted, winter is still far from over. Just having this nice reprieve, though, makes it feel like we've turned the corner on my least favorite season. That's worthy of a lot of smiling!
Not only has January 2024 gone quickly, but the monthly trip to the 'fessional is already upon us. Yikes, how did that happen? Oh well, the faster we get through January, the sooner we'll get to summer.
As per usual, there's always a few 'fessions that need mention. You know the drill...we 'fess the 'fessions, and we move on.
Summer has been booked for an extended stay, and I couldn't be happier!
Just when I had pretty much accepted that fall was setting up homestead, this past week rewarded me with a summer weather encore. The mornings were still cool, but not as cool as they had been recently. The afternoons, though...ahhh! Pure bliss!
This past week also had me approaching the taper phase of my prep for the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon. There was a lot of fitnessing going on, and plenty of sweat equity banked. And I was loving every minute of it!
That being said, this past week certainly looked (and felt) like a preview of Fall 2023. No kidding, we had temps in the 50F's almost every morning! I cannot deny those temps are ideal for running, but not in late August (in my ever-so-humble opinion). At least it wasn't snowing...
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So, yeah. Here we are again...ready to gather over coffee, or any beverage of choice.
Most know I am not a coffee connoisseur (though I find the fragrance quite heavenly, LOL). I am a foo-foo cappuccino gal, though. Even in the heavy heat and humidity of summer, I want my "traditional" hot beverage to be - you guessed it - steaming hot. There's something about the warmth from the drink that I find quite soothing and relaxing...no matter what the mercury is showing outdoors.
That probably comes as no surprise since I'm a heat-loving gal anyways. I guess you could say I'm the polar-opposite of Elsa: the heat never bothered me anyways, LOL... with beverages or in terms of outdoor fitness fun.
It's hard to believe we are already 1/3 of the way through 2023. Time flies, am I right?
Anyways, it's time for the monthly gathering of friends, mugs and chatter. It's always nice having a coffee chat and playing catch-up.
Shall we get this May Chat started?
What did I see on my last (significant) run?
Well, that would be the Full Snow Moon, of course. The Snow Moon, which is actually the second full moon of the year, is so named for the typical heavy snow fall received in the month of February (source).
Ironically, this full moon made its appearance amidst a slight warm-up (and melting snow), at least in Iowa. You won't hear me complaining about that kind of weather condition, though. This full moon was simply majestic, with a clear sky, and it thoroughly lit the way for another full moon run.
Yes, another full moon run - my 22nd such run, in fact.
Whatever it takes, I'm on board.
Especially when it comes to an injury-related rally-back situation, keeping the focus on the rehab (over the FOMO) is paramount. This has been the case for me, with my most recent healing hammy scenario.
The past week had me digging deep to stay on task with the rally-back action, and it kept me busy...
