Cruisin' the Gut with my Main Man

An event Hunter and I look forward to and plan every summer is the annual Cruisin' the Gut in downtown Vancouver. Thousands of people converge downtown to look at cars, socialize and wake nostalgic about the good ol' days, reminiscing about first dates and first cars. According to The Columbian, there were more than 1,000 classic cars drawn to this event.

Hunter cannot get enough of them. He loves Ford Mustangs. He loves Corvettes. And now, he loves mini Coopers, or any car from Britain. Why? Because their steering wheels are on the right side. Ironic, eh? Here's a boy who doesn't even get irony. It's way beyond his "getting." He sees things differently, pretty much black-and-white. Things should always be how they've always been.

But lately, I've been noticing changes in my young grandson. In two days he will be eleven. Sure enough, that's an age when you SHOULD be seeing some changes. But Hunter's always been shy about his opinions, at least shy enough that he worries if his differs from yours. But lately, he has been voicing more opinions and displeasures, and not really caring as much about whether you agree or not.

So this really struck me....he was not only cool with the fact that the steering wheel was on the right side, but intrigued! Even more so when I explained they also drive on the left in Britain. (I'm certain he went right home and looked up a video on YouTube just to witness that..)

Back to the Cruise In-- this was a 2-1/2 hour walking excursion, from 29th St. down to Sixth and back. There's no "part way" with him and this car show. We had to see them all. I'm so glad we've found something like this to do together, because he likes the cars, and I like the vibe and the memories. Maybe he likes the vibe, too. He has developed a kind of strut, walking a few steps ahead of me where he used to just hang right next to me, even holding my hand up until this year.

But there is a limit, even where he's concerned. About 13th St. on the way back to 29th, he slowed enough to say, "Granny, my feet are sore-ing."

Yeah, man, mine too.

The other day, I was in my garden just gazing at my green bean vines, noticing how beautiful they looked with all their differing shades of green, glinting in the sun with just-appearing blossoms....and I found myself choked with tears. The feeling washing over me was "this is how I'm supposed to live...this is contentment. This is how I always wanted to live. This, right now."

I only wish I'd found it sooner. My husband plays a huge, huge, part in this sense of contentment as he fully buys in to the notion of simplicity and doing for ourselves. We share core values associated with our style of living and that makes such a difference.

I intend to bottle away the aforementioned feeling--kind of a "happy place" moment--- to be uncorked on one of those drizzly days this winter when I feel sluggish and without purpose. Hopefully I can pour that feeling out and remember the throat lump and the misty-eyed revelation triggered by those verdant veggies that summer day.

What about you, dear reader? Have you ever had such a moment? Do you try and recall them in those later down times? Does it work for you?

Foodie Question--FMM

Thanks to Kenlie for hosting!

I guess for most of us who are trying to lose weight or maintain a weight, we're interested in food. I'm not sure I'm a certified "foodie," but I may be close. I've become more interested in making my own dishes, my own yogurt especially, eschewing pre-packaged products as much as possible. 

In the spirit of Friend Makin' Mondays, let's explore fun thoughts on food!

Foodie Questions

1. Do you make grocery lists?  I do, but I usually find out afterward they were incomplete.

2.  Do you have a routine when shopping in your favorite grocery store?  Produce first, refrigerated and frozen last. Avoid the chips/cookies section like the plague resides there.

3.  What is your favorite seasoning?  Chili pepper for corn-on-the-cob. I'm pretty much a salt & pepper girl.

4.  What is the healthiest food in your fridge right now?  My vanilla nonfat yogurt I made myself!

5.  What is the most unhealthy food in your fridge now?  Full fat mint butter.

6. What is the most exotic produce you’ve ever had? Dragonfruit. Look it up...it looks like dragon spawn, truly. And for the $8 I paid for it on a lark, it really wasn't worth it....evil.

7. Tell us about your favorite local restaurant.  There are several, but right now I'm loving Sabor Mexicano. The food is so fresh, the street tacos are small, just right for dinner and don't come with a bunch of other extraneous fatty Mexican goodness. The service is friendly and very fast, too.

8.  What kind of pasta do you prefer (regular, whole wheat, etc.?)  I don’t eat a lot of pasta, but I if I do, I usually get not whole grain, but a blend. Not a fan of WW texture. You?

9. If you could make one food calorie-free for an entire week, which food would you choose?  Oh! Oh! Chocolate chocolate chunk cookies! Please!!

10.  If you had to choose would you rather give up french fries or chocolate?  The fries---I've pretty much given them up already, and don't miss them....but chaawww-co-laaatttte...(drool).

Now it's your turn---how would you answer these questions?

Friend Makin' Monday
Linking from Kenlie's All The Weigh blog....check it out. Especially if, like me, you like weight loss support.

1.  Are you a planner, or do you prefer to see where the moment takes you?  I'm not averse to spontaneity, and I like to make plans. They just usually don't pan out, so I make room in my life for Plan B's.

2.  How often do you blog?  Not often enough. In my mind I blog a lot. It's just finding time and space to do it. I am still finding my voice and my focus.

3.  Do you color your hair?  Nope. Used to, but decided I just wasn't fooling anyone. And it's a hassle I can do without. I like my grays more and more as time goes on.

4. If you had to choose between running or riding a bike, which one would you choose?  I do bike.  I have for several years since I bought my sweet li'l yellow ride. I don't run unless I'm saving a child's life.

5.  Have you ever traveled outside of your home country?  Yes, when I was just out of high school I traveled to 12 European countries in eight weeks. I've also taken a trip to Guadalajara with my sister. 

6.  Do you like weddings?  I guess....I've had several. Ha!!

7.  What is your favorite guilty pleasure on TV?  I watch almost nothing but sports, but occasionally catch myself flipping around and stopping on shows featuring mediums reading people in the audience. I'm still on the fence about them.

8.  Are you good at math?  I used to hate math, or at the very least feel begrudging about it. But then in college I took three (only one was required; I became enthralled) courses of statistics. Yeah, I know.

9.  What is the last movie you watched?  I can't remember...it would have been further back than yesterday.

10.  Share five adjectives that your friends would use to describe you.  Smart, smart-alecky, caring, funny, flaky.

Bonus:  Did you celebrate Independence Day?  If so, what did you do? We went to a car cruise-in, a benefit for veterans' services here locally. Ate some semi-bad food there. Went home and prepared a killer barbecue for family. Then watched grandchildren light off fireworks and watched our skyline for the neighbors' light show. Went to bed at 10 to the sound of M-80's.

Should You Ever Stop Striving for More? (and just be happy where you are...)

A great question popped up on a LinkedIn group I read and follow:

Should you ever stop striving for more and just be happy where you are?

The conversation drew responses like wildfire. Many of the respondents are young working women at the beginning or middle of careers.  A great portion of these responses the young women indicate with enthusiasm they have no intention of losing their stride, ever looking for something more. Many say they are always looking for a way to improve their lot, move up and better their position.

There are some --both the young and some older women-- who answered from a little different angle; they feel happy where they are, but only because they continue to learn something on a regular basis. They have otherwise reached a career impasse.

A very few answered from the other side of the spectrum. They do not necessarily link their happy state with their ability to be upwardly mobile. Indeed, in this economy, some need to find their happiness in a static place, "bloom where you're planted," so to speak.

Finding happiness ("more?") only in an upward motion could be an effort in futility (bang head here) depending on where you live, what field you are in, and your age, among other factors.

As a woman getting up there past middle age, I am becoming aware I will likely not fulfill the dream I once had using the skill set I acquired through my education. But it doesn't stop me from trying new things---like this blog--- or pursuing other outlets which bring me happiness. I'm discovering my job does not define me at this point in my life. I've been there and done that. But what does define me is how I express myself, and what I do with my life outside of my job. Those things bring me happiness now. "More" might be learning a new skill or passing on a skill to someone else. "More" might mean branching out and doing something out of my comfort zone.

So....I guess in one sense, I can say that although I feel I've settled in my job, I have not stopped striving for happiness, if that's what "more" means.