December Challenge -I went to the woods

This has been an oh so busy month and in the last day and a half, I have managed to get in some readings by Muir and Thoreau on the wonders of nature and I am looking forward to going into nature for my birthday. I am looking forward to continuing my monthly challenges for my own personal enrichment and now that the holidays are over, I received my last gift today, I can dedicate more of my time to my challenges. I am looking forward to continued growth in 2012. Here's to sucking out all of the marrow of life.

December Challenge -I went to the woods

I have decided that for the month of December even though I probably will not physically go into the cold damp woods, I will read daily thoughts and meditations on nature and I am have starting off with Thoreau and Muir. When I find quotes that I love I will post them and my thoughts on the subject. I know this is going to be a hectic month and reading my daily meditations will help to ground the stress right out of me.

I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately

I wanted to live deep and suck out all of the marrow of life!

To put to rout all that was not life...

And not, when I came to die, discover

that I had not lived...

Henry David Thoreau

November Challenge--My Quest to Become Centenarian

My quest to become a centenarian is of course an ongoing adventure but in November I was suppose to focus in by reading a couple of books on the subject and well, I am only a quarter of the way through one of the books. Between preparing my home for the holidays, finishing the last Harry Potter book before Twilight came out(I needed a goal in order to complete the last of the series), and traveling to visit my sister who has been in the hospital for a month, I fell short on this challenge. One thing I did do this month that put a smile on my face was to create what I call hanging protection altars for my pen pals as we celebrated our penniversary by exchanging art in honor of our year.

Shadow Shot Sunday

I hope you all have had a marvelous week and are looking forward to the coming week.

Tonight we set our clocks back one hour, yes, we fall back and I am looking forward to being cozy in my lovely cottage which I named Hummingbird cottage about seven years ago.

This is my small contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday!

November Challenge--My Quest to Be a Centenarian

Decades ago I read a story in the old Prevention magazines about a land where people lived to be well over a hundred and I decided that I would love to be a centenarian. I have always been a late bloomer so let's hope that I can keep this bloom blooming for at least forty more years. I want to be a healthy centenarian but I have not done all of the right things when it comes to my body, I have spent a lot more energy working on my mind and spirit. Over the past five years or so, I have totally dropped the ball when it comes to physical exercise which for most of my life was dance. Don't get me wrong, I still love to dance but being in a dance studio with all of the creepy competitive energy just doesn't fit my nature so, I walked away from it all. This past month I found a wonderful Pilates instructor and signed up for private lessons. It is time to whip my body back into shape. To help me achieve my goal of becoming a centenarian, I have study the books to find out what all I should and shouldn't be doing. As long as there is life in my body, I can make changes in my life that will enrich my health. This month I will continue to eat smart and to do my pilates and I will also read a couple of books on the secrets to longevity.

My husband has a nook and I have the kindle and today we started reading, "The most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Jonny Bowden.

Shadow Shot Sunday

I have been a little too busy lately but when I laid on my new couch to rest a couple of days ago and saw this shadow, I remember all of the crew over at shadow shot sunday.

October Food Challenge

Fall is not quite here and so instead of doing things around the home fire, I am still out and about having fun at street festivals and cafes with friends and family. I am sticking to my food challenge and as a result, I have some new old clothes that I can finally fit into! Fitting into cute clothes was not my goal in this challenge but when I stop eating pasta, sugar and rice, it is as though someone stuck a pin in me and let all of the air out. White flour really does a number to my body. Also, my pilates class is helping to put my body back together again!