There have been dozens of spring blossoms featured on this blog from many blue-skied, sunny afternoons and there will be dozens more. I simply can’t help myself. Wherever you are, I hope you have a Monday that is as sweet as these flowers.
Today I am kissing the weekend goodbye with a photo gallery from my most recent adventures out on the trails. Even the tiniest speck red on the wings of a ladybug or the faint blush of fresh spring blossoms is enough to make me long for the kaleidoscope of vivid greens, yellows, blues and nearly every other color under the Sun which graces Valparaiso amid the heat of summer. What colors did you notice today?
Good morning and welcome to a fresh start. This weekend was full of blessings, everything from my family spending three days hiking, eating, drinking and relaxing with me in Indiana to finally completing my sacraments of initiation in order to fully enter into the Catholic church. Congratulations to everyone who participated in a similar celebration on Saturday evening. You are reborn! I hope everyone had a happy Easter as I did, surrounded by family for a long sunny weekend.
Happy Friday! Today’s post is short at sweet, inspired by this friendly face and dozens of squirrel puns discovered through a quick Google search. However, it’s valuable advice that we could all take to heart a little more. In my experience, the things that terrify you tend to be the very best things for you. I don’t mean horror movie jump scares or the feeling of dread you get when walking the streets alone at night.
I’m talking about the electrifying thrill of taking chances in life, like that time you finally got up enough courage to ask out your crush. In school and work, it’s often best to err on the side of caution. However, when it comes to leading your best life, sometimes it pays to go a little nuts.
What chances are you taking in your life?
Do you eat when you’re bored? Do you nap when you’re overwhelmed? Do you get distracted with pleasant hobbies when there are still pressing items on the day’s agenda? There’s a chance you’re not stuck in a rut at all. Maybe you just need to go for a run. Today, for the umpteenth time, I discovered the rejuvenating powers of an afternoon jog through the neighborhood. It was sprinkling outside as I began my workout but with the weather warming up, the misting was a welcome and refreshing wake up call.
Summer is on the way and the world is beginning to stir from it’s black and white slumber. Soon color will return to the trees like the birds have already. People will linger outdoors on apartment balconies and wooded lakeshore trails to savor every drop of sunshine during the longer days.
The world is waking up. Get outside and be a part of it!
When people hear that you’re from Colorado they often respond with a conspiratorial raising of eyebrows and a knowing smile. There seems to be a general assumption that, as a Coloradan, you partake in certain recreational activities for which Colorado has become known in recent years. This, in my opinion, is a rather unfair assumption. Allow me to set the record straight once and for all. We don’t all like to hit up the local dispensaries when we’re in town, not when there are so many mountains to summit instead. This is my rocky mountain high.
I had no idea what to write this evening but as the hours slipped by I found myself scrolling through hundreds of photos that I’ve collected during my adventures since moving to Indiana. I couldn’t help chuckling when I came to this one. I heard Vizzini’s nasally and emphatic exclamation as he and his company approached the cliffs with the captive princess Buttercup.
No matter what the weather, local popcorn celebrity, Orville Redenbacher is always ready to welcome visitors to Valparaiso, sitting in the Central Park Plaza in his characteristic bow tie. My parents and I couldn’t resist snapping a photo on this frosty afternoon. However, Orville is certainly in for more comfortable weather as the snow melts and Spring comes into view.
Happy Monday! After nearly three weeks of temperatures reaching zero and below, warmer weather is returning. The crackling silver snow is retreating everyday, birds are trickling back into the treetops and soon, the world will wake up. Spring is just around the corner.
Good morning Indiana! Dawn is breaking over another snowy white winter day. Everywhere icicles ornament the rooftops so that Valparaiso looks like a town of gingerbread houses, each one an individual masterpiece.
This glittering silver perfection commands a magic unto itself but can also make for treacherous driving conditions when you discover that your brakes don’t function quite like they do on dry roads. To everyone not working from home or on their way back from a weekend visit with family or friends, drive carefully.
Girl of Steel 