SPECIAL FAVES

 

I don't know about you, but  are you amazed that it's the month of March already??  I am.

I honestly thought this Winter would drag with me being in my first year of retirement, but it's gone by so quickly!!  Just 20 more days until Spring!! 

It's been a week of special blessings so I'm going to share FIVE of them and be prepared: there will be a lot of photos...but photos are fun, right? I'm joining in with other  FAVE FIVE ladies who all link up at our host's site:  Susanne!!  Thanks, Susanne for keeping us in an attitude of gratitude.  Here's the FIVE things that I'm most grateful for this week: 

During the curtain call, one of the male dancers 
held up their flag and their national anthem was played. 
It was very sobering.  

image courtesy of the IL*VENY website

• GRAND KYVIV BALLET:  Claire (my own "Giselle") and I had a mother daughter date night last Saturday evening at this place in Albany (just a 20 min drive from her apartment). We saw this ballet company for the first time and were blown away.  It's a small company but they were wonderful.  The thing that totally surprised us was the ballerina playing Giselle did NOT do the 32 hops in the solo number.  Claire did!!  She was able to do this difficult solo piece for her high school senior ballet solo show and did it flawlessly.  So we were shocked that this ballerina only did 2 hops.  We were so hoping to see a professional do it again. (We have seen NYCB do it and it's awesome). The other thing I'm thankful for, besides the amazing evening out, was that we ran into Claire's ballet and advanced/pointe teachers in the lobby.  She had these ladies from age 3 until age 18.  How precious these 2 women are to us. I'm so thankful we went to this show. 

my Monday morning breakfast
Avocado and egg on a croissant and fruit

my cousin's decadent breakfast:  fresh raspberries on waffle

• BREAKFAST OUT!  On Monday morning, my cousin Trisha and I finally had the chance to meet for breakfast at this amazing place.  I've always wanted to go but just never have taken the time to do so.  It was fantastic. The chef herself came out to welcome us.  What a fantastic place for breakfast or lunch.  It's sort of like a "farm to table" place with specials that change monthly depending on what the local produce is.  Everything is made to order.  Everything is fresh and delicious.  Highly recommend it if you're a reader of my blog from the capital region. I'm thankful we had the chance to eat good food and catch up with each other. 

beginning of Tall Spruce Trail 

Tall Spruce Trail towards meadow

Forts Ferry Loop Trail

Erie Canal at Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve
Saratoga County, NY
27 February

• AFTERNOON HIKE:  Tuesday in the early part of the afternoon, I had my chiropractic appointment and it was such a gloriously sunny and warm day (64!!  in eastern NY!!) that I decided on a whim to hike in a nature preserve which is about 4 miles from the chiropractor.  Although I didn't have my hiking boots on or hiking pants, I did have my power walking sneakers.  I knew there would be mud....and mud there was!  So I chose another trail that was a bit less muddy.  Only to discover that about 1 mile in, the trail I was on (Tall Spruce) was leading me to a path of ankle deep mud.  So...I turned onto another loop trail I've never hiked before that led past a meadow and then back along the canal  to the main trail.  I saw 2 huge deer leaping out from the brush on the edge of the meadow (a buck and doe) and sadly, couldn't get to my phone in time to snap a pic.  Then I heard the plop of a beaver and heard his tail thwacking through the brush on the edge of the canal....saw just a glimpse of him.....I also saw many red-winged blackbirds, cardinals, jays, and  chickadees.  Finally, back on the main trail and over the bridge of the canal, I saw geese.  There were many people walking or jogging on the main trail but I was the only one on my return jaunt down the Forts Ferry loop.  I'm thankful for easy access to beautiful nature preserves where I can do some "winter" hiking. My fitbit clocked the hike at 1.7.  It would have been 2.2 if I could have gone the entire way down Tall Spruce.  I've decided I'll go back and attempt it in May when the mud should be dried up!

fresh berries and 80% dark Cocao

new- to- me tea

• HEALTHFUL SNACKS: This past week I've been focusing on eating less sugary granola bars or fruit bars (22 g per bar!! yikes)  and more natural sugars. (we tend to eat dinner around 6:30 so around 3 I like to have some kind of snack) My glucose is always within normal limits at my annual blood labs but I've noticed over the past couple of years that it's getting to the higher end of normal vs the lower end.  So I've stopped eating snacks that come in a box like my fave protein bars I use for hiking (I'll save them for one per hike)and honestly they're so pure that the 11 grams of sugar is fine) , and instead am doing a handful of fresh berries and super dark pure chocolate. I've also stopped drinking coffee most afternoons and have switched to some new herbal teas.  The one I picture above is brand new to me and so far it's my fave from the other 3 new ones I've tried this winter (Blackberry- Citrus, Spiced Chai, and Tumeric Vitality with sweet ginger and citrus).  I'm thankful for healthier choices and an abundance of good herbal teas. 

• GAS STOVE!  I am SO thankful we own a gas stove/oven.  Although the oven won't work if we have a power outage, the gas stove will, obviously, if we're willing to light a match.  We woke up yesterday (after a night of rain and high winds) to no power in the house. My husband figured out it had gone out around 12:15 AM.  We woke up at 6 to his phone alarm and the house was down to 58 degrees.  So we bundled up in sweatshirts, wool socks and winter hiking pants and wrapped our wool blankets around us that Dave bought in Guatamala.  He then lit the stove and I was able to make us each a mug of coffee since I own a French Press and a Pour Over. That mug of coffee sure tasted good and warmed our hands!  He left for work around 7:30 and the heat came back on around  9 AM.  Internet was restored when he came home for lunch by a flick of a button and then some wire thing he does down in the basement. I spent the mid-morning at the town library and kept thanking God for a warm house and I was reminded to NOT take things like gas heat for granted. 

That wraps up my faves for the week.

BONUS FAVE:  Here I'm trying to cut down on things like cookies, fruit bars, brownies and Dave surprises me with this:

a Macadamia Nut Chip Cookie

And yes....I ate it. 

Have a wonderful first weekend of March!!