My creative side is very opposed to following routines. I have learned that my inspiration to be creative or to write or even to be happy doesn't come from quiet. It comes when my mind is un-numb. While routines are very helpful for managing the tasks of life, they are numbing to the brain.

I chose "joy" as my word for 2013. I have a tendency to overwhelm myself with hard-to-achieve goals and projects. I would prefer to do things that bring me joy instead of just giving me a feeling of accomplishment when they are checked off of a list after a ton of hard work.

This summer I decided to try some new things just because they sounded really fun. I ran my first trail race (the 5.8 mile short course of The Dirty Secret Trail Run) in May. The race was hard and the weather was HOT. It wasn't what I expected in that way, but it was so great to be out on a trail, in nature, instead of on a city street.

On Saturday night I ran another trail race. This time it was 10k (6.2 miles) in the DARK! In spite of the difficulty of the run (there was a very steep 1 1/2 mile hill just after mile 3) and the fact that I took a huge fall (olympic potential gymnastics here, people) I absolutely loved it. I loved watching the sky change as the sun set when we started.


I loved the firefly-like line of glow sticks and headlamps on the trail in front of and behind me. I loved the "take-your-time-to-take-it-all-in" vibe of the race. I loved that those ahead would warn those behind of rocks and other obstacles. I loved the minute or so that I stopped on a hill and turned off my headlamp to admire quiet night in the darkness. It was new. It was nature-y. It was awesome. Joy. Mission accomplished.

Ready to run; I'm on the right:


Other posts on un-numbing and joy:
Thank you, vacation
Fortified
Staying afloat: My bag of tricks for staying buoyant 
Why I tri

Each week during our summer vacation I will be posting a photo summary. I will include photos that capture the mood of our days and how we're spending them.

This week we...

…had a birthday:



…visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium:



…enjoyed the company of mama birds and their babies in our yard:



…picked the first zucchini from our garden:



…planned and hosted our first grilled pizza and s'mores cookout on a very hot summer (almost) evening:



…and enjoyed blooming flowers in the hot valley sunshine:

We are on the countdown to summer vacation here. We have a little bit of busy left with a final baseball game, a preschool graduation, birthdays to celebrate, teachers to thank, etc. I am both looking forward to and bracing myself for a couple months' break from our school year routine. I will spend whole days with my boys. Boys who are more active and more easily bored than they were a year ago. Boys who are loud and curious and messy.

In my usual way, I have created a loose plan for us (summers past: summer manifesto 2012, summer ideas for 2011). Lists of things to do and projects to channel messes into creativity. I have some special things in the works too. Adventures, camping trips, hikes, and even a fun project or two that carry a lesson in kindness to others. I'll share more on that in a couple of weeks.

I haven't been blogging nearly as frequently lately as I have in the past. There are really two reasons for that; one more obvious than than the other. My days have changed in their rhythm. I have more stops to make, more places to go to watch boys throw balls, run, swim, kick, and race things. I also have been thinking a lot about my mission with this space. Not just the topics of posts but the overall direction of my blog. My heart has changed and grown a larger place for things beyond food and healthy eating. I am holding space in my heart for something bigger.

I will turn 40 this summer and, with that, comes a lot of introspection. This summer will be an experiment for me. I am writing to record things for me. Things that I want to remember and things that I want to share with others so that they might add them to their summer plans as well. I have a summer writing calendar that I will attempt to follow. I will be sharing our projects, adventures, joyful things, and some food stuff too. Mostly, I want to capture what I think will be both a great summer and a period of growth for me.

My seven year old wrote a short paragraph and drew a picture to share his summer plans:

Happy summer!

I have been doing a lot of running lately. More than usual because I am training for a St. Patrick's Day half marathon. My long run days are now 8-10 mile runs and, for that distance, I sometimes need a little energy boost in the middle. I have used gel packets (like this) in the past but I get burned out on those really quickly and I'm ready for something new.

For the past few long runs I have been carrying a little ziploc bag of dates in my SPIbelt (yes, I am a hippie freak), but I really wanted to try a new combination of flavors. I am a HUGE fan of lemon desserts and coconut too. Because they are mostly dates and cashews, these balls are similar to Larabars but the flavor is even better! They are so, so good!


Did you know…? Dates contain glucose which makes them a great food for quick energy. Read more here.


Lemon Coconut Energy Balls
Makes about 7 1-inch balls

1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup coconut flakes (the big crunchy ones work great!)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
A small pinch of salt

Variation: Use lime zest instead of lemon for Key Lime Coconut Energy Balls!