Scrappy Hearts

Random Thoughts

Tonight, while I ran, I was reminded of why I love to be out walking or running after the sun sets on a warm early summer evening, honeysuckle. There is something intoxicating about the smell of honeysuckle in the evening. It reminds me of summer romances, long reflective walks, bike rides at the beach and the juicyness of nature when everything is abloom. I just love this time of year. 

Before with no After

Unfortunately. You see, I stayed at work late on Friday evening to get my desk and tables cleared. Jess called and I was so sure that I would be able to clear the tables in an hour, I told her I would post before and after photos.

Well, needless to say, that didn't happen. So tonight I am posting the before photos in the hope that that will motivate me to get the job done and soon. There are only 13 days left of school. Time is running out and I have got to get my act together!

Road Trip Planning

Tonight we sat down and did a little planning for the summer months. I have my summer job lined up and have planned for some time off before getting in too deep. I was suffering from a bit of anxiety regarding the whole "take some time off" thing, but now that we have a plan, an agenda and a road map, I am relaxing into the thought of traveling just a bit.The truth is, I love to get on the road without much of a plan. This summer though, we have a few obligations that need to be met and that adds a bit of stress to the entire process. We are on our way, however. 

It looks like we will visit several national parks, catch up with family, spend time with old friends and even have a couple of minutes of relaxation. Oh, and I forgot to mention, several nights of camping. Can't wait!

Now to find out where all the quilt shops are...

I Love NY

Saturday we spent a couple of magical hours in New York City. We met Jess for dinner and then caught a show at Pianos. It was truly magical.

Quotes I Love

“I love spring anywhere,

but if I could choose

I would always greet it

in a garden.” 

― Ruth Stout

I’ve Been Busy

And it seems I keep getting busier and I am not sure how that happens. But last night, I took the evening off. I ventured over to my BFF's house for a sewing party. We were the only guests and I was the only sewer, so I am not sure it constitutes a party, but that's what I am calling it.

We have not had an opportunity to hang out together since our weekend in Lancaster just about a month ago. Last night was fun. She did paperwork and I sewed. We watched Mama Mia and sang our little hearts out. 

We caught up on life, medical concerns and future plans. I cured her liver failure and she made me smile. We are just too giddy when we get together and I love that about us! I was out way too late for a school night and she was up way too late for her. It was all good.

Sometimes we just need to let our hair down and hang with our buddies. We are just so lucky to have found each other!

Training Update

Currently, Jackie and I are training 6 days a week. She is much better at keeping up with her running and biking than I am, but I am getting better. 

I started seeing a sports doctor to help with the issues that I am having with my legs. After dealing with debilitating pain in my hips during most of the spring and winter, I was diagnosed with piriformis syndrome. Actually knowing what the issue is has definitely helped. Now I have an exercise routine that I need to follow and I visit the doctor once a week for "needle therapy". Today was my second visit and even though the injections hurt like heck, I believe I am seeing some relief.

Last night was the best combination bike/run that I have had in a long time. Tonight, Jackie and I had swim sprints. It took us a little longer than we had hoped, but we finished and felt good afterward.

Our first tri of the season will be the "Queen of the Hill" race sponsored by the Mullica Hill Women's Tri Club at the end of June. After that, we are not scheduled for another tri until September's Iron Girl Tri in Sandy Hook. I would like to sign up for one more, but I am not sure that Jackie will be willing. We'll have to see. 

Interspersed with the tris, we have a couple of 5K's and a couple of 5 mile races. I am anxious to compete in a half marathon so I am hoping that the therapy for my hips will do the trick. In the meantime, we are in week 6 of our training, and all is going much better than last year!

Project Life 2013, Week 17

In case you hadn't noticed, I am now, permanently, a week behind in my Project Life posts. That translates to being a week behind in actually completing my spreads. Thank goodness!

I was feeling such stress having to get my spreads done by Tuesday. I didn't feel like I was doing the project justice. I was moving too quick and not enjoying the process. Now that I have slowed down a bit, things are just so much better!Week 17 started on Sunday, April 21st. It was the day before my 2nd wedding anniversary and the day Bunkey and I drove into Philly from Lancaster. It was a chilly Sunday, but the sun was shining and the day was bright!

Monday was a personal day from school so that Mark and I could spend some time together. We ventured into a Curtis Recital at St. Mark's Church and then we treated ourselves to lunch at PARC. Such fun we had.The first insert includes photos from our anniversary. The second insert includes the program from the recital at the church.The next set of inserts includes a note from Mark's sister Karen and the anniversary cards that I got from Mark.Finally, onto page two of the spread.During this week I completed a hand quilted table-runner that I sent to my sister Suzy for her birthday. The photo on the upper right is one Jess posted for #throwbackthursday on Facebook. On Saturday, Mark and I worked at the animal hospital with Bunkey and Eddie. We had a great day and we treated ourselves to lunch at the Rustic Grill. We had delicious salads.Another insert may be added to this just to show some of the shots we took at the animal hospital on Saturday. It was really a good time and I want to be sure to include those thoughts and photos in this album.

So, there it is, Week 17. I have been inspired by so many people and their different approaches to Project Life. Pinterest is full of good inspiration. I admire the creativity but feel that for me, right now, I need to keep things very simple. And, I'm really okay with that!

I will be linking up over at The Mom Creative. You may also want to check out some of the Project Life posts at Ali Edwards, Becky Higgin's Blog and Cathy Zielske. One of my favorites right at the moment, is Elise Blaha. I love her style!

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Finally Finished

I can cross one project off the short list, finally!Not sure I really know how long I have had this quilt in the works, but tonight I tied the final knots and signed the signature block. This was one of those quilts that I put aside after making a mistake that I didn't know how to fix. I think I had put it aside for 6 years. Really. Once I took a closer look at it, just a couple of weeks ago, I realized that the remedy was really quite simple! Just think, I could have been done with this project years ago! Well, tonight it's finished and I am a very happy camper. I love the colors. I love the softness. I can't wait to use it!Now, to finish the other five projects before June 30th!

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Mothers’ Day 2013

So blessed to have a second day in a row filled with everything I love.There was hanging in my jammies and cooking until the afternoon.Roasting vegetables for this week's dinners.Delicious arugula salads with apricots. Yum!Delicious dinner for two prepared by my son Jason!A long conversation with Jessica. She posted this photo on Facebook, I love remembering sweet moments.The first roses have bloomed on our yard.And the opportunity to work on a quilt that I have been trying to finish for a couple of days.What a wonderful day!