And for those that like my post on home-made Mango Jam,
http://walkruninspired.com/2014/06/25/home-made-mango-jam/
I have to also share that we decided to make some strawberry jam afterwards too! Sticky, sweet, messy fun!
Its mango season in South Florida! People who are blessed enough to have a tree in their back yard are eating them up and desperately trying to give them away to co-workers, neighbors and friends, lest they should rot on the ground or get eaten by squirrels, opossums… or the dog. (My dog Charlie has eaten a few of my neighbor’s mangos and has come back into the house with quite the cute mango mustache on several occasions.)
Well, my caddy corner neighbor and my mother’s next door neighbor has the most gorgeous and fruit-filled mango tree in the neighborhood. Luckily they believe that sharing is caring and gave us a few. And this is what we came up with to use up that yummy goodness. Mango jam!!
Delicious on toast, on a ritz cracker with cream cheese, in the center of thumb print cookies or simply spooned right into your mouth! Although the process is fun, its time consuming and messy. All worth it in the end, though. Check out the photos of our afternoon together.
Two assignments done, reading (kinda) done, still running and still blogging. Week one of balancing everything is almost under my belt… Only got 5 more to go! LOL
Today (and always) I’m grateful for my mom’s commitment to taking care of my furry children when I’m gone all day. I can tell they miss me terribly because they whimper when I get home. 😦 Poor babies. At least I know they’re being well taken care of and aren’t spending too much time alone.
Happy Mother’s Day to all my friends who are mothers, step mothers, soon to be mothers, like mothers, nurturers and caregivers. All women are honored on this day for all the ways that we are maternal and loving! Xoxo
Let me begin by asking you something… Do I look like my mom, OR WHAT?! LOL (she can’t deny me, thats for sure.)
I had all the good intentions in the world to wake up early and do my regular early morning long run this Saturday but… when the alarm went off at 6:30 and I heard the rain falling outside I decided to cuddle up with Max a little longer and stay comfy in my bed.
It appeared to clear up a bit by 8:30 so I called my mom and did an impromptu trip to the beach. We only stayed for about 45 minutes because it got cold and rainy again (despite how sunny the sky appears to be in this picture, it was short lived.)
Not a bad way to start the weekend, though…. and to end my Saturday on a sweet note, dinner with my dad and step mom 🙂
My mother has got to be just about the cutest thing ever…. And its heartwarming to know that she is inspired to get on her bike and do exercise because she sees me doing something almost every day after work.
When I shared that I had ridden my bike earlier, she decided she wanted in on the action. She asked is she could come by my house and do my go-to butt workout video with me.:
http://walkruninspired.com/2014/01/22/new-favorite-exercises-for-butt-and-thighs/
When I saw her riding her bike down the street towards my house through the living room window, my heart just about melted. She’s the best 🙂
Today, I am once again grateful for my mother who is a SAINT for putting up with my crazy ideas. Although I told her this afternoon that I wouldn’t need her help in finishing the quilt, my poor mom called me around 8:30 to see how it was going… Around 8:35 she was back at my house in her PJs on her knees stretching out my quilt and pinning it together with the batting and back panel.
After over an hour of trying to figure out WHY it wasn’t coming together right (the batting kept bunching) we decided to change the game-plan. I folded over and sewed in the edge of the front panel to make it look nice and neat, then put ribbons on the top to make it easy to hang and omitted the batting and back panel all together… it IS for decorative purposes any how. No one will be using it to cuddle on the couch with so, why should it have batting? 😉 Plus, it turned out gorgeous!
We took turns getting frustrated with one another, we both yelled at Max for insisting on using the quilt as his doggie bed on more than one occasion, we problem solved together and we laughed hysterically at how ridiculously more complicated we had made a few steps (K.I.S.S.) All in all, a pretty awesome time.
Check out these photos:
Yesterday, I was grateful for my mother for coming over to save the day after a minor mishap with my STUPID sewing machine. She came over in her pjs and (after some eye rolling) helped me fix it and (almost) finish the front panel of the Kindness Quilt I’m making for my students in honor of Kindness month…
Here’s what it looked like yesterday:
Today, I struggled to help children at the school where I work who recently and lost their mother. As I sat with them in my office, I thought about my relationship with my own mother and where I would be without her. She drives me CRAZY… but I am thankful to have her in my life. In fact, I am doubly lucky because I also have an amazing step-mom who loves me dearly. And, although she was not yet part of my life while I was growing up, I feel as though I’ve known her forever.
Mothers and maternal figures are so important to our development as children and our continued growth as adults. Yes, they may be opinionated, over-bearing, controlling, hormonal and frequently exhibit behaviors very similar to the symptoms of bipolar disorder but, … we should cherish every moment we have with them here on earth.
(Mom and I making cookies at her place)
My parents were pretty strict with us. By some people’s measure, it could be said that they were down-right controlling. There wasn’t a whole lot of wiggle-room for personal preference when it came to how we dressed or how clean we kept our rooms. There were some pretty clear guidelines on the types of grades we needed to get in school and the kind of company we could keep as well. This was, of course, their attempt to keep us on the straight and narrow. And for all intended purposes, it worked. Both my sister and I are educated, reasonably successful and law-abiding citizens.
That being said, however, when it came to us expressing our creativity through artistic projects, they made sure that our universe was limitless. We were not only given free rein to do almost anything, but were encouraged to do so. This was freedom…this is how we shined.
Thinking back on it as an adult, I question whether or not I would allow my own kids to do the sorts of projects I did independently… I remember sewing my dolls clothes with my mom’s Singer and baking cookies on my own while she cleaned the house. I also remember sitting at the work bench in the garage for hours creating who-knows-what with bits of wood, paint and a very hot glue gun without any type of supervision. I am happy to report that I still have all 10 fingers and am free of any permanent burn marks or scars but… I wouldn’t risk it with my own kids if I were to ever have any. (OK, ok, so “who’s the control freak now?” I get it… )
Ever since I can remember, my mom has been the queen of creativity. When my sister and I were little, she made toys for us out of felt, sewed us dresses and Halloween costumes, baked us cupcakes to take to our friends at school, pickled the vegetables she had grown in our backyard, crocheted us afghans, hats and scarves and prepared the most comforting dinners… all while looking stunningly beautiful in her totally 80’s blue eye shadow and awesome permed hair-do, of course.
As if having the most beautiful, loving, culinarily-talented and crafty mom in the whole universe wasn’t good enough, she was a willing teacher as well. The best part was that, although she was teaching me a skill she had already mastered, most of the things I remember us doing together were experimental to her. Although she knew how to crochet, the stitch was new to her. Although she was a great cook, the cake or cookie recipe was new to her. Although she was a great seamstress, the pattern was new to her. Seeing my mother giggle at her own mistakes and curiously try different ways to create something always filled me with wonder and the desire to do the same.
The projects were inspired by us and she inspired us by making them with us. What could be a better life lesson or expression of love?
Now that I work at a school and have lots of little munchkins to make things for (and with), I find myself newly inspired to experiment myself. Popcorn “witch hands” for Halloween, pumpkin muffins, “Kindness Quilts”, quirky bulletin boards and decorative cupcakes… I could create an infinite list of projects I’d like to try and I’ll always wonder if I’m having more fun than they are while we work on them together.
Who taught you the value of creativity? Who inspires you now? What new projects are you working on? Please share!!
Little Miss Sunshine State 