Happy Thoughts - April 23

I am full of happy thoughts this morning.  It is another beautiful spring day.  I can't remember when we last had such a gorgeous spring.  So many years it either is cold and rainy or we go right into summer weather.  This has been idyllic - the kind that inspires poetry, painting, dancing, music.

Marcus and I have been continuing our outdoor adventures whenever possible.  These were inspired by a challenge over at 5 Orange Potatoes .  One day this week we were at the lake at Vassar and found a huge snapping turtle resting in the water.  At first we thought it was a turtle shaped log, it blended in so well with the murky bottom.  But then it slowly started to move away.  I had my camera but wasn't quick enough -we were too busy watching it.  He asks every day I see him "Can we go on an adventure now?"

The other great thing I'm enjoying this week is the Green Smoothie Challenge over at Enchanted Chameleon .  Suzanne set up a two week challenge with lots of encouragement, recipes, how - tos, where fores - and I am loving it!  I have NEVER been interested in drinking a meal.  That may go back to my high school days when I was trying to take off a few pounds and the rage was Metrecal.  Awful stuff.  I hated it, I resented having to drink a lousy tasting liquid while my friends were devouring their sloppy joes.  So even when I've read in the last few years how people enjoy their fruit smoothies for lunch, or hear about the raw food revolution and how good green smoothies are for you, I just wasn't that interested.  But lately I've been working on my well-being.  I'm 64.  I sing the Beatles song in my head a lot - "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?"  I've had some back problems  that have curtailed my rowing and have left me feeling weaker and less flexible.  So I took up yoga.  I've also started tai chi - something I did 30 years ago, and am now happy to be relearning.  I'm looking at my diet, wanting to divest myself of a few pounds.  And I want my food to be in line with my desire to care for the earth.  I was ready to hear Suzanne's message.

The first few days of the challenge I played it very safe.  A little leaf lettuce, some banana, mango, papaya; some spinach with banana, papaya and pineapple.  And I've only been drinking half a batch a day - waiting to see how my body would handle it.  But today I'm so excited because I went out hunting in the yard for some greens to add - dandelion leaves, red clover leaves, mint.  I mixed these in with some leaf lettuce, papaya and pineapple, two cups of water - delicious!  I am hooked!
All of these connections have come to me through Jamie's online book clubs - the current one being Happy Book Club .  There are so many wonderful people participating in these, all sharing some of their discoveries with each other.  Thank you!