21 July 2011

Addition to my Office

JP recently hung some shelves in my office which are to serve a couple of purposes. 1) Makes it more office like and 2) considering my office is in my bedroom for now, it is also holding pictures and other items that we had on the armoire in the room. I love the sleek look of the shelves.

The log cabin was a Lego purchase I made for ME . . . not the boy, not JP, but ME! I like to play with Legos as much as they do and I wanted the cabin! I put it together (sharing the fun with all) over the 4th of July weekend and decided to display it in my office. I figure it is also a visualization tool to manifest what I want . . . my own log cabin on a river with a canoe. I've just taken it up a notch from cutting pictures out of a magazine to make a story board of my wants, I create them with Legos!

JP asked if we could park his Ferrari next to the log cabin but I feel it is a bit pretentious to park your sports car next to your 2nd home.

19 July 2011

Hiking in the City

One of the best things about living in Phoenix is the accessibility of outdoor activities. We live within a mile of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve which is a fabulous "park" right in the middle of the city where we can hike, run, climb, and bike and feel like we are no where near civilization. Once the summer approaches and there is enough light for me to head out by 6am, I forgo the gym and choose to hike as many mornings a week as I can. I get lost on the trails and get excited when I see wildlife like coyote, quail and jackrabbits; I've even come across a rattlesnake. One day last summer I stopped to watch a coyote chase a dog . . . I am confident he just wanted to play but the owner should have had his dog on a leash, if you ask me. The only times I realize I am near the city is when I reach the top of a climb and I can see the highway already filling up with cars. For the most part I have the trails to myself but there are many others out there enjoying the mornings. My favorite is a group of older women - 70's maybe or even 80's - who I see EVERY morning out there; they are truly inspiring.