h-ealth, h-appiness and h-erbs

The sun has finally decided to come out of hiding this summer!! And for us spoiled socal folk... its absence was becoming a pretty big issue. We only have (approximately) two seasons in socal... spring and summer! A cold rainy July is NOT what I expected when I returned from Europe. Relaxing beach days were one of the only pluses about my departure. A few of my summer goals were to maintain a healthy non-meat eating diet, to master my father's grill and become an expert fish/veggie BBQ'er. I felt that having an abundance of fresh herbs and veggies would be a necessity to achieve such a goal. And despite the fact that I visit Trader Joe's about 4 times a week- a local favorite for fresh fruit, veggies, wine, cheese, ice-cream... I decided that I wanted to grow a herb garden. I'm hoping to cultivate a sense of patience that I sadly lack, in addition to caring for and growing my own produce! I planted Rosemary, Jalapenos, Sweet Basil, English Lavender, Eggplant, Cilantro, Spearmint and Tamatoes. 

I feel like patience is something that I desperately need at this exact moment in my life. We can't always know what comes next, or how life's situations will work themselves out. Deep breathes, a little TLC and water to watch them grow! Most of my plants call for direct sunlight- so thanks sun for your perfect timing. I bought all pre-planted pots, because let's be honest... patience takes time... and I'm impatient! I did buy one seed packet of brussel sprouts, which are my favorite vegetable hands down. So sticking with my garden's intention- I decided to plant seeds for my favorite green veggie... reminding myself that the best things in life are worth the wait!! 

a rocky start

miracle grow soil 

anxious to grow

a dash of color in my glorious green garden 

<3

all the SMALL things

Sometimes it’s the smallest thing that puts the biggest smile on your face—or at least my face.  This week the small fact that I used my degree in the real world for the first time has made me feel pretty happy. I am working for free, but none the less- I now have stories circulating in the real world. That is a big small thing this week that I feel happy/proud/relieved about—and definitely worth a smile!

While I was traveling this past month in NY, London and Portugal I made a conscious effort to take in all the small things. I tried to soak up and experience every aspect of the cities; sounds, smells, accents, language, mannerisms, textures… foliage, colors… etc. I carried a small notebook and wrote down as much as I could.                                       

One small thing that I loved about London were the sounds of the tube… MIND THE GAP! I would usually plug my ears with sounds from my ipod, but I refused to listen to music while I walked around the city. To my surprise... music found me! The UNDERGROUND musical performers were surprisingly really good. I was treated to a variety of musical mediums from guitar, opera, whistling, island steel drums, saxophone... (My dear friend later filled me in on the fact that the performers must audition before they are allowed to play for the mass rushes of commuters.) How funny… I wonder where auditions take place? Hmmm maybe ill investigate so I can make a few suggestions to the fine people of the MUNI system in San Francisco. My favorite tube ride also included music. We were treated to a private performance on one of our rides after (luckily) stumbling upon a train filled with a men's music group. They came prepared with bongos, guitar and a tambourine... singing their version of "The Love Boat"... (sigh) what a fabulous moment in time. Here is a look at a few of my favorite small things from my trip.  LONDON

how green the plants/trees are

night lighting in the rain

the colored doors on my walk to the tube

views from the red buses

holding hands

<3