The Yard

If I did my math right we are now 105 days into the the year 2015. 

And in those 2015 days we have done very very little no yard work. I think that we are the only person in the neighborhood who has not done any yard work. We still have leaves from last fall surrounding the flowering bushes and the rosemary. 

School and work schedules combined with not having a lawn mower since last fall has turned my yard into somewhat of a jungle. 

Grass is taller than Icarus and he is getting lost out there. It isn't hard to do when you are only 20 pounds and no taller than 10 inches at the shoulder. 

Backing up to last year, our lawn mower died at the end of the summer season, and we were not too concerned, because we would have some time to replace it. Grass doesn't grow much in during the winter here in Oregon. 

This February we decided that it was time to purchase a lawn mower and ordered on from Amazon. I know...I know...but Mark had some particulars he was looking for that were just not available in the stores - like one that wasn't self propelled and that was easy to clean (has a hose attachment for where the blades spin - is there a name for this?). So it came a few days later...but broken. Fast forward a couple more weeks and I finally had time to take it to the repair shop...fast forward a few more weeks and I remembered that I should call and check to see if it was ready...fast forward another week and we are half way through April. I remembered to finally go pick it up. 

Yippy we have a lawn mower again!

Weather is looking pretty good for the next 5 days, and hopefully it will be dry enough to

do a first pass. Then maybe the grass will just tickle Icarus' belly when he goes out to play. 

Friday Love

"Wahooo!"
-Yukon Cornelius -
I got bit by the Christmas bug this week.

It is week 9 of the term and after today there is only 3 weeks to go. I am really looking forward to being done soon. This girl needs a break. School is tough, no matter what you are studying. You don't get to turn your school mind off easily and take a break. You bring your books and laptop home with you and if you are not careful, school can become to your life.

To break this ugly cycle I like to focus on the good things in life. So here are my good things for the week. Enjoy!

The Good Bean
My mother-in-law got me my first bag of these in the Sweet Cinnamon flavor. I was hooked from the first bite. The Good Bean is a company out of California that has been around since 2010. They are roasted chickpeas (garbanzo beans = same thing) with amazing flavors. So far I have tried the Sweet Cinnamon, Sea Salt and Thai Coconut. My favorite has been the Thai Coconut - it has a hint of lemon grass and it is a-mazing! These beans also the perfect snack. A handful if filling and satisfying, and the resealable bag is perfect for keeping in my back pack for snacks in between classes.





Countdowns
Today is big. HUGE. As of today, I have only 399 days left of school. Forever. Fin. That's it.
I started counting down when I had a little more than 650 days...so this is a huge milestone. In 399 days I will be finished with Naturopathic Medical School and tying up loose ends for my graduate certificate in Community Health Management. - Note: That is my hubby in the background.

Winter Weather
We had a lot of freezing rain yesterday and the day before. Everything in the yard is coated with a small layer of ice. The rosemary had a few buds on it, but I don't think they will last long. They sure look beautiful with a sheet of ice on them. There was the threat of school being canceled. But it didn't happen. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, I don't have class or clinic on Thursdays anyway. It takes a lot for our school to close. Last year they called it snowpocalypse. They closed the clinic for 2 days and it was very frustrating to have to make up the shifts. I actually think I still have to make them up. It is okay. I have 399 days to do it.



Title 9 Blow Out Sale
Title 9 is a clothing store that focuses on woman's athletic and outdoor clothing. They have a huge sale at the Oregon Convention Center every other year and this was my third year in attendance. This year I got some pretty great scores. A couple of skirts, a dress and some smart wool tights. I also picked up a Christmas present for a family member...but I'm not going to talk about since she knows about this blog.

Tonight I get to hang out  by myself. I plan on watching some How I Met Your Mother and doing my nails. I know. Super exciting. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? What are you counting down for right now?
 

Things I am Loving!

It has been a rough week. 

A couple of failed tests in school, a cold, 4 barking dogs and a general lack of sleep has compounded the general fatigue that I was already feeling. Following the advice of my husband, I am trying to focus on the positives and the thinks that I love this week and just sink into them.

Source

Here is what I am loving....

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Stepping into the shower today was wonderful. The congestion I woke up with was soothed quickly by the fresh smell of the eucalyptus combining with the steam of my shower. The steam helped to open up my sinuses and help me clear the congestion. I don't know too much about essential oils, but I do know that it is important to use therapeutic grade and good quality products.

Source

Coffee

You knew this was coming. When don't I love coffee? This week though, I have been adding a splash of some of my favorite holiday flavors. My choice this week is gingerbread coffee syrup from DaVinci. Don't get me wrong. A cup of good black coffee is my top choice any day of the week. But something in the change of weather has spurred the desire for some fall flavors. Adding an extra sprinkle of cinnamon and a splash of unsweetened coconut milk has hit the spot. 

Jamberry 

I have been following the blog Running4Cupcakes lately and Katie has some many wonderful pictures sporting some fancy nails. So I put in an order today, hopefully they will serve me well. I am not a fan of painting my own nails, so hopefully this will help. Also, Katie is also a doc, and although I am not one yet, it is fun to see some stylish physicians out there. You can email her to get a free sample of Jamberry nails if you are curious! 

Hydrotherapy

This therapeutic of natural medicine has been around a long time that uses water to help increase immune function and decrease down time from colds. Hydro typically uses contrasting temps of water, to help stimulate the lymph and increase blood flow. I have been using hydro to get over my cold this last week in the form of steam inhalation, warming socks and throat wraps. But I refuse to end my showers on cold....I just....

Source

 

My weekend is almost here. One more shift tomorrow, and my one day weekend will begin!

FB No More

I have been mulling over this decision for some months now.

I did it.....

I did, what I would guess, most people deep down desire to do.

I killed my FB account.

It feels good.

I originally signed up to be on FB to keep in touch with family who live out of state. To see pics of my beautiful nieces and to connect with long lost friends. But like for most people, the desire to accumulate 'friends' to check my news feed every day and stalk people (don't judge...I bet you have done it too), grew to be too much. I am reading a book called Women Living Well: Finding Joy in God, Your Man, Your Kids, and Your Home By Courtney Joseph, and chapter 4 is all about how media has overtaken our lives. And that is just how I felt. I desire to break free from this addiction as well as to grow in other areas of my life. I want to invest in people and to have genuine relationships where I have real conversations with people. So, those of you who know me, know how to get in touch with me. I would love to have a cup of coffee - or tea if you must ;-) I am joking. I like tea too. I won't judge you if this is your beverage of choice.

Call me, meet me face to face!

And if you are curious about this book, here is the link to it on Amazon. I have not finished it yet, but have enjoyed what I have been reading so far!

Packages...

Sorry for the little hiatus. The last few weeks of school were really rough. Sleeping 6 hours a night gets to you after awhile. I think after a while I was drinking more cups of coffee than the number of hours I was sleeping a day. Lets ponder that for a moment. Now that I have been done for a couple of days, I am glad for the chance to refocus a little and cut it back to 3 cups a day....

I called and texted my mom daily when school was really tough. She was great at helping me re-frame things and get through the tough stuff. Then today this came in the mail. 

She knows me so well.

Speaking of cake....I went to Petunias to celebrate the end of the term. The cake was amazing..not just because it was gluten free and vegan.

Along with the mystery envelope there was a whole assortment of goodies. Lots of body care stuff, some books, magazines, nail polish, and a couple of other thoughtful gifts. Things that I really needed to relax. The reminder was wonderful too. 

So often we get caught up in the little things that stress us out...okay...medical school isn't a little thing, but you know what I mean. It is easy to get distracted and forget what the important things are...family, friends, taking care of your self and your mental health. There are so many things that get in the way and constant reminders are needed for some of us.

Here are some of my self care catch up goals for the summer -

1. Sleep 8 hours a night: There is no reason for me to get less than this. Sleep is an import part of maintaining good physical and mental health. Did you know the average American is sleep deprived by over 50 hours!

2. Get to the gym: I think I only made it a few times last quarter. I don't even want to do the math on how much each visit cost. 

3. Read my bible: I have a few bible studies I want to catch up on. Boundaries and Captivating have been sitting on my coffee table for months (closer to 12 than 3).
4. Play: I have to say that my pups didn't get as much attention as they should have in the last few months. Higgins needs to run off lots of energy and he didn't get many balls or frisbees thrown for him in the last couple of weeks. I think I see some hikes in our future?

Any thoughts on what I should add to my to-do list for the summer?