Friday things

This Friday finally gave us some much-needed sunshine. The Mr. came home early from work on Wednesday and stayed home on Thursday, but today he is right back to it. Allergies have been a big issue here in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and we thought the rain we were getting back-to-back would help clear things out, but it stirred a lot of things up in the process and actually made them worse. If you missed my allergy post, check it out here. The cottonwood trees have be a bit of a nuisance too, with their little puffs of cotton floating in the breeze. It's all pretty until you get one in your mouth, or up your nose. Today we have sunny weather and things are starting to dry out a bit. We are ready for the summer here, believe it or not. We had such a hard winter that the summer season is more than wanted here. We are going into strawberry season here and this little town we live in has a huge celebration for the red beauties. The celebration is the first week in June, but for now, here are the things that made this week great.

1. Free items.

Recently we placed the shelves above and the chest below out on the curb and they were gone in less than 20 minutes. We are still slowly downsizing our possessions to things that serve a purpose in our home. I love how open the front area of the house has become. There is only small AM/FM radio/turn table in there and no distractions from TV. It's a great place for us to gather in the evenings and actually just enjoy each other's company. Electronic devices are a no-no during this time too.

2. These friends.

We tried our best to do a photo shoot with the dogs, but things didn't go as planned. PITA sat for a few good ones, but the older dog, Baz, wasn't having it. Out of the 30+, or so we took, these were the best. They are frame-able, but I guess the saying is true, we can' teach an old dog, or a hyperactive dog to sit still long. -I don't know if that's a saying, but it should be. Ha!

3. These cards.

In the last Yogi Surpise box came these Mindful Mandala Cards that you color by hand. I have been loving them lately and coloring they ever chance I get. The Bean and The Mr. have been coloring a few too, and we have really enjoyed the messages on the back of the cards as well. You never know when a saying like, "You may have a million desires to be in other places, doing other things, but you are not there, you are here" will come in handy throughout a tough week. You can get Yogi Surprise here and a set of the Mindful Mandala Cards here.

4. This dill.

The Bean received a Garden-in-a-Can for Easter and we are just now seeing the dill growing strong. We've been clipping a few sprigs here and there to use with various dishes. It's nice to have it sitting on the window sill to use anytime we need some.

5. These poses.

The Mr. and I have really been on a mission to live better. Not just staying fit, but better all the way around-including mentally. So many negative things can rob your self esteem and positivity on the world. Stay fit helps keep your mind active, but also staying around positive people and positive siutations really does help keep you healthy and on the right track. The last few weeks The Mr. and I have been working on keeping our muscles in shape to be able to ride our bikes for more than five miles, and also help get us moving more. The above poses we've been doing lately and they have really helped keep us going. Try them out for a month and tell me how they work for you.

One last thing: