February 15th - Best Adventures

Today Sarah asks what do "I do to keep the spark of adventure alive"?

What spark of adventure?

I'm a mom with three kids three and under, I have playdates and piano lessons and try to keep my house clean...

What adventure?

...

Well, that's just the point now isn't it. 

"Journey within to meet your authentic explorer. 

Where is she headed? 

If you could go anywhere in the world, 

all expenses paid, 

baby-sitter at your disposal, 

where would you go? 

Why? 

Who would you be with? 

How long would you stay? 

What would you do?"

In my fantasy I'm torn between going to see man made monuments and monuments of nature. I guess I'd have to have more than one trip. 

I'd love to sail the ocean, go deep sea fishing, scuba diving, meet some fishes, go see Alaska and then Hawaii. Learn to surf, to dance, be surrounded by flowers and fire.

Then there's Europe, and Egypt, Korea...and then I would want to travel and write a book about my ancestors, go and live each story a little. 

Sometimes I'd be alone, sometimes with Robbie, sometimes with my best friend, sometimes with my mom and dad, sometimes with my kids...

"And why, you might ask? Because, as Alice Walker astutely observes, 

we're learning day by day that 'the most foreign country is within.' 

We are our own dark continent, 

we are our own savage frontier. 

Many marvels await discovery as we continue on the path to authenticity."

You are the best adventure. 

That's kind of cool.

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Gratitude Journal

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1) Bad days. Today wasn't a bad day per say, but I gave into old habits. I told myself that I was too tired when I really wasn't. I could have fought through it but I didn't. So we had a movie and pajama day. Even though I'm mad at myself for a wasted day, I'm also very grateful. Today I knew I could fight through it, when last week I didn't think I could. Hope, courage, and strength are very much alive in me, it just took a little while for them to wake up.

2) Crochet. I don't remember who it was, or what year it was, but one mutual night we were taught how to crochet. I forgot over the years, retaught myself several times, but I've always loved it. I'm donating some yarn that I had inherited and my time to make a blanket for Project Linus. The soothing rhythm of my fingers and the feel of the yarn as it slid through my fingers was calming and helped me feel like I wasn't a complete failure today. You all know how I love blankets.

Not exactly my colors, but they donate to needy kids and if I were a needy premie baby I would love it. I hope they do too. 

3) Lasagna. One of my best friends was supposed to be moving on Monday, I made her a lasagna...well I got the text as I was pulling it out of the oven that things fell through and it would be a few more days. My angel friend said she wanted the lasagna to be a housewarming lasagna, so it sat in my fridge until I got the text at 4:30 today that the move was on! Into the oven it went, and it came out alright, even though it had been cooked twice. Lasagna, with homemade sauce and my dad's recipe and lots of love...how can you go wrong?

4) The Lord of the Rings. I'm so glad people share their stories. Tolkien my man, you are amazing. Peter Jackson, so are you. And that the movies were on sale one black friday at Walmart for $1 a piece.

5) Insomnia. You get so much more done when you don't get as much sleep...