day {i-have-no-idea} 365

well, i have no idea what day it is in my 365 project !

i find i'm having trouble keeping up with posting a photo a day !
not to mention that most of the photos i'm taking are being taken with my iPhone !
which is great, but it kind of defeats the purpose of this whole project
which was to use my camera and learn more about it

so ... for now, i'm going to put this little 365 project on hold

in other news ... i ran 8 minutes straight ... not once, but twice, yesterday !!

can you believe it ?

five weeks ago i couldn't have run across the park, let alone around it, and now multiple times !

crazy !!

tomorrow i am supposed to run 20 minutes straight

i find this a little daunting

but, i'm going to give it my best shot !!

i'll let you know how i do.

**

ps ... rory's camelia's are blooming in the backyard

the photo above is one of them

gorgeous, eh ?

**

day 121 {pCam} 365

Pink Camelia, Our Garden
The first one to bloom this season ...

day 120 {up} 365

i went out photographing with a friend on the weekend
i plan, over the next few days to share some of those shots with you

this first one is of the most interesting leaves
and the only real light in the rainforest that day
up above our heads
way up

day 115 {biblioteca} 365 & WFMW

we are frequent borrowers at our local library, the librarian teases us about it ...
if there were frequent flyer miles for library books checked out, we'd be world travelers !
we like to get on our computer at home, reserve books and then once a week we pick them up
from the library van that parks not far from the kids school ... it's wonderfully convenient !!

because we have so many borrowed books, we needed a dedicated shelf for them
this one in our living room is perfect



the bottom shelf is home to all of our library books
here's what it looks like after today's visit



i hang a bag off the side of the shelf
this is where books go when we're finished, ready to be taken back



here's alia's section of the shelf
she loves that she can read now ... and she does lots of it



and jono's
he is a voracious reader



rory's books are all audio these days
perfect for his hour long (each way!) commute to work



and mine ...
mostly cookbooks, a bit of photography and creativity
true stories and a bit of jodi picoult



and with that ... i'm off to read

**

It's been a while since I've posted a Works For Me Wednesday but I thought this might be a helpful little hint for some. I know I used to be frustrated with lost library books ... not anymore ! The books have a home, and I know where they are ! AND ... when the kids (or we) finish a book, it goes into the return bag ... easy ... I just grab the full bag on a Wednesday morning, throw it in the back of the car, all ready for that afternoon's trip to the library.

Check out other things that WORK for other people ... you might find something helpful !

day 114 {pasta} 365

'twas delicious

recipe coming soon to the beans blog

follow us on facebook to see when

day 113 {aFrog} 365

alia with yesterday's frog

day 112 {jFrog} 365

excitement in the garden this morning

jono and the frog

day 111 {hammock} 365

on a day like today ... i could happily spend it all in the hammock !

day 110 {watching} 365

day 109 {me} 365

after my run

day 107 {puddle} 365

day 106 {fog} 365

i've missed a couple of days posting

i'm ok with that

sometimes life is so full that i don't have time to get to the computer

i'm ok with that too

***

i took this photo on my iphone on friday after my run

i think i might live in the most beautiful place in the world

i'm definitely ok with that !

day 103 {run} 365

So ... yesterday I posted a photo of my iPhone and called the post FB40.

I'm starting a new fitness regime. This one is going to work.

I've started many but find them all incredibly hard to stick

to, mainly because of life/family commitments. So ...

when my friend Khrista told me about this thing

she was doing on her iPhone, I thought I'd

check it out ...



I was a pretty normal kid. (that's me in the 44)



Very active. I played t-ball. Then softball.
I swam competitively for years.
My first official job (after babysitter and paper girl, of course) was as a lifeguard.
I played on the varsity volleyball team as well.
I loved it all ...

In the photo above, I'm the one at the front of the bike.
You hardly ever caught me in a dress. That little one is my adorable sister Ellie !



I wore dresses more when I got older ...
Here I am in my black Feria dress. The was the day of Vendemia.
The first pressing of the grapes of the year festival ...
Obviously when we were living in Spain.





And then there's this dress. Not that I wore it out ...
I only wore this because Ellie and I were pretending to be models ... We did that a lot.
I wonder if I was trying to be a flight attendant ?




Another 'modeling' session. Only this one was in public !
ha ha. I've never claimed to not be a dork ...



By the time of this photo, I was still fairly fit.
I didn't play any organized sport that I can remember but I
played lots of basketball with the guys that I lived with, lots and lots.



Wedding day ... still fit. Because I was still active.

But, then we moved to Australia and I got a job ...



And after a few years, I got pregnant.



And I piled on the weight. And then I had a C-section.



And then I got pregnant again. And had another C-section.

And though I tried to be active, it just never seemed to be enough. I think in a way, I finally just gave up. It was too hard. I don't just sit around doing nothing, but maybe Rory was right all those years ago ... cleaning house and walking to work don't actually count as exercise.

Anyway ... I've never felt unfit ... until recently.

This photo was taken ... well, in 2007 if I judge by the date stamp ! ha ha ... I think it is me at my most unfit. Or maybe I'm more unfit now, but I don't think so because I'm more active now than I was then ...

Anyway ... I have a free membership to a gym thanks to my job. But, I find it very difficult to use. One ... I hate gyms ! I look around and see people (who work hard !) who are super fit and rather than than inspire me, it depresses me. Two ... it's hard to find the time to get in there !

I love to swim, but finding the time is my issue. Our work schedules just don't allow time for me to do it on my own and if I want to take the kids I have to do it at 5.30am, which I have done but it's not ideal !

I love doing Zumba but coming home and cooking dinner for my family to eat while I'm out, especially when I've been out all day already ... is such a struggle ! Plus ... if I miss a week or two, I'm doomed !

Maybe these are all excuses, but whatever ... they are legit excuses that keep me from getting fit !! So ... this app C25K seemed like a lifesaver ! (click on the link to see what it's all about) I'm only in the first week but I love it !! I'm no runner, but I'm able to do this and I know I can work up to being a runner. And at one stage in high school, I used to run with my Dad. And I loved it ...

Plus, I don't need a gym. Or a pool. Or an instructor. I just need my iPhone and my feet and a bit of space to run. Luckily, I live in a perfect place for that ! Of course, I'm still running on my back patio in my pajamas (I had to make sure I could do it before I tried in public !) but Friday I will put on proper clothes and venture out to the park across the street ...

So ... FB40, my goal, is to be Fit by 40 ! I just had my 38th birthday and I've read all the stuff that says the older you get, the harder it is to lose weight and get fit. So ... I've given myself two years and I've started working hard. I hope it doesn't take two years but if it does, that's a whole lot less than it took me to get to this place !

My photo for today is from after my run this morning ...

Phew ... that was a long 'un ! (the post, not the run)

day 102 {FB40} 365

more on what this means tomorrow

day 101 {shine} 365

the view out my bedroom door as i was coming in from exercising this morning

day 100 {chook} 365

we heard chicken sort of noises coming from outside our dining room window

rory wondered if the neighbor over our back fence had gotten chickens

turns out she has ... and this little fella wandered into our front

yard and spent the afternoon chatting with us and

watching rory clean the patio. he (she?)

was a cute little thing. kind of

makes me want to

get chooks

day 99 {streusel} 365

~ Fruits of the Forest Streusel ~

day 98 {salt} 365

i love having little pots of salt on my counter top

i have been keeping my eye out for more as i keep a few varieties of salt

i found this one the other day

and i just love it

it's like a mini le creuset

super cute

day 97 {green} 365

i was trying to take a photo that showed the different sizes of the peppers on this bush

but my camera decided to focus on something different

at least it is green ?

day 96 {thirty8} 365

if you follow along on facebook, you would have seen some of these photos already

wednesday the 6th was my actual birthday but because i live on a different continent to so many

family and friends, i often end up having a birthday week ... thanks to time differences

not that i mind. seriously. it's fun !

birthday week, day one started with a friend buying me a mug of hot chocolate



here's birthday week, day two ... card, cafe, chocolate con leche ... at work.


my actual birthday ...

i get to work and find this !

so much fun !

and then, while i'm there, i get a phone call from my best friend Shay

and then a facetime from my sister and her boys

and then a video arrives from Shay and her family ... signing and singing happy birthday to me

that made me cry

half way through the morning, my lovely friend Jodie poked her head into my office

(i love it when she does that)

she came bearing delicious treats ...

for lunch, the girls in my department and i hit the local sushi joint

i probably don't need to tell you that sushi is my ALL TIME favorite food

i could live on it.

three meals a day, every day, til the end of my days

if only i could afford it



after lunch, i didn't go back to work

i wandered the mall a bit, i NEVER get to do that

i went to a kitchen shop

i LOVE to do that

i went to a little lolly shop to get a Dr Pepper ( this lolly shop is the only place you can get it ! )

and while i was there, i discovered that they had (ALL NEW) candy corn

yum

i love them



when it was time to get the kids, my friend toni greeted me with a present from smiggle

i could spend a fortune in that shop

i LOVE stationary

we got totally drenched walking into the school

happy birthday to me !

and then on the walk back to the car, she and her youngest boy cam treated me to a couple

renditions of happy birthday



once we got home, i'm sitting outside, watching the kids play ...

catching up on the 123 (yep, i counted) facebook birthday greetings (!!),

when my neighbors came over with birthday cocktails

we had a lovely time chatting !

knowing that i didn't need to get dinner started because rory was coming home

to cook burgers, when offered a 2nd cocktail, i thought 'why not?'



then rory gets home and says

'would you be totally disappointed if i told you i've made a reservation for us at a restaurant ?'

ummmm ... let me think about this for a minute ?!

i still don't have to cook ?

i get to go out ?

yeah ... i'm good !

so ... the kids gave me their presents ...

we are saving to go to the states so i told rory not to buy me presents

and i told the kids too

they got quite creative, making me cards and coupons and a poster

i love their little (big!) hearts !!



here's Alia's coupons ... the yellow that you can't see on the new iPhone game ...

that says "out of my own money"

i said, 'wow, really?'

and she says 'yeah ! daddy says they only cost $1'

ha ha !




free shoulder massage ... my favorite of jono's coupons !

that is me in the picture ... and his hands.



jono drew this poster

i love it

and on the back ...



i love the bit about the giant mutated sun flower.

and then just this morning, rory was looking at the photos my dad posted of me

on his blog

and he noticed this one, it's me on my 7th birthday

(the year that my birthday fell on Easter Sunday)

and look at the poster hanging on the wall behind me ...

do you see it ?

the giant mutated sunflower ?!?!

hilarious !



this is getting pretty long but i'm just getting to the good bit !

rory got a phone call just as we were getting ready to go out, from our friend craig

he said 'we've got a present for bonnie,

would you guys swing by and pick it up on your way to dinner ?'

up until that phone call, i had NO IDEA anything suspicious might be happening

after that ... i wondered if all wasn't as it appeared !

but ... i had NO IDEA of the amazing surprise that lay in wait for me

weeks of planning, international conversations, importing of food

so ... we get to C & J's place to 'pick up the present'

and the house is all decorated

and something smells incredible ... (and very familiar)

and then there were shouts of surprise and the faces of other friends i love

rory hands me an envelope and says

'this is my present to you'

inside the envelope is this menu .........



the foods of my childhood !

and VONGOLE !

(my requested birthday dinner every year since we had lived in Italy !)

now ... this is no easy feat ... because in my little girls mind, the vongole (clams)

HAVE TO BE IN THEIR SHELL

well ... you can't get that here ...

in fact, you can't get clams here at all, unless they are in a can

so Rory IMPORTED them from New Zealand

can you believe that ?!



the food was amazing.

APPARENTLY, they had been cooking all afternoon ... I thought Rory was 'working late' !

Here's the Patatas Alioli and the Champinones Al Ajillo con pan, of course.



And then came the never ending supply of Gambas Al Ajillo ... OH YUM !!



Master Chefs in action ...



Amazing team work ...



And here's the Traditional Vongole ... with homemade fettucine ...



And the Vongole like my Mom used to make, only with a spicy Casa de Ross twist.



Do you know one thing I loved about this night ?

There were so many things I loved ... but here's just one.

I loved that I was the only known clam lover of the bunch but they still cooked this for me !

And (almost) everyone tried the clams ! Some even liked them !

All of these dishes were new to everyone besides me and Rory, and everyone tried them !

And again ... liked (and even loved) them !

I love the adventurous nature of this group of friends !

And I love that they love to celebrate life.

**

Mom ... Rory insisted that I take this photo for you ....

**

Empty shells !!



Cheesecake.

When we were little, it was tradition in our house that all birthday cakes had to be chocolate.

So ... we have gazillions of birthday pictures of us COVERED IN CHOCOLATE !

BUT, once we were old enough to request our own birthday cake preference ... mine was

ALWAYS cheesecake (with cherries on top) !

My sweet friend Donna recently learned this about me and though she had never made one

before, she baked me the most wonderful birthday cheesecake ! with berries ! oh my !



and Jodie made cupcakes

that I have yet to try

but some came home with us and I will be having one for breakfast !



I was crowned 'birthday queen' and actually wore my 'crown' for a good hour.

Not the mask though ... it was way too hot for that !



Spoiled ? Yeah ... I can't disagree.



I have an amazing, thoughtful, selfless husband,

kind, encouraging and giving children,

enthusiastic, creative and (SNEAKY!!) friends,

an extended family like none other,

friends all over the world (thanks to the Navy and now facebook !) that i love

AND

to top it all off ....



my very own website !!



I cannot wait for you all to see it !

Well ... you can sort of see it here but I've crossed off it's name (which you are going to LOVE)

because I don't want you to go there just yet.

I'll let you know when you can !

Craig and I are going to play with it a bit more first ...

by the way, Craig ... who is a music lover, not a web guru, designed this !

Look out world !

**

All in all ... this has been my best, most favorite birthday ever.

Thanks to everyone who was a part of it !

~ bon ~