stacyopolis.com

So the first day of March brought us a fresh foot of snow…I had to grab my daughters and get out of the house before mommy went insane.

While it wasn’t the adrenaline-rush type of adventure that I had been hoping for this week, we did manage to have a wonderful outing and spend time in a warm, sunny atmosphere loaded with tropical plants, butterflies, birds, fish, and turtles. I am speaking of our local butterfly conservatory - it’s a huge indoor tropical oasis with the sound of trickling water and gentle music filling the air. It was just what I needed to rejuvenate my soul, and the girls had fun and got to hang with mommy while she was in a good mood – we all win!

Here are some things we saw:

A really cool turtle named Randolph

Butterflies on Fruit

Orchids and Koi Fish

It was an awesome day filled with color and sunshine. We even stopped for ice cream on the way home in defiance of winter.

I am on the absolute edge of my seat waiting for spring to hit. I heard some noisy birds outside this morning that I have not heard all winter. It won’t be long now.

Here are 5 Things I will do as soon as the weather warms up:

1) Take daily walks and breathe in that thawed, earthy-smelling springtime air.

2) Wash the car in the driveway.

3) Clean up all the sticks in the yard and take them to the dump (my youngest loves going to the dump – we actually found her a bike there; it was all shiny and brand-new. I couldn’t believe someone was throwing it away!).

4) Bundle up and go hiking with my husband and the girls, then trot down the mountain in the sun with our sweatshirts tied around our waists because all that walking made us sweat.

5) Thank God that spring is here and that I survived the winter without going completely insane. This happens every year. I’m like a person lost at sea who was just about to give up hope and jump overboard to feed the sharks. But wait, there it is: I can see the land – and it is glorious.

We’re almost there…

I cannot lie. I am in a horrible mental state this February. I know that March is on the horizon and the promise of spring is near, but right now daily life is unbearably irritating.

Here is a list of things that are difficult to do in February:

1. Get out of bed in the morning
2. Carry on a conversation with anyone (including my husband)
3. Play with my children and pretend to be happy

I do realize that I am complaining, and that I need to kick my own ass and get out into the sunshine (even if it is a toasty 25 degrees out there). I also know that this too shall pass (as my mom is so fond of saying).

SO, this week I am promising myself some sort of adventure. I’m not sure what it will be yet, but it will have to be something that gets my adrenaline pumping. Stay tuned…

I went through the entire winter without getting sick until now. I also went through the entire winter eating a vegan diet until two weeks ago when I broke down and started eating cheese and eggs. Coincidence? I really don’t know, but I’m going to get my juicer out and have a nice tall glass of fresh orange juice. Vitamin C at its yummiest.

Last night I saw this commercial for some diet pill whose claim was “Eat all you want and still lose weight”.

This commercial really hit me in a strange way – it made me sad and angry. Is this what Americans really want out of life? To sit around and stuff their faces all day long? This is sad and depressing. It’s no wonder we are the most obese nation on the planet.

The problem is that we used to have to work for our food (by hunting and farming) and now we don’t. We are more sedentary and have more unhealthy food choices than ever before. This is a scary combination, and commercials like these are contributing to the problem.