life in the garden

This summer, I'm working hard on my green thumb, which has been, historically, disastrously nonexistent. I've had two goals:

Goal one? So far, so good! I ate my first batch of basil last week by way of pesto and it was excellent. I can't wait to try the tomatoes.


Goal two? I can't even. Those hydrangeas need more water than I do, I'll tell you what.

Last week, when I realized they were all brown after me being gone for a week (I should have hired a plant-sitter), Muff had to intervene. She told me to deadhead them. I asked her if I should use scissors or just yank the tops off. She laughed and said definitely scissors.

She told me you have to cut the tops off because, when there are brown flowers, the plant will use all of its resources to rejuvenate them. And, in turn, the other leaves will lose out on the hydration.

As I was cutting the tops off, I got to thinking about how we're kind of the same way. If we don't care for our whole person, and we neglect certain needs and parts of ourselves, they start to go brown and can impact us in so many other ways. Then, it takes a lot more energy to get them back there where they need to be.

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For a long time, I neglected the rest part of myself. I slept way too little, I was never home, I never slowed down. And, even when I was firing on all cylinders in other areas, if I let it go too long without remembering to slow down, my entire life would crumble. And then I'd have a period where I'd have to put it all back together: emotionally, physically, spiritually.

But now, I've learned that I need time alone. I need sleep. I need time to pray, to think, to meditate. I need time to hydrate that part of my life, instead of breaking down and deadheading it.

There are phases of life, I think, where we're forced to put all of our energy toward one thing. During times of recovery, healing, building, creating - those all encompassing things may call for everything we have. And that's OK. In fact, it can be really beautiful. 

But during the every day way of life, it's so important to remember that everything is connected - we have just one mind, body and spirit and all three rely on one another. What we eat, do and say impacts our whole person and, if we let them, allow us to blossom and grow. And that really is beautiful. 

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my kind of atlanta weekend


I went into this weekend with high hopes and a pretty set itinerary. But, as a good Atlanta weekend always does, it surprised me with just enough impromptu activities to leave me happily refreshed. I do love adventuring in this city!

Friday, Chris made me an awesome dinner. He cooked bison burgers, which I've been wanting to try for a while. Paired with a kale salad and avocado & mango salsa - and we feasted! I sipped wine&OJ on the deck while he grilled and couldn't have been happier about it. I.love.summer.



Saturday, Duke and I got up early early to bike the Silver Comet Trail. I'd done it once, but that was just weeks before I did my triathlon and was, admittedly, in better cardio shape. Let's just say it was a good workout. For me. Duke just cruised along. :)


After that, I met up with friends to Shoot the Hooch. Last summer, my Hooch plans were rained out (not once, but twice), which means I hadn't done it since summer 2012. I was itching to get out there. 


We floated for about an hour before a thunderstorm set in - so for the last two hours we were floating amid lighting and mega raindrops. Decidedly, though, if our biggest problem on Saturday was that we got wet while floating the river in our swimsuits, then it's still a pretty dang good day. 

Sunday, Chris and I went to what is easily Atlanta's best kept coffee secret: Chattahoochee Coffee Company. It sits on the river the couldn't be more peaceful. I'm adding it to my Atlanta Bucket List because I think it's going to be a weekend game changer for me. I don't go OTP for a lot, but for a good coffee shop, I will. 


After that, Sunday included church with friends, a nice long walk and meeting up with friends before the World Cup at Cypress Street. 

I wrapped up Sunday night babysitting - fully recharged, relaxed and grateful for two whole days in this wonderful city. Summer life is good life. 

I hope your weekend was lovely! 

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PS: I strongly prefer not to give negative reviews on my blog, but after our experience dealing with Urban Currents, it would be a disservice not to share my recommendation that you should not rent from them in you float the river this year. I'll spare you the details, aside from that they are incredibly disorganized and increased the price so it's now $27.50 to float. If you're going to shoot this year, definitely BYOTube and drop your car off at the end. It's worth the extra effort to avoid the headache.

{summer}

Did you know that Saturday is the longest day of the year? Which is one of my all time favorite days of the year because it has more sunlight than any other day and officially marks the start of summer.

If you didn't know, you should surely act accordingly. Meaning: makes plans to be outside for as much of the day as is humanly possible. 

In honor of the fact that it's really, officially summer, this week I:


1) Went to a Braves game with Chris (Summer Bucket List #8).

2) Worked out before work, instead of at lunch, with Duke. I loved starting the day that way. It just felt summer-right to workout in that fresh AM humidity. 

3) Am biking the Silver Comet trail with Duke this weekend (Bucket List #60). And then having just a huge breakfast at Highland Bakery (Bucket List #131). 

4) Am Shooting the Hooch with some friends Saturday afternoon (Summer Bucket List #1!). 

5) Am wearing my jorts and hoops all the time because even if hoops aren't in style in real life, they're always in style in my summer lyfe.

I hope you have a great start to summer!

on waiting for something better


There are so many wonderful stories from my family's trip to Baldhead Island last week, but for now, I'm keeping the details close to the vest. Because it was one of those weeks that was so wonderful, I don't think my words can do it justice. It had so many special moments between me and my family, that I kind of want to keep them there for now, just to cherish and not to explain away. 

  




 


  


Also, while we were there, my sister, Ashley, said: sometimes I think we feel that if we don't share something on social media, it didn't really happen. If we go on a date and don't Instagram the meal, it's like the date didn't count. And I don't want to live that way all the time. This trip counts whether you saw our hashtag, whether I blog about it, or whether we all just went dark for a week. 

I do, however, want to share a snippet from our last day. Lily and I were walking back from the pool, talking about life, and she said, in the sweet way only a seven year old can, "Whit, I don't think you're going to get married for a looong time." I asked her why and she said, "because you need to make sure you reallllly like him first. But don't worry," she went on, "sometimes something can seem like it will take a really long time, but it actually goes by fast. Like a month can go really quickly."

 

I thought about her words on Sunday as I re-entered the real world. I think sometimes we tend to rush toward the future, simply because we want to get to the next phase. We want to plan a wedding and pick out a dress and earn that validation that we're worthy of another half. And we want to get the next promotion, buy the house, take the trip, move to a new city, start earning a new degree...

We want to go, go, go.

Something I struggle with is just enjoying right now. I can be so forward thinking that I forget to stop and enjoy the beauty of the present. The fact that so many things I've wanted for a really long time (like having family in Atlanta) are in place right now shouldn't be forgotten. The fact that things feel pretty easy right now shouldn't tell me to create more chaos (which I tend to do), it should tell me to slow down, take a deep breath and live in the peace of it. 

The things we want will fall into place in due time. But for now, the best thing I can remember is to seek contentment not chaos - to enjoy the beauty of the right now. Because, like Lily said, time tends to fly without us even realizing it. And the best thing we can do is bask in the good and be as grateful as we can.