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Savoring life in the Berkshires

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Strengthening: 2015 So Far

Published on September 1, 2015 By Emily. Updated on September 1, 2015

You may remember that in January, I picked “strengthen” as my word for the year.   Last fall was rough (though I made it rougher than it needed to be).  I’d tied a lot of myself to my work and suddenly I found myself in what was basically a new position.  I was frustrated and tired and a bit disillusioned.  I decided to focus on across the board improving and strengthening myself. 

Since the return of school is its own kind of a “new year”, I figured now was a good time to update how my goals are going.  If you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed that I have not written an update since the beginning of March.  That’s because I’m really bad at following my own editorial calendars (case in point: this post was supposed to be published last Saturday.  I’m writing it on Tuesday.)  Anyway, here we go:

MIND

I finished my masters program at the end of June!  I feel really accomplished, even 2 months later, and I got a lot out of the experience beyond the pay bump.  As a result, I was able to spend the summer doing other good things for my brain.  I actually read books for a change!  I’m hoping to keep that habit up as the school year gets underway.  I’m also actively trying to determine what activities would be the best use of my energy now that I have a bit more time available. As far as the 2015-16 school year is concerned, I’m feeling ready and excited.  Things are already off to a great start; I’m teaching similar things to last year, but feeling a lot more comfortable with them.  I’m also excited about some of the opportunities that may be coming my way.

dash for dana 2015

BODY

I was going to say that I’m still lacking in this area, and I am, but I suppose I should also appreciate what I have accomplished.  Brian and I participated in three 5k races and I was happy with my times and performance in all of them.  In connection to those races, I did a bit of running to train before and to maintain after.  I intended to resume going to yoga class this summer, but the schedule and our tight budget provided easy excuses.  However, I just checked out a new gym and attended a yoga class there last weekend.  It was a tough (and hot!) class, but I enjoyed it.  I think the schedule, location and class are going to work well for me, so I’m planning to make it part of my routine. 

SPIRIT

As I suggested at the beginning of this post, I’m in a lot better spirits than I was a year ago.  I’ve been getting increasingly involved with the women at my church.  I’m looking forward to a new bible study and a Beth Moore simulcast soon.  I actually relaxed this summer, which is something I don’t remember doing very well in years past.  I think it may have something to do with being in my 30s, but I’m feeling more and more confident in who I am.  I’ve recently made a decision to stop wearing make up daily because it just doesn’t seem necessary.  It’s nice to be consistently happy being me.

Brian and Emily at the Van Gogh exhibit

RELATIONSHIPS

It was a good spring and summer for my family.  My sister had a baby at the end of June and, as part of that event, I was able to see her and my parents at her shower and the day my nephew was born.  We also connected at the wedding of a family friend in April.  In addition, I spent several days with my sister and her family in July and she came to visit us a couple weeks ago.  And I got to catch up with my cousin in Baltimore in April.  I think that’s more times than I’ve seen my family in a such a short period in years!  Brian and I had an awesome and relaxing summer overall.  Our trip to Montreal was a great opportunity to spend time together.

Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to connect with many friends this summer.  Everyone was so busy and the summer just flew by.  There are plans for us to start hosting game nights, which will hopefully encourage socializing.  Plus, I’m back at school now, so I actually get to see other adults regularly, which is nice.  Here’s to improving friendships in the next few months!

Related Posts

Goals in Progress: July
Dessert Shouldn’t Be Stressful
101 in 1001: The Final Tally
Goals in Progress: June (+Goals I Wish I Made)
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Filed Under: life Tagged With: goals, strengthen

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Emily
Though it had been a few years since we'd visited, Though it had been a few years since we'd visited, @themountlenox is one of my favorite places in the Berkshires. In addition to Edith Wharton's incredible restored home, the estate features beautiful grounds and gardens. This year, The Mount was added to our summer bucket list when my daughter saw an ad for the @sculpture.now exhibit featuring a dragon sculpture. Today we ventured to Lenox to see the dragon, as well the 29 other fascinating pieces of large outdoor art. The Mount's grounds and gardens, including the SculptureNow exhibit, are always free and open dawn to dusk. All of the sculptures were accessible by stroller. The current sculptures are up through October 19.
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#igers413 #LenoxMA #TheMount #EdithWharton #SculptureNow #InTheBerkshires #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires
New on the blog: a 2 week menu plan featuring the New on the blog: a 2 week menu plan featuring the vegetables from our CSA share at @mightyfoodfarm. Link in my profile.
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#MightyFoodFarm #EatLocal #EatSeasonal #VermontGrown #CSApickup #CSAshare  #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood #MenuPlanning #MealPlanning #igers413 #igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies
We finally made it to the @berkshiremtdist tasting We finally made it to the @berkshiremtdist tasting room in Sheffield today after years of talking about it. The indoor and outdoor atmosphere was lovely and we took advantage of the complimentary tasting to try some of the products we haven't had before. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area and enjoy distilleries.
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#BerkshireMountainDistillers #igers413_food
#igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #DrinkLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #SheffieldMA
On Friday we headed to Springfield for an appointm On Friday we headed to Springfield for an appointment and made a day of it by visiting @forestparkzoo afterwards. For us, the Zoo in Forest Park's size, layout and number of animals (over 225 exotic and native animal residents) is the perfect size for our 2 and 5 year old kids. We went in the afternoon, when day camps were wrapping up and it wasn't busy overall. We were able to easily view all of the exhibits and let our children move at their own pace without interfering with other people. Despite the heat, the animals were pretty active and it was a joy to see my kids spot, identify and appreciate them.
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#ZooInForestPark #SpringfieldMA #igers413 #WesternMass #WesternMassachusetts
Brian and I had lunch at the @firehousecafebistro Brian and I had lunch at the @firehousecafebistro in Adams today. We enjoyed falafel bites, cocktails, papas bravas, and a buttermilk chicken sandwich. All of the food was really delicious and the service was excellent, despite very limited staffing. The patio seating was fun for people watching and enjoying the sunshine. I highly recommend the Firehouse Cafe and Bistro if you're looking for a more upscale lunch or dinner in the northern Berkshires.
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#igers413_food
#igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #AdamsMA #FirehouseCafeAndBistro
It's blueberry season in the Berkshires! My favori It's blueberry season in the Berkshires! My favorite girl and I headed to @mountainviewfarm413 this week to pick ours, as is our tradition. We had a great morning resulting in 7 pounds of berries. Some blueberries will be frozen and others turned into muffins, but most of them will be eaten just the way they are. The season is short, enjoy it while you can. @whitneysfarmmarket and @seconddropfarm are doing picky-your-own as well. 🫐
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 #igers413_food
#igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #blueberries #BlueberryPicking #MountainViewFarm #LanesboroughMA
We're back from vacation and back to picking up ou We're back from vacation and back to picking up our weekly share of @mightyfoodfarm produce. My latest menu plan using these vegetables is live on the blog, link in my profile.
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#MightyFoodFarm #EatLocal #EatSeasonal #VermontGrown #CSApickup #CSAshare  #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood #MenuPlanning #MealPlanning #igers413 #igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies
Tomato season is my favorite season. If there is t Tomato season is my favorite season. If there is the opportunity to eat something that features a combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil, chances are good that I'm ordering it. Yesterday I needed to make a dish to share for a church gathering so I put together this incredibly simple pasta salad. I hope it's useful to you during this time of summer heat and summer gatherings.

RECIPE:
1 lb pasta (I used bowties) 
7 oz fresh mozzarella
1 pint grape tomatoes 
30-50 fresh basil leaves 
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste 

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place in a large bowl. 
2. Prep the other ingredients: cut the mozzarella cheese in bite size pieces if needed, quarter the grape tomatoes, finely cut the basil with scissors or a knife.
3. Add the quartered tomatoes, mozzarella and basil to the pasta. Drizzle the olive oil into the bowl and miX well.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Enjoy!

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#igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies #caprese #CapresePastaSalad #PotluckFood #SummerFood
I could watch birds on the beach all day long. We' I could watch birds on the beach all day long.
We're wrapping up our time in Wilmington, North Carolina with lots of time at Wrightsville Beach. The ocean never ceases to impress.
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#WilmingtonNC #WrightsvilleBeach #BeachBirds #Beach #Sandpiper #NorthCarolina
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