So many things come full circle

I had a deep post in mind about music and how it's at the core of my being, but I've trashed that and am just going to give you this:
 

Yes, that's Duran Duran, and yes, I did take that photo this past Saturday night. Yes, they are on tour, and yes, you should go see them. I loved Duran Duran at age 16, and at age 40-something, I love them just the same. So much so they leave me speechless for this post. And no, it's not from all of the screaming I did Saturday night. I might have. Maybe. Okay yes I did. They are awesome. The end.
Disclosure: Yes I received free tickets and yes I'm blogging about them. It doesn't change how much I love/loved Duran Duran and OMG that was from the sixth row.

Preparing: That includes readying for Vegemite

Lots of itinerary planning going on over here in preparation for our big adventure to the land down under. Thanks to a recent care package received from my sister and family who live in Australia.....


We decided to give it a go in trying out the Vegemite.  What could be so bad? We had seen the Oprah Australia episode and even she liked Vegemite, right? So we seized the opportunity to buy some good bread (OMG bread I barely know ye as the carb reduction in this household has reduced its presence to zilch) and thought we'd capture the glorious moment of the first taste of Vegemite.


Thought we'd start out with just two little slices in the beginning. We can always do more, right?



Wow. It's really dark. And the smell is, well, unrecognized. As in, I couldn't put a finger on it. Good? Not necessarily. Bad? Unknown.

AdRi is excited though.



Bottoms up!

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG. Nnnnnnoooooooooooo!

State of the Union: An update on my year of living with intention

What happens when you step into the life you know you're meant to be living? ....
I've been pondering and living this this summer, and as the season begins its transition to Fall, new things are up on my radar and I'm excited to share them with you. 

Since my focus this year is on intention, and living with intention, I've done so much hard work in staying grounded, true to myself, and focused on staying clear. I've worked with astrology and energy guides, practiced ritual, discovered the joys of a good soak and steam, walked into a gym and signed up, been touched (and motivated) by amazing friends who've brought me to the gym, introduced me to spinning and to yoga, and learned how to build a diet based upon a base of vegetables and fruit. I've looked deep inside at my core and rediscovered my love of music, and have taken up a new instrument. I've reconnected with my passion for the outdoors and have kayaked, paddleboarded, and hiked my way through the summer. And the long lost fashionista of my younger years has re emerged. She's had to, since every piece of clothing I own has had to go. I've shed over 37 percent of my original body weight.

This journey of intentionalism isn't over. I will always have more work to do, but I'm doing this work now while out in the world. Art, theater, culture, the outdoors, PLAY: the world opens up to you when you allow yourself to let down all that burdens you from other people's hang ups or judgements, and focus on being true to your core. At least it has for me. 

As I turn this corner into fall, I look what's coming next on my radar, and there are journeys planned that will take me across the country, and around the world. We're going to Australia. And I think about how it feels to be out in the world, and I breathe in and lengthen my neck in yoga, I push harder and crank up the notch more in spin class, because the confidence of change, the confidence of being true to myself, and the confidence in knowing I'm living the life I'm supposed to be living, is becoming more and more clear to me. And I can't wait for what's yet to come.

Who knows what I'm going to continue to write about here in this space? I could diverge off to the sides about nail polish color (I'm having a hard time getting into the flat grey color that has been so in this season, you know?), or styles (oh my god I'm learning the joys of putting a belt on everything), or what headband really works for catching sweat when you work out hard (and why do so many of them insist on putting a logo right on the middle of your forehead?!), or the challenges of staying on path, grounded, and centered, or the best hikes and how I rate them in Portland's Forest Park, or color, design and fashion analysis (color blocking: let's discuss the pros and cons), the sweet little thoughts of life like how to be a really great friend. 

When I look back at what I've written here on Lelo in Nopo over the six and a half years I've had this blog, it's been a broad swath of topics. In the beginning there were so many more personal stories (aaah, the early, golden days of blogging where people used them as personal journals!), then as I shared my passions around gardening and cooking, so many fantastic people helped chime in and grow that conversation. My political rants and views were common occurrences here in the early days, but as the blog grew in recognition and my real name became associated with it, my personal writing became less and less of the content here. 

So who knows? I suppose this is part of the journey, as well. In the meantime, the journey of intentionalism has been hard, and at the same time it has been very simple, but most of all, it is fun. Who knew? And I continue to ask myself the question, "Who am I?" I suppose that's the truest form of intention.

Some snapshots of a summer of intentionalism...

Snapshot of a super simple summer salad

Spread a thick base of fromage blanc, or good whole milk ricotta, if you prefer. On top, place slices of fruit, ripe at the height of the season: nectarines, figs, cherry tomatoes. Top with ribbons of sliced basil picked fresh from the garden, splash with good balsamic vinegar, a little salt, a little pepper.

Step back and take it in. Late summer on a plate. It disappears quickly, a bit like summer itself, no?