Currently: February

Whew, just like that it's the last week of February!  Here's what I'm currently up to these days!

Reading:  It Starts with Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. It explains the science behind the Whole30 program, which I'll be starting in late March.

Loving: watching the bulb garden that Phil got me for Valentine's Day grow! It amazes me how fast it grows. Check out how much it grew in the first week! This is one of the coolest gifts I've ever received!

My bulb garden on Valentine's Day..

One week later, I already had one bloom!

Thinking:  about where Phil and I will go for our next trip. I think we'll be going to San Francisco as he's never been there and I'm always happy to visit that city since there's so much to do and see. Kyria has graciously offered to host us so we'll likely spend a couple of days with her and then a couple of days either in San Francisco or possibly another area close by?  We have lots of options. I'd like this trip to include time in the city with time spent outdoors running or hiking on the trails in the area, and Phil definitely wants to go to a Giants game.  We just need to narrow down a time when Phil, Kyria, and I are all available and then I'll start to pick Kyria's mind for itinerary ideas. She has such a wealth of knowledge about the area!

Frustrated: with how my body has been feeling lately. The random aches and pains that I've had in my left hip, knee and foot have made me take a step back in frequency and intensity of workouts. I just want to feel like my normal self again. My appointment with the physical therapist and chiropractor went well yesterday, though, and I'm cleared to bike, use the elliptical, and go to yoga so at least I can stay active. They are going to work on loosening the muscles in my hip region, which are incredibly tight, and then we'll work on building strength in my hips. They said I should see a difference in 2-3 weeks so hopefully that is the case. I'm not giving up on running the marathon in June but I'm placing a low probability on me being able to run it.

Feeling: really good about the amount of stuff I'm getting rid of this month thanks to my February purge. I went through my books last week and decided to only keep the books I really and truly loved as well as the unread books that I am still excited to read. After going through the 6 bookcases in my condo, I have 272 books to donate! Crazy, right? I should have done this like 3 moves ago but better late than never I suppose!  It will make my next move much, much easier.

250 of the 272 books I will donate to goodwill!

Anticipating:  Nora's visit in March! The weather is so unpredictable at that time of year so I am trying to come up with ideas of things to do indoors in case the weather isn't great. Besides doing some fun local things, I'll also make sure we have downtime to relax and chat!

Watching: Gilmore Girls on nights when I'm on my own and have downtime, and Curb Your Enthusiasm on nights that I am with Phil. Phil is basically a young version of Larry David as they have very similar senses of humor. I didn't think I'd like the show but it's actually pretty funny and I love hearing Phil laugh as much as he does when we watch it.

Sad: that a good friend lost her mom to cancer last week, just 11 months after losing her dad. I can't imagine losing both parents before age 30. It just breaks my heart and makes me wish I could take some of her pain away. I'm also really sad that I'll miss the funeral next week as I will be traveling for work, but Phil keeps reminding me that she'll need more support in the days, weeks, and months after the funeral. 

Working: on gathering recipes in preparation for Whole30. As I mentioned in my reading update, I decided to give Whole30 a try and will start the day after Easter. Amber is doing it too, so it will be great to have another friend doing it with me! If you don't know what Whole30 is, you can read about it here. If you are interested in doing it, you should join Amber and me!

Grateful: that we were able to spend the weekend at my parents' lake home last weekend. We had the best time up there. My mom made us so much delicious food (including the best homemade GF bread and chocolate chip cookies I've ever had!!), we played lots of cards (they loved Hand and Foot!), and we fit in a little ice fishing and caught one walleye which we had with dinner on Saturday night. I am so thankful that my parents live driving distance away!

Listening: to Ben Folds' newest album so I can familiarize myself with his newest songs in preparation for attending his concert with the Minnesota Orchestra on March 5th! I get to go with one of my closest friends and it happens to be her birthday that day! I'm excited that I get to help her celebrate by attending what is sure to be an amazing concert!

Wishing: for an early spring and no more super cold temperatures in our forecast! Spring can be a volatile time in Minnesota but I'm hoping it's a mild, warm spring. The weather has been warmer lately and it drastically impacts my mood!

What are you anticipating, loving, and wishing for these days?