The Haunting

It's always a curious thing to be haunted. Right now I am currently haunted by a few things...bikini season, Heidi Klum's impossible body, the massive bowl of pasta I just polished off, my bedroom mirror...I think you get the picture. I have recently gone back to running: a task which I am now realizing, is not as easy for me as it was last summer. I was up to five miles last year in well under an hour. Now, I can barely finish two. This is not good for many reasons. First, it's depressing, and second, well...I suppose depression is enough of a reason. This is the issue: I was too lazy during the winter, or shall I say too busy putting on that winter layer, to get off my ever expanding rear and get outside. Treadmill work is very boring for me so I avoided it like the plague. Then I thought to myself, sex burn calories, right? Well then, I'll just have a ton of it! The problem with that is no one told me that the comparison of sex to running was massively different when it comes to calorie burning...I found that out when the scale kept going the wrong way...but at least my husband was happy. So my dear ladies, I graciously learned this lesson for you. If you don't use it, you lose it. None of us are getting younger. Get out there, make some movement, do something! Remember, men get more distinguished as they age...we just get old.

Also keep in mind the two most feared words in the English language...pool party.

Taking Tea

I've never been one for ceremony. I have always been a touch more informal about the way I approach things in life. Take tea for instance. Taking tea can, for some, be quite an event. The best silver, bone china and finger foods are broken out in celebration. Now, don't get me wrong, there is something to be said for ceremony. There is a time and a place. But for tea? Give me my pajamas, a good book, my back porch and that's all the ceremony I need. I do have bone china but it's chipped and fading...it has been graced with the patina of a bygone era and it suits me just fine. As far as sweetener goes, I love lump sugar. There is something special about a nice lump of sweetness resting on your saucer waiting to be submerged in the hot, creamy liquid. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I also take cream with my tea. It somehow just makes it that much more soothing. Water? When I have the time, I wait for my kettle to warm up. I just adore the whistle. It sounds so much more authentic than the hum of the microwave. It's all about the simple pleasures, right?

(I can't blog about tea and not mention the iced variety, without which, my hammock would be just a bunch of string. So here's to you, iced tea, for making my summer resting place the most relaxing place in the world.)

The Ritual of Bathing

The bath. I can think of nothing more relaxing and nurturing than a long and luxurious bath on a languid afternoon. Watching the steam rise from the water as I feel my muscles relax, my mood mellow and my nose fill with the enchanting scent of lavender is, by far, one of my most revered past times. In my frenzied schedule, as I am sure is the case in yours as well, I hardly take the time to really turn off the world and focus on nothing but myself and my five senses. This, however, is a crucial necessity of life and homage must be paid.

I have a tendency to save bathing for those times when no one else is in the house. That way I can be sure that I will spend my hour or so uninterrupted. I have a collection of bath salts, bombs, potions and teas to ensure that I am scenting my bath with whatever strikes my mood that day. Lavender is my standard but I also have magnolia, milk, honey, lilac and rose. If I bathe during the day, I turn off all artificial light and bathe by the light of day. Nighttime brings candles into my repertoire. A couple of white tea lights placed around the tub gives off an almost ethereal glow through the steam. Iced water or hot tea is a must in the bath. Your body sweats in the heat and you need refreshment. Also, and I hope this goes without saying, turn off your phone. In fact, turn off everything...except maybe some Chopin or Enrico Caruso. Find what relaxes you, lay back, soak it in and let yourself melt into perfect, sublime, Utopian heaven.