L.A. Farmers Market - 40 Before 40

This weekend I checked another thing off my 40 before 40 list. Going to the Original Farmers Market and the Rose Bowl Flea Market.  Let me tell you...it was so fun and totally worth the drive!  Two friends of mine willingly came along to help me put a check on my list.  Thanks Chelsa and Glenda for going with me!

I grew up going to farmers markets.  In fact there was one every Sunday right across the street from our house at Hartnell Collage in Ca. My Dad would walk over early and get fresh flowers to put on his beloved grand piano and fruit and veggies for our Sunday dinner or fresh muffins for breakfast.  Then during the summer on Thursdays the town would close Old Town Main Street (four blocks) and have a farmers market.  There would be local produce (um...our town was called "The Salad Bowl of the World" so we had GREAT produce!) live music and artisans showcasing their wares.  One of my favorite Farmers Markets is the one in San Luis Obispo - man they sure know how to do it!  Click HERE for more info - worth the stop if you are going that way!

When I knew we were going to L.A. and would be close to The Original Farmers Market it just had to go on my list.  It is mostly food venders and vintage items - toys, collage items, funky junk.  We walked and ate and ate and ate.  Breakfast never tasted so good!

Produce in C.A is like a work of art.  It's so fresh and BIG and the colors are so vibrant!  When I moved to A.Z. and went to the grocery store I was shocked at how much smaller the produce was compared to C.A.  These artichokes made me homesick!

  Of course whenever I go to CA I have to have a doughnut.  There is just something special about CA and "their doughnuts that are as big as your head"!  Bob's Doughnuts are pretty famous and I had yet to try one.  We got a chocolate and an old fashioned and I have.got.to.say......that old fashioned was the best doughnut I have ever had!  It had spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and the flavors were "a party in my mouth" as I like to say.  Oh boy, now that I am writing about it I want one right now! 

I also had an almond croissant which is another CA tradition for me.  AZ just doesn't have bakery's like CA does.  (my two favorite jobs I have had?  Working at a florist and a bakery!)  However...I ate the almond croissant before I could take a picture of it! Sorry about that.  It was delicious.

Thanks Chelsa and Glenda for the FUN!

The L.A. Original Farmers Market was a perfect way to start the day.  

Good food, good friends, beautiful weather=a perfect Saturday♥

Check back to hear all about the houses we saw and the Rose Bowl Flea Market!

40 Before 40 - My Hike

I have been working on my 40 before 40 list and it's been FUN!

  I realized that having this list is making me excited to turn 40 instead of dreading it. 

Now this is my first hike ever.  I mean....ever in my life.  I know, I'm pathetic but that's what happens when you are plagued with a debilitating disease for most of your life.  Anywhoo..... We decided to tackle a mountin right here in town that's not too hard but hard enough to count as a real hike.  I was nervous but my girls were beyond excited which helped me overcome my fears and but my game face on.

I have to tell you, when we got to the mountain and I saw all the people going up and coming down (it's quite a busy place!) I felt a little better.  I thought if that Grandma can do it then by-gum so can I!  So up we went.  Tom and the girls were so patient with me.  They kept asking if I was alright, do we need to slow down, you can do it Mom!  I have the best family♥
My hesitation wasn't going up....it was coming down.  I can go up stairs with little effort, it's my knees that don't like to come down for some reason.  I have mastered going downstairs backwards.  I can go really fast even without looking.  Most people are shocked when they see me and think a) I'm crazy b) I'm showing off or c) they are very impressed!  I didn't think going down a mountain backwards would work very well.

When we got up about a third of the way I wasn't tired, was actually having a great time and I was pretty impressed with myself.  Then I looked down.............oh boy, I should not have done that.  I thought, "how am I going to get down?"  I got a pit in my stomach.  All these people were coming up and running down and I thought..."I'm going to make a fool of myself hobbling down this darned mountain!"  So I sat down on a rock and made the decision to turn around and head down.  My sweet family was very supportive and even though they have hiked the mountain several times (all three of them) they turned around and came down with me.

Guess what?  Coming down that mountain wasn't hard at all!  I did it and shouldn't have been worried!  I think I didn't give myself enough credit.  Of course I could have hiked all the way to the top and then turned around and came right back down.  Don't worry, I'm not disappointed in fact I'm more motivated now than I was before the hike to do it again. 

I realized that I can do more than I think and I just need faith in myself and a little nudge from my ever encouraging sweet family♥

Seriously.....I am so proud of myself!  Not only did I hike a mountain and not have to be airvaced out....but I didn't hurt after either.  What a blessing.  It looks like turning 40 is going to be pretty awesome!

This is a little fellow we saw on our hike...and yes - it looks huge and it was HUGE!

To Do:

One of the things on my 40 before 40 list is take my blog and turn it into a book. 
I've been meaning to for years....5 to be exact and this year I am going to do it.
I read this blog ( really quite lucky) which is darling BTW - and she just motivated me to make mine THIS month!  Yep, I'm going to work really hard and try to get at least the first year done. 

Is that not inspiration?  It is for me!  Go to her blog and see her beautiful pictures of her blog...in..a..book!

questions:
have you made a blog book?
what's your favorite blog-book company?
would you do it all in photoshop or use the given template?

2011 - It's Going to be GOOD!

Today I found my new favorite song.  Lady Antebellum's I Was Here

Here is what it says:
I Was Here lyrics
Songwriters: Burr, Gary S; Scott, Hillary Dawn; Shaw, Victoria;

You will notice me
I'll be leaving my mark like initials carved
In an old oak tree, you wait and see

Maybe I'll write like Twain wrote
Maybe I'll paint like Van Gogh
Cure the common cold, I don't know
But I'm ready start 'cause I know in my heart

I wanna do something that matters, say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better with the time I've been given
I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life
Leave nothing less than something that says ?I was here?

I will prove you wrong
If you think I'm all talk, you're in for a shock

'Cause this dream's too strong and before too long

Maybe I'll compose symphonies
Maybe I'll fight for world peace
'Cause I know it's my destiny
To leave more than a trace of myself in this place!

I wanna do something that matters, say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better with the time I've been given
I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life
And leave nothing less than something that says ?I was here?

And I know that I, I will do more than just pass through this life
I'll leave nothing less than something that says ?I was here?
I was here

I love this!  I do want to do something more than get up each day and do laundry, make dinner, go to work, spend time with my family.  I want to have my kids remember little things that I do to show them I love them.  I want them to pass down funny little songs and stories from our life and paint a picture of who I am and how I cherished them.  I want to be the best in everything I do.  Not competitive "best" (I don't have a competitive bone in my body) but best for me personally.I want to learn new things this year, see new places, create new memories that will last beyond this life and into the next.  I want to live each day to the fullest and make a difference and let people know I was here.

I'm turning 40 this year.   
The BIG 40!   
I could be very depressed about this but...I'm not. 
I'm excited! 
I have a plan to make this the best year EVER!!!
I read somewhere, on some blog, sometime ago, about a list.
a 40 before 40 list.
I'm going to do it. 
Projects, places, classes, goals, books, changes, oh I could go on and on!  I don't have my list finished yet but I'm working on it and hope to have it done by the end of the month.


I have decided to make " I Was Here" my song for 2011 to go along with my word and my 40 before 40 list.  I told you this was going to be a good year.  I can just feel it!


Now I just have to find the perfect word that describes how I feel and what I want to accomplish this year.  Wish me luck!

credits for me finding this song - Kristi's Marathon Video - It's awesome!