The essence of coffee...

by Christina


She walks into a coffee shop, ready to begin, ready to focus. She prepares her table, pen and paper laid out, timer set. She orders coffee...soy latte with whipped cream. The glasses removed to provide tunnel vision, nothing in the periphery can be seen, just the paper at hand. She's ready, the rituals have been completed...

A drink of coffee, warm in the mouth travels through the body and soothes her soul. She feels relaxed, calm, and in the zone. In the background, there is music, the click of other's computers, the chatter of meetings, and the whir of the espresso machine ready to provide coffee to others to facilitate their productivity.

Among all this clatter, she focuses, she allows these noises to quiet that distracting part of her brain. She writes about travels throughout the world, people she has met, fond memories, stories she has created from watching others.

She remembers...

She dreams...

All is good.

She creates new stories...stories that match what people are wearing. Where they would wear these clothes...

the parties,

the music that would be playing,

the walks in the snow through the forest.

She dreams of a relaxed, care-free life. One where money matters very little. She stops and takes a drink of her coffee...time to pause and reflect on the need for money. She wraps her hands around the cup of coffee, breathes in and slowly exhales.

She imagines herself walking on a path through the tall trees, sheltered from the world.

She imagines a world filled with peace.

She conjures up images of warm wooly clothes...she is elegant yet earthly casual.

She walks and appreciates her surroundings.

Her heart is filled with love...all because of a simple cup of coffee.

Do you have a favorite spot that allows you to be your most productive self? Where is it? What rituals do you have to prepare yourself to get some serious work completed? Knowing this about yourself can help you reduce the distractions of daily life that stand in your way of finishing what you finally what done.


A seashell...

by Christina


The waves roll in and out with grace, strength, perseverance and rhythm.

The amount of questions one can generate watching the waves is perhaps as vast as the ocean itself.

How long did it take for each molecule of water to arrive at the shore?                                             

Will that water arrive at the shore ever again or does it return to great wide open ocean?

One lone shell rests in solitude on the sandy beach.

The waves approach the shell and gracefully retreat.

As the waves build they finally reach the simple shell covering it with sand and water.

Without regard the shell maintains its poise and let's the sand and water drift away.

The sand and water had the ability to overwhelm and bury the shell yet it did not succumb to the threats of the environment. As I walked down the beach I couldn't help but think how this shell, one simple shell had a message.

Be flexible and move with the tide; letting go of resistance.

Can you apply the meaning of this shell to your life? What forms of resistance might you have to getting outside and going for a walk.  Something to think about...

With love from the beach...


Beauty abounds...

by Christina


My heart was captured long ago by the mountains yet there is something so endearing about water. Perhaps it is that one could, in all honesty, live without mountains but not water. Spending time on the ocean was not anything we did with frequency during my childhood. Water time was about the swimming pool or a quick dunk in a river. Now with the opportunity to spend two weeks next to the ocean I find myself mesmerized by the beauty, the strength, the ability to be calm yet powerful.

I'll be brief today because my post is really to share my sights from today.  Enjoy...

The Edgartown Lighthouse

The Edgartown Lighthouse

While my focus was on the water it wasn't until I got home and saw those amazing clouds!

While my focus was on the water it wasn't until I got home and saw those amazing clouds!

Seashells by the seashore...

Seashells by the seashore...

The Atlantic Ocean...north side of the island. Powerful, graceful waves.

The Atlantic Ocean...north side of the island. Powerful, graceful waves.

May you have the ability to make time for yourself today. Put aside the to-do list and honor yourself. While I've always known the importance of this it's becoming apparent to me that I've not done a very good job of this in my own life over the past couple of years.

May the water be a source of inspiration to us all...life-giving, energizing, and courageous.

Peace,

Christina


An adventure...

by Christina


Wow, where did the time go? April seemed to speed by with the Werifesteria walk-along and now it's mid-May. I can't believe it will be summer soon with hot days and my favorite beverage...ice water infused with lemon, cucumber, mint, and ginger. Oh so refreshing. 

In my day job as a professor of nutrition I write a lot of grants most of which never get funded. The funding line for most granting agencies is about 7%. I'm not sure what the odds of winning big money are in Vegas but sometimes it feels as if I would have more success at the tables. So, when my aunt sent me an announcement for a grant to the Turkeyland Cove Foundation I quickly dismissed the idea.

Turkeyland Cove Foundation based in Edgartown, MA provides grants for "A residency for the motivated woman". You can learn more about it here. I proposed to work on my content for The Healthy Knitter. Quite honestly when I submitted my application last October I never expected to receive the grant. Recall, my history of grant writing...I put forward my best effort but it rarely results in an acceptance. To my surprise, I was granted or more appropriately gifted, two weeks at this amazing place to focus on my projects.

I am moved beyond words to have received this gift. In this serene environment I am able to walk, knit, write, drink coffee, repeat.  I am able to linger in the woods and explore new places, capture thoughts on paper, take photos of the most amazing sites, and dream up new pattern ideas.  What's most gratifying is this will turn into material for all of you; more patterns that blend knitting with healthy living. So, while I'm working on re-energizing self and getting some things done, I've got all of you in mind. I can't wait to share the fruits of my labor with you. So stay tuned for more exciting ideas and patterns from The Healthy Knitter.

Appropriately named The Tree House as the view from the upstairs windows looks out into the tops of the trees.

Appropriately named The Tree House as the view from the upstairs windows looks out into the tops of the trees.

Off to explore new places...

Off to explore new places...

Hellloooooo Atlantic Ocean...

Hellloooooo Atlantic Ocean...

View from King's Point taken during an evening wander...

View from King's Point taken during an evening wander...

May your body be as active as your needles...

Christina