Thanks, and thanks!

I got this in the mail today! I was so excited, and I am so grateful. Thank you dad for this gift. After finding this magazine he thought I might be interested and subscribed me. How awesome, perusing is has made me think that I make take a break from all the stuff I have been doing recently to get my company growing and get back to my garden growing tomorrow. It has felt a bit neglected me thinks, and it will do some good to get outside, commune with nature, revive my creativity, and release some stress. More on how this turns out tomorrow!

I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.
- William Shakespeare

Fall=Change

We have defintely entered the fall season...the weather has changed, I still don't have any tomatoes, but my autumn fire seedams are bright and beautiful. I have been quite successful this season with perinnals and annuals, not so much with the veggie garden, but another year awaits us and I am sure that my knowledge and experience will allow for a growth year in 2011. Fall offers us change, and change offers us growth. I am sure that many of my plantings will have the opportunity to hibernate and next year become even more than they were this year.

Funny though as I enter a growth stage there isn't much hibernating happening. I have moved away from my involvement with Balance Fitness studio and am working on expanding my own brand Sante' Fitness. This comes with a lot of work. And a lot of uncertanity. What will come of my new endeavor? And as I enter into so much change I find that many of the things I was certain of before I now doubt.

Like:
Can I engage the students I need to sign up?
Do I have the ability to succeed on my own?
Will I be able to handle the logistics, and day to day pieces of my company?

It is so challenging to go out on your own and try something new.

And yet, this year I did that with my garden. I pulled up grass, planted new things, they are growing. I set up a veggie garden, this didn't go as planned but things are still growing there, even if they aren't veggies. My garden offered me some beautiful results and some ho-hum results but I never would have known if I hadn't tried.
And there are many things growing in my garden that experts said might not grow, which I contribute to tenacity in the plant.

So what is my tenacity in this time of change? Can I flow with it? Can I build my brand and my company and see growth, despite what the experts say?

I believe I can if I have some clear goals and I do!

1. I want to offer health and wellness at an affordable price point
2. I want a brilliant and beautiful life available to all
3. I want to offer this to others and get paid well for my services
4. I want to support you in loving your life, and your body
5. I want to inspire you to live your best life and inspire others to do the same

I have a few things in the cooker to move me forward in this direction and I look to my garden, many of the things I have planted that have grown so much this summer and I wonder, after a winter of quiet where will you be? I am assured that they will grow to a larger magnitude next year. And I am assured the same of myself during this time of change. It might be challenging at first, it might be lean and cold and bitter for a bit, but by next year, things will be blossoming and I will be in a rapid state of growth and my dreams of impacting the lives of others for the better will be a reality!

I find that what I always thought- being a partner at Balance Fitness Studio- is not happening. And so I must be willing to grow in another spot other than the one I had planted myself in. And I believe that with a clear set of goals I will grow wherever I am. It might take some time to re-root myeslf but change can equal growth if you wish it to. And I am courageous, I will grow wherever I am.

Grow where you are planted- Unknown

If your counting...42 days

42 days, that is quite possibly most of the summer. And I thought I was doing so well. Here is what happens; life. And then you get so far away from all of it (your garden, your blog, your friends) when you finally take a look everything needs a bit of watering and weeding. First let me apologize that I haven't watered you by checking in, second let me say I haven't done much weeding, so my mind is filled with clutter and lots of unneeded growth. Third, please forgive me if I unload all of this clutter on you at one time.

Let me note that while I didn't win my fight I was spectacular and offered an exclusive invitation to fight at next years world championships. Consider yourself invited if you wish to be there! Since that amazing day, my life has turned in many different directions, which has of course led to my absence blog side.

There are some parts of my life in upheaval. I have planned for A the last 5 years and now I have learned that A is not possible and I must go after B. The only problem in this is that I didn't have B planned. So I am feeling a bit like a re-plant in my garden.

I believe that life throws curve balls to wake you up. I am waking up. This doesn't mean I haven't been a bit lost, and things aren't blurry, but my eyes are opening to more possibilities every day. If this seems a bit vague, it is as it is must be.

Last week a monarch butterfly was hanging about my back garden. She was there ALL day and I asked myself, "where did you come from, how did you make it here, why do you stay"?



And then the next day, she was gone. And I realized I must ask myself the same questions, and in the tomorrow, I will be gone. Change is inevitable. We need to ask ourselves some vital questions. Where did we come from? Why are we here/how did we get here? And why do we stay?

When something no longer loves us up and expands our growth, why indeed do we stay? Because we are comfortable? Not a great reason to remain; a frog placed in cold water over a stove stays because it is comfortable, and as the heat increases never jumps because they always maintain a certain amount of comfort. At least until their cooked... and I am eating their legs (at that point they probably don't care) But I don't want any one to eat my legs so, I'm going to jump!

I prefer to be the butterfly that flits/floats for a day, and then moves on. And so I will, and I promise more....give me some time!

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. ~Author Unknown

A most delightful day

Oh I often wish I had my camera, today was no exception. I spent the afternoon on the Tangletown Garden tour with my friend Arlys. We traipsed about by car from one private garden to the next enjoying what other gardeners have done with their space. I loved the variety.

One garden was blended with a neighbors and the north/south side of their houses was called "rusty alley". They had taken found objects otherwise left for disposal and used them in their space. Sewage and man holes as steppers, a old bed spring against the house crawling with clematis, used and left for forgotten pipes covered in vines, and other rusty pieces exploding with annuals. Sorry no pic, this was unbelievably cool.

At another location (one of Tangletown's owners) the garden was brimming with palms, annuals, exotic plants, a "moat" surrounding the back patio swimming with the LARGEST koi I have ever seen, fountains, and pots galore, and even a popcorn plant. I so want one of these, when you rub your hands through the foliage and then touch your nose it smells like buttered popcorn. No lie! (Blaise this is an annual here but I would see if you can grow it year round in Tx, it is so fun).

Another beautiful space evoked a sense of peace and well being Japanese style, beautiful paths, rocks, and Japanese inspired fountains. I was happy to have a chance to talk with the owner at this location when I noticed her overgrown lavender (I planted some this year and am hoping beyond hope that it returns next year). She planted it 4 years ago and has moved it three times since as it keeps getting bigger. YAH!

It was such a fun afternoon finished with a beautiful dinner on Arlys's patio. Her patio is another find and a great way to end the tour, it is filled with containers overflowing with succulents, flowering annuals, herbs, and other gorgeous rare finds (most of which were procured at Tangletown).

We grilled some amazing salmon and made this recipe from The Barefoot Contessa. A pic I found online is below but again, oh I wish I had my camera, our version looked much brighter and yummier than this(I think because we cooked the salmon rare and on the grill before we broke it up).



Bummer about the camera I wish I could share pics, suffice to share with you the beautiful time I had with my dear friend!

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”

No affiliation to gardening whatsoever.

Just an opportunity to pedal tickets!
I am fighting again, did you know this? If you read this blog the answer is yes. Do you want to come and watch? If you love me the answer is yes! I am selling tickets, tell your friends, tell anyone that would love a fun night out at the Hilton downtown. (Blaise, the awesome community of friends has already purchased a table, bummed you and Bess can't be there though!)

Bring one, bring all, but buy your tickets through me, it makes a difference.
And revel in this poster that would not at all make you believe that I love my garden as much as I do!

I am training hard and that is why you haven't seen so much of my garden lately, those weeds are loving the opportunity to grow.

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights. Muhammad Ali-

The gratitude garden- Thank you for the small stuff

This month the focus of my IntenSati series has been Acceptance. One of the things I have been teaching in class is that in order to move from judgment to acceptance we must focus on gratitude. The expression of gratitude always lifts our spirits and shifts us from whining and complaining, to...well...appreciation.

Sometimes I get wrapped up in how "big" the gratitude must be, but was gently reminded tonight when I read my mom's post that something so small as appreciation for warm, running water after a weekend of camping, can shift your perspective.

I tried this. I was exhausted when I arrived home tonight, easy to complain of my long day, my achy body, so on and so forth.

My hubby cleaned the house tonight.
My hubby got my chicken cooking on the grill so I could eat as soon as I got home.
My hubby watered the garden for me so that I could eat without rushing.

And appreciation is overflowing, so much so that I have the energy to share this.

Thank you Matt, I love you, you are awesome!


Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. ~Estonian Proverb

Share it all the big and the small, happier you will be, just you see.

What a surprise

Ok I love Donna (aka Blaise) she offered this to me

Now, I find it interesting that you have not – at all- equated you fighting to your garden. I think there is something there??

She is right the thing that is most occupying my mind right now is my upcoming kickboxing fight August 7th (I have tickets so let me know if you want to come).
And it is curious that since it is taking up so much room in my schedule and my head, what a wonder that I haven't posted on it.

So here it is, just for my hot (in Tx) and bothered (by the government lines) friend:

What a surprise:
1. The US national kickboxing team petitioned me to join with them
2. I am coming out of retirement after 6 years to fight again
3. I am 35 and think I can do this again (the last time I fought I was in my twenties)
4. I am willing to put myself through the physical aches and pains of training
5. I am willing to put myself through the arduous process of cutting weight for said fight which means no ice cream and cheese burgers
6. I am able to handle a full bootcamp, private training schedule WHILE training myself for this fight
7. I actually BELIEVE I will win this fight!

This from my garden...


What a surprise:
1. I found this peanut growing out of my window box
2. I have never put a peanut in my window box
3. A PEANUT IS GROWING OUT OF MY WINDOW BOX
4. Peanuts can actually grow in Minnesota
5. Peanuts grow out of peanuts (I didn't know this)
6. This peanut actually somehow (still no clue on how it happened) ended up in my window box
7. And it grew!


(I took the peanut off the top of what was growing and put it behind in this pic)

Always mystify, mislead and surprise the enemy if possible.
Thomas J. Jackson

Hoping the peanut doesn't consider me an enemy, but safe to say the girl from Canada that I am going to beat should. OR if not an enemy at least a rival, and I have many surprises up my sleeve! COME AND WATCH