Hi. Remember me?

I love this ridiculous selfie with Conway. Found it on my phone when I was looking through pictures for this post. 

So. Hi. It's been a while. Last time I wrote, I was finishing up the summer term and now we're over a month into the fall semester! Time flies! Teaching is going well, and I'm enjoying getting to know my new groups of students. But things have been very busy. Fortunately, one of my classes is ending next week and it'll be nice to have an evening home again! (Which is also a little sad, because that class is a ton of fun and I'll miss it! But I will not miss what I affectionately call "12 hour Tuesdays"...)  I can't really recap everything that's happened since my last post, but I'll share some photo highlights with a little bit of commentary :)

First! We went to the Virginia beach at the end of August with a huge group of my friends. It was great and they are the best.

 I did some light summer reading, including this one (The School to Prison Pipelne). I also finished Born with Teeth, Bossypants, and another Akunin mystery novel or two. Sadly, reading has stalled since then! I even have two very sad library books I've renewed multiple times waiting for me to read them.. 

We went bike riding. 

And played mini golf.

We also went stand up paddle boarding. Which was awesome. I want to do it all the time :)

I enjoyed running along the boardwalk. 

We stopped on the way home at two of my favorite Williamsburg places. Pierce's... 

And Sno To Go!

We stopped at a rest stop with some pretty sunflowers :) Nothing special about this picture, I just like it.

The following weekend we were in the DC area. This is my obligatory "First ride on the Silver Line" picture. Granted, it's several months after many of my other friends posted theirs. But still. I have one ;) 

We were in the area for my good friend from college and grad school's wedding, which was just lovely. We had a great time!

Conway was pretty tuckered out from the trip! 

I finished this lace-back shirt, which I designed myself and made without a pattern.  I'm not the most technically skilled sewer (sewist?), but I enjoy the process for sure :) Now I just need to figure out how and where to wear this!

This dress isn't new, but it's one of my favorites and I finally got a nice picture of it :) I submitted it to a sewing contest, which it didn't win - but I did at least make the "here are some entries!" photo montage ;)

And this past weekend we took Conway to our church's blessing of the animals. It's complete chaos, but always a fun time. 

A few other random big things that I don't really have pictures of...

My doctor put me on a new diet to try to resolve some chronic stomach issues. I decided to cut out both what she recommended I cut as well as some other things I know cause issues for me. Sadly, it doesn't leave me with a lot of things I can eat - but I'm making do...  Cross your fingers that maybe some answers come of this! 

In early September I got a tattoo. There are (of course) pictures of this, but I've decided to not post them widely/publicly. If you want to see one, just let me know and I'm happy to share. I had made the appointment back in June and my artist had a long waiting list. She was totally worth it, though. I'm completely in love with the tattoo! 

Running has been going well.  I did the Beat The Blerch virtual half marathon back in August and I have a real half marathon this weekend. Wish me luck!  I'll try to remember to report back when I'm done!

And now that I feel like I've caught up and that posting won't be a huge deal / effort, I can try to get back to more regular posts...  (We'll see if this actually happens or not!) 

Reading, Running, and a StrideBox review

It's hard for me to believe the summer is almost over! I have one (ONE!) class left to teach for my summer session. Then a week off and back at it for the fall. So much craziness :) I've also just started teaching a new class for employees at a local hospital and it's been so much fun so far! Very different from my other classes and I love it.

J and I have been making the most of these last few weeks of summer. Lots of good food from our garden and our CSA box. And finally using our grill.  We've gone to a few more sporting events, including a baseball game with awesome fireworks, and an arena football game where we got to sit in a corporate suite!

In less fun and exciting news, I had some more medical tests done last week to try to figure out what's been going on with my stomach for the past (almost) two years. We may be a little closer to an answer, but I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch. I won't get into much detail about personal medical stuff on this blog, and we're still waiting on biopsy results, but I do currently have an ulcer.  It's funny - when you feel sick for so long, you start to hope for tests results that show something is actually wrong with you and it's not all in your head...  Think good thoughts for me that we may solve this mystery!

On a happier note - I've been doing a lot of reading this summer. I've probably read more for fun this summer than I have in the past few years combined. I'm working my way through Boris Akunin's entire Fandorin series (I think I've finished 4 so far and have the next two checked out of the library), and have also read a couple of random books on creativity and organization (Such as Getting Things Done, and Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind). Side note: I'm trying very hard to implement the "two minute rule" from Getting Things Done. I found the rest of the organization tips a little overwhelming for my current situation - but the suggestion that if something takes less than 2 minutes to complete - just go ahead and do it. That I can get behind!)  I already blogged about reading 10% Happier (which I highly recommend!). I'm currently reading Amy Poehler's Yes Please and have Kate Mulgrew's Born with Teeth and Tina Fey's Bossypants checked out. I made a few recipes from Linda Ly's The CSA Cookbook and all were lovely and delicious.  And in true Erin fashion, I also have The School to Prison Pipeline: Structuring Legal Reform By Catherine Kim on my summer reading list ;)    I feel like there's something I'm forgetting, but even with that list it's a lot! I've been inspired by both my work teaching that literature seminar for adults in the workplace back in June and by my awesome friend Amanda's blog: Amanda Loves Words     So - if I ever finish my giant pile checked out from the library, does anyone have any other recommendations for me? ;)

My running has been going well so far this summer. I finished a ten-mile race last week! I wasn't fast, but I finished and I didn't get sick during the race. So I consider that a win in my book! :) Plus I got a shiny new medal!  Next up is a virtual half marathon, followed by a real half marathon in October...   I have to admit that one of the ways I got myself back into regular training and running longer distances was straight up bribery. ;) After getting my first box as a birthday gift (thanks, mom!) I subscribed to StrideBox. (Note: they don't have a referral program yet, so I'm sharing this just because I love it so much) Every month you get a surprise box of running related goodies. I told myself I could use one item from the box for each run over 5 miles. (two for 10 miles!) And it's been a fun way to try new products and keep my mileage up ;)  Not all of the products have been winners, but there's been at least one product from each box so far that I've liked enough to buy :)

May StrideBox

I ended up buying the Osmo Active Hydration power from this box. I've used it on several of my runs in hotter weather and during my ten-mile race.

June StrideBox

In this box I really liked the MESTRENGTH recovery drink powder. I've found it really helps after my long runs or other tough workouts :) I also really like the Ruby's Lube and might buy it instead of BodyGlide *gasp*! 

July StideBox

I really like the Huma energy gels from this box! I bought more to use during my ten-mile race and they *knock on wood* don't seem to upset my stomach :) Yay! 

August StrideBox

Just got this one in the mail! I haven't had a chance to use anything yet, but I generally love the Honey Stingers chews and can't wait to try this flavor :) 

And that's it from me for this evening! I leave you with a few more questions (in addition to my above request for book recommendations ;) )  Have you ever tried a running (or other) subscription box? Did you discover something you love? 

July already?

Somehow it's July already and I'm in the second week of my summer classes. Things are going very well so far *knock on wood*. My classes are pretty big compared to my regular academic year classes. Fortunately, for our ESOL classes "pretty big" means about 20 students.  For the GED side of my program, things get a little crazier (the woman who teaches in the room next to mine has 50 on her roster!)  Still, 20 students in the room means 20 different abilities, so I'm working hard on trying to make sure everyone is getting at least a little something out of the class.

It's been a good (and busy, of course) few weeks since my last update.  Other than getting back to the classroom, here are a few highlights:

I've been successfully keeping up with my meditation practice using Headspace. I'm very happy with it so far. Is it helping? It's probably still too early to tell for sure, but I'm tentatively going to say yes. :) I also just finished reading  10% Happier. I really enjoyed it and there were a few quotes/pieces of advice that really stuck with me from reading it. 1) "There's no point in being unhappy about the things you can't change and no point in being unhappy about the things you can." and 2) "It's ok to worry, plot and plan... but only until it's not useful anymore."

Running has been going well. I've signed up for a 10 mile race in August. My long run is up to 7 miles and I'm doing ok health-wise. I even had something to eat before that 7-miler! 8 miles planned for my long run for this week. Fingers crossed.

I've finished a sewing project that I'm totally in love with. It's a relatively simple sundress, but I love the fabric and the fit is just perfect! Hoping to get some better pictures of it soon to submit to Girl Charlee fabric's blog, but for now here's the obligatory selfie in the mirror. :)

The last weekend of June was supposed to be our local Pride parade and festival. I was looking forward to it, especially after the Supreme Court Verdict the day before, but mother nature had other plans. Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms cancelled the event, but I still got together with some friends from church for lunch and a trip to the Natural History museum.  Despite some craziness there (including an evacuation from the museum), we had a good day together and I'm glad we at least got to hang out!

Sad faces at the rained out parade and the museum evacuation!

This past weekend we spent at J's family's lake house. It always nice to get the chance to go up there for a long weekend and we actually had amazing weather. We enjoyed good food (including s'mores), a couple trips out on the boat, and a fantastic fireworks show put on by my father-in-law :)  J and I also celebrated the "official" 7th anniversary of deciding to give our long-distance relationship a serious chance. Needless to say, I'm very happy about that choice :) And here are a couple more pictures from the weekend...

Fireworks shaped like a giant mug of beer

Goofy dog

My favorites on the 4th of July :)

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far! 

Hello summer!

Seen on the streets of San Francisco... 

Well hello friends! and hello summer vacation! The semester has finished. My paperwork is all turned in. And I'm happy to (mostly) have a break until the end of the month. Since the semester has ended, we've been traveling like crazy. Just to give you an idea of the craziness, we've been to four different churches in four different cities in four weeks (none of them our home church). I'm really looking forward to being home for at least two weekends in a row. And am looking forward to some sewing now that I've finished up a relatively big work-related project that was causing me more stress than it should've!  I'm *also* looking forward to blogging more. Hopefully I can make that a reality now that things are settled down for the moment.

 This is the skirt I finished today. Took longer than anticipated because I realized the fabric was completely see-through and I needed to line it. But it's done :) I swear the next place we live will have a better selfie mirror... 

So, here's what I've been up to since I last posted. First, we went to California! The main purpose of our trip was to attend the wedding of our good friends in Berkeley. Their wedding was super awesome (in a science museum! with ice cream!) and it was so, so good to see so many of our friends there.  It was also our first wedding anniversary that week and was very special to get to spend it with so many of our friends who made our wedding day special last year. (And a gorgeous pair of earrings from J was the icing on the anniversary cake :) )

Obligatory wedding outfit shot

We enjoyed lots of good food and good beer while we were in the Bay Area and did some of the touristy stuff, like visiting Alcatraz. After a few days there, we rented a bright yellow Mustang convertible and drove down Highway 1.  Definitely worth doing once in your lifetime! Along the way, we stopped in Monterrey to visit the aquarium and to have lunch with my aunts, who happened to also be in California at the same time. It was great to see them :)

Our final destination was Santa Barbara, where J's brother, sister-in-law and our two nephews live. My cousin also attends school there.  I sound like a broken record, but it was so much fun spending time with all of them!  We also went to a couple of wineries, rented bikes and rode along the trail by the beach, and just generally enjoyed ourselves.  Very hard to come back to reality after that trip. More pictures hopefully coming soon to my personal Facebook page, but here are  a few in the meantime :)

At the aquarium :)

Us, our convertible, and scenic Highway 1 :)

The feast my brother-in-law grilled for us!

The week we returned from California was my birthday. And it was a big one :) We celebrated with a low-key happy hour with some good friends and that was just perfect. My mother-in-law bought me the prettiest cupcake I've ever seen! And it tasted amazing, too.  And I enjoyed redeeming all of my free birthday gifts from various stores. Thanks to Ulta for eyeliner in a color I actually wear, and Sephora for some pretty amazing red lipstick. That may make an appearance at future big events ;)

Birthday outfit. Trying to determine if I can actually wear a statement necklace without looking ridiculous ;)

My new fabulous NARS lipstick. The color is called Cruella. 

My birthday was also the first day of a church retreat on meditation and mindfulness. I really, really learned a lot and am very excited to start integrating some of this new knowledge into my daily life.  I've been experimenting with two different guided meditation apps (Calm and Headspace) and think they're both pretty great. I'm hoping to keep up this practice.

This past weekend was another wedding. This time in State College, PA. One of J's college friends got married and it was a great time! Fun people, great live music, a beautiful cake, and just a lot of personality in the whole affair. I love going to weddings that really feel like they're unique to that couple. And this one most definitely was. (As was the one in Berkeley last month!)

Obligatory stop at Berkey Creamery at Penn State. Yum!

In non-travelling news, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things with running.  I went to my run club's monthly happy hour last week and had a great time. I'm signed up for a 5-mile race this Sunday and a Virtual Half Marathon later this summer.  I'm planning on running a "real" half in October and should probably sign up for that one soon. Starting training this week!

I'm currently teaching a for a local program that does professor-led seminars at different companies in the area. We meet once a week at the participants workplace. The participants are mostly people who do not have college degrees and this gives them a chance to further develop a love of reading and an interest in literature in general. We're reading The Winter Queen: A Novel (An Erast Fandorin Mystery) by Boris Akunin and it's been going well so far.  This program, along with my friend Amanda at Amanda Loves Words, are inspiring me to try to do a little more reading for myself this summer!

And that it's from me at the moment. Sorry for the novel and I hope to do shorter more frequent updates for a little while here :) Hope everyone is having a nice summer so far!