Strawberry fields for this summer

We are backyard gardeners. For almost ten years, we've always had some measure of produce growing in a plot in our yard, enjoying vine ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, radishes, banana peppers, carrots, green onions, summer squash, zucchini, and butternut squash on occasion.

A few years ago, we planted a blackberry bush and a raspberry bush, harvesting fruit a few times, too.

In Massachusetts, it was a small plot just off of the driveway in the side yard.

In Ohio, we hired some young men to put in a good sized bed just behind the house, next to the deck.

In Arkansas, we had a garden included in the backyard landscaping done not long after we moved in.

Through all of these iterations of our suburban farming efforts, the array of vegetables as well as flowers thrown in have been an alternating source of enjoyment and frustration.

Surprisingly, Arkansas has been the most challenging of all of our backyard gardens. One might think that moving south to the land of sunshine and warmth would encourage abundant growth and overflowing harvests. What we've found, though, is that beyond the lack of rain from the years of drought since we moved here, there is a strange white, powdery fungus that attacks our plants each year. It creeps into the big, beautiful elephantine leaves of the zucchini and squash, slowly wilting and diminishing them until they no longer bear fruit. It attacks the leaves of the cucumber plant, and we watch the leaves and then the stems wither and die, cutting off our fresh cucumber supply halfway through the summer.

At the end of last year, after battling the white powder most of the latter half of the summer, we decided we would cut way back on the variety we planted and just enjoy the sunflowers that seem to thrive under any conditions. With the available space, I decided the summer of 2015 would be my opportunity to knock another item off of my life list: grow strawberries in my garden.

I don't profess to be a true backyard farmer or, really, anything other than an occasional enthusiast depending on how much else I have going on at the time. I'm not a seedling-starter or an heirloom plant kind of person; for the strawberry effort, we just bought them straight off the shelf at Lowe's and brought them home.

The first month or so was promising; the netting kept the birds off of the plants, the leaves turned green and seemed to thrive, and we even got a few fruits off of the plants. As the summer has progressed, the plants continue to grow, sending runners out just as I expected they would. Sadly, though, this has been the extent of the fruit born by the three plants in the garden. Given the lack of attention we've paid to them with the exception of ensuring they're watered, I guess the effort has pretty much met my expectations.
As the owner of the list, I have the privilege of deciding when I've met the criteria of an item and can cross it off. In this instance, I think I've made the effort and realized, I'm not really that into growing things that take anything other than benign neglect. Tomatoes are more my ability level - after years of growing them, I've decided they're basically weeds that thrive in the most god-awful hot and humid weather you can imagine.

So this counts for me, and I'm crossing it off the list. The fungus fight continues, and next year, I may replace the strawberries with more sunflowers, morning glories, and hollyhocks. I enjoyed the idea of growing fruit, possibly inspired by one of my favorite childhood books, Strawberry Girl, but from now on, I'll plan on buying my Driscoll's at the grocery store.

Overpromising and underdelivering

I guess I wasn't quite as ready to come back as I thought I was - here we are three months later and despite my many, many thoughts around the cool blog posts I could be writing about the really neat things I've done so far this year, it just hasn't happened. I could give a ream of reasons, but the reality is, the only truly appropriate answer is one I'm embracing more and more frequently the farther I get from my West Point training: "No excuse, ma'am/sir."

With my Twinnie now across the ocean and her family writing their own (awesomely funny, incredibly detailed, and sweetly adorable, depending on who's writing) blog, I'm inspired to shed the excuses and get back to chronicling the big and the little things that make up the 365 days of the Coussoules' year.

Speaking of the big and little things - I've managed to cross quite a few things off of my life list this year, reinforcing just how powerful it is to write things down. Make a list. Commit to something in writing. If I hadn't written all of those ideas down a few years ago, I would never have experienced some of the amazing things I have so far in 2015.

Here's to getting back to writing things down - not so much to commit to more things, but to capture the memories and the feelings and the excitement and, on other days, the sorrow and the exhaustion and the anxiety and even the despair in the 365 days that allow us the big and little things.

My Life List: Time for an update

About a year and a half ago, I was inspired to write my own bucket list by reading the wonderful list my dear friend Sarah had created and shared on her blog. I did a little bit of research online as far as what was typical for these "before I'm gone" kinds of goals, and as you can imagine, there are as many of these out there as there are good ideas to add to them.

I found that some people have multiple lists for different things they want to do: places to go, adventures to have, restaurants to try, famous people to meet. When I began compiling my list, I included some very aspirational things that may never happen without heroic effort and everyday things that should be easy to do but for the million and one things that get in the way and then suddenly, life has passed you by.

Reinforced for me in this exercise was the magic of writing something down - when you can see it in writing it is more concrete, more tangible, and more attainable than a wish voiced in a conversation or an idea texted back and forth but never solidified. The list has given me something to return to, to measure my passing days by, and to inspire me for the coming days. It helped us "just do it" this past summer, giving me the opportunity to do more than one thing on the list in a single epic adventure. And that same trip inspired me to add a few more things to the list.

So after 18 months of some successes and some misses against the list, I'm officially updating it. It's still the big and the little things; that's what this blog was meant to celebrate, so it feels right for my personal list to have both. I still think of it as my Life List vs. a Bucket List, as it has added more life to the 365 days I have each year.

1. Donate enough money to have my name on something at West Point
2. Celebrate the 4th of July in Boston
3. Win 1st place in my age group in a race - DONE!!
4. Cross something off a friend's life list together
5. Sing in a symphony chorus
6. Go to the Olympic Games
7. Watch Army play in a bowl game in person
8. Take a train as my primary mode of transportation on a trip or vacation
9. See my cousin Jay perform live
10. Become a published author
11. Visit the American Cemetery in Normandy
12. Take my kids to the Army/Navy game
13. Be in Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day
14. Run a marathon in all 50 states
15. See Mt. Rushmore - DONE!!
16. Take a Creative Writing course
17. Go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC 
18. Buy something at the actual brick-and-mortar Akinz, my cousin Suzanne's retail store - DONE!!
19. Swim around Key West
20. Watch the Dallas Cowboys play a regular season game in Cowboys Stadium
21. Spend a whole day riding roller coasters and amusement park rides with my kids - DONE!!
22. Give a graduation speech
23. Tour the White House
24. Complete a full Ironman Triathlon
25. Hike some of the Appalachian Trail
26. Grow strawberries in my garden - DONE!!
27. Learn to surf
28. Visit Yellowstone National Park - DONE!!
29. Sew matching outfits for my daughter and her American Girl doll
30. Qualify for and run the Boston Marathon 
31. Decorate a fancy cake, like one from a bakery
32. Cook / bake every single recipe in a cookbook
33. Own season tickets to something
34. See the Rose Parade in person
35. Take a vacation with my sister Susannah, just the two of us
36. Read a biography of every U.S. President
37. See Lenny Kravitz in concert
38. Own a convertible
39. Take my kids on a Civil War staff ride vacation
40. Apply to be a contestant on The Amazing Race
41. See the California Redwoods
42. Walk underneath / behind a waterfall
43. Legitimately begin a presentation with the words, "My fellow Americans..."
44. Ride my bike across a state
45. Hike to the most remote spot in the lower 48
46. Ride my bike through a national park

A few more added to the list, a few more complete. I'm sure I'll keep adding ideas as they pop into my head.

What about you? Do you have a list? If you don't, what are you waiting for? Grab a piece of paper, a pen, a marker, whatever inspires you. Write something down. It doesn't have to be 46 different things - start with one, or three, or ten. Just start. You'll be inspired when you realize how rich your life is because of the big and little things that you could do if you made a point to.

The Coussoules' Great Western Adventure: the Bonus Adventure

When we made our plans for the trip and the driving route clearly took us north through Colorado, we made a point of planning an overnight stop in Fort Collins to see my cousin Suzanne. Like many extended families, I don't see my cousins often enough, and we're spread out across America. As it was literally on the way from Colorado Springs to Grand Teton, it was an easy option to get together even if just for a quick meal.

Given the change in plans skipping Denver and heading straight to Fort Collins, I texted Suzanne to see if dinner together would work instead of breakfast on Sunday, and as an added bonus, I asked if we could meet at her shop.

You see, one of the items on my life list was to shop at my cousin's actual brick and mortar store, Akinz. She has an amazing line up of clothing and accessories with her trademark Akinz wings and a decidedly Colorado - specifically, Fort Collins and the snowboarding community - vibe underpinning much of her work.

It was a total thrill to drive through the Old Town Square and see the sign hanging right out front of her actual store:

Caroline wanted to know if Suzanne was famous!! In some circles, certainly she is; more than that, though, I admire her so much for her courage. Being a sole proprietor of a small business is no small feat; it is high risk, high reward, and there is no one to share the risk with when you're just starting out. But she's successfully moved from an online-only presence to a beautiful store front in downtown Fort Collins, and I couldn't be more proud of her.

Just being in the store wasn't the item on my list, though; shopping in the store was the key piece. There were cute tanks; cool slouchy sweatshirts; excellent t-shirts. Caroline chose a hand crocheted headband; John chose a hat to match my shirt.

When you know the owner, though, the storefront isn't the only part of the experience; Suzanne's employee Will gave a demonstration of the knitting machine, and then we got to go behind the counter to see the screen printing and drying set up. So much goes into the final product - it just impressed upon me, once again, exactly how gutsy it is for Suzanne to own and run Akinz.

Post-shopping we grabbed some dinner together, but headed back to the hotel pretty early to get the little man in bed for the night. The Great Western Adventure Tour is all about seeing the sights - lucky for me, I got to see the manifestation of my cousin's hard work, and crossed something off my life list, to boot.

There's more to do, more to see, and more adventures to be had, including crossing even more off of the list. Today was mostly spent driving across Wyoming, but that tale will have to wait for another time. If you've read all of my Adventure tales so far, thank you for sharing the journey with me! Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore and more await!

New Year's Resolutions: mid-year update

Here we are, June 30th, halfway through 2014. Cliches become cliches for a reason: the older you get, the faster it goes.

Have I made 2014 count for as much I wanted it to, so far? I think so - we've had family fun, personal adventures, set backs and triumphs. But what about the list of goals and resolutions I laid out for myself at the beginning of the year? How am I doing on that?

The unvarnished truth: I'm doing... meh. Okay. Not perfect by any means, but not too bad, either. Here's my mid-year-in-review:

1.  Write one snail mail letter, card or postcard per week. Success! That's right - every week, I've managed to get a real, live, handwritten item in the mail to a friend or loved one. There have been a few random letters or notes sent out there, but nobody said they had to be manuscripts of the highest order. And it's been fun, too - I've remembered a few extra birthdays, reached out to friends who I thought might like a little cheer in the mailbox, and reconnected with friends I've missed keeping up with. Twenty six weeks down, and this is one I look forward to keeping all year long.
2. Achieve a higher Marathon Maniac level. And so begins the tale of woe... the biggest setback of 2014 was yet another broken bone, brought on most likely by a combination of too many miles and new shoes that didn't give my feet the support they needed. I was on track to move up from a Bronze Maniac to the Gold level, but just a few days after completing the Hogeye Marathon, I got that twingy (read: searing) feeling in my foot that indicated something wasn't right. Eight weeks later I'm still on the road to recovery, but at least I'm back to running. I won't manage this resolution this year and, frankly, this may never appear on the list again. I think a modification to "run injury free" is appropriate for the rest of 2014, and I'll reevaluate come January 1st, 2015.
3. Be on time to meetings and events. Better, but definitely not perfect. With a new job in a new office and in a new culture, I recommitted to this as of April 28th, but easier said than done. I can at least point to a few meetings where I've actually been early. And by early I mean, there a minute or two before the scheduled time. Baby steps on this one.
4. Treat myself to a manicure/pedicure/massage once a month.  I was doing so well until THIS MONTH! Maybe I'll go for two in July to make up the miss. My resolutions, my rules.
5. Make a list of scrapbooking projects and FINISH THEM. Forget finishing projects; I haven't even made the list. I do have a couple of adorable sewing projects to point to, though. Recommitting to this for July through December. First one on my list: getting my race album up to date. Second: Disney trip from 2012. There! List begun - positive progress.
6. No eating straight from the chip bag. I was doing so well with this, but fell off the wagon sometime in late March or early April. Actually, now that I think about it, the slip-up was concurrent with the broken foot. Doh! True confessions: I ate straight from the chip bag this evening as part of my dinner. I knew this one would be hard. But here we go - back on the wagon! Giddyup!
7. Stop using air quotes. Unqualified success!! I don't think I've used them one time this year - ok, maybe once, but I caught myself immediately and stopped. I did resort to the hashtag thing, but that was short-lived. Now if I can just break my not-yet-nine-year-old daughter from the air quote habit, this will be a major accomplishment in 2014.
8. Do pushups and sit-ups before every run. What is it with me and my weak-willed inability to do anything that remotely resembles weight-bearing exercise? I'm a cardio junkie and I need a 12 step program. Cutting bait on this one - know thyself, know thy limits. I can at least take credit for my running twin picking up this excellent habit. Shauna, you're welcome.
9. Mark at least one thing off of my life list. Now THIS one - I am so on track, I'm a steam engine!! More to come, but our upcoming summer vacation was in large part inspired by this resolution and some of the items on that list.
10. I need to try once again to stop messing with my phone while I'm in the driver's seat. Would someone please tell me why this one is so hard? There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that is so important that it can't wait. Recommitting to this one, too. If anyone has any tips or recommendations on how to get better at this, let me know!!

So there you have it - halfway through 2014, and about 50% success on my resolutions so far. I'm a big believer in things happening when you write them down and when you revisit them. If you made your own resolutions and set your own goals this year, tell me about them! Misery loves company; success begets success; and I'll be your cheerleader as we cram every bit of living we can manage into the second half of the year we've been blessed with so far.

Race Report: The Louisiana Marathon (Geaux Run!)

This past weekend saw my triumphant return to marathoning! For selfish purposes, we will officially define triumphant as "I finished."

I had a reasonably healthy perspective going into the race. I'm only eight months removed from stepping on a rock and rolling my ankle so violently that I snapped the bottom of my tibia. I'm only five months removed from a total running restriction. And, I'm only three and a half months removed from week one of this particular marathon training schedule. I figured 14 training weeks would be plenty for a seasoned marathoner like me. This was #7, after all. 

I failed to account for the fact that the marathon doesn't give credit based on past history. That 26.2 mile ribbon of pavement just wants to know, what have you done for me lately, baby. And my lately wasn't quite enough to run a race defined by anything other than "just finish." 

The great news: the Louisiana Marathon is a jewel of a race. It had everything going for it: 1) within driving distance of home; 2) a state I haven't run yet; 3) flat and fast; 4) January in the south; and added bonus, 5) the Marathon Maniacs reunion race. All of that before I get to the fact that it's an incredibly well run race just the right size for this small-race-loving runner. 

My friend Mary and I headed down on Friday: while it's within driving distance of home, it's a full day's drive, and we pulled into Baton Rouge around 6PM ready for dinner and hotel check in. We were tired, and not that interested in making a production out of finding dinner, so we hit the Japanese sushi and hibachi all you can eat buffet next door to the hotel. I'm sorry to say, that is an indicator of what (in retrospect) were poor pre-race food choices. It was cheap, quick and filling, though, so in the moment, I was happy. After the weeks I've had at work recently, I was so looking forward to crashing on the bed, reading for a little while, and staring at the backs of my eyelids for as many hours as possible. 

Success! I slept uninterrupted, without an alarm set, and woke up a solid eight hours later. We eased into the morning, putzing around the room for a bit, then headed out for an easy couple of miles. It was a beautiful day; winter in Louisiana felt a lot more like Houston than Fayetteville, and we enjoyed the sunshine even with the little bit of chill there was on the air. In fact, we enjoyed it so much we didn't go quite as easy as intended, but hey - it was only a couple of miles, so what could it hurt, right?

As this is only the third year for the Louisiana Marathon and the total field on Sunday is still just a few thousand people, the expo / packet pickup didn't open until 11AM, and there was no maddening crush of bodies. Score.

We were some of the first people there, and I didn't start out on the best note: I went to get my packet, and it wasn't in the box. The volunteer hypothesized that they might have accidentally given it to another runner, and I would need to see about getting a replacement. Um, what? Not that I plan to be an age group winner, but won't that mess up my official time if someone else is wearing my number? I dutifully walked down the row to the Woman In Black for help, and ended up in the VIP room. There was no lost number - I'm a Marathon Maniac, my friend, which for this race makes me a VIP!! Suh-weet!!! I knew when I signed up there would be a Maniac photo and a lot of other Maniacs running, but I didn't realize there were the additional benefits of a beanie, a special medal ribbon, and admission to the post-race VIP area. Not gonna lie, I kind of felt like a Big Deal. 

Now having whipsawed from packet-mistakenly-given-away to you're-a-big-deal, it was time to hit the vendor booths. The very first one was for the Marathon itself, and they had some excellent swag for sale. Their logo is one of the neatest I've seen: a cypress tree and the bayou contained inside of a shoe print. Hard to get more Louisiana than that. Of course, I'm too cheap to buy much of anything, so I longed for a postcard, eyed the long sleeved tech shirts, admired the coffee mugs, and moved on. 

The expo had everything you could want: the local running store, local (and delicious) natural granola, booths for several regional races, a running-inspired jewelry vendor, and all the race apparel and running stickers/swag you could want. I had to swing by the Sweaty Bands booth to check out the new goods, but managed to back away slowly without parting ways with any of my personal wealth. I think that's a first for me at a race expo. When we got to the booth selling the race belts that hold a phone, your keys and (the holy grail) don't bounce, I couldn't pass up a good deal. Mary and I got the joint purchase discount, though, so really, I saved money by buying it. Shopper logic. Just trust me. 

And it's sweet: I wore it during the race and it is officially a must-have piece of gear for me now. No more leaving my keys in the gas tank while I run! (Don't judge. It's a small town with low crime and besides, it's a red Chevy Impala. I don't think they show up on the most-stolen list with any regularity.) Race day bonus: I can carry my phone with me the whole time, which means start line and finish line pictures. Given that I rarely have an entourage at races, I'm now officially winning. 

Having spent just enough money to minimally stimulate the local economy, we did some sight seeing on a micro scale outside of the River Center. A gorgeous day, we turned our faces to the sunshine, walked down to the water for a few minutes, quickly acknowledged our need to get off of our feet, and we headed back to the hotel where we relaxed and each knocked out some work for the rest of the afternoon. 

My lunch choice seemed good at the time: loaded baked potato and some cheddar broccoli soup. I'm lucky enough to not have food/stomach issues, so throwing down an overload of carbs worked for me. Come dinner time, my choices went downhill. We went to a great local place called the City Cafe with friends of friends, and thoroughly enjoyed the pure Baton Rouge atmosphere. Understandably, I wasn't willing to take a chance on gumbo, boudin balls or étouffée on the night before the race, so I made what may have been the worst choice possible: just a couple of sides - some butter-sautéed vegetables and mashed potatoes (that were out of this world, but still). Throw in some sweet potato fries picked off of my friend's plate, and that's my pre-race dinner of champions. 

No meat. No protein. Not even an adult sized food serving. Official fail. Didn't realize it at the time, but race day morning before mile eight, there was no doubt. More on that in a moment.

Race day morning: perfect. I mean, PERFECT. Check out this race morning forecast:

Wake up time was 5AM, which is actually sleeping in for me and Mary vs. a regular run day. Rice cake and peanut butter consumed; fully dressed; ready to go. 

Ten minute drive to the start line, free parking, and a two minute walk to join the group of runners. Added bonus: race belt with phone meant pre-race pictures!!

Since it was the Rendezvous on the Bayou, that meant getting a group shot of all of the Maniacs, too. As a VIP, it also meant private porta-potties. Runners talk about bodily functions and the availability of facilities with the same regularity and lack of sensitivity as a parent of a newborn. Private porta-potties? Reason for celebration. Standing in line for them, I even had a Maniac celebrity sighting: Steve Yee, Main Maniac #1, one of the founders of what I affectionately refer to as the Nerd Club for Runners!

my selfie skills need some work

Small enough race that there were no corrals, and I'm guessing a small enough race that most of the runners were not new to this rodeo, so no walkers at the front, ifyouknowwhatImean. I found the 3:45 pace group with the intent to hang with them as long as possible, and chatted with my fellow runners awaiting the start.

My distinctly Aggie paraphernalia from the Brazos Running Company got several comments, all of a good nature. Given that I was in the heart of LSU Tiger country, I thought that was gracious. Of course, most of the people who said something were self-proclaimed Texans, so there's that.

Then it was time - we were off. From the start, I felt anxious, strangely so given that I really thought my only goal was to finish. Ha - nice try, practical brain. Competitive brain ditched that idea as soon as I crossed the timing mat, and I unintentionally set myself up for frustration for pretty much the entire 26.2 miles. I hung with the pace group for quite a while; in fact, going back and looking at my splits, I made my classic, pretty much every race mistake. I WENT OUT TOO FAST. Um, hello mile 2.

I had all of 14 weeks of training that included approximately zero speed workouts. Okay, maybe two or three if you count unintentional tempo runs. In my practical brain, doesn't-matter-what-my-finish-time-is planning, I had decided that I wouldn't check my Garmin for my pace throughout the race. I would run my race, I wouldn't worry about going faster, and I would enjoy it for the sheer pleasure of running. What I didn't realize is, I need to check my watch because I'm an idiot and can't pace myself or avoid running too fast. You learn something with every race...

As I ran the course in downtown Baton Rouge, through the campus of LSU, and on Lakeshore Drive around University Lake where the homes and views are breathtaking, I more and more fixated on how lousy I felt. I knew I was going too fast; my heart rate was too high; it was mile 6 and I still wasn't in a rhythm. Still, I ran through beautiful Louisiana neighborhoods, on streets lined with live oaks, their limbs reaching across the course creating a canopy of southern charm. I saw crowds wearing a lot of purple and gold, cheering for the runners and their efforts. I tried to focus on the joy of the race, the privilege of my return to health, the novelty of my Louisiana race. By mile 8, my mind began its revolt, with niggling doubts that I even wanted to run this race today. 

I hung in there between mile 8 and 11, beating back the negative thoughts, but by the halfway point, it was too much. I succumbed to the physical meltdown and focused on the elation I knew would come at the finish line. I took a quick walk break for fluids at mile 11, picked it back up, but by mile 14 had eased into a run/walk pattern. 

Unlike Houston, when I only had to stop for fluids a couple of times, I was shotgunning Powerade and chasing it with water every couple of miles. On top of that, completely out of character for me, by mile 10 I had already eaten a Clif Shot Block, downed an entire Stinger gel by mile 12, and seriously considered another one around 16. Again, in the past, it's been a half or maybe a full gel around mile 18, and that's it. My food choices had definitely come back to haunt me - my elevated heart rate and the feeling of teetering on the edge of hunger during a marathon are terrible things to try and work through when you're not on your game.

As I made the turnaround and found myself in the home stretch, I had already been passed by the four hour pace group, so I knew that was out of reach for the day. I was unreasonably let down and even annoyed by that - it wasn't like I had trained with a time goal in mind. In fact, just the opposite. I had trained trying to give myself permission to "just finish" this one, because my ankle still isn't pain free and back to normal. The competitive fires aren't out, I guess, just banked for a while. Because I still want the sub-4:00 time. It just wasn't in the cards for that day, as the back half proved to be my downfall.

Despite all of the self-inflicted problems, the mental gymnastics to stay focused on the finish, and the steadily slowing pace, I did, of course, reach the finish line. Official finish time: 4:12:16. Eighteen months ago, I would've thought myself a superstar, running a marathon with an average 9:33 pace. This year, I was mildly let down and mentally hazing myself for my poor physical and mental preparation. 

I've been working all week on changing that attitude. I mean, I run for the bling, right? Not only was this an excellent medal, I got the added bonus of the Marathon Maniac ribbon.

And my life list includes running a race in all 50 states, right? State #7, done. Thank you, Louisiana. Or as they might say in Cajun country, "Mesi!"

More importantly, I think, this race reinforced that I run for me. I run for the feeling of accomplishment. I run for the conversation with great friends. I run for the need to work off the stress of my paying job. I run so that I can eat potato chips. I run to be healthy. I run so that I can wear the skinny jeans that hang in my closet. I run to show my kids that staying fit is just part of your daily routine, not a big production or major project. 

I run because I can, when just a few months ago, I couldn't. So thank you, Louisiana Marathon. You said Bienvenue and put on an excellent race to celebrate my return to the sport I love. In that, I am triumphant.

New Year's Resolutions 2014

It's that time of year - turn over a new leaf, start anew, make plans to be a better version of yourself. And I shall start by reviewing my resolutions from last year:

1. Start and keep a blog for one year
2. Take one photo every day
3. Stop messing with my phone while I'm in the driver's seat!!

One out of three is a pretty lousy track record, no? And since you're reading this post (for which I thank you very much!), it's pretty obvious which one I stuck to.

I truly enjoyed this blog over the last year. There were times when it felt a little bit like another chore, but it's been a wonderful outlet for me to write, share triumphs, disappointments, and most importantly, the little moments that made up 2013 for the Coussoules. So while my resolution was originally to keep the blog for a year, I think I'll see what 2014 has in store. Less pressure in my mind to keep it up this year, but keep it up, I will.

That brings me to 2014, a year full of promise and unknown blessings. Also, a year for resolutions - more than last year. I mean, maybe if I make more than three, I'll have a better chance at keeping more than one.

For the record, with all of you as my witnesses, here are my official resolutions for 2014:

1. Write one snail mail letter, card or postcard per week - I'd love for you to be on the receiving end, so if you comment here, you'll be at the top of my list!

2. Achieve a higher Marathon Maniac level - now, this one is a stretch. In fact, I would say it's more of a goal than a resolution, but I feel compelled to write it down, as that makes it much more real than just hoping for it. I am currently a Bronze Maniac, having run two marathons within 16 days back in 2012. I did the Hogeye Marathon on April 15th and then the Nashville Marathon on April 28th. The next level up requires three marathons in 16 days or six marathons in six months. I think I can do six in six months, but it will require a lot more advance planning than I've done at this point. So like I said, doing this one in 2014 is a stretch. Be prepared for it to show up again on my list in 2015.

3. Be on time to meetings and events. Truth: I suck at being places on time. It doesn't matter that in general, it's culturally acceptable at work for every meeting to start a few minutes late. Being late is rude and shows disregard for others' schedules. I'm going to try and remember that little fact this year at work and at home, regardless of how much I may not want to be wherever I'm going. On time.

4. Treat myself to a manicure/pedicure/massage once a month. You'd think this would be an easy resolution to keep - I mean, you can get an express manicure in something like 20 minutes, right? But without planning for it, the days, weeks, then months fly by, and I haven't done anything to pamper myself. Or recover from a race, either way. I hope by writing it down, I'll put it on my calendar, then actually schedule it and make it happen. My cuticles and hamstrings will thank me.

5. Make a list of scrapbooking projects and FINISH THEM. Just like my sewing projects, I have beaucoup pictures piled up with accompanying paper and embellishments just waiting for me to sit down and put everything together. I haven't made the list yet, but I will before I go back to work. And my deadline will be December 31st again - though this time, I'm giving myself the entire year instead of starting in August. Pretty generous, I think.

6. No eating straight from the chip bag. I KNOW!!! I honestly don't know if this is humanly possible. I mean, look at it:

Party of ONE, they mean. This resolution is going to take some serious self discipline. I can walk by an entire buffet of sweets, but you put a bag of potato chips (or Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos, whatever crunchy/salty) in front of me, and I'm down for the count. But it's a terrible habit, mindless consumption of empty calories, when I work so hard to be fit and keep my body in shape. So that's it - it's straight cold turkey come January 1st. All chips must be in a bowl or on a plate before consumption. ** Disclaimer - snack size bags don't count. I mean, the whole point is that you eat them from the bag. But I must limit myself to one snack size bag, if I stoop so low as to raid my kids' lunch chips. **

7. Stop using air quotes. Do I even have to justify this? I do it so often I annoy myself.

8. Do pushups and sit-ups before every run. My team building trip to the rock climbing wall gave me several days to acknowledge my pitiful, pitiful lack of upper body strength. And since yours truly is not about to start lifting weights unless they come with a personal trainer, a tropical island, and endless wealth, pushups and sit-ups it is. I've tried doing them after my runs, which lasts for about a week and then peters out. But I think this time, the before-the-run part is the key piece. Also, that I have a friend willing to do it with me, so I have accountability. Nothing like peer pressure.

9. Mark at least one thing off of my life list. This year, I think it's going to be "grow strawberries in my garden." That feels manageable, especially since last year we decided we'd had it with everything except tomatoes, green onions, carrots and radishes. There is some mysterious something that has wiped out our cucumbers and squash the last two years, so we're done trying that. But strawberries - well, we will give it a go, at least.

10. Finally, to round out the list to an even ten, I need to try once again to stop messing with my phone while I'm in the driver's seat. I at least progressed to acknowledging how dangerous it is every time I did it. But my kids aren't getting younger or less perceptive, and I absolutely must do a better job of setting this example. Lord knows, I'm going to blink and they're going to be asking for the car keys.

I'm ready - bring it, 2014. I've got goals and resolutions, and I expect I'll have both successes and disappointments along the way. To paraphrase a friend, though, life without goals is just the repetition of waking up everyday.

Here's to making the most of the next 365. Happy New Year!

Disaster Strikes! (aka, my attempt at homemade bread)

Everything has been going so well with my new recipes this summer... until last Sunday. When I got home after being gone for almost a week, I was suddenly struck with the impulse to STAY CAUGHT UP on my one new recipe a week this summer! Hurry, hurry! Must make Herb & Cheese Bubble Loaf!

I apparently have a budding cook/chef/baker in my son, as I learned that while I was gone he was Handy Helper in the kitchen. I'm all about it - a man who can cook makes a fine husband, speaking from experience - so future wife of my son, you're welcome.

Now, bread is a tricky thing - I had a bread maker years ago that I successfully made pizza crust in approximately three times. Most expensive pizza crust EVER. Beyond that, my bread experience primarily consists of cornbread. No yeast, about six ingredients, and a family recipe from Aunt Lurlene.

The bubble loaf, though - lots of ingredients. Including yeast. And no thermometer in the kitchen to check the temperature of the liquid before I add it to the dry mixture. But I have a Kitchenaid mixer!!! Doesn't that make everything come out right??

Note the bread hook. I'm practically a professional.

Follow the recipe; measure the ingredients; do everything in the right order. Check, check, check. 

Knead the dough. Everyone wants in on this part.

Then we came to the let it rise part. This was where I got my first indication that maybe, possibly, potentially, everything wasn't as it should be. I maaaaaaybe killed the yeast. Because it really didn't rise much.

Did that stop me? NO!! Drive on!!!!

Roll it out, cut the dough, form into dough balls to make the bubbles.

And here... here is where the train picked up speed going over the cliff. The recipe calls for the dough balls to be rolled in the butter and herb mixture before put into the dish for baking. Oregano, marjoram and parsley, to be precise. Three seemingly innocent herbs just waiting to be mixed with butter to make my recipe of the week delicious.

The final product:

Yuuuuuuuuuck. Yes, I know the bread didn't rise. Yes, I know I'm not a master baker by any means. But that's not my final assessment. This is.

Curse you, oregano.

Mama is learning this summer, too

So I've talked multiple times about the summer Coussoule Curriculum, and I'm quite certain I've mentioned that my kids aren't the only ones with assignments. I'm four weeks in to summer, and today was my fourth new recipe. It's both educational and a little bit self serving - all of the recipes are out of the same cookbook. Two birds with one stone: we try new things, I work on #32 on my life list.

I'll admit - the first one, not so good. Cornbread and Meat Squares. Where could I have possibly gone wrong with that, right? I love cornbread. I love meat. The kids love cornbread. The kids love meat. (Justin gracefully chose to eat leftovers that night - I made it on the night he teaches a Bible study and he doesn't much like things that resemble a casserole, anyway).

So. Cornbread and Meat Squares. Turns out it was basically a Tex Mex shepherds pie. And without the green chilis in the cornbread (in the false hope that my kids would love it so much I couldn't chance hot green things in it!), it was.... Well, it was just meh. Definitely not one to repeat. 

On to week two! Mexican Eight Layer Dip, the old party standby. My only mistake was planning it for dinner. Everyone loved it - but unfortunately for them, dinner was over after the appetizer. Oops. 

Last week was Hearty Rice Skillet. I'll admit it - I'm a sucker for a casserole. Which is weird and exactly opposite of how I feel about foods on my plate. I treat my food the way I treat my kids on a long car trip. NO TOUCHING. I mean, seriously. Nobody wants their roll touching their green beans. That's just gross. 

With casseroles, though, I'm usually all in. When it's cooked together, it is just my little piece of comfort food heaven. This world is a better place because of my mother's hamburgermacaroniandcheese casserole. And you really should run all of those words together when you say it. It's a literary casserole, and also, if you say it fast enough, nobody will ask you if Cheez Whiz truly counts as cheese.

So the Hearty Rice Skillet - I loved it. Another Lenten Friday night option for the future. Kids were unimpressed, but at least they tried it. We're big on the "no thank you bite" around here. You don't have to eat every night, but you definitely have to try everything. You can't say "no thank you" if you don't even know whether you like it, right?

So after a bit of a rocky start to the summer of new recipes, I decided this week I needed to deliver a crowd pleaser. Enter: One Bowl Chocolate Mocha Cake and homemade Rocky Road Frosting. 

This may be my first cake I've ever made from scratch. Certainly the first one I can remember making from scratch. We're talking cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate; measuring cups and spoons; even a sifter for the powdered sugar. Honestly, I picked this recipe because of the promise inherent in its name - one bowl. Pretty much foolproof. 

We'll see if it really does please the crowd tonight. The irony? I'm not a chocolate person. Don't like chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, chocolate milk, etc. etc. But I'll take my no thank you bite just to see if this changes my mind. 

The Big Things and the Little Things: my Life List

At this point, pretty much everyone knows the concept of a Bucket List. Thanks to Hollywood, maybe most of us have seen a fictionalized account of living the dream of marking every single item off. But I bet very few of us have taken the time to sit, think, and write out the wonderful experiences that would make our time here uniquely our own, individual experience.

My dear friend Sarah (whose blog inspired me to start my own) has an excellent list, and in the Grand Re-Opening of her "Musings of Mother Hood" blog, she's revisited the list that she wrote several years ago. She calls it her "Life List," which I prefer to "Bucket List," so I'm borrowing that moniker, too.

Reading Sarah's list the first time, and again this time, naturally got me thinking: what would be on my list?

I started one several months ago, but I have to admit that thinking of 100, even 50, things that were dramatic enough or inspiring enough or unique enough to include on the list is a daunting task. To the point that when I tried it the first time, I got less than one page of a small spiral notebook into my list, put it down, and didn't return to it. Until today. (Weirdly, I did manage to cross one thing off the list in the lapse between then and now... so it counts. Totally.)

With Sarah's recent post, I'm inspired to start again. Maybe my list won't have 100 things on it - for some reason, 100 feels like the magic number to me - but nobody said I had to write the whole the list right now, and nobody said it couldn't be a running list as I am inspired by the little things that happen, 365 days a year. That's what this blog is all about in the first place, right?

So here goes: the beginnings of the list of all the cool things I want to do while I'm here.

1. Donate enough money to have my name on something at West Point
2. Celebrate the 4th of July in Boston
3. Win 1st place in my age group in a race - DONE!!
4. Cross something off a friend's life list together
5. Sing in a symphony chorus
6. Go to the Olympic Games
7. Watch Army play in a bowl game in person
8. Take a train as my primary mode of transportation on a trip or vacation
9. See my cousin Jay perform live
10. Become a published author
11. Visit the American Cemetery in Normandy
12. Take my kids to the Army/Navy game
13. Be in Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day
14. Run a marathon in all 50 states
15. See Mt. Rushmore
16. Take a Creative Writing course
17. Go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC 
18. Buy something at the actual brick-and-mortar Akinz, my cousin Suzanne's retail store - DONE!!
19. Swim around Key West
20. Watch the Dallas Cowboys play a regular season game in Cowboys Stadium
21. Spend a whole day riding roller coasters and amusement park rides with my kids - DONE!!
22. Give a graduation speech
23. Tour the White House
24. Complete a full Ironman Triathlon
25. Hike some of the Appalachian Trail
26. Grow strawberries in my garden
27. Learn to surf
28. Visit Yellowstone National Park
29. Sew matching outfits for my daughter and her American Girl doll
30. Qualify for and run the Boston Marathon 
31. Decorate a fancy cake, like one from a bakery
32. Cook / bake every single recipe in a cookbook
33. Own season tickets to something
34. See the Rose Parade in person
35. Take a vacation with my sister Susannah, just the two of us
36. Read a biography of every U.S. President
37. See Lenny Kravitz in concert
38. Own a convertible
39. Take my kids on a Civil War staff ride vacation
40. Apply to be a contestant on The Amazing Race
41. See the California Redwoods
42. Walk underneath / behind a waterfall
43. Legitimately begin a presentation with the words, "My fellow Americans..."

Do you have a list? Any recommendations for me? Anything you thought for sure you'd see on my list but is conspicuously absent?