Today vs. One Week Ago

Ugh.

365 Photos: Day 63-69

Every Monday Sunday I will post 7 photos for my 365 Photos project. All of my photos are taken with my iPhone, until I can save some money for a nice "real" camera. Let's see what this iPhone can do...

Day 63: March 4
Laundry day on a beautiful sunny day. This picture is also from that day.

Day 64: March 5
Zuid Station Cappuccino. (South Station in Brussels). A nice break in the day. 

Day 65: March 6
A beautiful day to go swimming (indoor pool.) KU Leuven University Sports Centre. 

Day 66: March 7
The newest issue of Flow magazine.  Always makes  my day. 

Day 67: March 8
The Atomium in Brussels.

Day 68: March 9
One dozen bean tamales ready to go. The pork ones are steaming in the back in my red Dutch oven.

Day 69: March 10
It's been ages since I've attempted cross stitch.
I got a lovely new book at Creativa this weekend, so I am inspired

Make 52: Week 7

Every Sunday, for 52 weeks, I will share what I have made that week.

7. A. March's Resolution Chart.

7. B. French onion soup.

Last week we got six yellow onions as part of our veggie bag. We used this recipe.

7. C.  Knitted apple to pair with my pear.

7. D. Not pictured: Herb-Crusted Salmon.

7. E. Probably the most labor intensive Make 52 project to date - 2 dozen tamales: one dozen pork, one dozen bean.

Strange Night, Alright

We've had some really beautiful weather the past couple of days. The sun was shining, and so many students and families were out and about enjoying the days.
Tonight, it's a strange night in Leuven. There are organized demonstrations taking place in the streets right now, outside my shuttered window. It's strange to hear the drums, shouts and helicopters outside, especially when it is so warm and cozy inside. It feels strange that people are marching for beliefs that I can't fathom.

I was going to write at my computer tonight, but I can't really concentrate - and I would rather curl up on the sofa, knit and watch a good movie. I'll be glad when tomorrow comes.

One Little Word - February

Yesterday's post might have seemed to come out of left field. I guess I should have included that creating a chart to help obtain specific goals was part of the prompt for March from the One Little Word class that I am participating in. The concept behind One Little Word is simple: choose a word for 2013 and keep it close to your heart as you work, live, etc. through the year. My word for 2013 is fearless.

Jon's photo of me being fearless at the top of the duomo in Florence! Whew! That was a tough one for me. 

Every month Ali Edwards, the class facilitator gives us a creative prompt to ruminate and develop ideas as we work with our One Little Word. January's prompt is here, but I have yet to share February's prompt which was to create a vision board. If you don't know what a vision board is, check out this article from Oprah.com, and/or this helpful article from Christine Kane. 

The Process:  I simply went through my magazines and tore out images that I loved: images that I responded to, images that made me think - "I want THIS." Some themes emerged as I worked - travel, family, creativity, home and writing. I think they are evident. Purely by chance, after I made my vision board, I was prompted in The Artist Way to create a vision board.

  

I have no shortage of beautiful images thanks to the Dutch magazine Flow. Ik hou van dit tijdschrift! The images in the magazine - some illustrations and some photography, evoke such a lovely feeling. The articles are also very interesting and I can read them, for the most part, in Dutch! Flow has articles for self-improvement, DIY and inspiration. It's a hybrid of all of the things I love, and they have an international edition in English. 

Initially, I didn't want to cut up my magazines, but I thought again... "Why not? Things are to be used. Spend out!" So, I cut up the issues that I have accumulated since I've been in Belgium and created my vision board:

I love it! I have no idea what its connection is to my word fearless, but this is what Christine Kane described as the "Opening and Allowing" Vision Board. Perhaps I am not afraid to share what I want in life? Ik weet het niet. [I don't know...]

The board hangs in a special place in my home, in  my special nook under the stairs. It's not exactly prominent, but I think now that I shared it on the World Wide Web, that's pretty open and out there. This was a great exercise and a great way to enjoy the magazine that I love.

Get Active - Intentions for March

I need to get active! 

But all I seem to do is *think* about getting active. 

 However, there are signs all around me,

reminding me to get active!

The books I listened to last month really inspired me to make some changes in my life. I have done pretty well sticking to a schedule as far as writing daily in my journal and keeping up with this blog. I've developed some good-to-me habits, but I have yet to develop healthy habits.

In The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin creates monthly resolution charts to chart her progress in keeping her resolutions. She has even shared these charts on her website. Rubin was inspired by a similar system shared by Benjamin Franklin in his autobiography. The charts created by Franklin list 13 virtues that he believed created personal character. Perhaps it's the former teacher in me, but I liked the idea of the charts, so I made a little chart of my own for March.

This month I am holding myself accountable to do more and develop some good habits. If this works well for March, I'll continue to add to the list in April. I am striving for checks ALMOST everyday, (except for flossing and writing - I'd like those rows to have check marks all the way through the end of month), and I would like to chart my progress.  Plus, I like giving myself pink checks at the end of the day.

Here's to March's healthy habits!

February Book Report

When the month of February started I was in the middle of Week 4 of The Artist Way. Week 4 was especially interesting because it imposes a reading ban. That's right, for one week there were no books, internet, blogs, news, magazines, television shows, you name it! It was only for a week and I have some terrible internet habits that I was willing to shake, but it was very difficult! I didn't participate in a full ban, but I limited my internet time and activities drastically. A reading ban is imposed for the artist who needs to become "unstuck." It was a good challenge and I actually ended up listening to a lot of music - which was so pleasant and inspiring.

Then we went to Italy. I didn't really have time to read on the trip, plus I get quite nauseous reading on busses and trains. But I really enjoy listening to books, especially while I am cooking dinner, knitting, on my way to school, or running errands in the city. I find it to be a great use of my time and I also find that this is the only way I can do two things at once. In Italy, I had quite a bit of time to listen to books - so that's what I did in February. I listened to two books: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection by A. J. Jacobs.

I read The Happiness Project back in 2011, but I wanted to re-read it, especially at the beginning of the year. In The Happiness Project, Rubin pursues the quest for happiness during the course of one year. Rubin is a great writer and her words were easy to read, and especially easy to listen to. Though I kept wishing I had my physical copy of the book with me so that I could highlight notes and recommendations. The topics in this book range from marital and family communication to getting enough sleep, are thoroughly researched and backed up with historical anecdotes and actual application in Rubin's daily life. It's an inspiring book and I really gleaned some important information and ideas.

Some key points or ideas that really stuck with me, just off the cuff are: be you, spend out, get a good night's sleep, tackle a nagging task, act the way you want to feel, smile, laugh, act happy. They are simple ideas really, but it was nice to read her journey and be reminded and pushed to create some happiness resolutions and truths for myself. I was especially excited to try Rubin's resolution chart, which I will share here on the blog tomorrow. It's good stuff!

Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection was on sale as an audiobook in January through iTunes.  I picked this book because I thought it went with my One Little Word intention for February - Body, In this piece of non-fiction, author A. J. Jacobs, much like Rubin, explores every topic to becoming the healthiest person he can possibly be. From eating right, to skin care, to healthy bowel movements to triathlon training; Jacobs attempts to change his habits from feeble to healthy through the latest fads, research and scientific data. It was a good listen, and as a result we have some healthy changes afoot in my household. Personally, I am making a point to floss, get enough sleep, eat more vegetables and fish, and to be more active for cardiovascular health.

Though I don't feel like there was much personal progress towards actively making changes for the better in February, I feel like I had to think *hard* about the changes that I really want to make in my life. These books were very helpful - informative, and entertaining. Plus, I got twice as much done, because I was able to listen to the books and travel, knit and cook - all at the same time! What more could I ask for?

365 Photos: Day 56 - 62

Every Monday Sunday I will post 7 photos for my 365 Photos project. All of my photos are taken with my iPhone, until I can save some money for a nice "real" camera. Let's see what this iPhone can do..

Day 56: Feb 25
Catching up with my favorite shows and trying to figure out a pear pattern. 

Day 57: Feb 26
Check out this swanky Brussels tram interior with leather. Yee haw! 

Day 58: Feb 27
The Lavazza truck parked in front of my house,  but he had no deliveries for me. [Sad face.]

Day 59: Feb 28
My favorite spot to eat and take some tea in Brussels, Le Perroquet.

Day 60: March 1
Another picture from the Stella Artois tour. This is the kitchen, where all the magic happens. 

Day 61: March 2
Do you see the face in this tree? And notice the green lawn in the stadspark [city park]. Spring is almost here!

Day 62:  March 3
This is "the bond," also known as Bondgenotenlaan. It's the main street to the center of Leuven - 
also a straight shot to the train station. Do you see it in the background? 

Make 52: Week 6

Every Sunday, for 52 weeks, I will share what I have made that week.

6. A.  A little reminder...
Not that I drink coffee at night, but I am really trying to curb my sugar intake. I was inspired by this song by The Guess Who. It was stuck in my head.

6. B. A pear.
This is the first pattern that I've made up. I love how it turned out.

6 . C.  I made a vegan dinner!
This delicious cauliflower and dal recipe came from Food 52. A squeezed lime really heightened the flavor. It was nice to make something different from the veggie bag this week. 

6. D. And finally, a new calendar for March.

Wow! Time really flies when you are having fun. 

Today's Stella Artois Tour

The Stella brewery on the edge of town, this photo is from 2010. 

When we lived here in 2009-2010 we always meant to visit the Stella Artois brewery, but it didn't happen. Today we finally got our wish. 

Read more after the jump...