Not a Short Story

What inspires me

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:36:52 -0500

I find inspiration in:

nature: sunrises, long and winding paths, forests full of trees, streams, owls hooting.
people-watching: observing emotions, finding the small moments of affection between two people, watching mischief play out, little points of triumph…I like the small moments that people exchange. Or any being exchanges with another, for that matter. I like watching animals interact, as well.
taking photographs. actually capturing those small moments.
great music. music with rhythm, with soul. And it pretty much goes without saying—actual instruments.
I love anything with rhythm and movement. I’ll always love observing a dance, but I think what I like most about nature is when I find rhythm in something that appears to be random. There’s usually a pattern, you just have to stick around long enough to observe it.
conversation: 1:1 preferably. I don’t dig crowds.
speaking up. voicing an opinion. throwing out an idea that people like.
solitude.

The last two points are somewhat contradictory, but both are true. And this lead me to wonder: what’s the difference between finding inspiration and finding solace? Are they one and the same? Can you find inspiration while seeking solace? Or do you need solace to find inspiration?

I find solace in:
early mornings. wandering. running. biking. hiking. just walking. solo yoga. visiting places full of fond memories. looking through old photographs.

Perhaps I just find inspiration while seeking solace.

Exciting news! The sun is starting to peek out at the end of my...

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 08:33:56 -0500

Exciting news! The sun is starting to peek out at the end of my morning runs. #itsthelittlethings (at Shadow Mountain Preserve)

Current situation: telecommuting backyard bliss. 70 and sunny in...

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:45:55 -0600

Current situation: telecommuting backyard bliss. 70 and sunny in Arizona once again.

Saturday morning picnic feast: awesome tamales and freshly made...

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:39:27 -0600

Saturday morning picnic feast: awesome tamales and freshly made Creme brûlée. Not a bad way to start our weekend. #yum #food #foodporn #foodie #tasty #phoenix #arizona #instagramaz #igersphx #farmersmarket #market #happy #noms #lake #water #park #nature #outside (at Roadrunner Park Farmers Market)

I have company whenever I want (or don’t want) it. I adore...

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:55:38 -0600

I have company whenever I want (or don’t want) it. I adore my girl. #dog #dogstagram #dogsofinstagram #ilovemydog #silkyterrier #silly #girl #chien #perro #funny #run #running #runner #dogoftheday #weeklyfluff

Hi Heather, this is Meredith from First Coast No More Homeless Pets.I stumbled across your page as I was browsing pics from the adoption event. Dianne is out of town, I wasn't able to find your email address. Do you have or know who has the original photos from the weekend? Best Friends Animal Society wants to do a story on some of the pets adopted there but they need high-quality pics. We don't need all of them, I know which ones we are looking for. I appreciate your help! mtekinATfcnmhpDOTorg

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:33:03 -0600

Hi Meredith, no problem! I’m traveling (yes, again!), but luckily these are mostly up on our file sharing system. I’ll send you the link when I have access.

so true!

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 21:21:37 -0600

so true!

As long as you have a blinky light on you somewhere :)

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 21:16:47 -0600

As long as you have a blinky light on you somewhere :)

There’s nothing quite like your first run back after a...

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 07:57:02 -0600

There’s nothing quite like your first run back after a week off. You feel like you’re dying, yet alive again, all at the same time. And you get to enjoy scenery like this again.

Took a little detour on my usual run route this afternoon. #run...

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:30:37 -0500

Took a little detour on my usual run route this afternoon. #run #trail #trailrunning #running #mountain #azmountains #phoenix #arizona #instaaz #instagramaz #nature #outdoors #outside #fall #autumn (Taken with Instagram at Shadow Mountain Preserve)

No more solo Sundays My husband and I have been Phoenix...

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 23:33:00 -0500

No more solo Sundays

My husband and I have been Phoenix residents for almost 2 months now. We’ve started a new tradition that I absolutely love: Sunday morning hikes.

I always had a Sunday morning ritual: a solo long run. I loved it because it was an opportunity to really test my body and clear my mind of any junk that the week’s mileage hadn’t taken care.

I always left my husband behind (and he was generally a good sport about it). Dave is not a runner. He’s a hockey player. He does love hiking, but there’s not much of that to be had in Illinois.

But now that we have mountains at our doorstep we can get out every Sunday and enjoy the outdoors together. He was in Chicago for a funeral last weekend, so I had to go solo. And that’s just not as fun.

So we made up for it today, with a glorious 6-mile hike in Scottsdale. We may have been a little overambitious (apparently we were supposed to tack on an additional 4 miles in order to actually reach the summit, ha!). But it was a great workout, with beautiful scenery.

And I got to enjoy a good three hours with just my husband, some cacti, and the occasional lizard. Body, mind, and soul were happy.

I think we’ve got a good thing going.

This is about how my brain felt yesterday after work. Really, I...

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:30:37 -0500

This is about how my brain felt yesterday after work.

Really, I know better. I’ve run at least a few several times a week for many, many years. And I haven’t had a migraine for many, many years.

Lo and behold, this girl hasn’t been sticking to her routine and what does she get? A whopper.

It’s not like I’ve been lazy. I did move across the country, start a new job, and travel to several different states in the last month.

But enough’s enough. I know myself well enough to understand that if I don’t get a little more consistency in my life, my health and sanity will suffer.

I need only a few things in my life to keep balanced:

My husband. ‘Nuff said.
A way to pound the stress out of my body (No, I don’t need less stress in my life. That never works). Most days, a good run will do it.
An early bedtime, so I get enough sleep to get said run in during the early morning hours. I am not a consistent afternoon exerciser. And I am a very cranky tired woman.
Constant feeding.
Puppy kisses.

If one of these is missing, I eventually go crazy. I went almost three weeks without my husband and dogs last month, and I came darn close. Now that I have them back in my life, I feel a heck of a lot better emotionally.

But physically, my routine is suffering. We’re still weaving in and out of boxes in our new house and starting to find our way around our new town. I’ve been dealing with the physical discomfort of inconsistent exercise for a while, but today’s episode let me know that I’ve reached my limit.

As I lay on my couch with a pillow over my face and the shades shut, I kept telling myself: this is happening for a reason; the universe is telling you to take better care of yourself.

Soon, I will be balanced again. I gotta be. I know how much better it feels.

Tough #run today, but #beautiful #scenery. #sunrise #nature...

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 09:08:25 -0500

Tough #run today, but #beautiful #scenery. #sunrise #nature #outside #phoenix #arizona #instagramaz #sunshine #morning (Taken with Instagram at Shadow Mountain Preserve)

Great #morning #hike today with @passionforpast. #instagramaz...

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 11:22:15 -0500

Great #morning #hike today with @passionforpast. #instagramaz #arizona #phoenix #happy #nature #outside #climb (Taken with Instagram at Shadow Mountain Preserve)

Hello, friend. #utah #roadtrip #wild #horse #beautiful (Taken...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:43:29 -0500

Hello, friend. #utah #roadtrip #wild #horse #beautiful (Taken with Instagram at Forrest Gump runs @ Monument Valley)

Lots of open #range in #Utah on our #roadtrip today. (Taken with...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:35:56 -0500

Lots of open #range in #Utah on our #roadtrip today. (Taken with Instagram at Navajo Nation)

Today’s # #roadtrip #scenery in #Navajo country, near the...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:33:25 -0500

Today’s # #roadtrip #scenery in #Navajo country, near the border of #arizona and #utah. #blue #sky # (Taken with Instagram at Mexican Hat Rock)

Amazing #sunset on our #roadtrip. #plains #midwest #happy #iowa...

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 19:41:53 -0500

Amazing #sunset on our #roadtrip. #plains #midwest #happy #iowa #scenery #nebraska #farm #sunset #sunshine #sunsetporn (Taken with Instagram at Iowa / Nebraska border)

#iowa is #happy once again. Phew. #storm #midwest #plains...

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 19:32:14 -0500

#iowa is #happy once again. Phew. #storm #midwest #plains #roadtrip (Taken with Instagram at I-80)

#Iowa is #angry. #roadtrip #storm #midwest #plains (Taken with...

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 19:27:07 -0500

#Iowa is #angry. #roadtrip #storm #midwest #plains (Taken with Instagram at I-80W)