If selfish dreams came true...

For the most part, I'm not a selfish or materialistic person.  I don't want for much, and I can appreciate a sweater from Target just as well as one from J Crew.  I don't ask for much other than to enjoy myself in whatever I'm doing... wherever it may be.  On occasion, my stars align and I get to do some pretty darn wonderful things.  If selfish, materialistic dreams came true, they would look something like the following:



 

                                         

                                             Almond Joy Martini!!!

 

Pina Colada Martini!

 And then the would include delicious bar-b-que, and gingerbread houses.

And I would learn how to play roulette at a real casino, and win some CASH!!!  Then Christmas would come around and I would count the many blessings in my life while I was perched in a window seat in Newport, RI watching the world go by.  And if my selfish, materialistic dreams were still coming true, the beautiful Newport condo I was spending Christmas in would look like this:

View from the window where we opened presents

 And, I would have dinner fireside at some of my favorite restaurants, and life would be good.  And the only thing that I would be left wishing for was to see my family and give them all a squeeze and remind them of how much I love them. 

Alas, a girl can dream, right???  And sometimes, her dreams come true. 

Counting my many blessings,
Whitney

For the love of my Mama

HI Friends,

Work is gradually slowing up and I'm hoping to get back to my regular blogging routine once again.  Today is the last day of work this week- thank you Yale- and I am SO looking forward to a little break and some thankfulness.

But first, a little recap from one of my favorite things... a visit from my Mom. Two weekends ago, my Mom, aka Miss Susie, came up from the Sunshine State for a quick visit.  I don't think I ever really realize just how much I miss her until she's here and the hours and minutes speed by so quickly, threatening to end our visit sooner than I'm ready for.  It always seems like forever until she arrives and then in the blink of an eye I'm driving her back to the airport.  Sometimes it's just not fair. 

Growing up we went on many vacations around the south, and on ski trips out west, but we never really visited the Northeast.  I'm actually so thankful for not having spent much time up here previously because it makes every visit with my mom so special.  We plan new adventures, drive places neither of us has ever been.  We experienced NYC for the first time together in 2007.  It's so much more fun to go on these adventures with my mom, knowing that both of us will be seeing something or experiencing something for the very first time together. 

And this past trip was no exception.  Mike helped plan a wonderful few days for us, complete with a beautiful drive through the Hudson River Valley, a visit to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America), Mohonk Mountain, leaf looking, FDR's house and memorial, The Griswold Inn, and much more. 

 

And although these adventures brought us new memories and stories, the best part fo the trip was our quiet times just talking as we sipped our tea in the mornings.  You don't realize how much you need a dose of Mama until she's sitting at your table bundled up in comfy clothes, talking about whatever we fancy doing for the day.  That's the best part.  It's not that I ever forget how much I enjoy our time together, but I'm so much more aware of it when she's here and we're on a timeline.  There are times in life tha I wish I could press fast forward and get on to the next part but not when my mom and I are together.  It's in those times that I wish I could press pause and stay in them so much more.

And so on the third day in this week of Thanks, I am so thankful to have my Mom.  She is my best friend, my confidant, my mentor, my voice of reason.  And, I'm one lucky girl.

Here's to planning our next adventure... we're heading West in June for the red rocks.  I can't wait... mostly just for the Mom time. 

Love,

Whitney

And there was light...

Last night around 8:15pm our power was restored, our lights came on, our clocks began to work, our A/C kicked in, and our hot water began to flow.  For about 10 minutes, Mike and I ran through the house turning every single thing on and using anything we had not been able to since Saturday.  It was sort of like moving in to a new house.  We are not energy wasters, but for a few minutes we indulged ourselves in the triumphant return of our power. It was good.

And after the fun was over and we knew that things worked and we could once again have clean clothes and bodies, we turned all the lights out.  Throughout the week, Mike and I counted our blessings and used Irene as a reminder of how much we really have and how thankful we are for it.  We drove around at dusk last night to check on some friend's houses in areas of Milford that were very hard hit by the storm.  It was, and is, so sad.  People were working in the dark cleaning out garages and 1st floors of houses, sorting through their lives to find something salvagable.  Our hearts went out to them.  There were points when Mike literally stopped driving, unknowingly.  I hope we will be able to help with some organized clean-up efforts in the near future to help others.

When we got home, we noticed that traffic lights near us had been restored, and as we got closer, the street lights were on.  Our neighbor was sitting outside on his steps when we walked up; he was just staring at the street which looks so different when illuminated than when it was dark and left to our imagination.  We spent our 10 minutes of hysteria running through the house and flipping switches.  And while we were running around we both started to slow down and remark that we actually felt guilty.  We felt bad that we had something that others didn't.  And then, we turned everything off and talked about having spent 4 days in darkness.  It wasn't bad.  We talked more, we read new books (albeit by candlelight), we (and I mean me) perfected our solitaire game.  We played trivial pursuit and exercised our brains.  It was really like camping in our house, with the comforts of a real bed and cushy seating. 

And so, our blessings are counted.  We are thankful.  Our hearts are heavy for those who are still dealing with the aftermath of this storm.  We hope to offer help this weekend and in the future. 

And here is how we spent the rest of the evening until our eyes could not stay open a minute more...

Yours,
Whitney

Reflection and thanks

Brace yourselves- this could be a rambling...

To say that I am overwhelmed is an understatement. I am in awe of the showing of love and support by so many friends and family as I set out to conquer the Long Island Sound tomorrow with the Seagurls.  Thanks are not enough to express my gratitude.  I am so proud to be surrounded by such an incredible group of people and to swim for such a worthy cause.  This sense of family and community makes me feel at home while I'm away.

Yesterday, my Uncle Tommy passed away.  He went peacefully and unexpectedly in his sleep.  This news hit me like a ton of bricks.  I was plugging along at work, lost in my world of nerves and excitement when I received the phone call.  Nothing prepares you for that.  But, what I find so incredible and moving about the way this went down is that the tears and heartache came instantly.  Instantly, I was gutted and weak in the knees listening to my Dad weeping as he shared the news.  The strength and power of one emotion can move so quickly.  I was powerless over my emotions and that was actually a great feeling.  In a strange way, it felt so good to feel so bad, to feel so emotional at this news.  It reminded me of how important loved ones are and how often we get lost in the day-to-day without really recognizing this.

My intention is not to drag out the sadness of the day, but to reflect on how incredible emotion and love can be.  I haven't seen my Uncle Tommy in about 2 years.  Living up here makes visiting difficult and it's hard to get all family members in the same place when I am home.  We didn't talk on the phone or write letters or anything of the sort over the last two years.  We simply have not been in touch aside from checking in with my Dad and Grandma about each other.  That doesn't take away an ounce of love or connection that I felt for him.  I was so overcome with emotion yesterday and so sad, but at the same time I was so thankful to have had him in my life for 32 years.  I am so thankful to come from a family that remains so close and connected despite distance or frequency of visits.

What's more, is that every family member that was in Florida stopped what they were doing, left work, left home and drove to be together.  The rallied around each other.  They put aside petty disputes and came together.  That's what you're supposed to do, right?   It was so touching.  I wish for everyone to experience the connection we have with their own families. 

So to bring this full circle, I am also reflecting today on the power and strength of the family I have built outside of my d.n.a.  The outpouring of love and support shown by so many people for the Seagurls (not just me, but our whole team) is amazing.  We handed in our checks last night at the race meeting and we've raised over $12,000 so far for cancer treatment and support.  Are you kidding me?! $12,000!!!  Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would raise that much money and be able to transition that into so many lives waiting to be touched by this support.  So many people shared sentiments about their loved ones that have been touched by cancer.  I have read and re-read your comments, your encouragement, and I will be channeling that as I swim my rotations tomorrow.  Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

With love,
Whitney

Thankful Tuesday (with a treat)

Hello Friends,

Another wonderful holiday is now in the books.  I am so thankful for being able to take a few days to spend with great friends as we celebrate all that the 4th of July means.  With Mike as the history buff, the importance of this day of our independence is not lost on me.  It's easy to get wrapped up in the fun and excitement of cook-outs, beach parties, and fun, but it's also important to remember the significance of this day. 

Today, with so much going on in the world and so many countries currently fighting for independence or democracy, I am so thankful to be able to celebrate July 4th each year; I'm thankful to celebrate our freedom, our nation's birthday so-to-speak.  I hope you all enjoyed friends and family and ate one to many burgers or pieces of watermelon, but I hope you also remembered the importance of this day to us.

Mike and I spent the weekend with wonderful friends in Rhode Island.  We camped inside a historical house in Narragansett and played frisbee at the beach and grilled delicious food and walked to see fireworks.  Mike interjected a few historical factoids in there along the way so we remembered the significance of this, or the importance of that. Rhode Island is home to the longest running Fourth of July parade- in Bristol.  I'll bet you didn't know that! 


And- for a little 'Treat Yourself Tuesday' I'm reposting some great informaiton about coconut oil that I read on a fellow CrossFitter's blog: http://wwwcleaneats-nickipeet.blogspot.com/.  Nicki's blog is all about eating Paleo and she has some great recipes.  You don't have to eat clean/paleo in order to sneak this little gem into your pantry.  Throw out the other oils and reduce your olive oil consumption but adding this delicious and light oil into the mix.  I've used it for everything from eggs to stirfry to crab cakes and it's become my 'Go-to' oil for cooking now.  It's not overly coconutty tasting and I think you'll really like it.  Go for unrefined as it's a bit better.  You can find this at Whole Foods, the organic section of your standard grocery.  Treat yourself, you won't be sorry!

Coconut Oil Benefits

1.) Heart Health-  Extra virgin coconut oil contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. It helps prevent atherosclerosis (clogging of arteries), the saturated fats in coconut oil are not harmful, like the saturated fats in vegetable oil.  It also increases high- density lipoproteins (good cholesterol), and does not increase Low-Density Lipoproteins (bad cholesterol).
2.) Weight Loss- C.O. has short and medium chain fatty acids that are useful in losing weight.  It also improves thyroid (controls metabolism) function therefore increases metabolism.
3.) Digestion- this one is important to me since i've had stomach problems since middle school.  Since I have been eating coconut oil regularly, I have had MUCH fewer flare ups.  Coconut oil aids in digestion and absorption. The saturated fats in coconut oil have anti-microbial effects, so it works against bacteria that disrupts the normal flora of your digestive tract.
4.) Immunity- It has also been found that C.O. has anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties.  This allows your body to fight off infections and viruses more efficiently.
5.) Kidneys-  Can be useful in preventing kidney and gall bladder disease, and also useful in preventing and disolving kidney stones.
6.) Bone + Teeth- C.O. facilitates the absorption of essential minerals such as Calcium and Magnesium, leading to stronger healthier bones and teeth.
7.) Performance- C.O. is thought to improve athletic performance do to the fact that the fats it contains are easily converted to energy. It is thought to increase energy and endurance.
8.) Others- it is also thought to decrease premature aging and degenerative joint disease because of its high antioxidant content, useful in skin care, helps relieve stress, and is an excellent natural source of nutrition for your hair.  Not only can you eat coconut oil, but you can rub it on your skin, and put it in your hair!