Lesson: Remember to see the potential in even the most broken places, have a little faith.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Beauty in the broken places
This derelict building is one I pass everyday I pick up my sister from university. Although now it is only a lonely facade and falling apart at the seams I love to imagine what I would do if I was able to buy the property and breathe new life into it. In my fantasy it becomes a bookstore cafe with an apartment for me to live in above the store. That way I could run around the city everyday and refuel on sugary goodness while wallowing in some literature. Well at least I can dream.
Lesson: Remember to see the potential in even the most broken places, have a little faith.
Lesson: Remember to see the potential in even the most broken places, have a little faith.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Dinner time and early birthday presents!!
Every Saturday when we are at the farmer's markets I buy a pumpkin, even if we don't actually need one. That is how I ended up with three beautiful butternuts staring at me from the bowl today, screaming to be cooked (I am fluent in pumpkin I have recently discovered).
My favourite way of eating them is simply roasted sprinkled in dried sage and thyme and doused in a little olive oil.
So I created a salad around my sage and thyme roasted pumpkin. Which looks a little like this:
This bowl of beautiful consisted of baby spinach, the aforementioned pumpkin, sliced green olives (from the sweetest Greek couple on the planet), semi dried tomatoes and some roasted sunflower seeds and pinenuts.
I wished it could go on forever, alas there is an empty plate that testifies to the fact that it did not.
I also wanted to share some exciting news!
My 24th birthday is officially 9 days away! I have been planning this birthday since the day after my 23rd birthday. As a result of some super saving and early planning I am taking a trip to Las Vegas and California for three whole weeks. I fly out of Brisbane (Australia - see why I need alot of planning!) on the 22nd of March for three weeks of madness. My actual birthday will be spent in Las Vegas where I plan to spend 24 hours awake enjoying everything Vegas has to offer. I will miss my family on my birthday but this adventure seemed too big to pass up and I promised to make a mini documentary for them using my new birthday present -- a camcorder! So in 6 days time expect my blogging to be coming live from Vegas!
On Saturday night (see the best dessert ever below), one of my best friends and I went out for an early birthday celebration and she surprised me with some awesome Aussie/American themed gifts.
Her instructions were:
1. Some American taste in case you were missing it at the moment (Reese's bar)
2. A little Aussie (Vegan) beauty to keep you company while you are away (jar of magnificent night cream)
3. Some luxury for the plane (pink grapefruit body butter)
4. Something to inspire you (bracelet)
The bracelet is engraved with "sing as though no one can hear you".
My gorgeous best friend gave me this because I take singing lessons, but I have never performed in front of her or my family and she believes so much in me. Thank you my beautiful doctor-to-be.
So with all that good news, and lovely food I bid you all goodnight. I have three patients left to see and then I am taking an early bedtime in preparation for a (hopefully) big return to running tomorrow.
Amy
My favourite way of eating them is simply roasted sprinkled in dried sage and thyme and doused in a little olive oil.
So I created a salad around my sage and thyme roasted pumpkin. Which looks a little like this:
This bowl of beautiful consisted of baby spinach, the aforementioned pumpkin, sliced green olives (from the sweetest Greek couple on the planet), semi dried tomatoes and some roasted sunflower seeds and pinenuts.
I wished it could go on forever, alas there is an empty plate that testifies to the fact that it did not.
I also wanted to share some exciting news!
My 24th birthday is officially 9 days away! I have been planning this birthday since the day after my 23rd birthday. As a result of some super saving and early planning I am taking a trip to Las Vegas and California for three whole weeks. I fly out of Brisbane (Australia - see why I need alot of planning!) on the 22nd of March for three weeks of madness. My actual birthday will be spent in Las Vegas where I plan to spend 24 hours awake enjoying everything Vegas has to offer. I will miss my family on my birthday but this adventure seemed too big to pass up and I promised to make a mini documentary for them using my new birthday present -- a camcorder! So in 6 days time expect my blogging to be coming live from Vegas!
On Saturday night (see the best dessert ever below), one of my best friends and I went out for an early birthday celebration and she surprised me with some awesome Aussie/American themed gifts.
1. Some American taste in case you were missing it at the moment (Reese's bar)
2. A little Aussie (Vegan) beauty to keep you company while you are away (jar of magnificent night cream)
3. Some luxury for the plane (pink grapefruit body butter)
4. Something to inspire you (bracelet)
My gorgeous best friend gave me this because I take singing lessons, but I have never performed in front of her or my family and she believes so much in me. Thank you my beautiful doctor-to-be.
So with all that good news, and lovely food I bid you all goodnight. I have three patients left to see and then I am taking an early bedtime in preparation for a (hopefully) big return to running tomorrow.
Amy
Inspiration doesn't have an age limit
Today I woke up and I felt icky. Not sick enough to call in and say I couldn't work but not quite well enough to face the hour-plus drive into my office (the price you pay for living in quiet suburbia) so I decided to work from home (the benefit of working in research).
To that end I was able to actually sit down and enjoy my breakfast and have something a little different from the standard oatmeal, which however much I may love it sometimes isn't the most welcoming choice when your stomach is off.
So I made this to celebrate the end of summer and some of my favourite things:
Corn thins with lots of avocado and fresh tomatoes with green and red grapes (because who can choose?)
Then I got to enjoy breakfast with one of my favourite ladies:
Well, not really she doesn't like grapes she's more of a watermelon fiend!
Now onto the topic from the title of my blog which I wanted to write about yesterday but ran out of time with other crazy Monday schedule things (12km run, long workday, singing lesson, dinner).
I am a research dietitian working on a weight loss intervention trial for diabetics. We try to help them make healthy changes to their lifestyle including losing weight and being more physically active to help with both the short term side effects of diabetes and the long term health outcomes. Sometimes my job sucks because you can't make people change their lives even if you know that taking one little step could make a huge difference to their health and their lifespan. There are moments however when you get a little glow and realise that your job is worthwhile and that some people are able to take little steps that turn into huge steps and they end up inspiring you!
Yesterday was one of those moments. I was doing a review with a patient of the last six months we have spent working together and how much he has managed to change. This gentleman has gone from barely walking ten minutes on three days of the week to an hour long walk every morning and an extra walk nearly every afternoon, as well as changing things in his diet and starting strength training again after years away.
He is 70 years old and has survived bowel cancer. This man inspires me because he really took ownership of his body and wants to be his healthiest and squeeze every drop out of his life, and he knows how important being active and taking care of yourself is. Moreover, he could have just thrown his hands up in the air and given up on his life and seen himself as "old" but instead he has decided to choose health and life and all the adventures that he has left to him.
I am so fortunate in my life in being able to continually discover people who inspire me, they may be young like this lady here or this lady here or they may be older like my patient at work. I think it is so important to be open to people coming into our lives with something to teach us. It is so easy to close ourselves off to the world, but just think, all those people you pass have walked thousands of days that we haven't, they have all had experiences different to our own, and maybe in their lives they have found something that we could learn from. Don't be afraid of listening to other's stories, look into their lives and find inspiration and wisdom and hope. Walk a mile and learn.
Amy
To that end I was able to actually sit down and enjoy my breakfast and have something a little different from the standard oatmeal, which however much I may love it sometimes isn't the most welcoming choice when your stomach is off.
So I made this to celebrate the end of summer and some of my favourite things:
Then I got to enjoy breakfast with one of my favourite ladies:
Now onto the topic from the title of my blog which I wanted to write about yesterday but ran out of time with other crazy Monday schedule things (12km run, long workday, singing lesson, dinner).
I am a research dietitian working on a weight loss intervention trial for diabetics. We try to help them make healthy changes to their lifestyle including losing weight and being more physically active to help with both the short term side effects of diabetes and the long term health outcomes. Sometimes my job sucks because you can't make people change their lives even if you know that taking one little step could make a huge difference to their health and their lifespan. There are moments however when you get a little glow and realise that your job is worthwhile and that some people are able to take little steps that turn into huge steps and they end up inspiring you!
Yesterday was one of those moments. I was doing a review with a patient of the last six months we have spent working together and how much he has managed to change. This gentleman has gone from barely walking ten minutes on three days of the week to an hour long walk every morning and an extra walk nearly every afternoon, as well as changing things in his diet and starting strength training again after years away.
He is 70 years old and has survived bowel cancer. This man inspires me because he really took ownership of his body and wants to be his healthiest and squeeze every drop out of his life, and he knows how important being active and taking care of yourself is. Moreover, he could have just thrown his hands up in the air and given up on his life and seen himself as "old" but instead he has decided to choose health and life and all the adventures that he has left to him.
I am so fortunate in my life in being able to continually discover people who inspire me, they may be young like this lady here or this lady here or they may be older like my patient at work. I think it is so important to be open to people coming into our lives with something to teach us. It is so easy to close ourselves off to the world, but just think, all those people you pass have walked thousands of days that we haven't, they have all had experiences different to our own, and maybe in their lives they have found something that we could learn from. Don't be afraid of listening to other's stories, look into their lives and find inspiration and wisdom and hope. Walk a mile and learn.
Amy
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Awesome snackage
Hummus on corn thins and a beautiful bunch of locally grown grapes eaten while reading a book on travel writing. Perfect end to the weekend.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
My delicious dessert tonight
What you are now salivating over (if my iPhone blogwriter is working) is almond praline semifreddo with chocolate semifreddo topped with Persian fairy floss and a white chocolate shard swimming in a pool of dark chocolate sauce. Oh yes, I ate the whole lot. Sure made that 16km run today so worth it!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Firenze
As promised, here are some pictures of the time I spent in Florence last year. Although it was only 3 days I was instantly enchanted by the city. We arrived in the rain and got absolutely saturated running from the bus to the hotel wheeling our suitcases along the cobbled streets, it made the warm shower and pasta for dinner even better.
Arriving in Florence is like stepping back in time. We drove through the rolling Tuscan hillside, the sunflowers were surrendering to the end of summer and their drooping heads painted the fields a muted gold, the mountainsides were occassionally interrupted by a villa, or crumbling castle, and it was all washed out a little by the storm clouds in the sky.
The city of Florence is so beautifully preserved it would hardly be strange to see a horse and cart rolling down the street, or a Medici discussing his latest commission with Michelangelo. There are hardly any cars in the streets and most people cycle or walk for transportation. With a city this beautiful I don't think anyone would want to be trapped in a car.
There is so much to see in this timeless city and you can feel the echo of the past everywhere you go. I only got to see such a brief snapshot of Florence and I can't wait until I am lucky enough to return.
Arriving in Florence is like stepping back in time. We drove through the rolling Tuscan hillside, the sunflowers were surrendering to the end of summer and their drooping heads painted the fields a muted gold, the mountainsides were occassionally interrupted by a villa, or crumbling castle, and it was all washed out a little by the storm clouds in the sky.
The city of Florence is so beautifully preserved it would hardly be strange to see a horse and cart rolling down the street, or a Medici discussing his latest commission with Michelangelo. There are hardly any cars in the streets and most people cycle or walk for transportation. With a city this beautiful I don't think anyone would want to be trapped in a car.
There is so much to see in this timeless city and you can feel the echo of the past everywhere you go. I only got to see such a brief snapshot of Florence and I can't wait until I am lucky enough to return.
On the way to Florence, look at that beautiful storm.
Rivoire restaurant in Florence. We met two very charming Italian businessmen.
Ponte Vecchio. The only bridge from the middle ages to survive WWII. Since the Medici times this has been filled with fine jewellery shops.
Sunbathing Florentine style.
Through the streets of Florence.
This little guy just landed on my hand out of nowhere. What a moment in such a busy city.
Pinocchio is everywhere in Florence and Pisa, his birthplace.
Along the river bank.
Florence at dusk. This was one of the most romantic spots in the city.
San Gimignano
12th century vineyard. I would love to get married here one day.
Happy Friday everyone!
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