Things I Love Thursday: Sandy Recovery, Obama, New Friends

Table at Cafe Le Perche

♥ With everything happening on the east coast since Super Storm Sandy whipped through I’ve just been so thankful to have been out of direct line of damage. Our house had full power, no flooding, and Sim and I spent some great quality time together. Many we know are now in recovery mode and all the long lines, water damage, and slow public transit making daily living exhausting. I’m sending out my prayers and metta meditations for everyone affected and on a practical level seeing what other ways I might be of help now. Kate put up a great post on this and if you’re in a situation like mine or hers I suggest checking out the links.

♥ I’m also grateful for a couple big wins on election night–namely, Obama and Elizabeth Warren. Sim and I went to a friend’s house to watch the election results come in and unfortunately we had to drive home before it got too late and so missed seeing the big win on TV. Nonetheless, I was giddy with delight at Monica’s text that Obama won Ohio as I was driving home. And then, NPR broke the news on the radio that Obama had surpassed the 270 mark. Such sweet relief.

♥ I made a new friend, Amelie, this week and she’s a doll! A German au pair with a French name living in the States. She’s just too cool. We’re making mad plans for new adventures in the Berks. Look out world!

Other little loves and gratitude… ♥ morning treats at Le Perche ♥ Making a reading list for winter-check out my profile at Goodreads.com! ♥ New (and still to be updated further) blog design! ♥ Much needed rest this week ♥ Making progress on my crochet project ♥ Heating the bed with a hot water bottle before getting in at night (amazing!) ♥ Mike Dooley ♥ Tidying up the house (nothing says happiness like a clean floor) ♥ gChat ♥ Phone calls home ♥ Long walks around town ♥ snow!

There’s always so much to be thankful for…

xoxo,

Natanya

◊ Things I Love Thursday was dreamed up by the inimitable Gala Darling. Check out her Things I Love Thursday posts here. Want more Thursday love? Review my previous Thursdays here.

Things I Love Thursdays: 11-1-12 Rainbows Yoga and Friends!

Rainbow over Pittsfield, MA

This week swept by in a rush of bad weather. But lovely moments still creaked their way in to the day-to-day and made this week memorable in so many other ways that make me grateful today.

Grateful for a splendid afternoon walk in the woods ♥ Sunday family dinners ♥ Being holed up with Sim for the whole of Monday waiting for the storm to pass ♥ Sweet farewell parties and misty eyed goodbyes ♥ Halloween ice cream socials  ♥ amazing cloud displays ♥ Bumping into friends in random places ♥ Taking all my vitamins like I know I should ♥ Believing in the future ♥ Trusting the unknown ♥ Halloween Yoga ♥ Funny costume ideas (and stowing away a really good idea for the future!) ♥ g-chats ♥ Birthday soirees ♥ Rainbow apologies from nature.

I’m hoping that all who are affected by storm are recovering well. Sending prayers that the water recedes quickly and power is restored soon.

xoxo,

Natanya

Things I Love Thursday: 10-18-12

Hudson, NY – all oranges and blues this week.

It makes sense to me that Autumn is the season we celebrate Thanksgiving. This time of year naturally invokes an inward turning and a sense of taking inventory of one’s life. Giving and acknowledging the things I’m grateful for is something I do all year round but all the more rich and pleasurable now. So, here a few things that caught my attention, made me smile, or merely a note to remember for later – for when I might forget just how lovely and inspiring life is right now.

Celebrating my love’s birthday ♥ Spending a crisp and warm afternoon in NoHo ♥ Finishing Season 2 of Downton Abbey during a Downton Birthday Marathon ♥ Listening to new Turntable Kitchen mixes ♥ Bookstores bookstores bookstores ♥ Watching a cow nurse a calf on the side of the rode ♥ Getting a full night’s sleep ♥ Going to Hudson community yoga class ♥ Real Swedish meatballs  ♥ Pre-birthday cocktails at Crimson Sparrow ♥ Watching a guy get an $8 ticket from the Hudson police for illegal parking ($8?! People pay to park for $8!) ♥ Latte deliveries ♥ Late night fire side chats ♥ Lunch with Alex ♥ Celebrating 1 year! ♥ Pumpkin pie presents and other gifts too ♥ Making progress on my crocheting ♥ Finding new crafting ideas and projects to keep my fingers busy this winter ♥ Making lists lists lists ♥ Opportunities are a knockin’!

Some hilariously awesome videos to keep you entertained for the weekend too:

What keeps you inspired this time of year?

xoxo,

Natanya

Things I Love Thursday: 10-11-12

(I’m usually the yellow one )

Keeping it simple this week. The weather turned colder, wet, and foggy and I loved every minute. It is truly Fall season now, my favorite, and I’m grateful for a warm house every night, where I bundle in comforters and crocheted blankets, drink hot tea and eat warm stews. Thankful this week for the ordinary and extra-ordinary…

♥Phone chats and ichats with friends across the coast ♥ Stumptown coffee ♥ Working on marketing projects ♥ “finishing tasks” ♥ Instagram ♥ Giving my 5th speech at Toastmasters (half way through the manual!) ♥Planning a staycation ♥ Looking forward to celebrations ♥ Looking through the family photos of my grandmother’s 90th birthday party ♥ Surprise bouquets ♥  Writing snail mail letters ♥ B-School study nights! ♥ Gearing up for some guest blogging (details next month!) ♥ Staying in the present moment ♥ Finding the perfect retro mug at the thrift store for $0.50 ♥ Croissants form Le Perche.

The next couple weeks are planned for ah-mazing weekends and project-full weeks. Loving October. How about you?

xoxo,

Natanya

Things I Love Thursday: 10-4-12

What?! It’s October? Are you serious? How did that happen??? Ok, enough questions for now… on to the love list for a new month and a new season!

The trip to California to celebrate my grandma’s 90th birthday was by far the best of the week and everything else is not surprisingly, encapsulated in that one event (which lasted the whole week). So, here are some random moments of extreme joy  for your reading pleasure.

♥ First of all, why yes, that is a glass of incredibly delicious Bordeaux overlooking lower Manhattan at sunset. You are correct! (And of course, the BEST way to start a trip to California–thanks again for the roof hors d’oeuvres treat, TJ!) ♥ Sim taking on the roll of carrying all three of ours bags through trains, subways, airport tunnels, and cab rides despite my protests and without complaining. He should be sainted. ♥ Making the plane within 10 minutes of take-off. ♥ Greeted with the most delicious hug by my 6-year old cousin upon arrival and then gifted an original drawing masterpiece upon our departure. ♥ Introducing Sim to everyone and everyone loving him. (As I knew they would). ♥ Spending an entire day at the beach laying in sand, playing in the waves and SURFING. I actually surfed. It was incredible and I can’t wait to do it again. ♥ Also – paddle boarding. (And paddle boarding all the way out to a far away buoying without falling over only to realize that the buoy was actually a seagull. That discovery alone almost knocked me over in surprise!). ♥ Humongous dinners out with (nearly) the WHOLE family. ♥ Musical chairs at the dinner table. ♥ Random crystal pendant gifts. ♥ Laughing over the strange history of San Diego State University. ♥ Coffee with Jen. ♥ Nutella Espresso. ♥ World Famous Fish Tacos with Jen. ♥ Chipotle picnic with Jen. (Ya, we ate a lot on this trip!) ♥ Bizarre and amazing plants at the Balboa Park Arboretum. ♥ Making an earlier departure flight with 10 minutes to spare (again!) after ours was delayed an hour. ♥ Seat-to-Seat chat on Virgin Airlines. ♥ Nice passengers who switched seats so I could sit with my boyfriend for the last 20 minutes of the plane ride. ♥ Sweet reviews of grandma’s celebration website (www.bettyreuben.com). ♥ Coming home to a tidy house (high-five, self!). ♥ Early morning and late afternoon catch up calls with best friends. ♥ And much much more…

Here’s to a celebratory weekend – just because

xoxo,

Natanya

Things I Love Thursday: 8-9-12

This week I’ve been in flight. The feeling of being weightless among a sea of possibilities has captivated my attention as if the tide is carrying me out from the harbor and I am afloat with the best views afforded to those who dare to cross the wide waters into adventure. Life, here I come. I am so pleased.

via society6

I am allowing myself to become buoyed by all that delights me and to deliberately turn my focus to that which brings me joy. This week was full of goodness. Overflowing, really…

Long phone calls with my soulfriendmate, the ever inspiring  ”JMo” ♥ Visits with friends in real life Sage ♥ Lunch with Peggy! ♥ an entire complete full day with my lover (we’ve both been working so much lately we hardly see each other anymore!) ♥ Putting in my notice at my second of three jobs ♥ Picking up a dream job in its place ♥ Crafting a third dream job and geeking out about everything it could become (details will be announced eventually – unless you are called Grandma in which case I’ll call you soon !) ♥ Making new friends ♥ Getting my hands on the ‘Best of ‘ CD by Boban i Marko Marcovic (did someone say, irresistible party music?!) ♥ Catching up on my favorite blogs ♥ updating this little blog o’mine ♥ And meeting one of my favorite bloggers in the flesh ♥ And did I mention I met Mr. Big (of Sex and the City) at my place of business? I did. Celebrity sightings aren’t that important, but they do cause some impassioned giggles among co-workers. Especially Sex and the City fans. Good times. ♥ Reading for pleasure again! God, I missed my books. ♥ Counting down the days until California…47. ♥5 minute dance party ♥ Brunch at Le Perche ♥ Celebrating wedding goodness with dear friends ♥ and foggy misty mornings

Xoxo,

Natanya

Things I Love Thursday: 6-28-12

Picture taken last weekend in Boston as the clouds gathered over Newberry Street.

This week has been a twirling, swirling hot mess. Literally and figuratively. I guess weather imitates life? Or does life imitate the weather? I think that conundrum will remain a mystery… Nationally we saw flooding, a tropical depression, expansive fires and even our own storm in little Hudson. Massive trees fell onto cars and houses and cleanup crews struggled to take care of the mess and get power back on for the many homes had suddenly lost electricity. Thankfully they got it back up and running within a few hours, just in time so that the new special milk I bought for baking special scones wouldn’t languish un-refrigerated . The scones turned out delicious.

So, despite the torrential rain and power outage I quite enjoyed the blustery stormy couple of days in between hot hot heat (pitta people generally don’t love the heat) ♥ Rising before the sun and watching the light come up over the Berkshire Mountains ♥ Listening to The Paper Kites on repeat ♥ Baking up a sugar free storm thanks to my copy of the excellent cook book, The Green Mountain Bakery. I highly recommend it to those who are searching for sugar or gluten free dessert/treat options ♥ While we’re talking about food I might as well add, green juicing! Still totally smitten with my Breville ♥ Fresh baked bread from our local bakery (Not gluten free..but local. You win some, you lose some.) ♥ Seeing more of the Berkshires and some beautiful homes to boot ♥ Spending quality time with some great work friends ♥ Celebrating Elena’s work at Kripalu with multiple farewell parties (always room for another cake!) ♥ Seeing my cousin and family from Puerto Rico ♥ Making California plans… ♥ Spending a long time in the cold pool…like 10 minutes. It’s a most amazing feeling. If you don’t have access to a cold plunge pool just take a freezing shower. I promise – it feels great and your skin will thank you! ♥ Listening to crazy bad pop/hip-hop at 5 in the morning. Nothing like a little Nicky Minaj to really wake up ♥ Leaning into trusting life ♥

How was your week? Hope you’re doing something today that makes you smile!

Xoxo,

Natanya

Things I Love Thursday: 2-16-12

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you….Thursday.

Yup. Here is it, the day that begets the best of me. I’m toying with the idea of gratitude and happy lists daily or more frequently because they are often the most fun to write and then review. I love the snapshot it takes of my life and what stuck out to me as worth mentioning, even if it was just an afternoon spent at a coffee shop with a good book. (In fact I think that one is almost always mentioned!).

So, this week, to wrap up what has been quite a wild week (in my internal world), here is a list of what topped out my love-o-meter.:)

Getting flowers from Simeon ♥ Meeting with my Future Self ♥ Feeling more inspired in my role at work ♥  Taking on a new heart-felt project ♥ Spending time with my man ♥ Vici’s Tarot reading and the celebration that followed ♥ Dreaming about a mutual future ♥ Finishing a couple of craft projects ♥  Making great progress on my crocheting ♥ Taking the long way to Woodstock ♥ Organic green juice ♥ Baking a 5-layer ombre cake for hours ♥ Volunteering at a chocolate shoppe ♥  free chocolate! ♥  waking up at 5am everyday ♥  getting back to my daily yoga practice ♥ finding solace in the silence ♥  feeling renewed by shedding old pain ♥ anticipating flying away to a warmer climate ♥ happening across synchronicity everywhere ♥ Pinterest-ing constantly (above photo is from Pinterest here) ♥ Wanting to shop but hating it and realizing I’ve grown up ♥ my iPhone ♥ picture apps ♥ Love from a certain Whitey the cat. What a love bug she is!

Happy Weekend! I’m off to Puerto Rico!!!

See you on the sunny side…

Natanya

Things I Love Thursday: 1-19-12

It’s Thursday! Can it really almost be the weekend again? This week was so full of goodness. I love recounting what lovely things happened throughout the week – it reminds me of all the pleasures large and small that make up time as it passes us by. Have you thought of whats going well for YOU lately?

This week I’ve enjoyed…

A trip to Northampton ♥ new clothes ♥ instagram! ♥ making progress on work projects ♥ hanging out with my new roommate ♥ making brussel sprouts four ways ♥ vanilla americanos ♥ finding new ways around town ♥ Blueberry Beer with real blueberries ♥ new friends ♥ Jiminy Peak at night ♥ reconnecting ♥ writing ♥ coaching ♥ celebrating good news ♥ finding the perfect (possible) new home ♥ dreaming of Puerto Rico (one month away!) while shoveling snow ♥ phone calls to California ♥ swapping iPhone app favorites ♥ “Sh*t Kripalu People Say” screenplay ♥ office redecoration ♥ Blog Workshop 2.0 with Elise Blaha Cripe ♥ gearing up for a big work event this weekend and feeling totally prepared ♥ birthday plans in the works ♥ baking brownies ♥ feeling inspired.

Thanks for reading and sharing in my love list this week!

 

xoxo,

Natanya

Things I Love Thursday: And now back to our regularly scheduled programming…

Thursday. Today is one of those days held together by spit and duct tape. But only in moments when I regress to the puddle that is self-pity rather than the Truth of my experience in this moment. Reality RIGHT NOW exudes support, laughter, cheers, loving texts, thoughtfulness, exceptional work, vibrancy, integration and love. What a wonderful world where one moment I feel like I’m slowly slipping backwards and down and as soon as I feel myself beginning to slide I realize that I’ve stopped. The awareness meditation I’ve been practicing loosely for years is taking hold of my absent minded brain and I take a breath, remembering that where there is breath there is life.

This Thursday I am thankful for my coworkers. The brilliant people who bring me back to Kripalu year after year. The souls who align with purpose and integrity and work for a cause. The paperwork is soulwork, the mission driven atmosphere a sponge of safety from which I can risk my life. Risk really living.

I love it here.

xoxo,

Natanya