Spaghetti

I'm a fan.  I like mine whole wheat (Barilla) and cooked al dente.  Check out Karen's (Waisting Time) pasta post today.  What I'm not a fan of is spaghetti legs.  I walked along my favorite path this morning and felt like I had spaghetti legs.  Why is it that over a year of good exercise on a regular basis doesn't carry me through three weeks of not exercising??   I went just over 1.5 miles, but that's the longest consecutive walking I've done since my surgery.  Anyway, I did it and I'm assuming it will get better and I'll get stronger.  I wouldn't mind at all if the temperatures warmed up 15 or 20 degrees, either :-).  I was disappointed that my 1.5 miles didn't perk up my little nike+ gal.  Guess I'll take Cammy's advice and tell her to "stuff it."

I get a lot of pleasure from "walking the garden" on these spring mornings.  Here are a few pictures from this morning's walk.

 The Virginia bluebells are coming right along.  This entire bed (8'x8') will be in full bloom in a week or so.  I like the tightly furled buds that look purple.  See the next picture to view an early bloomer with its beautiful blue flower.

Looking through the deciduous magnolia blossoms to the weeping cherry.  The cherry was a "volunteer" a couple of years after we moved in--probably a bird dropped the seed.  Luckily, I recognized it for a cherry and let it grow.  The magnolia was from son John's tenure working at a nursery during his college summers.  This magnolia was declared dead, but Johnny thought it might live and brought it home.  He was right.



I made a wonderful stir-fry last night.  Sweet red and yellow peppers, flank steak, mushrooms, onions, and thin spring asparagus. Served over brown rice.  So good and it feels great to eat things that you know are chock full of vitamins and good-for-you ingredients.  Fortunately, I made a double recipe, so tonight's dinner just needs heating up.

Tonight, we have our first social outing since my surgery.  We're going to a lecture, tour and reception at the Library of Congress.  I haven't decided yet whether to try to cover up my scar/incision or to just wear whatever.  The bruising has almost all faded.  Either I'm getting used to the way it looks or it really doesn't look that bad.  It is kind of cold though, so maybe a cashmere turtle neck wouldn't look amiss.  We'll see.   I plan to have a little lunch, take a shower and wash my hair, and then take a lovely nap so I'll be fresh and up to an evening out.  I'm hoping we'll swing by the national cherry blossoms on the tidal basin on our way.  Apparently the cool-ish weather has prolonged the bloom for several days. I normally hate naps (I don't like waking up in the late afternoon) but these past few days, they've seemed the thing to do.  I can't nap too long though, or I won't sleep well at night.  Just an hour or so.

How about you?  Do you like naps?