Everyday Adventures - Day 7 - Good Reads

elusivelaurie shared on Instagram #EverydayAdventures2017

While I struggled to find something new to try for my Day 6 adventure, my Day 7 adventure was a snap. Literally.  I grabbed my phone and walked around the house. *snap* *snap* *snap* *snap*  Done.

When you consider my morning routine consists of me, coffee and something to read, these photos really shouldn't surprise you.  I have stacks of books like this all over the house.

Clockwise from top left:

• The stack of books at one end of my sofa-adjacent coffee table.
• The stack of books beside my bed.
• The stack of cookbooks on a chest just outside my kitchen.
• The stack of books at the other end of my coffee table, just in case I decide to move to the other end of the sofa to read.

And this doesn't include the books on shelves and in boxes throughout the house.  

Yep, when the adventure is "good reads", I'm one adventurous woman!

Everyday Adventures - Day 6 - Try Something New

Try something new.

Ummmm.

Like what?

Maybe berry-picking? 

I hadn't been berry-picking in years, and I'd never been to Ash Berry Farm. Heck, I didn't even know where it was.

So an almost-new experience made fresh by a new location. That should count. Particularly when you add the fact that I went by myself.  

Yup.  Until this week I had never considered going berry-picking by myself.  I had always thought of "picking" as a group activity - something to share with your family and friends. That's how it's usually depicted. Do a Google-image search for "u pick farms" and you'll see what I mean.  Lots of apple-cheeked children with berry-stained lips. Families. A few young couples. Farmers. Nary a solitary middle-aged woman in sight.

As a result, going to the strawberry patch on my own felt rather adventurous. 

And if that wasn't adventurous enough, when I arrived, I misread the sign directing visitors to the parking lot. I went left too soon, and after a drive down a curved, rocky, bumpy track I found... chickens! 

Not only was there no parking lot, there was nowhere to turn around.  I had to back down the curved, rocky, bumpy track. Not a problem for most people. I am not one of those people. Just the thought made me cringe, but I did it with relative ease.  All part of the adventure, right?

And worth it.  After a quick chat with the wonderfully friendly Miguel, I hit the strawberry patch.  I picked 6 pounds of berries, not counting the ones I ate. What a wonderful way to spend the morning! Another successful everyday adventure.

elusivelaurie shared on Instagram #EverydayAdventures2017

Everyday Adventures - Day 5 - Play

Just playing on the swing and eating ice cream on a sunny day. As middle-aged women do on their lunch break.

Unlike yesterday's photo, today's is completely staged.  Oh, the ice cream is real, as is the park, and that foot you see is mine. (You might recognize the shoe from Thursday.) The picture is wonky and the cone is out of focus because I was really and truly swinging on a swing.  In the middle of a work day.  In public. 

I played.

That never happens.

But it did.  I took a few minutes out of my day and went on a quest for a tiny adventure.  It was awesome.  

In spite of my worries no one laughed at me. No one pointed. No one asked what I was doing. No one accused me of behaving strangely or suspiciously. No one called the police. (Or, if they did, the police didn't arrive before I wandered back to work.) I didn't even dribble ice cream on my pants. 

I had fun.

I could get used to Everyday Adventures. 

Everyday Adventure - Day 4 - Morning Routine

Text from "Margarita Wednesdays" by Deborah Rodriguez. Coffee by Aeropress

Oh, how I wanted to fudge this one.  I so wanted to stage a morning routine that looked different from my actual morning routine.  I thought about artfully orchestrated photos with yoga mats, and  green smoothies, and mediation pillows, and handcrafted journals.  I considered faking you out with a picture of what I feel my morning should look like.  Instead I decided to share what it really is. Me, a coffee and something to read.  

It wasn't always like this.  There was a time when I didn't drink coffee.  Those days are best forgotten.  And, as most of them are in my distant youth, many of them are.  

The "something to read" has been a constant for as long as I have been able to read.  It doesn't always have to be a book. Once upon-a-time it was the cereal box. Reading is a big part of my morning routine.

And I'm not just talking about leisurely weekend mornings.  I mean every morning.  Even when I'm rushed I find time to read.  Sometimes I'm rushed because I "found" time to read. That time is often stolen from more practical chores.  Like getting ready for work.  

I have been known to prop my book open behind the faucet so I can read while I'm drying my hair.  Many bad-hair days can be attributed to a good book.  Our last apartment came close to disaster when an exciting scene in Guy Gavriel Kay's "Fionavar Tapestry" distracted me from the smoke pouring from a malfunctioning toaster. (Spoiler alert: The smoke detector went off in time, and I was able to save our home. The toast could not be rescued.)

So, I have to ask myself, if this is how I usually start my days, can it be considered an adventure? If you too are a reader, you'll know the answer is a definite YES. 

I cannot imagine starting a day without something to read.  I hope I never have to. 

Everyday Adventures 2017 - The Beginning

I received Tammy's newsletter outlining A Month of Everyday Adventures last week.  I thought about participating, then I decided I didn't want to. February's Month of Tiny Pleasures was enough for 2017.  I just wasn't in the mood this time around.

Then a friend emailed and asked: 

Have there been any tiny pleasures in your life since February? 

That was all it took to change my mind.  I wanted to have Everyday Adventures after all.

As you can see, I'm a very decisive person.  Once I make up my mind it stays made up.  Until I change it.  

Anxiety set in immediately.  In addition to the angst that goes with sharing on social media, there was the additional panic caused by my late start. It was already July 3rd, for crying out loud.  I had missed the first two days. How was I going to make up for the lost time?

Yes, I was that student.  I did all my homework, and the bonus questions, and unasked-for work if it occurred to me. Starting Everyday Adventures on the third day was almost unbearable.

But I did bear it.  The prompt for Day 3 was "vibrant colours". July is perfect for vibrant colours. They're everywhere.  Below are just some of the vivid examples I found on my lunch-time walk. 

I chose the photo below to share for the daily photo challenge:

elusivelaurie shared on Instagram #EverydayAdventures2017

Old habits are hard to shake.  This became obvious as I strolled around snapping pictures.  I couldn't let go of the two days of prompts I had missed.

Day 1's prompt had been "gather your tools".  At first, I was ok with skipping this one.  I had no idea what "tools" I would need for everyday adventuring. Then, as I walked, I realized all I really need is my feet!

The shoes make this photo a candidate for "vibrant colours" as well.

The prompt for Day 2 had been "unplug".  I get the inherent ridiculousness of trying to photograph an unplugged moment, yet when I found this quiet corner in the park I felt my entire day slide away.  I may not have been unplugged, but I felt it.

I think I'm going to like being an everyday adventurer.  I'm looking forward posting again soon with more tiny quests.

Tiny Pleasures 2017 - Week 1

On Friday I woke up early, had a quick coffee, drove Hubby to work, returned home and returned to bed. Nothing out of the ordinary there.  A typical Friday morning at Elusive Onions Headquarters. When I got up a couple of hours later everything was covered in snow.  Gah!

The shock of the sudden change in weather required a second cup of coffee. I hunkered down on the sofa with my mug and my blankie.  It was a perfect opportunity to visit some of my favourite spots on the interwebs.

Eventually I landed at Rowdy Kittens and discovered that Tammy had invited her readers to join her in a month of savouring, and sharing, tiny pleasures. She had even provided a list of prompts as a guide.  Even though I was already a couple days behind, I decided to jump right in.

#TinyPleasures2017

Day 1: Your morning view. (Top left)

That is the view that prompted the second cup of coffee, so I guess you can say that this view led me to finding, and taking on, the Tiny Pleasures Challenge.

Day 2: A cup of coffee/tea (Middle right)

Later in the day I met a friend at Mud Sharks for a coffee.  I briefly explained to the barista why I wanted a photogenic beverage, and asked for the "prettiest" drink on the menu. He took great care in preparing my spicy mocha. He discarded his first attempt.  It must not have been ready for its close up.    I was so touched that I almost forgot to tip him.  Almost.

Day 3: Freshly made bed (Lower right)

This is one of the reasons why I'm enjoying this challenge.  I don't think I've ever taken the time to enjoy my bed when it's freshly made.  I usually just throw it together and go.  It was nice to pause for a moment and appreciate this tiny pleasure.

Day 4: Sunrise (Top right)

Ummm... that is a picture of the inside of my eyelids.  I didn't get up in time to see the sunrise.  Instead I enjoyed the pleasure of sleeping in on a Saturday.

Day 5: Sunset (Bottom left)

The snow continued through the weekend. I knew that the sun would set, but I also knew that there wouldn't really be a "sunset" - more of a gradual greying into darkness. Still, I set an alarm for 5:15pm so that I could be out the door to record the sun setting at 5:23pm.  I actually enjoyed being out snapping pictures.  It was so peaceful and quiet.  Quite lovely really.  

I'm also sharing these pictures over on Instagram.  I'm known as elusivelaurie in that corner of the interwebs.  

Weekly West Coast - Adieu to 2016

A couple of photos to wrap up the year.  Happy New Year all! May the force be with us in 2017.