The right now.

It rained here all night, and into the morning.   I slept in, made a French Press, and caught up on the news.  Right now, skies are grey, sidewalks are damp, and there are puddles down in the parking lot.  It's a bit dreary, but it's not snow, and really I like the change of pace.  As a Chicagoan (by extension) who just endured one of the worst winters that she can remember (along with millions of others in the metro area), raindrops and storm clouds are a welcome sight.  I opened the windows in our bedroom not too long ago in the hopes of getting some fresh air circulating through the place, and I can already tell the difference.

Yesterday after work, I got a run in--3.13 miles.  I ran down Fullerton to Mannheim and back, and loved every second, even though my knee was bothering me a little bit.  I'm not concerned about it, but I will of course watch that knee and take care as I continue to train.  It is so very nice to live in an area where there are sidewalks everywhere; up at our old place in Lake County, there were several beautiful bike paths nearby, but if I ran in the neighborhood, my only option was the street.  I feel much safer now and I also feel like my options are wider as far as where I can run.  

It felt so good to be out there yesterday and when I got back, I stood out on the front balcony, listened to Pharrell Williams' "Happy," and enjoyed the breeze on my face.  Perhaps I'll be able to get out for a short run later today; depends on the weather and if I'm able to get everything done around the apartment that I have planned. If not, I'll take advantage of it as a rest day and push myself harder the rest of the week.  I'm feeling much more motivated for running lately, and I can already see a difference in myself.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm not the fastest runner out there, but damn do I love it, and that's really all that matters.  

Our garden is coming along nicely.  We transplanted our sunflowers, basil, philodendron, and the avocado tree into bigger containers.  Though we've been able to see the gradual progress of all of our growing plants, the avocado tree is definitely the most obvious.  For the longest time, it was essentially just a small pot filled with soil... and then one day, the tiniest little stem poked up from the surface and it's been growing at insane rate ever since!  We also have to rotate the plant on a daily basis so it continues to grow straight--the wonders of phototropism!  

In addition to those plants, we also have a tiny greenhouse of cilantro, two small pots of daisies and poppies, some coleus for the balcony attached to our bedroom (which so far are just seeds and soil), a few purple velvet plants, and a spider plant.  Our bamboo plant is flourishing as well, and also added a little Southwest garden to our plant city, cacti and a pretty succulent in a goldenrod yellow ceramic pot.  The garden has made quite a lovely addition to our lives, and I am excited for warmer weather.  T. has a lot of great ideas for our balcony space, and I can't wait to help him implement them.

Needless to say, life at King Arthur Court is wonderful.  Spring is coming, finally, and the potential for greatness in this sweet little existence of mine is immeasurable.  

"...And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."

--from "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann (one of my very favorite poems.)