Rain & Run

It’s raining here.  The rain always coerces me to become contemplative.  I find myself staring out the window at the lush greens and deep hues of the trees and begin reflecting.  Usually, I like to listen to some music while staring at the slowly building puddles.  Today, I’ve been listening to the new ohGr a lot.  I feel like I’m in a good place.  I feel like I have direction.  The rain also brings me pain.  My knees have been very achy.  I’m not sure if it is from the rain or from running or from the combination of the two. 

Yesterday I found my 30 minute run to be somewhat easier.  I paced myself and by the time the 30 minutes were up it was a much easier run than Monday’s run.  I find myself enjoying the runs more and afterwards I feel great, I feel like I can do anything but I’m still waiting to feel that runner’s high during the run.  I also hopped on the elliptical for 30 minutes and went on a walk in the park with a friend.  I got to play in the playground which made me feel like a kid again.  I never want to fully grow up. 

Today I am adding the final touches to my new Mango Lassi tea.  It smells wonderful and fills the kitchen with a creamy mango scent.  I used a rooibos base and added some cardamom for a touch of spice and some calendula shreds, mango pieces, and natural flavoring.  Right now, it’s perfect for my mood and this rainy weather.  I love the warm sweet and spicy flavor right now.  Yesterday I got a call from a library that would like me to do several tea presentations at different libraries.  This could be a great way to gain more exposure.    

My Introduction

Welcome to my blog! 

I’ve set up this writing space to detail my journey through life.  I intend to focus mainly on veganism, exercise, and tea.   

Most of my life I have been put off by meat but it wasn’t until 2005 that I went vegetarian and then in 2009 I became vegan for ethical reasons.  I really enjoy trying new vegan products, recipes, restaurants, and vacations and I intend to write a fair amount about these new experiences. 

 

Exercise and sports are another interest of mine.  Ever since I was 12 I was interested in weightlifting and before that I tried ballet, baseball, and softball.  Most of my life I have been extremely active and fit but in 2005 I broke my hand very badly which caused a great deal of pain and caused me to become depressed and gain about 60 pounds.  This was not an ordinary break and it took doctors a month and a half before they realized my knuckle had slipped half way down my hand because the hand was casted.  After that, I needed surgery in which they had to put a plate in my hand and re-break the bone.  Since then I have lost 40 of those pounds.  I now weigh in at 145 pounds but I would like to be 130 pounds.  Recently, I started back into weightlifting and running after having a lung infection.  The antibiotics used to treat the infection caused a rupture in a tendon in my foot, so that put me out of commission for a while.  Now I am back to exercising while trying to manage my arthritis.  My ultimate goal is to run a marathon if my knees will let me.  Running, weightlifting, swimming, hockey, hiking, biking, elliptical, snowboarding, and kayaking are my main exercise interests and what I intend to focus on for the exercise portion of this blog.  

Tea is a great passion of mine.  I am the owner of the tea company Butiki Teas (www.butikiteas.com).  I sell only vegan teas and do not use artificial flavorings.  Many of the flavored teas are my own creation and all of the teas are high quality.  Ever since I was young, I loved sipping tea while talking with friends and family.  It wasn’t until college that it became a passion.  I was so focused on my studies that I didn’t have much time to relax so I started enjoying tea breaks as a way to reduce my stress.  In this blog I will mostly focus on reviewing books, dvds, tea recipes, and introducing new teas.