that shoulder i’ve written so much about

When I looked forward to 2016 one of the three things I planned to focus on during the year was to continue to rehab my shoulder mindfully with appropriate increases in difficulty. The immediate action I was going to take was to print out my rehab schedule (up until now I’ve used a version on my phone). With previous success in mind, after I completed each session I planned to cross off the workout.

This past July Evelina and I started up my shoulder-rehab workout routine together, which was awesome. I strongly recommend having a workout buddy, it’s a huge motivator for me. Something fun we can do together. Plus, when I crossed off the workout it was like getting my own version of a gold star. Everybody likes getting a gold star, that’s just known fact.

It’s not my personal workout routine, so you only get to see a snippet – but check out that BIG OL’ X!

Instead of following only this workout/rehab routine we added some yoga and running, and not just as recovery. Every other day we did a lift and every other day we ran/did yoga. This was a great balance, especially considering we had missed the past 26 weeks of workouts.

What’s so great about all of these workouts is they can be done outside. Yoga under a tree or a run around the neighborhood, what could be better? Also, with the help of our local outdoor gym, we can even lift outside.

My shoulder is feeling good these days, and I’m excited to say that after a year and a half of recovery and rehab it’s finally feeling like my shoulder again.

france

Only you have to say it in French…”Fraaance”. Also feel free to be a little snooty about it, but that’s optional.

Balcony views

In October Evelina and I travelled to Paris. My cousin has been living there for about a year with her husband and daughter and now their new-born son. Though his arrival was after our visit. Evelina and  had a great time visiting with them and catching up. The last time I had seen my cousins daughter she was only three months old, so it was quite different to get to play with her as an almost three-year old in the parks of Paris and bounce up and down on a seesaw beside the Notre Dame.

Notre Dame

Evelina and I loved Paris. As they say the city is for lovers.

Eiffel Tower in the sunshine

After we got home I took the opportunity to work on number 15 on my 30 before 30 list. I made a map matte.

Here’s the example picture I found on Pintrest:

And here’s my crack at it:

I just loved the idea of using a map as a matte! I got in almost everything in the matte that we did/went to. We stayed by the Eifel Tower, visited the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, as well as strolled along the Seine eating baguettes in the sunshine.

Paris is for lovers

the summer solstice

Today is the summer solstice! Meaning it is the longest day of the year, when we get the most hours of sunlight here in the Northern hemisphere. Despite the fact that today is the longest day of the year, here in Sweden we celebrated two days ago, on Friday. Unlike Friday it’s actually pretty sunny today! Much warmer as well. For the first time this year summer is at our doorstep. Hopefully soon to actually breach the threshold.

I am very ready for summer’s arrival. Not only because of the excellent festivities in Sweden for midsummer, as cataloged in 2012 and 2014. But also for the cake.

Kidding, summer isn’t just about strawberry cake (though would it be so bad if it were?). I’m looking forward to long summer nights, sunny summer days, and wearing sunglasses daily. Basically, I’m looking forward to the sun. Me and the sun are tight. Except when it’s fire rays burn blisters into my skin. Then we’re not so tight. Definitely not doing that this summer. Stay tuned to see if I’m successful in that endeavor.

why i wasn’t running

This weekend was the Eskilstuna quarter marathon. It has gone by different names, so for now I’ll call it å-varvet, since that’s what it was called at one point in time. If not currently. I’m not feeling up to checking. Feel free to do so and let me know.

This weekend I did not join the over 2,300 people running the quarter marathon because of my shoulder injury. (Yes, I looked up that number, and yes, this year it was called å-loppet, so that’s all cleared up.) Unfortunately I have yet to be cleared to run. As you may recall from my Ode to Elizabeth I have injured my shoulder playing hockey, and it has taken a while to heal up. Either it has taken a while or I’m incredibly inpatient. The physical therapist I met with last Thursday would have me believing the latter. He really emphasized the fact that this type of shoulder injury will take time to heal.

Time heals all wounds.

Blah-de-blah-blah. Sure, whatever. I’m ready to be healed now. I know I can’t be the only person to think this, but when ever I’m injured. Or have a paper cut or something. All I can do is focus on the injury. Imagining the sweet good ol’ days pre-stubbed toe, for example. I wallow in the fact that when I’m whole and healthy I never appreciate it. I mean really appreciate it. I squander away my days it pain-free ignorance of how good I have it. Then I scrape my knee or accidentally slice open my thumb while trying to be a good wife and cook dinner for once, and I’m once again wallowing in self-pity land, reminiscing on how good I had it just yesterday before I sliced through half my thumb nail.

What I’m getting at is I really wanted to run on Saturday. The medals had a purple ribbon this year. Purple guys! But I couldn’t because it hurts to run. And according to my physio I’m not allowed to do anything that hurts me. Clearly I’m paying these medical professionals appropriately for some great counseling here.

Guess I’ll have to wait for next year until my two medals can become three, and I can attempt to check off number 13 on my 30 before 30 list. Knock on wood.

gardening explorations

I have a confession: I don’t actually enjoy gardening. Don’t worry, Evelina already knows. Evelina does, however, enjoy gardening. So I’ve been known to occasionally join her in the glistening sunshine to prune and weed.

I’ve heard it’s quite therapeutic. Some doctors even claim that gardening 1-2 hours a day keeps you healthier longer. (No, I don’t know which doctors, Google it though, I’m convince it’s true.) So I can’t actually be displeased when Evelina wants me to garden with her. She’s clearly looking out for my health.

These days with the darkening darkness that is Sweden I like to take a look back at these lovely gardening pics, even if it isn’t my favorite pastime. This one’s for you Evelina (:

a short absence

It’s vacation time!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

It’s vacation time!

We had a song like that which we sang in the 1st grade. I don’t expect you to know it, but if you do, extra points. Today marks the day I begin my vacation! It’s easy to say I was more than a little jealous during the past four to five weeks as one after another of my colleagues went on their vacations. I sent them off on their days of relaxation and sun with genuine smiles, but a very tiny bit of bitterness as well. I’d still be at work as they were enjoying their sunshine filled days of no responsibility. Or at least that’s how I pictured it.

In reality, I didn’t have much to complain about. I could equally enjoy the sunshine and relaxation that comes with summer. It was just a matter of bringing the children along for the ride. Which I think they also appreciated.

But what I’m really trying to get at (my stubborn bitterness isn’t actually the topic here) is that I will be taking a leave of absence from Enjoy Not Knowing. Don’t worry, it won’t be long. I’ll be back.

While I’m gone, please feel free to explore my seven most read blog posts! Now, I wouldn’t claim that these are my personal favorites; however, they are the most visited posts on my blog. The people want what the people want.

1. book of december: james potter
2. 5 years
3. book of november: the shortest way home
4. what have i done?!
5. spreadsheets and triple contractions – with a side of running
6. new job – can you guess it?
7. paella is good, but tinto is better

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I also don’t want to leave you without some idea of what’s to come down the road. A little teaser to keep your interests piqued, so here’s a list of seven upcoming posts, soon to be available on a screen near you.

1. gardening explorations
2. my attempt to diy: a pintrest love story
3. a first forray into party planning
4. the land of ice
5. planes, trains and automobiles: but mostly just trains, actually
6. a yoga-cation
7. lördagsgodis

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Happy reading!

eight. go to greece

I had a master evil plan. It was glorious. It involved my escape, with Evelina of course, to the warm, sandy beaches of Greece. In my fantastical plan I would spend my 25th birthday sipping adult beverages in the sunshine.

picture found here

Sadly, this will not be the reality. I still have good chances of sipping adult beverages in the sunshine, however I will not be in Greece. My dream vacation is still only a dream. Turns out my fantasies have deeper pockets than I do. Greece will have to wait. I hope it isn’t going anywhere.

The resolve has not lessened.