Be Astonished by Everything

Happy President’s Day!

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I actually had to work today, even though many people had the day off, so I just made a quick breakfast of Power Toast – Whole Grain Goodness base with chia seeds and sesame seeds on top.

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And then it was time for work. I even put dress pants on today! No crazy bag lady here today – I managed to get my stash down to 2 bags. Hazzah!

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Work was long and it was especially hard to concentrate considering how GORGEOUS it was outside! I think it hit 75 degrees F today. Don’t even get me started on the cheerful sunshine and vibrant blue skies!

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I had more toast for a pre-workout snack. I really wanted oatmeal, but I was wrapping up a couple things for work (yep, brought my laptop home to work after work) and ran out of time. Toast to the rescue! I also had some coconut water to hydrate up before…

ZUMBA!

My favorite songs tonight were:

  • Cose Cose Cose (a fast and fun salsa)
  • Sweet Dreams
  • Luv Me, Luv Me

Zumba always gets my week started off on the right foot.

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I came up and whipped up a quick dinner of chicken bites with garlic and white wine, asparagus, saffron rice, and multigrain rolls (baked from frozen).

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I’ve been craving froyo like mad lately and haven’t seemed to have the chance to get any. So, tonight, I remembered I had some mochi I picked up awhile back from Trader Joe’s and dug in. I tried the mango flavor. It was pretty good, but I think I like my mochi the way I had it the first time – green tea mochi. Not sure if that’s the traditional flavor. Of course, I could always…I dunno…just get some froyo! lol

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By the way, have you seen my latest recipe yet? Mini Matcha Green Tea Banana Nut Muffins!

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Be Astonished by Everything

I’m excitedly waiting for Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations new season to start. It’s coming up in one week. Yay! Anywho, one recurring theme I’ve noticed on the show is related to life. Anthony often asks people featured on the show for tips on things beyond food. More than one of the people Anthony has interviewed has recommended to remain child-like. Yes, they suggested you act more like a kid! One man from the episode when they were in Harbin, China said “I want to die young as late as possible.” I totally get that. I’m not sure I’m achieving that, but I understand. And just tonight, a woman from the epsiode from Spain said, “It’s important to be astonished by everything.” Wow. That’s deep, don’t you think? I’m totally in love with this quote now. But seriously…When you’re a child, you are astonished by everything you see. Everything is magical and wonderful. When I was a kid, the smallest things would light up my eyes. I thought bird feathers were one of the prettiest things ever – the way they were green-ish blue in just the right light. But I don’t look at bird feathers the same way now. It’s as though as you proceed through life, that you get de-sensitized to the things around you. You take them for granted or are too busy to notice them.

I definitely think I could improve on allowing myself to be astonished by more things around me, but I do notice things once in awhile. Just today, I was driving through a neighborhood on my way home, and as I made my way down the wide road, everything was lit up with golden sunlight glowing through the tall sprawling trees lining the street. The warmth in the air, the kids playing in the yards, and that sun – everything seemed so wonderful in that moment.

When was the last time you were astonished by something?

11 thoughts on “Be Astonished by Everything”

  1. I just saw those mochi desserts yesterday at Tj’s. I couldn’t get into them for some reason, probably because I’ve seen yours and know how amazing it must be. 😉

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  2. Love that quote!!!

    I find there are some things that helps you be astonished about everyday things again. One is bring someone who’s never been there or done that, it helps you realise how amazing some things are. Number two, bring a kid and join in with their amazement…

    That programme sounds really interesting, I have never heard of it before. Think I might have to look it up!

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  3. aww I’m glad you had a good day! I can’t wait for sunny days but I’m still stuck in the gloomy winters of new england 🙁 The last time I was astonished by something was when I got a 92% on my organic chem test….I was astonished by myself!!! haha

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  4. Ginko trees. Every time I see one I have to stop and gape at it with my mouth hanging open. The yellow color of their oddly beautiful shaped leaves gets me every time. Love this concept, everyone could stand to recognize and appreciate the beauty around them more. 🙂

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  5. My work doesn’t give Presidents Day off either. But I ended up taking the day due to a family outing. Stinks to use a vacation day when so many people just have it off anyway!

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  6. Lately I’ve been astonished with flocks of birds as or birds flying in general. It is so amazing how they all seem to know which direction they need to go in to get whereever it is that they’re headed. The past week or so I’ve caught myself mesmerized as I am sitting in traffic or just standing outside taking it all in.

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  7. <3 this! And though I am not into the glam thing, I do agree with you in your Project Glam post that somewhere we decided we have to be serious as adults. It probably wasn't even a conscious choice, but I think it's one that we all make (and hopefully break)!

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