Simple Joys of the Week, September 7th Edition

Walking back from teaching a 6:45am yoga class on Thursday morning...

I had this really amazing hippie/New-Agey moment yesterday. But before you start rolling your eyes, hear me out, okay? Here's what happened: 

I was sitting in traffic on Rock Creek Parkway on my way to CrossFit. There was an older, well-dressed, very put-together-looking woman in a grassy area by the road, obviously still in her work clothes, taking her dog out after what looked like a long day. She was just standing in the grass, watching her dog while it went to the bathroom, and I was watching her. All of the sudden, she looked like she had lost something. She started patting her back pockets and looking around on the ground. She looked a bit frantic for a moment, and then looked down at her hand, and saw what she was looking for--in her hand (I think it was her cell phone). Then she just went back to watching her dog, and the moment was over. 

Simple enough, right? Except that while watching this private moment transpire, I had this amazing, "we're all connected and we're all the same" moment that stayed with me. I thought, I don't even know this woman, I have no clue who she is, and yet I know exactly how she just felt in that moment. She's tired, she's slightly stressed out, she thought she'd lost her phone, so became a bit frantic for just a moment, and then realized it was in her hand and thought, "Well that was dumb of me, I must be really out of it..." and the moment of anxiety was over. And I totally understand. Funny how similar we all are, how we're all connected in our thoughts and actions, isn't it? I felt like I knew her in that moment, and wanted to tell her that I understand exactly how she feels, and that she should go take a minute to rest and breathe before moving on with the rest of her evening...

Isn't that interesting? Okay, new-agey hippie moment is over :) Now lets take a look at my SJOTW! What made you smile over the past 7 days?

Image via snatamkaur.com

Hear: "Long Time Sun" by Snatam Kaur

Well, I thought my obvious yoga teacher moment was over, but then I got to this simple joy, and realized that it's not. I guess I'm just sort of in a New Age kind of mood this week, huh? Thus, this weeks auditory simple pleasure, "Long Time Sun" by Snatam Kaur, a Kundalini Yogini and beautiful singer. It's this month's savasana song on my new playslist (which will be posted soon!), and I think it is one of the most relaxing, comforting, and peaceful songs I've ever heard. If you need to take a moment to restore during your day today, press play below and prepare to be soothed...

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See: Cleaning out my closet (no, sadly I did not see Eminem perform this song, as I wish, but instead, literally cleaned out my closet...still cool, but not quite as cool!)

As you can see in the "before" picture on the left below, my shoes recently exploded on the right side of my closet. Literally, it was getting hard to get into the bathroom from my closet without tripping or possibly getting injured. The pile was almost a foot high, and it was a total symbol of the current state of my personal life. So, I took 30 minutes over the weekend to clean it out. I got rid of about 7 or 8 pairs of shoes that haven't been worn in a couple of years (or ever--eek!), and it felt amazing. Every time I've walked into my closet this week, I've felt much more relaxed and proud of myself. It feels so good to get rid of unused things, doesn't it? Now that's a simple joy if I've ever heard one...

BEFORE

AFTER

GIVEAWAY PILE

Taste:  "Cookies and Confections" dessert at Columbia Firehouse in Old Town

This is what the menu says: "Cookies & Confections (Mom Said No, We Say Yes) Hostess Cupcake, Oatmeal Cream Pie, Pudding Pop, Buttered Popcorn Ice Cream, Snickers Bar, Doughnut"

And guess what? The dish is made up of all their gourmet takes on these junk food classics--look at them! It was an AMAZING dessert (the image doesn't do it justice, I promise), and Ben, our friend Brian, and I enjoyed it immensely--both the for novelty of it and the deliciousness. How fun and creative is that? Oh, and I also enjoyed a bunch of amazing treats at the wedding last weekend, so was not left wanting in the "taste" category this week.

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Smell: Cantaloupe and the end of summer...

As I munched on this week's batch of yummy summer fruits (strawberries, peaches, blueberries, and cantaloupe), I realized that summer really is coming to and end. You can always tell by the shape that your fruit is in--if it's not quite as ripe, as lush, or as succulent as it has been throughout June and July, you know it's season is drawing to a close. It's really sad. So, this week we bought what was probably our last cantaloupe of the year and I've been trying to savor it as much as possible. Summer melons = pure bliss, but like everything else in life, they are transient. Sigh. Enjoy the last of the really fresh seasonal fruit while you can! It's just not the same in the winter, when you know it's been flown halfway around the world while ripening in a box...

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You can see it peeking out here!

Touch:  My new vintage slip (I'm obsessed!)

As I've gotten older, I've found that every time I try on a dress I think, Oh my! This is WAY to short to wear in public and still be decent! (it's much better if you imagine it in an old lady's voice, because that's how it sounds in my head). My recent solution for this issue--so that I can still buy cute dresses without worrying about the length--is to layer with a vintage slip to add an additional couple of inches to the hemline. Thus, my new obsession with the vintage slip in the picture on the right (what I wore to the amazing wedding we went to last weekend). Why vintage? Because they don't make slips like this anymore! I've looked everywhere! Literally, all moden slips are super ugly and have some weird "cinching" or "tucking" fabric that is supposed to make you look skinnier, and are thus, super uncomfortable. How about making a good old fashioned slip? That's what I wanted, so I took to Etsy and found this amazing peach/nude Vanity Fair style from the 1960s. It's perfect and I have a feeling it's going to be making a lot of appearances near my hemline in the coming months...

So there you have it! My simple, sensory joys of the week :)

Oh, and since you asked, yes, we have now entered the sub-1 month until my wedding territory. Deep breaths, right? Every weekend is precious from now until October 6th, so you know what I'll be doing in between yoga, sleeping, and throwing the TSA 5-Year Anniversary Celebration...I'll be sure to post some pics next week!

I hope your weekend is FULL of life's simple pleasures.

Namaste,
Mary Catherine

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