Sweet Mr. C, the hospice patient who I volunteer to go visit weekly. I’m sure I love the visits as much as he does. He was a career pediatric nurse. He loved his job and especially the children in his care. What a beautiful human. He demonstrates that laughter is the best medicine here and the laughter reminds him of the kids he says.
Hospice care volunteering is exponentially more rewarding than sad. It’s really needed and even in these assisted living facilities with social programs. Humans benefit so much from 1:1 social engagement. I often see folks in these homes looking for someone to talk to. Maybe it could be you they talk to? One of my favorite humans, @terryloujordan, is the volunteer coordinator at AccentCare where I volunteer. Let me know if this sparks your interest. I can connect you! #hospicecare #hospicevolunteer
Thank you to my incredible group friends who got me to 26.2!
When I ran my 1st marathon two years ago I surprisingly qualified for Boston & I got a bit fixated on running it. But during the training for Boston last year, I got a stress fracture & had to withdraw from the race and was really disappointed.
However, when I started training this time around and I started to feel a little niggle in the opposite shin of the previous stress fracture, I started to reflect on my real why. Why do I wanna do this? Does my ego want this or do it really have a passion to run Boston?
I acknowledged that is was my ego. I realized my passion is the joy of running with friends, being outside in nature and having these amazing connections. The marathon is a great goal to work towards but honestly, it’s really just the celebration of all of it. I really don’t have a passion to break any records, make PR’s & as I look back, Boston was just a bonus.
I shifted my training to ensure I got to race day without an injury or niggle. And I did. Would have it been awesome to PR or at least still qualify for Boston? Of course. But was more awesome is this incredible group of women I am so grateful and blessed to have in my life. There were 3 runners in our running group for this race & 5 support crew!!!
These ladies biked, drove, & ran around giving us fuel while cheering outrageously for us. They also spent time and no small amount of money on food, lodging, transportation, and more to do this for us. What an awesome group of truly amazing women!
My #1 goal for this race was to enjoy it, just like last time. Also, to listen to my body and honor it. I did push myself of course but not to the extent of non- enjoyment or injury. Once I realized I wasn’t going to qualify for Boston, I made it a fun run.
But still, I finished a freaking marathon and without injury or hobbling afterwards, or a moment of regret during. I ran smiling in gratitude for my strong resilient body and my over the top beyond wonderful group of friends who filled my heart up so much in this entire experience.
Will I try for Boston again? Maybe! But I might wait for the next age group qualifing time, lol.
The power of this little patch is blowing my mind. The feedback I am getting from my clients and brand partners sharing as well is beyond any other wellness tool I’ve ever used since going down this rabbit hole back in 2010 and getting my NTA certification in 2013.
From sports performance to chronic pain and even improved symptoms from Parkinson’s - I’m blown away. Even sugar and carb cravings. Feet, knees, neck, shoulder pain - reports of all these significantly improved. Waking up before the alarm clock. Elevated mood. More motivation. The positive feedback has been SO encouraging and doesn’t stop.
Such a great investment in THE QUALITY of your health.
Of course I still embrace and promote a nourishing diet, good lifestyle habits, optimizing your microbiome, etc...but these phototherapy patches by far have been one of the best tools I’ve used to support doing and improving all those things!
Special shout out to @speedsportscoach who has been using them on himself and his athletes since 2006 and has been helping me patch to support my own athletic pursuits. I am amazed by my recovery after long technical trail runs this marathon training season.
I’d love to help you learn more about these!
Happy Siblings Day! Love you, Kelly, Patrick, & Christopher! ❤️😘
Enjoying all the glory of friendship and New York City on this gorgeous early spring day!
Pink faced and feeling so happy to be running with my dear friend, @margaretfloydbarry in her beautiful New England town just outside of Boston. What a gorgeous day too! My heart is full 🥰
Wet & Chilly at the track tonight, but we got it done! We encourage, support, and lift each other up. These badass ladies make running fun! They are my people and I love them!
Some people call it chronic cardio, we call it soul filling fun with multiple benefits! Nourishment for the body, mind, and soul! I love being with strong, upbeat, positive, badass women who run fast, run long, AND lift heavy 💪 too!!! Plus do a multitude of other amazing things for work and play!
Thanks for sharing these allergen/sensitivity friendly treats made by your friends @redplatefoods in Bend, Oregon, @laura.coleman27 ! And oh my goodness, @portlandcarol - you could totally open your own allergen friendly bakery- these gluten free ginger snaps were incredible! 😋
Snow day! ☃️❄️🐕🐶
✨7-Day Love Challenge ♥️
Happy Valentine’s Day! May you feel the love I’m sending each of you right now. ❤️
This gorgeous handmade card was lovingly created by my dear friend, @danielle.tomich. It was personally delivered with a beautiful gluten free cupcake that almost looked like the one on the card! As a cupcake lover here, I gobbled it up with delight before realizing I forgot to take a photo of it. It was scrumptious. Homemade is always the best, especially when love is one of the main ingredients.
✨7-Day Love Challenge ♥️
🎶🎤 “We are f-a-m-i-l-y!” 🎶🎤
I love my family so much! My husband, Tony; our sons, Nicholas, Jacob, and Zachary; our daughters-in-law, Sarah; our fur babies Rosie & Theo, and across the rainbow bridge, Casper who I don’t have a digital photo of, Starlight, Shadow, and Cooper; my parents and siblings, Kelly, Patrick, and Christopher; and my mother-in-law, Louise. So many wonderful times as well as chaos and challenging times too, yet love binds and prevails. ❤️
✨7-Day Love Challenge ♥️
This is in honor of my first patient as a volunteer in hospice care. His precious soul is no longer of this world but I will never forget him and he will always have a place in my heart. He taught me about being present, appreciation of the smallest things, patience, & so much more. Remembering him reminds me not to take anything or anyone for granted.
He was in memory care. His wife told me all about what an incredible life they had before he got sick. He was well loved.
His wife shared with me that he enjoyed KitKat bars. I asked her if I could bring a bar on my weekly visits. She agreed and remarked in jest, ”he remembers that there are 4 segments, so if you want some too, bring extra.”
As a fellow chocolate lover, I marveled at how much he appreciated every single bite of that bar. He looked at it, chewed it slowly, savoring every bit of it. He expressed its deliciousness with “mmmm”.
He sometimes spoke a word or two and on a rare occasion he’d speak an entire sentence. When looking at a large picture book of horses together, pointing to a little foal, he surprised me with “oh look at that little guy!” What a joy witnessing his enthusiasm.
I’d play his favorite music & toss a balloon with him. He’d sometimes drum the balloon to the music & would “dance” with his eyebrows. So magical.
At times, I’d take him on to the patio & blow bubbles. He marveled at them with wonder & delight..
Other times I brought out a tongue drum that he’d enjoy drumming with me. I savor those beautiful moments.
People often ask me how I can be a hospice volunteer. They ask, “isn’t it sad”? Of course it is sad but I choose to look at it differently. To me it’s incredibly fulfilling to just be with a person & see them as a magnificent being. To show respect for their dignity and to appreciate them. To show them that they matter. Also, a big part of a hospice volunteer’s work is to support the patient’s family and caregivers. My work can give them a much needed break. I get to come to the patient fresh, with no agenda. I get to just be with them, comfort them, & when it’s appropriate, entertain them. And most meaningfully, to share my love.
✨ 7-Day Love Challenge ❤️
I appreciate my strong resilient body so I can be active and do cool things with those I love. So many magical moments with so many precious people who I adore! Thank you for sharing special and often physically challenging (in a good way) times with me. I love you! 💕
@jennifermshaffer’s ✨7-Day Love Challenge ♥️
These two! Rosie & Theo! They bring boundless love into our everyday lives. They are so precious, so fun, so sweet and loving.
I’m so grateful that I get to be their fur mom. They bring me many magical moments and joy and appreciation. They force me to become present - and yes, I need that reminder.
IT’S DUMPLING WEEK at @porquenotaqueria until February 15th! 😋🥟🪇💃
Their “dumpling” is actually a delicious flaky masa empanada filled with spicy housemade chorizo, queso fresco and roasted Anaheim & poblano peppers, served with roasted salsa verde and a chile de arbol-lime crema. I got mine à la carte with a side of their yummy roasted winter veggies. Incredibly satisfying!
My family and I have been fans for many years. We especially appreciate how ¿Por Qué No? prioritizes sustainable and ethical sourcing for its ingredients. For example, their chicken is vegetarian-fed, humanely raised, and free of antibiotics or hormones. Their fish dishes, such as Alaskan cod, is wild and line-caught. Additionally, their corn tortillas are made fresh on site, and they use locally sourced pork from Oregon’s Carlton Farms.
We also appreciate how ¿Por Qué No? treats its employees, offering medical and dental insurance, and other benefits and is very supportive of our wider community.
Have you been? This is their Hawthorne location- notice the beautiful new bright patio? It has heaters so it’s perfectly warm during the colder months!
@jennifermshaffer’s ✨ 7-Day Love Challenge ❤️ (see challenge below my caption)
I never for a second take for granted the magical moments I get to spend with these incredible strong, beautiful, badass women. They inspire and help me to do hard things, have inspired a shift in my perspective more than once, and are always so supportive, encouraging and all around kind and loving. I feel so blessed and am very grateful to have such incredible people in my life.
Today, these ladies accompanied me on much of the 16 mile+ training run I did this morning as part of my marathon training plan. We accomplished this in our magical and magnificent Forest Park in Portland, Oregon. It was a technical 16+ miles as we did a couple loops which at the end of 16+ miles ended up being an elevation gain of 1424 feet! Whew!
I’m writing this now while sitting in recovery boots beside a fire, being served lunch by my husband, Tony, with two of the best pups in the world at my feet. Feeling so much love! 💗
Thanks again for this challenge, Jennifer! I love and appreciate the prompt!
I copied @jennifermshaffer s challenge below so you can do it too! Tag her, then me. And be sure to go check out her work and podcast!
From Jennifer:
“I invite you to join me in a 7-Day Love Challenge:
Each day, find something to fall in love with. A moment, a memory, a person, or even a part of yourself.) Let’s take the love we hold in our hearts—the unspent love for those we’ve lost-and pour it into ourselves and others.
As someone once said, “Grief is all the unspent love we carry for those we’ve lost.”
• So let’s give that love a place to go.
Let’s turn it into kindness, connection, and new memories.
In seven days, it will be Valentine’s Day. And by the time we reach it, you’ll have filled yourself with so much love that it won’t just be about one day-it will be a love that lasts every day.
Tag me and share what you fall in love with each day. Let’s fill this week with light, healing, and love.
#7DayLoveChallenge #LoveOverLoss #FindingLoveEverywhere #newmemories #love #valentinesday #loveyourself “
@jennifermshaffer’s 7-Day Love Challenge (see challenge below my caption)
This is me and my Dad! I remember the moment when I looked out of our apartment window, and experienced the wonder of my first snow! I remember building that snowman ☃️ with my dad and putting on that carrot 🥕 nose! I love that memory and I love my dad! I’m so grateful for that magical memory and that my dad is still around for me to talk to on this magnificent planet - even if he’s across the country from me! My mom shared this photo with me among many other treasured pictures last summer. There was a little dusting of snow on Mount Tabor this morning where I did a stair workout with dear friends. I thought about this picture and have been waiting for the right time to share it! Thanks for lovely prompt and challenge, Jennifer!
I copied @jennifermshaffer’s challenge below so you can do it too! Tag her, then me. And be sure to go check out her work and podcast!
From Jennifer:
“I invite you to join me in a 7-Day Love Challenge:
Each day, find something to fall in love with. A moment, a memory, a person, or even a part of yourself.) Let’s take the love we hold in our hearts—the unspent love for those we’ve lost-and pour it into ourselves and others.
As someone once said, “Grief is all the unspent love we carry for those we’ve lost.”
• So let’s give that love a place to go.
Let’s turn it into kindness, connection, and new memories.
In seven days, it will be Valentine’s Day. And by the time we reach it, you’ll have filled yourself with so much love that it won’t just be about one day-it will be a love that lasts every day.
Tag me and share what you fall in love with each day. Let’s fill this week with light, healing, and love.
#7DayLoveChallenge #LoveOverLoss #FindingLoveEverywhere #newmemories #love #valentinesday #loveyourself “
After a cross training stair + workout at Mount Tabor in Portland, my friends and I stopped for coffee at this incredible place @coquine_market_cafe. I forgot to take a photo of the actual coffee bar and fresh baked goodies + menu items available then but I did get some photos of the awesome market items they offer. Lots of local foods/gift items + simply great goods from around the world, but what I especially loved to see is house made ferments, broths, sauces, ice cream and more! Additionally, fresh local greens and local quality sourced meats.
Can’t wait to return and also come for dinner!
@portlandcarol @schuler_tiffany @dori.olmsted
I discovered @missionarychocolates when I had to avoid dairy for some gut healing so years ago. I can now tolerate good quality dairy but I also really love this awesome hand crafted artisan local chocolate made with organic coconut milk. I also adore the owner/creator, Melissa Berry, ND! She was super responsive and very sweet in our email exchange and then later when we my husband, Tony, and I met her in her 2712 NE Glisan Street store. She was working hard with her team, they were all quite busy! She even put together some gift boxes we hand selected for Valentine’s Day. She would fit in so well with my friend group of beautiful souls.
If you make a trip to the newly remodeled part of PDX airport, they have a little store in there outside of the security gates so you don’t even need to be flying to pick some up. Bonus: they always have samples!
My favorite: Spicy Cinnamon Chipotle Truffles! Have you tried them?
“THE BENEFITS OF GOOFING AROUND
Playing for the hell of it—because it’s fun—has psychological and physical benefits. It can relieve stress and also provide exercise in stress free situations. Play can be used as an indicator of individual well-being…
And, goofing off and having fun is a good way to avoid burning out....
There are many good reasons why goofing around has evolved, and why all animals should do it when they can. Why not have fun while you can?”
From the psychologytoday.com article: Goofing Off: Psychological & Physical Benefits of Having Fun | Playing “for the hell of it,” simply because it’s fun, is very important to do by Marc Bekoff Ph.D.
📷: Me and I believe my grandfather’s dog having fun!