On (Un)Processing.

For starters, I am so out of the practice of daily blogging that you'll be getting periodic updates this month. Baby steps.

So, I am only ONE more sleep away from my annual getaway weekend with my college besties. Katherine, Heidi, Julie and I get together every year and we laugh, eat and love our way through the weekend. We ask each other hard questions, pass tissues when we cry and laugh hard at and with each other. I am excited to get to the mountains and not leave elastic pants the whole weekend. Woop!

Speaking of processing, I am avoiding processed foods like the plague, y'all.

I've only eaten food that grows out of the ground or clucks around the ground... you see what I mean. Lots of ground-centric eating. OH, and LaCroix. A girl has gotta have her vices.. even if it is just bubbly water.

Yesterday I had an amazing meal of deliciousness. Just look! I had chicken, brussel sprouts, zucchini, squash, black bean & corn salad and cabbage. I wish I could eat it again and again.

I'm really loving the new habit of checking the ingredients for something other than knowing the calories. I love that I'm checking for the number of ingredients and what they are. It is just plain nice to know precisely what I'm putting in my body. Its not like this Unprocessed-ness is all that dissimilar to how I've been eating for the last few months but it sure is a focused attention to the origin of my food and I rather love it.

I'm thankful for pretty food but I'm also really grateful for the gorgeous weather. It was a little warm this morning when we went to the "ground breaking" for the new Emma digs. The sun reminded us we're having a bit of an Indian Summer. Which I love. I already miss Summer and its barely out the door. :)

I'm also grateful for legs and feet that work, super red hair, a fun weekend ahead, good music and loving friends.

Good night.

Love,
Kelley

On Accomplishing... miles and meals.

Oh... was there ever riding.

Between October 1st and 2nd, I, Kelley Kirker (being of sound mind and body) rode my bicycle 114 miles. Yes, you read that correctly. I did that.

and IT RULED!

I am so proud to tell you that I did it! My legs are hating me today but I sure did it. :)

I shared some highlights with my supporters and here is what I wrote:

- I had my "brothers" with me!  My brother in law, Chad, and his brother, Blake, stayed with me the entire time. (For those of you who know Chad, you know that was a gift! He could easily have zoomed through the whole course as he is an exceptional cyclist. He chose to stay with me instead and I'll never forget it.) They were both such encouragers and totally dominated that ride! We covered 114 miles together and I wouldn't have had it any other way. 

- My legs took me 114 miles and I had NO vision trouble and NO numbness whatsoever!! It was just as much a mental challenge as it was a physical one. I'm so grateful! 

- My team (Team Emma) were able to raise over $8,000 for MS research! I'm so proud of our tiny team of 12 for accomplishing such a feat.

- We camped and did not become popsicles... even though I thought it *may* happen. It as a cold night in Lynchburg, TN,  y'all.

- The weather was pristine! We could not have asked for better weather as both days were gorgeous sunny days that never got above the mid 60s. Both days started quite chilly but we planned accordingly. (Another shout-out to Chad for the heads up!)

- Training (and the ride) made me realize how much I enjoy riding so I'll be doing a lot more of it this year! Which brings me to...

- We all signed up to do it again next year! (what have we done?!) Ha! It was such a great experience... hard but so good. I will need a few days to recover before I say I'm looking forward to it- but I am glad we "re-cycled", as they say. 

Here is a shot of my team in front of an enormous inflatable whiskey bottle... of course.

So, It was an amazing challenge and I am sort of welling up with pride over having accomplished it. Now, did you think I would let time pass before immediately taking on another challenge? Pshhhh. Don't be crazy. I have joined in with a few co-worker friends who have accepted the "No Processed October" challenge. That means not eating anything that doesn't occur in nature, basically. Our rule is that if you can't make it in your kitchen- don't eat it. (There goes gummy worms.) So, the truth is, I feel best when I'm eating well and I think avoiding things that are processed will be a great accompaniment to my eating overhauls of this year. (With the exception of Jack and Back, of course. I mean, every single piece of "food" was processed. Except for the cookout on Saturday night- that was good.)

Tonight, I did my weekly food shopping and snagged only foods that occur in nature or at least have ingredients I recognize. I'm super pumped because I gravitated to foods I buy regularly and realized that most things fall into the "no processed"category. Don't worry- there was also junk on every aisle that actually looked good but I resisted!

Today's meals included a smattering of eggs, greek salad with veggies and shrimp, sushi and honey crisp apples. Madeline (at Publix) was in to the challenge. She was impressed and even agreed to let me take a picture of her. I like documenting things.

Thanks for following my adventures, you guys. This month will be full of ways I am grateful. Today's is obvious. We shall see what tomorrow shall hold. Stay tuned. :)

on Seasons

Hey you- I am grateful for you.

I tend toward contemplation in the Fall and this year promises to be no exception. Interestingly, this blog has become a tool for just such an exercise. I mean, I am just as surprised as you are that this thing has lasted four years. FOUR years, you guys. (well, almost. In a couple months will be the 4 year marker.) I tend to look back at a day in my own history via my blog. Today, I indulged in September in years gone by. I find myself changed a bit. In good and bad ways, if I'm honest. I also find myself constant in some ways. (Always nice to not feel nuts every now and then.)

Just one week shy of a year ago, I started the goal of writing mostly stories here in this space. I wanted to step away from the Facebookery my blog had become and I leaned in to storytelling. Here, a year later, I feel like I still have stories to tell. I shall continue because, let's be real, I will continue to do and experience ridiculous things and I will want nay... need you to be a part. It just makes things funnier.

I have mentioned before that I like the idea of themes and seasons. I don't know, I guess I just like knowing what I'm working with. If you told me I had to eat only kale for a month, you better believe my mantra would become, "I can do anything for a month." Now, if it were open ended, I would laugh at you. So, I find myself a creature who loves a set time frame. (What control issues?) I think, in order to accomplish (a) a breath of fresh air for this blog and (b) an opportunity to glory in my neurosis, I will begin a year of monthly themes.

It is a little late in September to start now so I'll probably just start in October. Based upon an overwhelming acknowledgement of the good things in my life, the theme for October will be gratefulness. You will hear stories of gratitude, examples of it in my life, other people's stories and maybe even thoughts from a book or movie... I don't know. We're crazy around here.*

So, this theme thing will also be a means to get me back in the saddle. After a bit of a hiatus, I am ready and excited to get back in the groove of writing.

Good night, friends. More soon!
- Kelley

PS. I will have you fabulous people know that you helped me raise over $1,000 for the MS 150 "Jack and Back" bike ride I'll be doing in just a couple weeks. I am so thankful for your love and support!!

PPS. My hair is now reallllly red, you guys. Kristin did and I rather love it! In case you are like me rock and RSS feed and, therefore, never actually look at blogs any more, you may like to hop over and take a peek at the update I made to the old girl. Just updated my picture and the background but it switches things up nicely. Pretty soon, my friend is going to do a design for this thing and I'm pretty stoked. Stay tuned. ;)


*fine. its just me but doesn't it sound zany to say "we're crazy around here" over "I'm seriously crazy over here?" I think that point just made itself.