lelove

i believe in kindness. also in mischief. also in singing, especially when singing is not necessarily prescribed. 

mary oliver

Covet.

Here is my list of coveted items for fall, or life in general.

Anthropologie: let's be honest, I could include every item in the store.

I think this darling coat is a MUST for Europe...no?

Lulu's always has the sweetest dresses and lovely vintage items:

Fantasy footwear:

 My fashionable fall wrist will be naked without:

I need to get that wintery glow with:

bronzer

blush

And anything and everything by the preeminent designer, Oscar de la Renta. In the words of the Zoe, I die for him. He is my favorite designer by far. Just look at these heavenly pieces fit for a princess:



Films I am most excited for are based on two of the best books I have read as of late: The Hunger Games and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Cannot. Wait.

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
                                  i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)


e e cummings

le love

Football.

"We interrupt this marriage, to bring you football season." ~unknown

Truer words have never been spoken. It's not so much, football season, rather FANTASY football season. My sweet husband is currently in no less than five (yes, five) fantasy football leagues. We now have the Sunday ticket, Red Zone channel, and I think my husband is up to three different computers and an Ipad he may watch his fantasy players stats on simultaneously. This is serious business. 

I am not one of those girls that doesn't enjoy sports, or understand them, for that matter. I grew up with two brothers in my house, and a father that attended THE Ohio State University. There were constantly sports in my house growing up, and Superbowl Sunday has always been an event. I understand the love of the game. I love attending any and every type of sporting event, and am glued to the television during all playoffs. The Phoenix SUNS are my team! My husband, during football season, is more or less, a fanatic. Every game, from sunrise to sunset, he is watching. I understand that there is money on the line, but I think it is more than just about winning money or beating his friends in his leagues. He loves all things football. He watches ESPN pre and post game reports, reads articles, constantly looking up player points projections, and is up earlier than anyone should be on Sunday mornings because he is like a kid on Christmas.  He gets more excited about football season than most people do about meeting their first born. But, he is not the only one that this happens to! All of his closest friends, friends he has had for all of his adult life, act the exact same way. My girlfriends and I are officially football season widows. 

They have draft parties. They would like to draft in Vegas. They have message boards, year round jokes (poor Jason), and spend countless hours prepping before that all important draft day. And, oh my goodness, do not bother him on Sundays. Life does not continue, other than on the field, on Sundays. Grocery shopping? No. Cleaning? Nope. Folding laundry? No way. Eating out? Uh uh. Football only. 

Now, don't get me wrong, he is completely present on Saturdays, and will help me with whatever I need. He is excited about something, and as long it's a good day for his fantasy team, it's a good day for him, and therefore, me. I used to look at it as an annoyance, these "Sunday Man Days", but now he is occupied, which means I can find other things to occupy my time. I can go shopping, out to lunch with my girlfriends, mani-pedis, massages. The day is mine, all mine! He won't care what I am doing, as long as I am not blocking the television or somehow preventing the wi-fi from working. I don't have children yet, so I am taking this as my time, until my time is no longer my own. So, a week from Sunday, it begins. Now, I am the one that is excited. 

intothair

The brook would lose its song if we removed the rocks. 

Wallace Stegner

25.

This weekend my sweet husband's lovely little sister turned the big 25! Rick and I headed up to Phoenix Friday for a fun-filled weekend of food, drinks, family, and fun.

As soon as we arrived in town on Friday evening, we went straight to Valle Luna (if you haven't had the fundido, you MUST, you are missing out) to celebrate my middle brother and my Daddy's birthday. Rick and I will be in Europe during both of their birthdays, so we wanted to have a special dinner to celebrate them. I didn't take any pictures, I am terrible, but it was a wonderful time of gorging ourselves on great Mexican food, cake, and ice cream.

The next day we ran errands, got some new sneaks for Eurofest walking, and met up with our dear friends Joe and Jill at the mall where they were having lunch with their adorable son, Tyler. Rick and I experienced our first flash mob when we were trying to navigate our way through the crazy crowds. It was interesting, but I was more eager to meet our friends, and shutting down the escalators was not helping my frustration level.

Saturday evening we went to the Cardinals vs. Chargers preseason game with Rick's parents and his sister, Samantha, and her friends. It was such a wonderful time, and Samantha's season ticket seats were sweet! So close to the field, it is much more of an exciting game when you are up close, rather than straining to see from the nose bleeds.

It was so nice being able to spend quality time with Rick's family in such a fun environment. The one thing I miss about living in Phoenix (besides friends and family, of course) are the professional sports. I love love attending games for the Cardinals, Dbacks, and most of all, the Phoenix SUNS! Any time we can come up for a game, it is a guaranteed good time.

On Sunday, Rick and I went to our friends Joe and Jill's place so Rick and Joe could do one of their many fantasy football drafts, and Jill and I could spend some quality time together, and I could kiss all over her baby, Tyler. He is such a good boy! He is getting so big, and never fusses and will sit while we have our girl talk over lunch and shopping excursions. I love him, and her!

Sunday was Rick's sister Samantha's actual birthday, so we all headed down to Postino's Wine Bar in Phoenix. This place is one of the best spots in all of Arizona for fresh, delicious food. Their boards of bruschetta are out of this world. We ate and drank and laughed and celebrated. A perfect way to end a wonderful weekend eating at my favorite spots, with my favorite people.

The last photo is caramel, not liquor. My idea of a perfect shot ;)

This quote was up on the chalk board at Postino's:

"Where there is no wine, there is no love." ~Euripides

husband.

 I love you.

moments.

le love

there are moments
that i know i will long for
even as i live them.



judith katzir

Engaged.

Did you know that it has been 487 days since I married my sweet husband? Well it has, and it has flown by. I am so happy and so lucky to be married to this man. He constantly encourages, believes in me, and compliments me. I love him.

Here is the story of how we got engaged (from our wedding website):

as told by Sara:
It was May 28th- the day we were supposed to get the keys to our new house. Rick was scheduled to do the final walkthrough at 2 pm, and the keys were to be released to us after the loan had funded- after 4 pm. I didnt want Rick to have to wait around after the walkthrough for the keys, so I told him to go back to our apartment, and I would pick them up after work. He told me to call him when I was leaving work. I did- a little late, and he said he was at home and the weird echo I was hearing was that he was in the bathroom! I quickly got off the phone with him - yuck! typical Rick. Little did I know he was waiting in an empty house, which was causing the echo...
I went to the sales office in our new community, and our lovely sales rep, Sharlin, told me that the superintendant had the keys for me at the house, which was just around the corner. She was in on Rick's plan- and gave me the tightest hug before I left... It should have been a clue! But alas- I was clueless. I drove up to the house, and Rick's truck was in the driveway! Weird, I thought- I had just talked to him... By the time I pulled up to the house, I had a feeling.... so I parked quickly and ran up to the front door...There in the lock, with the keys I was to retrieve, was my beautiful ring on the keychain. I pushed open the door, and Rick was there on one knee. I was so happy- I just kept screaming! I couldn't believe this was happening, that I was engaged to the love of my life, the best man... I am such a lucky girl, and have been walking on air ever since.... He later told me, "I remembered you told me once you wanted to be engaged before we lived together... and although I couldn't do it before we shared an apartment, I wanted to do it before we moved in to OUR house..." and he did- the day before. Ahhhh, my romantic, thoughtful man...

addition by Rick:
I almost passed out in that empty house waiting for Sara; I was nervous and it was ridiculously hot since the superintendant was testing the heater earlier in the day! That would have been a botched proposal: She sees my truck, the ring in the door, and then me - passed out on the floor, covered in sweat, in a 120 degree house.
I sure am glad that didn't happen and we now have a successful story to tell.

Reading.

I have developed a new love for reading. Anytime I get a new suggestion, I am so excited and cannot wait to go get a copy. I read the Dragon Tattoo series in a month. I read the Hunger Games in 3 days. I cannot wait to get all ready for bed, tuck in, and fall asleep reading a good book. Or, for that matter, stay up until 1 am because I can't put it down or am almost finished. A book on the beach is my idea of paradise.I have even gotten my sweet husband to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; and if you know my husband, reading a long novel is not on his list of fun things to do. Right now I am currently reading no less than five books at the same time, which does not seem that productive, but it works for me. What is at your bedside??

pizza.

Nothing says summer to me like pizza made on the grill. My sweet husband and I have experimented with all kinds of different recipes and ways to cook the crust and this recipe is by far our favorite, and undeniably one of the best things I have ever made. Enjoy.

Ingredients
Cornmeal, for dusting
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spicy turkey or pork sausage, casings removed, crumbled All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 (13 to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese (I use mozzarella bc my husband doesn't like "stinky cheese")
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions
Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Sprinkle a heavy baking sheet (without sides) with cornmeal and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sausage. Using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage and cook, stirring constantly, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch diameter circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Spread the onion mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted, about 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped basil. Cut the pizza into wedges and serve.
recipe courtesy of: Giada de Laurentis

** I know this recipe doesnt call for grilling, but you can grill the dough for a short time, until it is hard enough to hold the toppings, then add the toppings and finish the cooking on the grill or in the oven. Gives it that yummy grilled flavor.

Abs.

le love

My husband told me I had abs this morning. I think I love him more today than the day we got married.

Daydream.

google images

Some days, all I wish for in life is to be a stay at home Mommy, barefoot in the kitchen, with a toddler hanging on to my leg. Ahhhh…. A girl can dream.

Yum.

google images

One of the best smells I have found is garlic sizzling in a pan on the stove in a mass of olive oil.

Fear.

“Good Morning! This is God,
I will be handling all of your problems today. I will not need your help. So, relax and have a great day!”

google images

I received this saying on a business card from one of my elderly patients on the day I discharged her from speech therapy. It was so sweet, and just what I needed that day. Things have been overwhelming to say the least with work lately. I guess it is a good thing, in this economy, having so much work there aren’t enough hours in the day, but it is a struggle to balance and try not to let anyone down. I work full time as a speech language pathologist at an early learning center, aka. preschool, in Tucson. I love love LOVE it. I currently have 69 kids on my caseload, but by the end of the year it rises to well over 100 children. My days are crazy, but full of love, laughter, hugs, and daily miracles. Yesterday, after a year of trying, a little red head that looks so much like myself at that age, finally was able to say her own name. Imagine not being able to tell people your name!! Days like those make everything worth it. Most days at the preschool make everything worth it. I am so happy to wake up every day and enjoy coming to my job.

After work and on summer vacations, I do private speech therapy for various ages and all types of issues. Most of my days are filled with the geriatric population. I help remediate swallowing problems and aphasia post stroke or any other illness or catastrophic event. I will give the patients and their families swallowing precautions and alternative diets so that they are safe and don’t choke on or allow their food/liquids to escape into their lungs and cause aspiration pneumonia, or even death. Talk about pressure. With aphasia, I work on helping the patients improve their functional communication and improve their word retrieval abilities, or develop some form of alternative communication so that they can express their wants and needs. Truly, speech therapy with a preschooler and an adult post stroke is not so different: encouraging voice, flashcards, over-celebrating every small success.

Every day is different, every day I learn something new. I have met some amazing people in my travels as a roaming SLP. Judges, Vice-Presidents of Universities with whole libraries named after them, the first woman professor at MIT. I have learned such wonderful things about my city, and know my way around all of the nooks and neighborhoods here. It can be devastating when a patient you have been making so much progress with goes back to the hospital from another stroke, a blood clot, or pneumonia. It is so hard when a little baby you have fallen in love with moves away or is taken by CPS because of poor living conditions. However, the biggest fear I have is this: the people I work for or the patients I see will realize, I have no idea what I am doing.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am absolutely qualified, and entirely trained and educated in my field. I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in 6 years without difficulty and high grades. I have a passion for my work and am constantly reading and attending conferences on various topics that are completely relevant to what I do every day. I just have this constant nagging fear every time I go in to a new home, with a new patient, that one day I will be working with a patient and someone will call me out. Point at me and say, you are the worst SLP I have ever met and you are not helping my family member out at all!

Why is this? Why do I feel so inadequate and frightened like it is my first day of undergrad and I will ultimately not retain any information or warrant this “higher education” my parents have so lovingly and generously given me? Why do I wonder when I leave if I did the right thing or if I even made a difference? Part of it is the amazingly high amount per hour that these families are being charged for my services. It is completely insane. I do not receive all of it, mind you, but even what I receive myself sometimes feels a little ridiculous for one hour of my time. And if they don’t have insurance, ugh, that is just an awful feeling to take a check from the family. So, I am constantly having to tell myself, I am doing the right thing, I am making a difference, what they pay is worth it. But man, some of those days I admit I hold my breath and slightly wince as I am leaving, waiting for that moment when I am figured out.

I am excited for the day when I can go in to a new home, head held high, and know with my heart of hearts I am the best person to help this person, and help them I will. 

Hungry.

image courtesy: google images

I spoke too soon. I went to do a short run (3 miles) and then work out with Ray lifting weights after work today. Ray is a personal trainer that has been training people for over 30 years (he told me today he used to train JFK Jr. three times a week many years ago when he lived in NYC, WHAT!?). He teaches Kinesiology at a college nearby, and knows his stuff. He also works at the fitness center in my school district, and coaches the cross country team.

He first approached me when I started using the treadmill this summer, asking me if he could give me feedback. "Of course!", I said. I literally had a one on one personal trainer, for free, from that moment on. Awesome.
He has been training me the past six weeks, and greatly helped me with my gait and posture (I used to pound, pound, pound the treadmill when I ran, I sounded like a Clydesdale), and he has helped me to improve my time by a minute a mile. All the while he has been encouraging me, changing up my workouts, writing everything down for me, and even setting the weights on the weight stack for me. When the weather cools down he is going to train me on the track and train me in intervals to improve my time. Did I mention this is entirely free?! I know, I am beyond lucky, I have to pinch myself most days.

This day, however, I was not up for weights at all. I felt wasted my entire run. Light headed, no energy, just- spent. I finished the run, and saw Ray walking up to the fitness center as I was leaving. I told him I was gonna go home because I wasn’t feeling so hot. The first thing he said to me was, “Sara, I am wondering about your diet. How many calories are you eating per day?” Well, sheepishly I said 1200 net: meaning 1200 plus the amount of calories I burned running that day. Not a lot.

I recently lost 18 pounds and am loving my success in getting back in shape. I get excited when my sweet husband tells me I look good, when people I work with comment on the weight I've lost. I am proud at my dedication to losing the weight and taking back control of my body. But, dieting and training for a marathon do not mix. I admit I am afraid to eat more, I don’t want to gain the weight back. I have to find my balance, which will come with practice and experimentation, I suppose. So, there in the hot parking lot, sweaty and tired and embarrassed, looking up at tall Ray he said, “I know you’ve got this hot body and everything, but you need to really watch your intake and take a diary and be eating more”. Well Ray, you called me out. With a compliment, kinda? I am not sure if it was a compliment, but I know he is right. About the eating, not the hot body.

So now, I have a new challenge to get excited about. Improve my time, strengthen the muscles needed to be a strong runner, maintain a weight I am happy with, and eat the proper calories I need to finish my run and do my workouts. Challenge, accepted.

Sunday.

google images

So, I ran 7 miles yesterday. It was a really good run, outside, along the Julian Wash, which is so beautiful and I am lucky to live less than a mile from. My first long-ish run since the half marathon I did in March. I think I did kinda ok in that marathon, but I want to do better. I have another half in October. The problem is, it is one week after our Europe trip, and I do not anticipate running a whole lot in Europe. Rather, eating and drinking until I can barely roll myself back to whichever lovely hotel, or crowed hostel we are staying in that night. But- alas, I am doing another half marathon in October. Then, a Ragnar relay in Las Vegas for my sweet husband’s 30th birthday. And then a full marathon in December. Phew! That’s a lot of running, but I am excited.

I have been training for almost 6 weeks with two people that work at my school district’s fitness center. Wonderful Ray who is the cross country coach (imagine my luck), and crazy Rohan, who teaches boot camp and used to run in the Olympics for Jamaica. It’s amazing the knowledge I have to help me for FREE because the center is free for staff!! Another reason I love my job and love Tucson. Anyway- I ran 7 miles, outside, and I felt good. I could have done more, and I never say that after a long run.

After my run we met our lovely neighbors for breakfast at a wonderful place, TTT. I love eating there, even though it is a dive and a truck stop. Nothing like feel-good home cooking, and greasy breakfasts to nurse a hangover. It is a special place to our neighbors because they had their first date there. They are now married AND expecting. We sat in the same booth that they ate their first meal together. They shared that space with us, lovely.

Run.

google images

I love to run. Well, scratch that. I love the feeling after I have run really far. I do not love the time spent running very much at all. My husband and I started training for a marathon because we wanted to get in shape for our honeymoon, and the race was one week before we departed for gorgeous Aruba. I have run two half marathons, and trained for a full (that story later). I am training for a full right now with a half and a Ragnar relay mixed in before then. A friend I worked with last year and has since moved to Phoenix to teach kindergarten emailed me and asked for tips because she is starting to train for her first half marathon. Where do I start??? I have learned so much from other runners, reading magazines, books, and websites. But, I started an email to her, and way too much writing later here is what I sent her:

1. Take your old running shoes and go to a place that analyzes your stance and will recommend a running shoe for you. Bad shoes, no fun.

 2. I followed this running schedule the first time out, it is totally the best for beginners. If you can’t stick with it 100% don’t give up. You can totally miss a day and pick up a day later, or swap out runs, do your long runs on Saturday or Sunday, etc. I just wouldn’t miss a long run (weekend run).

 3. I would eat something easily digested if you are running for an hour or more (ie. 6+ miles). Good items are graham crackers, bananas, Gatorade primes, bagels, english muffin with pb (give yourself at least an hour with more difficult to digest items like these).

 4. Get some good running socks.

 5. It is possible to chafe when running long distances. I slather my feet with Vaseline before a run, especially where I callous and the tips of my toes. You are thin so you won’t have thigh chaffing, but you get it in other places you wouldn’t think. They sell this stuff to help with that.

 6. Bring water, always if you are running in Arizona. Always. Get a water belt or a Camelback for women if you are going to be somewhere where you won’t have water readily available. You can always plant water along your route so that you don’t have to carry anything.

7. A Garmin or Nike Plus is so wonderful. I’d go for the cheaper one if you are not going to be running many races, otherwise not worth the money, in my opinion. I have a Nike Sport band you can totally borrow if you want to!

8. If you are running alone in the early morning, or at night, wear this and this, bring this, and always run against traffic if you are on the street, so you can be prepared of oncoming traffic. If you are alone on a path, always wear one ear bud, and the other out so you can hear someone coming. Running tights are good, too. They are difficult to get off if you are attacked….always tell someone if you are going and your route.

9. Gu or Gels are your best friend…. I usually take two throughout a half marathon. Play with what you need. Once every hour, at least. They have shot blocks and jelly beans that are de-lish! Make sure you have food before trying these, they may mess with your stomach and that is not a fun situation being on the side of the road wiping with a leaf.

10. STRETCH!!! Always, before and after. If you are feeling too exhausted, or have an injury, your body may need to rest. Don’t push it, if the outside of your knee hurts it can be IT band injury, which is very common and there are stretches and foam rollers to help. Shin splints happen, and they suck, but it has a lot to do with your shoes (see #1). But, one mile is always better than no miles, and running is entirely mental, so once you get out there, you may find yourself finishing what you never thought you could. I trick my brain all the time saying, ok, you only have to do 7 miles, and then you can stop, and I get to 7 and keep going. Running is honestly 99% mental, 1% physical. Promise.

11. Have fun, and ask me questions anytime. I am so proud of you!!! Running is hard, but to get better all you have to do is try. You get out of it entirely what you put into it. And- you can eat anything and everything because you burn 100 calories (roughly) per mile, so make sure you have enough nutrition to keep you going. Stay away from cheese and alcohol if you are running in the morning. Hard to digest and dehydration = no bueno.

12. http://www.runnersworld.com/ has endless resources.

Do you have any advice to give my cute, and so skinny it’s not even fair friend, Samantha??

Shhhh.

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Sooo, I have a secret. It’s a secret about what I am getting my husband for his 30th birthday, and I am so excited. October 23rd cannot get here soon enough!!