mother's day bubble blower 4,000

Bet you didn't get one of these for mother's day:

Yes, it is, it's the Bubble Blower 4000. And it's mine.

It's been a wonderful Mother's Day so far. I slept in, elevated my legs for a good 30 minutes. Went out to breakfast and am going to go for a nice easy 70 minute run in a little while.

My favorite part of today might seem a little bit strange, but it's tonight at Breathe. The teachers and staff are gathering for a feast. A feast? Yes a feast. Breathe has just undergone a very exciting renovation (pardon the dust, there is still more to come if you can believe that), and Breathe now offers a full menu of locally grown, wholefood, ready to eat entrees. Tonight we are going to be treated by our absolutely incredible Chefs...... yes that says CHEFS......... and it's pleural...... to a sampling of everything we are going to be offering.

I have mentioned her before but the owner of Breathe, Cyndi Weis is probably the most talented Dietitian I have ever met. She's spent the better part of the past 2 years planning this renovation and nutritional hotspot for the area. There's a full fledged teaching kitchen and semi weekly cooking classes (yes, come and learn how to cook healthy, wholefood, and locally grown meals) that have already been scheduled through the end of the summer.

I am so lucky to be a part of this. Stay tuned, so much more to come!

On Friday I came home form teaching yoga to find this at the end of the driveway with the trash.

I rescued it. It's my first ever tricycle. I don't hold onto much from my childhood but I take this with me through every travel. It's thirty years old. It doesn't even have pedals anymore. But it's what started the cycling fascination for me.

When I was 16 years old my father took me to the bike shop. While my friends were getting cars I was equally excited to be given the opportunity to choose any bike I wanted. Believe me I did choose wisely. The things I have seen and experienced on two wheels has been extraordinary. Beyond competition and beyond going hard, I have seen and learned so much while riding.

I have seen prairies, mountains. Germany. I have strengthened friendships, learned who I really was...... and I met my husband on two wheels.

There are so many things to see while riding. Things you can see or experience with your ass planted in the seat of a fancy car. I have ridden through snow, wind sleet and rain. I have crashed, been crashed into, and crashed because I was not paying attention. I have healed, I have grown, I have laughed and I have cried.

There is still so much I plan to do on two wheels. There's a whole country to see and we've already begin to dream about that family expedition.

Keeping that trike with me all these years reminds me that the seeds that are planted in our youth are the seeds that grow as we get older and have our own children. Luc.... he's got several bikes. He's got no Wii. No video games. Because while it might be fun to throw an imaginary ball down the lane of a television screen..... it's much more fun to actually ....... do that.

My bother was a video game connoisseur. He might still be, I don't really know him. He's spent countless hours locked away in his room playing whatever video games he had. If we touched his Atari or Coleco Vision he'd kick our asses. Little did he know....... that by doing that he was doing the very same thing my father did when he got me that bike.

He gave me the world.

While it might be fun to hop ski jumps or jump rope on a TV screen...... try getting outside and actually doing that. There's just nothing like sun, and wind and rain and the feeling of coming so close to flying your stomach jumps. Cant' do that on a video game.

I hope to god I never see a Wii game that's a bicycle. I will burn it in the store.

Get a bike, go outside...... like we did when we were kids. Like I did on my trike when I would ride with my babysitter stood on the back. When we left to play and didn't return till dusk.

To me this trike is just a reminder. Of the outdoors, of life, of play, of moving and breathing, of time spent laughing and not sitting in front of a screen that simulates. Of experiencing.

What does the Bubble Blower 4000 provide for us? The chance to go outside yet again, to jump around, to play pop the bubble with each other and the dog, and to live life the way it was meant to be lived.

In action.