Forget the Cheese, Just Meditate
It's been a hectic week—long meetings at work, hot weather, and busyness. I haven't had a moment to myself until now. The house is finally quiet—one kid is at work and the other is drifting in and out of sleep after a late night sleepover. I have a few moments to myself, so I started out with some mindfulness breathing. It's something I started doing about three years ago. I usually just do it on my own, but last week I discovered a new app/website that is great for this. Stop, Breathe, Think is an app from Tools for Peace, a non-profit organization. So far I have used the Falling Asleep and Mindfulness Breathing meditations and I really like them. Check it out. You don't need to download the phone app to use it, you can just go to their website.
This morning, before I got a chance to meditate, we had a busy schedule. I took Maggie to work and then took Moira and her friend to breakfast. We went to this great place in downtown Vancouver. The Sugar & Salt Bakery makes an amazing breakfast sandwich with two eggs and bacon or sausage on a cheese and chive biscuit. It was delicious and their atmosphere was great.
After breakfast we went to Vintage Books, a great used bookstore in the area. It's located in a strip mall and doesn't look like much, but it's like the Tardis—bigger on the inside.
We arrived home to a pungent smell. We searched the house for dog vomit or something, but it took a bit before I discovered the source of the odd odor. Ralph the Mouth had gotten on the kitchen table, found a shake container of parmesan-regianno, and chewed the lid off. It was generously sprinkled in the carpet throughout the dining room and he is looking a little green. I'd like to say he learned his lesson, but if history has taught me anything, it is that Ralph can not help himself. His nickname was never more appropriate. He is currently avoiding my gaze. After vacuuming and lighting a scented candle, the odor is less week-old pizza and more vanilla birthday cake with aged cheese. Ralph definitely keeps us on our toes. You can check him out on his new Instagram account, @ralphiethemouth, if you so desire. It wasn't my idea, but I caved to the pressure. It doesn't have much on it now, but it won't take long to make him famous.
See this Instagram photo by @ralphiethemouth