Weekend Recap: It's Natural!

Did you ever hear that joke about why the lady had green hair? In reply to the question, she smoothed her hair back, rubbing her hand up her nose and says "It's natural!"

 

I had such a wonderful weekend, friends! I wish that everyone's weekends could be as fulfilling as mine was this past weekend. There's just something about being outside all weekend long that makes me feel really happy. I think it's a combination of being under the sun and being among nature that just really does it for me. And I realize that nature doesn't tickle everyone's happy bone, but I just feel like a completely different person when I'm outside. I'll have to try to figure out how to explain it one of these days. I think it's my church :) 

Horses along the BWI trail.

Anyway, I kicked my weekend off with a ride around the BWI trail. I've been doing this ride for over a month now, but it's amazing to me to see how everything changes throughout the year. This weekend the fields are covered in buttercups. The horses seemed to love the flowers! Side note: Has anyone besides my sister and I done the buttercup test to see if you like butter? This makes zero sense, but I remember sitting outside during recess holding buttercup petals under my friends' chins to see if they like butter. I did this to my friend Teresa the other day and I think I invaded her personal space ;) Maybe it's an East Coast thing? She's from Cali, so it's possible Sacramento doesn't have buttercups to do the spot test? Kids are so literal ;)

Those buttercups sure must taste good!

After my ride, I met up with two friends to see Mary Poppins at the Hippodrome. Unfortunately, the tickets were sold out by the time we got there, but it was so fun to be spontaneous! We knew that a sell out was possible and decided while we were all together, we'd just have a few drinks at Alewife instead! I've said this before: I am not a spontaneous person. So whenever I'm anywhere CLOSE to being considered spontaneous, I feel so daring! Living life on the edge, folks! 

Mt. Washington monument on my way home.

Saturday, I had plans to meet up with a 20s and 30s hiking group from meetup.com. If you haven't heard of this and are new to an area or are looking for new friends, I highly recommend it. You can find lots of different groups for any number of things. Looking for a dog walking group that meets after work? Meetup will have one in your area! Looking for a springer spaniel dog walking group that meets after work? Meetup might have one in your area! And if they don't, you can start one for $15/year...or something like that. It's such a great concept. How did people make friends before the computer?! I don't have a shot of the hike we did on Saturday, but we went to Cromwell Valley Park near Towson. I have to admit that I'm really quite ashamed at how little I know of where I live. I never would have known about this place had it not been for meetup. And I'm hoping this group will help me to pick up a few more places to get my nature on! (If you're wondering why I chose the 20s and 30s group, I've found that when you don't specify the age you're looking for you experience a sort of cougar-ish dating scene...and that is NOT what I'm going for!)

Baltimore Bike Club in Galesville.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT! I helped watch a friend's toddler. Evelyn is adorable, so it was really just a few hours of play time before her normal babysitter could come down. I headed to my parents' afterward for some dinner and birthday planning. And then work up Sunday morning to go on my first road trip with Patty! 18 miles of bike riding in Galesville, Maryland, was just what the doctor ordered :) More horses, rolling hills, fields of buttercups, farm after farm after farm. I'm in luerve! This is how I'm going to spend my lazy Sundays from now on. I'm thinking there's a whole new meaning to the Sunday drive...

Hope your weekends were equally as fun, whatever that means for you! Now back to our regular weekday trudge.

Love,

Stephanie Marie