I was just reviewing some pictures from our weekend tonight, and this one just begged to be posted. I’m not sure what was going through the heads of either, but these two have always given us reason to raise eyebrows.

What do you think they’re talking about?

It’s a lesson I have to keep teaching myself: it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.

Allow me to expound. I’m impatient, plain and simple. I want what I want and I want it right now. I tend to get frustrated when this plan is interrupted. Enter the lesson of the journey - the interruptions are the entire point; the very reason and way we learn from this life and all we experience here. It’s why the advice “Come what may and love it” is so choice. Easier said than done, makes this the very reason I used the word “keep” to describe my process of learning this lesson.

The amazing thing is to realize how much stress is created by the simple plan of instant gratification. I find it also feeds procrastination and failure. Here’s how: Take any project/journey and think about the end result you want. The natural instinct is to not only want it complete, perfect and finished but consequently to put off any report on progress, etc. until that point is reached. How often does that result happen? Therefore both procrastination and failure are fed by the mere anxiety to have instant, complete, perfected and finished results not to mention the level of blood pressure and stress generated around the frustration of this impossible goal.

Case in point, this month my family moved to a new state and a home. A big task to be sure, but the bigger giant is my battle against wanting so much to have everything “done” - a reality, that when examined shows that there is no such thing! Here’s the good news, several years ago I wouldn’t have been willing to post or share anything of my progress because I would have been waiting for the finished, perfected end result first. This incidentally is why my photo albums and journaling efforts fall flat.

Here’s the skinny, it’s not all done. I have several things that are awaiting the next step like purchasing some canvas boxes to help create a pantry and other storage areas for all the things I can’t quite find a spot for yet. But progress is being made. Who knows, maybe this process will even result in some posts and shares about creative ways I found to store a lot of stuff in not so much space! In the meantime I am reminding myself to smile with each step in the journey.

Yesterday we took the kids out to see the beach. It was so fun to drive 20 minutes, enjoy new scenery and play at the beach. I think we’re all thinking we’re going to like it here!!

There was a fun area of organic fruit and vegetable farms along the drive, and I can see the workings of the next big event being the Christmas trees there. I have a feeling we’ll be going back soon!

We took in some beautiful scenery of the reservoir on our way back. The diversity here (of everything!) is so wonderful!

I can’t resist posting on this. I was just catching up on a million blog posts and news feeds and came across this article about San Francisco taking a stand against McDonald’s Happy Meal. As we now live in the San Francisco area I thought it an appropriate introduction! *giggle, snort*

Here’s the skinny:

So the city of San Francisco has taken a stand.

“In an effort to curb the swelling rates of kids who are overweight or obese, the city’s Board of Supervisors voted in favor of a law that would require any meals that package a free toy to include fruits and vegetables and contain no more than 600 calories or 35 percent of its calories from fat (about 210 calories or 23 grams of fat). The meals would also have to contain a beverage that’s not loaded with sugar or fat.

At a time when an estimated 17 percent of young people aged 2-19 years are obese and about an equal number are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the restriction on the popular Happy Meal is a worthy effort.”

Welcome to San Francisco.