Jennifer St. Clair's Blog, page 16

Walking for Lent, Part 2

After some thought, and thoroughly enjoying the walks I have taken before Lent, I have decided that instead of only walking on nice days, I will walk rain or shine... and only do something different if the weather is truly against me (like another ice or snowstorm) or if I get home too late to walk. 
The upcoming time change should help with that, at least. 

40 Bags in 40 Days

I saw a link to this on Facebook last night (if you google, you'll come up with the originator, since I'm typing this on my phone, linking's not always easy.) 
Basically, the idea is that you remove 40 bags in 40 days starting tomorrow, March 5th, through April 18th, a concentrated decluttering effort.  Bags could be defined as anything you'd like, even singular items. 
This works well for me, because I have a large stack of stuff to put on eBay, and the first Burlington within t...

Cans

It's time, I think, to use less cans. I've been buying canned beans for years, and only occasionally cooking dried beans, but in truth, that's laziness more than convenience. 
The majority of my garbage is cans. 
Dried beans can last for years without issue, and I have multiple ways to cook them. I can even cook more than I need and freeze the remainders. Also, since they usually come in bags, there's less waste. 
This year, once the Endless Winter ends and I can start thinking ab...

Bread

Today, in the midst of yet another ice/snow storm, I baked a loaf of bread from a new bread book; it was a phenomenally simple overnight bread. And it turned out fabulously. 


I'm also attempting to convert my Oatmeal Sunflower Seed (or Oatmeal Nut bread (this time it's pecans) into sourdough. This is my go-to every day breakfast bread. So far so good; two loaves are in their final rising stage right now. We'll see how it turns out. 

Elsa

Elsa and I went on a slightly chilly walk this morning. Afterwards, we drank hot chocolate. :)

Walking

So since I posted about walking for Lent, I've taken a walk every day! I am trying to find a good mile that I can walk every day, or more than one for variety. My neighborhood/village has lots of sidewalks, so it's quite walking-friendly. I'm having fun so far, just getting out and enjoying the nice weather we've been having these past few days. 
My neighbor's snowdrops are blooming, too! 

Walking for Lent

Lent begins March 5, so I've been trying to figure out what to do for Lent this year. One of my goals this year is to be more active, something that is very difficult for me to actually accomplish, and here's why:
Commute to work: 1.25-1.5 hours Normal workday: 8 hours with a 30 minute lunch. Commute home from work: 1.5 hours
I get two 15 minute breaks per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. 
When I am not at work, I am at home, writing. Some days, due to other oblig...

And Fruit!

Two of my favorite things...

Two of my favorite things. 

Secrets When in Shadow Lie

My 23rd book was published yesterday! This is (currently) a standalone, so great if you don't want to start on a series!

Twelve years ago, Ryan Grey was cursed by a witch to hide a secret he doesn't even know. He has lived with her curse--and has died many times because of it, slowly losing the memory of his past until little remains. 

But now, after a chance meeting with an elf named Zipporah, he discovers the key to unlocking the secret--and breaking the curse, once and for all. 

But...