The Reason I Ride

It seems much of my friendship gathering time this summer has been spent over a meal. Whether its dinner with K & C (Kim cooked an amazing dinner for Cindy and I once again. I forgot my camera, but my cell phone camera caught the above pics of Kim igniting the bourbon as she flambe pineapples to put over freshly made crepes with ice cream. I'm going to have to up my mileage just to attend dinner each week!), pizza and a movie with the girls, or a reunion lunch with old friends, food seems to be at the center of everything.

Recently, I had the opportunity to lunch with three of the greatest English teachers around. Kathy, Amy, Noell and I all taught together several years ago. Since then, God has carried our paths in different directions. It was a blessing to sit around and laugh about old times and reflect on where we are now. As different as the four of us are, there is a common thread that binds us together. I appreciate the strength of each of these women and regret that we're not able to get together more often. Amy made an incredible Orzo Salad (thanks for the recipe!) that made me rethink my usual palette.

I enjoy the opportunity to share a meal with friends, no matter how informal the occasion. I don't want to think about calories or sodium intake. I want to find a balance between healthy living and joyful eating. With that in mind, we've broken our distance record. Robert decided it was a "waste" to drive to the trail head before starting our journey up the Seminole Wekiva Trail. Instead, we biked from the house to the trail head, adding a little more than five miles for a total of just over 20 miles round trip! The kids were such troopers for the journey. Hannah has a new bike and that has made a world of difference. We actually had to keep up with her. She was smokin' us!