Weekend Coffee Share – Week 2

Posted bySagittarius VikingPosted inCoffee at my house, Mindful Living, Sweden, Tea, Tea at my house, Weekend Coffee ShareTags:, , , ,

Hi, how are you? Would you like some coffee? Or tea? Today I’m only offering hot beverages, it is currently 16F and very comfortable. This morning it was 3F, including windchill and humidity the actual temperature was -11.2F when I walked my daughter to her school this morning. We have lots of snow and today we’ve enjoyed a bright blue sky and sunny conditions. 

Today I took the bus halfway to and from work, but all the other days this week I’ve walked. It is 6 km one way= 12 km/day, or 7.5 US miles/day. I kan feel those 30+miles in my legs, and of course there was some running, climbing, and sledding with the children at work this week. I feel great in my body, but it definitely was a good decision to take the bus today. I am going to keep walking 3-4 days/week at least. That I can do with some effort, but if I would walk every day I would really be pushing it, especially since some days, if it’s been snowing throughout the day, I have to walk in deep snow. My lungs were in really bad condition after the Carr fire in Northern California 2018, (I lived very close.) I was so scared, it was difficult and painful to breath, and I was constantly dizzy. Now I can breath freely and my body is strong again, I am so grateful that I can enjoy walking some distance again. I have been meditating about my much improved health since moving back to Sweden. That I am grateful is no understatement. I have never been as terrified and lonely as when I started to have issues with my lungs. I feel, and live a life of more gratitude every day now. 

How is your week? How are things in your neck of the woods? Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? 

Love,

Maria

Published by Sagittarius Viking

It’s all about experiences, and the healing power of nature. Life is about choosing happiness. I entered the magic world of photography when I was five years old. My gypsy soul have taken me to many different countries, and definitely taught me to be more humble. I believe that you are what you eat, body and soul. I enjoy growing my own food, and spending time outdoors. A Sagittarius loves to travel, have an open mind and, and a philosophical view. It motivates them to wander around the world in search of the meaning of life. Sagittarius is extrovert, optimistic and enthusiastic, and likes changes. A lot of that perfectly describes me. The fact that my ancestors, on both parents sides, were vikings, doesn’t exactly lessen my desire to explore. Maybe a slightly more mindful exploring, compared to the average viking. My blog, and my art prints is a results of my (inner and outer) explorations. Love, Maria

66 thoughts on “Weekend Coffee Share – Week 2”

  1. Nice to meet you, Maria. Kind Natalie (the Explorer) briefly told me about you and your blog this week. I have been visiting your posts and I subscribed to your interesting and beautiful site.

    My brain works in Celsius now so I have to think/convert to F. Windchill is always significant. 6km X 2 is a great workout. Deep snow adds to the challenge. At the moment, I am walking around Iceland, although that is another story. I am glad our paths crossed and I look forward to reading more about you. Erica

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      1. Maria, You walk around your neighbourhood or in your community (if allowed right now) and other activities are part of a conversion chart to calculate kilometres. Therefore, yes, doable wherever you live in the Winter.

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  3. Thank you for the coffee! I love wrapping my hands around a warm mug on a cold morning. I’m so happy your lungs have healed, our bodies are amazing and I would be like you, so grateful for this rebirth of sorts. To be able to walk those miles is wonderful, something I am working on too. I love walking! I’m glad you break it up though, and have alternative means to get to work. I’d love to be able to walk to work. That’s just awesome! I hope you have a wonderful weekend with those kiddos!! ❤️🤠

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    1. Thank you! I am really enjoying walking! Walking have always been more of my thing than running. One of my colleagues told me about a walking path through the forest that I did not know of, so I have been trying that path a couple times now, it is very enjoyable, the snow-covered old pine tres are high everywhere around me when I am walking there. It feels like a dream world, sort of. I will bring my camera one day. Have a great weekend my friend ❤

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  4. “You go girl”, Dam that’s cold, we don’t get cold like that obviously. but it sounds so beautiful & the snow looks so pretty & fluffy. Its great to see snow even if it is just a picture as I swear it cools down my hot flushes, lol.
    I’m so relieved for you that your health has improved greatly, I guess its a true testament to the fact that you made the right move. Have a wonderful weekend ahead.

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    1. Thanks! I like the cold, but it is also nice to go inside after a good workout outdoors. The cold and light, white snow gives me energy.

      I enjoyed seeing your green photos. It is amazing that you have summer, when I enjoy winter. Nature is amazing ❤ Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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  7. So glad you’ve regained your health, nothing is more important, IMO. It sure sounds cold there right now. We’re still having unusually mild weather with the meager precipitation we do get melting within days. It’s given us an opportunity to get into the woods and cut back the invasive species. We try to do a little bit every time, so we don’t overdo it. So nice to be out in the fresh air, I love it. Have a great weekend!

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  8. Wow! It is COLD where you live. Good for you for walking to and from work. I am sure that will be good for your overall health and especially your lungs. I can imagine it was scary to have problems with your lungs after the fire. Thanks for the coffee and the chat! It was so nice to meet you.

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    1. Thank you so much Laurie. This is a normal winter here. January is usually the coldest month. I really enjoy it. Last year we had a mild winter, it was rainy and muddy all winter, this is so much nicer. What type of weather are you enjoying at the moment? Have a fabulous weekend!

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  9. Goodness me you are doing well in such conditions. Thank you for sharing and I hope your physical health improves over time. Smoke damage is not a good thing. I am pretty sure many Australians were affected in our awful Summer of 2019-2020. I am very low in iron so I puff easily but am having an infusion soon and hope for more energy. Your coffee was appreciated!
    Denyse

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  10. How scary with your lung issues, glad you’ve recovered. That’s a very good walking habit you have!
    I have all possibilities to go for good walks, especially with warmer weather than what you have, but for some reason lost my habit of doing it, I must get back to it.

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    1. Thank you Susanne! I hope you find the way back to walking. I really enjoy it, and you can do it almost everywhere, preferably with a camera in your hand 🙂 I love walking in new nature areas at vacation time, and enjoy exploring closer to home in the weekends. Have a great day!

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  11. Good health is wealth my father in law used to say. We take good health for granted, a lot of the time, don’t we? Good to hear that you are breathing easily in Sverige! Lucky you – I hold a special place in my heart for the snowy regions around Skellefteaa. However, walking 6 km and some of it in deep snow would be a challenge for me.

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  12. I have never seen snow, in reality, my entire life. And I can only imagine how difficult it can be to walk in the snow. Kudos to you, Maria for your walking milestones. Keep it up. It will only tonnes to improve your health 🙂

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    1. Snow is magical. The light changes the world when there is snow. There is so many types of snow, the snow that we get when it is cold is my favourite. It is softer than other snow. I hope you get to experience it in real life. Thank you for your kind comment.

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  13. I’m glad your lung issues from the fires is clearing up! It is scary. I think so many people have issues from smoke, smog, etc and don’t realize it since they never push themselves. Your move back to Sweden seems to be the right decision for you! It is funny – I typically run just under 10 km, with a lot of hills when in NH, but a 6 km walk to work seems long. Sure, hiking I will go much farther. I am glad that you have time to do that walk! I’m sure it is very healthy. And, glad your strength and health have returned 🙂 Have a great weekend and a wonderful week!

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    1. Thank you Trent! I am sure you are right. I might not have experienced any problems with the smoke in California if I didn’t live such an active lifestyle with horses and gardening. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend 🙂

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  16. Hi Maria, you know that my family and I were close to that fire and several others over the following years. We were more fortunate in that the smoke never got us like it got you. For us, it was like bad allergies and as long as we stayed indoors with the windows closed, we did okay. The best part of your share today is that your health is back. For this, I share your thanks and am pleased to hear that for you, this is now an, um, can we say, interesting memory?

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    1. Hi, yes, interesting memory. I couldn’t choose to be inside since I cared for so many horses, and the fire was only minutes away for several weeks. Hindsight I should have made other choices, and left the area earlier, but that is easy to say now. I am grateful that my body is getting strong again. I am happy that your family is well, I know you deal with fires every year. Thank you for sharing a hot beverage today. Have a fabulous rest of your weekend.

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  17. By the way, I wanted to ask you which George R. Stewart book did you order? I’m finishing up my reread of “The California Trail” because when I read it at age 19, I was not as focused on this topic. Thanks for bring it back to mind and I’m loving reading it again.

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    1. That is awesome that you are enjoying the reread 🙂 A good book often gets a lot better the second, or the third time. I ordered “Earth Abides”. I haven’t got it yet. I choose free shipping that takes a few days longer, I’ll probably get it some day next week. Looking forward to reading it.

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      1. Ah – easily my favorite. I hope you find it as engaging as I did. According to the biography I just read, many readers communicated back to him about how life changing this title was. I agree with them. this book grew deep roots into my mind.

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  18. Lungs and breathing trouble is terrifying, I am glad to hear that you are feeling better. I can’t say I have been out much for walking or running. It is so icy here that I am sure I would fall (I should probably invest in spike for my boots). No big plans this weekend: writing, coffee, board games with the boys. Thanks for the virtual cup of coffee!

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    1. I am grateful that I am able to be out and about, and feel strong. I have a pair of Merrell winter hiking boots, very lightweight with “ice-bug technology” to prevent slipping. I’m very happy with them, they worked great even when we had lots of ice. It sounds like you are enjoying a great weekend. My daughter and I are reading the “Amelia Bedelia” series right now, there’s a lot of laughter that comes with those books. So much silliness.
      Thanks for the chat 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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      1. I need to make the investment because the temperature has been nice enough to be out walking.

        I googled “Amelia Bedelia” and they look fun. My older son is read The Fablehaven Series to me. They are good.

        Have a nice week Maria!

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  19. Maria, Glad to hear your lungs are good again and you get to do a good amount of walking. If you have enough snow, snowshoeing is a fun and good workout. Having a rest day by taking a bus is wise. No need to overwork your body. I’ve been living a car-free lifestyle most of my life. I walk and bike year round but I do build in 1 or rest days each week. Thanks for joining #weekendcoffeeshare.

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    1. Thank you Natalie. I love snowshoeing! Especially on the mountain, it is so peaceful and like you said a great workout 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thank you for hosting the #weekendcoffeeshare. I knew you would be a wonderful host 🙂

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  21. Daily walks is really a good thing in so many ways. Our bodies are made for moving, which is very clear when I been still for a couple of days. Now in lockdown in Portugal and waiting for the keys to our house. Then it will be a lot of walking on our plot 😀

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  22. Hi Maria!❤️
    Glad all is well.
    We’re having a mild winter here in the Midwest and I’m immensely grateful for that! We’ve had many days in the 30’s over the last 2 weeks. Feels like a huge gift!

    I remember reading that your new apartment has a different (passive?) heating system. I can’t say I understand it. But I was wondering how it was working for you now that it’s so much colder? I hope you’re all still loving the new place.
    Thanks for the coffee 💜

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    1. I am happy you are enjoying your mild weather. I love the cold and the snow.
      We are very happy with our new apartment and the house. A passive house is very energy efficient, we keep a constant 70F inside, and our first power bill for the month of December was $8. Have a great new week!

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  23. Wow, that is a decent hike to work! How awesome though, I long for blue skies and snow here in Michigan. Glad to hear your lungs are on the mend! I look forward to getting out and doing more winter hiking and I’d like to try cross country skiing if we get some snow.

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    1. Thanks, that is a good workout. I have to change clothes before I start working 🙂 It’s worth it. I would love to do some cross country skiing, but I don’t have any equipment, we’ll see later this season if it’s within the budget, I just bought a new snowboard (need it for work!)

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  24. I love how the gratitude oozes from this post, Maria! So nice that you feel good in your body again. Those walks are great. Being able to live somewhere you could do that – walk to work – is lovely. When I lived in Belgium, I would walk or bike to work as well, but it was much shorter than what you are doing. Good move to move back to Sweden. 🙂 Very different than California… The winter scenery is gorgeous!

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  26. it was raining all weekend and for some reason when it rains the electricity goes out .. so there weren’t much in way of plans past weekend and also we have a lockdown with a 6pm to 6am curfew so yeah nothing is happening
    Love the snow !!!
    ~B

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  27. Hello
    Happy to know that all is well. Congratulations on your successful virtual meeting!
    I’d love your blueberry soup recipe if you’re open to sharing it. Sounds wonderful! We eat a lot of blueberries!!!
    Have a great week 😊

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