Love Note From the Lake: July
E-bikes!!
Last summer, we rented e-bikes on a trip to the Okanagan for a wine tour. Neither of us had ridden for years (decades, for me, probably) and with one or two iffy knees 
between us (mine, usually) we weren’t sure what to expect. Well. We LOVED it!
Of course, during COVID, because everyone was doing stay-cations, there were none to be had. Anywhere.
So this year, we vowed to pull the trigger on this and last week, we finally did.
This, people, is the way to ride bikes. Especially if you live in a hilly area, like BC and have, ahem, passed one (or more) milestone birthdays. 😁
We’re having so much fun with them. We’ve heard that falling off isn’t an “if” so much as a “when” and “how much damage” so I expect a few scrapes in our future… and I don’t care! It’s so much fun!
Summer Reading Sale!
My entire three-book Sunset Bay series is currently on sale. I don’t know how long it will last, so check out the links below quickly!
Book #1: Sunset Bay Sanctuary $0.99
The spectacular scenery and craggy beaches draw tourists to the small Oregon town of Sunset Bay. But Sanctuary Ranch offers a different kind of experience: a refuge for people—and animals—desperate for a new beginning . . .
Book #2: Driftwood Creek $0.99
Nestled among the forests and coves that dot the Oregon coast, Sanctuary Ranch is a home for strays–both human and animal–and the starting off point for second 
chances . . .
“… engrossing… an earthy, sensuous, slow-building romance between two scrappy, slow-to-trust misfits…Rich and atmospheric…Complex and intriguing.” – Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW
Book #3: Blackberry Cove $1.99
Amid the wildly beautiful beaches of Sunset Bay, Oregon, lies Sanctuary Ranch, a refuge for strays, both human and animal. A place where love and healing go hand-in-hand . . .
“Fans of small town series with character driven plots, such as those by Susan Wiggs and Debbie Macomber, will find that Sunset Bay hits the spot.”
—Booklist
Today’s Love Note
150′ later….
Entry site from the road
This month’s Love Note goes out to our neighbours. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ve seen the excitement that occurred here this week, when a Ford F150 missed the curve in the
road and crashed through our fence.
No injuries, amazingly. The driver lost control when he blacked out behind the wheel, but walked away unharmed. I happened to be around the corner getting the mail, or I’d have been in the yard when it happened… eek. Ray wasn’t home at the time, thank goodness. We both spend so much time outside.
The truck took out three 6″X6″ fence posts, four panels, traveled an unbelievable 150 feet, much of it in the air, and landed near the creek behind our house. The sound was unbelievable, an explosion. He missed the power pole by 2-3 feet, clipped the big cedar at the top of the photo, rolled those big boulders… the fact that there’s not MORE damage is pretty amazing.
Within moments of the impact, we had neighbours from all over the complex running to help: calling 911, checking the driver, checking on me and Luna, helping me with the next steps, insurance, police reports, witnesses… All of the Things.
I’m so grateful that no one was hurt. Fences can be replaced. Landscaping can be repaired. We got lucky, and that day, when our neighbours showed up they gave us their best selves.
THANK YOU!!!
Roxanne’s Writing World
I’m about three-quarters of the way through my studies to become a certified editor and I must admit, I’ll be glad when I’m done the remaining courses. I’m LOVING what I’m learning. It’s so interesting! But now I just want to use it all.
And I miss writing.
But stay tuned because I’ve got some exciting news coming up. 😁 Anyone ready for more RS books?
One Fitness Tip, One Healthy Recipe
Today at Tote Bags ‘n Blogs, I’m sharing one fitness tip and one recipe. (Just in case, I’ll post it here too.) How great is that, being that it’s the first week in January and we’re all focused on starting the new year off right, and aren’t yet depressed because we ended up eating the last of the Christmas fudge instead of throwing it out, like we told ourselves we would?
Yoga on vacation balances out the mai-tais, right?
November 2017 release
Anyway, I’ve promised myself for the past several years that I’d get more exercise, particularly yoga, which you’d think would be easy, because I love yoga and there are so many ways it’s good for us. Unfortunately, going to yoga class involves leaving the house, a barrier many work-at-home-borderline-kleenex-box-slipper-recluses may recognize. Writing works the mind, but it’s trash on the body. Yoga keeps me limber enough to create worlds like my latest Sunset Bay Sanctuary series. 🙂
But recently I discovered a great way to bring the yoga class to me, via apps! Whoo-HOO! All you need is a quiet spot with a mat or carpet, and your favorite device. You get the soothing voice of an instructor, pictures of someone in the postures and voila, you just follow the instructions to bliss and great abs. Or so I tell myself.
Here are the three I’ve found:
Down Dog has options for your level of experience, the kind of music you want and the length of practice. I’ve done it several times already and really like it. I’m using the free version so far, but there’s also a monthly membership I might upgrade to, if I get bored.
Vern O’Neill’s breakfast sandwiches require more than yoga, but they’re so worth it.
I’ve also downloaded Yoga Studio. Billed as “The #1 yoga app for iPhone” this one has many more options, making it more customizable to your own needs. As it’s only $3.99, I downloaded it but haven’t tried it yet. Early days.
There’s also All-In Yoga. As I love to have options, I downloaded the free version of this one on my phone too, because, why not, it’s free. I haven’t played around with this yet, to say whether or not I like it.
So far, my “do more yoga this year” resolution is going great, thanks to these apps. (You’ll notice I kept my resolution fairly vague. It’s the key to success.)
As for the recipe, it’s called 5 Minute Magic Green Sauce and it comes from Lindsay of Pinch of Yum, to whom I’m eternally grateful. This stuff is amazing.
It’s basically a pistachio-avocado pesto. Lindsay says she could eat it every day for the rest of her life and I GET IT. It’s delicious! I’ve made two batches in less than a week. It’s fantastic in salads, or as a dip for crackers or vegetables, or straight from the spoon. I’m eating it on toast for breakfast, right now, in fact. Here’s the recipe:
5 MINUTE MAGIC GREEN SAUCE
INGREDIENTS:
1 avocado
1 cup packed parsley and cilantro leaves (combined)
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed
2 cloves garlic
Juice of one lime (or two – get lots of limey goodness in there!)
½ cup water
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup shelled pistachios
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Pulse all ingredients – except pistachios – in a food processor until incorporated.
- Add pistachios and pulse until mostly smooth (depends on what consistency you want.)
- Serve as a dip, spread or sauce – or add additional water or oil to thin the sauce for use as a dressing or a
marinade.
Lindsay adds that you can sub walnuts or almonds for the pistachios and it’ll work, but she doesn’t think the taste is quite as good. I *LOVE* the pistachio version; those babies are expensive but worth it for this stuff. (I suspect pine nuts would also work but I have no data to back this up at the moment.)
I mixed this Magic Green Sauce with cooked farro, spinach and halved cherry tomatoes for a hearty and delicious salad. You could use quinoa or couscous, probably and it would be just as good.
I’m with Lindsay on this: it’s AWESOMELY YUMMY!
Anyone else have current favorite recipes or fitness tips to share? I’d love to hear from you!
Body Image Issues?
- At March 10, 2014
- By Roxanne Snopek
- In Life, Roxanne Writes On
0
Bikini season is coming. (That’s right Starks of Winterfell, *summer* is coming.) But few of us are as emotionally tough as Brienne of Tarth who, tormented for her Amazonian physique, dons armor and becomes a great warrior.
“I’ve often thought it unfair that women are expected to stay at home when there’s a fight to be won. If a woman has the strength to bear a child, she can swing a sword as well as any man.” – Karen Hawkins, How to Abduct a Highland Lord
I’ll wager that most women, young or old, svelte or zaftig, tall, short or in-between, have felt insecure about their beach body at some point in their lives. Sadly there are some for whom body image is a constant, crippling influence affecting every area of daily life.
I once suffered body image issues, badly; ironically, I was much younger, thinner and fitter at the time. Now I’m older, wrinklier, saggier and I have the toned musculature of someone who spends much of her time sittin’ and thinkin’. Plus, I’ve had three babies. You know what a balloon looks like when you let out the air? That’s my belly.
But the strange thing is, I don’t care nearly as much anymore. My body is a road-map of my life and every scar and line and lump tells part of my story. I’m healthy, average and normal (physically, at least. Mostly.) I’ve made peace with my shell. Mostly. And I’m grateful for what I can do with it. I look after it so hopefully I’ll be able to keep on doing things with it for a long time to come.
So if you love summer and dream of soaking up the sun, like I do, don’t let popular culture and media images defeat you. Here’s a quick guide to finding the best beach wear for your body type:
Pass this on to your friends! Plan a beach party!