This Post Has Nothing to Do with Photography!

Welcome to a new year! Wow. It's hard to believe that it's 2009!! I'm hard at work today catching up on my other job ... graphic design work. But, I needed a break, so my mind started wandering back over some of my favorite discoveries from this past year. Now, a couple of my new discoveries are food related. Hmm ... not sure what that says about me. But, in actuality, the reason there are so many food-related items on this list is because this is the first year that I've been living gluten-free. (Although, I do love food!) So, without further delay ... here's my top 10 favorite discoveries of 2008!

10. Burt's Bees' Repair Serum. Oh man! I love this stuff!! Ever since I started using it, people keep saying that I look like I'm glowing. It feels sooooo good on your skin. I'm hooked. By the way, if you're on the hunt for Burt's Bees stuff ... check out the Newark Co-op. They have a huge display of it.

9. Papa's Pastries. Oh Yum! So, here's a Wilmington-based food spot that I knew nothing about the entire time I worked in Trolley Square! Although, in this case, it's probably a good thing. I would have been eating it every day. Papa's has absolutely AMAZING gluten free desserts and meals. When I say "amazing," I mean even people who eat gluten think they're amazing. 

8. Bamboo towels. I'll never go back to cotton towels!! Never. Ever. Bamboo towels are super, super soft and incredibly absorbent. When I dry my hair first with my towel it soaks up all the water and it takes me way less time to blow my hair dry. They're also naturally antibacterial. They're a bit more expensive than regular towels, but I bought mine at Tuesday Morning, so I saved big $$$. I also bought a pair of bamboo yoga pants. They rock! 

7. Anne of Green Gables is suuuuuuuch a great book!! Every year when I go to Maine, I take along a huge stack of the old Nancy Drew mystery books. I've read them all like a million times, but I still enjoy them. It's kind of a tradition for me to read them on the dock in Maine. Or when I'm curled up on the porch when it's raining. They're quick, easy, and take you back to a time when life was a lot simpler. But this year, my Mom purchased some old copies of Anne of Green Gables from an antique store. Now, when I lived in Montreal, my friend Melissa made sure that I watched all of the Anne of Green Gables movies. And I loved them! But, reading the book is a totally different experience. Anne is an orphan who has a wonderful talent for seeing the beauty in even the simplest things. As I was reading the book, I found her attitude rubbing off on me and I, too began to look at life with a much bigger appreciation for all the good that's around us.

6. Pizza by Elizabeth's. I can't believe that I never ate at Pizza by Elizabeth's in Greenville before this year! My friend Sonia told me that they have gluten free pizzas that are amazing, so I checked it out and now I'm absolutely hooked!! SOOOO good. 

5. My natural hair color is ok. Just ok. I've been wondering for the past few years what it would be like to just have my natural hair color again and not worry about getting my roots done every six weeks. Well, thanks to the gas and food prices going up this year, coupled with the fact that I'm in the very, very beginning stages of my new business, I got a chance to find out. I definitely miss having my pretty highlights. But, I'm adjusting to life as a brunette. It's been like 13 years since I first went totally blonde. So, I guess change is good. I guess.

4. The Bar Method Workout. Ok. This workout literally KICKS your butt. This is actually a very new discovery for me. I just got my DVDs last week -- but I can tell you that I already see a difference in my body. Maybe I'm just imagining it, I don't know. I've done a lot of workouts in my life and I can honestly say that this is the one that really feels like it's working the deepest of the deep muscles of my body. You know how when you're in an exercise class or following along with an exercise dvd and you're doing a set of reps and your muscles start to shake but that's ok because you know you're almost done?? Well, in this workout, that's only the beginning. When your muscles start to shake and you think you're almost done ... you're sooo not. She pushes you way further to work the deepest muscles, and then takes you through stretches to help elongate them. Whew. I can't say enough about it.

3. Blogging. That's right. I never went on a blog, commented on a blog, let alone had my own blog before this year. I wasn't really sure if I was going to like having a blog ... but I decided to give it a try. And I have to report that I LOVE IT! I love getting to share my thoughts and my work with clients and friends -- and I really love getting to hear people's thoughts and opinions in their comments. So, thanks for reading my blog and thanks for sharing your comments. I appreciate it!:)

2. Adios Gluten. My health is so much better without Gluten! Back in January of last year, I read a really interesting article on Dr. Mercola's health site about how most Americans over consume gluten, which has led to an epidemic in gluten allergies. His recommendation is to cut back on gluten as much as possible. So, I tried it. Actually, I cut it out completely for a day. My sinuses drained, my head felt light as a balloon (hold the jokes!), and I just felt great. As the days went on, I just felt better and better. Now, if I accidentally eat something with gluten, I have a terrible allergy attack. So, I'm living gluten-free and feeling great. It's forced me to pay attention to what I eat and to prepare my own meals from scratch ... which is, of course, a great way to live.

1. Forgetting how it feels to be in pain. I started having back problems when I was 22. I had two back surgeries, and by age 28, I found myself living a life filled with pain. Every single second of every single day. Not being able to walk, or stand, or sit, or anything without hurting is a really horrible way to live your life. I would get through the day at work, but then cry the whole way home. After my second surgery, I started working with Dan at Nova Care (Nova Care Wilmington (302) 529-1911). He helped me sooo much. He spent countless hours with me and actually is THE only reason I decided not to have a third surgery. Doctors told me that it was my only hope. My discs were all herniated in my lower back and they felt there was no other choice.  I was all set to have a spinal fusion when he literally pleaded with me to just give him one more month, and we'd see some improvement. I took him up on it and kept working with him. At that time, I also flew out to California and met with Pete Egoscue at the Egoscue clinic. He assured me that there was nothing wrong with me. The pain was simply coming from an imbalance in my posture. Once we could fix that, everything could heal and the pain would go away. Well, it took some time. I continued to work with Kristen, an Egoscue therapist in Arlington, VA (who is just the best!). And finally, all the work began paying off. And this is the first year where days and weeks can go by and I forget what pain feels like. I just live. Run trails. Chase children and take their pictures. Shoot weddings for 12 hours at a time. So, when people ask me how it feels to turn 30, I tell them that I feel younger now than when I was in my twenties. And I try and sit back and remember that even if life is tough and things might not be working out perfectly, living without pain is a tremendous gift that should never be taken for granted.

I hope that everyone has a great day off from work today!! Stay warm and have fun! - Kate

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