jo burgess hannon

Fly Birdy Fly

September 19, 2016 by Jo Leave a Comment

My first airplane flight was for my 21^st birthday. Dad was firm that I needed to spend that May date with brother Scotty who was living in Las Vegas at the time. As a truck driver, my dad bought a motorhome and we drove EVERYWHERE for vacation. Anybody that knew my dad knew this was a strong position for him to take in the Burgess household. He was convicted that I was going to win big on the quarter slots.

Remember hand written boarding pass folders?

Thinking about that very first plane ride makes me speculate: have you ever wondered what you might tell your younger self if you could offer a little advice? As a college student, I was convinced that there was no way I could spend a semester abroad. I was minoring in French, all my classmates by my senior year had spent time there and I KNEW I was at a disadvantage having never been to France.

In 1984 the slot machines in Vegas were manual. You actually put the quarter in the slot, grabbed the big silver ball at the top of the handle and pulled. When you won, all around knew you won as hundreds (hopefully) of coins plinked loudly into the metal tray.

Heads or tails? Did you collect the state coins?

Go, now, risk. That’s what I would say to that 20-year-old woman. My today self knows that woman could have absolutely made studying abroad transpire.

I would tell her to figure it out, make it happen, seek help and advice.

Courage. Yes.

Tour De Washington

September 8, 2016 by Jo Leave a Comment

As the days turn cooler and shorter, I am sad to see the summer months come to a close. For us in the Northwest, summer’s unofficial end is Labor Weekend. When I was a kid, school start always followed this holiday weekend. I can remember being sent to bed early on this Monday night to get “a goodnight’s” sleep for the first day of school. It never worked: who can sleep when the house is still a buzz with a few lingering relatives, laughter, loud older brothers and butterflies from wondering about my teacher, classmates and seat assignments?

It’s been a good summer. With the promise of several days above 70 degrees, evenings in the high 60’s and day after day of sunshine (well at least a few consecutive days of no rain) I have a standing rule of staying local for the month of August. Better to plan a trip in rainy January when the skies are not the bluest blue you have ever seen.

cruising Lake Washington with Yella Applebee-photo credit Jennifer G.-nice toes! — Cruising Lake Washington with Yella -photo credit Jennifer -nice toes!

Last year at this time was post-wedding planning and summer months had been spent a with a long list of to dos so the girl could say I do. It was such a fun, exciting time and I loved almost every minute of it. However, what a joy to have this summer full of no plans and be able to say yes when invited out on a boat on Lake Washington, take a walk with girlfriends, pick blackberries and tour the Grand Coulee dam. We ate outside in a beautiful garden, took in a Mariners game, marched to the Sounders match and rocked out to Gun’s and Roses: all at outside venues with coats tucked, unused under the seats. Seattle is truly the best when the thermometer reaches toward the 80’s.

Outdoor concert in Seattle — Outdoor concert at Century Link Field

Side note: I grew up in the era of the King Dome where sports were played indoors and even if it was a warm summer night, the roof was permanently closed. I wonder if this is why I never much cared for hanging out at M’s games. It is so much better being outside with a sunny sky, a cold beer, a 9-inning hometown win.

beercup — Baseball at Safeco Field. (thanks for the peace niece)

Another highlight was a ride on the Monorail, a relic from the 1962 World’s Fair, to Seattle Center to check out the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. Have you been to this gallery? It is stunning and unique. The perennial outdoor garden is worth the trip alone. It is one of the most stunning gardens I have ever seen, full of hundreds of flowers, many which were new to me.

Oh, I almost forgot: I also took the time to hang out with the birds on my patio.

Ah, summer. See you next year.

Don’t buy in

August 12, 2016 by Jo 1 Comment

I was watching the cooking channel as I was working on a project. Commercial after commercial used the word “heathy” in their ads. What manufacturers want us to believe: a product will make you healthy.

Here’s how it really works: move your body, eat real food, move your body, eat real food, move your body, eat real food. Yep, it’s that simple. However, it is not EASY. It just isn’t. Its hard to take care of ourselves. Its hard to make choices that lead to improving our longevity. Its hard to leave the processed foods out of our cart. Its hard to choose fresh vegetables and fruits that might need prep work.

Confession #1: I recently broke one of my long standing food rules. Did I ever mention I love BBQ potato chips? You probably know where this is going. With a lot of foods I can have just a few. I can walk by my hall stand treat bowl without even noticing the Rolos and dark chocolate mini bars. However, when it comes to potato chips I CANNOT MODERATE. I will eat a whole bag one handful at a time.

Clarification: I will eat a whole bag of BBQ potato chips. Plain chips can stay open in the pantry for a week, I have a few and I am satisfied. Salt & Vinegar, my girl’s favorite, I don’t even open that bag. BBQ, though, I cannot stop thinking about them till the bag is chip dust and my fingers are stained a little orange and my breath smells like, hmmm, something not good. My general rule is I don’t buy them unless I have a group to help me eat them. We were having people over for the 4th, a week away, the chips were 2 for 1 and in my cart they went, the family size. Honey was out of town. I knew better.

And what about moving our bodies? That can take a back seat to so many others things in life. I have an ongoing to-do list and moving more is not on it. It should be at the top. Again, its hard to do the simple thing like take a walk, take the stairs, park in the back of the lot.

Baby steps. Make one small change you can stick with today, tomorrow and most other days. A few years ago I stopped putting sugar on my shredded wheat. It was hard. It just did not taste the same. Honey might even say this cereal tastes like cardboard. The first change I made was to simply measure out the sugar, every single breakfast. It was shocking to realize I was adding tablespoons of sugar to my morning meal. Then slowly I cut back the amount. Again, with the idea that I was to start small and stick with the plan. Finally, I quit the sugar habit all together. It took months.

Confession #2: I did the math. No, I can’t do it my head like Honey and my daughter. The calculator showed I was consuming 39 cups of processed sugar a year. Thinking I had made a mistake, I ran the numbers again. Thats a confession thats harder to admit than 1 bag of chips: 39 cups of sugar. On purpose.

I am wondering now, as I write this, if adding up those numbers in the beginning would have made a difference in my breakfast choice. It feels good to have the sugar bowl a part of my past. One small change you can stick with can make a bigger difference than a ‘healthy’ product.

Those chips though? Even knowing a large, family size is thousands of calories and a week’s worth of fat grams, I just have to stay away.

Move your body, eat real food.

What small change can you make?

What I am loving July 2016

August 1, 2016 by Jo Leave a Comment

Generosity

A girlfriend and I took a walk around my neighborhood recently. As we passed a neighbor assembling a bouquet from her front garden, I said loudly, “Your flowers are beautiful!” I think my friend echoed the same. Now, this yard was on the other side of my neighborhood. I had never met her. With fondness I remember that time when I knew every single person who lived by me. Confession: my next-door neighbor of 15 years moved out and I didn’t even know they were leaving until their house was empty. There is something kind of wrong with that.

Anyway, the woman smiled and said, “They are, aren’t they?” Then she walked over to us and handed me the beautiful bunch of great smelling flowers she was holding. Sigh. I love flowers. Have you every done that: cut flowers from your yard and handed them over to a stranger walking by or a similar act of kindness?

Lilies and Zinnias from my neighbor--that's Brian is keeping faithful watch over the yard — Lilies and Zinnias from my neighbor–that’s Brian keeping faithful watch over the yard

Trees

Ok, well the lack of a huge, overbearing cedar is actually what is making me happy right now. We had done all we could to maintain this beast of a yard plant. Did I ever mention I live on a 9000 SF lot? It isn’t very big. And when you have a tree roughly the circumference of the largest pumpkin at the Puyallup Fair it is time to take it down. It was getting so large that it started to bow the neighbor’s newish fence. Our front room has so much more light. That’s a big win here in the Northwest where every bit of sunshine is cherished. And what I am really loving is the first class service from the crew who pruned several other trees too.

Time

I am so grateful I have time: time to smell the flowers, time to watch a crew cut a tree down (it fascinated and amused me for 2 hours), time to enjoy a little more summer daylight and take a walk with good friends.

(For your listening pleasure: an updated, jazzy version of an original Rolling Stones song)

What are you loving right now?

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