Paris will have to wait

Portrait of Marie Antoinette by Vigée Le Brun at NOMA

Since leaving my job in late June, I’ve been living in a rather small world with my husband, cat, and occasional Zoom meetings or walks in the park with friends. This solitude has left me time to reconnect with my creative side and to consider what interests I have outside of my career. In the six months I’ve had to explore, I’ve developed a new passion for art and art history — learning about various artists, their influences, the stories behind the paintings, their materials, techniques, and methods. If I had all the money and time in the world, I’d move to Savannah or Paris and get an art history degree. Since that’s highly unlikely to happen and since I’m not going into public indoor venues quite yet (so not visiting art museums), I’ve had to make do with virtual options. One of my absolute favorite discoveries so far has been the Perspective channel on YouTube, especially The Sunday Times art critic Waldemar Januszczak’s videos. He has a way of making art accessible, interesting, and connecting a painting to events and innovations happening at that time & place. A few highlights so far:

• His 4-part series on Impressionism, which recently re-aired on BBC, is excellent. If you’ve ever dismissed Impressionism as over-marketed (it is) or saccharin, his dissection of the Impressionist movement and the innovations created by these artists might change that.
  • Part 1: History’s Most Impressive Impressionists
  • Part 2: The Great Impressions Innovators
  • Part 3: Impressionism: Much More than Landscapes 
  • Part 4: The Dying Years of Impressionism

• I wasn’t really a fan of Rubens prior to watching this video. Paintings of dozens of bodies descending into Hell doesn’t thrill me. Now I have an appreciation for how detailed his work was, how exact his flesh tones, and how the fact that he painted on wood instead of canvas impacted how lifelike his figures appeared. Fascinating!
• I knew Holbein from his paintings of the Tudors and had the opportunity to view his portraits of Cromwell and More at the Frick a few years ago. I didn’t really appreciate his work until Januszczak highlighted the Ambassadors painting and its odd distorted skull at the bottom. Now I must go back to The National Gallery in London!
• Finally, while not narrated by Januszczak, I enjoyed learning about Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun, portraitist for Marie Antoinette. I loved the moment I realized it was one of her paintings in the New Orleans Museum of Art that was a highlight of my visit there a few summers ago.

My list of museums to visit and revisit once we’re traveling again has grown long. I can’t wait! 

My Pandemic Yoga Routines

We’ve been extremely careful throughout this pandemic. Part of this, admittedly, is my pre-existing germaphobia that came out in full force in March of 2020. There are also some pre-existing health risks that make us more careful than most.

The pandemic hasn’t stopped me, however, from making certain we go on our daily neighborhood walks and from doing yoga several times per week. Since we’re also trying to save money, I’ve been on the lookout for free or inexpensive options. I’ve listed a few of my favorites below:

Sarah Beth Yoga

Sarah Beth is AMAZING! I love her flows, how challenging her routines can be, and that she has both free and paid options. Right now, I’m especially enjoying Warrior Strength and Beach Bod #3 which includes a calming, beach-y meditation at the beginning and end.

Apple Fitness+

Since we already subscribe to Music and TV, we decided to get the package that included Fitness. I’ve enjoyed a few of their dance and yoga routines so far. I’m especially happy that the latest OS allows you to stream from your laptop.

Denver Botanic Gardens

If you’re in the Denver area, DBG has classes every Tuesday and Thursday, $12 regular priced, $10 for members. I was doing this more in the summer when we were outside under the pavilion. Farnosh is great and the garden view provides such a zen yoga experience.

Patricia Moreno

I’ve been doing Patricia’s cardio burn videos for years. The 30-minute express video combines a series of flows that you put together at the very end into one routine. It’s challenging and appeals to my dancing background. Patricia is valiantly fighting cancer right now. Her family has set up a GoFundMe in case you would like to contribute. 

I have found that whenever I’m experiencing anxiety or hopelessness, a quick yoga routine — even 20 minutes — can completely turn that around. It’s a small locus of control that I have when everything else is…(gestures wildly).

xoxo

Nothing like a 2-year blogging hiatus…

It took two years, but I found myself thinking about this blog and how much I used to enjoy writing. I was in such a transition period in my last post. Little did I know – nor did any of us – what was about to transpire when I last posted December 26, 2019.

Since then, I’ve managed to stave off getting COVID (knocking on wood right now), took a year off from drinking, tried “moderating” drinking and realized it served no purpose so eschewed it completely, and have celebrated going vegan 3+ years ago.

On the mental health side, I quit my stressful corporate job and took a long-overdue six-month sabbatical. I’m now starting to think about what my next step might be. As much as I have loved serving education for the past 2+ decades, my interests now tend to revolve around health and wellness, building financial security, and plants/nature…all intertwined.

I kicked off the year with my annual helping of vegan hoppin’ John soup. Here’s to health, wealth, peace, and love. We need it now more than ever.

Vegan hoppin’ john soup

Plant Rescue Stories: a soon-to-be-trampled California succulent gets a new home

If you follow either of my Instagram feeds (erhubbell or shinrinyokudenver), you may have seen a few posts about a rescued succulent. I found this sad little plant in one of the outdoor common areas at a hotel in San Diego where I was running a conference. Someone had kicked over one of the border plants and it lay in the hot California sun looking worse for the wear. I picked it up and put it in a cup of water then went about my day, assuming it would probably get tossed by the clean-up crew overnight. The next morning, the plant was still in the cup where I had placed it and I took it as a sign that I should try to get it home. The main challenge was that a big snowstorm was headed toward Denver and I wasn’t even certain I was getting home that evening, let alone the plant. I wrapped it in a damp paper towel, placed that in an aluminum tea bag wrapper to keep from drying out, then taped two cups together as a protective container in my suitcase.

We both miraculously managed to get home that evening in spite of delays, closed roads, and icy conditions. I put it in water, gave it a sunny spot in the window, and hoped for the best. To my great surprise, it started showing tiny roots just a few days later.

The roots continued to grow…

…and grow…

…until she was ready for planting – just over a month after bringing her home!

And look at her now! She’s grown so much and seems happy in her new space.

Guest blog post with Alcohol Change UK

It was such an honor to be a guest blogger for Alcohol Change UK! Alcohol Change UK is a charity formed from the merger of Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK. They sponsor research, a blog, and the annual Dry January challenge.

For those who read my blog, you’re already familiar with my story, but here’s the link to my post if you’re interested.

Your Body Reflects What You Feed It

I’ve been meaning to post these “Before and After” photos for a while. I’ve now been vegan for almost 11 months and it’s been nearly four months since my last glass of alcohol. It has been almost ten months since my last hair-dye. I started looking back at pictures from 2017 and 2018 and there’s such a difference! Keep in mind, my weight has only decreased about seven or eight pounds between these photos. Most of the “thinning” you see in my face is actually due to reduced inflammation.

Pictures 1 and 2: notice the bloated face, tired puffy eyes, grey skin. Picture 1 shows how dry and unhealthy my hair had become.

In picture 2, I had just had my hair dyed and cut, but notice the WIDE part. My hair was falling out! I’m wearing tons of makeup (for me) to cover up the greyness. And OMG, look at the wine/meat/cheese jowls.

In Picture 3, taken just a few weeks ago, my hair has grown back thicker and healthier. My face and eyes aren’t as puffy. I’m wearing very little makeup in this photo. I look genuinely happy (because I am!)

Finally, the picture below show the changes in my cholesterol levels after only six months vegan. I hadn’t fully stopped drinking yet (though I had cut down drastically) when this test was run, so I can’t wait to see what my next test results will show! My cholesterol dropped lower than it had been four years ago.

Your body, especially your face, will reflect what you feed it. Give it the best!

“No thanks; I don’t drink.”

I found myself uttering those words for the first time in my adult life a few weeks ago. I had just checked into my hotel room and room service came by with an amenity (one of the occasional perks of my job) that included snacks and a bottle of wine. The words came out fluidly and without much thought. I later wondered if my response was accurate – after all, I haven’t sworn off alcohol for always and forever, but I’m definitely enjoying this long break from it. All summer, my go-to response has been, “No thanks, I’m doing Sober Summer,” but of course that ended September 22nd. I wasn’t sure how I would respond once I decided to extend my Sober Curious experiment. I was relieved to find that the whole exchange was pretty uneventful.

Grüvi’s non-alcoholic prosecco – divine!

I’ve also noticed that I’m not alone in this new sobriety movement. We recently went out for dinner with a group of friends and, out of six of us, five didn’t imbibe that evening. On a recent vacation in the Colorado mountains, every single restaurant and brewery had an alcohol-free beer or kombucha and no one blinked an eye when I ordered. On that note, I’m really looking forward to Bar Zero’s opening in Denver. London is far ahead of us in terms of sober bars, but I’m seeing more options these days with Denver’s restaurant scene. (And growing options for vegans – which is nice.)

What’s most exciting to me is that these phrases – “I don’t drink” or “I don’t eat meat” etc. – are becoming less stigmatized. It’s great to see healthful, mindful choices becoming the norm!

The End of Sober Summer and a New Start

Dry January app screenshot showing my Sober Summer progress

It’s the first official evening after the end of my Sober Summer. When I started this, I wasn’t sure what the first day of Fall would look like. Would I treat myself to a congratulatory bottle of Clicquot? Head to my favorite wine bar for a flight of champagne?

As it turns out, these five months have ingrained new habits. I no longer crave bubbly or any alcohol for that matter. I have an after-dinner routine now where I either mix a healthy shrub, pour a kombucha into a champagne flute, or open one of the non-alcoholic beers I’ve come to enjoy. It has even rubbed off on my husband who now only occasionally has a light beer.

And the results? I feel AMAZING. My skin is clearer. While weight hasn’t exactly melted off, I do feel trimmer and lighter and I’ve lost so much inflammation in my face. Best of all is how incredibly calm I feel – even in pretty stressful situations. Would I go back to my life before? Not a chance.

So while I may have a glass on special occasions, I have actually become addicted to feeling awesome. I’m finding it hard to come up with a reason to return to my old habits.

If you’ve never taken a long break from alcohol (that is, more than 30 days), I highly recommend it. You’ll be amazed at how good that reset can feel!

Reverse Adolescence

I found my first gray hair at the age of 26, right after I moved to Denver. I chalked it up to the stress of finally ending a useless relationship, living with a houseful of partiers from Brazil over the summer, and having recently moved to a city where I knew no one to start a new life. I plucked it without much fanfare and did the same over the next several years when the occasional silver popped up.

By the time I hit my mid-30s, I realized that my silvers were becoming too numerous to keep up this unhealthy habit. I started coloring my hair, feeling grateful that I was at the point in my career where I could afford a decent salon.

As I entered my fourth decade, however, I started to question this beauty “right of passage” that so many middle-aged women go through. One, my feminist voice was growing stronger. Why was I spending hundreds of dollars every eight weeks to hide what was a very natural metamorphosis? Why did I fear being seen as “washed-up” and “unattractive” as a woman in her 40s with a few silver hairs whereas my male counterparts were starting to enjoy a newfound status of looking “wise” and “experienced?” I also began to notice how aging unnaturally dyed hair is to one’s face, especially with dark hair. When one’s facial age and hair age don’t match, guess which starts to look older? Meanwhile, I would see women in their 50s and 60s with naturally silver hair and gorgeous complexions.

I also started to question the health impacts of formaldehyde and other chemicals that are used in even the gentlest hair dye. I have long looked to Audrey and JBKO as my style icons. Both dressed in classic lines that always looked chic and comfortable. Both maintained a healthy figure throughout their lives. Both dyed their brunette hair until very late in life or until passing. And both, incidentally, succumbed to cancer. As much as I look up to them (still), I worry about the ultimate price of chasing youth.

In January of 2019, I went in for my scheduled appointment and decided on a whim to skip the touch-up. I scheduled an all-over coloring in another eight weeks, figuring that I will have lost my nerve by then. During those weeks, I started following Instagram hashtags #grombre and #greyhairdontcare. What an inspiration! So many strong, amazing, beautiful women proudly flaunting their transitioning silvers. By the time my next appointment rolled around, I was ready to take the plunge.

I view it as a type of reverse adolescence. The transition isn’t as smooth or pretty as I would like. I miss the color of my youthful hair just as I missed how comfortable I felt in my “kid’s body” when I first hit my teenage years. The next few years are likely to be awkward and full of changes that challenge me. Yet I know on the other side, I’ll be happy that I stuck with a natural process and embraced it with the gratitude that I’m lucky enough to get to this stage.

The First Week of August

One of my all-time favorite quotes:

The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. August is motionless and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone. These are the strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after.

Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting