We made it through another whirlwind month of May. I don’t know what it is about May, but it is always the busiest month for my family. I just turned the calendar to June yesterday and... very relieved to see a month with lots of space, and a wondrous lack of time and energy commitments.

Now is the time for slowing down, reorganizing, prioritizing...

I do feel something of a letdown after too much busyness when I have to make a conscious effort to structure my time. It does force me to look at what I value, at how I want to spend my time, rather than wondering if I have enough of it. With too much busyness, I rely on external factors to structure my time and lose my internal sense of the rhythm of my life and my relationship to it.

So taking time for a couple of deep breaths and looking at where I am at... healthwise, quite good. I just had some bloodwork recently and everything is within range by the lab’s standards, and almost everything is within range by my naturopath’s standards too (she has more narrowly defined ranges of normal)... only calcium was a tiny bit low, and monocytes slightly elevated. Since starting the BTD 7 years ago, my lab work results have been excellent. Tangible proof positive.

My food choices have been good, too. Although never perfect, I continue to refine and incorporate the BTD principles more and more into my life. I eat almost no flour-based products anymore, preferring whole grains to refined ones. I started eating shitake mushrooms again a few months ago as several HFS now carry them fresh in bulk and have been greatly enjoying their flavorful addition to many meals. I am also making a conscious effort to increase my intake of beneficial greens and that most wonderful of elixirs... water. Yes, yes,... with much of our focus on food, let’s not forget the importance of staying well hydrated as we slide into summer here. My true nemesis in the food department continues to be... olives... especially the sun-dried black Moroccan ones. I don’t think life is worth living without the occasional olive (or two, or...).

Exercise... well yes, I have been hiking, hiking, and... did I mention hiking? What can I say.. I love it, probably do too much of it, but there you have it. Click here for pictures of a recent hike with my Type O son. I have always been a mover, a kinesthetic learner, actually. I understand myself and the world through movement. So getting enough exercise is rarely a problem for me. Add to the hiking... dancing, Pilates, weight training, yoga... you get the idea. I’m a mover at heart.

The rest of my life... well, change is definitely in the air. My oldest son will be a senior (!?!) in high school this fall, and the youngest begins middle school. Big transitions on the horizon for them and seems to heralding in a period of restlessness for me as well. I am looking forward to the”dog days” of summer... space to just B for awhile as life unfolds...

And I will be sure to remember to breathe through it all.