In which I explain that picture from Wednesday.

This one:

and not this one:

...just to clarify.
I've been thinking about periodically talking about my favorite things. Not to promote amassing stuff {see : yesterday's "rant"} but because I'd like to document, in some way, the things around me that I love. I think I'll go by geographic regions and probably this will be limited to things around the home because, well, I'm a homebody.
Anyway, that handy dandy little green plastic square is my favorite thing in our sink.
I don't know if there's an official name and I'm pooped from teaching teenagers for over four hours today so let's just call it The Scraper. My dear mother-in-law gave this to me over Christmas {ha ha I hope she wasn't giving me a hint!} though I think I have one lurking around my grandmother's house. I LOVE it. The Scraper lives in this little suction cup sponge-holder thing in our sink and it can be used to scrape off just about any dang thing from dishes. It's fabulous for last night's baked on casserole and I no longer use my poor finger nails and end up with little scrapes underneath them; ouch!
It even has a cheery little flower etched into it!
Do you have any kitchen items that make life easier? I sure do love my coffee pot which grinds the beans for me {luxury!} and my counter top mixer I got for my first Christmas out of college {thanks to my grammy <3} but this scraper dude is what I'm majorly loving on these days.
Oh, also, in knee news {I adore all alliteration!}...I went to physical therapy for the first time today and LOVED it! My lady {lady = physical therapist} was super nice and told me SO much about my legs and stance and what my silly knees do when I run {they turn in - those stinkers!}. She and I talked a lot and here's the plan :

• despite what my general medicine doctor lady said, I can cross train to my heart's content! Yea! I certainly have gotten used to my more sedentary life style but I'm ready to get back to normal.

• My knee issue has to due with weak hip and thigh muscles on the left side of my body {I'm right handed and legged}.

• Running a marathon that included about six miles of intense downhill and was on the uneven side of a highway aggravated some little ligaments that weren't super strong to begin with thanks to those weak muscles.

• Apart from cross training {to keep up fitness} {biking and swimming - non impact creating stuff as well as yoga to help lengthen things} I have a bunch of strengthening exercises to do and I'll go back in a few weeks. My new friend told me that she wants to see "buns of steel" then. That means that those muscles are stronger which will help my sad knee ligaments. Then maybe I can start running.

Honestly, I am a bit bummed. But it's not like this is a shock because I've been dealing with it for about two months. What I am is SO super happy to know what's going on and to be able to get active. I think I'm going to rejoin our YMCA which is funny to me because I dropped that membership when we moved to our apartment since the exercise room here is nice but there sure ain't no pool and knowing me, I need to mix up biking and swimming to keep from getting really, REALLY bored...wish me luck!
Oh...happy Thursday! Do the weeks just FLY by for you too?
 xoxo, natty ♥