Yoga in Market Square

When Megan told me that one of the things she had planned for our weekend in Pittsburgh was attending an outdoor yoga practice on Sunday morning, I couldn't have been more pleased. It has been on my bucket list for awhile to do this and while I practice a fairly gentle form of yoga, I still felt like I could keep up.
When we arrived at Market Sqaure, the sky was bright blue, without a cloud to be seen and it promised to be another hot day. But, the heat didn't keep anyone away and every available inch of the square soon filled with yoga mats.
The instructor was very good and for a novice like me, was clear in her instructions and explanations of the different yoga poses. It was a little faster in transitions than I am used to, but I was able to work up a good sweat and enjoy the sun and sky as I moved through the practice. The hour went faster than I anticipated and before I knew it we were relaxing in Shavanasa pose and I felt a real sense of accomplishment and peace.
I started yoga for the health benefits and always come away feeling flexible, strong and even somewhat younger than when I started. But, a benefit I didn't plan was being able to practice with my daughters and perhaps, that is the best of all.
Happy Wednesday!

{Linking with these friends}
French Country Cottage
A Stroll Thru Life
Savvy Southern Style
The Charm of Home
Art and Sand
Between Naps on the Porch
Cozy Little House
Eclectic Red Barn
Skip To My Lou
Rooted in Thyme
Craftberry Bush
21 Rosemary Lane
Stonegable
Rattlebridge Farm

Weekend in Pittsburgh

 

 

 

What a fun weekend my daughters and I just experienced in Pittsburgh! Melissa and I headed there on Friday afternoon to visit Megan and she was a great hostess from the minute we arrived until we left on Sunday afternoon. We did a lot of walking, had a lot of good food, wine and cocktails and even did an early morning yoga practice in a downtown square that was a fabulous way to start the day.

 

 

 

 

 

When we arrived, Megan and her boyfriend greeted us with sangria and snacks which was most welcome after our road trip there. We went to dinner at a boathouse on a pretty lake near her apartment and it was a relaxing way to start the weekend. We stopped at a fun, outdoor bar with sand and lighted palm trees after dinner and caught up with each other's news around a fire pit.

Before heading to downtown Pittsburgh for the gir's portion of our trip, we woke up Saturday had a delicious breakfast, made by Megan, spent a couple relaxing hours at her pool and stopped nearby at a cidery for a refreshing glass of artisanal hard cider. My daughters had a blackberry flavored variety and I tried a very dry apple variety that tasted just like champagne - yummy!

 

 

 

Once we checked into our hotel downtown, we walked around a park on the riverfront, walked across one of the many bridges and stopped for our first cocktail at a favorite bar called Olive or Twist. We rested a bit before dinner, then walked to a fabulous Italian restaurant in the cultural district called Mezzo. We shared a bottle of wine, an appetizer and some pizza and pasta, in a wonderful atmosphere in front of an upstairs window overlooking the city street.

 

 

After dinner we found a cute patio, with flickering candles, for dessert and an after dinner drink to end our night. We headed back to the hotel, happy to have spent the day together and looking forward to an outdoor yoga practice in Market Square the next morning - more on that later.

Happy Monday!

 

{Linking with these friends}

Savvy Southern Style

Between Naps on the Porch

21 Rosemary Lane

Stonegable

Calypso In The Country

 

Friday on the Patio - Classic Gin Fizz

 

 

 

 

 

 

My view on most Friday afternoons during happy hour is just like these photos I took last Friday. It's very green and sun dappeled since we are surrounded by trees. The flowers in the pots are looking pretty and add a bright splash of color in the midst of all that foliage. This time of summer is the payoff for all that work, spreading wood chips and planting, that I did a few weeks ago. Now is the time to sit and enjoy that peace and quiet with a cocktail and my iPad.

Sometimes I like my cocktail to be simple and classic and I am a big fan of a tall, cool gin and tonic in the summer. I recently finished reading a book set in the roaring twenties and there were a lot of references to drinks made with bathtub gin. After a little research, I found a mention of a classic Gin Fizz and it sounded light, refreshing and perfect for patio sipping.

To make: Add 2 ounces gin, 1/2,ounce lemon juice, 1 tsp powdered sugar and 4 ounces club soda to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake (it will fizz) and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with lemon slice.

Note: The book I got my gin inspiration from is The Other Typist and if you loved Gone Girl you will love this book too. However, the ending is crazy and there are many sites with opinions about what actually might have happened. If you read this book, can we please discuss :-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

{Linking with these friends}

French Country Cottage

A Stroll Thru Life

Savvy Southern Style

The Charm of Home

Art and Sand

Between Naps on the Porch

Cozy Little House

Eclectic Red Barn

Skip To My Lou

Rooted in Thyme

Craftberry Bush

21 Rosemary Lane

Stonegable

Rattlebridge Farm