Welcome to another Ultimate Coffee Date! I’m still in denial about it being March, but I’ll adapt soon. (Not looking forward to losing an hour this weekend tho…)
Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026
I did start last month off gloriously though! I went up to Mendocino County for a weekend to hang out with one of my med school friends at a retreat for health care workers interested in creativity/crafting! We spent the weekend drawing, painting, carving stamps, sewing, forest bathing, felting, hiking, cooking delicious/healthy food… It was a balm to my soul. <3
These are some of the things I made!! <3
If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d tell you that…I started riding a new(-to-me) horse a few weeks ago and I love him so much. <3 If I could ever have a horse, I’d want him to be just like Enzo.
A couple weeks ago where a 10(?)-year-old was riding him the hour before me so when I got him, I thought all I’d have to switch = the stirrup length, but…I did not. Her legs were about the same length as mine. Quite a humbling experience.
However, this does mean I get to shop in the kids’ section and my riding boots were $50 cheaper, so I can’t really complain. My friend and I are toying with the idea of entering our first show later this year for fun. (We will likely be the oldest peeps there but since we’re both apparently the size of children, maybe they won’t be able to tell?!)
I wonder if he ever tires of me/everyone else telling him how perfect he is…
We have horsemanship lessons once a month + were trying to figure out how to put a figure 8 bridle back together at this one… It helps to visualize things!
If we were having coffee/tea today, I’d tell you that…I went up to help out at the free clinic I used to volunteer at since they were putting on a community health fair! Afterward, I went downtown to get a quick snack/hang out with a couple friends + found a gem of a parking spot…
Surely this means I don’t have to pay, right?
He taught me to play mahjong and I managed to win! But kinda not, because I forgot to discard a tile and won because I had that extra tile, haha. I’ll figure it out eventually!
(Link-up with Coco @ Running with Perseverance & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner! Also linking up with My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, and Runs with Pugs for Fit Five Friday.)
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- What’s been going on in your life lately?
- Have you ever played mahjong? My mom never let me learn when I was growing up because it was associated with gambling..
- February’s My Month Is Booked is up! Did you read any books this month?
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I’ve been playing mah jongg on Friday nights for years. Love it.
That sounds like a fun weekend away. I do enjoy girls trips. I’m lucky to do a tennis one and a running one.
I run for fun on weekends. lol.
Aww, that’s awesome! It was a lot of fun (although I got taught a beginner version since we were pressed for time so I wouldn’t get too confused)!
Definitely the best retreat I’ve ever been to–I even got continuing medical education credits for it! :D!
hehe, it’s good for the health and the mind! :]
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026
Your weekend with friends sounds like it was a perfect escape! I hope your workload mellows a bit….
Thank you!! Me too…it would be nice to feel like I can breathe again, haha.
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026
No, I’ve never played mahjong! I understand that it’s quite complicated, so I was impressed that you won so soon… until you confessed that you “cheated” ha ha…
Your crafting retreat sounds so fun! I hope work calms down for you- or if not, that you can schedule another retreat soon.
haha, I swear it was an accident!! My friend taught me a super-simple beginner version or I suspect I would’ve been a whole lot more confused!
I really hope so too! If not, I’m definitely going to schedule a little time to just be off so I can reset…
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026
I hope your work stress eases up for you very soon! Your new horse is so beautiful!
In my life, I’ve been trying to deal with my chronic hip pain. It’s so bad everyday and it’s so frustrating. Other than that, my nephew is in the championship game with his HS basketball team tomorrow and luckily it will be streamed so that I get to watch. I have never played mahjong. I read 5 books and a novella in March and I joined the link up.
I love himmmm!! (One of my friends at the stable calls him Mr. Perfect, haha. She’s not wrong! <3)
I'm so sorry about your hip pain! :( That's so hard to have to be dealing with that on a regular basis. I'm glad you got to watch his championship game! Hope he had fun with his teammates! :]
Thanks for joining in on the linkup!
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026
Thank you so much. They won the championships for their county and then the next championship game but then lost in the third round of championship games. If they had won that game, they would have needed to win 2 more games to be state championships but they made school history and they left it all out on the court. They only lost the game by 4 points so it was a very heartbreaking defeat but I’m so proud of him and his team-mates.
I have been going to laser therapy treatments for my hip and thy seem to be working so far.
Aww, that is heartbreaking when it’s so, so close, but that’s amazing that they made school history and did so well!! :]
I’m glad the laser therapy has been helpful! <3
I recently started playing Mah jong and love it!! It’s so fun and social and also tricky! Horse back riding seems like a perfect hobby for you-enjoy!
That’s awesome! I’ll probably go up and play with them again later on this year — I hope I still remember everything by then! hehe.
It does combine 2 of my favorite things (exercise + animals)! <3 :]
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026
Your weekend away sounds lovely! I hope work quiets down for you soon – sounds like quite a stressful pace!
Thank you! I really hope so too! That weekend was very much needed, hehe.
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026
You made some really cute things during your weekend of crafting! It sounds like a really fun getaway with your friends!
I love how much you’re enjoying your time spent with Enzo! He’s a beauty!
Here’s hoping your workload calms down soon!
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Thank you! I’m definitely clearing out my schedule every early-February from now on!
I love him so much! :]!
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026
That retreat sounds really good.
I’m impressed that you keep up with your fun activities when you are so busy at work — I’m sure that time with friends (and horses) is restorative in a different way.
Definitely the best one I’ve ever been to! :D!
haha, I need it to stay sane, so I try to still have something, no matter how short/how small! I think it definitely helps! :]
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026
I only know mahjong because of Darlene! I wonder if it’s a thing here in NL??
you know, I love horses, I think they are so beautiful and powerful, but I’m super nervous as well around them. I had a little incident with a horse when I was 10 at Girl Scout camp and it kind of wrecked it for me. BUT… the last several years I’ve honestly been thinking of trying to ride again. I don’t want something that happened to me almost 50 years ago ruin an opportunity to change the narrative!
Really hope you get your work stress under some sort of control soon. It sounds intense!
Ah, that’s cool! Since it originates from China and is so popular in Hong Kong, I’ve always felt a little bad that I had no idea how to play, haha. It was fun to learn! :]
That’s completely understandable! I adore the lesson horses at my stable + we had a falling clinic several months back and they were telling us how the more we ride, the more it’ll be a “when” we fall rather than “if” we fall, so it’s important to learn how to do so safely and the like. I really like how much they try to keep us/teach us to be as safe as possible (unfortunately can’t prevent accidents, but I guess that applies to all aspects of life too). If you do decide to go again, I hope you have a wonderful time!
Thank you! <3 It's been a little better this week, thankfully!
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026
I have been a reading menace. I think I’m on 15 books for the year already. So excited about that.
I love horses so much. I miss riding, but it’s been hard with my ankle.
How funny about the stirrups, but awesome about getting to buy child’s sizes which are so much cheaper. I can’t’ say that’s ever happened to me! I’m a giant!
Yay! That’s awesome! If you ever end up writing about em’ or want to share what you’ve been reading at my book linkup, feel free! I’m always on the lookout for more books to read (never mind the fact that my TBR list is 700 books deep, hahaha).
I think I only grew a couple more inches after 6th grade, so child sizes for the win for me, I guess. Silver linings though!!
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: March 2026