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I just got home from playing tennis for two hours with one of my favorite partners I’ve met in Chicago. We played two sets in the sticky heat, each winning one, and it was GOOD.

I was trying out some affirmational thinking, and it was totally working! Before every serve, I told myself, “This is going to be a great serve.” I bounced the ball, focused inward, took a deep breath, then fired away. And I got more first serves in than I have in a long time, including a few beautiful aces with a touch of spin, my newest skill.

Then I realized I was mostly losing games she was serving, so I started saying to myself, “You’re going to hit a great return.” And, no surprise, I started hitting much more solid returns. Pretty darned cool! Also pretty cool that when she and I play, lots of people wandering by stop to watch, and even cheer us on sometimes.

Working with my amazing coach last year has really unleashed me in a brand new way. I want to keep working with him. He’s very tough on me, but his approach works, without a doubt. He sees the potential and does not let up on me until I show him what I can do. As a youngster, I never had the training to get great. And now, I’m less dampened by self-doubt than I was then, so I can just go for it.

I was noticing the lovely Midwestern evergreen trees everywhere, and thinking, “Jennifer, you did it. You wanted to move to Chicago and see what life was like here for years, and here you are!” These past four years have not been easy. I’m growing up in some important ways. I’m working so hard at my business. I texted my freelancer the other day and told him I landed the project I’d just discussed with him, and sent a proposal for. And he texted back, “Awesome! Keep on rockin’ in the free world!” That made me grin for hours. Working for yourself is rocking in the free world, and for as hard as it can be sometimes, I love it.

My tennis partner and I are playing again on Friday. I already can’t wait. I took a little longer this summer to get back into it, but I’m so glad it’s on now.

I have plenty of big things on my mind, in my own little sphere and reaching out around this planet and beyond.

But today, I just had some fun.

I rode my bike through a gorgeous summer day to Valerie’s house (45-minute ride). We hung out at her place a bit, then walked to these tennis courts in her neighborhood right on the lake. You could see the lake and the beach from the court! And it was surrounded by sweet, swaying evergreens that caught the wind and sun beautifully. It was just a perfect Midwestern summer day.

This is our second time playing, and she’s already improved noticeably. We got into a great hitting groove for a while there, and it was an excellent workout. I really got in the zone with my serve, and I can see that the lessons I got from my coach are still paying off in improved play.

After an hour of tennis, we walked to Metropolis, where I got a bag of freshly roasted beans (French roast) and a free cup of the coffee of the day (yum). We walked back to her place and hung out a little more, before I biked back home to make my 5:30 phone meeting with a brand new client. I was going to help her plant her garden in the community plot today, but we ran out of time.

This evening, I will be making rainbow cupcakes to take to what some friends have termed their Gay Party, the night before the pride parade. This should be a hoot!

Here’s Valerie at my house for our T-shirt deconstruction party. She made a skirt out of seven T-shirt panels. My creation is the blue shirt with stripey touches on the couch.

I hope I get around to posting about my visit to Long Island & New York in May, but for now, here are some teasers.

My friend efrat and her husband dan are both artistic people. They live in dan’s grandparents’ 100-year-old house, and they have kept many of the objects that have lived in the house, and let them keep living there. Every nook and corner offers another attention-grabbing mini art installation to admire.

They live right on the waterfront. These are the pretty rocks on the beach:

Hot chocolate supreme, from MarieBelle in SoHo.

The boy:

The blanket fort:

I’m learning to knit! I’d already been crocheting for a while, but visiting my friend on Long Island recently, and getting a mini lesson while we took the train to the city, inspired me. This is my first project, an easy little basketweave washcloth.

I used it in the bath today, and it was lovely. 100% cotton, soft but scrubby, and lathered the soap up very well. Much better than your typical store-bought rag on all counts, particularly for the softness and lushness.

And here was my delicious lunch I threw together in moments before a big bike ride through the forest preserve today. Spinach, Asian peanut dressing, dumplings, and blackberries. Mmm.