tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23348737894771603462024-02-18T21:19:24.272-08:00Om Namah ShiivayaI honor the divinity that resides in me.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-32004948333464079192012-03-21T12:19:00.002-07:002013-01-26T12:47:04.131-08:00New Blog - where to find me nowI've not gone off and left you! I've just transferred by blog <a href="http://findingthewonderfulintoday.blogspot.com/">HERE</a>!
You can also follow my posts on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/FindingTheWonderfulInToday">MY FACEBOOK PAGE</a>! Hope to see you all there!sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-2236619775337875232012-01-05T14:06:00.000-08:002013-01-26T12:47:37.373-08:00New beginnings and closing creditsMuch has happened in the past 8 months since we last spoke.... <br />
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To recap, in April, I was heading for the beach. But what I didn't tell you was that I was going to be meeting my son that I gave up for adoption 22 years ago. I haven't yet found my words for the story of that weekend yet but I can tell you this, my heart is light once again and my life has taken on a whole new meaning. <br />
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Once summer arrived, my keyhole garden was in full bloom. Cherry red tomatoes took over once I had harvest three rounds of lettuces and kale. Eventually, I harvested my garlic and a few small onions. As the summer progressed, I found myself with a lighter shade of brown hair filled with golden sun bleached highlights and a fabulous tan. <br />
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Just before fall settled in, my sugar and i took the dogs to the beach for a week where we took long leisurely strolls on the sand, shopped daily in town for our food, took mid day naps and cooked outrageous dinners. <br />
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With the rainy season upon us, we took it in stride that our Blazer season would be in hiatus due to the NBA strike. Instead, we focused on football with our fingers crossed behind our backs. As luck would have it, on christmas day, our season commenced. Christmas this year was extra special. My parents flew into town to enjoy the first christmas with our whole family together in one place in 15 years! <br />
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We rang in the new year with family and close friends with glasses of black cherry champagne, homemade cheese dip, and pulled pork sandwiches. <br />
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This new year appears to be all about new beginnings and new found wisdoms. Which brings me to my closing credits... It's time to move on. Obviously, I haven't written a thing since April. But of course, that doesn't mean I've forgotten about you. Indeed not. You've been on my mind. <br />
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A change of scenery is in order. A new focus. I guess that's what happens to writers sometimes. Some call it writers block. I call it following the course of my life; rolling with the changes, and being ammenable to switching gears. I'm going to be writing you from a different perspective. Me and my words will be making a new appearance soon <b><a href="http://findingthewonderfulintoday.blogspot.com/">RIGHT HERE</a><i></i></b> on my new blog. I hope you will join me. It's sure to be a fun ride as I let it all hang out while exploring the wonders in life. It's truly been real. May this year be full of blessings and may you always honor the divinity within your self and others. <br />
Warmly,<br />
Sasssasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-12192359100131545692011-04-13T21:54:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:54:01.847-07:00Packing TransgressionsEveryone has their own special methods to prepare for a trip away from home. It seems that half the fun of going on a trip, is planning that trip. Especially in our family. Especially when it is a family trip. <br />
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Back in the deep dark depths of winter, it came upon me one chilly wintry night, that it was time for a family get together. A trip of some sort. So where to go this year and when? Then I got to thinking. I am the proud owner of one of the rare spring birthdays in our family and this year is going to be a big one. The big 4-0. What better way to spend my birthday than with family. Before proposing it to everyone, I had to have not only a date but also a location and lodging details. With our ever burgeoning families, we were going to need some serious space. Unbelievably, I found a giant beach house that would provide not only a bed, but a room for each couple, complete with a kitchen, game room, beach trail, wireless, laundry and all that. <br />
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Now that I had all my details in place, it was time to alert the family to see if they were game. Of course they all were. And this is where the fun begins. Since the actual date of our supposed trip is 4 months into the future, we have plenty of time to discuss and prepare. And although we use the phone a bit in our preparations, most of it is done by emails, long email trails consisting of our humorous and outlandish and inspirational ideas for our retreat. Late night calls will no doubt follow as the date of departure draws near, excited whisperings of plots, plans and ideas hatched while envisioning our weekend away.<br />
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One of the most important aspects to any of our trips lies along the lines of food. What are we going to eat? We are a family where food revolves around everything we do, especially family gatherings. In our every day lives, most of us are lucky if we eat one full meal a day and snack through the rest. But for retreat planning, we pay special attention to being sure we have a delectable menu item for each of the days required meal times: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Usually we split up our meals between couples, letting snackers and picky eaters fend for themselves. <br />
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Once the food is planned, there is of course another important characteristic to our planning. What will we drink? And I'm not talking milk or juice. What I am getting at is we are a family who value our together time by hydrating ourselves with our specialty alcoholic beverages. And of course, we all have our preferences. Vodka with blue cheese olives. Screamers. Chocolate Martinis. Wine. Gluten Free Beer. Locally brewed beer. Holiday beer. Whiskey and coke. And so on. There is much to plan as we all check our liquor cabinet reserves and wine cellars and we make lists to run stock up before the trip. <br />
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Laughably, with this particular trip, there is actually a bedroom for all. But then another string of emails begin, calculating very carefully where everyone should sleep. Or should I say, where everyone would prefer to sleep. All without trying to really say where they want to sleep. Those who seem to think they have toilet issues, believe they should have the master suite with the full bath. Those with kids who sleep lightly believe they should have the farthest bedroom from the late night noise guaranteed to occur. Others want the bedroom with the door that goes out to the deck or the bedroom that faces the ocean with the hot tub inside. With all our spoken preferences, nothing will be for sure until we arrive to our rented house. And there will always be many switches and bargaining going on. Pssst, I'll give you my bottle of wine and put your kids to bed for that room with a full bath!<br />
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My family will continue the planning until the moment we all actually arrive at the beach house, yet here's where it gets interesting. Or should I say even more intriguing. We all have our funny little quirks about how we individually prepare to pack for the trip. Some of it could be nature, some could be nuture. Either way, we are all a little nuts about it. <br />
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We'll start with myself. If I have weeks to plan or months which is even better, I will organize the shit out of my plans. There will be of course first the budget spreadsheets. How much to save each month. Then the reservations come next - rental car, dog sitter, cat sitter. All those go into my newly created trip spreadsheet. On another tab of my spreadsheet is what to pack, then what to buy for food, what to do a week before the trip, two days before, the day of. Then important dates go on my electronic calendar. As the months, weeks and days pass, I will be checking off my list to do, memorizing everything. I believe this may have been inherited from my dad whose spreadsheets and lists littered countertops before every childhood camping trip. And I suppose this is still how he prepares for trips. My mother is one who plans the meals, prepping, cooking, storing, shopping; ensuring there are snacks for the drive, snacks when we arrive, snacks for any time of the day and drinks to go along with all. My husband packs 10 minutes before we walk out the door. Well, I would too if my significant other had everything else organized the way I do. Geeesh!<br />
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One sister has a very special ritual for packing. Not much thought is put into packing until the night before the trip, at which time, they buy a bunch of beer and pizza. They get drunk and pack and then go to bed early (or at least they try to). It seems to work for them except for the minor hangover the next day.<br />
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Another sister makes mental notes along with paper notes. She makes numerous lists, checks the weather forecasts obsessively and researches nearby restaurants. I would too if I had three kids, two of whom have definite allergies to specific foods and no one wants to leave home without items essential to providing young children with enough to do and enough changes of clothes to match the changes in weather, especially this time of year.<br />
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My other sister will most likely fly by the seat of her pants due to her busy schedule and never ending motherly duties. She'll crack open a bottle of wine late in the evening after the kids are in bed. Then she'll talk on the phone while she throws her listed items into bags, does last minute loads of laundry. She'll stay up way too late and then scramble in the morning, racking her brain about what it was that she was going to bring. She'll most likely pull out of the driveway with her coat stuck in the car door, a kid screaming because he was buckled up in the carseat backwards and it will be only luck that every family member will be accounted for.<br />
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Somehow we will all make it to our destination. Somehow we will make do with what we have packed and laugh at what we have forgotten. We'll get lost in the joy and chaos of all being together and none of our packing transgressions will matter anymore. sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-15958569812669965222011-04-06T21:54:00.000-07:002011-04-07T17:00:15.043-07:00Memories of Another Way of BeingI have always had a true deep down gut feeling that I chose to be born at this time in history. In addition, I've been told this by several spiritual sources over the years. What escaped me though was why? Why did my starlit soul decide to ride in a human body in this day and age? It's baffled me for years, although it seems I have always known generally why, the specifics always eluded me. They why - I chose to be born so that I would be here for humans transition from clueless wasteful creatures who had forgotten their purpose to humans who have begun to recall their spirituality and connection to all earth's creatures and to the stars beyond their imaginations. Over the years I have seen underground movements form, all seeking wisdom through serving the earth and the great spirit, grow to almost overwhelming masses of people, some scattering the globe. All of whom are working to share the knowledge that was born to them in an effort to turn back the clock and reverse the damage done to the mother earth. But I know my spirit did not come back to earth just to watch, for I could not be satiated with just observing from afar. <br />
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I'm am here to experience the end of the world as we know it (isn't that a song?) and in doing so, I can slowly extricate myself from it's long held grip. The fall of complex corporations, money, banks, consumerism, mass sensationalized media, traffic, pollution, chemical agriculture, endless NOISE and so forth; all of these dependent upon the Mother's resources, assumed to be there for the taking. I am here to be with humanity as we learn the old ways again. Those who are healthy, self sufficient in growing food, hunting food and networking for food will survive. Others will lie, cheat and steal and eventually die because the world as they knew it did not require them to think or try to survive. <br />
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I suppose for me there is somewhat of a thrill in the will to survive, to rely upon what mother earth can provide. The decaying rope of this current industrialized culture will finally break away and I will be free! I won't have complex yet shallow worries. No mortgage, no owning land (I mean really who really owns land), no having my identity being stolen because a hacker found his way into a multi billion dollar advertising corporation and stole a file. I won't have to ask my sister every year to sit down to a bottle of wine with me and do my taxes. I won't have to worry about a paycheck, what is money worth anyway when the whole system fails, well, it may be good for starting fires to keep warm in the winters..., I won't have to prove myself worthy of insurance, health care or a raise. <br />
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So why am I tickled pink at watching the world fall apart? What part of me is so delusional that I must find humor in the tragedy of a grave situation. Well, for one, initially survival after the fall of the world, will be brutal in many ways. Finding good food and clean water will prove to be difficult, especially if the collapse is due to nuclear fallout. Protecting ourselves from those who go crazy and can't handle the forced change will become a way of life. Keeping warm, treating injuries and sickness in the ways of a healer. And so on. I supposed it's because I've known all along that this way of life will not sustain the earth or her creatures. I've been ready all my life for it to go awry. Industrialization has always had a dark looming final chapter that has yet to be read. But many of us still hold memories of another way of being, maybe not in this life, but some of us know that we have lost our connection and that we must re-establish that lost bond if the human society is to survive.<br />
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This new emergent society would value Community and I see that it may become more of way of life than just a word. Humans will come together to help each other survive. As years, decades and centuries go by, a new generation of humans will emerge from the destruction. Sort of like the legend of the great flood goes, only a handful of humanity will survive in hopes that the lesson has finally been learned and mistakes of the distant and not so distant past will not be remade. It could be a human fatal flaw though. No matter how many times the earth is destroyed for us or we destroy the earth, we may not learn. Of course, I won't be around to see that part, where humans are once again living as once again in harmony, as the mother earth prefers. But I will be here, at least I hope to be, to assist my fellow human compadres to get through the initial dramatic and dark changes to come, reassuring that there is hope for us. So then that must it, I am here to be a part of the great awakening and the great change, while at the same time knowing with out a doubt that I will soon celebrate my long awaited freedom from the rat race that was not meant for us.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-69279805432189756252011-03-22T22:06:00.000-07:002011-03-23T17:09:07.800-07:00Forces of Nature<span style="color: #134f5c;">Winter was cruel son of a bitch this year. He knocked Fall from here to kingdom come and took over with brutal force, ravaging us with winds, rains, floods, hail, snow, ice and bitter, bitter cold. He's having a helluva time trying to continue his nefarious rule over the seasons, but Spring is resisting and steadily gaining control. For even though Winter's cold is still evident, Spring has managed to poke it's head out just enough to encourage the sleeping trees and dormant bulbs to stir, setting in motion that miraculous thing we call life. Winter may imagine himself to be the more daunting force of nature but Spring is resilient and set in her ways. She will toss him from the dominion, his tail tucked between his ass cheeks, and a harsh sentence in hand mandating that he stay far, far away until the other seasons have had their analogous time on the throne. And so it goes, in the kingdom of seasons.</span>sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-66171917985926065502011-02-04T18:50:00.000-08:002011-02-04T18:50:06.182-08:00A loving rivarly, maybeYou could say it was bred into me - my love for the Green Bay Packers, that is. If you aren't familiar with the Packers, let's just say, in my own unbiased opinion, they are the best professional football team in the National Football League. My daddy was a cheesehead, my momma was a cheesehead, therefore, my sisters and I became cheeseheads. Even my brother-n-law was born in Green Bay, who, now that I think about it, was welcomed quite enthusiastically and warmly into our family, no questions asked. As soon as a niece or nephew is born, it's a race to start dressing these new little beings into baby Packer outfits during football season. <br />
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As it was with our family, so it is with others. However, my husband grew up in a household who yes, spent Sundays worshiping the gods of football but who also sported split allegiances. Papa was not a rolling stone, but he was a lifelong Cleveland Browns fan. Mama, you guessed it, was a Packers fan. But my husband's path was to be colored with black and gold, as he at an early age, declared he was a Pittsburgh Steeler fan. Luckily, when we married, my husband was welcomed with opens arms by my second brother n law who also bleeds Steeler colors.<br />
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Through out the early years of our marriage, I sent good vibes to his Steelers in hopes that they would eventually reach the Super Bowl and win it for him, since in his lifetime, the Steelers had been less than mediocre players. Then suddenly, Pittsburgh got better and soon they made it to two super bowls and won each one. As proud and happy I was for my husband's team, I earnestly wished for the impossible - a Packer/Steeler super bowl. I mean, how cool would that be to be going up against the love of my life in the all time sports event. However, for this to happen, my Packers would have to start shaping up. <br />
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As the fervor of the 2010 football season was commencing, I said to my honey, that this was the year that my Packers were going to meet his Steelers in the super bowl. As good natured as always, he said it would be cool, but probably unlikely. Yet, now that we are approaching Super Bowl 49, the impossible is happening! The dream has come true! We are matched up against each<br />
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other, each of us in gold, but our second team colors run dramatically different. In fact, not only is this once in a lifetime super bowl just a fantasy come true, it is the sports fanatic's idea of the makings of what is being touted as the ultimate match up - and could possibly being the undoing of our families. <br />
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This Sunday our alliances will be divided. We will all be holding on to the hopes that our quarter back doesn't get taken out in the first quarter, that we can out run, out defend, out think, out throw each other's opponent. I mean come on, his Steelers have been to the Super Bowl, not once, but twice, in the last few years. He's been able to whoop it up on Super Bowl Sundays and claim his stake in football history. It's time for the Pack to hog the coveted spotlight. So, I'm sorry honey, I love you but we're gonna stomp all ovah your black and gold asss Sunday!sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-30993338246280962042011-01-27T20:51:00.000-08:002011-01-29T08:05:10.491-08:00Grocery List for a Happy Life<em><strong>I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do, I ought to do. And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I shall do. ~Edward Everest Hale</strong></em><br />
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We all have dreams right? And just how often do we follow those dreams? Regrettably, we seem to be lacking in follow-through. Too many obstacles appear to stand in the way. ‘What if's’ abound and doubting Thomas' overloads you with disparaging dissuasions. Soon, our dreams are demoted to silly pipe dreams and eventually, as we realize the error of our ways, are consigned to remorseful 'could have beens.’<br />
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No way, not me. You won't find me mourning or apologetic for failing to attend to my heart’s desires, which consist of a steady diet of love, kindness and comfort. This so-called grocery list for a happy life isn’t made up of tangible items that can be purchased or collected. However, they definitely can be earned, shared, and most simply, gratifying. Take any human being, for example, and peel away the layers of money, status, material things, heartbreak and baggage. At the core of their being lies the most delicate layer of all. Peer in closely and you will unearth the most humble, barest essentials required for us to flourish: the need for utter kindness and to know love in all its immeasurable bounds. <br />
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These innate prerequisites for a happy life may be accessible in us all, but only those of us who choose to share these fundamentals with others in need, can really experience the reality of pursuing our dreams. Whatever your aspirations are for your life, you must make a difference. You must always look for a chance to show compassion and offer a plateful of thoughtfulness, initiating the birth of someone else's dreams. You are part of the universe, along with every plant, animal, human and dirt particle. Every act of goodwill weighs heavily on the scales of humanity. Only when you have done this, can you finally toss those preconceived notions aside, open your heart, and take the first stride towards what makes you happy. It is then that you will find the determination that you can, you will, and you shall make your dreams come true.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-12799602079728608882011-01-09T20:19:00.000-08:002011-01-09T20:19:01.539-08:00Baby MamaI got lucky this holiday season. Two weeks off of work! I had big plans that included doing a lot of nothing. A slothful break from every day routine was definitely in my book, that is, until I received an email from a local dog rescuer who was in need of a foster home for a puppy. We haven't fostered a dog since we adopted our last foster, turning our two dogs into a happy, unstoppable pack of three. But this puppy, oh this puppy was adorable. A 10 week old white pitbull baby with the sweetest puppy dog eyes stared out longingly at me, begging me to be her foster mama. Plus, with a pending two week vacation and no set plans, it would be the perfect situation to train her. Knowing that I'd have to convince my husband, I casually mentioned it to him then stategically showed him her picture. It worked, he was hooked right along with me and soon plans were set into motion and a date was set for her arrival the following sunday.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNSzMM9lxRQ7iaUvz1B7hRWMYjcFkvQQmQKJ3u_RcHhrepzdGrAaf3KbqkIpFuDV-b46g3EvBrupob94wMha9plP0Lo2QbVUJX-Saw_WY9kD36qhc4o-uwiqROx83TAMUVV5alE3jNuY/s1600/IMG_7610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNSzMM9lxRQ7iaUvz1B7hRWMYjcFkvQQmQKJ3u_RcHhrepzdGrAaf3KbqkIpFuDV-b46g3EvBrupob94wMha9plP0Lo2QbVUJX-Saw_WY9kD36qhc4o-uwiqROx83TAMUVV5alE3jNuY/s320/IMG_7610.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Having raised 3 puppies in the last 5 years, I had no misguided notions about the work that puppies require, not to mention that we had no idea how our 3 dogs would adapt to a puppy in the house. What I was not prepared for was how attached I would become to this little darling. Lilly, arrived at our house on a rainy cold evening. She looked so much smaller that her pictures. All white with black spots on her ears and nose, she sported a pink little coat and shivered in the freezing wind as we tried to get her to pee before coming inside. Her little tail wagged and wagged as we petted her, cooing over her sweet little muffine face. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQ5sbPPWD56uMXRc9zUxAy_eVU-DIIxcYCtFjcfb18p1gJrqpy4dudrO0065rANTtPCM68mxG-7nqCq5jaBh5hQ7P5krNZaFfU8xOdRE0EzySwbjpbqebjAKowOfP_Ks0TpJ8catCDH0/s1600/Dec+2010+pics+with+Lilly+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQ5sbPPWD56uMXRc9zUxAy_eVU-DIIxcYCtFjcfb18p1gJrqpy4dudrO0065rANTtPCM68mxG-7nqCq5jaBh5hQ7P5krNZaFfU8xOdRE0EzySwbjpbqebjAKowOfP_Ks0TpJ8catCDH0/s320/Dec+2010+pics+with+Lilly+021.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>After a nervous introduction with our dogs, it was quickly determined that not everyone was going to get along. Out came the baby gate, separating the kitchen from the dining room, creating a safe place for Lilly to roam without fear of becoming dinner. Our female, Huckleberry, instantly took to Lilly and donned the momma bear role as if she'd raised puppies all her life. Our life settled right into the new routine of taking Lilly out to pee every 20 mins or so, supervising play time, crate training, making sure our dogs got their share of attention, and discouraging biting (damn puppy teeth are sharp!). At night after Lilly was in her crate and all the dogs asleep, I dropped into bed completely exhausted. Luckily for us, Lilly slept through the night with no accidents so a good nights sleep was a given. Her favorite thing to do was to crawl into bed to snuggle with Warren before breakfast. She insisted upon it and would not eat until she had cuddle time. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrz35H5sLBOho1g9RaW4XDoa8H4Yt4hpCBx13nImc6fyElMG-6O_2fvIc_8rpwOfG0_d71NzcWXidqu2CtrVU8Q5_cv1fYwWhTeds0yKNxyd6mHMy4cMJGJweGZFeJwZvg5vJhTYB1OpE/s1600/IMG_7605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrz35H5sLBOho1g9RaW4XDoa8H4Yt4hpCBx13nImc6fyElMG-6O_2fvIc_8rpwOfG0_d71NzcWXidqu2CtrVU8Q5_cv1fYwWhTeds0yKNxyd6mHMy4cMJGJweGZFeJwZvg5vJhTYB1OpE/s320/IMG_7605.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Of course Lilly had many suitors who called to inquire about her and a couple of people even came to meet her. As carefully as we screened potential adopters, it was Lilly who told us who she wanted to be her forever family. It turned out to be a young couple, way to young we thought at first. But Lilly insisted and the couple turned out to be just what Lilly needed. Both were raised with pit bulls and other dogs, and were very knowledgeable about the breed. They had just bought a house and the girl had always wanted an all white pitbull, which apparently are not that common. Lilly bonded with them right away, just as we did. After passing a home visit and an intense application interview process, everyone new these folks would be her forever family.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZ3JWm6KPuK-mAeA4k3SHD1bcH34OLAOBjZ5u9Fk-3Rwt8lL_MZzkttJvIjWDu0iVf8Vg6473qQ7oQdLPty_7OinAbUmva6ZqnyvrdQL6Sp5sXdO4PS1xXdCOmQ0qYq5L1DjShYYEst8/s1600/IMG_7662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZ3JWm6KPuK-mAeA4k3SHD1bcH34OLAOBjZ5u9Fk-3Rwt8lL_MZzkttJvIjWDu0iVf8Vg6473qQ7oQdLPty_7OinAbUmva6ZqnyvrdQL6Sp5sXdO4PS1xXdCOmQ0qYq5L1DjShYYEst8/s320/IMG_7662.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Lilly's new parents came to pick her up on the last day of my vacation. It was tearful, full of hugs, promises to keep in touch and laughter. As they drove away with Lilly, I knew I'd done my job. We gave Lilly a little over 2 weeks of constant love, training, and socialization. Just what she needed to be able to start her life on four solid paws. We will miss her as she etched out a piece of our hearts just for her. But it feels so good knowing that another dog has a forever home and another dog will be loved and cared for forever. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDYAuTRH3ME3VblVU9Ykx_-7r2n4KI4yePkyxvwKqjzCrfgRpF2_O5yOgxecONET1c8okVd4muqa7SbSRwSbxVt78XJKuC1-uEVRV854Dn091vc_9J1GzKeqKaS-qYdg72DJhKteDIcM/s1600/IMG_7660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDYAuTRH3ME3VblVU9Ykx_-7r2n4KI4yePkyxvwKqjzCrfgRpF2_O5yOgxecONET1c8okVd4muqa7SbSRwSbxVt78XJKuC1-uEVRV854Dn091vc_9J1GzKeqKaS-qYdg72DJhKteDIcM/s320/IMG_7660.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In the end, my slothful vacation days were much more action packed that I had planned. Bein a baby mama takes a lot of work, focus and time. Yet when I returned to work the next day, I was fulfilled and in a good place knowing that as a bonafide dog rescuer, I had done only what I could have done, and that was to open my heart and home to a dog in need.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-86543880488563919482010-12-06T21:04:00.000-08:002010-12-07T16:10:22.648-08:00Purveyor of Stories<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book. </strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>~Author Unknown</strong></em></div><br />
Two years ago, I began riding the train to work. Granted there were buses I could have taken previously but those involved transferring and other interruptions and, this new train route boasted a full uninterrupted 40 minutes ride each way while dropping me off and picking me up in front of my place of employment. I couldn't resist for very good reasons. One was to save on parking costs downtown, of course and my job pays for a significant portion of my train pass so it was a good budgetary move. But the real reason was, the train ride to and from work would allow me to luxuriate for 80 minutes in my favorite pastime - reading books.<br />
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There you have it. I am a book junkie. I guess there are worse things to be addicted to. During extreme episodes of jonesing, I've been known to sneak into the bathroom stalls at work just to get in two or three pages of my latest paperback. In fact, if the book was good enough, I'd put off fixing dinner, doing laundry, walking the dogs and whatnot, just to delve fully into my reading. What is it inside of me that is so twisted that I would prefer living vicariously through the lives of the characters in my books, all the while reaping the benefits of their happiness, crying with them in their twisted sorrows, feeling their pain, frustration, terror and injustices?<br />
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I've been reading books since literally, the day I could read. Wintry, snowy nights of my childhood were spent with all members of the family curled up comfortably in every nook and cranny of the house, each of us lost in our stories, oblivious to the world around us. A lot of the books I read are recommended by friends or family but when I buy a book or pick one out at the library, I read the back cover. If that along with the title speaks to me, I go on to read the first couple sentences of the first chapter. If that grabs me, I'm hooked and the book is mine. I'll read anything but I prefer rich novels that span generations or book series whose central plot defies accepted norms. Then there's the 'why did i just read that' books. Tales that were unexpectedly or otherwise twisted, leaving a foul imprint on my mind, making me want to sleep with the light on, or constantly look over my shoulder. No matter what work of fiction I am furiously devouring, I dread beginning the last chapters. Anxiety of having to forever say goodbye to the characters I have grown so close to is enough to make me slow down and to savor each and every last word.<br />
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The thrill of finishing a story is undeniable, in a sense, too, because I never ever put a read book back on the shelf. For it is pure pleasure to be the purveyor of stories, passing on the books I have consumed to others who are awaiting to immerse themselves into the narrative time warp. I have sisters, a mother and couple of friends that wait patiently for me to announce I have another book for them. And do I ever. Each week I finish a book. Each week I get a call from a sister asking for the next book. Each week I make special arrangements to get that book to her. The books are passed on and on, only rarely returning to me. And that's the way it should be. No house should have a big library, for those books are just sitting on shelves collecting dust and bugs. But every house should have an open book that is read every single night, whether alone or to another. Books give us occasion to escape, just for a while. A chance to live in someone else's shoes without the repercussions of their actions. An opportunity challenge our convictions and to add insightful chapters to our world view. <br />
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Now, I've really got to go now because even though I love writing, I love reading more and I've got to get back to my novel, the characters are missing me!sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-81542060285402668072010-12-01T20:49:00.000-08:002010-12-01T20:52:26.473-08:00Righteous Hissy Fityou may think i'm on quite the roll in dealing with bitchy people lately. i guess, after all i am on a roll. but i have just one more story to share.<br />
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i have this skin cream i get from the medicinary at the local naturopathic college. it is the only herbal cream that helps my sensitive skin and all the conditions that affect it including allergies, intolerances, accidental contagion resulting in a rash, and on and on. a while back, i found that a natural grocery chain was selling it in their stores and yep, it was a couple dollars cheaper there, not to mention a lot closer to my house. so, i started buying the cream at the grocery, that is, until one day, i arrived and found it gone from the shelves. I inquired with the sales staff and was told they actually were not legally able to sell it on the shelves so they had to remove them from sale but the good news was, they could order it for me at the same price and it would be here within a week. i probably go through a 1 oz container every couple of months so it's not a bad investment. i call in my order about a week before i know i'm going to run out so i can pick up a new container just in time. this process has gone well, until of course, now, hence, the reason for my blog post. otherwise, you know, i'd never burden you with this useless information otherwise. <br />
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as usual, i called in my order just before my cream was about to run out. i waited the usual week but never got a call that my order was in. then the holidays hit and i was distracted by lazy days, late nights and other important stuff like that. when the second week passed, i called the store to inquire. to my complete chagrin, the order was never ordered. alright, mistakes happen, yes, they do, so I was promised by 'Karin' that she would order it and it would be here on Thursday! Wait - Thursday? Thanksgiving? Karin corrects herself and tells me no, it will be here Friday and that I will get 10% off for wasting my time (the latter part in my own words).<br />
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so, i wait actually until Monday to go, just for convenience sake. Monday I walk into the store to pick up my order and lo and behold, it is not there. that should be no big surprise by now, right? it takes the lady, Karin again, to even find my order. when she does, she verifies it really has been ordered this time but it wasn't even ordered until the day before. now my blood pressure is beginning to spike. what is wrong with these people. furthermore, what is wrong with customer service everywhere. cannot anyone do their job? i do keep these thoughts to myself but I am so dissapointed. i really need my cream. i tell karin that she told me it would be here. karin denies it, all the while, i'm wondering if she is going to wipe her runny nose that is dripping way to close now to her lips. <br />
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luckily for me, the manager walks by and karin brings her into our conversation, explaining away the events of the last 21 days. i feel the need to put in my 2 cents so i reiterate the fact that my first order request was 21 days ago and that i am a frequent special orderer and this is just really disappointing. the manager, without even a smile or an i'm sorry we screwed you, says, your cream has been ordered and when it gets here we will call you. we will also give it to you for free. FOR FREE? no way! how cool is that. i try to hide my total joy at not having to spend the extra money that i really do not have, plus the fact that luckily this time, i ordered the bigger bottle, so i'm really getting a serious deal here. <br />
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i thank them and continue on my way. <br />
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i think the moral of this story is that in customer oriented situations i have learned to somewhat behave myself when i don't get what i want or what i expected. instead, i have learned how to have a righteous hissy fit by playing (sincerely) the role of the poor woman done wrong. it unexpectedly got me a truly surprising bonus to what was otherwise a situation tilting towards my inherited ability to throw a public tantrum. <br />
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unfortunately, i got a call from the manager again this afternoon that the special order box came in and my order was not in it. before i could reply with a loud WTF is wrong with you people, i was informed that my product is out of stock and that it would come in as soon as the company received more. and yes, i could still get it for free. well, ok, then, as long as i don't have to pay for it, then we're all good. i nicely thanked her, hung up the phone and smiled. it's the small things that matter sometimes.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-74102888426388830242010-11-24T11:25:00.000-08:002010-11-24T11:28:17.437-08:00Divine BitchynessThe alarm went off this morning and the first thing I thought was damn. I rolled over and decided to blank it all out and go back to sleep. But the pissed off feeling grew and I knew there was no getting out of today so I got up. <br />
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Thankfully my lovely husband had already made coffee so I poured myself what is normally my cup of happiness and sat down to watch the stupid morning news. What is wrong with me? Its my day off, I can do anything I want but all I want to do is punch holes in the walls. I'm angry, more than that, I'm seriously pissed off. Why, you ask? I don't know. I don't fucking know. Maybe it's because I'm having my period which seems to usually be where the bad feelings stem from. Who really cares at this point. <br />
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The morning news anchors began to recount the drama of the evening before with frigid uncaring faces. I found myself wanting to kick them in the stomaches so I turned off the tv and headed for the computer where I can at least pick and choose the news I catch up on in silence. But not this morning. In a world where new technology is obsolete only a few months after purchase, our computer would be considered to be a relic from the ice age. For one, it has no wireless capabilities so we have installed a small satelite device that picks up on the signals around us. This works about 60% of the time, and this morning was the other 40%. You catching my drift? No internet. Fine, screw the news anyway. I resorted to sitting in fuming silence while I nursed my now luke-warm cup of joe. <br />
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Maybe I needed a god damn long walk up the mountain by my house. To stay warm in the 19 degree morning heat wave, I put on layers and took to the hills. Apparently this was not going to go well for me either. Black ice patches kept me sliding around and 3 times almost landing on my ass. Can we just start this day over please? What the fuck is up with the star alignment today? Is the moon stuck in a phase? Was the planet rotation temporarily side tracked? After I was sure the dogs had gotten enough fresh air, I headed home determined to somehow find an outlet for my frustration other than beating the frozen ground with my fists. <br />
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I locked the dogs up and turned on a work out program on the tv. As I started to sweat, I started to get even more pissed. The more the workout lady said 'keep it up, you can do it', the more I started to swear at her. With each weight lifted, an expletive aimed at the universe flew from my lips. Over and over and over until I was swearing in time with the exercises. After 45 minutes of sweating and swearing, I did the cool down and laid there on my mat huffing and puffing. I was spent and shaky but I was also in a much better frame of mind. <br />
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There are many ways to get through days that are not on your side but I've never had much luck with any of them, except for a sweaty swearing work out. It does a dually good job of working out both the mind and the body. Now that I've had my temper tantrum for the day, I think I can go on. In fact, I am starting over. I brewed a fresh pot of cofee, put on my sweats and warm socks and have selected a movie to get lost in over the course of the next few hours. I'm not feeling 100% but my bitchyness is more centered and divine. Enough so that I can relax my shoulders, loosen my jaw and let the weight of the world sit on someone elses shoulders for a while.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-18784542988930691572010-11-22T19:41:00.000-08:002010-11-22T19:49:01.091-08:00My War With a Gluten-Free ByatchThe gluten-free world is like a commune - a community of people sharing their favorite recipes with alternative ingredients, sharing what works, what doesn't and forming a sort of comaradare among the wheat intolerant. Sharing recipes is the way we form our bonds.<br />
So I was perusing websites and found a gluten-free blog with homemade recipes. The post that caught my eye was for pan de muerto. I was so excited I email the blogger for the recipe. Little did I know, I would be encountering over the course of the next 10 days, the worlds biggest meanest byatch. So I thought you could get your laugh on at our email exchange. Can you say CREEPY LUNATIC? You will after you read this. <br />
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Here's an exerpt of the post:<br />
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10/31/10 Gluten Free Pan de Muerto<br />
"......So today, while I was baking my Gluten Free Pan de Muerto, I was thinking about a number of people that have made a special place in my heart. I was also thinking about how happy some of them would be to see me making this bread and sharing it with others...<br />
If you would like my recipe, please send me an email and let me know whose life you will be celebrating this Dia de los Muertos. I would love to hear just a little bit about someone that was special to you...<br />
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P.S. ...I will be giving the recipe to a limited number of people that share their story and for a limited time." <br />
_____________________<br />
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<em>On 11/3/10 sas wrote:</em><br />
<em>Hi, </em><em>I'd like the recipe for the GF day of the dead sweet bread! Thanks so much,</em><br />
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On 11/5/2010 gluten free byatch wrote:<br />
If you read the posting it asked that you share a story. It was also for a limited time and for a limited amount of people that would recieve it. Both have expired.<br />
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<em>On 11/5/10 sas wrote:</em><br />
<em>Oh that is too bad. Would you please reconsider? I saw it just this week in Bobs Red Mill Blog and they listed your website as a good one to go to to get the gluten free recipe. My sister's son has a lot of food allergies and is really in need of some good bread recipes. He can't eat any gluten and they have really been struggling. I thought sharing your recipe with her would be my way of helping her out. That's too bad.</em><br />
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On 11/5/2010, gluten free byatch wrote:<br />
Do you want the pear fig muffin recipe or the pan de muerto?<br />
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<em>On 11/5/10 sas wrote:</em><em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Hi, </em><em>The pan de muerto. Thank you so much! I want to surprise my sister with it for Thanksgiving day.</em><br />
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On 11/5/2010 gluten free byatch wrote:<br />
The recipe is best made the day of and then if there are leftovers it is best to slice and freeze. It can be used for French Toast or bread pudding too! This is not a bread for sandwiches it is a sweet bread. Is that what you want?<br />
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<em>On 11/5/2010 sas wrote:</em><em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Ok, that is good to know. No, I'm not looking for sandwich bread, I'd like the pan du muerto. I'm interested in the extra 'specialness' of the sweet bread for her son. I like the idea of using the bread for french toast!</em><br />
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<em>On 11/8/2010 sas wrote:</em><em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Were you going to send the pan de muerto recipe? Thanks!</em><br />
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<em>On 11/12/10 sas wrote:</em> <br />
(NOTE: i got tired of playing the 'please please give me the recipe' game by now, it just wasn't worth the trouble, she is obviously a lunatic)<br />
<em>Actually, nevermind! I don't need your recipe anymore. My sisters and I got the recipe from an actual chef - which is really what we needed all along. And his recipe rocks! We cooked it this weekend and it was soooo good and her boy loved it. So nevermind, we don't need your recipe anymore. Thanks anyway....</em><br />
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On 11/12/2010 gluten free byatch wrote:<br />
Enjoy your attitude it will take you a long way!<br />
____________________ <br />
<br />
<em>Obviously she is a lunatic and possibly crazy. Her responses were so immature, I decided a retort would be childish. I'm sure her attitude will take her straight to... well, you know, I'm sure you can visualize exactly where. I do feel sorry for her in a sense. She seems to lack common courtesy and does not seem to interact well with people. Maybe she just needs to take her gluten-free bitch-ass and... Ok, that's all folks!</em>sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-31128844159004182712010-11-02T21:56:00.000-07:002010-11-03T16:59:34.109-07:00Layin off the sauceAfter intensive meetings with a naturopath for a few months, I have healed my thyroid and adrenals (which were very tired before), and dramatically improved my overall digestion of nutrients. <br />
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What has come out of this is a major diet change for me. I have massive food intolerances to Dairy and Gluten.<br />
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And I have an intolerance to Fruit and Sugar eaten together - this means no mayo or mustard (sugar and vinegar in them), no tomatoe sauce (unless it has no sugar in it - like homemade), no wine with dessert (wine and meats are fine, thank the good lord above), no margaritas (sugar and lime), no cashews with dark chocolate (cashews are from a fruit tree), no fruit pies, etc. I can have wine, I can have cashews, I can have dark chocolate, just not in combination. I'm trying to avoid potatoes and corn too since they are mostly sugars.<br />
So basically, I can have nitrate free meats and lots o green vegetables and anything gluten free. Each meal consists of 80% greens, 15% proteins, and if necessary, 5% Gluten Free Grains (brown rice, rice pasta, etc). I can also substitute pure maple syrup for sugar so in theory I could have fruit desserts if they are cooked with maple syrup instead. <br />
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The good thing that has come out of all this is that for the first time in 25 years, I have the energy of a 6 year old. Not that I am running around with my head cut off like a kid or anything, but I most often now, can stay up till 11pm - which is a MIRACLE in an of itself for those who know me well. And even better, even more miraculously, I wake up with ease with only 7 hours of sleep. I'm treading carefully on this last miracle, b/c I'm waiting for the bottom to fall out on this one - deep down I am waiting to collapse with exhaustion after not getting 13 hours of sleep a night AND a nap. <br />
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When I tell folks of my dietary changes, they say they feel sorry for me. But realistically, I think this is the way that the gods meant us to eat. All I have to do basically, is throw processed foods, sauces and drinks out the window, then bring in the simple wholesome home-cooked meals made from scratch. It's healthier that way. And when you think about it, cows milk really is for only cows. The same goes for goats. All us mammals are weened at a certain age from our own species milk and only us go on to drink others milk. <br />
With that being said, you are wondering, will she cheat? Lets just get things out into the open here. In regards to gluten, no, I won't cheat - I learned my lesson on that one. Only because any tiny bit of gluten (in salad dressings, tums, sauces, etc) will produce a lovely mustache-shaped rash around my mouth that will not go away for at least two weeks after exposure. Dairy, it is possible I will introduce a little dairy into my diet here and there. For instance, if I'm at a wine tasting and they are offering a lovely mound of homemade organic cheese to pick at, I will definitely take a bite or two. Or if I'm starved and the only food available is pizza, I will pick off the veggies along with the cheese and eat a little. But this tiny bit of dairy immediately clogs me up, making me feel like I have a cold and I become quite irritable after consuming. <br />
So really, all in all, I'm better off without. If I want to feel like a million bucks, I've got to lay off the sauce.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-27409483043959640542010-10-02T22:43:00.000-07:002010-10-02T22:43:56.927-07:00Easy Breezy Beautiful<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;"><em>It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">~P.D. James</span></em></span></div><br />
I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was something about today. No set plan, an i'm-cool-with-whatever sort of attitude, and an ease with which the day flowed. I'd normally say it was because I awoke naturally with the light of day as it filtered in on the wings of a breeze through my bedroom window, sans alarm clock. That is a good start to any of my days. <br />
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After a long hike up the mountain with the dogs, I enjoyed a perfectly brewed cup of coffee with Warren. Ok, make that 2 or 3 cups of coffee. But anyway.... For breakfast I indulged in a first. I cooked waffles for the first time ever. After over-filling the waffle iron, I learned quickly how to achieve the right batter consistency and how to trust that the waffle iron was a capable of cooking all on it's own, without my interference. Pumpkin waffles, presto! <br />
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Thinking about my mental to-do list for fall, I asked Warren if he'd build me a shed door this weekend. His face lit up like I had said we'd won the lottery. A man project was in the works. He called up his friend who immediately agreed to join him in the shed door making. And to work they went. Feeling a bit ambitious myself, I winterized my keyhole garden and after that I was feelin a relaxation period was called for so I grabbed my book and read on the futon for a while. When my stomache started growling, I was reminded of the fact I should cook some hearty food for the boys who were workin so hard in the backyard. Since in Idaho time it was 5:00 and thus happy hour, I figured I'd open a bottle of red. You know, to bring out the chef in me. Which of course worked, because what I created in that kitchen was the most savory black bean soup and cornbread, I have made to date.<br />
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Later, as night fell, I read my text messages, emails and chatted with one of my sisters. As I caught up on their days, I realized that this easy, breezy, beautiful day was catching for them, too. One sister harvested her summer's bounty and planted in it's place a winter garden. Another sister slept in, started the day later than usual, nd enjoyed a leisure walk and dinner out. She said it was the air today. Something was up with the air. It was fresh and cleansing, crisp yet warm, with a touch of easy in the breeze. Ladies, we call that the last day of a well-deserved Indian Summer. Finally, my other sister called to chat and described to me her day. "Well, I got up and did 45 loads of laundry. And that made me very cranky". I laughed my ass of with her about this household duty that never ceases. But her day was still good and her mood was easy. <br />
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It's days like these when I not only know magic exists, I see it in action. I am a part of it's act. There's a bit of magic at the turn of each season but most of all, at that moment when summer says it's final long goodbye, leaving us with the most beautiful, cherished, and memory longed for during the winter months. sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-1278201135989953332010-09-26T21:43:00.000-07:002010-09-26T21:43:49.476-07:00The Weather DanceSpring and Summer have been waltzing around each other for a while now. Spring should have said it's goodbyes long ago and you'd think Summer would be nicely settled in by now, just beginning to think about packing it's bags. But tradition does not have it's way this year. Spring has delayed it's departure, pushing away our hot Summer sun, bringing warm rains, soft winds, and cloudy skies. Summer struggles against odds to bathe us in hot rays and coax the shy flower buds out of their shells. This weather dance has us in a suspended state of extremes. Should I bring an umbrella and shawl today or sport sandals and sunglasses? It's anyone's guess because this struggle for season supreme has left us guessing almost daily of what the weather will bring, or more accurately, which will be leading the dance today.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-38256025910671674652010-09-07T22:06:00.000-07:002010-09-07T22:10:12.278-07:00Hairy TalesI've been a long haired beauty (ha!) for most of my life, if you don't count the few mishaps in between. But those debacles are always spur of the moment and I regret them almost instantaneously. Luckily for me, my hair grows at super speeds, spurting out at least an inch every 3 weeks. You'd think with this super high power growth, that I'd have hair like Rapunzel by now. Well, I would except....<br />
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When I was about 7 years old, I begged my mom to cut off my lovely locks which fell well past my shoulders. I have no idea what my little mind was thinking at the time but the second it was cut off, I immediately regretted it. I looked like a boy. A boy that wore dresses. So I set out on a quest to get it to grow back as soon as possible. Anytime I was alone in the bathroom or near a mirror, I pulled and pulled on the ugly short strands, trying to coax them to become longer. With time, I was me a again, with long hair and life was good.<br />
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Although I was a young child of the 70's, the 80's did not spare me and thus began the decade of not just bad music, but bad hair-do's. In fact, most of those years my hair was feathered, curled, sprayed, permed and spiked at one time or another and most always cut above my shoulders. <br />
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I don't like to think much about those so let's just fast forward to the 90's where I became a blonde but at least my hair was long again. But not for long. As life would have it, I got a job at a hair salon where I fell victim to the stylists wanting to try all the new do's on me and am ashamed to say that during my tenure there, I went from permed to straightened, long to layered, from light to dark, and ultimately, got the 'Rachael' do. Yes, I did. And don't you dare laugh because you know you wanted one too. But all of those do's were time consuming as I spent mornings washing, conditioning, putting in endless arrays of products, blow drying and curling. I felt like a big vat of hairspray and god forbid if I had to go camping or got caught in a rain storm. It just wasn't me. So I began to grow my long hair out once again. I chopped off the Rachel 'do' and wore my hair back in a short bun until it all grew back in long.<br />
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Things have been a bit better since we entered the new millenium. I've learned my lesson - keep the hair long. But that hasn't stopped me from messing with what's already perfect. Again, I've gone blonde for a few years, and then hopped on the dark brown bandwagon and kept it that way for the most part. Sometimes though after watching back to back episode re-runs of ANTM, I will get inspired and chop off some locks to make some cool 'bangs' or some model-esque long layers. Of course, I hate it instantly and have to wear a head band for months to hide the bangs until they grow back out. Just this month I decided to go blonde again over a few glasses of wine with my sister. We put in some bleach blond highlights which turned blonde at the roots and red farther down. Of course I went back to dark brown soon after - closest to my natural color and easiest to cover the gray, yes gray strands, that insist on appearing out of nowhere.<br />
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Can't you just see it - 'Rapunzel, let down your hair'. 'Why I can't Prince, I was bored and I've just cut it.' Why do I do this? Have there not been 100's of hair lessons lived and learned by now? Just the other day I was going through old photos (remember those days? the ones where we actually had to get film developed!). Almost every other roll of film showed a differed hair color or a funky do. I can't say I've found a happy medium - just yet - as of now I am working on growing out these long layers that I cut on a whim last winter. Only one rule I have now - keep the long hair. That's the me I've always felt best as. Learning to curb the urge to cut and then regret is a cycle that I must not repeat!sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-40874734730085623072010-09-05T21:04:00.000-07:002010-09-05T21:16:44.600-07:00StaycationWhat to do when it's late summer, you've got vacation time built up and your husband doesn't get any time off until next fall? You take a staycation! Staycation's are spent at home, in town and cost little to no money. But most importantly, to have a true staycation you must follow one simple rule: Prepare to get some shit done but leave plenty of time for some rest, relaxation and fun. It's also good to stock the liquor cabinet or the wine holder.<br />
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I prepared beforehand by making of list of items I wanted to accompolish on my days off. Stuff that I wish I could get done on the weekends but never do because weekends are just too short to spend the time working. Clean the attic, clean one room a day from head to toe, emtpy the fridge of all rotten items, wash the moss off the sides of the house and gutters, prune the climbing rose, etc. <br />
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Ten days off and I'm on day seven. It's actually taken me a good five days to fully come out of work mode. I caught myself quite a few times checking my work email but I've slowly weaned myself to peaking once a day now. When I wake up, sans alarm, I have my morning coffee with the news, lounging on the couch until I feel awake enough to begin my day. If that motivation never comes, I just pull a blanket over me and find a good lifetime movie to get lost in for a few hours. That's what I love about staycations, there's no agenda. If miraculously, the motivation hits me early, I get a good walk in with the dogs and then throw on some Budos Band and begin one of my projects. However as soon as the afternoon sun comes through the windows, that is my signal to chill it out again with a glass of wine and my book of the week. Dinners are relaxed and could vary from a wonderfully aromatic steaming crock pot of happiness or simply take-out burger and fries. And who needs a bedtime when the next day promises anything I wish for and involves no going to work.<br />
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The thing about staycations is you have to love being by yourself. You have to be ok with being your own company. Because my hermit genes run extra high, it's good to get some socialization too. Get outta the house every other day and visit someone or invite a friend over. I highly recommend it or once you go back to work you will forget how to interact with the public and you will mourn for your staycation cave.<br />
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I have to admit I have been quite productive as well as slothful. My wine is now running low and my projects are almost complete. Relaxation has hit a full-time high and thoughts of work have slipped way way into the background. I've slowly rejuvenated my senses and gotten my groove back. I am always one to raise my glass to getting away from it all but if the away part can't be on a private island, then I make damn sure that I use my staycation time to the fullest. <br />
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Usually as staycation draws to a close, that old friend 'anxiety' tries to call. I conquer this intrusion by booking a full body massage the day before going back to work, then a late afternoon nap and being fully organized and prepared for the first day of work. I highly recommend a staycation to one and all. Now don't get me wrong, there really is nothing better than getting the heck outta dodge and that is just what I plan to do next - vacate the premises, and take a friggin vacation!sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-28537707267876725222010-07-18T22:06:00.000-07:002010-07-18T22:36:49.836-07:00Going, Going, Gone! Last weekend we went to the coast to meet up with my sister who had rented a beach house. Since it was a last minute decision to go, we couldn't take the dogs to the dog ranch so we bravely loaded them into the car and headed down the highway. We only stayed one night and it ended up going pretty good. Lots of walks on the beaches, left the pooches pretty chill. <br />
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The next morning we put a stake in the grass and tethered the dogs so we could have a little freedom and time away from holding leashes and supervising (don't you wish you could do that with the kids? ha!). As we were hanging on the upper decks, keeping one eye on the dogs, our yellow lab, Huckleberry, began to whine as she always does when she's not getting all the attention. My nephew Riley decided to go give them some love. I grabbed my camera so I could get a could shot of them all together. What happened next made laugh my ass off and got the rest of the clan to come look at what my neice Hope and I were howling at, and best of all I actually caught it all on film! <br />
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<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Hey pups, whats happenin'</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOiGL4NHd38s-du2C7S5ZBn2Jnl5uZwknFm5sjr7WV86TRPSp-XoM_kl0gwrn8a_MTt0YekvLHKNblIH6WQUiDkqDWbu9gQxqsWo0ED9ILd086yigViOfI68jYfcmcQsmqzCeVd-gbyhI/s1600/July+2010+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOiGL4NHd38s-du2C7S5ZBn2Jnl5uZwknFm5sjr7WV86TRPSp-XoM_kl0gwrn8a_MTt0YekvLHKNblIH6WQUiDkqDWbu9gQxqsWo0ED9ILd086yigViOfI68jYfcmcQsmqzCeVd-gbyhI/s400/July+2010+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Going, Going...</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nB54ROGpcg1vDmMN67s7padO7LjoqLnidVViTLUjMZgl-P1_C9WqM-YUlpKyCCcZxkGaCeIys6xxSocu7MnqTFwfZ7UZzPplgVN0VpeRcVuKfiKUcBfk1Daq06vr5hEhN-05X-61JZQ/s1600/July+2010+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nB54ROGpcg1vDmMN67s7padO7LjoqLnidVViTLUjMZgl-P1_C9WqM-YUlpKyCCcZxkGaCeIys6xxSocu7MnqTFwfZ7UZzPplgVN0VpeRcVuKfiKUcBfk1Daq06vr5hEhN-05X-61JZQ/s400/July+2010+007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Gone!</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Oh man, my aunt got this all on camera. </span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">I'm so screwed!</span></strong></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjauUv1cf3-IvxNum2hD-IfwnQTaX1ZC0LVeDm_6InhO6gEoJcF2GNCtD7n9_maQ1VpQZ6xQ1SE1QbZgueGpEz4IMQPlzjCCuQReBhCDVVqCPvFsaFpKo6ZfuvahDcs5OkZWJFVwI2BgAo/s1600/July+2010+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjauUv1cf3-IvxNum2hD-IfwnQTaX1ZC0LVeDm_6InhO6gEoJcF2GNCtD7n9_maQ1VpQZ6xQ1SE1QbZgueGpEz4IMQPlzjCCuQReBhCDVVqCPvFsaFpKo6ZfuvahDcs5OkZWJFVwI2BgAo/s400/July+2010+008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-9878108471652149622010-06-13T21:48:00.000-07:002010-07-18T21:49:01.791-07:00GroundedYesterday, about mid day, I realized I was in serious need of a nap. I knew without a doubt that the second my head touched the pillow, I'd be gone to dreamland for a long long time. You know, that kind of tired that you get when you sleep in the same position for hours. Well, I had the most coolest revelation as I was laying there completely aware of the sensations in my body as I was falling asleep. As my body relaxed, it seemed to me that the energy in my body was alive and in full force. As I lay there, I focused in on this. It seemed that the vibrations moved like waves, starting in my head and rolling down through my shoulders, over my chest and down my back. I almost couldn't feel my body on the couch. It was as if I was as light as a feather, floating just slightly above. As it got to my legs, my feet started to tingle and this overwhelmving sensation came over me as if I was connected to the network of the energy of life. I began to drift weightless on the most comfortable cloud. When I awoke some hours later, my mind was at peace and my body refreshed.There is nothing cooler than knowing without a doubt that I am part of something bigger. It keeps me alive, fully grounded and intertwined with the divine.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-27086862063476609972010-05-25T22:01:00.000-07:002010-05-26T15:56:51.996-07:00A Freakin MessOk folks, I've been seriously busy and had so many things going on at once that I haven't been able to sit down to write. And to be completely honest, there may have been a few times I could have blogged but I needed to spend that time chilling out - down time as you might call it.<br />
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So, to recap on my last post...<br />
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The last time I wrote, I was a freakin mess covered in an intense itchy and devilish scratchy rash. It was so awful I had to stay home for an entire week. A visit to the doc and then the derm, got me some creams which didn't work. So the next week, I got me a prescription of prednizone which began working within 4 hours of the first pills. Awe, relief. I could finally relax and not itch. However, before I began the pred, I got a huge series of blood tests and skin biopsies to try to figure out what the heck was going on in my body. The results showed some food allergies, most highly to gluten. So I have had a major change in my diet. Lucky for me, I am not a picky eater. I could be classified as an adventurous food explorer so this change was definitely swaying in my favor. It's been over a month now since the rash and I'm itch-free. My sister has baked me many loaves of GF bread and cake and my husband promises to buy me a bread maker soon. I love having a baker for a sister! In fact, two of my three sisters are dealing with food allergies in one way or another so I have a lot of company in that department. I did also verify and re-verify with my derm that I could indeed still have wine and chocolate. The answer was a big fat YESSS, although I am sure that he was wondering about my priorities in life. A big WHATEVER to him! I know what's important and I can still get my buzz on!sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-30119967698870090262010-04-21T19:24:00.000-07:002010-04-21T19:24:10.800-07:00The Itchy ScratchiesI've been homebound since last Sunday night when I noticed the beginnings of a rash on my belly and arms. Monday morning I awoke completely covered from the ears to my toes in tiny little red bumps. Those little red bumps itch like mother fuckers. Pardon my language but I can't find any other word to describe it. I've been spending every waking hour with no sleep itiching every crevice of my body - ears, neck, armpits, arms, shoulders, back, and legs. Luckily for me, the rash has so far neglected to infest my face, scalp or private parts, thank the good lord above for that one. Just so you know, you can quit reading now if you want. I'm not going to censor myself in this post in case you haven't noticed yet. <br />
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And yes, I saw a doc first thing Monday morning. She took 6 viles of blood to test for food allergies which have been a pain in my ass lately and also to test for lupus - the skin condition type of lupus that goes along with a rash and achey joints. Of course, I won't know for a week what's wrong with me so I sit here, itching the minutes away. I'm going back to the doc tomorrow to try to see if we can figure this out once and for all. Could it be shingles? scabies? some unknown disease? I don't know but I do know that I want to stop the itching and stop it NOW. I'm known for my remedies and I've tried them all to no avail - creamy oatmeal body rubs, tea tree oil slathers, prescription antihistamines, creams, homeopathics, vodka, etc... Nothing works long term, yeah, I may get 10 minutes of relief but then it's back to itching. I'm not getting even slightly better and if anything, I feel slightly manic now. I can't sit still, I can't sleep, I can only itch and itch and itch. It's wrong, fucking horribly wrong to itch like this. <br />
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I don't feel sick. I have no fever. I'm not stressed. I could even run 10 miles just to get the heebie jeebies outta me. So, I sit and wait. I wait for test results, I wait for relief, I wait for respite. And meanwhile, I itch, and itch, and itch....sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-15072215091189053482010-04-04T10:08:00.000-07:002010-04-04T10:08:42.421-07:00Daily Affirmations<div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Live your daily life in a way that you never lose yourself. </strong></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>When you are carried away with your worries, fears, cravings, anger, and desire, </strong></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>you run away from yourself and you lose yourself.</strong></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong></strong></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>The practice is always to go back to oneself.</strong></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">-- Thich Nhat Hanh </span></div><br />
Daily affirmations - these are words of wisdom that help shape my outlook on life. Before I rise from bed every morning and after I've cursed my alarm clock thoroughly, I reach for my phone to read my first email of the day - <a href="http://bevmartin.com/subscribe/index.html">Daily Words of Wisdom</a>. A quote a day keeps the doctor away, it's true. Over a year ago, I subscribed to these and I cannot tell you how much they mean to me. Every week is 5 daily quotes pertaining to a certain sense of being. Some weeks deal with fear, others with knowledge, sometimes courage, other times intuition, many times faith, and a lot of times just pure age old wisdom. Yet each and everyone of them inspries me to get out of bed each morning which is a feat in and of itself.<br />
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As you've noticed, these words also give me a small seed of an idea of which I can write a whole blog post on, relating it to my life and my feelings of life. Sometimes I don't fully understand the daily words of wisdom but my husband has this tremdenous gift for explaining them to me, bringing meaning to an otherwise tangle of words. I've read some authors perceptions of quotes. They think that a real writer wouldn't need to use recycled quotes to get their thoughts out on paper. But I think they are just arrogant and are missing a precious chance to ponder life, even if just for a minute. <br />
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Every now and then one of the daily quotes will hit me hard, making me sit back and consider how such a small phrase of words can hold so much meaning and have so much heart. These are the ones that I save, referring to often until I have absolute certainty that I fully grasp their concept. Wise words from wise people encourage me to grow within and to keep my spirit alive. No matter what I will always be drawn to them and you can always expect me to write about. They are the building blocks of my soul.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-50077580542629759792010-03-21T20:04:00.000-07:002010-03-21T20:05:42.498-07:00Little Memories<div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>We do not remember days; we remember moments. </strong></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">~Cesare Pavese</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sometimes the littlest memories are the best ones, the ones I reflect upon the most. The ones that make me feel nostalgic and all warm and fuzzy. A lot of mine have to do with the weather.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Summers in Idaho were hot and air conditioning was not a luxury in those days. So you had to trick the weather. As the days grew hotter, the mountain air almost always grew cooler. The minute the sun would set, my dad would make his way around the house to open all the windows - all 18 of them. I'd be sitting in my room watching TV and could hear the windows open one by one. Soon the cool night air was rolling in and we could finally breathe easy falling into a sweet slumber. Sometime early, just as the sun was waking up, I would hear the windows sliding shut, one by one. Then the curtains being closed tight, not to let a speck of sun in. That was how we tricked the weather. It was also at that time that we'd go out with our parents to hunt tomatoe worms in the garden. We'd flick them off into buckets and dispose of those ruiners of home grown tomatoes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In the mornings the house was so cool, we forgot that the day before we were roasting, begging to take turns sitting in the fridge. Wrapping blankets around us, shivering, we began our days. But once the sun rose onto the parched Idaho neighborhoods, we began to sweat. And with us girls going in and out all day, little by little our house became stiflingly warm. No wonder my dad would say, shut the door fast, you're letting all the cool air out. Those summers, day after day, night after night, the climate in our house changed drastically and kept us in comfort as we slept through cool nights. But every summer without fail, there would come those days that were so hot, that so baked the land, that even the nights did not cool. With all the windows open, the coolest place to be was in the basement and there we'd tread with our sleeping bags and pillows. The whole family camped out , hoping to try to cool off just enough to get a little sleep. Lazy days of mid summer. I liked those best. I still do.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Winters in Idaho were cold and snowy. Thanksgiving seemed to signal winter and before we knew it we were blanketed in white. Sometimes it snowed so much, my parents had to go shovel every hour - for in Idaho, snow was not an excuse to call in sick for work or stay home from school. It was a way of life and you dug yourself out and got to where you needed to be. Not to mention there was probably a snowplow for every street in every nook and cranny of the city. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">My favorite part was when it would snow and snow and snow and snow because as the snow accumulated, huge, menacing snow drifts would form, looming haphazardly over the roof of our front porch. We had to be really careful walking out the front door, shutting the door softly so as not to disturb it. It would be there for sometimes for days. Sometimes we'd knock it down but I think it fascinated all of us, even my parents. If the drift didn't fall, then as the snow would begin to melt, the biggest and baddest icicles would begin to form from it's edges. Now that was where the true fun began. It was a challenge to see try to knock them all down. Some were dainty and broke easily with a touch. Others were as big, as solid and as pointed as the dagger of a giant. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I also loved that in the winter we never ran out of snow. There was a fresh supply daily, meaning we could build families of snowmen, form slides down the sloping front lawn, craft igloos and watch our snow angels disappear in the blizzard. Evenings we spent thawing out by the crackling warm fire mom and dad had made - and we'd sleep upstairs because that was where it was warmest!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The four seasons were extreme in Idaho, each one with their very own identity. Those dependable changes in weather, always signaled changes in our family. In spring, we'd break out the boxes of summer clothes and pack our winter ones away. Mom's big bed of red tulips would fill the backyard with a red royal carpet and work out in the garden and yard would begin. There would be a sense of thrill in the air. Nights were shorter in the winter and we'd spend them lost in long books, talking on the phones to friends, sitting by a fire and eating nachos that my mom prepared for evening snacks each night. Fall was always where we did the most preparation - school clothes, raking leaves, registering for classes, harvesting the garden and celebrating all the birthdays - for most of my family (excluding me) were all born in August and September. It's almost as if remembering all of this is my specail way of holding onto the things I cherish, the things I am, and the things I never ever want to lose. </div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-8942579725691841072010-03-13T20:33:00.000-08:002010-03-13T20:33:39.290-08:00New Territory<div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Good for the body is the work of the body, </strong></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>good for the soul the work of the soul, </strong></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong> and good for either the work of the other.</strong> </span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">~Henry David Thoreau</span></em></div><br />
Try something new once in a while right? Well that's what I'm about to do. I"m embarking on a journey of food. It's spring and instead of deep cleaning my house, this year I'm going to cleanse my soul by way of putting food in my belly. Through an enchanted combination of forming new habits, I expect to thoroughly wash and rinse away the build up of physical and mental sludge and re-awaken my soul. In an effort to put a twinge of reality on things, to keep me honest and give me thoughts to reflect upon, you can follow me for 21 days of uncharted waters and unexplored territory <a href="http://soulbelly.blogspot.com/">HERE</a>. Enjoy the ride, I know I will.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2334873789477160346.post-91546919764296399002010-03-04T16:38:00.000-08:002010-03-04T16:38:35.148-08:00AwakenSpring arrives at the heels of Winter with Summer pushing in from behind. Although it never rushes into things, the magic by which this mysterious season deposes its beauty around us always lures me into sheer amazement. When did the flowering fruit trees suddenly turn pink and the tiny green sprouts pushing through the hardened winter earth become bright yellow blooming daffodils? Birds begin to appear with their morning melodies when yesterday and in the long months before there was only silence. <br />
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After months of plowing through Winter's monotony, Spring reminds me to slow down and coast in neutral for a while. Just as the withered world around me is coming back to life after a long slumber, so it is as my spirit awakens.sasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16329891504633061852noreply@blogger.com1