allibrew

My "secret" project is finally ready to share!

2009-11-20T22:19:00.000-08:00

I have finally launched my new website and blog!

Introducing Get Natured:

I hope you'll visit, subscribe, and enjoy!

*Please note that the website is not displaying correctly for IE7 (Internet Explorer 7) browser users. I'm struggling with CSS compatibility with that version of IE and hope to have it corrected soon. In the meantime, IE7 users should go directly to the blog (instead of the home page): http://getnatured.blogspot.com/

Nike Women's Marathon

2009-10-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

October has been a whirlwind month for us. We spent several days visiting my family in Mt. Shasta then camping in Oregon. We spent a week in Lake Tahoe (we were looking for some end-of-summer fun but were treated to a brief snow storm instead!). Tonight, we returned home again after spending two days in San Francisco and two days in Monterey, Ca. Whew. I'm ready to nest at home for a little while!

So why San Francisco and Monterey after two other trips this month? One, big, 13.1 mile reason: I ran the Nike Women's Half Marathon. Considering that growing up I was the skinny kid with flat feet and asthma, this race was a HUGE accomplishment for me. As an adult I have gained some curves, found shoes to reduce pronation, and outgrown my asthma. But, prior to training for this race, I had never run more than five miles.

The Nike Women's Marathon helps to provide support to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Last year, the Team in Training group raised $18.5 million dollars for the Society from the Nike Women's Marathon.

I chose this race because of the location (San Francisco is pretty close to home, not too hot in October, and is one of the most beautiful places in California). The race course was amazing! We began in Union Square and ended at the beach. We ran by many famous San Francisco landmarks including the TransAmerica building, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, an amazing view of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge (which unfortunately was hidden in the morning fog), and Golden Gate Park. Instead of a finisher's medal, we were each awarded a sterling silver Tiffany necklace that reads, "Run like a girl" for our accomplishment. So cute!

Here are some highlights from our weekend by the Bay (please forgive the photo quality- these were taken with my iPhone camera):

(Starting line of the Nike Women's Marathon. I found it incredibly moving to be standing in the streets of San Francisco before the sun was up with 20,000 others who were there for their own reasons. Seeing the names of others' honorees on their shirts nearly brought me to tears. Truly, truly amazing.)

(Jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Love that place!)

(How cute is this leopard shark who appears to be smiling for the camera?)

(Today was one of those beautiful, oh-yeah-this-is-why-I-live-in-California kind of days at Carmel State Beach.)

I chose a half marathon as one of my fitness goals this year because of how impossible it seemed to me before I started training. I ran the race for my father-in-law who passed away in 2008 from complications related to his lymphoma treatment. I ran for all those who are currently battling these cancers, for those who will be diagnosed in the future, and in honor of those who have lost their fight.

I encourage you to challenge yourself for something you believe in too. It is an amazing feeling to say, "I did it!" It is even more amazing to be one of many hearts that are united in honor of something bigger than all the ways that the individuals may differ.

Out and about

2009-10-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

I realize that I have been MIA from my blog for awhile. I could make excuses about how I've been busy or traveling or up to my eyeballs in blocks and Cheerios, but none of that is news. So instead, suffice it to say that I've been out in the world enjoying moments like these:

(Logan, 16 months)

(Jackson 3 1/2)

In places like this:

(Crater Lake, Oregon)

and this:

(Lost Creek Lake, Oregon)

Eating things like this:

(Homemade bread with vegan cheese, organic tomatoes, purple basil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh cracked pepper with organic grapes, carrots, and red peppers on the side.)

And this:

(Tofu scramble with organic veggies and herb roasted potatoes.)

I hope your in-betweens have been just as happy, majestic, and tasty!

Vegan s'mores

2009-09-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

Trying to squeeze a little more summer out of summer before it gets cold outside, I made some vegan s'mores the other night for dessert. I've never been a huge fan of marshmallows on their own (vegan or the melted animal variety), but s'mores are such an enchanting part of summer and I love them.

So how the heck do you make a vegan s'more?

I used Health Valley vegan graham crackers (if you eat honey, most mainstream graham crackers will work too), semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy-free), and Dandies vegan marshmallows (Sweet and Sara also make vegan marshmallows). Because I was at home in Suburbia and not camping in the wilderness, I toasted the s'mores in my toaster oven instead of over an open fire.

BE CAREFUL- the graham crackers (especially the vegan version) will burn very quickly! Don't read your mail without peeking in the toaster oven between envelopes...trust me on this one!

My non-scorched s'mores:

Two of my favorite places (other than Amazon) to buy vegan products online:

Vegan Essentials

Food Fight Grocery

A story about writing and a preview of my new project

2009-08-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

The Story

When I was 11 years old, my family lived in a house that had an office area in a closet in my parents’ bedroom. I add the word “area” to “office” because there were not really any office-like goings-on in there. It was more of a cluttered storage space that happened to contain a desk. A desk and a cream-yellow typewriter that sometimes spent time tapping away on the desk when it was not being carted around the house by me, the 11 year old who loved it. I loved it because it was a typewriter. It had buttons to push and it actually printed letters! On paper! With a ribbon that was both black AND RED! Red! Amazing!

This office area had blue carpet. Somewhere between navy and electric blue. It had a brown accordion door that seemed to exist only to hide the junk that one might pile in such a space. The junk that we piled in that space.

I was an avid reader as a kid. I loved to check out piles of books from the library. I loved fiction that let me imagine myself in magical places with hidden gardens and secret rooms. I read so much that the dialog in my head sometimes took on a narrative tone as though I were living in a book that was being read by someone else.

For a sixth grade assignment, I wrote a story about William and Airabella who met by chance when William happened to save Airabella from a fire-breathing dragon. They, of course, fell in love and, of course, were forbidden to marry. At the last moment before giving up, they stumbled upon a letter that William’s great grandfather had written and, inexplicably, foresaw that William would someday marry a woman named Airabella. I got huge praise from my teacher on this story. I felt like a writer.

With an 11 year-old head full of fiction and a successful story under my belt, I sat down with that cute little cream-yellow typewriter intent on writing a book. A romance novel. As I tapped out all of the dreamy fine points of my story, I imagined myself being interviewed many years in the future. I would explain to my interviewer that I had, incredibly, written my first best-seller at the age of 11. People would be amazed at this feat.

My book only filled a few pages and, with that, I had already exhausted my plot. I really did not want anyone to read my attempt at greatness, so I tore up the paper and threw it in the garbage. Wow, how I wish I still had that piece of writing now. I can’t remember a thing about it but I am so curious!

After my romance novel failure, I started writing in journals. They started out as “summer journals” that I ordered from a book club through my school. I filled in each and every day of the summer journals with such thrilling prose as, “we went to the lake and swam today. It was cold.”

As I grew up, my journaling evolved from a summer tradition into a year-round gathering of my rambling. In college I became enamored with poetry. I, being the deep and amazingly unique thinker that I believed I was, started to write poems. I wrote most of them for class assignments but a few for myself. I loved the mysterious nature of poems but couldn’t make a connection with where I believed they belonged in the practical world. They, like abstract art, mystified me. I enjoyed the process of writing them and loved some of my early writings, but poetry was a crush for me rather than a lasting connection.

During my poetry-writing phase, though, I experienced my first, “I have to write right now!” moment. Feeling that way, like I have to sit down with my laptop immediately, is a feeling that I adore. It is as though the words stack themselves in just the right order in my brain. I have a lucid and direct channel to my creative mind and writing pours itself onto my pages with little effort from me. Times when I experience that flow are the times when I write my best pieces. I love, love, love when I am interrupted by the insistence of words. Even when I’m supposed to be sleeping. Even when I’m on the treadmill. Whenever.

In 2005, I started this blog. I have written about everything from road rage to vegetarian food. I ramble creatively. I share practicality. For four and a half years, I have poured many of my “I have to write NOW!” moments into my blog.

The Preview

This year a new project was born in my right brain. It is a culmination of my passions.: writing, health, fitness, green living, counseling, simplifying, and more. It is all of the things that I love to talk about and all of the things that I have researched for years just because I have been interested. It answers many of the questions that I am frequently asked by others. I hope that my experience and information will help others find answers to questions that I too have chased. I will share my pursuit of a life that is nourished by health, creativity, community, and simplicity. URL coming soon!

Time travel

2009-07-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

I injured my left wrist while playing volleyball about eight or nine years ago. I had surgery to fix a small tear in the soft tissue and, after some weeks of rest and PT, my wrist was feeling almost back to normal. The injury crosses my mind on occasion, but I had forgotten the annoying ache that lingered until it was repaired.

Over the past few weeks, the pain has returned and I am extremely frustrated by this. I can't put my finger on what caused it to start, Maybe triathlon or weight training. Maybe boot camp classes. It doesn't really matter how it began, it is the exasperating return to the beginning of this process of healing that has me so bothered.

This morning, while listening to an old song on the way to preschool, it occurred to me that the healing process for matters of the heart is quite similar to that of physical injuries. For hurt feelings or broken hearts, passing time and a little TLC seem to solve the problem in most cases. Some hurt disappears like a paper cut while deeper wounds leave scar tissue behind.

Every once in awhile one of my senses makes contact with a mark from the past. You know how it goes. Certain scents, songs, or foods make time travel seem possible. While those experiences have lost much of their power, I don't take those memories for granted. To me, they are a reminder to stop and look around. To take stock of all that I love about now. To remember how hard things have been and how much time has changed things and how my world has evolved. I know that I've written about this before here, here, and here (and probably a lot more in my 4 1/2 years of blogging).

Today I am again feeling grateful for the in-my-face souvenirs of days-gone-by. Not the physical wrist-pain variety. Just the memories that keep me in tune with the abundance of happily-ever-after in my world.

Stacking rocks

2009-07-15T23:22:00.001-07:00

Do you ever have an idea that you're so into that you stay up way too late thinking, surfing, and spreadsheeting? An idea that makes you want to sneak away with your laptop every moment that you can during your otherwise distracting day? Me too.

I'm stacking rocks. I'm mind-mapping and planting seeds. I'm springing green. I'm cultivating and collecting. I'm working on a new project and will share more information soon, so stay tuned!

Vegetarian cooking basics

2009-07-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

I wrote an article for a friend's business (e-mealplanning.com - full service weekly meal planning) on the basics of cooking veg. See the article and stay to check out the e-mealplanning.com website here!

Dear Logan,

2009-07-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Logan,

Oh Logan, my littlest love, are you really a year old already? Yes, thirteen months, actually! I'm sure that, each and every year, I will always be amazed at how quickly the time has passed. You came into our world on June 2, 2008, a healthy 8 pounds and 13 ounces. You had such a loud voice and fabulous, thick, dark brown hair that stood straight up on your head. The moment that I knew you were a boy, I burst into tears with a huge swell of pride. "I am so proud of my boys!" I couldn't stop saying that. You and I spent four days in the hospital together. Learning each others' patterns and staring into each others' faces. I'll never ever forget those first days.

Your daddy was able to hold you first. He too was bursting with pride. You met your grandma Diane that first day too. Grandpa and Lonnie and mommy's friends Tabitha and Miriam also came to visit us in the hospital. Your brother, Jackson, was so nervous when he met you. He was overwhelmed by the hospital, I think, because he fell in love with you as soon as you came home. "I love Logan so much, Mommy, " he said once. You two are so sweet when you play together. I can't get enough of the giggles when you have each other laughing in the back seat of the car. My favorite part of the day, though, is when we are getting ready for bed in the evening. After baths, bedtime stories, and toothbrushes, we finish the nighttime ritual by saying, "hugs and kisses all around!" Jackson always hugs and kisses you goodnight before he gets into bed. That is just so sweet.

You have grown into a happy and curious toddler. Your hair is lighter brown now and your eyes are an amazing blue. It is so easy to make you laugh and I love that. You are such a snuggle bug, too. I love it when you lay your sweet head on my chest and wrap your arm around mine, even when I have to carry all 22 1/2 pounds of sleeping you through the grocery store while pushing a shopping cart full of groceries.

You aren't quite walking yet but you can stand and "cruise" really well. When you were about nine months old, you started to use the baby sign that we taught you for "all done" and saying, what sounded like, "aaaa duuuu" (all done). You still say "al du" just before you start throwing your food across the kitchen when you're finished eating. Despite the food tossing, though, you have a good appetite. I think your favorite things are sliced (soy) cheese, broccoli, and fruit- especially raspberries. I think you would eat an entire truck full of raspberries if given the chance.

You prefer to be outside instead of in. You love the swing in our backyard and never get tired of hanging there and swinging. You love the swimming pool and kick your little legs like a frog when you get in deep enough water. When you are inside, you spend a lot of time throwing balls and crawling after them. Or, trying to sneak into the pantry so you can squeeze the juice boxes that are on the bottom shelf.

On the 4th of July this year, you loved the fireworks! You pointed at each one as it went up in the air. When we did fireworks in our driveway, you pointed at those too. Sometimes you made a funny face and shouted, "pop!"

We have some fun adventures planned as a family this summer and I'm soaking up every minute of family time that we have. From splashing in the Yuba River to just hanging out in the grass at the park, every minute is precious to me.

For your birthday we had a small party at a park. You enjoyed crawling around in the grass and watching bubbles float out of our bubble machine. You ate a little of the "cookies and cream" cupcake that we gave you but then used your hair as a napkin to wipe the frosting off of your hands. You are so funny! Happy birthday my sweet baby!

Love,

mama

More letters to my kids can be found here.

Cooking Away My CSA

2009-06-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

I am joining in on the "Cooking Away My CSA" challenge created by Flour Girl. What a great idea! I'm usually pretty good about pulling together some meals with my CSA box contents, but I am occasionally stumped by such things as fava beans. Fortunately, there are some brilliant resources online (including the Google group for the CAMC challenge) where I can find ideas on just what to do with those crazy fava beans!

This is the first week of the challenge, so I'll kick it off by sharing some photos of our CSA-based meals this week.

First, the fava beans. I must confess that I had never had a fava bean until this year. It isn't that I've avoided them, we've just never crossed paths until now. I have heard that they are difficult to work with so they sat in my fridge for a long time before I got around to cooking them (these came in a prior week's CSA box). I decided to try a grilled fava recipe from 101 Cookbooks over the weekend. The recipe was super simple and the beans tasted great! Oh fava beans, I am now a fan of you!

We typically have pizza about once a week and usually on Friday night. With last Friday's fava beans, I made grilled vegan pizzas. I used many of the things from our box including heirloom tomatoes, gypsy and lipstick peppers, red onions, and summer squash.

The pale yellow heirloom tomato had just a touch of pink on the inside. So pretty!

Grilled pizza, I've found, involves a bit of alchemy. I make my own crust and I've found that I prefer to use mostly "00" flour with a bit of whole wheat. I slice the veggies super thin (so they cook quickly on the grill) and I use soy-based cheeses. Here are two of the finished products (I added non-CSA veggies to one of the pizzas):

If you've never tried grilling pizza, I definitely recommend giving it a try! This recipe will help you get started.

On Saturday night we had leftover pizza. I sauteed the rest of the summer squash with one of the peppers and added garlic, salt, and pepper for a quick side dish:

Next, I made a large salad using more of the peppers, tomatoes, and leftover fava beans. I also added some lightly toasted walnuts and made a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and agave nectar:

Finally, tonight I made some vegetable juice in our new Vita-Mix blender. I used parsley, dandelion greens, carrots and non-CSA celery, lemon juice, ginger, and apple. The juice was seriously green and I didn't take any photos for fear of freaking out the more mainstream diet folks out there! It was good stuff, loaded with all kinds of veggie goodness.

What's next? I'm not sure yet. Maybe some cobbler made with strawberries that I picked up at a local roadside stand. I vegan-ized a strawberry rhubarb cobbler recipe a few weeks ago with strawberries and rhubarb from our CSA box. That was the first time that I had tried rhubarb. Ever. Loved it!

Happy locavore cooking!

PS- Speaking of locavores, I enjoyed Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and recommend the book to anyone interested in local eating and growing food at home.

An update, a big thank you, and something cool

2009-06-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

My mother's surgery was successful. She is recovering well from the tumor removal. She has been moved to Los Angeles and, in a few weeks, she will have another procedure to fix the aneurysm. She is doing better than I expected. Thank you all for the positive thoughts, prayers, e-mails, phone calls, and Facebook comments. My family and I are so lucky to have your support and love. Thank you, thank you.

I'm back home and trying to remember to take breaks and find downtime each day. Trying to stop freaking out about my To Do list. Trying to go outside and play with my boys. Trying. While curled up with some organic chamomile tea and my MacBook this evening, I came across this on Twitter and thought I'd share:

'COOKING AWAY MY CSA' CHALLENGE

Are you a member of a CSA? Check it out!

Waiting

2009-06-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday started out as a normal day. I was up earlier than I wanted to be. I didn't have time for a real breakfast before dashing out the door for bootcamp at the park.

After bootcamp I was hungry and sweaty but content to have just had a good 90 minute workout. Time for good mornings to my kids, shower, and food.

Everything changed in a single sentence. "Your mom is in the hospital."

My mom was admitted to a hospital in Palm Springs on Saturday. What I had seen as her acting unlike herself lately turned out to be a grapefruit-sized tumor in the right side of her brain. They also found an anurism.

Now here I sit. In an empty hospital waiting room waiting for news on a surgery that started five hours ago. Hoping for good news with a heart that pounds each time someone passes by the waiting room door.

Sometimes the bumps in the road of life can feel more like a kick in the stomach, can't they?

Cherishing

2009-05-27T15:26:00.001-07:00

Isn't it funny how, on any given day, our minds can fool us into believing that we know everyone and everything that we're ever going to know? Even though we're smarter than that. Even though we know that nothing will be the same forever. Our hearts attach themselves firmly to what we wish will always be.

Consider your life as it was five years ago. You're probably close to some people who you hadn't even met back then. You may feel comfortable in a new job that you didn't even see coming. Or you may have painted a bathroom your favorite shade of green in a house that didn't even exist. Life shifts in so many ways. We meet new people. We get back in touch with old friends. We lose touch. People pass away. Even people who, like a mountain range in the distance of our home town, always seem to have been around. We fall in love. We move away. We have children. Good things. Bad things. Just different things. We move on.

Someone I barely know (I only met him once) passed away a few days ago. He and his wife were married for a really long time. I hardly know these people but they have me thinking. About my loved ones. About my new friends and old. About how everything is so unpredictable and how I love all of my "now" so much.

My busy life can be a big pain in the butt sometimes. I need a little reminder every now and then to take a look around and notice that all of the things that keep me busy are things that I love. It is good for me to flip through old pages in my mind to ease the unsettling fact that time marches on. I wouldn't go back in time to relive any of the past. That can only mean that I'll continue to live in a "now" that is just right.

"You know a dream is like a river

Ever changin' as it flows

And a dreamer's just a vessel

That must follow where it goes

Trying to learn from what's behind you

And never knowing what's in store

Makes each day a constant battle

Just to stay between the shores...and

I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Like a bird upon the wind

These waters are my sky

I'll never reach my destination

If I never try

So I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

..."

~Garth Brooks

Unsung

2009-05-22T09:42:00.001-07:00

(Photo courtesy of the VegNews magazine crew.)

I went to San Francisco with a good friend on Thursday evening to attend a vegan "dessert soiree" that was put on by Veg News Magazine. The event was a stop along the way for Ani Phyo in the promotion of her new book (which we received a copy of!), Ani's Raw Food Desserts. We mingled and enjoyed a five-course (yes, five!) dessert. Each of the unique desserts was fantastic! We had carrot cupcakes with an amazing cream cheese frosting, ice cream sandwiches made with chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies and coconut sorbet, vanilla bean custard with hemp seed shortbread and blueberries, chocolate mousse with tart cherry sorbet, and finally a chocolate mousse with chocolate cake and raspberry sauce topped with fresh berries. Everything was vegan and everything was amazing! I'd be hard-pressed to choose a favorite.

While eating a five-course dessert is sheer bliss, what I enjoyed most about the event was meeting Ani Phyo. She spoke for about 20 minutes on her approach to and tips for eco or green living. She is a true role model for green and healthy living and she cares so much about helping others to achieve the same level of health and vitality that she enjoys. Since the group was somewhat small (I think they were expecting 70 people), we had the chance to talk with Ani for a few minutes. She has such a gentle way and amazing glow about her. Such a beautiful person inside and out!

On the way home from San Francisco, I stopped at a park-and-ride lot in West Sacramento to drop my friend off at her car (we carpooled from the lot). When I pulled back onto the main street, it quickly became quite clear to me that I had a flat tire. At nearly midnight. In an iffy part of town. I parked the car under a light at a gas station and called my roadside assistance number. My friend realized that I was having a problem and stopped to wait at the gas station with me until the tire was changed. The roadside assistance dispatcher gave me an ETA of about 45 minutes for the tow truck to arrive but a few minutes later I got a call from the tow truck company saying that they had a driver in the area and he was about to head home but offered to take our call since he was nearby. Within 5 minutes there was a bright yellow tow truck parked next to us and within another 15 minutes, the tire was changed and we were on our way home.

As I slowly drove home on a tiny spare tire, I felt such gratitude for the people whose paths crossed mine that day. I felt lucky to have met Ani and so warmed by the way that she shares her passions. I felt so happy to have a good friend who was willing to sit with me at a gas station in the middle of the night and wait for a tow truck. I was so appreciative of the tow truck driver who selflessly offered to work a little late to get me, a total stranger, back on the road and headed home 40 minutes faster. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

A life worth photographing

2009-05-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

I probably shouldn't admit this in public, but there are two people living in my head. One of them is barking at me to adopt the GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology to get my life organized. The other one is far more laid back and never uses the word "methodology". Part of me is panicking that my To Do list is out of control while another part of me is crazy excited about all kinds of new things that I want to try, learn, read, write...(i.e. add to my To Do list).

When I look over my list right now, I see a lot of "should do" items and a lot of "I could really get ahead of schedule if I..." things too. In an average day I spend almost all of my time keeping things as they started out at the beginning of the day (e.g. keeping the family room as close to neat as it was in the morning, keeping the fridge stocked with bread and milk, keeping the kids fed and napped, etc.). I never really feel a huge sense of accomplishment from maintaining the status quo because that is never finished.

I have to pause here in my thought process about this and ask myself what makes some days feel better spent than others. What kinds of things am I doing on the days that are really satisfying? Well, crossing things off my To Do list always feels good if the list is actually shrinking and I'm not adding to it as I'm removing things. I love the idea that we work better and think more clearly if we're not trying to remember too many things. The GTD concept instructs people to get everything out on paper. Good idea not to stress about remembering things but, boy, could I drive myself crazy with a paper list as long as the rambles of my monkey mind.

Each day that we live is a tiny puzzle piece in how we spend our lives. Every day that I'm alive, I'm doing my life's work and living my life story. So what do I want my story to be about? Reorganizing the pantry and vacuuming bedrooms? It is true that there are necessary tasks like these that must be done but a good balance of work and play is what I'm missing now while I'm obsessing about crossing things off of my ubiquitous list. I need to add more laughs, more coffee dates with girlfriends, more painted toes relaxing in the sun, more downward dogs, and more walks to the park to my days. I want my story to be about time well spent vs. efficiency. I want to live a life worth photographing instead of adding "take better pictures" to my To Do list.

Summer is starting early here. The forecast says 104 degrees on Sunday. I'm working on my summer reading list. I'm planning meals that involve grilling outside. I'm making iced tea (mango today- so yum!). I'm planning aquarium, beach, and park trips with my family. I'm ready for some balance. I'm ready to use my organized pantry to bake cobblers with fresh-picked berries. I'm opening the windows and taking off my shoes. It's time for downtime. It's time to have some fun. It's time!

Popped amaranth

2009-05-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can pop amaranth like popcorn? Amaranth is a tiny grain with big benefits- lots of calcium, iron, protein, and amino acids. I love it popped and tossed with salads or over hot cereal.

Popping amaranth has a bit of a learning curve. It took me several tries before I found a method that works for me. I heat a dry skillet on high heat, add about a tablespoon of amaranth, and shake the pan in a circular motion (ala "Jiffy Pop") over the burner. This works well over my gas stove- not sure about electric. Since I don't use a lid on the pan, the key is to keep the pan moving in a circle until the amaranth is finished popping. Otherwise you'll have little white snow all over your kitchen!

Give it a try!

Thoughts on losing baby weight

2009-05-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

After having a baby, it can feel like you are wearing a "mom suit" over your formerly familiar figure. After carrying a little human around inside your body for about nine months, you're bound to feel a little different when you return to your un-pregnant but changed shape.

I have mentioned in a post or two lately that I am training for a triathlon (and then a half-marathon in the fall). That is NOT where I started, though. My baby is now almost a year old and, when I started on my journey back to my skinny jeans, I started very, very slowly. I have two favorite mantras that apply to this time (and to most situations, really): 1) Don't freak out! 2) Something is always better than nothing.

When you're just beginning to exercise and/or change your eating habits again, it is really easy to think only in terms of all or nothing. We eat a cupcake and think, "I might as well have another since I already blew it." It is important to pay attention to our self-talk during this time so that we can stop to remind ourselves that little bits of good are just as powerful as little bits of transgression. A fluffy cupcake may have 500 calories but it takes a 3500 calorie surplus to gain a pound.

Think about what interests you and fits with your lifestyle and schedule. Try some activities that seem fun to you. You have to like what you are doing or you won't stick with it. Try a bunch of different things if you want to- variety is good for your mind and body! Here are a few ideas to help start your journey:

1. Exercise DVDs: If exercising at home is an option for you, exercise DVDs can be an effective place to begin. Amazon has a huge selection and variety of fitness and postpartum DVDs. You may also consider borrowing from friends or the library or renting a few at a time from Netflix. I really like Lindsay Brin's Post Natal Boot Camp and Lindsay Brin's Core Fitness for Moms.

2. Lullaby Exercises: A high school friend of mine, Darcy Novo Albrecht, came up with the idea for Lullaby Exercises when she found herself dancing around her house to get her baby to sleep and feeling like she was getting a workout in the process! Why not burn some calories while you're bonding with your baby and helping him or her drift off to sleep? Check out Darcy's website and blog for more information.

3. Bootcamp! It seems like bootcamps are becoming more and more popular lately. I signed up for 12 weeks of Mama Bootcamp with Lorri Ann Code in my city (Roseville, Ca). For me, bootcamp is once a week for 90 minutes (plus 90 minutes of triathlon training that I added to my training plan with Lorri Ann). In addition to that, Lorri Ann provides exercise homework and nutrition counseling. Her program begins with measurements and body fat testing and those are checked along the way and at the end of 12 weeks. I was extremely proud of myself when I lost 6% body fat in my first 4 1/2 weeks! Signing up for Lorri Ann's bootcamp and tri training was the best thing I could have done for myself!

Remember, don't freak out and something is always better than nothing. Don't use your diet and exercise goals as sticks to beat yourself over the head with when you fall short. Be on your own side. Be forgiving of yourself. Be gentle with yourself. Pay attention to your self-talk. Do what you can and feel good about it. Have fun!

40 mph flashbacks

2009-05-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

In the middle of one of my ready-set-go days, I'll sometimes hear a song on the radio or catch a whiff of perfume or see a cute pair of sandals that sends me daydreaming about "back in the day". Today it was a song, that I have already forgotten, but it was a song that made me think of days when my independence was new. Days when my agenda included considerations like where I wanted to sunbathe in coconut-scented oil, what flavor of New York Seltzer was I craving (usually peach, peach was the "cool" flavor), and what magazines I wanted to take along in my Esprit bag.

When I think about life back then, my first thought is about how uncomplicated those times were. How my to do list was short and my free time was abundant. My life wasn't effortless or untroubled but, with the experienced perspective that I have now, it seems so comfortably unhurried.

Though, when I try on my old point of view, I remember the uncertainty that I had about absolutely everything. I had no idea how anything would turn out, end up, or evolve. I was clueless about so many things and so tortured by what I didn't know. I was eager to move on from those days and that leisurely life to put to rest many of my insecurities about everything, including myself.

When my brain returned from the clouds of days-gone-by and back to the car that I was driving through my crazy-busy now, I felt a bit more buoyant. Isn't it great how life occasionally seasons our days with little reminders of how far we've come? My life might be hurried and hectic now, but it is filled with love, friendship, and comfort. I'm such a lucky girl.

Mexican chocolate yogurt

2009-04-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

I'm am a serious lover of chocolate so I am always trying to find ways to sneak it into all kinds of things. This is one of my favorite "sneaky" chocolate snacks!

I buy Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Cacao Powder (available at Whole Foods, Amazon, and various other places). It is one of the BEST cocoa powders that I've ever had (and I’m a chocolate snob!). Every serving (2 Tbsp) contains: 5 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, 15% RDA iron, magnesium, tons of antioxidants, and ZERO SUGAR.

Here’s my “recipe”:

Mexican chocolate yogurt:
1 cup vanilla yogurt (I use Whole Soy, but a light yogurt would be good for those watching calories closely)
2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
Dash of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly in a bowl (don’t try to mix in the yogurt cup- you’ll get chocolate all over the place- trust me on this!).

Enjoy!

"Scooby Snacks"

2009-04-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

2010 UPDATE: Thank you so much for visiting allibrew! If you enjoy this post, please visit my new website at http://getnatured.com!

My three-year-old son has been really into Scooby Doo lately. So much so that he almost had a complete meltdown in Costco last night because he wanted to go home immediately to bake some "Scooby Snacks" (after I refused to buy a Costco-size box of cookies). I promised that we'd bake them today, instead.

I know that there is a "Scooby Snack" recipe on one of our Scooby DVDs, however, I didn't want to take the time to find it. Googling "Scooby Snacks" does provide some recipes, however, most (if not all of them) call for some...ahem, "herbal enhancements". Yeah, no thanks.

Instead of going the pot brownie minus the pot route, I decided to invent a recipe that wasn't quite like any other cookies that we usually make so that my son might actually be convinced that I followed an authentic Scooby recipe. The cookies turned out really, really good. Here's my recipe:

Allison's Scooby Snacks:

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp molasses

1/2 cup spelt flour (I'm sure all-purpose or wheat would work as well)

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Dash of cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 Tbsp natural peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix together the mashed bananas, coconut oil, vanilla, and molasses.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry but don't over-mix!

4. Fold in the chocolate chips and swirl in the peanut butter at the same time to minimize the mixing.

5. Drop teaspoon-size balls of dough onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes.

This recipe makes about 22-ish yummy cookies that are vegan and have no added sugar. I didn't tell you that part at the beginning because I didn't want to scare you away with "vegan" or "no added sugar". These are plenty sweet and very yummy. Give them a try!

Scooby Dooby Doooooo!

Hippie food for athletes

2009-04-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

Since I am training for a triathlon (and soon a half marathon) I am exercising a lot these days. For example, on Tuesday I swam 46 laps (1150 yards) and then went on a short bike ride (about 5 miles). It is no secret that I eat like a hippie and I've been trying to support my new activity level with my normal eating habits. I'm doing quite well and feel great. I thought I'd share a couple of gems for others on the swim/bike/run (or who just like to eat like a hippie)!

1. Zico coconut water: Coconut water is like nature's "Gatorade". I avoid artificial ingredients as often as possible so Gatorade (and other "sports drinks") are not really my thing. Coconut water, however, is great for replenishing electrolytes naturally. You can drink it plain or mix it into a smoothie.

2. The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier: Brendan is a professional ironman triathlete and a vegan. This book contains his recipes for energy "gels", bars, smoothies, recovery and sports drinks, and all kinds of other yummy stuff. Brendan knows a ton about fueling the body for exercise and he shares his knowledge, meal plan, and recipes in this book. I'm also a big fan of Brendan's Vega Smoothie Infusion. Good stuff!

Happy trails!

Earth Day food for thought

2009-04-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today is Earth Day and, timed with the rebirth that is springtime, I think it is a good day to consider what things I am doing that impact the planet. We do recycle (through our city landfill program), buy green/renewable power, shop with reusable bags, buy organic and local (as much as possible), drive a hybrid car (one of our two is a hybrid), eat vegetarian (mostly vegan), compost, and try in general to be as earth-friendly as possible. There is definitely much more that we could do and that can be overwhelming.

Instead of trying to do it all at once, I'm going to focus on one or two big things at a time. The fertilizer that we put on our grass is a biggie. I HATE it; the grass loves it. We don't have a ton of grass, just enough to give the boys a soft place to play. We have started to compost and hope to use the "tea" on the grass to see how this works. Any suggestions for organic green grass are definitely welcome!

Do you celebrate or observe Earth Day? I love yearly traditions- do you have any to share? If you're fresh out of ideas, here is a big one to consider: If you switch to a vegetarian diet, you will reduce your carbon footprint by about 1 ton (2 tons for a vegan diet!). Can't go completely veg? How about one day a week or even one meal a week? Here are some facts to consider:

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than a half-million cars off U.S. road.
A 2006 United Nations report found that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gasses than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined. (the report)
The production of one pound of meat releases the same amount of greenhouse gasses as driving an SUV 40 miles.
Going vegetarian is the single most effective thing that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.
Going vegan is 50% more effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions than driving a hybrid car.

Resources:

Zen Habits: How (and Why) to Become a Vegetarian
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver is a wonderfully inspiring book about eating locally
Some recipes to get you started: Fat Free Vegan, 101 Cookbooks, Veg Web
I'm happy to mentor anyone looking to make a change to a vegetarian (or less meat) diet!

The weather is perfect here right now. I think we'll celebrate Earth Day tonight by having a family vegan dinner on the patio. The mosquitoes will love it. Ha!

Happy Earth Day!

How hot is it?

2009-04-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

When I was finishing up my college degree in San Luis Obispo, CA I worked for a beautiful hotel that was right on the sand of Pismo Beach. Because the Central Coast doesn't generally get very hot (especially at the beach), the rooms in the hotel did not have air conditioning. On an uncharacteristically hot afternoon in the summer of 1996, a curmudgeon of a hotel guest stormed up to the front desk to report that it was, "hotter than the four hinges of hell" in his room and demanded that the hotel do something to fix the problem. Wow, sir, I wasn't aware that hell had four hinges. To this day I still occasionally describe the weather in Sacramento as being "hotter than the four hinges of hell". Thank you Hotel Guest Man for permanently planting this in my mental catalog of descriptive phrases.

The forecast for this weekend is bordering on hell hinge temps, so I'm soaking in the sun in the early hours and enjoying the last of my spring flowers...and maybe a really good glass of perfectly chilled muscat. Maybe.

Happy weekend, wherever you are, hell hot or not.

Forging ahead

2009-04-07T22:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was nearly 80 degrees, the sun was shining, there were no clouds until late in the day. Today, I watched the weather change through the morning and early afternoon and headed outdoors for a bike ride (tri training) in the early evening.

There were only four of us riding tonight. It had been sprinkling on and off and the forecast said rain, rain, rain. We headed out as a group but my mountain bike, despite its smooth tires, was no match for their road bikes on this paved trail. I quickly fell behind but I didn't mind. The trail that we were riding parallels some fabulous scenery and our planned destination was near one of my most favorite places in Sacramento County (Folsom's historic Rainbow Bridge).

A couple of miles into the ride, there was a fork in the trail. I had no idea which way the rest of the group had turned; they were long-gone. I was a little irritated that I was left to guess which way to turn, but I pressed on. I started down one path and then decided to turn around and take the other. The path that I chose soon dead-ended near a main road. Frustrated, I headed back to the fork in the trail and then down the other side. At that point I new there was no way I'd catch up to the group and I was ok with that. I decided to relax and just take in the sites.

A couple of miles later, my chain made a clinking sound and my pedals locked up. Fortunately that didn't cause me to fall. I pulled over to the side of the trail and stepped off my bike. The chain had come off. I fought off the urge to panic over the thought of having to walk my bike back a few miles to the car. Somehow, even though I had NO idea what I was doing, I managed to get the chain back on the bike. I wiped my greasy hands on my black (fortunately) fleecy jacket and I decided to head back toward my car instead of trying to finish the ride. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to make it to the planned destination but I was relieved to be able to ride my bike back to the car.

It was cold, getting dark, and starting to rain. Honestly, though, I loved it. I loved that I could hear birds all around me. The wildflowers were amazing too. The weather-scented air was so spring-clean that I didn't mind that I was blinking away rain from my eyes as I rode. I was in my happy place.

I saw an interview yesterday with the authors of a book called, "I'd Trade My Husband For A Housekeeper". I have not read the book but I was intrigued by the discussion with the the authors. One of the interesting things that they said was that, after becoming a mother, a woman cannot get back to who she was before. She must reinvent herself. I'd like to think of that as re-finding versus re-inventing.

I have been doing so many new things lately. I have been lost on the way to a play date. I have struggled with cycling trouble (tonight, and on my first night of cycling for tri training). I have stressed out over attaching a bike rack to my car. These are all new struggles for me. I have taken a turn from my comfortably groomed trail of life and skied off into the fresh powder and trees of something new. I am finding myself in more situations that I'm not sure how to handle. I am feeling frustrated more often. I am sweating the small stuff. This all feels so necessary, though. My life changed in a huge way when I had my first child. Having a second child and leaving my job were two more huge changes. Now I am going through a knobby-kneed, newborn, uncoordinated phase. I'm bumping along. I'm mostly smiling but sometimes cursing out loud. Mostly, I'm wide-eyed and excited about this expedition.

Just as I rode my bike into the parking lot where my car was parked, it started to pour. I mean really rain. I quickly put my bike in the back and climbed in. I was relieved to be in a warm car. I was thankful to have a container of diaper wipes to wipe the rest of the grease off of my hands. Mostly, though, I was proud of myself for doing this- the riding in the rain, the chain-fixing, the triathlon training, the re-inventing and re-finding. All of it. Even the bumpy, lost, "what-the-heck-NOW?" parts. All of it.

A photo I took with my iPhone just before it started to pour:

Caribbean vacation pancakes

2009-04-03T13:49:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning thinking about a great vacation that Steve and I took to Barbados in 2002 and wishing that we were headed back today.

I wasn't able to hop on a plane today so, instead, I made up a recipe for "Caribbean vacation pancakes". I grated my own nutmeg for the first time for these pancakes. I have heard people say that once you try fresh-grated, you'll never go back to the other stuff. Yes, yes, yes- I couldn't agree more!! These pancakes might not be quite as good as a week on the beach but they are the next best thing! Seriously, these are probably the best pancakes I've ever made. So so good.

Happy Friday!

Allison's Caribbean Vacation Pancakes:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup soy flour (I added this for protein, but you can use more of one of the other flours if you don't have soy flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

~1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk (I used almond to make them vegan, use your favorite "milk" here)

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon rum extract

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 ripe banana, chopped

1. Mix together the flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the "milk", water, vanilla and rum extracts, and maple syrup.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and add the chopped banana. Mix until combined but don't over-mix!

4. Let the batter sit for about 5-10 minutes, then pre-heat your griddle or pan for about 2 minutes on medium heat before cooking the pancakes. Letting the batter sit helps to eliminate that "why doesn't the first pancake ever turn out right?" problem. :)

These fabulous pancakes turned out great- fluffy in the middle but with a whisper thin crispy layer on the outside. I ate them with walnuts and a tiny bit of maple syrup. I think they would also be good with coconut or any other "island-y" toppings that you can come up with.

A tiny new ritual

2009-04-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I went to our local Aveda store to pick up a new bottle of the only gel that works for my curly hair days. While I was there, the sneaky sales girl sold me a $10 candle. I'm grateful for that, though!

Our Aveda store offers free relaxing hand massages that begin with a bit of aromatherapy. I was offered a hand massage while I was there and, to help me relax, the sneaky sales girl asked me to take three deep inhalations while smelling a lavender candle. She explained that this was their special "Light the Way" candle for Earth Month at Aveda and that the proceeds from the candles (and, incidentally, any massage gratuities) would be donated to help global clean water causes.

I bought that cute little $10 candle from the sneaky sales girl for two reasons:

1) 100% of the money is going to a good cause.

2) I love the fragrance of the real organic French lavender that is used to scent the wax. The clean smell of real lavender is one of my favorite things because it is so tranquility-evoking and because it reminds me of my grandmother's bathroom from when I was a kid. I don't even know why. I just think of clean linens at my grandmother's house when I smell it!

I decided that I will use this new little light as my "writing candle". Whenever I sit down with my notebook or laptop, I will light the candle to reconnect with the creative part of my brain. Isn't it amazing how quickly candlelight can completely change your mood and move your thoughts to a more centered part of yourself?

This is my tiny new ritual and I love it.

*For inquiring minds, the hair gel that I use for curly hair days is Aveda's Confixor.

The favorite lotion

2009-03-31T23:19:00.000-07:00

For those wondering about the "favorite lotion" of my morning ritual, it is the Smoothing Souffle whipped body cream by Origins. It has a wonderfully herbal spearmint scent that is not overpowering and fades quickly so I don't walk around smelling like Ben Gay. It is great for my super dry skin but isn't the least bit greasy. It is earth, animal, and people friendly too. What's not to love?

Everyday rituals

2009-03-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about rituals lately. Specifically, I have had it on my massive "someday" list to create a morning ritual for myself. Some ceremonious way to greet each day with intention. I have imagined this to include pots of steaming tea and meditation. Newspaper reading and yoga. Writing exercises, music, and candles.

A few weeks ago I was in a huge rush to get out the door on an ordinary but busy morning. I had just enough time to take a quick shower but no time for my favorite body lotion. I was so annoyed by skipping my lotion that it stuck in the back of my head all day.

Why did such a simple thing make the rest of my day feel off? Is my skin really that dry? No. There was such a good lesson in this for me! What I discovered is that I do have a morning ritual. There is no pomp and circumstance involved however, my ritual is sacred nonetheless. Every morning I take a shower to wash away the previous day. Every morning I take a few moments to dry off and then apply my favorite lotion. When I get dressed for the day, I have washed away everything that came before and I am centered and set to begin another day. This is more than hygiene- it is, in my hurried world of now, how I reset.

From one of my all-time favorite books (Robert Fulghum's "From Beginning to End, The Rituals of Our Lives"):

"Rituals do not always involve words, occasions, officials, or an audience. Rituals are often silent, solitary, and self-contained..." ~ Robert Fulghum

I am now reflecting on other quietly meaningful routines in my life. I don't want to miss their significance. Rather, I'd like to savor their comfort and purpose. I have a tiny new ritual that started in a round-about way. I'll share more details on that in another post.

I love this topic- feel free to comment on your own rituals and routines!

Chipping away

2009-03-23T22:21:00.001-07:00

Last Tuesday I rode my bike 13 1/2 miles on a section of trail that I had never been on before. The air temperature, probably somewhere in the 60s, and the golden light of early evening made winding through the oak trees and spring grass even more beautiful. There were deer and wild turkeys everywhere even though there were tons of cyclists and runners on the trail. I felt so much a part of this place while I was riding. I spoke the language of the other cyclists ("on your left...") and breathed in the earthy smelling air, making it a part of me.

In the last few minutes of my ride, I started to feel a bit tired as I pedaled hard up a small hill. I channeled my mental energy to my legs and told my quad muscles, "keep going, keep going, keep going," to the cadence of my pedal strokes.

In this moment something interesting occurred to me. I have a past dotted with difficult things. I've had many struggles for different reasons. My perseverance past these bumpy things has left me well-trained to press on. Each and every experience in my life has helped to carve me. I am thankful for them all- the good, the difficult, and the seemingly impossible. I'm especially thankful for the strength I've gained and for how, like a samurai with a sward, my survival skills are automatic.

When asked about how he created "David" from a giant piece of stone, Michelangelo said that he just "chipped away everything that didn't look like David". When I saw "David" in Italy in 2001, I had tears in my eyes when I saw just how amazing and perfectly human he was. I was in a place of internal turmoil then and the tears were about how much more real and solid he seemed than I.

As I hammered up the last hill, I realized that my new plans for triathlons and a half marathon are my new tools. I have left the corporate world for now, so I am no longer refining myself by my old definition. I am finding new challenges, new passions, new ideas. I am chipping away what doesn't fit and keeping what is so human and so me. I think this is a life-long process and, for that, I am grateful.

Thaw

2009-03-19T22:18:00.000-07:00

A while back I wrote about how, despite the fact that I'd been blogging for awhile, I wasn't keeping a personal journal at the same time. I'm reflecting on that today and I believe that my dilemma was less about the choice of medium that I was grappling with and more about a lack of spontaneous inspiration. My creative mind was hibernating and the pull of the pen-on-paper tide wasn't enough to wake it.

Now, I'm working my way back from a quiet stretch of months. Recently I bought a cute little notebook and tucked it away in my purse/diaper bag. Almost immediately I pulled it out to write down a thought or an idea then tucked it away again...and again...and again.

My jotting hasn't stopped and every time I reach for my little notebook I feel a little more energy and the peace that comes from safely stowing my quickly passing inspirations. I love my notebook. I love the giddy excitement that I feel when I open the spiral bound pages. But mostly, I love the feeling that a part of me that I've missed a lot is thawing. I'm getting my mojo back.

Happy Spring!

Simple unexpected coolness

2009-03-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

I received these purple potatoes in my CSA box last week and I was so excited! It's the simple things that keep me going...

I roasted these in the oven with olive oil, garlic, onions, and fresh herbs. I think next I'll try purple mashed potatoes- how cool would that be?!

It really is the simple pleasures that keep life interesting, isn't it?

Catching a break

2009-03-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a dream that you're trying to get somewhere (like work) on time but things keep getting in your way until you're like eight hours late? My evening was like that. I rushed around to get both of my kids ready and in the car so that I could drive across town to hand them off to Steve so that I could meet up with my triathlon training group. I coasted into the park where we were meeting with one minute to spare and felt rushed but happy to have made it. Steve looked in the back of my car and said, "where's your bike?". Damn. I completely forgot that we were starting with cycling tonight. Damn. When did I start forgetting important things like this? Damn.

Steve and I traded cars so that he could take the kids back home. I spoke to my tri coach and we decided that, yes, I should go back home to get my bike. I make the 15 minute drive back home feeling super stressed out. When I got home, I learned two things: 1) my bike does not fit in the back of my car and 2) both of my bike tires needed air. To save time, we put the bike in our truck instead of my car and tossed the tire pump in the passenger seat for me to deal with the tires back at the park. As I drove the 15 minutes back to the park, realizing then that I was about 45 minutes late for tri training, I saw the gas light come on in the truck and the truck gave me a warning "ding" sound. Damn.

I pulled back into the park just in time to join the second group of cyclists getting ready to take a short ride. As they rode off, I fussed with my tire pump. It would not connect to the tire stem...it wouldn't inflate my flat front tire...my hands were turning black from trying. I took a deep breath and thought, "come on, can I have a little good luck tonight?!". There may have been some explatives in that thought as well.

Somehow I managed to get the front tire inflated and decided that the back tire would have to do without the extra air. I hopped on my bike and rode as fast as I could, keeping my eyes peeled for my tri group. I managed to find them and, even though I was a ways behind the last rider, I felt like I could let go of my worry about being lost. As I sprinted along the bike path trying to catch up, I looked up to see the most amazing sunset. The sky was full of red and pink so vivid that, had I encountered a stranger along the way, I would have been moved to make a comment like, "wow! Nice sunset tonight!".

I finished the ride right behind the group and felt great to have all the "hurry up" behind me. After talking with a few fellow riders, I gathered my things to head home. Walking back to the truck, I looked up to see a huge moon rising through the trees. It was one if those moons that makes you stop what you're doing to stare at it, if only for a minute.

I smiled and sighed as I climbed into the truck. I planned to stop at a gas station on the way home and took a slightly different route to make that work. I must have been daydreaming because I nearly passed the gas station. Just as I was about to miss the turn, the truck gave me a reminder "ding" and I made the turn just in time.

Today's message was clear- I felt as though the universe was saying, "today is going to be hard but I've got your back.". Thanks. I'll take all the help I can get.

Wasted

2009-03-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

A few days ago my friend Stephanie wrote a blog post about feminism and gender discrimination. This topic has stuck with me, in particular the phrase "opt out" used to describe a choice made by professional women to leave the workforce to raise their children. I agree with and second Steph's scream about the inequality of women's wages and the scapegoats in the data that some would use to explain the gap. I too believe that there is gender bias hiding in the numbers and that is maddening!

I am a woman who has experienced both the life of a working professional mom and, now, the life of a stay-at-home-mom. I am one who has "opted out". The world has a lot to say about this (see "Opt Out or Pushed Out" if you want to know a lot more). In a nutshell, the debate is about whether professional women who leave the workforce to raise their children ("opt out") do so because that is really their first choice or if they are forced into this decision by other factors such as work environments that are not supportive or surreptitious gender expectations that push women and men toward "traditional" roles, i.e. "housewives" and "breadwinners".

I won't wax on about the tremendous importance of the work that moms do (well, maybe I will, but in another post) or how I empirically know that being a full-time mom is much harder than being a six-figure professional. What really gets me fired up is the implication that women who are fortunate enough to have had the choice to leave the corporate world are less valuable as societal contributors for having done so. The stigma attached to being "just a mom" erases the value and individuality of women in that role. Their education, uniqueness, and intelligence are no longer considered a part of their whole- they are wasted assets. Women, wether working inside or outside of the home (or both), deserve the same respect as valuable individuals and crucial contributors. Yes, I believe that there is inequality in wages. I also believe that there is inequality in terms of respected value. That pisses me off!

The other side of the same coin is women who have chosen to not have children. For you, I believe the corporate world asks "when?". I believe that question comes with the expectation that it is inevitable that family will take over your brain. That, at some point, you will no longer be as valuable because, after all, you are a woman and women think about babies and scrapbooking, right? That pisses me off too!

I invite you to think about this and to comment if you feel moved to do so.

A brief departure from all things blossom-y

2009-03-02T21:37:00.000-08:00

To the guy who's butt crack was staring me down at the gym today: I congratulate you for being at the gym-way to go! Really! But please, please, puuulease buy some bigger shorts. Please. Thank you.

Ok, back to blossoms, love, and cuteness..

Favorites

2009-02-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took the boys for a neighborhood walk just so I could take a picture of a tree. Not just any tree, mind you, this tree is my favorite tree, in full bloom, in my favorite weeks of the year. I told Jackson that I would take him to the park but that we had to stop along the way to take a picture of said "favorite tree". He agree to my deal and pointed to each tree on the way asking, "is that your favorite tree?"

There is a row of trees with pink blossoms and perfect brown-black branches growing out of dewy green grass in the center of one of the busiest streets in my city. I want so badly to take their photo, but that would require me putting my car full of children in park in the fast lane of a 45 mph zone. My pictures of those trees will need to remain snapshots in my mind even though I get an anxious feeling every time I see them and hear the voice in the back of my head screaming, "the blossoms are going to fall off any day! You're missing it!" Shush to the inner me! I love those trees now, in the very short window of their pink fluffy days, and that's what makes this time of year so darn special.

Here are some shots that I took yesterday around our house. The Japanese Magnolia is the infamous "favorite tree". Love, love, love it!

The Japanese Magnolia (aka "Favorite Tree") with the gray sky behind:

Magnolia Blossoms in different lighting:

Fruitless plum tree blossoms in our yard:

(All photos taken with Canon Rebel xsi)

SAHM I Am

2009-02-20T23:10:00.001-08:00

I spent the last 8 1/2 years of my life wearing the badge of a company that brought so many good things to my life. I am extremely proud of what I learned and accomplished there and of the person that I became along the way. There were certainly a lot of ups and downs but leaving my job to begin my next big challenge has been a bittersweet experience. I am having some growing pains, for sure, so I bought myself a present to celebrate the beginning of what's next. This necklace is like a "badge" as I begin my new job of stay-at-home-mom (SAHM):

Just like this collection of rocks and sea glass from one of my favorite beaches, I have carefully stowed away my favorite memories. Each is special to me for a different reason and all of them are mine to keep.

My necklace was created by Andrea of Superhero Designs. She sent it to me with a cute little card that read, "This is your very own Superhero necklace. It will protect you from harm, attract people to you, and create magic in your life." Thank you Andrea!

I heart today

2009-02-15T23:24:00.002-08:00

Firelight flickering on pine walls. Babies sleeping. Snow falling. Soup simmering. Not waiting for brownies to cool. Ideas brewing in my mind. Inspiration creating momentum in my planning. Snuggling. Relaxing. Laughter and silence. Snowman building. Cushy socks and sweatpants. Red wine. Time to breath. Friends e-mailing. Family togetherness. Coffee and tea. I heart today.

Happy (late) Valentine's Day!

Congruent

2009-02-06T15:07:00.001-08:00

Last January, as I was attempting to conjure up a list of resolution-like somethings, one word kept flashing in my mind. Congruent. As I jotted down some things that I'd like to accomplish in the year, the word got louder. CONGRUENT!

I have a history of being a major control freak. I would expend so much energy unnecessarily managing even the most insignificant details of living. At some point, several years ago, I decided to work on that. I wanted to save my energy for big things and things that actually matter. Fast-forwarding to now, I have learned to let go of a lot. I am still freaky about some things but, people, I don't even keep a checkbook register. I've grown.

The other night, it occurred to me that I have a habit of choosing the most difficult path in life. I have some faulty programming in my brain that says that the things that are the hardest to do are the most noble choices. Wow, is this a control freak left-over of mammoth proportions? Or am I freaky in another way? Whatever it is, I have decided to take a better look at this trait of mine.

I have curly hair. Some of my friends don't even know this about me because I blow dry and flat iron like a mad woman to get my hair to be smooth and straight. I like the way it looks when I take the time to tame it. I've done this since 1991. Whoa. Since I have begun to embrace the idea of simplifying, I have gone curly a few times. I still blow dry some days but I'm going curly much more often. I'm going with the flow of what is. Congruent.

Now, the big big biggie. I work in a job that pays me well to do respectable work. I get a lot out of that. I have a professional existence. I get to do grown-up things. I get to be good at something and respected for it. That all comes at the cost of time, though. I get up before the sun. I go to bed too late. I am in a hurry every minute of every day. I don't have time for long sentences let alone leisurely meals. My kids have 11 hour days. While I've tried and tried to find my peace in this reality, I cannot. I can't get out of my head that I'm sacrificing time in the most beautiful stage of my children's sweetness to keep up this schedule. This path of ideals is hard but it is not congruent with my real values.

On February 19th I will begin my walk down the road less traveled. I have decided to do what I WANT to do instead of what I believe I SHOULD do. My commuting and hurrying will end. I will focus on my family and on building a peaceful foundation for my kids. Don't get me wrong, this isn't the easy road- it is probably the hardest path I could take. But it feels right in my heart and that part is easy. Congruent.

“Peace is not something you wish for; it's something you make, something you do, something you are, and something you give away.” ~ Robert Fulghum

Dear Jackson,

2009-02-04T21:58:00.001-08:00

Dear Jackson-

You're three years old! I can't believe how much you have changed and grown this year. You started the year as a toddler but you seem so much more like a little boy now. You're losing the baby fat in your cheeks and you're speaking in full sentences!

We went to Disneyland for your birthday this year. Grandma (Diane Bernice as you sometimes like to call her) went with us. You had so much fun and I think you liked the Winnie the Pooh ride the most- we rode it six times with you. You were afraid of some of the rides (especially when they had dark tunnels). On the way to Disneyland (we drove) we stopped in Cambria for a night. We went to the beach and the day was so perfect- not too hot or cold and no annoying wind! You had so much fun running away from the waves with your daddy and exploring the beach with me. I love that you love the beach as much as I do and I love that you, in the middle of winter, sometimes ask to go to the beach. Equally, I love when you ask to build a snowman in the middle of August!

This year you have really bonded with your friends. Gabriel (or "Gabe") is your absolute favorite. You two are crazy about each other and that is just so sweet. This morning when I took you to school, one boy (Jason) ran up to you shouting, "Jackson!!!" and gave you a hug. Gabriel was right behind him yelling, "Jackson! Jackson! Jackson!". You're a popular guy.

Speaking of school, one of your favorite things is still music time with Miss Nancy on Wednesday mornings. You adore this day of the week and you sometimes pretend that you're Miss Nancy at home. You like to hold your ukulele and pretend to play it while singing songs. Sometimes you pretend that you have some of the fun things that you play with during your music time at school and you hold up these imaginary items and say, "look what Miss Nancy brought today!" Sometimes you insist that we clap for you after you finish singing your songs.

Food, well you are still a great eater. You love pizza, macaroni and cheese, quesadillas...normal kid food. You sometimes ask for broccoli for dinner and this makes me so proud. My boy likes veggies! I think your absolute favorite food is raspberries but you're always up for eating any kind of fruit. Oh and "snowflakes"...I found some yogurt and sprinkle covered pretzels shaped like snowflakes and Christmas and you LOVED them. You're still asking for them after dinner and I don't think that the store is carrying them anymore! Yes, and sprinkles- you'll eat anything with sprinkles! Sometimes I can even convince you to eat foods with grated parmesan cheese on them when I call the cheese "sprinkles"!

You love to laugh and you have an inside game that you play with your daddy called "tickle finger". You two tickle each other and laugh about "tickle finger" and sometimes you pretend that "tickle finger" is alive and you include him in your experiences- like, "Daddy I want tickle finger to ride the train too!" So silly!

Speaking of laughs, you say some really funny things. We have tried to keep track of those for our family blog but there are so many. You crack me up. We have to try not to laugh when you say things like, "how about no?" in response to something that we ask you to do.

Earlier in the year we had a backyard play structure installed in our backyard. We told you that we had a big surprise waiting for you at home when we picked you up from school that day. You still call the play structure your "surprise".

You are an amazing big brother! When Logan arrived this year you were a bit apprehensive about our new family member. Now you are so incredible with him. You give him hugs and kisses and you share toys with him. You are so gentle with him. One day you told me, "I really love Logan, Mommy." I know a time will come when you two are rambunctious wrestling boys, but for now I love every moment of the tender sweetness.

You had a fantastic time swimming at the local aquatic center with your daddy last summer. You LOVE swimming and seem to have no fear of the water. We need to get you in swimming lessons ASAP!

Movies are another of your favorite things. You're really into Scooby Doo and Micky Mouse Clubhouse right now but you have other favorites too- like Horton Hears a Who, Madagascar and Ice Age just to name a few. You also can't get enough of the "Easter Bunny movie" that you got for Easter this year or "Blinky and the Monster" (aka Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer). I can't even count how many times we've watched those.

We have a house full of toys that you enjoy but your favorites are dinosaurs and a few favorite stuffed animals. It doesn't matter which toy you're playing with, though, the game always involves loud roaring. Always. You are a boy through and through.

You will now let us read books to you (finally!). We read a bedtime story every night and I love that ritual. You do too.

You went camping for the first time this year! You and Daddy went camping with Grandpa in his camper and had a great time. It was just a guys' trip. Just the three of you. I love that you are forming a bond with your Grandpa and Lonnie.

You were an elephant for Halloween this year. You picked that to be your costume and you'd still wear it every day if we'd let you.

I am loving experiencing the world through your beautiful brown eyes. I love getting to know the person that you are becoming. I feel so lucky to be your mommy!

Happy birthday baby!

Love,
Mommy

Spring green

2009-01-14T10:08:00.001-08:00

What would my ideal day look like? I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Probably more than I've thought about anything else, really.

When I went back to work after Jackson was born, it was out of necessity. I had no choice but to continue working, in my existing job, full time. My brain went wild creating ideas for what I would do if I didn't have to work. With the security of that being fantasy, I was sure that I would make a big change in my work if given the opportunity.

Now, I'm back to work (part-time) after being off for eight months with our second baby (Logan). Setting aside what kind of work I'm doing and for whom I'm working, part-time seems, on paper, like the perfect mix of family and employment. The tiny jury in my head is still deliberating that.

So, what would my ideal day or week look like? I know that it would include daily exercise, unhurried time with my boys, quality time with my husband, and time to nurture friendships and connect with my favorite people. I'd spend a lot of time outside. I'd take lots of photos. I'd write. A lot. I'd have a work area where the sun shines in and the tea steams. Something would need to be spring green- maybe a flower pot? The walls?

I'm not sure why "spring green". Maybe it is just because I love that color. Or maybe it is because spring green makes me think of the delicate sweet grass that covers the California foothills during the rainy season. The time of year when things start fresh and when new life starts to appear after a still monochrome winter. It is the shade of where I want to be, both literally and in development of my new normal.

Resolving to intend

2009-01-09T13:05:00.001-08:00

It is a new year. I'm back at work (part time for now). I have some new goals and ideas and some old resolutions that have gained the new momentum of January. I am scattered but I'm at peace with that. That itself is an accomplishment. I have a long list of things that I'd do this year if there were many more hours in each day. Instead of sharing that wish list, I'll share just one (or two).

A couple of years ago, I attended a 90 minute yoga class every Sunday morning. I loved it for so many reasons and that simple addition to my routine made my entire week better each and every week. I miss it and will be working to find another class that fits my new schedule and that feeds me like that one did.

One of my favorite things about the Sunday class was that the instructor, in her full hippie-granola glory, asked us each to choose an intention at the beginning of our practice. The intention was to be something that we could focus our energy on or to dedicate our practice to. For example, one class I heard the little voice in my head say, "do not poison!" To me, this meant that I should soak up the class that day and remind myself to focus on the moment instead of tainting a positive experience with negative thoughts. That was a great lesson for that 90 minutes and for the rest of that week!

I love the idea of choosing intentions! Not just for yoga practice, but for every new day. This year, I will strive to create a morning ritual. While I'd like that to be a sacred time involving a pot of tea, sun salutations, meditation, and the sunrise; realistically, since life is about pursuing happiness and not exhaustion, it will be much less involved. I will aim to choose an intention for each day. I have a new book that was a Christmas gift from a good friend (thank you Claire!) that I will use as inspiration: A Year of Living Your Yoga: Daily Practices to Shape Your Life by Judith Hanson Lasater.

I won't beat myself up for missing days, I'll just enjoy the days that this works for me.

Happy New Year, happy Friday!

Pinks and purples

2008-12-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

There was an amazing sunset tonight. The kind that turns the whole sky pinks and purples and makes the clouds look like mountain ranges in the sky. The filtered evening light completely changed the bland landscape of Suburbia to a mood of vacation. Like a room with a new shade of paint, the shift was dramatic.

As I drove down the streets of our freshly painted city, I was listening to Jack Johnson and thinking about the holidays. I hate the hurry scurry and the "doorbusting" on the surface of December. I love the feeling of new that always comes with January. That isn't to say that I'm not looking forward to Christmas, though. My Christmas list is just a little different than the norm. This year I'm wishing for more unexpected sunsets, more surprisingly funny moments, more last-minute visits from family, more "holy moly!", and more moments like this:

May your holidays paint your sky pinks and purples and be filled with gifts that endure.

Some poignant words to ponder from Jack Johnson:

Gone
“Look at all those fancy clothes,
But these could keep us warm just like those.
And what about your soul? Is it cold?
Is it straight from the mold, and ready to be sold?

And cars and phones and diamond rings, Bling, bling, because those are only removable things.
And what about your mind? Does it shine?
Are there things that concern you, more than your time?

Gone, going.
Gone, everything.
Gone, don’t give a damn.
Gone, be the birds, when they don’t wanna sing.
Gone, people, all awkward with their things,
Gone.
…”

~Jack Johnson

Giving thanks

2008-12-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

(Yes, that turkey is vegan...weird, but true!)

We celebrated Thanksgiving in a quiet way this year. Although we are not vegan every day, it feels right to give thanks that way; stepping softly on the planet. In only one day, I am thankful for my beautiful kids, my perfect-match of a husband, the great outdoors, family and friends near and far, vegan chocolate cake, organic cotton flannel sheets and my cool stainless steel water bottles...

I could list a thousand other things for which I am grateful. I am a lucky girl! As we are now in the full throes of the "holiday season", I hope to keep that in mind, to remain centered amidst the chaos, and to keep a peaceful heart.

“Peace, it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, no trouble, or no hard work…..it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”
~Unknown

May you too sleep in heavenly peace. Namaste.

Yoga time out

2008-11-15T22:20:00.001-08:00

I came down with a mild cold early this week. Instead of hitting the treadmill and depleting my body even more, I opted for a couple of yoga classes this week. It has been way too long since I have done that!

My yoga mat is more thorough than a doctor visit for a check up. I can so clearly gauge my heath and happiness from that vantage. When my balance is good in tree pose, it is a sign that life isn't overwhelming me at the moment. When I can breath freely while holding strong in a triangle, my anxiety is low. When my crocodile is smooth and slow, I feel strong and confident off the mat. When forward folds feel really good, I am happy and content. When I can hold and enjoy pigeon and crow, I am on top of the world.

My return to my mat this week revealed to me that I'm out of balance in a lot of ways. I am thankful for the break that having this cold forced. I have resolved to include a yoga class each week. Not to fix some things or to focus intently on some others. Just simply to be there, in my skin, and breathing.

Books

2008-11-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

Both of my kids are actually sleeping at the same time right now, but I must type quickly...this can't last for long! I have been a blog slacker again (or still?). We're having bedtime issues with both kids, staying asleep issues with both kids, and now I have a cold. I guess it can only get easier, right? RIGHT???

I haven't had any time to blog lately, but I so so miss it. I have been listening to audiobooks at the gym, though, so I have a couple to share my thoughts on.

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
This was a very interesting book! I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I enjoyed it. Sarah is clearly a history junkie and this book is like touring any and all historic places related to the assassination of former presidents of the United States. I learned a lot! This subject matter has the potential of being a real snoozer, but Sarah has a fantastic sense of humor and it made the book very enjoyable. I recommend this one for anyone interested in presidential history or if you just want to gain some facts that you can drop at the Thanksgiving table this year to make your grandma think you're really, really smart. ;-)

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I love, love, loved this book so much so that it was the only reason that I made it to the gym a few times (I only listen to audiobooks at the gym)! It was a beautiful story- tragic, hopeful, happy, and sad all at the same time. So good. I found myself thinking about how much I'd miss the characters after I finished the book (as though they were guests in my home for awhile). I definitely recommend this one!

Enchanted

2008-10-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

In the middle of most nights, I wake to the sound of Logan stirring. His grunts and baby sounds come from the baby monitor on the nightstand and I know, without looking, that it is probably between 2am and 3am. As I head up the stairs to feed him, I notice how quiet and cool it is in our house. I notice this every time and I love it. As I sit with Logan, I can hear the clock on the wall outside of his room ticking. I can hear the "Delta breeze" blowing outside. My head bobs with exhaustion. After finishing our routine of nurse, diaper, nurse, I kiss Logan's fuzzy little head and put him back to bed.

As I head back to bed, I can see the slight glow of the moonlight peeking in. I stop to look out the window. I love the way that the neighborhood is paused. I love knowing that most everyone on our street is tucked away in bed. I love that there are no cars on the road and that the leaves on the trees are blowing in the sweet smelling, early morning air.

The moon is my favorite part of all of this. I love how it looks in the middle of the night. Somehow it is different. It is high in the sky and sometimes partly covered by clouds. It has a way of making me feel happy to be right where I am- in time and in location. It gets me every time and it is the reason that I look out the window in the middle of the night in the first place.

Am I the only one who does this?

Newsflash to my inner Wonder Woman and two books

2008-09-10T15:37:00.001-07:00

Having two boys under three years old is hard. My blogging has been sporadic at best, but I'm hangin' on! Sometimes I'm torn between blogging or sleeping- right now, blogging is winning, although I must type fast because both boys are sleeping for what might not be long! I can't keep up with all of my normal things...like showering before noon (let alone swim/bike/running) but I'm doing what I can. Did I mention that having two kids under three is hard?

Reading, as one might imagine, is also hard to find time for. Fortunately for me, I have an iPod and a subscription to Audible.com. Audio books are easier to "read" in the dark when I'm trying to get a restless baby to sleep. Here are two that I finished recently.

The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
This was a fable with a moral that reminded readers to follow their hearts to realize their "personal legend" (or dreams). The book is well written (as you might assume by its popularity) and it provided a good reminder for me to tune into my heart instead of trying to make decisions without consulting my gut. I appreciated the book for those two reasons and would recommend it to others who seek those things. That being said, though, the story tended a bit toward the self help genre and that didn't really groove with my mood while reading it. It reminded me a little bit of the Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield) with its mention of "omens" (the Celestine Prophecy gets into synchronicity or the idea that there are no coincidences). I like the idea of that, but too much of it in my face when I'm not in the right frame of mind is a just too much for me.

Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen)
It is difficult for me to write this review without giving away too much detail about the book's big story lines and moments. I'll do my best to be descriptive but vague!
This book started out depressing, I thought (a 90 or 93 year old man crying because he actually gets to eat an apple in an old folks' home...). I don't like sadness, I don't like drama, I don't like fear or death or the idea of getting old. Well, loving a book doesn't necessarily mean being happy with the substance of the story. If it did, who the hell would ever watch half of what is on TV? Once I got deeper into the story, I loved it. I hated to press pause on my iPod and wanted more, more, more. It is extremely well written. So much so that I felt like I was watching it on a movie screen. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next in the lives of the people who I got to know. Hearing a man in his 90s reminisce about the days when his children (now in their 70s) were small and his house was in disarray and he would feel so damn overwhelmed struck a major chord with me. It was one of those palpable "no duh" kind of head-smacking moments for me when I was so clearly reminded that these are the salad days (he actually said "salad days" and I so agree). I am smack-dab in the middle of that kind of chaos and I have reset my "to do" list switch to "off" when my kids are awake. Some things must get done, yes, but loving kids is number one. These are indeed the salad days. I definitely recommend the book to fiction fans- even if you don't like the circus or you don't have kids!

Tagged: 6 Random Things About Me

2008-08-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Steph to share six random things about myself. Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post these six rules on your blog.
3. Write 6 random things about yourself.
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.

Six random things about me (I have shared some of these before):

1. I have a birth mark on my right leg that looks like a palm tree. I was born in a city called Oceanside...connection?
2. I am vegetarian (almost vegan) and love just about every vegetable except for beets. I can't stand them. Just thinking about them makes me shiver. Ack.
3. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue and I can wiggle my ears. Probably not at the same time.
4. I have seen Jimmy Buffett in concert...7 times. Seriously.
5. When I am not in a hurry, I actually enjoy washing dishes by hand. There is just something so zen about soap and water.
6. I have a freakishly good memory for numbers. If I have ever committed a number (e.g. phone number) to memory, it is likely that I still remember it. I don't know why.

I tag (participation optional):
Tabitha and/or Chhimi
Lynette
Miriam (6 random things about Gabriel and Sofia? :) )
Michele
Anyone else who'd like to share!

Clean shirt radar

2008-08-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

Each and EVERY time we do laundry and leave it out instead of folding it right away, Barley finds it. Even if he is peacefully sleeping under something in a totally different part of the house. Even if he is out crusing the neighborhood. Even if the laundry is cold and the same color as the blanket on our bed where we lay it out. The darn cat finds the laundry. How does he know? Why does he do this? These are only two of the many, many questions we have about this peculiar cat...

Tiny little vacations

2008-08-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a day at the spa. One of my favorite things about that experience is the wonderful fragrances of the products that are used. I love lavendar, eucalyptus, and other soothing essences.

For my birthday this year, my friend Jullee (who I've know for about 25 years) gave me these handmade body scrubs. She knows the esthetician who created them- that makes it extra cool. So far I have tried the "Peaceful" fragrance and I loved it! It has a subtle lavender smell that instantly transported me to one of those fancy day spas where they massage your feet even if you're only there for a facial and where the esthetician gives you a fresh flower from her own garden when you arrive.

I am craving a week on the beach without an agenda but, with a two year old and a new baby at home, a body scrub in the shower is about as close to a vacation as I'll get for a little while. It is amazing how that can actually make a little bit of difference.

Thank you Jullee!

Flipping through old pages

2008-07-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

I realized yesterday that I've been out of touch with my personal soundtrack and thus myself. As I was listening to a new REM album, it occurred to me that there is something in Michael Stipe's voice that takes me back to the core of myself. I reconnected with the independent me who liked to drive barefoot and wear Skin Trip coconut lotion just because it smelled like somewhere else. I remembered the winter that I listened to REM's Automatic For the People album about a billion times and the summer of Pearl Jam's Ten album.

Those were scattered and reckless times for me. I made quick decisions and wild choices. I moved a lot. I swam in lakes at night. I bungee jumped. I was as much careless as I was carefree. Remembering those times in snapshots makes me cringe but recognizing the lesser-evolved me at the center of it all is comforting. My "me" endures. Tough times pass and I always return to continue my pursuit.

Now, as I'm recovering from a bought of the baby blues and the mental plague of a car accident, I feel settled and safe knowing that, as I leave those things behind, I get to keep the good stuff. I get to keep my songs. I get to keep my smells. I get to keep all of those bookmarks to times-gone-by that form the heart of me and, even better, I get to add new things to the list that come with memories that I am so, so proud of.

Biodegradable shoes?!

2008-07-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

The past seven weeks have been quite taxing for my body, I must say. First a c-section and then a car accident (that I can't write about but, believe me, I still think about). I just got approval from my doctor to begin exercising again. Goodbye fat pants, woohoo!

I haven't actually seen these yet, but I thought I'd share a link about the BigMoGo shoes by Brooks. I'm a big fan of Saucony running shoes, but this might just get me to try on a pair of Brooks...

BioMoGo

From their website:

"Brooks Sports, Inc., a leading performance running company, today introduced from its sales meeting BioMoGo, the world’s first biodegradable midsole. Blazing a new trail in the athletic industry by offering runners more environmentally friendly footwear, Brooks designed its new BioMoGo midsole to biodegrade 50 times faster than conventional athletic shoes..."

It's summer...what do vegetarians BBQ?

2008-06-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Pizza, of course!

I have heard about barbequed pizza for years but have never had the guts to try it myself until last week. I ran across a couple of different blog posts about it recently and finally decided to give it a go. I have to admit that I was thinking that it would stick to the grill and be ruined or that it would simply taste like any old pizza that was baked in an oven. I'm extremely happy that I was wrong about both of those things! Our pizzas were so delicious! The crust was crispy and it smelled amazing. Perfect. I'm hooked.

We're still working on perfecting our recipe. I've come to see that making good pizza crust is like a science project. There are so many variables that can affect the dough drastically. I think I'll make it my summer project to find our favorite recipes. Mmmm, summer is going to be good!

For you other adventurous grillers, we started with this recipe (video here). Give it a try!

Hungry!

2008-06-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

*POST UPDATED: I forgot the garlic in my recipe, ooops! I have added that in.

I have detoured a bit from my "weird foods" series lately (when I've actually posted anything at all) but I suspect that food might ease its way back into the spotlight now that I'm nursing (aka STARVING) again.

Being at home on maternity leave frees me from the trappings of work cafeteria food and I've been eating really well despite my lack of free time. For example, this morning for breakfast I had vanilla-scented teff pancakes with bananas and real maple syrup. For lunch, I had this delicious chickpea salad on a giant bed of spinach and romaine with a couple of slices of rosemary bread that I picked up at the farmer's market yesterday. Last night I invented a delicious vegan pesto cream sauce that tasted fantastic with gnocchi and some roasted asparagus on the side. These sound like complicated things but, believe me people, they aren't. Remember, I'm home with a two week old baby and still recovering from a c-section!

Here's the pesto cream sauce that I invented (I actually tweaked another recipe slightly to come up with it). I highly recommend this with gnocchi (if you live near a Trader Joe's, they sell prepared gnocchi in their pasta aisle that only needs to be boiled for about 2 minutes).

Vegan pesto cream sauce
1 cup water
1 1/4 cups raw cashews
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Pinch of salt
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Lots of fresh basil (maybe 1-2 cups)

1. Put the water, cashews, lemon juice, pine nuts, garlic, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add the basil a little at a time as the blender is running.
3. Drizzle the olive oil into the blender as it is blending until the sauce reaches a good consistency (thin enough to pour it over gnocchi).
4. Spoon over hot gnocchi.

Mmmmm....is it time for dinner yet? How about dessert?

Getting there

2008-06-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

I'm gradually working my way back into the online world after the birth of our son, Logan. I'm recovering faster than I thought I would. I even painted my toenails today (with Zoya nail polish that is free of the nasty things that nail polish normally contains). Oh toes, it has been so long since we've seen each other!

More later.

To my baby (#2)

2008-05-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

You will be here in just two more days (or less) and we are so excited to meet you! I can’t wait to hold you in my arms and to kiss your sweet baby face. Your big brother, Jackson, has been counting down the days to your arrival too. Just this week he learned how to hold up four fingers and say, “four days to baby!” Besides your daddy, your brother, and me, there are so many people anxious to meet you. Friends and family have been calling and sending e-mails to check on us. Co-workers stop your daddy in the hall at work to ask, “no baby yet?” We can’t wait!

We have so many questions! Will you be a boy or a girl? What will you look like? And how big will you be??? (We are expecting you to be big- between 9 and 10 pounds!!!). After all of that, though, who will you be? What will you love? What will frighten you? What will make you laugh? I’m so looking forward to learning about you. I can’t wait to share the world with you - the pieces that I already know and the pieces that we’ll explore together for the first time. I want to know what “wow” looks like on your face.

We are so blessed to have you joining our family. Our home will always be a place of kindness, love, and support. A place to grow and learn. To seek comfort. To venture out from and to return to. We have been busy preparing things for you here. We think that we have everything that you need- clothes, bottles, toys, and lots and lots of snuggles.

I'm counting the minutes until I get to meet you. I will see you soon!

Love,
Mama

Large

2008-05-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

This is my second week on maternity leave. I am just over 37 weeks pregnant- that means I've reached the "full term" milestone (37 weeks = full term even though pregnancy is usually around 40 weeks). Jackson was born 10 days early, so I'm expecting to go into labor soon. Maybe in about a week to a week and a half? This birth experience will be quite different than my first, though.

After 24 hours of labor, I had shoulder dystocia with Jackson. Simply put, that means he got stuck at the shoulders on his way into the world. After a very brief delivery room panic, he was born a healthy 8 pounds and 1 ounce with no complications.

At the beginning of this second pregnancy, I mentioned the shoulder dystocia to my doctors. This was marked in my file...evidently in red ink. Last week, I had an ultrasound to estimate the size of the baby that I'm carrying. The doctor estimated about 8 pounds...at 36 weeks. Since babies gain, on average, about 1/2 a pound a week, this child could be 10 pounds by my due date. Yikes.

We talked about the risks of a second shoulder dystocia. I heard "paralysis" and "delivery room worst nightmare" and, finally, "c-section". As my eyes filled with tears, I looked at Steve and then back at the doctor. "Let's do that. The c-section. I want the baby to be ok," I said, as visions of major abdominal surgery danced in my head.

I'm still waiting for an official surgery date (I should have that in a few days). I expect it to be scheduled around June 1st (about a week before my due date is what the doctor said). I also have a feeling that I will go into labor before that. That just means the c-section will be earlier.

I must admit that I'm terrified. I'm not the kind of person who is stoic through pain. I cry when I have the flu. Please think healing thoughts for me.

We'll send an announcement to friends and family when the baby is born and post photos on the Brewer Family Blog.

A prelude to change

2008-05-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

I have worked for the same company for almost eight years. That is almost a quarter of my life. I will be working for one more week and then I will take an extended maternity leave (six months). When I remove myself from this office world, it will go on without me. The printer will still jam. The orange air freshener in the bathrooms will still be a little too strong. The lady who sits a cubical aisle away from me will still whistle for no damn reason. What will change? A lot, from my point of view. I won’t get “do you want to go to the café?” IMs from friends. I won’t have spontaneous conversations in the hallways. I won’t tag along when people leave work a little early for happy hour on a Thursday.

A coworker told me this morning how much she’s going to miss me when I’m gone and that really rattled my pregnant hormones! I’ve made some good friends at this place and am just now reflecting on how big a part of my world they have become. I have complained incessantly about working here, but I am now realizing that I’ve also found many of the things that I’ve always wanted. I have accomplished dreams that I have not yet acknowledged. I have reached many career goals. I have discovered what I’m good at and what I enjoy about the kind of work that I do. I have discovered the value of unplanned “shop talk” that leads to better work done. Impulsive, detached me has set up roots and discovered the value of time spent.

I feel like I’ve grown so much as a working person and as a human over the past eight years. How lucky I feel to recognize those things. How much I’ll miss my place in the cycle of things here. My life will undoubtedly be different in six months but I’m sure that I don’t know all of the ways that it will change. I hope to live in moments- this will be a precious time.

"Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year."
~Robert Frost

Weird foods: Seitan

2008-04-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

Seitan is a meat analog (replacement) that is made from vital wheat gluten. It is sometimes called "wheat meat" (but that name kind of freaks me out!). I've had both store-bought and homemade seitan and, I have to say, that the store-bought product looks just awful in the packaging! Really, they shouldn't put that little window on the front of the box! The first time that I bought it was to attempt a recipe that I had never tried before and just seeing seitan in the package almost made me change my mind. It has a very meat-like, animal-parts appearance!

I must admit that I don't really like fake meat products. I prefer to eat whole (identifiable) foods instead. I have enjoyed seitan in a few different ways, though. I do like that seitan has quite a bit of protein and that it is a pretty natural product. Homemade seitan only contains a few ingredients and not anything "hydrolyzed" (whatever that means) like you might find in the paragraph-long ingredient list of some other store-bought fake meat products.

Here are some of my favorite ways of eating seitan:

Seitan used in vegetarian restaurants. Many of them are Asian-themed and use seitan to simulate beef, chicken, and pork in recipes.
Seitan BBQ ribz or veggeroni
Tofurkey at Thanksgiving (seitan and tofu blend)

I have a few more "weird foods" on my list, so I'll keep posting until I run out of ideas. Thanks to Jen for her idea on xanthan gum- I have never actually used xanthan gum although I've seen it in stores and in ingredient lists!

Weird foods: Agave nectar

2008-04-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Agave nectar is a liquid sweetener (almost as thick as honey) that is made from the agave plant. It can be used in place of honey, syrup, sugar, or other sweeteners. It is quite popular in vegan cooking as a substitue for honey (many vegans don't eat honey because it is an animal product...) or with raw foodists (it is not always processed at high temperatures making it suitable for those following a raw food diet). The flavor is mild- to me, it just tastes sweet. Agave nectar can be a good choice for those with blood sugar concerns as it has a lower glycemic index than many other sweeteners.

Agave nectar is another product that can be found online or in a natural foods store. It is available on Amazon, but be aware that some of the containers are sold in packs of 12! I image that is more than most people are looking to buy!

Weird foods: Bragg's liquid aminos

2008-04-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

Bragg's liquid aminos are a very simple "weird food". This product is basically a natural, healthier version of soy sauce that can be used in place of soy sauce in anything (salad dressings, stir fry, soups, marinades, etc.). The product web page claims that it contains amino acids in "naturally occurring amounts" that benefit your health. I don't buy Bragg's because of that- I just like the taste! It is very similar to soy sauce but has a slightly smokey flavor.

Give Bragg's a try (but be warned, this stuff is extremely salty- use in small amounts). You should be able to find it at any natural foods store or in the natural foods section of stores like Raley's, Bel Air, and Safeway.

Weird foods: Nutritional yeast

2008-04-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

Nutritional yeast isn't exactly the most appetizing name for a food, is it? Even so, I have tried it in a variety of ways and I really like it.

Nutritional yeast is usually in a flaked or powdered form and, due to the fact that many brands are fortified with vitamin B12, is a popular substitute for cheesy flavors in vegan food. In fact, most of the recipes in the vegan cookbook The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak call for nutritional yeast. I have tried a few of her recipes and have enjoyed the results. I do get a little burned out on the flavor of nutritional yeast, though, so I tend to use it only occasionally.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to eat nutritional yeast:

Vegan enchiladas
Sprinkle nutritional yeast on popcorn
Tings*

*A note on Tings: This is me admitting a weakness....I love Cheetos. Gross, I know. Tings are one of my favorite discoveries. They are a MUCH healthier alternative to the real thing and they taste just as good (actually better!). You can find them at Trader Joe's or online in places like this, this, and this.

You can buy nutritional yeast online (see note on Tings for links) or in your local natural foods store...or even the bin food section of many mainstream grocery stores. Be sure to check the nutrition label to make sure that the brand that you are purchasing is fortified with B12.

Weird foods: Tempeh

2008-04-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

Tempeh is one of my favorite "freaky vegetarian foods". It can be considered a "meat analog" because it is high in protein, although, it is not intended to fool anyone into believing it is meat. It is made from fermented soybeans. I know, I know, the word "fermented" freaks me out too. Don't worry, it doesn't taste like dirty gym socks. It has more of a nutty flavor that is really nice when you brown it a little before adding it to sandwiches, stir fry, or other dishes. I have had some brands of tempeh that were definitely better than others and I greatly prefer White Wave brand tempeh. Some of them don't taste right to me, but I really like the White Wave.

You can buy tempeh in natural food stores and some large grocery stores (Raley's and Bel Air carry it). It is usually in a refrigerated section.

I think my favorite way to eat tempeh is in a sandwich. Here's a rough "recipe":

Marinate a few slices of tempeh for a few minutes or longer (the longer you marinate, the more flavor it will absorb) in a mix of soy sauce (or Bragg's liquid aminos), apple cider vinegar, and a little sweetener (I like agave nectar, but I think orange juice would work well too).
Brown the tempeh over medium heat using a little oil and/or a non-stick pan. You may pour a little marinade over the tempeh as it is is cooking for extra flavor if you wish, however it will absorb all of it and become quite salty if you used a lot of soy sauce or Bragg's so watch out!
Build your sandwich! I like lightly toasted whole grain or sourdough bread, romaine lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, carrots, sprouts, etc. on mine. I sometimes use egg-free mayonaise (grapeseed oil Vegenaise is the BEST...and I don't even like "real" mayo!) or Goddess dressing.

Happy lunching, I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!

Weird foods: Hemp seeds

2008-04-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

Because I'm struggling with blogging lately, I've decided to write a short series of posts on "weird" vegetarian foods. I hope that this will get me back in my blogging groove and also inspire some food experimentation in others!

Since I began down my vegetarian path over 12 years ago, I have heard my share of people's comments on vegetarians and our "weird" foods. In fact, just the other day, someone said to me, "the vegetarian diet is an interesting one!" (rolling her eyes). While it is true that health-conscious people have a wide array of foods that we include in our diets, I don't think that we're all Birkenstock-wearing, patchouli-scented, wackos (not that there is anything wrong with that, either!).

For the most part, vegetarian food isn't a mystery. We eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, beans and other legumes, etc. Nothing freaky there. Even you omni's eat that stuff. Venture down the center aisles of your natural foods store, though, and you may find some things that you readily assume to be vegetarian mystery foods.

Enter the hemp seed. Sounds like something that you should hide from your parents, right? Not in this case! Hemp seeds are a great source of protein, iron, and omega 3 fatty acids. They taste a bit like tiny sunflower seeds and go great in cereal (hot or cold), muffins, salads, grain dishes, etc. I was a little freaked out about them being from hemp at first, however, once I realized their nutritional benefits, I became adventurous enough to try them. No, they are not illegal, no they are not going to give you a buzz, and no you can't plant them in your garden and grow pot. They're just another edible seed. Give them a try!

I recommend Nutiva brand organic shelled hempseed. I buy mine from a local natural foods store (Sunrise Natural Foods for those in the Roseville or Auburn area), but they are also available online from stores like Vegan Essentials, Food Fight Grocery, or even Amazon.

Love this

2008-03-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea."
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery French Writer and Aviator
(via a comment, here)

Breakfast

2008-03-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

At the risk of being called a hippie freak by my near-and-dear ones, I thought I'd share my latest breakfast obsession. This is loaded with iron, omega 3s, fiber, and protein- things that a pregnant lady needs. It isn't quite as yummy as a chocolate donut, but it makes me feel 100 times better!

Raspberry Oat Bran

1 cup unsweetened soymilk

1/3 cup oat bran

1 cup raspberries (I use frozen this time of year)

3 Tbsp hemp seeds (no, these aren't illegal....yes, they are real)

1 tsp brown sugar

Put the raspberries in a bowl (defrost in the microwave if frozen). Sprinkle the hemp seeds on the raspberries.
Bring the soymilk to a boil while stirring. Reduce the heat and slowly add the oat bran stirring and cooking for about 1 minute.
Pour the oat bran over the raspberries and hemp seeds. Sprinkle the top with the brown sugar and then stir briefly to mix.

This picture isn't very good, but you get the idea:

Sprung

2008-03-04T16:47:00.001-08:00

We’ve had some big distractions from the daily grind lately. I love how spring doesn’t seem to notice, though. The sky turned blue. My favorite Japanese Magnolia’s bloomed.

The trees woke up.

It is unstoppable and I’m greatful for that. There is something magic in the shower of petals this time of year that makes spring fever impossible to avoid. I love the feeling of wearing short sleeves for the first time in months despite the fact that I’m sneezing all day. Stay with us for a little while longer, spring. Don’t let the heat creep in just yet!

"Organic soy frozen yogurt" sounds nerdy, but...

2008-02-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

I'm six months pregnant, which means I can't drink wine, I can't have caffeine, I can't do lots of physical activities that I used to enjoy (like, oh, tying my shoes), I can't even lay on my back! I can (and do), however, eat ice cream.

I realize that it is only February and many people are still working on shedding holiday pounds, but I just have to share... I recently discovered Whole Soy frozen yogurt and I was surprised at how good it was. I usually associate frozen yogurt with a dessert that we eat when we really would rather have a hot fudge sundae but we're trying to be "good". This frozen yogurt doesn't seem like diet food at all, despite the fact that the calories and fat are significantly lower than dairy ice cream. I've tried the Creme Carmel and Swiss Dark Chocolate flavors and both were fantastic. I am a food nerd, it's true, but if given a choice, I would choose this frozen yogurt over ice cream. It's just that good.

Chico Bag

2008-02-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Claire, for reminding me about the Chico Bag! I should have included this in my last post! Claire gave me a Christmas present wrapped in this reusable bag this year. What a cool idea! The bag has a tiny stuff sack built in and, stuffed, it fits nicely in my purse.

Doin' my part, huggin' some trees

2008-02-03T15:58:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd share a few tree-hugging items that I've acquired over the past month.

First, some pretty orange cloth napkins that were a gift from my mom for Christmas. I've discovered that washing cloth napkins isn't that big of a deal and that I could get used to using them all of the time.

Second, a reusable lunch bag in my new favorite shade of green. The bag is folded here but opens to hold even my large Pyrex lunch containers (Pyrex because I don't like to microwave in plastic). I found this at Pottery Barn (of all places!).

Finally, the red pouch holds five reusable shopping bags. Each bag holds about two times as much as a plastic grocery bag and they roll up nicely into the pouch that is small enough to put into a purse or oversized pocket. The bags (Envirosax) can be seen in multiple colors and materials here (I ordered mine on Amazon).

Dear Jackson,

2008-01-25T17:15:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe that you’re two! You’ve grown so much this year! You started the year on all fours but now you’re running around like a pro (sometimes chasing after the cat). For your birthday, we took to you a place called BounceU where you bounced the day away with the kids (and adults!) that we invited to your birthday party. You learned to jump (and actually leave the ground) on your birthday! You’re very good at throwing balls and your aim isn’t bad! You love to ride the carousel at the mall on rainy days but strongly prefer not to get back in your stroller afterwards. You love to walk on your own instead. We took you swimming over the summer at an aquatic center that has a beach-entry pool and you loved it. You splashed around and dunked yourself in the water- making Mommy panic! You even tried to climb up to the giant waterslide! Speaking of slides, you love to go to the park and play. You like to slide down the slide and then walk back up the slide to do it again. We sometimes go on “hikes” near our house and you love to pick up sticks and leaves and then crumble the leaves while pretending to be Cookie Monster. You love to play in the water- either in the bath or in the backyard. Your favorite thing to do in the backyard is to eat cherry tomatoes (“matoes”) right from the garden.

We’re actually able to have short conversations with you now that you have learned so many new words. You can tell us when you want to eat and sometimes what you’d like to eat. You love blueberries more than anything else, but you’re also quite fond of bananas, brocoli, peas, and macaroni and cheese. You start and end each day with a big cup of warm soymilk and, if your milk isn’t ready when you are, you become quite upset! If we gave you an entire box of Cheerios, I’m pretty sure that you would eat them all! You’re becoming very attached to our cat, Barley. You like to give him treats and then lay on your tummy to make sure he eats them all. I’ve only caught YOU eating the treats once. You’re outgrowing your clothes like crazy and you’re now up to a size 2T pants, 3T shirt, and size 7 shoe. You hate to wear hats but you’ll make an exception when it is cold out and we ask you to put on your blue fleece hat- you’ll even put that one on by yourself if you’re not too tired.

You adore Elmo and the Cookie Monster and music day with Miss Nancy at daycare. In fact, you are quite musical! I love to hear you singing the Elmo’s World song (at the top of your lungs in restaurants) and “winkle winkle” little star. You love to play the drums, harmonica, tambourine, and “guitar” (ukulele) especially when Mommy and Daddy play along. You’re obsessed with snowmen. I have to put “the snowman song” (aka Frosty the Snowman) on repeat in the car even though the holidays are over and you insist that Mommy and Daddy draw a "big snowman" on your art easel almost every day.

You adore books but don’t like us to actually read them to you (except for Goodnight Moon). You prefer that we sit with you and ask you questions about the pages. You are the first to sit down at daycare for circle time, though, and you're always front-and-center. You love to watch Elmo’s World, “ootie” (Cookie Monster), and “animals” (Madagascar). You sometimes ask to go “bye bye” just so that you can watch movies in Daddy’s car.

You love to say hello on the phone but don’t really like to listen to the conversation on the other end! You’re beginning to put words together to make sentences and I love it! You say, “bye bye Mommy” and “no biting” (to your toy dinosaurs). You love to say “good morning” when you turn on the lights on our stairs and “good night” when you turn them off. You are always asking us, "Mommy doing?" or "Daddy doing?" or just plain "are doing?". When you ask for help you say, "help, help, help" or sometimes just command, "Mommy do it!" We're working on "please" and "thank you" and you're actually getting pretty good at using them! You once said, “oh yeah, awesome!” when I was rubbing your feet. You’re so funny!

I find it amazing that you know all of the names of the kids in your class at daycare and they know yours. Some of them shout “hi Jackson!” when we arrive in the morning. Your very best buddy in the world is Gabriel. The two of you spend your days together at daycare laughing and playing. Gabriel, I’m told, even holds your hand when you get your diaper changed. You sometimes copy Gabriel and speaking to your teachers in Spanish- asking for "mas" and answering "si". You, for reasons we can’t explain, call him “Bobbo”. Your nickname in daycare is “Jacks”.

You were a firefighter for Halloween this year and you looked so darn cute! It was your first Halloween costume. We didn’t go trick-or-treating, but you wore your costume in a Halloween parade at school. You’re not quite sure that you like the idea of Santa just yet (he actually scares you quite a bit), but you love to open presents. After Christmas (and again after your birthday) you asked for “more presents?” We visited Grandpa Walt and Lonnie for Thanksgiving and you got to see snow for the first time. You didn’t hesitate to touch it and to try and throw the snowballs that Grandpa handed to you. You looked so darn cute in your winter coat with the hood up over your sweet head. Lonnie fed you so many grapes while we were visiting that you still asked for “Lonnie” (more grapes) after we got home.

You detest having your teeth brushed and don’t like having your hair combed much either. You enjoy coloring and smooshing things to make patterns in Play Doh. While you love your toys and books, you have extra fun with cardboard boxes. Especially when they are large enough for you to climb inside, count to three, and tip them over!

We went to Hawaii this year and you had so much fun at the beach. You slept great in the hotel too. I can’t wait to take you to more places!

You have a contagious laugh that makes me smile every single time that I hear it. I love you more than words can say! Your Daddy and I are the luckiest people alive!

This, your third year, is bound to be great. You will learn so much and even become a big brother in the spring. You’ll be such a good big brother! I can't wait to see what you'll learn over the next 12 months. I will enjoy every new step and I'll cherish all of the sweetness too. Happy birthday baby!

Love,

Mommy

Meme: 5 Things You Want Your Kids To Know (Before They Grow Up)

2008-01-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

I recently joined a community of bloggers in writing for our new parents' blog, Got Poo Poos? We are all parents of kids who are (or were) in the same daycare. I have been tagged by one of the community members for this meme.

5 Things I want Jackson (& future BabyBrew 2) to know (before they grow up):

Your daddy and I love you and each other more than anything in the world and that will never, ever change. We’ll support you with everything that we have even when that means watching you from a distance while you find your way.
Go outside as much as possible. Breath clean air, climb things, watch the sun set. The peace that you can find in nature cannot be matched by anything else.
When you choose your career path, remember that you have to spend the vast majority of your waking hours doing that work. Do what you love regardless of the salary.
Think independently. Make decisions based on gut feelings, your experience, and your values. Keep the potential consequences in mind but not other’s opinions of your choices.
Keep reading books, trying new things, and exploring. Never stop looking for new experiences or reasons to say "Wow!".

I had difficulty limiting myself to only five things! I suspect, as time passes, I'll want to update this.

Before Jackson was born, I wrote him a letter with everything that I wanted him to know at the time. A year later, for his birthday, I wrote him another letter with everything that I wanted to share with him about his first year. I will continue to make this a yearly tradition. You can read those letters here.

PS: I TAG anyone who reads my blog and has words of wisdom to share! Please post your 5 things as a comment to the Got Poo Poos? post, here.

Raspberry chocolate goodness

2008-01-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

It's Friday at 5pm. With our evening to do list, dinner is hours away. What should I eat? A smoothie! I whipped up a chocolate black raspberry smoothie for a snack. I'm only blogging about this because it turned out to be such a pretty color that I couldn't resist taking pictures of it! You can't really tell from these photos, but it was such a pretty deep purple...

How did it taste? It was like a rich dark chocolate shake with raspberries. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.

The recipe:

1 cup of soy milk
1/2 to 1 cup of frozen black raspberries (thanks, Trader Joe's) or your favorite berry
3 Tbsp raw cacao powder (excellent source of antioxidants!!!)
2 scoops of Vega Smoothie Infusion (great source of veg protein, iron, and omega 3s)
Seeds from one vanilla bean (thanks again, Trader Joe's) or 1 tsp of vanilla extract
Raw agave nectar to taste (to sweeten, amount depends on if you use sweetened or unsweetened soy milk)

1. Add soy milk, raspberries, cacao powder, and Vega Smoothie Infusion to blender.
2. Slice vanilla bean open lengthwise and scrape seeds into blender.
3. Blend, blend, blend. While blending, add agave nectar. Taste to adjust sweetness.
4. When blended smooth, pour into glass, take lots of pictures, show your friends, enjoy! :)

A note: I know that many of these ingredients sound like they came from a hippie cookbook. I provided links in Amazon for the less-than-normal items to help prove that they are available to even mainstream people like us! If you haven't tried some of these before, I encourage you to explore your local natural foods store (or Amazon!) and try some new things. That is how I discovered many of these and I'm so glad that I did!

Happy weekend!

For those who believe that California is full of sunshine and surfers...

2008-01-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

It is raining sideways. We have sustained winds of around 40mph and gusts that have neared 70mph. Someone's garbage can is blowing down our street. A section of our fence blew over (a thank you to our mountain-man of a neighbor who braved the wind to fix it). Trucks are flipping over. Trees are falling on houses and cars. The cat won't even go outside. The local news has pre-empted the Today Show to talk about the weather. Some poor reporter is reporting live from a blizzard in Lake Tahoe. Another is bracing himself on a guard rail next to the Causeway (a section of Hwy 80 between Sacramento and Davis). Schools are closing. Sirens are blaring. Power is out for thousands. A tall Italian cypress tree in our yard is now leaning on our house.

The fence just broke again....

...I think I'll make some tea. Happy (stormy) weekend!

The barefoot life

2008-01-03T11:30:00.000-08:00

I sometimes wish I was one of those free-spirit kind of people. Someone who could just up and move to Maui. Who could wait tables on the beach and wear only flip-flops for shoes. Someone who has time for lighting candles and for drinking pots of tea while gazing at hibiscus flowers. I imagine releasing the need to be “responsible” and feel the buoyancy of freedom from “should”. It feels as good as sunlight on the back of my neck on a cold day. I imagine the simplicity of a tiny house. A nest. I dream about the way the light is golden as the sun is setting on the beach. I yearn for days punctuated by pink and purple sunsets instead of the exhaustion of another routine completed.

Coming back to work after being off for the holidays is always hard, isn’t it?

Creativity

2007-12-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

I am in awe of the creativity of the Whale Hunt project by Jonathan Harris. Jonathan spent nine days with a family of Eskimos in Alaska on a whale hunt. He took a series of photos in five-minute intervals to create what he calls a "photographic heartbeat".

"I documented the entire experience with a plodding sequence of 3,214 photographs, beginning with the taxi ride to Newark airport, and ending with the butchering of the second whale, seven days later. The photographs were taken at five-minute intervals, even while sleeping (using a chronometer), establishing a constant “photographic heartbeat”. In moments of high adrenaline, this photographic heartbeat would quicken (to a maximum rate of 37 pictures in five minutes while the first whale was being cut up), mimicking the changing pace of my own heartbeat."

Although I am cleary not an advocate of hunting, that is beside the point. This was an amazing display of artistic creativity and I love that I am caught off guard by how cool it is!

Check it out: http://thewhalehunt.org/statement.html

(Link via Ben Saunders another very cool and extroardinarily adventurous "bloke": http://www.bensaunders.com/)

Missing the point

2007-12-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

Lately, I’ve seen a few signs posted by the side of the road that say something like, “We install your Christmas lights!” and I can’t help but to think this is sad. When did Christmas become a chore? When did we start finding the need to outsource our decorations? I’m willing to bet that the people who hire light-hangers are the same people who crowd the mall and drive like jerks to get there. In my opinion, they are completely missing the point.

I remember how exciting it was when I was a kid to pull the “Christmas box” out of the garage in early December. I still remember the way that the inside of the box smelled a bit like pine trees and mulberry candles. I loved to see the same ornaments and decorations every year and I loved to help arrange them in our house. We had a mobile that had little people dressed in winter clothes that we hung in our living room. I loved to stare at it and make up stories in my head about where the people were going (usually to a Christmas party).

We have started our own Christmas box tradition in our home now (although, I must admit, there is more than one box!). Jackson adores Christmas lights too and says “WOW!” and “Oh boy!” whenever he sees them. We don’t have lights on our house, but we may someday. We’ll do what we have time for and make those things special. We’ll leave the elaborate, outsourced yard art to our neighbors!

To me, this time of year is about peace. Peaceful winter days, peaceful family time, and peaceful hearts. Because that is what I believe, that is what I will carry with me. If it moves me to install a giant inflatable Santa on my roof, so be it. If it leaves me content to skip the lights in favor of playing with my son, that is even better.

A dilemma

2007-12-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

I have been keeping a journal since 1982. That was the year that I found "My Summer Diary" in a book club order through my elementary school. Before then, I had a diary but wrote only short sentences about my biggest secrets and kept it hidden in a top secret location. I ordered the summer diary and it introduced me to journaling- or writing about my thoughts from day to day. Granted, I was nine years old, and my entries were simple things like "I went swimming at the pool today. It was hot. My mom bought me an Abba Zabba and it was so good!"

I have not written in a journal every day- not even close. But I have quite a volume of stuff that I've written over the years. The subject matter changed along the way, of course, as did my writing skills (and spelling!). I cherish all of the writing that I have from the past even though much of it makes me cringe and think, "how embarrassing!" or "what was I thinking?" It is a part of my journey to now. It is the construction of me.

Now, I'm faced with a technology dilemma. I love my journals. I love that I can see my colored ink phase of life and the period when I decided to write my letter "a" with a little curved line on top like it is in computer font. I love flipping through the pages and looking at my past and my doodles in the margins. But, I also love the online format that journaling has taken with blogs. The two don't currently coexist for me, though- I'm not writing, by hand, in my journal and blogging. I miss the journaling and the way that it allowed me to be completely open with the things on my mind that I'm not necessarily interested in sharing with the Internet.

So what's the solution? I do have another blog. It is open only to me and I use it for writing exercises. Just practice and creative writing yoga. I could use that space for my journaling. I could add to my "things to do before I die" list in that place. I could pontificate about my life goals and fears there too. I could write bad poetry and simple plans for trying new things. The "what if" fear creeps into my head, though. What if it somehow gets erased? My neat-and-tidy, control freak brain also asks, "how can I have a box full of journals and then nothing but a URL?" The lazy me prefers typing to hand-writing but also carrying a book to carrying a computer to the coffee shop/beach/whatever. So what's the solution? I'm not sure yet. I just know that I have a journaling void that I must fill. Either with ink or with blog posts. I'll find a way. Journaling keeps me sane. I'll find a way because it has always been that way (at least since 1982!).

This is as close to actually dancing as we get...

2007-12-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

See us in action: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1167732096

(Thanks to Connie for this silly idea!)

Something to ponder

2007-12-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

“Peace, it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, no trouble, or no hard work…..it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

~Unknown

Slackery, peace, and books

2007-12-03T21:03:00.000-08:00

I have been a serious, serious blog slacker lately. A couple of days ago I read through my archives and something striking occurred to me- I used to have a brain! I used to have a lot to say and I wrote a lot. I know that my life has gotten busier over the past couple of years, but I am now becoming aware of how much that has squeezed out of my reserves. Realizing this makes me want to have something to blame. I want to say that my job is too consuming, but it isn't. I want to find a cure for our constant rush through the week, but I know that there isn't a simple solution. What I really need is to find some peace in the tiny spaces between the go, go, go. I will be off of work from the 19th of December until January 2nd and I can't wait. I'm going to bake cookies, drink cocoa, watch my beautiful son say "wow!" and "oh boy!" every time he sees Christmas lights (he really does that!), read books, and soak up every minute of my break in routine. In the meantime, I'll share a few recent reads before I forget to mention them in my blog slackery!

Healthy at 100 by John Robbins

This book was not life-changing for me but I did really enjoy it. Much of the book covers life in four different regions of the world that have a large number of people living (healthfully) over the age of 100. The healthy diets and daily exercise of the people in those places was not surprising but the simplicity of their living and the deep connections that they have to one another are enviable. It was also quite interesting to read about their different views on aging and how it is regarded by them as something great rather than something to fear or avoid.

Reason for Hope by Jane Goodall

I really, really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I think that Jane did a more thorough job of pointing out the hopeless-feeling issues in the world than describing her hope for the future. After finishing the book, I felt a little depressed rather than hopeful.

Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina

This is a fantastic reference for all kinds of questions like "how much protein do I really need and where do I get it in a vegan diet?" There is also a "Becoming Vegetarian" version. I highly recommend these books for anyone who is a new (or not so new) veg*n.

Simplicity

2007-11-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

One of the many things that I love about this time of year is that it is mandarin orange season. Like a wine lover (which I am, but that is another topic), I obsess about these little fruits all year wondering, "will this be a good mandarin year?" I know that's a bit weird, but I love them!

Today, while I grabbing a quick lunch, I discovered that the cafeteria at work had a small basket of locally grown mandarins. That, in all it's simplicity, is all it took to make my day.

A sense of accomplishment

2007-10-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

I haven’t posted in awhile, mostly because I haven’t had the energy. There has been a lot going on, not the least of which was another round of layoffs at work. Steve and I are safe but many others were not so lucky. Now, in the aftermath, our managers are asking, “what can we do to get back on track?”

I’ll be honest, the “teambuilding” activities that are designed to boost morale tend to irritate me. I’m not interested in going to the lake play “Survivor”. I don’t want to have a scavenger hunt. I definitely don’t want to wear a Halloween costume and stand around in our cafeteria pretending like I’m enjoying myself. So what will it take to make me happy? That is pretty simple, really. First, I want to work without the layoff axe swinging ever-closer above my head. Secondly, I want to work on a project that actually goes well. Where the funding rug isn’t pulled out from under our feet and, at the successful completion of which, we experience a collective sense of accomplishment. I want to high-five my teammates and say, “we did it!” and, “what a team we are!”

Last night, Steve and I took Jackson to the mall. We grabbed a few things for him, including a new winter coat. When we were home later, we tucked him into bed in his room. His belly was full and his room was cozy and gently lit with a nightlight. His pajamas were warm and his lullabies were soft. As I tip-toed out of his room, I was thinking about how lucky we are. How we’re able to provide our child with a cozy and safe room of his own and a warm winter coat for the days ahead. How he’ll never go hungry or feel unsafe at home. We’re able to provide him with those things because we work hard for the means. We are a great team. That gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

Blog Action Day

2007-10-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

I'm a day late, but I thought I'd contribute a post anyway. The point of Blog Action Day is to get as many people talking, or rather writing, about the same important issue on the same day as possible. The topic for this Blog Action Day is the environment.

I believe that, in my household, we could do more to lessen our impact on the environment in a few ways. Here are ten things I'd like to do more/less of:

1. Start composting and use the compost in our in-need-of-love garden!
2. Grow more in our tiny garden after it gets the love it needs.
3. Switch to cloth napkins.
4. Walk or bike instead of driving more often. This is tough for two commuters who have a toddler. We'll see what we can do.
5. Shop locally. We do better at this in the summer when farmer's markets are everywhere and all the yummy fruits and veggies are in season. We could be better at eating what is in season and buying it locally even in the cold months.
6. Line dry our clothes. I'm allergic to everthing outside, but I'd be willing to give this a try.
7. Replace our stuff with better stuff. When it is time to replace a car, we will look into getting a hybrid. When it is time to get a new washer, we'll look at the front-load models that save a tremendous amount of water.
8. Switch to rechargeable batteries.
9. Switch to CFL bulbs. I'm a little afraid of this because I've heard that these contain mercury and that, if you break one, it almost takes a HAZMAT crew to properly clean it up. If you know more, feel free to comment!
10. Neither plastic nor paper- I try to remember to bring my own shopping bags but I'm really bad at that! When I do remember, I bring grocery bags from past shopping trips. I'd like to replace those with canvas bags and remember to bring them to the store!

Feel free to add your ideas or thoughts as a comment!

Health care?

2007-10-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is really funny and, sadly, true.

Are you right or left brained?

2007-10-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

This is pretty cool! Go to the link and look at the spinning dancer. Is she spinning clockwise or counter-clockwise? I could only see her turning clockwise no matter how hard I looked when I first saw this yesterday. Today, I looked at her again and I was finally able to make her switch directions by looking at the wall above my computer instead of directly at her. Very strange!

Link

Happy Friday!

NaNoWriMo - Will I? Will you?

2007-10-08T10:22:00.001-07:00

NaNoWriMo. No, that's not another language. It is National Novel Writing Month. It is November. It is something that I've wanted to participate in for several years but haven't had the time (read: guts) to give it a try. This looks like so much fun. Maybe that makes me sick. I'm OK with that. The thought of starting it but not finishing makes me crazy. Maybe that makes me a control freak. I'm OK with that too.

The NaNoWriMo official site is here, but seems to be experiencing some difficulties today. If that doesn't work, there's always trusty Wikipedia to give you the 411.

Will I? Maybe. Will you?

A bit of soapboxing

2007-10-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed our trip to VegFest in San Francisco last weekend. The weather in the city was phenomenal and we were lucky to meet up with (a planned meeting) and enjoy the company of some friends of ours (K&D). VegFest itself was very similar to the event last year. I saw Colleen Patrick-Goudreau speak about being veg in a non-veg world. She’s insightful and easy to listen to. I loved her position on animal advocacy- she believes that if she sets out to change anyone’s mind, she’s setting herself up for failure with such a lofty goal. Instead, she makes her goal to simply speak her truth and, with that, she can never fail. Colleen’s new cookbook- The Joy of Vegan Baking- looks fantastic too!

We also saw Dan Piraro speak (he does the Bizarro cartoons). He’s funny but he did irritate me a little when he (a father of two) urged us all (in a comedic way) to “get fixed” so as not to have any more children and contribute to the over-population of the earth. While I agree this is an issue of great concern and I have my own related opinions on it (I also respect the choices of my friends who have elected not to have children), but my choice to have children is an immensely personal one. I don’t mean to say that I didn’t enjoy his talk/comedy (I did), I just want him (and all who applauded to his comments) to butt out of my family choices.

One of the sponsors of VegFest was VegNews Magazine. I enjoy the magazine a lot but it can be a little over-the-top for me sometimes- I call it my “militant vegan magazine”. In any case, VegNews ran an article in their May+June issue about how vegetarianism can help save the planet. I am sharing these points from the article because I found them strikingly interesting not because I am a sanctimonious vegetarian getting all up in your business.

• Animal agriculture contributes an estimated 18 percent to global warming, surpassing even transportation emissions as the primary cause. The global production of meat is projected to more than double by 2050 (source UN Food and Agriculture Organization).
• It takes 22 times the acres of land to meet the food energy needs of one person eating meat than it does for one person eating potatoes.
• It takes more than 13 times the water to produce one day’s food supply for an omnivore than it does for a vegan.
• It takes 27 times the petroleum to produce a hamburger than it does a soy burger.
• In Latin America alone, 70 percent of formerly forested land in the Amazon is now pasture, with feed crops covering more of what’s left.
• John Robbins points out that if Costa Ricans ate as much beef, per person, as their US counterparts, it would take just one year to wipe out the entire Costa Rican rainforest.
• Livestock production sucks up more than eight percent of global water use, primarily for feed-crop irrigation. Sixty-four percent of the world’s population is expected to live in water-stressed basins by 2025. You’d save more water by not eating a pound of California beef than you would by not showering for an entire year. Animal agriculture is also the largest cause of water pollution.

Virtual road rage

2007-10-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

The other day, on the freeway, I passed by a Hummer. Jackson looked out the window at the ridiculous vehicle and said “choo choo”. I can see how he would be confused! If you drive one of these as-big-as-a-train cars, I’m sorry but, I already think you’re a loser without even meeting you. I have yet to hear any reasonable explanation of why any suburbanite might actually need to drive such a thing and I don’t expect that I’ll ever hear something that will change my mind.

To those of you who opt for a more fuel-efficient and safety-conscious minivan but drive it like it is a stolen Ferrari, I don’t like you either. Slow the hell down. Being on time for your play date isn’t worth the health and safety of your family or mine.

Even baby pandas have to sneeze

2007-09-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

(Be sure to turn on the sound on your computer. Thanks to Kim for this!)

Happy weekend!

World Vegetarian Day

2007-09-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

It is time for Veg Fest again - woohoo! San Francisco celebrates World Vegetarian Day by throwing a really cool event called Veg Fest. We went last year and I loved it. Hearing John Robbins speak was the highlight of the show for me. He's amazingly articulate and insightful. I am bummed that he isn't on the speaker list this year, but I am still quite excited about the event.

If you're near SFO on September 29th & 30th, stop by Golden Gate Park and check it out. I'll be the one scarfing the insanely delicious Maggie Mudd vegan ice cream.

Hope to see you there!

Celebrity me

2007-09-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

I have been told a couple of times that I look like Kristin Davis (Charlotte from Sex in the City). Once by a man at a bar who insisted that I look exactly like her and who couldn't understand why nobody had ever told me that before. He said, "how many times have you been told that you look exactly like Kristin Davis?" At the time, I replied, "ahhhh, never?" Then someone else recently told me the same thing. Hmmm...it must be true. Funny!

Kristin Davis:

Me:

Gothic and tradition

2007-09-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
This book is a bit of a departure from my normal reading. It is dark, which I usually avoid, but I also found it very engaging. The story was disturbing in parts but I greatly appreciated the amazing creativity of the author. She did such a good job with creating the characters that I almost believe that I could invite them to join me for a cuppa and some cake if ever I’m in England! It is good rainy day reading if you’re up for something on the gloomy side. It is kind of like one of those weird late-night B movies that you can’t seem to stop watching until you see the end and then you decide that you really liked it but you’re embarrassed to tell your friends…or something like that.

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith
This is the fourth book that I’ve read from the Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency series (even though the book itself is #6 in the series). It seems that I pick one of these up at least once a summer and I always enjoy them. They are so simple and sweet. I always crave red bush (rooibos) tea when I read these books because they drink so dang much of it in the stories. This is the third or fourth summer that I have read something from this collection and I like my new summer tradition!

Tuesday

2007-09-11T12:22:00.001-07:00

Do you ever have days when you have tons of energy even though you didn’t sleep well and even though you awoke to shattered glass courtesy of your spastic cat? Days when you stumble across new music that you love and when food just tastes better? Days that it doesn’t bother you when your internet browser crashes and you just don’t care that Amazon changed their interface? For no reason at all? Thank goodness for those days. Happy Tuesday for no reason at all.

Photo taken last weekend at one of my favorite places (Montara, California - near Pacifica).

Eating mindfully

2007-09-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

I loved this post by Urban Vegan about eating mindfully. I love the idea of really paying attention to what you are eating, where you are, and the company that you are with. The concept of "creating a space" so resonates with me! Regardless of your food choices and preferences, this is so important- not just for meals, but for experiencing the "zen" in all that you do. It reminds me of the concept of "chop wood, carry water". Love it.

Eating mindfully

Etsy

2007-09-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

I have been overwhelmed and frustrated by the huge number of toys recalled recently. How can we possibley know whether our child's toys are covered in lead-based paint when there are so many on the recall list? What about the toys that look like the ones on the list but aren't quite the same? How do we know those are safe? Arg. Frustrating.

I can definitely chalk this up as another reason to avoid "mass produced" items produced in far-flung places. That is hard to do in our culture of convenience, however, technology does provide access to things sold "one-of-a-kind" too.

Have you seen Etsy? It is such a cool website! It is a way for artists of all kinds to sell their work and for those seeking unique handmade items to find them. They have quite a variety of things from food to art to clothing and all things in between. I could spend hours just browsing! I thought of Steph when I saw the Afternoon High Tea Assortment of gooodies and of Cindy when I saw the stained glass section.

Happy shopping!

Jury duty

2007-08-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

I have been selected as a juror to serve on a trial that is expected to only last through the week. Obviously I can't write about the case, but I did want to say some general things about my jury duty experience.

First, this trial is being conducted in a historic courthouse that was built in the late 1800s in Auburn, CA. I have served jury duty in this courthouse before and the history of the building lends itself to the overall feeling of "official business" that I get when I walk through its doors (and metal detector!). I love the feeling that something from the "good ol' days" has endured and is still taken seriously.

Secondly, and in that same vein, I love the courtroom rituals that have also survived the passing of time- the raising of the right hand, the rising as the judge enters the room, the referring to the judge as "your honor". There is such respect for the law and the process built into those simple acts and I am so enjoying that. I love that there are still some things that are sacred in a world filled with disrespect and disregard.

Tomorrow, despite the fact that I could show up in old shorts and a tee-shirt, I'll likely dress in my work clothes. Not because I have to, but because it feels right to me to show respect in that way and, because as we say in this modern day, that's how I roll. :)

Two more books

2007-08-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading these two books and thought I'd share my thoughts. First, both books ultimately recommend a vegan diet made up of organic fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and some soy products. They are, however, extremely different in their delivery of the information!

Disease Proof Your Child by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. - Dr. Fuhrman's belief is that following a diet of "nutritional excellence" can prevent many common childhood illnesses (e.g. ear infections) and that "nutritional excellence" as a child will protect you from cancer later in life. The book was certainly interesting and I learned a few things from Dr. Fuhrman. I am an absolute believer that diet and health are very tightly connected. Dr. Fuhrman implies, though, that any kid eating the diet that he suggests will never be sick. I disagree. We all, healthy eaters included, get sick sometimes. That being said, I wouldn't start eating junk food every day! Healthy fuel does make healthy bodies and healthy bodies have much happier lives!

Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin - Oh man, is this book crass! I also found it somewhat condescending. Strangely, though, I did like it. It covers many of the reasons that I choose to follow a vegan diet as much as possible. It addresses the animal cruelty aspects of factory farming, the environmental issues associated with factory farming, and health impacts of different foods, etc. It is a good introduction for people who are interested in learning more about a plant-based diet...if you can handle the language! An excerpt to prove my point:

"...So your junk food has a shelf life of twenty-two years and will probably outlive your fat, sorry ass. Now before you decide you're so smart because you only buy fat-free snacks, get a hold of yourself. Whenever you see the words "fat-free" or "low-fat," think of these words "chemical shit storm."

See what I mean?

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

2007-08-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

I have not loved a book this much and in this way since I read “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume when I was eleven. I’m completely serious. I could so relate to the struggles that the author was going through in this memoir- her falling apart after making a major change in her life and her quest to re-discover what it meant to be herself. Loved it. I love that she went to Italy to seek “pleasure” and to India to seek devotion and then to Bali to find balance. Loved it. I loved the personality that I could hear in her narration of the book too (she narrated the audio book). She is amazingly articulate and I found many of her descriptions of herself to fit a “me” from various times in my life in a "who's-been-listening-to-my-thoughts?" sort of way. I found myself nodding internally and thinking, “you are spot on, sister!” Excellent, excellent, excellent book. Loved it.

Big words and big hair

2007-08-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

I think I freaked out some of my friends with the outpouring in my last post. What can I say? I'm a passionate person! In any case, I'm completely changing the subject now so that I can stop obsessing about the impending changes at work for just a little while.

About a year ago, I posted a photo of myself and a poem that I'd written in 1993. I thought I'd share another tidbit or two from those days. This photo was taken in about 1990-ish and, yes, I did crop the high school boyfriend out of the photo! This is when my hair was indeed bigger than my body and way before I discovered eyebrow plucking! (Trivia- I earned the letter on my jacket playing volleyball...all 98 pounds of me. Ha!)

This poem was written in 1994 (March 6th to be exact- as it is dated in my journal). I was definitely still in the throes of 20-year-old angst. The immaturity of my writing makes my love of the thesaurus quite transparent! Despite that, though, this is one of my favorite pieces from those days. I won't share the story of how this poem came to be, mainly because it is so long. I also won't share what the poem is about- I'll leave that to your imagination! Unless, of course, you buy me a cup of coffee or a glass of wine- I'm all about good conversation over beverages.

At the Drop of a Hat

All of the darkness that I remember, as if the candle wasn't lit.

The smiling moonlight in the mirror, not a perpetual ubiquity.

Something of a square state smoothed over tentatively.

Open eyes cradle lament and don't concede to veiling abandonment.

Mesmerized by structures melting into music.

Navigation of thought by anticipation.

From coveted nameless passing, now defined as a beginning.

As slowly heat falls, now understood as a beginning.

All becomes unsure.