The anti - virgo

Ok, so if I waited 'till I knew how to anything "right" I'd be waiting my whole life. I am not a perfectionist...not even close. I remember sitting outside the window where all the "ballet moms" wait while our daughters were in class. It was a small little space with chairs gathered around so we could get a peak. Astrid was a baby at the time, mabe one and a half years old and I had brought her frozen blueberries to snack on. She loved them! And they kept her occupied and content on my lap and she nursed less often (which was like a circus freak show apparently when she did) and so she sat upon my lap and I held the container. I was just staring through the window and didn't notice the look of horror on the other parents faces as I calmly sat with my toddler all drippy, squishy and purple-y from the thawing mess. What?!? I carried wipes.

I would wipe her hands every now and again and she would continue on....



I just don't get riled up over melting, squishing, frozen blueberries if my child is happy.



But...the other moms were needing some therapy after witnessing that, I can tell you that.



Of course, some of them were actually wearing white and there were definitely some heels in the room.



Mabe that says something about my standards.....mabe it says something about our priorities as a society....you choose.



I am definitely suspicious of a very tidy house...you know the one....everything has it's place and it's ALWAYS in it. Always...even when you stop by unexpected....except, honestly...I don't know any of these people well enough to stop by unexpectedly.



A messy house is a sign of comfort...a sign of priorities....my missing sock pile.....ok, that's a bit much BUT my kids know the "magic" of mismatched socks...You do know they are magical when they aren't matched don't you?

Anyhow, the point is, I can't seem to make the text here stay in the space it was designed for...or I've chosen the wrong design or I'm not doing something I should be doing. (ugh, I said "should"). So, if you have any tips, I'll take 'em, otherwise, it could take me awhile to figure it out or it could take me awhile to care enough to figure it out. If I had waited until it was perfect, I wouldn't be here with you right now.

I have found an exciting thing that I will share with you another day...it relates to the topic but I want to show you and I can't figure out how to get the pics off my camera onto the computer...I know, there's a cord...I did that but it's not working....so, soon. Stay tuned.

with love and messiness, Tricia

The Oculatum

Four lines repeated six times thrice throughout the day....

The wise
journeyman
will measure
twice fold


Now write it downd on a scrap of paper and put it in your pocket....

A Strong Woman

A Strong Woman

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape-

But a woman of strength looks

deep inside to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything-

But a woman of strength shows

courage in the midst of her fear.

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her-

But a woman of strength gives

the best of herself to everyone.

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future-

But a woman of strength realizes

life's mistakes can also be blessings and capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks sure footedly-

But a woman of strength knows

when to ask for help.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face-

But a woman of strength wears

an aura of grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey

But a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey

that she will become strong.

~Author Unknown (unless you know?)

with love, Tricia

So, I wasn't planning on blogging about everything but this is kinda like a journal only different. Anyways, I chipped my front tooth AGAIN last night...it's utterly ridiculous really...my front tooth, seriously. And each time it happens it seems I have to work the next few days.

This time I was biting my fingernails...I know, bad habit...that'll teach me not to bite them...ah, no, I've been biting them since I was five...my dad used to put black electrical tape on my fingers to discourage biting them...didn't work...my mom tried putting on this bitter tasting stuff...didn't work...It's habit and it's not on my list of things "to change about me"....(I would like skinnier thighs...but that's another story)...So, anyhow, crunch, gasp...look in mirror...gasp...the horror...my front tooth is chipped again. Seriously.

Last time it chipped...five months ago...yeah, that's right...the damn tooth didn't even last six months...it cost me 200.00 bucks out of pocket cause our dental won't cover that tooth for another two - five years....

But the alternative...hillbilly smile (not that there's anything wrong with that) but seriously!?!

Now, I'm not a very vain person...I really , truly, don't spend alot of time on personal grooming...although, I will admit that since my kids aren't sitting outside the shower in their carseats waiting for me to finish showering....that i do enjoy having a shower, conditioning my hair and even blowdrying it. And because I can, I sometimes take up to 30 mins to do all that from start to finish....it's been years coming though, trust me.

But, I'm not the mom with manicured nails (obviously, if I bite them) or polished toes...my toes are sore from wearing steel toed shoes at the liquor store (ouchy) and my make-up...non existant for the most part...I think my kids wear my make-up more than i do....why do i think that? Because i seem to break out in itchy watery eyes every time I wear eye stuff....yup, I think they've highjacked my make-up.

Speaking of make-up...it's my ultimate useless splurge sometimes...the splurge because...i'm a woman, I'm old, (mature-ish) and I might as well try to look my best now...cause this is my prime...apparently. I only buy it sometimes, and not that often and I usually don't know what to do with it once I get it home...but I feel grown up.

So, back to my chipped tooth. It just reminded me how low on the priority list my vanity is until it's my front tooth...then I want it fixed...no matter what the cost. Seriously.

It's got me thinking...I might even shave my legs.

xoxTricia

Blueberry Girl - New from Neil Gaiman

My newest armchair reading material is the book The Wonder of Girls by Michael Gurian. Here is a good article http://www.michaelgurian.com/seattle-p-i.html . It is never too late on the path of parenting to explore new therories and put good wisdom to the test...so, I'll let you know how that goes....Either I read the book or it ends up on my shelf with all the other parenting books that just seem like good ideas.

Have a great weekend!

with love, Tricia

More on mango mama...

http://web.archive.org/web/20000707005718/http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods/2924/index.html

Oh my...that is a looong web address link...I hope it works...

If it does, it is a link to Mango Mama's original web pages...there is some interesting stuff there. In fact, alot of really good stuff.

It reminded me too that this web stuff lasts as a testament to a "moment in time"... it will be here in the bowels of the cyberworld long after we are!

Mango Mama started a blog a few years ago but it has not been updated lately. There are a few gems here as well and for me...it completes the story. My obsession with rise and fall of the Perfect Natural Mother can be put to rest. I'll still search out "great women" bloggers and whatnots to inspire me, help me raise my bar (of standards,not drinks), encourage me to be creative, and to love this life!

I must admit though...my greatest inspiration...it's you! Yes, you! The friend/mother/sister/woman who has stopped by here to lurk, to browse, to compare, to check in, to show interest, to be present...it is you who inspire me. I love that the world is at our fingertips each waking day...and what a big, wide world it is...but it is the tiny cubby holes and the prescence of good people that really make me want to sing (even though I sing badly)! The beautiful people in my life have brought more beautiful people and I hope that will continue and I am grateful for this! It is the simple woman, the mother who will bake a friend a casserole when she can't bake one for herself, the woman who says.."let's share a bottle of wine or if that's too ambitious...let's just steal a moment here together", the woman who's home you never feel like a stranger in...in fact you rarely knock (except to give her time to put a bra on or not), the woman who gives you a hug upon each greeting and in her arms your heart expands....cause there's just not enough hugging going on out there.... because we are all sisters and we're enough! It's the little things we do and do for each other that inspire greatness.

And because this is a follow up and conclusion to Mango Mama, remember to be gentle with yourself.

So, Mango Mama's blog http://jennifervanlaanen.blogspot.com/

with love, Tricia

Full Moon

Happy Full moon in may. May's full moon is known as the Hare moon or full flower moon.

Here is an interesting website with all kinds of moon lore and useful and interesting information.

http://www.moonsmuses.com/moonphases.html

A cool website with Full Moon Feasts recipes is http://www.siennese.com/~prentice/feasts/

Happy full moon!

xoxTricia

Ever heard of or remember Mango Mama? She was around on the net in the nineties...before blogs, before facebook, before twitter...before I was handy with a computer. I was introduced to her through a friend who was good at surfing the net and finding useful or interesting information.



Mango Mama was the poster mom for natural parenting. In fact, she and her family were pictured on the cover of the book Primal Parenting written by Hygeia Halfmoon. She was radical, she was opinionated, she was Mother Superior of Attachment parenting. And then, as life continued on, as it always does, she disappeared. Well, her web prescence did anyways. Like I mentioned, I was introduced to her through one of her followers (kinda cultish, but that's what it's called, right?) and I didn't really notice when she wasn't there anymore....but years later, I remember someone saying "Remember mango mama?" and it was then that I reconnected with the net to search out what had become of mango mama.....and well, I was surprised.

It seems mango mama kinda snapped. She reached her tipping point, it had been teetering for some time and when she fell, she fell hard. It would be like Soulemama abandoning her handmade life, take up cigarette smoking, eat process foods only and work at (gasp) Walmart.

Mango Mama, the organic, no mother substitutes, unschooling, militant breastfeeding, family bed advocate, fruitarian had an afair with a married man, put her kids in school, left her husband, abandoned her children and got a job.

She came back on line to years ago to explain what happened. I am fascinated by her story I think because I was in awe of Mango Mama way back when, and I guess her humaness is reassuring cause I certainly wasn't adding up when compared to Mango Mama. I don't take delight in her fall...I feel deep compassion and empathy for what she must have been going through. And it reminds me of the moments when i have reached the breaking point. When the thankless, underpaid, under-appreciated job of Motherhood almost swalled me whole. Somehow, I was able to belly crawl back up to the light and reconnect with what it's all about. Remind myself that Motherhood is a spiritual journey for me, not in the flaky, it's all bliss kinda way but in the nitty gritty, where the hell is my centre, my minivan is my temple, find the gems, remember it's about the journey not the destination, pull up my boot straps and accept myself for who I am, Mother and all in THIS moment.

And reach for balance....Mango Mama now wants you to know that she wasn't balanced. She urges you, pleads with you to reach for balance. Easier said than done but the old adage "When mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." is pretty true. We can't do it all, nor should we have to. Finding my tribe has been key to rejuivanating myself as a woman first, then a mother...or is it the other way around?
And what next, what happens when my tribe stays the same but I am heading towards transition? What then? I'll keep you posted.

And so, this is a cautionary tale in part. Be good to yourself. You deserve it. You're worth it. your children will thank you for taking care of your wants/needs/desires.

There are many resources out there to inspire you...

http://www.karenmaezenmiller.com/ of Cheerio Road

http://www.kindredcommunity.com/ interesting site, good articles, very interesting

http://www.mamrenew.ca/

Book The Mother's Guide to Self Renewal by Trudeau

Flex Born in bed at home Ad 2009 Subt eng

This ad was shared with me from another BFW mentor. Seems like we have a long way to go over here in North America as far as natural birth goes.....

Compare this to the images we see on t.v., magazines, movies. Wow!

I love the sibling involvement here too.

The Cracked Pot

The Cracked Water Pot

A water bearer in India had two large pots,
one hung on each end of a pole which he carried
across his neck. One of the pots had a crack
in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always
delivered a full portion of water at the end
of the long walk from the stream to the
master's house. The cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master's house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it
spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.
"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

Why?" asked the bearer.
"What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house.
Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.
But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?
That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers
to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Moral:
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots.
But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. There is a lot of good out there.



Isn't this so true in Motherhood as well? There are so many standards to live up to, or not. So many Soulemama's and Farmmama's and Perfectmama's and Livingsimplymama's and Ecomama's and Organichighpriestessmama's and Workinforalivinmama's and Followingmyblissmama's and Yummymama's and Mainstreammama's and Hipmama's and Spiritualysuperiormama's.....it's hard to be a DoingthebestIcanmama since the women's liberation movement. Not that I don't support equal rights or women's rights or women's right to equal liberation, I do. Sometimes it seems that as far as Motherhood goes anyways, there isn't really equal....the Mom will always be the Mom and being the mom requires a different sort of sacrifice, a different sort of surrender, a different meaning to the term "parenting". It's good to have those role models or "standards" to inspire us and help us set new goals and I believe it helps us find our tribe as Mothers. We align ourselves with others that think like us, live like us, parent like we do...it re enforces our values and sense that we are living well or doing a good job.

So, the only downside to all those role models and examples out there would be when we judge ourselves or others based on idealism's. Often when we are judging someone else it's not about them...in fact, it's never about them...it's about ourselves. Always. And so, ramble ramble, back to the cracked pot....my kids will always have something from their childhood to discuss with a therapist....but they are my flowers, each different and unique. And mabe one day they will appreciate my weaknesses as "gifts" that helped shape them into the wild and crazy flowers that they are!

Even if they never have socks that match and a billion others to sift through.

with love, Tricia

Your Brain on Drums

This is the youtube video by Layne Redmond about When Women Were Drummers.

Happy Monday

Last night a wonderful , talented, creative, spirited, confident, loving, giving, daring, fun loving friend had a birthday bash to celebrate her 30th anniversary of her years on the planet. It was a great jambalaya of family friends, young and old celebrating together. It is so yummy, so rejuvenating, so soul food feedin' and FUN to have a night with friends and families and wee ones under foot, glo sticks abound, giggles and smiles, nursing babies and pregnant moms....all drumming and dancing and sharing food in joyful enjoyment, celebrating! I love that!

I love drumming...we started the evening off on the right beat with an energizing drum circle lead by the Great Bobby Bovenzi of Nankama (www.nankama.com) a leader in African and world drumming and a good friend. There's something magical about a room of people, children crawling around the circle, babies on laps, friends and strangers mingled together creating a pulse, a beat, a rhythm, a VIBE! It was great! It reminded me how much i love to be a part of that beat, even though this pale faced girl from Northern Ontario can hardly keep a beat....all is forgiven in the drum circle and when I loose the rhythm as I inevitebly do...I know to come back to the heartbeat...boom, pause, boom, pause....wait, listen....boom, pause, boom....

There is a book out called When the Women Were Drummers by Layne Redmond which I have yet to get my hands on but it tells of the history of women and drumming. I will post the video next. I have also been inspired by Nikiah of Redmoonkeeper (www.redmoonkeeper.com) who offers Red moon drum making workshops in Vancouver.....I'd love to attend.

We don't need the straight line to nowhere. We need the circle to hold us.

We don't need the solitary confinement of modern life; we need the embrace of community.

We can't lose sight, lose faith, courage, forget who we are. We have to remind each other.

We don't need to be warriors. We can be dancers.

~Karen Andes A woman's Book of Power

And so the rest of the night...we danced like noone was watching.....

with love, Tricia

The Oculatum Day 6

The final day...well, at least for round one. I mean, who couldn't use illumination on a daily basis?



The four lines read as follows:



LOOK TO

THE LIGHT

AND SHADOWS

FALL BEHIND



Thrice now, thrice again and thrice before retiring.



Now, have you given thought as what it is you require clarity on? After the sixth day the reader may have discovered a greater sense of awareness and focus. Therefore any decisions to be made can now be acted upon.

What has been puzzling you lately?

with love,Tricia

The Oculatum Day 5

The four lines for day 5:

CLAIM NOT
AS RIGHT
THAT GIVEN
IN GIFT

Three times now, three times noonish, three times around bedtime.

in anticipation, Tricia

Oculatum Day 4

Feeling any insights yet?

Here are today's four lines :

PROGRESS
COMES NOT
WITHOUT
CHANGE

Thrice now, noon and upon retiring for the evening.

Meditation

The Labyrinth has been used for centuries as a meditation tool. Here you can trace the image with your finger on the screen. We are fortunate enough here to have a wonderful labyrinth right here in our very own backyard community of Naramata. You can visit the labyrinth at Naramata Centre anytime...

Here are a few links for online resources and more fun labyrinth stuff...
http://www.angelfire.com/tn/SacredLabyrinth/
http://www.gracecathedral.org/labyrinth/interactions/index.shtml
Again...if the links don't work...it's me...not you...try google

Happy Meditative friday!

Oculatum Day 3

Day 3

Already....how time passes. So, yesterdays four lines were interesting. Let's see what today brings. One moment while I read the page....

Today's four lines are as follows:

'TIS BETTER
TRAVEL ALONE
THAN JOIN WITH
ROGUES' COMPANY

Thrice now, thrice at noon and thrice before bed....

Something New

You never know what may unfold when you venture down a new path. Or who you will meet and how the spiraling out of those encounters will alter things forever. This is change. When we take the first step on any journey, a journey off the beaten track, beyond that first step lies the unknown....

After years of teaching Birthing From Within, where the unknown is the expected, where life becomes a metaphor for birth, I have developed a layer beneath the surface that embraces the unknown....I catch myself day to day when things don't go as I've "expected" them to go and my reactions to this. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to recognize what's happening and release my expectations and resume in the moment...more flexible, more responsive to the now, less attached to my "expectations". It is actually not that easy....it's changing my programed response or my auto-pilot and that takes alot of awareness....sometimes the awareness is there but my Rebel Child is stronger and I just follow my old ways.

Anyhow, what I was getting at is that for some the unexpected or the unknown is not a welcomed thing BUT I kinda like it.....I like believing that there are no coincidences...that everything happens for one reason or another...and that we are not victim to circumstance...we are here to learn and to choose moment to moment how we would like to respond (rather than react) to life. That said...having vision seems to be a good thing....I'm good at recognizing what I don't want....it's quite obvious...but creating or chasing or visioning what I do want seems a bit blurrier. Well, if I were perfect....or had grasped it all...really, what would be the point anymore? Might as well keep fumbling through.

The beauty of starting something new is that you don't know what will happen next.

What happened next for me once i started this blog, clueless of course of how to do this well, not sure how to arrange things on the page, still struggling with layout and settings and what the hell is a gadget anyhow? is that my beautiful middle daughter C was curious to see what I was doing and has been checking in everyday. How cool is that?

I know, some of you are thinking...pathetic, so sad, too bad....this is how she connects with her teenage daughter(wipes tear here)...her reality is very much based in cyberspace...FB,IM,iPod,Sims...and I am not writing her for her or to her...this writing is for me and the wonderful thing about staring something new is that you can't control what happens next...it is so cool and wonderful and unexpected that C stops by here on a daily basis (ok, I've only been up and running four days now, but still).

So, Welcome C! I'm glad you're here. Keep coming back! Mommy loves you!

On a different not but kinda the same, C commented on my post about breastfeeding at the public pool and she said something like "Yeah, they shouldn't breastfeed there...it's gross, kids poop and pee in that pool!" Out of the mouthes of babes (or teenagers) ! She was concerned for the health of the babies! No thought that the breastmilk would be a health concern...why? because it's insane to even think in these terms!

with love, Tricia

Oculatum Day 2

Did you do it? Did you read it thrice times thrice throughout the day?
I did. We'll check back in six days to compare notes. For today here is the four lines :

THE MUMMER
HAS OFTEN
THE CLEAREST
OF VOICE

I will probably have to wikipedia the word "mummer".

Pause....I looked it up...it has something to do with old english folk plays usually performed in the streets...but you should look it up for yourself.

Natural Age of Weaning

Yesterday I was deciding how I was going to spend my couple of hours while Astrid was in preschool....my midwife friend who I long to sneak a lunch visit in with was booked, I couldn't spend any more money at any more thrift stores (not this week), yes, the house needed cleaning...but.....and then I received a phone call from one of the public health nurses asking if I was still doing classes. Yes, I replied but the summer is approaching and I will gear up again in the fall. Then she asked if I had ever attended the Breastfeeding Coalition meetings? No, I replied, I havn't been able to make it to one yet but I would really like to. Well, no pressure, she said but there is a meeting today at 1:00pm.

Well, I was all dressed up ( I had decided to wear my new thrift store score...a beautiful A-line green skirt and my new jewellery from Mother's Day) and had no place to go...so I went.

So, here is a little bit about this group...www.okanaganbreastfeedingcoalition.org is the website and the goal here is to promote and advocate for natural, normal, healthy breastfeeding communities. Here's something that made my jaw drop.....did you know that there are actually people, communities, people who think breastfeeding in a public pool is a health concern?!?

I was shocked...I guess because I have been a breastfeeding mom for 16 years (oh, gasp, I know, hold on) and never considered this a possibility....a health concern? I consider the urine and feces that might be in the pool more of a health concern or of a concern....I never considered breast milk. Admittedly, I do have my own biases about public pools, bathing suites and public pools...and I basically consider the hot tub people soup (ewwww) BUT my kids LOVE the pool and I have been known to "suck it up" and go in from time to time. (Generally I wait till they are old enough to go in lessons alone, ahem)

So, for you breastfeeding moms out there...you may be interested in this document that explains what it means to have a "breastfeeding friendly" community centre. www.okanaganbreastfeedingcoalition.org/pdf/CommunityCentreProposal.pdf if this link doesn't work...it's not you, it's me. Try googling it.

As a woman, this stuns me that it is even an issue anywhere...but, sadly it is. The healing properties of breast milk are astounding ....

Anyways, this whole issue, the fact that it even is and issue led me back to the natural age of weaning...cause, yeah, Astrid is not a quitter. A good friend once brought some info to my attention about the natural age of weaning for our closest mamal relatives...gorillas and chimpanzees...this is an interesting article...www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html again, if you can't find it, it's ,me not you...google natural age of weaning and her article will appear.

So, again...more snippets....breastfeeding is still a part of my life....

Oh, we have so far to go....sometimes I wonder about the whole "women's movement" thing...we are so far removed from our true nature it seems....but that is another post.

The Oculatum

So, this year Astrid attends the Montessori preschool mon/tues afternoons from 12:30 to 3:30. This is the first time in 16 years that I have had a window of consistant "free" time. I love being a mama (especially of wee ones) and dedicated myself to their early years...I am still dedicated to them once they get older...only, things change...dedication turns into being a dependable ride for the most part. Anyhow, back to the "free" time thing...I vowed not to do housework during that window of time (a neverending task that must be repeated anyway) and I started meeting kid-free friends for coffee and perusing the thrift stores.

I am an admitted thrift store junkie. I have always loved treasure hunting. Possibly because I had an active imagination as a child. I can remember a day from my childhood quite clearly...we were on St. Josephs Island just outside my home town of Sault Ste Marie. I don't remember why we had stopped, I think there may have been a wild apple tree my mom wanted to forage...but on the property was an abandoned house. I was aching to go in and explore....my imagination was running rampant with the possibilities of the treasures left behind. I'm not talking gold and silver and jewels....the treaure would be the odds and ends...the pieces of the past that would reveil something about the story the people that had once lived there. But I wasn't allowed anywhere near the old house. I will always wonder.

I also loved playing in my grandparents basement as a child. It was an old house and had been my grandfather's house which he was rumered to have purchased from him for $1.00. The basement was cool and damp and the walls were stone or perhaps concrete. Grandpa had his tools down there and there were things we not suppose to get into. It had a low ceiling and we were watchful for spiders. i remember their old ringer washing mashine....

And then there was the basement of my other grandparents house...we weren't invited to play down there. But, one day, I was a bit older...in fact I think I was a young adult with a child of my own and was home for a visit...and the door was open to the basement. I asked if i could see what was down there and my uncle obliged. It was full of stuff. Not neat and organized like my other grandparents basement but II was sure there were treasures there. I emerged from the basement with an old bean pot....grandpa said it was his grams...which means it is my great, great grams and that he remembered it sitting atop the stove when he was a kid. It sits on my counter today with my wooden spoons and other utensils tucked into it. It has a small chip around the lip...but...my grandpa remembered it sitting atop my great, great grams stove.

And so, recently I noticed on mondays that it is "pick your discount" day at the Salvation Army thrift stores!!! Hooray! They have a little basket waiting under the counter and after they've rung in your purchase...half price items included...you dip your hand into the basket and pull out a little folded piece of paper that when opened gives you a discount of anywhere between 10%,15%,20%,or 25%. I have been pretty lucky so far getting a good discount.

So, what I found yesterday may interest you. It is a little book I almost didn't buy because I didn't need it....
But, I bought it and it is so cool. It is called the Oculatum and apparently it is a book compiled of wisdom collected after a great fire in the city of London the year 1666. Originally passed down through word of mouth, The Oculatum became a collection of wisdom that might be read in time of need. It has no beginning, no end, no middle. It may be opened from the front or the back, the reader decides which is the top or bottom of the page.

Instructions : It is suggested that the four-line phrase that comes into view be read six times,
silently or in voice. Repeat this action three times during the day...The following day the process is repeated for the next page and so on for a six day period. It is of ne consequence for the reader to remember, understand, or comprehend the phrase; it matters only that it be read. For it should be upon the completion of the sixth day that the reader may discover a greater sense of focus and awareness. Any decisions to be made can now be acted upon. If the reader desires, the process may be repeated in the same section or in any other as described above.

The Oculatum : may offer clarity, strength, and awareness for the attentive reader in his or her daily life.

EVERY VOYAGE
HAS BOTH
THE TEMPEST
AND THE CALM


So, this is the phrase you must say six times today...write it on a piece of paper....tuck it into your pocket.......three times right now, again around noon, and thrice at bedtime.

Lists

Things I havn't got around to doing yet :

planting two placentas

painting my belly cast from my last
pregnancy

losing 30 pounds

Things I have been doing :

potting vegetables and flowers for this season

visiting with family and relatives

driving in circles around town

Things I hope to do soon :

spend 10 mins on the eliptical

undo the 10 mins with a piece of birthday cake

use the new mini watercolour set

Easy Monday Dinner

Cheese Cannelloni

1 small tub of ricotta cheese
1 package of oven ready cannelloni
1 egg
italian seasoning
tomato sauce

This is an easy-peasy, crowd pleaser that takes very little effort.
First, mix ricotta and egg in big bowl. Sprinkle in some italian seasoning.
Next open a jar of tomato sauce or pasta sauce and spread over bottom of baking dish. I use the next size up from 9 x 13....then using a butter knife stuff the cannelloni and place in baking dish on top of the sauce. Then cover with more tomato sauce (you can add a bit of water to thin it out) and cover dish with tinfoil. Bake at 400 for 45 min. Then take out and top with cheese and bake again for 15 min (no tinfoil). Let sit for 5 min or so. Enjoy! Some garlic toast and a garden salad complete the meal.

A snippet, defined as a small piece of something....

Here's a snippet from my paying job at the gov't liquor store....paying as oppose to "unpaid" work, which I have been doing for 16 years now and will continue to do for many more....ah, a woman's work....

So, anyhow, I had the most surreal experience cashiering the other day...the cab driver in town that seconds as an Elvis impersonator (at least I think he's an impersonator) was in my line up....not unusual...what was unusual was the way he seemed preoccupied as I was ringing through his purchase. I told him what he owed and it was at that moment that I noticed why he was preoccupied...his wallet was stuck in the pocket of his jeans and he was trying desperately to get it out. He was standing there, Elvis side burns and all kinda jumping on the spot and trying to retrieve his very snug wallet. "my jeans are too tight, I can't get it out." he said to my straight face. Paid by the hour, I patiently waited without much commentary other than "hmph." while he succeeded in dislodging his bulging wallet from his front pant pocket. It was quite a sight.

At least I didn't have the hysterical cat lady that had come through the busy line ups earlier in the day....I don't think I would have been able to keep a straight face for that one....
Seriously, she came in wahooing and sobbing and I was sure it was a domestic violence issue and was glad to see a supervisor approach her and ask if everything was ok....obviously it was not...but he then came up to the front and whispered to me in a serious tone that she had to put her cat down. I know, I know, that's sad and I seem a bit cold hearted here but it was just so very "liquor store regular" type behavior....yeah, we get some pretty wild ones. Anyhoo, poor gal. Thank the universe she didn't go through my line up...I would definitely have broken out in an inappropriate smile. Not cause it was funny.....it was just very liquor store-esque.

It seemed like it might be a good day to clean out my closet...or at least see whats in there...I made some progress. It remineded me of this picture taken years ago (2004?) of dear sweet adaptable Lola....and it reminded me that i really havn't changed that much over the years. That could have been my closet on any given day. What a moment captured forever.
One of my "gifts" is to see past all the "stuff"....all I see here is dreamy sweetness!

And yeah, by "stuff" I mean mess. Back to the closet......

Mom 2.0: Defining A Movement

This is it. Ok, that sounds kinda Michael Jackson-ish, not that there's anything wrong with that....BUT by This Is It I mean my blog, my chance, no wait, my opportunity to publish my thoughts and the thoughts of others that inspire ME and mabe they will inspire you. This video below or above....however that ends up is the first piece of inspiration i'd like to share. It seems like a good jumping off point. Enjoy! Share! Spread the word! Follow me!