Ahhhhh... Pretty blissed out today. I've been reading Mihalyi Csizkentmihalyi (it's spelled something close to that) - his book called "Flow"... HIGHLY recommend it. Also reading a book called Busy Bodies concurrently and the two of them together are really intellectually challenging me to examine life, in a good way. :) My brain thrives on that kind of intellectual stimulation. So I'm diggin' em both.
I had the most delicious, beautiful raw greek salad for dinner (thanks to Sherri for the recipe). I took a picture but have no way of uploading it at the moment with the computer being kaput. It really was made with such loving intention. On a bed of salad greens was the greek salad (sweet onion, yellow & orange bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, a few raw sliced olives, and evoo, balsamic vinegar, italian spices incl fresh basil), topped with a few walnuts. Yummers.
And I had a really satisfying liter of green smoothie earlier in the day (no that's not all I had today - just the salad & smoothie; other food was consumed, LOL)... The smoothie was mystery greens from the local farm (LOL - I'm sure if I looked at the box list for this week I could find out what it was), a banana, frozen blueberries & raspberries, 4 khadrawi dates & some almond milk and some water (2:1 water:milk). I have been LOVING some nut milk in my smoothie lately.
I am so grateful to have dh home. We've been having really pleasant, connected conversations. *bliss*
I had a great swim today with the kids. Everything flowed so well today.
And I had a great row as well. I'm a mere 15 kms from my goal of 100 kms for the month, so right on target, despite taking more days off rowing earlier in the month than I had intended to.
I have come across some materials for the base of my cob oven I'm building this summer, which is fantastic. Free is always good. :)
I am grateful for Reiki's healing light as I heal all these bruises on my body - my forearms, biceps & thighs are all bruised after moving the kids' swingset earlier this week. I look live I've been in a nasty confrontation, yet nothing could be further from the truth. LOL
I am filled with gratitude for the beautiful sunshine we've enjoyed today. Just beautiful. Yay for sunshine!!
I am enjoying listening in on dd playing in her imaginary world with her dollies. Soooooo cute. Love this age!
Also enjoying listening to dad & ds play Pokemon together. It's a bonding game for them.
And I'm grateful I have a few uninterrupted minutes here to just be on the computer. :)
The kids & I saw 3 black bears on our way into swimming today! Although we definitely live in bear country, we don't often see them... and certainly not in the middle of the day!! We saw a mama and cub crossing the road about 8 kms from our house, and then we saw a big (probably male) bear crossing the road about 17 kms from our house... about 3 kms from town. So we saw these 3 bears within 15 minutes of each other. Pretty special.
27 May 2009
25 May 2009
WE GOT DIRT!!
Recently there have been many dump trucks going by each day, moving soil from a nearby lot out of the neighbourhood. I went down and talked to the excavator operator and asked if it'd be possible to get some dropped off (being as they're going by anyhow). I got more than 120 yards today!!!! that's a crazy amount. 12 full-size dump trucks. and one load of clay (for my cob oven I'm hoping to build this summer). I had to move the swingset to make room (my forearms are quite bruised as a result) and a whole lot of materials and other stuff that was piled all over the place. It's awesome though. I'm hoping we'll be able to get a Bobcat in to move the dirt all around and level it out now. Things are happenin', people, things are happenin'!!!
I also stained the front cedar deck yesterday and painted the shed door. Both look great!
ds went to a day camp for homeschoolers today - they did archery, rappelling, climbing tower, ropes challenge course and some team building exercises. Sounds like it was a total blast. Love it when he comes home bubbling with excitement!!
Well, our computer is still on the fritz and i'm on the library computer and only have a few minutes left to complete all the computer errands. Hoping you are having a wonderful day.
Blessings to you,
~n~
I also stained the front cedar deck yesterday and painted the shed door. Both look great!
ds went to a day camp for homeschoolers today - they did archery, rappelling, climbing tower, ropes challenge course and some team building exercises. Sounds like it was a total blast. Love it when he comes home bubbling with excitement!!
Well, our computer is still on the fritz and i'm on the library computer and only have a few minutes left to complete all the computer errands. Hoping you are having a wonderful day.
Blessings to you,
~n~
23 May 2009
A-ha moments
I had rather an a-ha moment this past week in regards to time.
Before I had kids, actually when I was expecting my first, I worked full-time and also was in grad school full-time... right up until my due date. On my due-date I quit working and finished the semester off at school, and as my son was 2 wks late, I had 2 weeks to prepare for his arrival. Once he'd arrived, and I was at home with him full-time, I experienced post-partum depression as I adjusted to motherhood. Reflecting back, I think what I found most debilitating was the freedom of time I now had (which might sound odd, being as I had a newborn to look after). But there was this overwhelming freedom in regards to how I spent my time each day. Up until that moment, my life had been fairly heavily scheduled with activities, and I'd never had this sort of... space. Suddenly my life wasn't ruled by a clock. If I was napping in the afternoon and spent the day in pjs, the world didn't crumble; I'd be up half the night comforting my colicky baby, who apparently didn't have the same rigidity to clock-time I held (LOL he was always living in the moment!). I realized during those first few months, that it doesn't really matter if you don't brush your hair today - you can always do it tomorrow (or just throw it in a ponytail - LOL everyone who knows me knows I always have my hair in one - ackkk!! my secret's out!!! LMAO). It doesn't really matter if you make the bed every day, or do the breakfast dishes as soon as you're done eating. Everything I previously thought had to be done now didn't actually have to be done at all, right that minute. And I found that really overwhelming. People were telling me that as long as I interacted with my son, changed his diapers, nursed him and got rest when he was resting that that was all that needed to be done in these first days of motherhood. I guess I didn't realize that I had been doing SO much prior to his arrival between working and grad school that maybe I had more energy than I could handle (and this was on SAD foods!), and slowing down was more than a little difficult for me. So I found slowing down, being fully present in my life, really REALLY difficult. Truly, a new thing for me.
Now that I've been eating raw, I'm beginning to realize that many people actually have a lot more energy than they are probably aware of. Think about looking at the sun through a foggy haze - you can look at it and see it's spherical shape quite clearly. Then think about when it's a cloudless blue sky and the sun is sooooooo much more brilliant - overwhelmingly brilliant to look at. You turn away, shield your eyes. If you think about the sun as your light energy, as the energy that is your core being, and SAD foods as the fog, you can see that it's actually, in a warped kinda way, easier to be in this fog than it is radiating your brilliance for all to see, all the time. That could be overwhelming, especially if you concern yourself with how others will handle you projecting radiance continuously while they're living in their fogs. Fueling your body with living raw foods is like lifting the veil of fog. I have a clarity of mind that I simply didn't experience when eating SAD foods. This is common, talking to other raw foodies.
This past week, I again began to feel overwhelmed by the unrestricted freedom I have in regards to how I spend my time. I went right back to that head-space where I felt I didn't really need to do the dishes, laundry, daily exercise, personal hygiene.... any of those aren't necessities in this moment. I began to ask myself why do them at all - where's the motivation to do something that doesn't need to be done immediately? THANKFULLY this wallowing in self-pity (and a lack of gratitude for how my basic needs for shelter, security, access to food and water are so completely met that I'm able to contemplate these larger questions in life) didn't last long. LOL Where's the motivation to take care of one's Self? Well, in the long run, you know you're putting money in the personal bank of good health when you look after yourself - brushing your teeth, keeping your body clean, exercising (which has all kinds of stress-busting benefits), fueling your body with nutritious, healthy, healing foods, getting enough rest... it benefits you long-term to do these things.
I was then able to contemplate why or how did I get into this spiral of thinking in the first place? I think it comes back to this unrestricted freedom in how I spend my time. Yes, I *love* having the freedom (it probably sounds otherwise, but really, I do feel blessed), but as Austin Powers says, "Freedom today comes with Responsibility. It's a groovy time, baby, yah." or something like that. It's true. The freedom I am so very blessed with in how I spend my time comes with responsibilities... to care for my children, to care for my self, to ensure our family's needs continue to be met (which is where things like basic housework and house maintenance fall into)... stop right there and I already have a huge to-do list. Which is when I start to feel overwhelmed. So I'm just going to really try to stay present in this moment and remember to do things one at a time.
ohhhhhhhh I just realized what I was doing that got me so overwhelmed in the first place. I was worrying. I'd forgotten my Reiki principle(s):
Before I had kids, actually when I was expecting my first, I worked full-time and also was in grad school full-time... right up until my due date. On my due-date I quit working and finished the semester off at school, and as my son was 2 wks late, I had 2 weeks to prepare for his arrival. Once he'd arrived, and I was at home with him full-time, I experienced post-partum depression as I adjusted to motherhood. Reflecting back, I think what I found most debilitating was the freedom of time I now had (which might sound odd, being as I had a newborn to look after). But there was this overwhelming freedom in regards to how I spent my time each day. Up until that moment, my life had been fairly heavily scheduled with activities, and I'd never had this sort of... space. Suddenly my life wasn't ruled by a clock. If I was napping in the afternoon and spent the day in pjs, the world didn't crumble; I'd be up half the night comforting my colicky baby, who apparently didn't have the same rigidity to clock-time I held (LOL he was always living in the moment!). I realized during those first few months, that it doesn't really matter if you don't brush your hair today - you can always do it tomorrow (or just throw it in a ponytail - LOL everyone who knows me knows I always have my hair in one - ackkk!! my secret's out!!! LMAO). It doesn't really matter if you make the bed every day, or do the breakfast dishes as soon as you're done eating. Everything I previously thought had to be done now didn't actually have to be done at all, right that minute. And I found that really overwhelming. People were telling me that as long as I interacted with my son, changed his diapers, nursed him and got rest when he was resting that that was all that needed to be done in these first days of motherhood. I guess I didn't realize that I had been doing SO much prior to his arrival between working and grad school that maybe I had more energy than I could handle (and this was on SAD foods!), and slowing down was more than a little difficult for me. So I found slowing down, being fully present in my life, really REALLY difficult. Truly, a new thing for me.
Now that I've been eating raw, I'm beginning to realize that many people actually have a lot more energy than they are probably aware of. Think about looking at the sun through a foggy haze - you can look at it and see it's spherical shape quite clearly. Then think about when it's a cloudless blue sky and the sun is sooooooo much more brilliant - overwhelmingly brilliant to look at. You turn away, shield your eyes. If you think about the sun as your light energy, as the energy that is your core being, and SAD foods as the fog, you can see that it's actually, in a warped kinda way, easier to be in this fog than it is radiating your brilliance for all to see, all the time. That could be overwhelming, especially if you concern yourself with how others will handle you projecting radiance continuously while they're living in their fogs. Fueling your body with living raw foods is like lifting the veil of fog. I have a clarity of mind that I simply didn't experience when eating SAD foods. This is common, talking to other raw foodies.
This past week, I again began to feel overwhelmed by the unrestricted freedom I have in regards to how I spend my time. I went right back to that head-space where I felt I didn't really need to do the dishes, laundry, daily exercise, personal hygiene.... any of those aren't necessities in this moment. I began to ask myself why do them at all - where's the motivation to do something that doesn't need to be done immediately? THANKFULLY this wallowing in self-pity (and a lack of gratitude for how my basic needs for shelter, security, access to food and water are so completely met that I'm able to contemplate these larger questions in life) didn't last long. LOL Where's the motivation to take care of one's Self? Well, in the long run, you know you're putting money in the personal bank of good health when you look after yourself - brushing your teeth, keeping your body clean, exercising (which has all kinds of stress-busting benefits), fueling your body with nutritious, healthy, healing foods, getting enough rest... it benefits you long-term to do these things.
I was then able to contemplate why or how did I get into this spiral of thinking in the first place? I think it comes back to this unrestricted freedom in how I spend my time. Yes, I *love* having the freedom (it probably sounds otherwise, but really, I do feel blessed), but as Austin Powers says, "Freedom today comes with Responsibility. It's a groovy time, baby, yah." or something like that. It's true. The freedom I am so very blessed with in how I spend my time comes with responsibilities... to care for my children, to care for my self, to ensure our family's needs continue to be met (which is where things like basic housework and house maintenance fall into)... stop right there and I already have a huge to-do list. Which is when I start to feel overwhelmed. So I'm just going to really try to stay present in this moment and remember to do things one at a time.
ohhhhhhhh I just realized what I was doing that got me so overwhelmed in the first place. I was worrying. I'd forgotten my Reiki principle(s):
Just for today, I will not worry.
hmmm.... I'm a work in progress. ;) LOL I guess not worrying is this moment's challenge, along with cultivating an attitude of gratitude. :)
Which then begets the question, why do we choose to live in the future (or the past) and not in this beautiful moment that is our life? When we spend so much time worrying about the future, or angry about the past and how things didn't turn out like we intended, we miss out on this moment. Why do we do that, anyway? It's like we're choosing to avoid the brilliance of light that we truly are... like we don't feel capable of looking at our true nature. It can really be a tough choice to get out of our heads - to let go of the small stuff we sweat over, like whether so-and-so thinks highly of us, or why that jerk cut us off in traffic... and to realize we are ALL so much bigger than any of those worries. It forces us to DREAM BIG. REALLY big. You are SOOOOO much greater than you ever thought possible. So much more brilliant than you dare to realize. (Which is where I start to feel overwhelmed again - being this dazzlingly brilliant behooves me to share it with the world - I have the ability... nay, the responsibility... to really give of myself, to make the world a better place.... I know I am capable of being part of the solution to so many problems, but how, she thinks aloud...)
Something I haven't done in quite a while is a really simple exercise. Where do you want to be in 5 years? Brainstorm and scribble down something. Then do it again: where do you want to be in a year - what do you want your life to look like? Try and get detailed about it. Now how are you going to be that? How are you going to get there? What baby steps could you take today that would get you there? It's all about baby steps. As someone who's made some pretty big changes in life, it's all about keeping it in the present moment. I can have a goal out there, but I need to know how that goal translates into this moment. If I can't make that connection, it's of no use having the goal.
ahhhh, this blogging is so therapeutic!!! another a-ha moment! If my goal in life is to leave the world a better place than when I found it (which is a decent thing to aspire to, in my mind), then I need to make the connection to this moment.... that's where I've been overwhelmed. I'm not going to solve world hunger if I can't make the connection that choosing raw living foods in this moment is part of that solution (and I can SEE that connection so clearly).... but it's remembering WHY we are making the choices we do. I choose to eat raw because it benefits not only me, but my family (through my increased health, as a role model for healthy living), my world at large (less resources used to produce my raw meal than the SAD meal on the plate across from me, for example). Yes, this connection thing between goal in life, or values we hold, and the choices we make in this moment... it's vitally important. If I can't see the value in doing housework or the other things I choose to do with my time, then the motivation will be lacking.
More meditation. More time in meditation is needed to contemplate these aspects of life, more time cultivating gratitude for all that my life has to offer. ;)
Have a fantastic sunshiney day. It's glorious out there. Enjoy it, damn it. LOL
20 May 2009
back at the library....
yet again, back at the library computer. haven't met anyone capable of fixing my harddrive yet, but still holding it in my thoughts. :)
all is good. swam 1 km today, rowed 5 kms. Raw food is going great, been drinking between 2 & usually closer to 3 or 4 L of water a day. Enjoying the spring sunshine (and rains, as well). It's all good.
Just a quick update as of course there are other computer errands to be done, in a limited timeframe...
Blessings,
~n~
all is good. swam 1 km today, rowed 5 kms. Raw food is going great, been drinking between 2 & usually closer to 3 or 4 L of water a day. Enjoying the spring sunshine (and rains, as well). It's all good.
Just a quick update as of course there are other computer errands to be done, in a limited timeframe...
Blessings,
~n~
19 May 2009
Life: Sure has its ups and downs.
Our computer harddrive has once again crashed. I am putting the intention out into the world that I will meet someone handy with fixing computers... VERY soon. Something is NOT right when your hd crashes regularly. hmmmmm..
The other grief I've had is the power window motor of the driver's door in the (new) car that decided to stop working. A whopping $600+ later and it's repaired, but that is money I didn't have. Such is how my life has been lately.
Frustrations like this COULD get you down if you were to get wrapped up in your brain-thoughts and ego.... Best to lay it all aside and remember what glorious spirits we all truly are....
Which is why I have to share.... I went to this month's raw food potluck in town and thoroughly enjoyed it yet again. It is just so wonderful to be surrounded by loving intention from a conscious community and such wonderful healing raw food. So fantastic! Really, it is a place where we remain conscious of our true natures, and I don't easily come to that thought in the midst of my day-to-day life. Perhaps more meditation would assist in that. LOL
I wish the computer was working at home... Being on the library's public computer and having a time limit to get all my "computer errands" done is a bit of a drag.
Holding the intention of meeting someone computer savvy in my thoughts,
namaste'
The other grief I've had is the power window motor of the driver's door in the (new) car that decided to stop working. A whopping $600+ later and it's repaired, but that is money I didn't have. Such is how my life has been lately.
Frustrations like this COULD get you down if you were to get wrapped up in your brain-thoughts and ego.... Best to lay it all aside and remember what glorious spirits we all truly are....
Which is why I have to share.... I went to this month's raw food potluck in town and thoroughly enjoyed it yet again. It is just so wonderful to be surrounded by loving intention from a conscious community and such wonderful healing raw food. So fantastic! Really, it is a place where we remain conscious of our true natures, and I don't easily come to that thought in the midst of my day-to-day life. Perhaps more meditation would assist in that. LOL
I wish the computer was working at home... Being on the library's public computer and having a time limit to get all my "computer errands" done is a bit of a drag.
Holding the intention of meeting someone computer savvy in my thoughts,
namaste'
14 May 2009
creating community
you might have picked up a little vibe of discontentment in my last post... yes, i'm feeling a little down the past day or so. I'll fess up here: I'm feeling alienated on my raw diet. I realize it's a conscious choice to eat raw, and it's a choice I've been committed to for over a year now - it's not just some fly-by-night whimsical scatterbrained thing I'm doing for this moment but not the next. It's my lifestyle choice. But lately I've found it alienating in the sense that those around me (and no one in my close or extended family is raw) find it difficult to accept my choice... still. They (and I'm not saying all of them, btw) just can't seem to open their minds up to the exquisite possibilities of raw foods. There's so much abundance and choice with raw food - it's not limiting at all. It's not just about green salads meal after meal after meal.
I have several raw food "cook"books in the house and have made some amazingly creative meals which I think are delicious. I'd *love* to have a delicious raw meal made for me once in a while. It would be so thoughtful. :) That's why I love going out to Cafe Bliss, where everything on the menu's raw. I realize I'm choosing to be raw in a non-raw world. I've chosen to do a lot of things in the past several years that are outside the box. None of them have taken the mental energy like eating raw has. When I was juicing, I had comments from people (people who love me, btw) about how disgusting my juices looked, and could I please drink them not in front of them. I've had snide comments about the food that I do make, and when they've tried a bite, commented (repeatedly), "gritty... very gritty." (These same people have enjoyed some raw dessert creations, too, so it's not all put-downs) I don't know how many times I've been asked, "so what do you eat? dust?!" oh yes, my choice to be a raw vegan is quite often the butt of many jokes.
I'm just feeling a little worn out when it comes to making meals around here. Making 2 omnivorous meals, 1 vegetarian and 1 raw for each meal, 3x a day... it's demanding. And it's not like I can convince them all to eat raw, and then add something small on the side on top of that. At least, I haven't yet managed to, LOL. Sometimes I do say it's a fend for yourself meal - it's up to them to make their own meals. But there's an unspoken expectation in this house that I am the meal-maker. And I think I want to at least open it up for discussion a bit. :)
Anyways I just wanted to vent a little. It's tough eating raw in my day-to-day life, surrounded by non-raw family and friends. I really REALLY enjoyed the raw potluck last month - being in the company of other raw foodists was such a comforting experience. To not be ostracized for my food choices. Food is such a central, community-building thing in our lives. It's really challenging to be different and still create some sense of community and closeness, especially when we're not breaking the traditional cooked bread together. :)
I have several raw food "cook"books in the house and have made some amazingly creative meals which I think are delicious. I'd *love* to have a delicious raw meal made for me once in a while. It would be so thoughtful. :) That's why I love going out to Cafe Bliss, where everything on the menu's raw. I realize I'm choosing to be raw in a non-raw world. I've chosen to do a lot of things in the past several years that are outside the box. None of them have taken the mental energy like eating raw has. When I was juicing, I had comments from people (people who love me, btw) about how disgusting my juices looked, and could I please drink them not in front of them. I've had snide comments about the food that I do make, and when they've tried a bite, commented (repeatedly), "gritty... very gritty." (These same people have enjoyed some raw dessert creations, too, so it's not all put-downs) I don't know how many times I've been asked, "so what do you eat? dust?!" oh yes, my choice to be a raw vegan is quite often the butt of many jokes.
I'm just feeling a little worn out when it comes to making meals around here. Making 2 omnivorous meals, 1 vegetarian and 1 raw for each meal, 3x a day... it's demanding. And it's not like I can convince them all to eat raw, and then add something small on the side on top of that. At least, I haven't yet managed to, LOL. Sometimes I do say it's a fend for yourself meal - it's up to them to make their own meals. But there's an unspoken expectation in this house that I am the meal-maker. And I think I want to at least open it up for discussion a bit. :)
Anyways I just wanted to vent a little. It's tough eating raw in my day-to-day life, surrounded by non-raw family and friends. I really REALLY enjoyed the raw potluck last month - being in the company of other raw foodists was such a comforting experience. To not be ostracized for my food choices. Food is such a central, community-building thing in our lives. It's really challenging to be different and still create some sense of community and closeness, especially when we're not breaking the traditional cooked bread together. :)
13 May 2009
eating raw away from home...
Had a terrific weekend... the children stayed with grandparents and dh & I took off for 2 nights alone. We had a private oceanfront cabin with king size bed, fireplace, and hot tub out on the deck (and tv, which is not something we have at home). I had the local spa come and give us massages Saturday afternoon and then we went out for a nice dinner Saturday night. It was a really wonderful weekend - the first time I've left my youngest for 2 consecutive nights (she was just fine, btw; she is 5, after all).
Sunday, being Mama's Day.... the kids had each made me a card, ds gave me some sunflower seeds for planting and dd picked a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers from around grammy's yard. It was really nice. :) (Happy Mama's Day to you, too, btw).
I was a little irked, however, that dh gave me the "you're not my mother" excuse. Not so much as a "thank-you for being the mother of my children and for all you do for them, and me"... To me, Mother's Day is the perfect opportunity for him to at least acknowledge that, you know, I put my career aside to be at home with our children (a conscious choice, and not one I regret at all, btw, but still). I could go on, but you get my drift. A little irked, I still am.
Monday we zipped over to the Mainland to see dd's godfather & his wife before they move out of town later this week. Went to the Children's Festival (Al Simmons is hilarious.... for children & adults alike. I *loved* watching my 9 yr old giggling unreservedly at his antics. There's nothing better than a giggling 9 yr old.) Rode on the public transit train (always a thrill for our country bumpkin kids), visited Dad's office (23d floor has incredible views!!) & saw his little place where he stays when he's over there. A whirlwind visit. Within hours of getting over there, driving in traffic, my adrenaline was pumping and I realized living in the city it is not a naturally-driven adrenaline rush. You're constantly on edge, your body is worried about risks from other people... Living in the country, you're aware of your surroundings, always listening and watching for signs of approaching wildlife, but in the city, it's other humans you're wary of... and you just never know how they're going to interact or react. It's very unnerving. Within a few more hours, your body adjusts to this constant adrenaline rush, but I don't know that it's very healthy for our bodies. That's just my opinion, of course. Back on the rock over here, as soon as you drive off the ferry (heck, as soon as you're on the ferry), there's a big psychic release as you leave that all behind and adopt the island pace of life. So much nicer. It's the same out in the Valley, away from the city... the farther you go from the city, the less your body seems pushed into fight/flight/freeze constantly...
anyways, I managed fine with a little preparation in terms of food for the weekend. Beautiful fruit salads in pineapple halves for breakfast on the weekend, I'd made smoothies and nori stix and flax crackers and seed cheese ahead of time for food... Saturday night at the restaurant I had the one raw thing on the menu... a green salad (surprise, surprise). Mother's Day I prepared all my own meals (I was quietly disappointed about that). Going to the mainland I packed a cooler with litres of green smoothies and some avocado/cacao puddings.... a lifesaver when I'm craving something of a treat. Took some avocado salad roll wraps to dinner at our friends... wanted to go to the raw food restaurant in the big city, but alas, didn't happen. Had another big garden salad for lunch Tuesday while we were out. So yep, all in all, it worked out just fine. A few Larabars, a couple apples, and you've got a weekend away. Easier to travel with raw food than you think... if you don't mind eating a little more repetitively than at home, perhaps.... Smoothies travel very well in a cooler, apples & Larabars are easy to pack, and you can nearly always get a garden salad when eating out (ugh I have to tell you - one restaurant we ate at on Monday for lunch served a "mixed greens" salad - it was just iceberg lettuce. There was nothing mixed about it. It was like eating styrofoam. Blech.).
As I said, with a little preparation it's not hard to eat raw when away from home. It does (for me, at least) require a little mental preparation in regards to the temptations you're going to be faced with when eating out, though. Know that you're going to be eating in restaurants where everyone you're dining with will be ordering cooked food that will be aromatic and well, possibly quite tempting to just try a bite of. Know that there will be a dessert menu and those around you might indulge in it, leaving you to do what during that time? Think ahead about how you are going to handle these moments. Know that when you're travelling you'll be passing various vending machines, and when you travel with kids, they nearly always want to "just see" what's in them. Having a plan in your head helps. Bring easy to transport raw foods - like Larabars, apples, snacky kinda things. Drink lots of water when you're out (keeping in mind that finding a washroom when you need one isn't always convenient, LOL). Eating raw while out isn't a big deal at all, but it does require (again, for me, at least) a little mental prep.
Namaste
~n~
Sunday, being Mama's Day.... the kids had each made me a card, ds gave me some sunflower seeds for planting and dd picked a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers from around grammy's yard. It was really nice. :) (Happy Mama's Day to you, too, btw).
I was a little irked, however, that dh gave me the "you're not my mother" excuse. Not so much as a "thank-you for being the mother of my children and for all you do for them, and me"... To me, Mother's Day is the perfect opportunity for him to at least acknowledge that, you know, I put my career aside to be at home with our children (a conscious choice, and not one I regret at all, btw, but still). I could go on, but you get my drift. A little irked, I still am.
Monday we zipped over to the Mainland to see dd's godfather & his wife before they move out of town later this week. Went to the Children's Festival (Al Simmons is hilarious.... for children & adults alike. I *loved* watching my 9 yr old giggling unreservedly at his antics. There's nothing better than a giggling 9 yr old.) Rode on the public transit train (always a thrill for our country bumpkin kids), visited Dad's office (23d floor has incredible views!!) & saw his little place where he stays when he's over there. A whirlwind visit. Within hours of getting over there, driving in traffic, my adrenaline was pumping and I realized living in the city it is not a naturally-driven adrenaline rush. You're constantly on edge, your body is worried about risks from other people... Living in the country, you're aware of your surroundings, always listening and watching for signs of approaching wildlife, but in the city, it's other humans you're wary of... and you just never know how they're going to interact or react. It's very unnerving. Within a few more hours, your body adjusts to this constant adrenaline rush, but I don't know that it's very healthy for our bodies. That's just my opinion, of course. Back on the rock over here, as soon as you drive off the ferry (heck, as soon as you're on the ferry), there's a big psychic release as you leave that all behind and adopt the island pace of life. So much nicer. It's the same out in the Valley, away from the city... the farther you go from the city, the less your body seems pushed into fight/flight/freeze constantly...
anyways, I managed fine with a little preparation in terms of food for the weekend. Beautiful fruit salads in pineapple halves for breakfast on the weekend, I'd made smoothies and nori stix and flax crackers and seed cheese ahead of time for food... Saturday night at the restaurant I had the one raw thing on the menu... a green salad (surprise, surprise). Mother's Day I prepared all my own meals (I was quietly disappointed about that). Going to the mainland I packed a cooler with litres of green smoothies and some avocado/cacao puddings.... a lifesaver when I'm craving something of a treat. Took some avocado salad roll wraps to dinner at our friends... wanted to go to the raw food restaurant in the big city, but alas, didn't happen. Had another big garden salad for lunch Tuesday while we were out. So yep, all in all, it worked out just fine. A few Larabars, a couple apples, and you've got a weekend away. Easier to travel with raw food than you think... if you don't mind eating a little more repetitively than at home, perhaps.... Smoothies travel very well in a cooler, apples & Larabars are easy to pack, and you can nearly always get a garden salad when eating out (ugh I have to tell you - one restaurant we ate at on Monday for lunch served a "mixed greens" salad - it was just iceberg lettuce. There was nothing mixed about it. It was like eating styrofoam. Blech.).
As I said, with a little preparation it's not hard to eat raw when away from home. It does (for me, at least) require a little mental preparation in regards to the temptations you're going to be faced with when eating out, though. Know that you're going to be eating in restaurants where everyone you're dining with will be ordering cooked food that will be aromatic and well, possibly quite tempting to just try a bite of. Know that there will be a dessert menu and those around you might indulge in it, leaving you to do what during that time? Think ahead about how you are going to handle these moments. Know that when you're travelling you'll be passing various vending machines, and when you travel with kids, they nearly always want to "just see" what's in them. Having a plan in your head helps. Bring easy to transport raw foods - like Larabars, apples, snacky kinda things. Drink lots of water when you're out (keeping in mind that finding a washroom when you need one isn't always convenient, LOL). Eating raw while out isn't a big deal at all, but it does require (again, for me, at least) a little mental prep.
Namaste
~n~
04 May 2009
Monday already?!
Wow, did the first 3 days of the month ever fly by quickly!!! We had ds's birthday party here on the weekend... dh planned the activities, I planned the food. There were 3 relay races and the children tie-dyed t-shirts to take home (rather than handing out goody bags). Lots of fun. I made a vegan wacky cake (chocolate) which dh & ds decorated to be a Pokemon Geodude, complete with concrete grey mint icing. Everyone had a great time. :) (pics to come)
Apart from the festivities, the chicks are growing so much. I have pics on the camera I need to transfer to the computer. They were about 4 wks old last friday. They're feathering out very nicely and are, in the past week, becoming more and more friendly and social with us all. The kids are very much enjoying their company.
Raw fooding is going well. I've been having about 2L of green smoothies daily lately. It's just so easy to whip up 2L of smoothie in the VitaMix and then sip on it throughout the morning/afternoon. On top of an average 3L of water, I'm usually fine until late afternoon when I get the munchies. But with a (usually) light snack, I'm good for the day. Usually. There are days when I'm super hungry and other days when I am alright with that.
Today I made 2L of smoothie and shared with the kids: kale florets, 2 bananas, blueberries & raspberries (frozen), about 1L of almond milk, and a couple khadrawi dates, some Enerex greens powder, maca powder, and a little camu camu (I'm suffering ever-so-slightly from allergies the past few days to the Scotch Broom around here (slight sore throat, a few sneezes - nothing like I used to experience with allergies! Yay for raw food!). I ended up having about 1.25L or so.
I'm soaking some sesame seeds to make sesame milk. Tonight I'll soak some almonds overnight, just to have some pre-soaked ones in the fridge for the next couple days. I'm going to soak some sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds to make nori snacks (from RawRose's UnCookbook) - basically a pate inside nori, dehydrated. YUMMY. I'm so glad I came across that recipe today. I've had these snacks before at Cafe Bliss and they really are delicious. I made some seed cheese with the pulp leftover from the almond milk I made (that went in this morning's smoothie); I don't usually make seed cheese - most of the time I just compost the pulp. The seed cheese is fermenting on the counter as we speak. And I made some Ginger Dressing (also from RawRose's UnCookbook) which I'm using to make Asparagus & Red Pepper Salad (again, from RawRose's UnCookbook)... it smells delicious. Oh, and I'm soaking dried apricots right now so I can make candied Jicama (from Fresh, by Valya & Sergei Boutenko) tonight.
So there you have it:
- green smoothie with almond milk this morning
- seed cheese with the leftover pulp
- Ginger dressing to marinade Asparagus & Red Pepper Salad
- Nori snacks to be dehydrated tomorrow day
- Candied jicama to be dehydrated overnight
- sesame milk for the fridge
- pre-soaked almonds for the fridge (most likely for almond milk or butter in the next couple days)
Yes, I spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen dreaming all this up (and I don't even see anything I can eat for dinner in there! Looks like I'll be making another smoothie). I realize the amount of time I spend doing anything is probably double what it would take someone with more focus and concentration, but typically my mind is in 7 different places at once, so it just takes me longer to do, well, anything. I'm used to it. LOL I'm a bit of a dawdler, what can I say? ;)
Today I am grateful for:
- the healing light energy of Reiki
- remembering to live in a way that is for the greatest good of all
- time... to flip through raw cookbooks and plan future snacks and meals
- my children's laughter
- time spent learning to play Chaotic cards with ds
- exercising. I rowed 6.25 kms today.
- my in-laws lending me their vacuum. Ours has been broken since January. Don't worry; the cleaners vacuum once a month when they come. LOL And I've borrowed my in-laws' vacuum several times in-between as well.
- a tidy, clean house. LOL well, it's kinda tidy & clean. Good enough for me!! :D
- to-do lists which help me get important things done.
- my light lean body which is flexible and is built to move!
Apart from the festivities, the chicks are growing so much. I have pics on the camera I need to transfer to the computer. They were about 4 wks old last friday. They're feathering out very nicely and are, in the past week, becoming more and more friendly and social with us all. The kids are very much enjoying their company.
Raw fooding is going well. I've been having about 2L of green smoothies daily lately. It's just so easy to whip up 2L of smoothie in the VitaMix and then sip on it throughout the morning/afternoon. On top of an average 3L of water, I'm usually fine until late afternoon when I get the munchies. But with a (usually) light snack, I'm good for the day. Usually. There are days when I'm super hungry and other days when I am alright with that.
Today I made 2L of smoothie and shared with the kids: kale florets, 2 bananas, blueberries & raspberries (frozen), about 1L of almond milk, and a couple khadrawi dates, some Enerex greens powder, maca powder, and a little camu camu (I'm suffering ever-so-slightly from allergies the past few days to the Scotch Broom around here (slight sore throat, a few sneezes - nothing like I used to experience with allergies! Yay for raw food!). I ended up having about 1.25L or so.
I'm soaking some sesame seeds to make sesame milk. Tonight I'll soak some almonds overnight, just to have some pre-soaked ones in the fridge for the next couple days. I'm going to soak some sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds to make nori snacks (from RawRose's UnCookbook) - basically a pate inside nori, dehydrated. YUMMY. I'm so glad I came across that recipe today. I've had these snacks before at Cafe Bliss and they really are delicious. I made some seed cheese with the pulp leftover from the almond milk I made (that went in this morning's smoothie); I don't usually make seed cheese - most of the time I just compost the pulp. The seed cheese is fermenting on the counter as we speak. And I made some Ginger Dressing (also from RawRose's UnCookbook) which I'm using to make Asparagus & Red Pepper Salad (again, from RawRose's UnCookbook)... it smells delicious. Oh, and I'm soaking dried apricots right now so I can make candied Jicama (from Fresh, by Valya & Sergei Boutenko) tonight.
So there you have it:
- green smoothie with almond milk this morning
- seed cheese with the leftover pulp
- Ginger dressing to marinade Asparagus & Red Pepper Salad
- Nori snacks to be dehydrated tomorrow day
- Candied jicama to be dehydrated overnight
- sesame milk for the fridge
- pre-soaked almonds for the fridge (most likely for almond milk or butter in the next couple days)
Yes, I spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen dreaming all this up (and I don't even see anything I can eat for dinner in there! Looks like I'll be making another smoothie). I realize the amount of time I spend doing anything is probably double what it would take someone with more focus and concentration, but typically my mind is in 7 different places at once, so it just takes me longer to do, well, anything. I'm used to it. LOL I'm a bit of a dawdler, what can I say? ;)
Today I am grateful for:
- the healing light energy of Reiki
- remembering to live in a way that is for the greatest good of all
- time... to flip through raw cookbooks and plan future snacks and meals
- my children's laughter
- time spent learning to play Chaotic cards with ds
- exercising. I rowed 6.25 kms today.
- my in-laws lending me their vacuum. Ours has been broken since January. Don't worry; the cleaners vacuum once a month when they come. LOL And I've borrowed my in-laws' vacuum several times in-between as well.
- a tidy, clean house. LOL well, it's kinda tidy & clean. Good enough for me!! :D
- to-do lists which help me get important things done.
- my light lean body which is flexible and is built to move!
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