17 posts for January. 17's my favourite number. dh's, too. (odd, i know; i mean, of all the numbers out there...)
So the weekend went terrifically well. I have to say the tai chi workshop was beyond belief. I am probably the one who will go on and on about it for years to come. I realized I felt so *safe* at this workshop, something I haven't felt at previous workshops. I've felt vulnerable before. And even this one, there were moments when I really felt raw and exposed and vulnerable, and I had to just let it be that way. I felt the support of those around me, felt the *LOVE* and like I said earlier, stillness... and it was a profound and moving experience, this workshop. There was some emotional releasing going on and that was insane. It's brought my tai chi to this incredibly sensitive and spiritual place. I feel so much more open in my lower back. It was (is still!) as though my bones were doing the work, not my muscles. Once everything was lined up right, the movements were effortless but so so graceful. Everything moved as One.
It probably helped tremendously that the past two weeks I've been exercising just about daily, and that I've been trying to eat as consciously as I can. I have been nurturing my health on a daily basis and went into this workshop with a one-word mantra: soft. I wanted everything about me to be soft, as in not having a harsh edge. Very effective. ;) I had this conversation with my ego going on, letting it know it could just rest, that no harm would come to me or my ego by sitting this one out. Release. Release. Release. Continually releasing the ego, releasing the illusion of separateness, of isolation. Continually (actively) reconnecting with the Divine within, with the Divine around... it really had to be a conscious effort. I think this weekend has affected me on a really incredibly deep level... I *hope* that people in my life find I have softened through this experience.
So between the blissing out on the tai chi and the softness and emotional releasing (which I just want to say is never easy), it was an all-round amazing weekend. I hope I'm able to maintain this level and even go deeper in the future... releasing more, opening up, being soft and compassionate and a full expression of Love in every moment.
Today I moved 10 wheelbarrows of dirt (uh oh, here she goes again - moving dirt, for one thing, and listing all the tasks accomplished today, LOL - bad habit! bad habit!), played on the swings with the kids, talked to the chickens a bit, and enjoyed the nippy January sunshine. dd went to tap class, we went to the bottle depot, picked up dog food, ds went to aikido, i made some raw food deliveries, took the dog to the dog park in town, picked up some frozen berries and fresh organic oranges (which are *SO* good!), borrowed my f-i-l's scotch broom puller and then home. Tomorrow's an equally busy day so I'd best head now but thank-you for checking in and sharing my life with me. It's a pleasure to have you here! :D
31 January 2011
30 January 2011
Saturday
I'm attending a tai chi workshop this weekend... a couple hours Friday night, a long 12 hour day on Saturday and another 6 hours on Sunday... Yesterday (Saturday) was incredible. There are ~80 participants. It is quite something to do tai chi as a group, especially a group this large. The group energy really becomes apparent when you're all moving as one. I've never done anything synchronized (like synchro swimming or ice-skating) but it seems to me that it would be the same sense... this moving as one as a group, not individually. Hard to explain. But very deeply moving.
So the day went fantastically well... I was finding that place to 'drop' and 'sit' and my tai chi was improving (or at least I felt it was) over the morning and afternoon. I was so ecstatic I wanted to shout with glee from mountain tops, as I've been searching for the past 18 months for that 'drop', and I finally felt I'd found it. It was relaxing... there was no tension in my body, in my muscles or back... and I really felt like I could continue for a long time doing the movements. Every once in a while my knee would let me know it was still injured, but then I'd let it go and get back to that place of stillness. It was really a profound afternoon to repeatedly get to that place of stillness over and over.
But do you think I could do it in the evening?!? (aargh)
Yesterday was a great food day - I made very conscious eating decisions all day (highly unusual for me to do that throughout the day; usually at some point I just start eating unconsciously for a few minutes)... I took my Borage Oil and Fo-Ti in the morning, along with an acidophilus and DHA... Later in the morning I had 1L of smoothie and then at lunch I had another L of smoothie and 1/2c of sprouted trail mix. For a snack in the afternoon I had half an orange and half a banana and a few carrot and celery sticks. And for dinner, I went to the raw food cafe for dinner and enjoyed a raw pizza (sundried tomato marinara, spinach, red pepper, fresh pineapple, and chili-lime pistachios!) and cup of butternut squash soup... and a wild blueberry truffle. ;) When I got home, I took some more borage oil and fo-ti and had a banana and that, for me, was a great food day. Not only because I ate 100% raw but moreso that I was able to refrain from eating unconsciously.
I even rowed 5 kms before going to the workshop yesterday morning. And I enjoyed a nice hot salt and baking soda bath last night. Really, a GREAT day!!!
But now I see it's time for me to get going... I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll let you know how the rest of the workshop goes!
Namaste'
So the day went fantastically well... I was finding that place to 'drop' and 'sit' and my tai chi was improving (or at least I felt it was) over the morning and afternoon. I was so ecstatic I wanted to shout with glee from mountain tops, as I've been searching for the past 18 months for that 'drop', and I finally felt I'd found it. It was relaxing... there was no tension in my body, in my muscles or back... and I really felt like I could continue for a long time doing the movements. Every once in a while my knee would let me know it was still injured, but then I'd let it go and get back to that place of stillness. It was really a profound afternoon to repeatedly get to that place of stillness over and over.
But do you think I could do it in the evening?!? (aargh)
Yesterday was a great food day - I made very conscious eating decisions all day (highly unusual for me to do that throughout the day; usually at some point I just start eating unconsciously for a few minutes)... I took my Borage Oil and Fo-Ti in the morning, along with an acidophilus and DHA... Later in the morning I had 1L of smoothie and then at lunch I had another L of smoothie and 1/2c of sprouted trail mix. For a snack in the afternoon I had half an orange and half a banana and a few carrot and celery sticks. And for dinner, I went to the raw food cafe for dinner and enjoyed a raw pizza (sundried tomato marinara, spinach, red pepper, fresh pineapple, and chili-lime pistachios!) and cup of butternut squash soup... and a wild blueberry truffle. ;) When I got home, I took some more borage oil and fo-ti and had a banana and that, for me, was a great food day. Not only because I ate 100% raw but moreso that I was able to refrain from eating unconsciously.
I even rowed 5 kms before going to the workshop yesterday morning. And I enjoyed a nice hot salt and baking soda bath last night. Really, a GREAT day!!!
But now I see it's time for me to get going... I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll let you know how the rest of the workshop goes!
Namaste'
27 January 2011
Balance
Another hs'ing mama posted on a list about finding balance in our lives... she's got 3 children and is out 5 afternoons and then again 5 evenings a week with different activities between the 5 family members. She lamented that she just can't find a groove, wanting to be there to support each of her children individually, to cook homemade meals, to get the household upkeep done, to be able to have time for strengthening the relationship with her partner... all that kind of stuff. And where does any 'me' time come into this?!?
I've been told how lucky I am as a stay-at-home mom - how much freedom I have in choosing how I want to spend my time. I know we all have 24 hours a day - no one has more time than anyone else - but some days the time really does fly by. It's somewhat bewildering, that "freedom".
I think the image people have of stay-at-home parents is that they have no responsibilities. Seriously. Like, if I had no responsibilities and were a stay-at-home parent (independently wealthy, perhaps?), I'd have a housecleaner come in twice a week and clean the house. (or maybe even daily!). I'd have a landscaper come and do the yardwork, and a general contractor I could call for house maintenance (no more cleaning gutters or brushing out the chimney!). I'd have a nanny for each of the children, one who could take them to their classes, to any health appointments they had (doctor, dentist, etc.). Oh, and while we're at it, why not a cook so I didn't have to lift a finger in the kitchen.
I mean, COME ON. Get REAL!!! That's not the life I *WANT*!!! (and it's certainly not the life I have, LMAO) I'm just sayin', that when people envision my life as a stay-at-home parent, they think I have complete freedom over my time, and admittedly, yes, I can choose which of those tasks I will focus my attention on in this moment (be it housework, yard maintenance, or even (not that this is a task, but...) spending quality and quantity time with my children, building a beautiful relationship with them). But to think I have complete freedom... like, I could spend the day surfing the internet (uninterrupted)... or go to the gym with a personal trainer... or a day at the spa, and then getting my hair done after... or even to go *gasp* shopping for a clothing item for my own self. *GASP* Maybe even lunch out with the girlfriends on a regular basis. To think I have freedom like *that*, well, tsk tsk... not so, not so.
Oh, the sacrifices!!! Yep, I'm sacrificing days of shopping, having well-coiffed hair and painted fake nails for a stronger relationship with my awesome children, while living in a... well, not filthy, but not white-glove clean either... house. Comfortably untidy and, even admittedly, tolerably dirty.
Balance? Well, I think it's a matter of one's outlook on the situation. I have come to terms with the fact that not everything will always be in its place in the house. The house will likely never be as clean as the house I was raised in (my mother vaccumed and dusted daily, people!). Our yard will likely be permanently in a state of "not anywhere near finished" (the garden a work of continually changing neglect - *ahem*, I mean art). The housework will always be piling up. My hair will never be well-coiffed, and my nails (because I'm the one who does the firewood) will never be anything other than short. My clothes will be in a near-permanent state of disrepair (for the foreseeable future, anyways)... stained and unfashionable. There will be days when the children fend for themselves in the kitchen... creating recipes like "peanut butter crunchies" that dd was so very proud of (bread, peanut butter, and a handful of whatever cereal you have for topping, rolled up into a 'jelly roll' like shape, in case you wanted to try it). Likely, not every meal will be organic, local, and homemade, among other lofty, but valiant and worthy goals I have. That cross-stitch I've been working on for over a decade may take another decade to finish. But at the end of the day...
I'M OKAY WITH ALL OF THIS!!!!
I've really had to let go. To surrender to just *being* in the moment. And this moment of things-not-done is PERFECT. It is just so perfect. It's okay that dh works in another city and commutes ridiculously. It's okay that the house (after more than a decade) remains unfinished. It's okay that my body is not some ideal of perfection I have in my head. IT IS WHAT IT IS and I'M OKAY WITH IT!!!
Letting go.
Surrender.
Sanity.
Happiness.
Around here, one leads to another. :D
I've been told how lucky I am as a stay-at-home mom - how much freedom I have in choosing how I want to spend my time. I know we all have 24 hours a day - no one has more time than anyone else - but some days the time really does fly by. It's somewhat bewildering, that "freedom".
I think the image people have of stay-at-home parents is that they have no responsibilities. Seriously. Like, if I had no responsibilities and were a stay-at-home parent (independently wealthy, perhaps?), I'd have a housecleaner come in twice a week and clean the house. (or maybe even daily!). I'd have a landscaper come and do the yardwork, and a general contractor I could call for house maintenance (no more cleaning gutters or brushing out the chimney!). I'd have a nanny for each of the children, one who could take them to their classes, to any health appointments they had (doctor, dentist, etc.). Oh, and while we're at it, why not a cook so I didn't have to lift a finger in the kitchen.
I mean, COME ON. Get REAL!!! That's not the life I *WANT*!!! (and it's certainly not the life I have, LMAO) I'm just sayin', that when people envision my life as a stay-at-home parent, they think I have complete freedom over my time, and admittedly, yes, I can choose which of those tasks I will focus my attention on in this moment (be it housework, yard maintenance, or even (not that this is a task, but...) spending quality and quantity time with my children, building a beautiful relationship with them). But to think I have complete freedom... like, I could spend the day surfing the internet (uninterrupted)... or go to the gym with a personal trainer... or a day at the spa, and then getting my hair done after... or even to go *gasp* shopping for a clothing item for my own self. *GASP* Maybe even lunch out with the girlfriends on a regular basis. To think I have freedom like *that*, well, tsk tsk... not so, not so.
Oh, the sacrifices!!! Yep, I'm sacrificing days of shopping, having well-coiffed hair and painted fake nails for a stronger relationship with my awesome children, while living in a... well, not filthy, but not white-glove clean either... house. Comfortably untidy and, even admittedly, tolerably dirty.
Balance? Well, I think it's a matter of one's outlook on the situation. I have come to terms with the fact that not everything will always be in its place in the house. The house will likely never be as clean as the house I was raised in (my mother vaccumed and dusted daily, people!). Our yard will likely be permanently in a state of "not anywhere near finished" (the garden a work of continually changing neglect - *ahem*, I mean art). The housework will always be piling up. My hair will never be well-coiffed, and my nails (because I'm the one who does the firewood) will never be anything other than short. My clothes will be in a near-permanent state of disrepair (for the foreseeable future, anyways)... stained and unfashionable. There will be days when the children fend for themselves in the kitchen... creating recipes like "peanut butter crunchies" that dd was so very proud of (bread, peanut butter, and a handful of whatever cereal you have for topping, rolled up into a 'jelly roll' like shape, in case you wanted to try it). Likely, not every meal will be organic, local, and homemade, among other lofty, but valiant and worthy goals I have. That cross-stitch I've been working on for over a decade may take another decade to finish. But at the end of the day...
I'M OKAY WITH ALL OF THIS!!!!
I've really had to let go. To surrender to just *being* in the moment. And this moment of things-not-done is PERFECT. It is just so perfect. It's okay that dh works in another city and commutes ridiculously. It's okay that the house (after more than a decade) remains unfinished. It's okay that my body is not some ideal of perfection I have in my head. IT IS WHAT IT IS and I'M OKAY WITH IT!!!
Letting go.
Surrender.
Sanity.
Happiness.
Around here, one leads to another. :D
26 January 2011
Wednesday
All good here... nothing major to report. I've been exercising regularly (I've done cardio 7 of the last 8 days as well as 4 tai chi classes) and keeping a food log, and things are good there... (i'd actually forgotten how *good* i feel after exercising. like, really, really good mentally. i'm holding onto that feeling to motivate me to return to the rowing machine each day as i'm not quite in the mindspace yet where i wake up overjoyed to get to exercise just yet... hoping that comes with time. (laughs)) really, it *is* a huge blessing to be healthy and have the ability to move our bodies - dancing, jumping on the trampoline, riding bikes, walking, rowing... even chopping firewood. *BLESSED* with this healthy, loving, and loved body.
The monthly raw food order has arrived and I'm in the process of getting it delivered... the dried organic pineapple is... scrumptious. i ate several handfuls this morning; it was like tropical 'gum' it was so chewy. lol
The roofers are coming in the morning to replace the shingles on the dormer above our ensuite and master bedroom that have been leaking for (quite) a while. Hoping it's sunny or at least not raining tomorrow. ;)
All in all, everything's grand. :D
And you?
The monthly raw food order has arrived and I'm in the process of getting it delivered... the dried organic pineapple is... scrumptious. i ate several handfuls this morning; it was like tropical 'gum' it was so chewy. lol
The roofers are coming in the morning to replace the shingles on the dormer above our ensuite and master bedroom that have been leaking for (quite) a while. Hoping it's sunny or at least not raining tomorrow. ;)
All in all, everything's grand. :D
And you?
23 January 2011
Odours
I've come to realize how, after cooking a meal (especially meat, which dh & dd still eat, and yes, that generally I end up cooking), the smells, the odours are seeped into my clothing. An hour or more later I'll go outside, and return into the house and instantly I'm aware of what was cooked. Fish. Meat. Pasta. Baked goods. The odours linger. Even juicing wheatgrass produces a lingering odour... although I confess I love that smell... the fresh-cut grass smell. To me it smells *clean*. (dh does NOT agree, lol) But honestly? I'm enjoying the other lingering odours less and less. As much as I try to prepare food for my family (whatever it is they choose to eat) with love and mindfulness, it's getting harder and harder to do when it's those very things I've removed from my own diet. Sure, the house will never be odourless, but why oh why do I have to go around smelling like bacon?!? :P Ugh. (it's not just my clothes, it gets into my hair, and the lingering odours in the house generally make me really uncomfortable...)
i'm getting much better about asking dh to cook the meat that he & dd will be having (and he's getting much better offering to cook it himself before i even ask). i'm just so not interested in supporting that... the purchase and consumption of meat products. i can even tell if someone close to me (in proximity) has eaten meat. i never thought i'd be able to tell, but (for example), if sitting or standing next to someone (like in a line-up or on the bus), i can often tell how 'clean' their diet is. odours ooze out of our pores and we're generally completely unaware.
and furthermore, (rant rant rant, lol) I'll have you know (and this may be wayyyyyyy tmi for some) that when you eat a primarily raw vegan diet (high raw, all vegan, organic, etc., etc.), I'll have you know that your bm's will be *significantly* less odiferous. seriously. so if that's not a reason to drop the meat and dairy, well... then i guess i'm speechless. LOL
In the end, i don't want to be pushing my raw vegan choices on anyone, so i end up sitting in meditation, releasing (with *love*) my thoughts and judgments around my family's food choices... to each their own, right? i can live happily alongside the ardent omnivore. i can share with them why i love my raw vegan food... enthusiastically, but without pushing raw veganism down their throats. Maybe one day they'll choose it on their own! :D
Today's nourishment:
i'm getting much better about asking dh to cook the meat that he & dd will be having (and he's getting much better offering to cook it himself before i even ask). i'm just so not interested in supporting that... the purchase and consumption of meat products. i can even tell if someone close to me (in proximity) has eaten meat. i never thought i'd be able to tell, but (for example), if sitting or standing next to someone (like in a line-up or on the bus), i can often tell how 'clean' their diet is. odours ooze out of our pores and we're generally completely unaware.
and furthermore, (rant rant rant, lol) I'll have you know (and this may be wayyyyyyy tmi for some) that when you eat a primarily raw vegan diet (high raw, all vegan, organic, etc., etc.), I'll have you know that your bm's will be *significantly* less odiferous. seriously. so if that's not a reason to drop the meat and dairy, well... then i guess i'm speechless. LOL
In the end, i don't want to be pushing my raw vegan choices on anyone, so i end up sitting in meditation, releasing (with *love*) my thoughts and judgments around my family's food choices... to each their own, right? i can live happily alongside the ardent omnivore. i can share with them why i love my raw vegan food... enthusiastically, but without pushing raw veganism down their throats. Maybe one day they'll choose it on their own! :D
Today's nourishment:
- a banana
- 1/2 a piece of whole wheat toast and 1/4 of a baked potato
- 1c chia pudding (made with almond milk)
- 2 cups of nettle tea with stevia
- a cup of kyoto cherry green tea with (too much) stevia
- 2 cups of my 'homebrew' black cherry kombucha (effervescent!)
- 2L of green smoothie (green leaf lettuce, bananas, frozen berries (blue, black and rasp), maca powder, chlorella, spirulina, acai powder, hemp seeds, ground flax seeds, kelp flakes, soaked goji berries, almond milk, agave)
- a small handful of goldenberries and a handful of soaked/sprouted almonds
- Fo-Ti 2x, Borage Oil 2x, 2 vege-DHA capsules and 1 double-strength acidophilus (vege-cap)
- and water, of course...
And 5 consecutive days of daily exercise! yeeeeeeeehaaawwwww!
22 January 2011
Saturday
Started the day with some quiet meditative time (*bliss*) and half an hour of tai chi. Then while dd was at her ballet class this morning (which is held at a rec ctr) I did half an hour on the rowing machine there. It felt great to get it done early in the day, and although I never seem to want to sit down and exercise, I always feel better for having done it. Ain't that always the way, LOL!
OH! And my first batch of kombucha was put into jars today and wow oH WOW!!!! It is Deeeeeeeelicious!!! (Even dd thought it was alright! LOL) I added 2T of Knudsen's black cherry juice to each jar, which made it very very good. I have 6 x 500ml jars in the fridge, and another batch of kombucha already started! Very exciting!!! :D
We picked up a seed catalogue (for West Coast Seeds) at the garden store and oh my - the remaining fruit trees were 50% off! WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!! (I really shouldn't be allowed in garden centres, LOL) So we came home with a dwarf nectarine (one of my FAVOURITE fruits), a Montmorency Cherry (my daughter's favourite), and a Fuyu Persimmon (have you ever had raw persimmon 'cheesecake'?!? mmm mmm good). I *may* return and pick up a Quince tree. Oh, and about 8 packets of seeds... mostly leafy greens. ;) Now I'm sitting here, drooling over the seed catalogue. I'm such a poorly-organized gardener, though. I just throw seeds in and hope for the best, send them Reiki, but really don't come back to tend to them often enough. I'm a social gardener. I prefer gardening with someone. Someone to talk to, chat with... (ya, I know. I'm an introvert, for sure, and here I want to garden *with* someone?!? confusing, I know.) It's true, though. And I guess I need to spend more time *planning* the garden out - the crop rotations, and when to seed and that kinda thing. But truly, I'd love to have a beautiful, productive garden each year. I just don't spend enough time in it at the moment, building it, caring for it. Me bad. :P
So for now, I'm just drooling over the catalogue, dreaming that I'll get my act together enough to make it all happen (and stop being such an Aquarian, thinking far into the future and instead needing to focus on the baby steps I'll need to take to create that future)...
Happily dreaming of green thumbs and garden plots!!!
~n~
OH! And my first batch of kombucha was put into jars today and wow oH WOW!!!! It is Deeeeeeeelicious!!! (Even dd thought it was alright! LOL) I added 2T of Knudsen's black cherry juice to each jar, which made it very very good. I have 6 x 500ml jars in the fridge, and another batch of kombucha already started! Very exciting!!! :D
We picked up a seed catalogue (for West Coast Seeds) at the garden store and oh my - the remaining fruit trees were 50% off! WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!! (I really shouldn't be allowed in garden centres, LOL) So we came home with a dwarf nectarine (one of my FAVOURITE fruits), a Montmorency Cherry (my daughter's favourite), and a Fuyu Persimmon (have you ever had raw persimmon 'cheesecake'?!? mmm mmm good). I *may* return and pick up a Quince tree. Oh, and about 8 packets of seeds... mostly leafy greens. ;) Now I'm sitting here, drooling over the seed catalogue. I'm such a poorly-organized gardener, though. I just throw seeds in and hope for the best, send them Reiki, but really don't come back to tend to them often enough. I'm a social gardener. I prefer gardening with someone. Someone to talk to, chat with... (ya, I know. I'm an introvert, for sure, and here I want to garden *with* someone?!? confusing, I know.) It's true, though. And I guess I need to spend more time *planning* the garden out - the crop rotations, and when to seed and that kinda thing. But truly, I'd love to have a beautiful, productive garden each year. I just don't spend enough time in it at the moment, building it, caring for it. Me bad. :P
So for now, I'm just drooling over the catalogue, dreaming that I'll get my act together enough to make it all happen (and stop being such an Aquarian, thinking far into the future and instead needing to focus on the baby steps I'll need to take to create that future)...
Happily dreaming of green thumbs and garden plots!!!
~n~
21 January 2011
Re-activating Activity ;)
Things are great around here. I (finally!) got back into rowing the past few days... nothing too major, 5 kms on the indoor rower each day (takes about 25 minutes - it's equivalent in time to running (if you're conditioned, lol))... burns about 275 calories. When I first went vegan, nearly 5 years ago, I jumped into rowing 10 kms a day, and gradually over that first year it eeked up to 12 kms a day, with a goal of 333kms a month. That was a LOT! But, the benefits of regular exercise were obvious. Then I went off rowing for a while as I fasted for 45 days. I finished fasting and went right back into rowing regularly, 5 kms a day. I managed to do that for quite some time, then when I went into a fast in Sept 2009 I stopped rowing for the 30 days I fasted. I never quite got back into rowing after that. The past year I've started and stopped several times. It can be hard to get into a routine of regular exercise, hard to make your health a priority in your life. I mean, we all have busy busy lives. You really have to make TIME for regular exercise, and there's so many other things that need to be done, right?
I think one thing that's inspired me to get moving again is the ill health of two older family members recently. Made me rethink how I've been taking my health for granted.
That, and I can't fit into any of the clothes I'd *like* to be wearing right now. LMAO
Ya, not exercising regularly for 16 months isn't good for my waistline. :P So I'm back at it. Baby steps. Committing to that half hour of rowing every day (because it's something I can do whatever the weather)...
And I went to the evening tai chi class, morning class another day, and taught 2 classes this week as the beginner classes start up again.
So I'm getting active again. I realize the weight I've put on has been over the past 15 months and I don't expect it to come off in 30 days or less. It's just going to take some time and focus.
As far as eating goes, things are alright, although I feel like I'm eating too much still. Here's what I ate today:
Namaste'
I think one thing that's inspired me to get moving again is the ill health of two older family members recently. Made me rethink how I've been taking my health for granted.
That, and I can't fit into any of the clothes I'd *like* to be wearing right now. LMAO
Ya, not exercising regularly for 16 months isn't good for my waistline. :P So I'm back at it. Baby steps. Committing to that half hour of rowing every day (because it's something I can do whatever the weather)...
And I went to the evening tai chi class, morning class another day, and taught 2 classes this week as the beginner classes start up again.
So I'm getting active again. I realize the weight I've put on has been over the past 15 months and I don't expect it to come off in 30 days or less. It's just going to take some time and focus.
As far as eating goes, things are alright, although I feel like I'm eating too much still. Here's what I ate today:
- 2 bananas
- 6 ribs celery with ~4T sprouted org almond butter and a handful of raisins
- 1/2c of goldenberries (mmmmmm i love those) and a small handful of purple mulberries
- 1c almond milk-chia pudding
- a cup of nettle tea with stevia
- a macadamia-cashew raw truffle and a small piece of raisin nut fudge with coconut topping
- 1.5L of smoothie (2 bananas, ~4c frozen berries, 1T chlorella, 1/2T spirulina, 1T maca, 1/4t kelp flakes, 2T raw agave, a handful of soaked goji berries & soaking water, 1T fresh bee pollen, 1T hemp seeds, 2T freshly ground flax, 1t acai powder)
- a (vegan) baking soda biscuit the kids made
- Supplements: weekly B12 sublingual (1000 mcg once a week), one acidophilus, 2 vege-dha capsules, and the fo-ti and borage oil I'm currently taking.
Namaste'
16 January 2011
Wheatgrass Benefits
I used to *hate* wheatgrass. I loved the smell of freshly ground wheatgrass, but to drink it?! GULP! Gagged on it! Well, something's changed because now I can actually drink it (well, shoot it)... I still can't swill it around my mouth for any length of time... and although you'll get the best results from taking it on an empty stomach, I can't seem to handle that... its detoxing effects are so potent that it leaves me nauseous if I do a double shot on an empty stomach. I always chase it with a smoothie or fresh juice. Now I actually CRAVE wheatgrass!
Sometimes I grow it myself and juice it in my GreenStar. Then I pour it into an ice cube tray (each ice cube is a one ounce shot) and I freeze them. Later, I'll put 2-4 in a smoothie if I'm short on fresh dark leafy greens. When I'm around town, I'll stop into one of the many juice bars around town and have a fresh shot or two. :D
But why drink it at all? Well, a one ounce shot is equivalent to 2 1/2 lbs of dark leafy greens! And the incredibly dense nutrients in that shot are easily assimilated into the body in less than half an hour. I've read that it's an effective aid for weight loss, working to suppress appetite, stimulate metabolism and circulation.
Wheatgrass has approx. 60-90 calories ounce. It has no fat or cholesterol. It has nearly 6 grams of (complete) protein per ounce, and includes all eight of the essential amino acids, as well as 13 of the remaining 16. It is 70% chlorophyll and will assist the body to balance its iron levels (alleviating anemia). It also aids with constipation (and most of the general population doesn't even realize they suffer from constipation).
It contains Vitamins A, B1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 12; C, E and K. An ounce of wheat grass contains around 90mg of Calcium, 48mcg Iodine, 21mcg Selenium, 5220mcg Iron, 372mcg Zinc. I've also read that it will assist in helping the body fight cancer.
WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT WHEATGRASS JUICE?*
1. Wheatgrass juice is 70% chlorophyll.
2. Chlorophyll is the first product of light and contains more light energy than any other element.
3. Wheatgrass juice is a crude chlorophyll and can be taken orally and as a colon implant without toxic side effects.
4. Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life.
5. Wheatgrass is high in oxygen like all green plants that contain chlorophyll. The brain and all body tissues function at an optimal level in a highly oxygenated environment.
6. Chlorophyll is anti-bacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer.
7. Renowned nutritionist Dr. Bernard Jensen says that it only takes minutes to digest wheatgrass juice and it uses up very little body energy.
8. Science has proven that chlorophyll arrests growth and development of harmful bacteria.
9. Chlorophyll (wheatgrass) rebuilds the bloodstream. Studies of various animals have shown chlorophyll to be free of any toxic reaction. The red cell count was returned to normal with four to five days of the administration of chlorophyll, even in those animals that were known to be extremely anemic or low in red cell count.
10. Farmers in the American midwest who have sterile cows and bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility. (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.)
11. Chlorophyll can be extracted from many plants, but wheatgrass is superior because it has been found to have over 100 elements needed by man. If grown in organic soil, it absorbs 92 of the known 102 minerals from the soil.
12. Wheatgrass has what is called the "grass juice factor," which has been shown to keep herbivorous animals alive indefinitely.
13. Dr. Ann Wigmore helped people get well from chronic disorders for 30 years using wheatgrass.
14. Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, refines them, and rebuilds and rejuvenates them.
15. Wheatgrass juice is a superior detoxification agent compared to carrot juice and other fruits and vegetables. Dr. Earp Thomas, an associate of the late Ann Wigmore, says that 15 pounds of wheatgrass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of carrots, lettuce, celery, and so on.
16. Liquid chlorophyll washes drug deposits from the body.
17. Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.
18. Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.
19. Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems.
20. Wheatgrass juice cures acne and even removes scars after it has been ingested for seven to eight months. The diet must be improved at the same time.
21. In the 1940 American Journal of Surgery, Benjamin Cruskin, MD recommended chlorophyll to: clear up foul-smelling odors, neutralize strep infections, heal wounds, hasten skin grafting, cure chronic sinusitis, overcome chronic inner-ear inflammation and infections, reduce varicose veins and heal leg ulcers, eliminate impetigo and other scabby eruptions, heal rectal sores, successfully treat inflammation of the uterine cervix, get rid of parasitic vaginal infections, reduce typhoid fever, and cure advanced pyorrhea in many cases.
22. Wheatgrass juice acts as a detergent in the body and is used as a body deodorant.
23. A small amount of wheatgrass juice in the human diet prevents tooth decay.
24. Wheatgrass juice held in the mouth for 5 minutes will eliminate toothaches and poisons from gums.
25. Gargle with wheatgrass juice for a sore throat.
26. For pyorrhea of the mouth, lay pulp of wheatgrass soaked in juice on diseased area in mouth or chew wheatgrass. Spit out the pulp.
27. Drink wheatgrass juice for skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis.
28. Wheatgrass juice keeps the hair from graying.
29. By taking wheatgrass juice, one may feel a difference in strength, endurance, health, and spirituality and experience a sense of well-being.
30. Wheatgrass juice improves the digestion.
31. It is great for blood disorders of all kinds.
32. Wheatgrass juice is high in enzymes.
33. Wheatgrass juice is an excellent skin cleanser and can be absorbed through the skin for nutrition. Pour green juice over your body in a tub of warm water and soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.
34. Wheatgrass implants (enemas) are great for healing and detoxifying the colon walls. The implants also heal and cleanse the internal organs. After an enema, wait 20 minutes, then implant 4-ounces of wheatgrass juice. Retain or 20 minutes.
35. Wheatgrass juice is great for constipation and keeping the bowels open. It is high in magnesium.
36. Dr. Max Bircher, a research scientist, inventor of muesli, and founder of the famed Bircher-Benner Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland, called chlorophyll "concentrated sun power." He said, "Chlorophyll increases the function of the heart, affects the vascular system, the intestines, the uterus, and the lungs.... It is therefore a tonic which, considering its stimulating properties, cannot be compared with any other. "
37. According to Dr. Bircher, nature uses chlorophyll (wheatgrass) as a body cleanser, rebuilder, and neutralizer of toxins.
38. Wheatgrass juice can dissolve the scars that are formed in the lungs from breathing acid gasses. The effect of carbon monoxide is minimized since chlorophyll increases hemoglobin production.
39. Wheatgrass juice reduces high blood pressure as it enhances the capillaries.
40. Wheatgrass juice can remove heavy metals from the body.
*excerpt from here.
Sometimes I grow it myself and juice it in my GreenStar. Then I pour it into an ice cube tray (each ice cube is a one ounce shot) and I freeze them. Later, I'll put 2-4 in a smoothie if I'm short on fresh dark leafy greens. When I'm around town, I'll stop into one of the many juice bars around town and have a fresh shot or two. :D
But why drink it at all? Well, a one ounce shot is equivalent to 2 1/2 lbs of dark leafy greens! And the incredibly dense nutrients in that shot are easily assimilated into the body in less than half an hour. I've read that it's an effective aid for weight loss, working to suppress appetite, stimulate metabolism and circulation.
Wheatgrass has approx. 60-90 calories ounce. It has no fat or cholesterol. It has nearly 6 grams of (complete) protein per ounce, and includes all eight of the essential amino acids, as well as 13 of the remaining 16. It is 70% chlorophyll and will assist the body to balance its iron levels (alleviating anemia). It also aids with constipation (and most of the general population doesn't even realize they suffer from constipation).
It contains Vitamins A, B1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 12; C, E and K. An ounce of wheat grass contains around 90mg of Calcium, 48mcg Iodine, 21mcg Selenium, 5220mcg Iron, 372mcg Zinc. I've also read that it will assist in helping the body fight cancer.
WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT WHEATGRASS JUICE?*
1. Wheatgrass juice is 70% chlorophyll.
2. Chlorophyll is the first product of light and contains more light energy than any other element.
3. Wheatgrass juice is a crude chlorophyll and can be taken orally and as a colon implant without toxic side effects.
4. Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life.
5. Wheatgrass is high in oxygen like all green plants that contain chlorophyll. The brain and all body tissues function at an optimal level in a highly oxygenated environment.
6. Chlorophyll is anti-bacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer.
7. Renowned nutritionist Dr. Bernard Jensen says that it only takes minutes to digest wheatgrass juice and it uses up very little body energy.
8. Science has proven that chlorophyll arrests growth and development of harmful bacteria.
9. Chlorophyll (wheatgrass) rebuilds the bloodstream. Studies of various animals have shown chlorophyll to be free of any toxic reaction. The red cell count was returned to normal with four to five days of the administration of chlorophyll, even in those animals that were known to be extremely anemic or low in red cell count.
10. Farmers in the American midwest who have sterile cows and bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility. (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.)
11. Chlorophyll can be extracted from many plants, but wheatgrass is superior because it has been found to have over 100 elements needed by man. If grown in organic soil, it absorbs 92 of the known 102 minerals from the soil.
12. Wheatgrass has what is called the "grass juice factor," which has been shown to keep herbivorous animals alive indefinitely.
13. Dr. Ann Wigmore helped people get well from chronic disorders for 30 years using wheatgrass.
14. Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, refines them, and rebuilds and rejuvenates them.
15. Wheatgrass juice is a superior detoxification agent compared to carrot juice and other fruits and vegetables. Dr. Earp Thomas, an associate of the late Ann Wigmore, says that 15 pounds of wheatgrass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of carrots, lettuce, celery, and so on.
16. Liquid chlorophyll washes drug deposits from the body.
17. Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.
18. Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.
19. Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems.
20. Wheatgrass juice cures acne and even removes scars after it has been ingested for seven to eight months. The diet must be improved at the same time.
21. In the 1940 American Journal of Surgery, Benjamin Cruskin, MD recommended chlorophyll to: clear up foul-smelling odors, neutralize strep infections, heal wounds, hasten skin grafting, cure chronic sinusitis, overcome chronic inner-ear inflammation and infections, reduce varicose veins and heal leg ulcers, eliminate impetigo and other scabby eruptions, heal rectal sores, successfully treat inflammation of the uterine cervix, get rid of parasitic vaginal infections, reduce typhoid fever, and cure advanced pyorrhea in many cases.
22. Wheatgrass juice acts as a detergent in the body and is used as a body deodorant.
23. A small amount of wheatgrass juice in the human diet prevents tooth decay.
24. Wheatgrass juice held in the mouth for 5 minutes will eliminate toothaches and poisons from gums.
25. Gargle with wheatgrass juice for a sore throat.
26. For pyorrhea of the mouth, lay pulp of wheatgrass soaked in juice on diseased area in mouth or chew wheatgrass. Spit out the pulp.
27. Drink wheatgrass juice for skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis.
28. Wheatgrass juice keeps the hair from graying.
29. By taking wheatgrass juice, one may feel a difference in strength, endurance, health, and spirituality and experience a sense of well-being.
30. Wheatgrass juice improves the digestion.
31. It is great for blood disorders of all kinds.
32. Wheatgrass juice is high in enzymes.
33. Wheatgrass juice is an excellent skin cleanser and can be absorbed through the skin for nutrition. Pour green juice over your body in a tub of warm water and soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.
34. Wheatgrass implants (enemas) are great for healing and detoxifying the colon walls. The implants also heal and cleanse the internal organs. After an enema, wait 20 minutes, then implant 4-ounces of wheatgrass juice. Retain or 20 minutes.
35. Wheatgrass juice is great for constipation and keeping the bowels open. It is high in magnesium.
36. Dr. Max Bircher, a research scientist, inventor of muesli, and founder of the famed Bircher-Benner Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland, called chlorophyll "concentrated sun power." He said, "Chlorophyll increases the function of the heart, affects the vascular system, the intestines, the uterus, and the lungs.... It is therefore a tonic which, considering its stimulating properties, cannot be compared with any other. "
37. According to Dr. Bircher, nature uses chlorophyll (wheatgrass) as a body cleanser, rebuilder, and neutralizer of toxins.
38. Wheatgrass juice can dissolve the scars that are formed in the lungs from breathing acid gasses. The effect of carbon monoxide is minimized since chlorophyll increases hemoglobin production.
39. Wheatgrass juice reduces high blood pressure as it enhances the capillaries.
40. Wheatgrass juice can remove heavy metals from the body.
*excerpt from here.
15 January 2011
Friday
What an awesome day! Got the kids (& dog) out the door early and we headed to a nearby island via ferry to see some friends who moved out of our neighbourhood 9 (long) months ago. It was pouring rain when we left our house and sunny on their island, so we enjoyed a beautiful sunny winter day over there. My friend and I drank herbal tea and chatted all afternoon, and the kids (she has 4 & I have 2) all played together. It was a long overdue visit and I'm just so happy we got to go over.
*beaming with gratitude for wonderful friends!*
Other than that, the next raw food order's up over at rawfoodsooke. Feel free to get in on that if you're in the area. :) The quality of the food is out of this world fantastic.
OH! My sinus/ear infection is on its way out!!! I'm *SO* thankful!!! More oil of oregano today and the vaporiser is on again tonight and it really does feel tremendously better. I was still tugging and rubbing my ears this morning but by evening it's definitely better. YAY for that!
We got 21 eggs today (from 23 hens)... a new record! Nearly 2 dozen eggs in one day!!! (I think it's because Buddy the rooster's still healing and isn't chasing the girls 'round like usual; they're so grateful they're laying more! *just one theory, of course). The kids and I watched some little house on the prairie tonight, and then I ended the day with a set of tai chi, which felt very centering.
Namaste'
*beaming with gratitude for wonderful friends!*
Other than that, the next raw food order's up over at rawfoodsooke. Feel free to get in on that if you're in the area. :) The quality of the food is out of this world fantastic.
OH! My sinus/ear infection is on its way out!!! I'm *SO* thankful!!! More oil of oregano today and the vaporiser is on again tonight and it really does feel tremendously better. I was still tugging and rubbing my ears this morning but by evening it's definitely better. YAY for that!
We got 21 eggs today (from 23 hens)... a new record! Nearly 2 dozen eggs in one day!!! (I think it's because Buddy the rooster's still healing and isn't chasing the girls 'round like usual; they're so grateful they're laying more! *just one theory, of course). The kids and I watched some little house on the prairie tonight, and then I ended the day with a set of tai chi, which felt very centering.
Namaste'
13 January 2011
Thursday
Spent the morning and half the afternoon at home, trying to balance the food co-op's books. (not easy) I literally spent about 5 hours on the books today (and no, the books aren't balanced... yet).
While I did that, the kids played with the Pokemon cards on the stairs, played dress-up, dd used a baby blankie as a parachute and piled a bunch of pillows at the bottom of the stairs, and repeatedly jumped off the landing (after making airplane noises and playing airplane for ~15 minutes and saying how much fun it was to pretend she was (in) an airplane)... then the parachuting became way more fun. LMAO well, of course it would be!! I was a kamikaze myself before I had kids, I'll have you know. Threw caution to the wind on more than one occasion! I mean, not everyone has (bungee) jumped off a 140 foot bridge. But I have. Twice. LMAO First time I was 18. Second time I was 28 (and a mother, and let me tell you - something about becoming a mother has taken the fun right out of doing crazy stunts like that! No thank-you! Now I'd much rather live a life with both feet firmly on the ground and live to see my children grow up, than jump off bridges or go parachuting out of airplanes!!!) Ol' stick-in-the-mud that I am!!! Of course in a couple more years when I'm 38 I just might have to go bungee jumping again, to keep the pattern going.
Piano lesson was cancelled as the teacher was sick. Toodled around town for an hour and then went off to figure skating... dd *loves* being on the ice. She's doing the "jumpstart" program in addition to CanSkate. Jumpstart means she'll be doing a solo performance at the end-of-year show. The jumpstart means she's doing 10 extra minutes at the end of each week's class, so not a huge commitment time-wise. This was the first week of it, and the end-of-year performance is mid-March, so only 9 weeks to practice! She's super excited that she'll get to do an arabesque, something she does a lot of at dance class! :)
Tai Chi open house was tonight. It felt really good to do a set of tai chi. I love the feeling of my spine stretching, the lovely feeling of getting your hips square and just feeling your weight fully supported and balanced. It's blissful to get into that quiet place in your mind, where the chatter subsides and there is empty space. (no jokes about how empty my head is, thank-you. LOL)
Health-wise my sinuses are still plugged, ears also still plugged. Have taken more oil of oregano and vaporiser is on again tonight. Have had a few people suggest I get some antibiotics, but I'm very hesitant to rush off and get them for a mild ear infection. I'd rather give my body a chance to fight this off on its own. OBVIOUSLY if I was in excrutiating pain I'd go for the meds, but I don't see any need to rush into antibiotics. More than anything, I just need to reclaim my health and get back into exercising daily. It is simply crucial to my well-being and it needs to become a priority. It's all well-and-good to eat well, but without exercise, personally, I'm hooped. :P
~May this moment find you in peace and health, surrounded and infused with Love!~
While I did that, the kids played with the Pokemon cards on the stairs, played dress-up, dd used a baby blankie as a parachute and piled a bunch of pillows at the bottom of the stairs, and repeatedly jumped off the landing (after making airplane noises and playing airplane for ~15 minutes and saying how much fun it was to pretend she was (in) an airplane)... then the parachuting became way more fun. LMAO well, of course it would be!! I was a kamikaze myself before I had kids, I'll have you know. Threw caution to the wind on more than one occasion! I mean, not everyone has (bungee) jumped off a 140 foot bridge. But I have. Twice. LMAO First time I was 18. Second time I was 28 (and a mother, and let me tell you - something about becoming a mother has taken the fun right out of doing crazy stunts like that! No thank-you! Now I'd much rather live a life with both feet firmly on the ground and live to see my children grow up, than jump off bridges or go parachuting out of airplanes!!!) Ol' stick-in-the-mud that I am!!! Of course in a couple more years when I'm 38 I just might have to go bungee jumping again, to keep the pattern going.
Piano lesson was cancelled as the teacher was sick. Toodled around town for an hour and then went off to figure skating... dd *loves* being on the ice. She's doing the "jumpstart" program in addition to CanSkate. Jumpstart means she'll be doing a solo performance at the end-of-year show. The jumpstart means she's doing 10 extra minutes at the end of each week's class, so not a huge commitment time-wise. This was the first week of it, and the end-of-year performance is mid-March, so only 9 weeks to practice! She's super excited that she'll get to do an arabesque, something she does a lot of at dance class! :)
Tai Chi open house was tonight. It felt really good to do a set of tai chi. I love the feeling of my spine stretching, the lovely feeling of getting your hips square and just feeling your weight fully supported and balanced. It's blissful to get into that quiet place in your mind, where the chatter subsides and there is empty space. (no jokes about how empty my head is, thank-you. LOL)
Health-wise my sinuses are still plugged, ears also still plugged. Have taken more oil of oregano and vaporiser is on again tonight. Have had a few people suggest I get some antibiotics, but I'm very hesitant to rush off and get them for a mild ear infection. I'd rather give my body a chance to fight this off on its own. OBVIOUSLY if I was in excrutiating pain I'd go for the meds, but I don't see any need to rush into antibiotics. More than anything, I just need to reclaim my health and get back into exercising daily. It is simply crucial to my well-being and it needs to become a priority. It's all well-and-good to eat well, but without exercise, personally, I'm hooped. :P
~May this moment find you in peace and health, surrounded and infused with Love!~
12 January 2011
Wednesday
One child was disappointed upon waking to see all the slush after going to bed with 4" of snow on the ground. The other was excited that there was still some snow on the ground... lying in bed, not seeing any snow on the trees, they figured it was all gone, and was happy to see the ground still had some snow, albeit it was quickly turning to slush. Funny how they can both look at the same situation and have different responses. Just a reminder that there are always different ways of looking at things, we can always be more open-minded.
We stayed inside most of the day. I sat with the kids as they each practised their piano. We watched a little house on the prairie episode. They spent time individually and together in imaginative play. I *LOVE* listening in on their little worlds, not interrupting, just observing and listening to the conversations they have with themselves. The Playmobil is positioned across the living room carpet tonight, the Pokemon cards are aligned, ready for attacking each other on each stair and the landing, the pretend food is all set out for a tea party, the dress-up clothes all askew, strewn across the playroom...
Buddy the rooster definitely has an injured leg - some kind of internal injury as there is no external sign of injury. He willingly sat with me today for at least 15 minutes, probably closer to half an hour. He's such a sweetie. I'm contemplating giving him Rescue Remedy to assist with his recovery. He's reluctant to put any pressure on his left leg; I can't tell if it's broken or if it's out of alignment (and I'm not about to do amateur chiropractic care on my rooster) or just badly bruised/sprained. I just hope he heals quickly, poor guy.
We stayed inside most of the day. I sat with the kids as they each practised their piano. We watched a little house on the prairie episode. They spent time individually and together in imaginative play. I *LOVE* listening in on their little worlds, not interrupting, just observing and listening to the conversations they have with themselves. The Playmobil is positioned across the living room carpet tonight, the Pokemon cards are aligned, ready for attacking each other on each stair and the landing, the pretend food is all set out for a tea party, the dress-up clothes all askew, strewn across the playroom...
Buddy the rooster definitely has an injured leg - some kind of internal injury as there is no external sign of injury. He willingly sat with me today for at least 15 minutes, probably closer to half an hour. He's such a sweetie. I'm contemplating giving him Rescue Remedy to assist with his recovery. He's reluctant to put any pressure on his left leg; I can't tell if it's broken or if it's out of alignment (and I'm not about to do amateur chiropractic care on my rooster) or just badly bruised/sprained. I just hope he heals quickly, poor guy.
11 January 2011
Tuesday
Sinus cold, full blown today. Ear tubes achy and blocked. Took oil of oregano faithfully throughout the day. Rubbing it (diluted with olive oil) around my ears externally. Tonight I have the vaporiser on with OoO in it. More water and rest (and oil of oregano) needed, I think.
Walked the 3 km beach loop today with friends (and dogs). Three mamas, 7 kids, 5 dogs and the neighbourhood vagabond dog, so 6, technically... and snow! It was SNOWING at the beach! The kids thoroughly enjoyed walking in the light snow (which wasn't sticking yet). Fun!!!
Something happened while we were out last night. The rooster was all dishevelled today and so was one hen. A quick headcount and yep, all 24 are still there, but being as we didn't get home until nearly 10 last night, they were vulnerable from dusk (around 5 p.m.) 'til when we locked them in nearly 5 hrs later. *something* happened, 'though I'm not sure what. Grateful we didn't lose any of our feathered friends. I sat with the rooster on my lap today (in the pen, not in the house, lmao), giving him Reiki, as not only are his feathers all this way and that, but he's limping on one leg. No discernable injury, but obviously something's quite sore. He accepts Reiki happily for about 5 minutes. Buddy's the tamest rooster ever. I can even give him a hug and he doesn't flinch. :) (yep, I'm a rooster-hugger! LOL)
Into town for ballet class, a trip to the library, and grocery run. Home as soon as possible after as it was then snowing more and more (still, roads were clear and wet). Spent the evening watching LHotP with the kids, snuggled together on the couch. ;) It's been snowing all evening and the children happily report (before snuggling into bed) that we have about 4"/10cm at that time. It's rather windy, too.
Maybe I'll post pics of the snow tomorrow... the kids are thrilled to have a "snow day"!! And well, we don't get too many (compared to most of Canada)...
Be well,
~n~
Walked the 3 km beach loop today with friends (and dogs). Three mamas, 7 kids, 5 dogs and the neighbourhood vagabond dog, so 6, technically... and snow! It was SNOWING at the beach! The kids thoroughly enjoyed walking in the light snow (which wasn't sticking yet). Fun!!!
Something happened while we were out last night. The rooster was all dishevelled today and so was one hen. A quick headcount and yep, all 24 are still there, but being as we didn't get home until nearly 10 last night, they were vulnerable from dusk (around 5 p.m.) 'til when we locked them in nearly 5 hrs later. *something* happened, 'though I'm not sure what. Grateful we didn't lose any of our feathered friends. I sat with the rooster on my lap today (in the pen, not in the house, lmao), giving him Reiki, as not only are his feathers all this way and that, but he's limping on one leg. No discernable injury, but obviously something's quite sore. He accepts Reiki happily for about 5 minutes. Buddy's the tamest rooster ever. I can even give him a hug and he doesn't flinch. :) (yep, I'm a rooster-hugger! LOL)
Into town for ballet class, a trip to the library, and grocery run. Home as soon as possible after as it was then snowing more and more (still, roads were clear and wet). Spent the evening watching LHotP with the kids, snuggled together on the couch. ;) It's been snowing all evening and the children happily report (before snuggling into bed) that we have about 4"/10cm at that time. It's rather windy, too.
Maybe I'll post pics of the snow tomorrow... the kids are thrilled to have a "snow day"!! And well, we don't get too many (compared to most of Canada)...
Be well,
~n~
Monday
An early morning as our son thought he'd heard someone creeping up the stairs this morning. I think it was just the creaks of the house as it settled, the ticking of the electric baseboards as they come on and off (we don't usually have them on). I lay with him for a while, which is unusual - as much as he enjoys snuggling he doesn't request it anymore (and wasn't even going to come get either of us that early in the morning), and he slept for a while longer.
Spent most of the day (sevvvvvvvvveral hours!) playing a few different boardgames with the family, then off to daughter's tap class and then son's aikido class. A little snow today, just enough to make the chickens cock their heads and look at the sky as if it was falling down on them! They're such comical beings.
Overall a fantastic day, all of us together - what a blessing that is, to be with loving family!! Ended the day with tai chi practice and now just finishing up a few computer errands and then off to bed.
Coming down with a cold, it seems. Have slept with the window slightly ajar for 2 nights, which seems to leave me rather congested in the mornings, except now it's a runny nose and plugged eustachian tubes.
That's all, really. ttyl
Spent most of the day (sevvvvvvvvveral hours!) playing a few different boardgames with the family, then off to daughter's tap class and then son's aikido class. A little snow today, just enough to make the chickens cock their heads and look at the sky as if it was falling down on them! They're such comical beings.
Overall a fantastic day, all of us together - what a blessing that is, to be with loving family!! Ended the day with tai chi practice and now just finishing up a few computer errands and then off to bed.
Coming down with a cold, it seems. Have slept with the window slightly ajar for 2 nights, which seems to leave me rather congested in the mornings, except now it's a runny nose and plugged eustachian tubes.
That's all, really. ttyl
07 January 2011
I'm an Octopus, Baby, Yahhh...
Wow, sometimes I feel pulled in so many directions, like an octopus juggling spinning plates. LOL
I was about to recap for you a list of what I accomplished today (I even typed it all out, in fact), but I've deleted it... one, because I'm really trying to release my attachment to accomplishing things (if you knew my family of origin, you'd understand why). two, because I realized I was irritated by someone's comment that I live a priviliged life. Irritated, because I already *KNOW* I do (and I'm very Grateful for the opportunity), but the inference that as a stay-at-home parent I put in less hours and that it's less stressful than working outside of the home is, imo, an inaccurate perception. I wrote the list to remind myself of all the things I *do* do around here. Why did that comment bother me so? I think because it's so... ohh I don't know what. I think every situation has its blessings, challenges and opportunities, and I don't think it serves any worthwhile purpose to think that any situation other than the one we've created for ourselves is somehow 'better' than the one that is. The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. It's just grass. Just like the grass on this side. Take 100% responsibility for the choices you've made in your life, for where you are in this moment. You *CHOSE* everything you have (or don't have) in your life. Own it. If you feel trapped in some aspect of your life, be honest enough with yourself to own it. You created it. Take responsibility for it. Be One with it. LOVE IT. Love every little aspect about your life.
I think what frustrated me about the comment was that I know I was in the same place mentally several years back. I didn't want to own it, to take responsibility, that I had chosen what I had in my life. I didn't want to own it when the baby woke up at 3 a.m. that I had CHOSEN to have my sleep disturbed. I didn't want to own it when my children began to assert their own independence and do their own thing, contrary to my control freak ways. There have been so many times when I didn't want to be in the situation I found myself in. And I had to own that I had these tendencies to want to control everything around me, and that I didn't handle it well when things didn't go my way. I'm still like that, I can see how I still behave like that - sometimes I find my ego thinking some other life (other than the one I have) would be better. It usually passes quite quickly now. And I think I laugh at myself a whole lot more nowadays. I'm not all that, ya know? Ha ha ha
Love ya! :D
I was about to recap for you a list of what I accomplished today (I even typed it all out, in fact), but I've deleted it... one, because I'm really trying to release my attachment to accomplishing things (if you knew my family of origin, you'd understand why). two, because I realized I was irritated by someone's comment that I live a priviliged life. Irritated, because I already *KNOW* I do (and I'm very Grateful for the opportunity), but the inference that as a stay-at-home parent I put in less hours and that it's less stressful than working outside of the home is, imo, an inaccurate perception. I wrote the list to remind myself of all the things I *do* do around here. Why did that comment bother me so? I think because it's so... ohh I don't know what. I think every situation has its blessings, challenges and opportunities, and I don't think it serves any worthwhile purpose to think that any situation other than the one we've created for ourselves is somehow 'better' than the one that is. The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. It's just grass. Just like the grass on this side. Take 100% responsibility for the choices you've made in your life, for where you are in this moment. You *CHOSE* everything you have (or don't have) in your life. Own it. If you feel trapped in some aspect of your life, be honest enough with yourself to own it. You created it. Take responsibility for it. Be One with it. LOVE IT. Love every little aspect about your life.
I think what frustrated me about the comment was that I know I was in the same place mentally several years back. I didn't want to own it, to take responsibility, that I had chosen what I had in my life. I didn't want to own it when the baby woke up at 3 a.m. that I had CHOSEN to have my sleep disturbed. I didn't want to own it when my children began to assert their own independence and do their own thing, contrary to my control freak ways. There have been so many times when I didn't want to be in the situation I found myself in. And I had to own that I had these tendencies to want to control everything around me, and that I didn't handle it well when things didn't go my way. I'm still like that, I can see how I still behave like that - sometimes I find my ego thinking some other life (other than the one I have) would be better. It usually passes quite quickly now. And I think I laugh at myself a whole lot more nowadays. I'm not all that, ya know? Ha ha ha
Love ya! :D
06 January 2011
Today's Daily Intake
- cup of organic nettle tea with a few drops of organic liquid stevia
- double shot of wheatgrass, followed by non-dairy Booster Juice strawberry smoothie with Wilderness booster. (16 oz) - (felt rather nauseous from the wheatgrass. usually happens when i take it on an empty stomach; also, i don't usually have double shots, just singles.) oh, the smoothie was so good. I could've easily had a second one. should have, in retrospect. they're just not *green* enough for me, though. ha ha ha ha ha they're so.... fruity.
- a raspberry muffin and small hot chocolate at tim horton's. okay, not raw, not organic, not vegan, but wth do they have on the menu that is? herbal tea, granted. could've made a better choice there. but it was quite soon after the wheatgrass and smoothie and i was feeling slightly nauseous and just wanted to eat something to make it go away. LOL (recognizing the irony at taking wheatgrass for the benefits of detoxing, only to follow it with crap food. trust me, you don't have to remind me)
- (non-organic) fresh raw veggies (crudites, LOL) and an organic Synergy-brand cranberry kombucha, which always makes me burp. :P
- an organic banana
- water
- Vege-DHA x 2
- a small bowl of organic brazil nut milk-chia pudding. mmmmm yummy even though my sister had said it looked like a bowl of little eyeballs. i don't care. it was delicious. :P
Truly, ya know, i kinda wish... my one wish (in this moment, LMAO)... would be to be surrounded by my family who had gone all raw, all organic, all vegan... Then I wouldn't be trying to juggle making 3 different entrees at meals for each dietary choice... I would have the support from where I'd love to have it most. It's one thing to go to a monthly raw potluck and find kindred spirits there; it's another to have that kinda support in your own home, from those you love and care deeply about. If only dh would learn to make me a green smoothie, or embrace the raw cookbooks. He loves to prepare food; he'd have a heyday preparing some of the raw entrees in those books, and I'd be ever-so-grateful to have a special meal prepared for me with Love. Is that too much to ask???
05 January 2011
Movies
Watched "No Impact Man" recently, as well as "Leap!" A while back I watched "What the bleep do we know?"
All were fanTAStic movies and thought-provoking and inspiring.
I don't generally watch any tv (we don't have cable or satellite, only DVD & VHS - we get no channels on our tv), but I do indulge in the occasional movie, so long as it's an inspirational documentary. ;)
In Light and Love,
~n~
All were fanTAStic movies and thought-provoking and inspiring.
I don't generally watch any tv (we don't have cable or satellite, only DVD & VHS - we get no channels on our tv), but I do indulge in the occasional movie, so long as it's an inspirational documentary. ;)
In Light and Love,
~n~
Reflections
Happy New Year!
I've been very lucky to have my sister visiting for the past couple days. We haven't lived together in 20 years, so being under the same room for this long has gifted me the most amazing internal dialogue (LOL). I see how different our lives are - she: working in the corporate world, childless, enjoying high-speed internet and aerosol hairspray. Oh, and meat. ;) Me: staying at home, homeschooling two children, living a very rural existence with dial-up internet and kitchen cupboards full of foods which are completely foreign for her: maca powder, goji berries, lentils, kelp flakes, kale chips...
Yep, there's lots of differences. We talked about how she just normally has her furnace set at 25. Our baseboard heaters are at 10, and when I feel cold, I put on an extra pair of socks and a sweater, have a cup of herbal tea, and light the woodstove if necessary. She's such a trooper; she's had a really nasty viral infection for over a month now, and still keeps on going, where I would've hunkered down with the oil of oregano at first sign of an infection and rested and fasted until it passed. Coming from different lifestyles, there's a silent headbutting that happens as our worlds collide; the white elephant in the room. ;)
I'm having to work hard to transcend the internal chatter, or else I get mired in coming from a place of judgment instead of seeing how the choices she's making and my responsive feelings are reflections of where I can gift myself unconditional acceptance and Love, what a wonderful opportunity this moment is to transcend the illusion and be fully present, surrendering to the greater good of All, to Love. Truth be told, it's not easy. I'm finding it challenging to surrender to what is, to rest at ease in the Truth that everything is just as it needs to be. There's deep lessons to be found in transcending the internal dialogue. I'm challenging myself to be fully present with the feelings I'm having, with the judgmental thoughts that enter my mind, trying to embrace them fully and accept that they are a part of me.
It's not easy.
But I'm feeling *very* grateful for the opportunity to open and grow, and be One with Love.
*bliss*
I've been very lucky to have my sister visiting for the past couple days. We haven't lived together in 20 years, so being under the same room for this long has gifted me the most amazing internal dialogue (LOL). I see how different our lives are - she: working in the corporate world, childless, enjoying high-speed internet and aerosol hairspray. Oh, and meat. ;) Me: staying at home, homeschooling two children, living a very rural existence with dial-up internet and kitchen cupboards full of foods which are completely foreign for her: maca powder, goji berries, lentils, kelp flakes, kale chips...
Yep, there's lots of differences. We talked about how she just normally has her furnace set at 25. Our baseboard heaters are at 10, and when I feel cold, I put on an extra pair of socks and a sweater, have a cup of herbal tea, and light the woodstove if necessary. She's such a trooper; she's had a really nasty viral infection for over a month now, and still keeps on going, where I would've hunkered down with the oil of oregano at first sign of an infection and rested and fasted until it passed. Coming from different lifestyles, there's a silent headbutting that happens as our worlds collide; the white elephant in the room. ;)
I'm having to work hard to transcend the internal chatter, or else I get mired in coming from a place of judgment instead of seeing how the choices she's making and my responsive feelings are reflections of where I can gift myself unconditional acceptance and Love, what a wonderful opportunity this moment is to transcend the illusion and be fully present, surrendering to the greater good of All, to Love. Truth be told, it's not easy. I'm finding it challenging to surrender to what is, to rest at ease in the Truth that everything is just as it needs to be. There's deep lessons to be found in transcending the internal dialogue. I'm challenging myself to be fully present with the feelings I'm having, with the judgmental thoughts that enter my mind, trying to embrace them fully and accept that they are a part of me.
It's not easy.
But I'm feeling *very* grateful for the opportunity to open and grow, and be One with Love.
*bliss*
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