Soul Mama

2012-01-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year 2012 ~

There is a feel about this year that is different and fresh. I am wishing you all joy. It is a great time to be alive!

Friday Fill-In's

2011-05-20T23:20:00.001-06:00

And…here we go!

1. I see the sun after 3 days of lovely rain.

2. Getting the garden work done and projects just but a scratch.

3. They begin playing and then want IHOP for brunch.

4. We watched home videos of so many years earlier.

5. This I know: Hubby is coming home today after a week gone and we are all going to snuggle and love together.

6. Rachel Ray’s mac and cheese with broccoli and chicken for dinner.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to sexy husband time, tomorrow my plans include ninjitsu, dance, garden time and heart punja and Sunday, I want to attend my daughter’s first dance recital and more garden time and packing for LiG!

Friday Fill-Ins

2011-02-18T11:10:00.018-07:00

And...here we go!

1. New experiences and possibilities delicious.

2.A coyote made an unexpected turn on a daily walk of the Mesa.

3. I'm looking forward to Lego Trains in Estes.

4. Breaking my toe with a chair is something I never have imagined.

5. Try to find peace with food.

6. A willings to grow and change is what's extraordinary about me.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to nursing my toe, tomorrow my plans include Estee's PArk and Sunday, I want to sew!

Friday Fill-Ins

2011-02-11T11:17:00.017-07:00

And...here we go!

1. Family is not blood related.

2. Relationship ups and downs.

3. Trust in changing my story.

4. Changeing my thoughts for the best.

5. Parents that work on changing themselves model healthy living for their kids.

6. I have disappointment over what was said.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a quite night, tomorrow my plans include a pediucre and Sunday, I want to lunch with my girlfriends!

Friday Fill-Ins

2011-02-04T11:31:00.015-07:00

And...here we go!

1. Up in the mountains.

2. An angry mood is going around.

3. Coats and scarves, mittens and boots: is a must for Breckenridge.

4. After a 6 hour drive down the mountain, I would love a nice back rub.

5. I'm thinking about changing my thoughts to get a different result.

6. To be or not to be?.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner in Breckenridge, tomorrow my plans include viewing snow sculptures and Sunday, I want to make my master plan!

Friday Fill-Ins

2011-01-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

1. It's 2011; I allow

2. Fuzzy pickles.

3. Thankfully I have my family and my health .

4. Connection the best things in life.

5. I am so craving a latte.

6. I really like to bowl with my family like we did a few weeks ago.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to biking lessons for the kids and finishing The Lord of Rings Triology, tomorrow my plans include snow shoeing at Echo Lake and Sunday, I want to make snow globes and crystal snow flakes and sew!

My word for 2011

2011-01-04T14:53:00.002-07:00

My word for 2011 is savor.

I have been feeling this drive for several months to savor my life, my dreams, my experiences.      This year, I am going to focus on savoring the mere fact that I have desires right now. I am stopping the effort to have those desires be fulfilled and manifested in some physical form.     I pledge to myself to feel the power and the freshness of my now.   I sent out these rockets of desires (as Abraham Hicks calls it) of what I want and that simple act puts me in a fresh, new place. I trust in this.

I am going to savor the mere fact that I have these desires right now.   I understand the power within this concept.   The ability to think of a desire and visualize it, is all that must happen for the Law of Attraction to work.   The key is to find ways of improving the way I feel right where I stand.    Savoring the desires I have right now is simply softening my attention toward the things that are going wrong.   Savoring the desires I have right now begins to tell the stories that lean in the direction of were I want to go - instead of in the direction of what I have in my life. (This doesn't not mean I hate my life or my life sucks. It means I am always tweaking my life experience, big or small.) This will all lead to my vibration shifting. My point of attraction will shift and I will get different results.

I savor the mere fact that I have these desires. I sit in the freshness of my now.

Reverb #1 One Word

2011-01-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you? (Author: Gwen Bell)

A New Year

2011-01-02T23:39:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year! It is has been awhile since I posted on this blog. I took a break in 2009, for many reasons, on blogging. I didn’t update anything but Facebook really. It is neccessary for me to figure out what my purpose is for each site. Using Facebook last year, confused my purpose. I wasn’t really sure why I had these other sites. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue with them. Being a mother and entrepreneuar, micro blogging is a great way to get an idea out of my head. That is why Facebook has been a great fit. I can micro blog and connect with folks I have not seen or talked to for years. In the end, Facebook didnt fill the void of blogging/journaling. I went back and reviewed the entries on this site and found myself filled with memories. Not all the memories where pleasant and I realized I was stuck in a negative story about several areas in my life in 2010. I don’t think I would of seen how I was holding these negative pattern from 2009 into 2010 without blogging, in 2009, on this site. I have so many more beautiful, positive memories in those years than negative. I am focusing on those and remembering those years different. That is a wonderful gift! So blogging I a come.

52 Week Project

2011-01-01T22:38:00.001-07:00

My friend from college started 52 Week Project. I decided to do it this year because I am going to do a self portrait and the a pic of each of my family members. I love the idea of doing it all monochromatic to give a lot of creative leeway. So here is to enjoying a year of beautiful pictures.

These pictures where all taken Jan 1 when we went out to our Saturday family breakfast. It was cold. We had snow on the ground. I love to get out in the snow and cold and my family appreciates doing this with me. We went to IHOP, a favorite of my sons. I wonder where we will go next Saturday?

Simple Herb Remedies

2009-09-26T11:37:00.000-06:00

Herbs work very well for health dis-ease and for maintaining good health.

In nature, the remedy often grows right next to the cause. People blame goldenrod, for example, for their allergies because they look across the field and see the beautiful yellow flowers - but it's the blooming ragweed they can't see that's causing all their troubles.

Here are a few quick ones that I use....

Digestive Health
Problem: Constipation
Solution: Triphala
Dose: Take two to four 500 mg tablets just before bed

Problem: Heartburn/Gerd
Solution: Meadowsweet
Dose: Pour two teaspoons of the dried herb in one cup of hot water; steep 20 min and drink once a day (the slightly sweet tea has a mild almond flavor).

Problem: Indigestion
Solution: Wild Yam Root
Dose: Add 1/4 cup wild yam root (purchase it cut and sifted) to one pint of cool water in a saucepan; bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes; remove from heat and steep an additional 15 minutes.   Strain, cool, and pour into an ice cube tray. Freeze. Then place one ice cube in a mug, pour a coup of boiling water over it, and drink the diluted mixture while it's still warm.   Take one cube, three times a day as needed.

Problem: Intestinal Gas
Solution: Fennel
Dose: Chew a pinch of the whole fennel seeds after a meal

Seasonal Health
Problem: Common Cold
Solution: Echinacea
Dose: buy a tinture of echinacea and take one dropper full every hour beginning at onset of symptoms; decrease the dose to once every two to four hours after symptoms ease.

Problem: Sore Throat
Solution: Marshmallow
Dose: Make a tea of one teaspoon of the dried herb infused in one cup of cold water, then simmer for at least 15 minutes.   Sweeten to taste with honey and drink warm.

Problem: Cough
Solution: Umckalaobo
Dose: Take as drops, syrup or spray. It can also be found as Umcka at health food stores.

Problem: Nasal Congestion
Solution: Goldenrod
Dose: Place 3 drops of the extract under the tongue; repeat as necessary until nasal passages are clear.

Aches & Pains
Problem: Headaches
Solution: Lavender
Dose: Dab a few drops of essential oil on each temple and rub some around the hairline. Breathe deeply and relax; repeat as needed.   Also Tifi oil works well for headaches. It can be purchased from Nature's Sunshine online.

Problem: Muscle pains & strains
Solution: St John's Wort
Dose: Make a liniment by mixing equal parts St John's wort tincture and St John's wort oil. Mix vigorously before using, apply topically to afftected area (avoid eyes), and massage into skin as needed.

Problem: Earache
Solution: Garlic & Mullein Oil
Dose: Put three drops of oil in each affected ear, two to three times a day as needed.   This can be purchased in a premixed formula from health food stores.

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-09-25T13:51:00.002-06:00

And...here we go!

1. One week ago I was flying home for the first time, by myself, with both my kiddos! It was a success and I was honored to be the one doing it with them.

2. I was a life guard when I was young.

3. Mama told me a lot of things that were wrong and fear based.

4. Happy Autumn Equinox to you and me.

5. Take your time because now is all you got.

6. Gas will pass!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to crafts and candles and my family, tomorrow my plans include nothing (awesome) and Sunday, I want to go on a hike with my family!

New Look

2009-09-19T12:54:00.000-06:00

I have updated my blog for fall - my favorite time of the year! My major change is the drop down menu. I love it! It replaces some of the side bar links. I really don't like how busy the side bars get. I also updated our website but I am not satisfied so that will probably be going through another change.

My Girl is One!

2009-09-13T11:50:00.004-06:00

Wow! How did that year go by so fast and at the same time I enjoyed all the moments through the last year.   Once she started walking - time seemed to jet forward.    Lena started walking at 8 1/2 months.      I am so glad John waited till he was 14 months.     It was an adorable process watching her learn to walk as she practiced hard to keep up with her big brother.     She loves to be chased by John up and down the halls.     In the last month, stairs and getting off the couch became her new goal.     John helps her turn her butt around and scoot down the step or off the couch. She is up to a small run that I can not get enough of watching.

It touches me to watch how sweet John is with her even when he doesn't want to be sweet to her!    He has gently learned when she wants his snake to give her something else. I find that so cool because he doesn't like to do that with other kiddos!    He likes to be called 'BaBa' and tell folks he is the big brother.

Sharing my arms for snuggles has not been easy for John.    The solution has been to take turns while Lena switches sides to nurse and then snuggling up to John after Lena is done nursing.   She is a cute nursing baby!   She switches sides a lot and like me kiss her toes when she kicks her little, sweet smelling foot up towards me.     She still falls asleep in my lap while nursing and she has this soothing rubbing of my breast that lulls me to sleep too!

She is toothless which is cute as can be.    She like to smack her lips together when she really likes the taste of something.     She enjoys food because she watched John's love of food.   She wanted to start eating around 8 months.   She gums everything and want to try it all!

Her hair is beautiful and getting long!   I can now do a cute ponytail in back.   She came out with head full of hair and never lost it!

So that is my little girl.    I was in San Diego during her birthday for an unschooling conference. I went to San Diego with a baby and returned with a one year old.

Weekend Hair Detox

2009-08-31T12:27:00.000-06:00

I do one of these usually every month or so....it is recommended to do them weekly and/or monthly and to do all four steps. I have found these same solutions in several magazines and books. This seems to be a repeating 4 step process. So here it is:

Step 1: Nourish Your Scalp

It is good to use healing oils like soybean for potein, sunflower for it fatty acids, and rosemary to help blood circulation.

Treatment:
One tablespoon of these oils: jojoba oil (moisturizes and protects hair and scalp), castor oil (add shine and fullness) and coconut oil (stimulates clenasing).

Massage, using your fingertips to stimulate blood flow, gently massage the oil into your hair, focusing on the roots. Then wrap your head in a warm, damp towel or cover it with shower cap for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Deep Clean

This will wash away the residual product, dirt and dead skin.

Treatment:
One cup of apple cider or white vinegar once a week.

Brush your hair before showering to loosen dirt and dead skin cells and pull oil away from the scalp.
Make sure your hair is wet. Then rinse with vinegar before using your regular shampoo.

Step 3: Restore Moisture

It is good to hydrate hair with conditioner or a maske that contains essential oils and proteins.

Treatment:
Mix two tablespoons of olive oil with about half a mashed up avocado.

Apply mask from roots to ends. After thoroughly coating your hair, wrap it in a hot towel for 20 minutes, then rinse.

Step 4: Style Gently

Use alcohol and silicone-free styling products.

Treatment:
Mix two ounces of sugar with four ounces of water in a spray bottle.

To prevent buildup, use sprays and gels sparingly. Spritz hair with spray bottle to add texture and a light hold.

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-08-28T12:42:00.022-06:00

And...here we go!

1. That's a empowered way to go to be.

2. Hey Brad, be quite; I'm over here!

3. The possibilities include: joy, a family we want to create, and a lot of fun!

4. Veggie soup with greens is one of my favorite cool day recipes.

5. How will you know when the time has come to say good-bye.

6.I love a rainy night and a stormy sky.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to packing for San Diego, tomorrow my plans include researching all the places in San Diego we want to go and Sunday, I want to get up make pancakes and bacon while watching Sunday Morning!

The Spring Equinox

2009-03-20T11:56:00.005-06:00

The Spring Equinox is a solar festival which occurs when the night and day are the same length, hence its name: equi (equal) nox (night). It is celebrated on the day the sun moves into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac. Since this date is astronomically determined, it shifts each year, falling on either March 21, 22 or 23, whatever date the Sun moves into the astrological sign of Aries, symbolized by a ram, the initiatory energy of spring and also a typical sacrifice at this time of year.

Besides being the start of the astrological year, March 25 was also the start of the calender year for many
centuries.

Great Britain

and the Colonies began the new year on March 25^th (Lady Day) until 1752. In other words, March 23 1750 was the day before March 24 1751. This preserved the old belief that the year began on Spring Equinox. The Persians still celebrate the new year on Spring Equinox with the joyous feast of No Rooz.

March was also the first month of the Roman year until the adoption of the Julian calendar in 46 BCE when January and February were added. March is still acknowledged as the first month of the year by the names of our months (September which is actually the ninth month means seventh, October which is actually the tenth month means eighth and so forth).

As with other holidays, the Catholic Church linked the day with a significant holiday, in this case, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who conceived Jesus on this day and gave birth to him exactly nine months later on Christmas Day. Her festival was known as Lady Day. Jesus' other parent, St Joseph, also has a holiday near the equinox on March 19th. ~ Waverly Fitzgerald

6 Months - What the Deuce

2009-03-13T12:00:00.001-06:00

My girl is sitting up and starting the movement of crawling. She is even pulling herself up. This first year goes sooooooo fast. I know I have said that so many times but I am always stunned at how rapid growing up is in our constructs of time.

Brad Makes Playdough

2009-02-28T11:44:00.004-07:00

Thanks Jill and Sandra for the great recipe. Brad made playdough and the whole family had a blast. More photos on Flickr.

Playdough recipe

History of Salt in Religion, Economics and Warfare

2009-02-28T10:07:00.002-07:00

History of Salt in Religion
Salt has long held an important place in religion and culture. Greek worshippers consecrated salt in their rituals. Jewish Temple offerings included salt; on the Sabbath, Jews still dip their bread in salt as a remembrance of those sacrifices. In the Old Testament, Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt. Author Sallie Tisdale notes that salt is as free as the water suspending it when it's dissolved, and as immutable as stone when it's dry - a fitting duality for Lot's wife, who overlooks Sodom to this day.

Covenants in both the Old and New Testaments were often sealed with salt: the origin of the word "salvation." In the Catholic Church, salt is or has been used in a variety of purifying rituals. In fact, until Vatican II, a small taste of salt was placed on a baby's lip at his or her baptism. Jesus called his disciples "the Salt of the Earth." In Leonardo DaVinci's famous painting, "The Last Supper," Judas Escariot has just spilled a bowl of salt - a portent of evil and bad luck. To this day, the tradition endures that someone who spills salt should throw a pinch over his left shoulder to ward off any devils that may be lurking behind.

In Buddhist tradition, salt repels evil spirits. That's why it's customary to throw salt over your shoulder before entering your house after a funeral: it scares off any evil spirits that may be clinging to your back.
Shinto religion also uses salt to purify an area. Before sumo wrestlers enter the ring for a match - which is actually an elaborate Shinto rite - a handful of salt is thrown into the center to drive off malevolent spirits.
In the Southwest, the Pueblo worship the Salt Mother. Other native tribes had significant restrictions on who was permitted to eat salt. Hopi legend holds that the angry Warrior Twins punished mankind by placing valuable salt deposits far from civilization, requiring hard work and bravery to harvest the precious mineral.

In 1933, the Dalai Lama was buried sitting up in a bed of salt.
Today, a gift of salt endures in India as a potent symbol of good luck and a reference to Mahatma Gandhi's liberation of India, which included a symbolic walk to the sea to gather tax-free salt for the nation's poor.

History of Salt Economics
As a precious and portable commodity, salt has long been a cornerstone of economies throughout history. In fact, researcher M.R. Bloch conjectured that civilization began along the edges of the desert because of the natural surface deposits of salt found there. Bloch also believed that the first war - likely fought near the ancient city of Essalt on the Jordan River - could have been fought over the city's precious salt supplies.
In 2200 BC, the Chinese emperor Hsia Yu levied one of the first known taxes. He taxed salt. In Tibet, Marco Polo noted that tiny cakes of salt were pressed with images of the Grand Khan and used as coins. Salt is still used as money among the nomads of Ethiopia's Danakil Plains.

Greek slave traders often bartered salt for slaves, giving rise to the expression that someone was "not worth his salt." Roman legionnaires were paid in salt - a salarium, the Latin origin of the word "salary."
Merchants in 12th-Century Timbuktu - the gateway to the Sahara Desert and the seat of scholars - valued salt as highly as books and gold.

In France, Charles of Anjou levied the "gabelle," a salt tax, in 1259 to finance his conquest of the Kingdom of Naples. Outrage over the gabelle fueled the French Revolution. Though the revolutionaries eliminated the tax shortly after Louis XIV fell, the Republic of France reestablished the gabelle in the early 19th Century; only in 1946 was it removed from the books.

The Erie Canal, an engineering marvel that connected the Great Lakes to New York's Hudson River in 1825, was called "the ditch that salt built." Salt tax revenues paid for half the cost of construction of the canal.
The British monarchy supported itself with high salt taxes, leading to a bustling black market for the white crystal. In 1785, the earl of Dundonald wrote that every year in England, 10,000 people were arrested for salt smuggling. Protesting British rule in 1930, Mahatma Gandhi led a 200-mile march to the Arabian Ocean to collect untaxed salt for India's poor.

History of Salt Warfare
The effects of salt deficiency are highlighted in times of war, when human bodies and national economies are strained to their limits.

Thousands of Napoleon's troops died during the French retreat from Moscow due to inadequate wound healing and lowered resistance to disease - the results of salt deficiency.

Salt production facilities in Saltville, Va., Virginia's Kanawha Valley and Avery Island, Louisiana, were early targets of the Union Army. The North fought for 36 hours to capture Saltville, Va., where the salt works were considered crucial to the Rebel army - so crucial that Confederate President Jefferson Davis offered to waive military service to anyone willing to tend coastal salt kettles to supply the South's war effort. In addition to dietary salt, the Confederacy needed the precious mineral to tan leather, dye cloth for uniforms and preserve meat.

Salt Histroy

2009-02-28T10:03:00.001-07:00

It is an essential element in the diet of not only humans but of animals, and even of many plants. It is one of the most effective and most widely used of all food preservatives (and used to preserve Egyptian mummies as well). Its industrial and other uses are almost without number. In fact, salt has great current as well as historical interest, even the subject of humorous cartoons and poetry and useful in film-making.

The fact is that throughout history, salt--called sodium chloride by chemists--has been such an important element of life that it has been the subject of many stories, fables and folktales and is frequently referenced in fairy tales. It served as money at various times and places, and it has been the cause of bitter warfare. Offering bread and salt to visitors, in many cultures, is traditional etiquette. It is used in making pottery. While we have records of the importance of salt in commerce in Medieval times and earlier, in some places like the Sahara and Nepal, salt trading today gives a glimpse of what life may have been like centuries ago.

Salt was in general use long before history, as we know it, began to be recorded. Some 2,700 years B.C.-about 4,700 years ago-there was published in China the Peng-Tzao-Kan-Mu, probably the earliest known treatise on pharmacology. A major portion of this writing was devoted to a discussion of more than 40 kinds of salt, including descriptions of two methods of extracting salt and putting it in usable form that are amazingly similar to processes used today. Chinese folklore recounts the discovery of salt. Salt production has been important in China for two millennia or more. And the Chinese, like many other governments over time, realizing that everyone needed to consume salt, made salt taxes a major revenue source. Nomads spreading westward were known to carry salt. Egyptian art from as long ago as 1450 B.C. records salt-making.

Salt was of crucial importance economically. A far-flung trade in ancient Greece involving exchange of salt for slaves gave rise to the expression, "not worth his salt." Special salt rations given early Roman soldiers were known as "salarium argentum," the forerunner of the English word "salary." References to salt abound in languages around the globe, particularly regarding salt used for food. From the Latin "sal," for example, come such other derived words as "sauce" and "sausage." Salt was an important trading commodity carried by explorers.

Salt has played a vital part in religious ritual in many cultures, symbolizing immutable, incorruptible purity. There are more than 30 references to salt in the Bible, using expressions like "salt of the earth." And there are many other literary and religious references to salt, including use of salt on altars representing purity, and use of "holy salt" by the Unification Church.

Saltmaking encompasses much of the history of the United Kingdom, particularly in the Cheshire area. Medieval European records document saltmaking concessions. On the Continent, Venice rose to economic greatness through its salt monopoly. Saltmaking was important in the Adriatic/Balkans region as well (the present border between Slovenia and Croatia) where Tuzla in Bosnia-Herzegovina is actually named for "tuz," the Turkish word for salt. So is Salzburg, Austria, which has made its four salt mines major tourist attractions. Bolivia's salt producing region is a tourist attraction with one hotel constructed entirely of salt and fascinating salt-bearing caravans of llamas. The grand designs of Philip II of Spain came undone through the Dutch Revolt at the end of the 16th Century; one of the keys, according to Montesquieu, was the successful Dutch blockade of Iberian saltworks which led directly to Spanish bankruptcy. Saltmaking was -- and is -- important in Holland as well. France has always been a major producer of salt and any discussion of saltmaking and distribution in France includes discussion of the gabelle, the salt tax which was a significant cause of the French Revolution, but salt remains important today. The magnitude of the gabelle is mind-boggling; from 1630 to 1710, the tax increased tenfold from 14 times the cost of production to 140 times the cost of production, according to Pierre Laszlo in his book Salt: Grain of Life (Columbia Univ. Press). Many Americans evoke an image from the phrase "Siberian salt mines," but saltmaking takes place in many places in Russia. In the Middle East, the Jordanian town of As-Salt, located on the road between Amman and Jerusalem, was known as Saltus in Byzantine times and was the seat of a bishopric. Later destroyed by the Mongols it was rebuilt by the Mamluke sultan Baybars I in the 13th century; the ruins of his fortress remain today. Indian history recalls the prominent role of salt (including the Great Hedge and its role in the British salt starvation policy) and Mahatma Gandhi’s resistance to British colonial rule. Salt played a key role in the history of West Africa, particularly during the great trading empire of Mali (13th - 16th Centuries) -- and it still does!

Salt has played a prominent role in the European exploration of North America and subsequent American history, Canadian history, and Mexican history as well. The first Native Americans "discovered" by Europeans in the Caribbean were harvesting sea salt as on St. Maarten. When the major European fishing fleets discovered the Grand Banks of Newfoundland at the end of the 15th Century, the Portuguese and Spanish fleets used the "wet" method of salting their fish onboard, while the French and English fleets used the "dry" or "shore" salting method of drying their catch on racks onshore; thus, the French and British fishermen became the first European inhabitants of northern North America since the Vikings a half-century earlier. Had it not been for the practice of salting fish, Europeans might have confined their fishing to the coasts of Europe and delayed "discovery" of the "New World."

Salt motivated the American pioneers. The American Revolution had heroes who were saltmakers and part of the British strategy was to deny the American rebels access to salt. And salt was on the mind of William Clark in the pathbreaking Lewis & Clark Expedition to the Pacific Northwest. The first patent issued by the British crown to an American settler gave Samuel Winslow of the Massachusetts Bay Colony the exclusive right for ten years to make salt by his particular method. The Land Act of 1795 included a provision for salt reservations (to prevent monopolies) as did an earlier (1778) treaty between the Iroquois' Onondaga tribe and the state of New York. New York has always been important in salt production. The famed Erie Canal, opened in 1825, was known as "the ditch that salt built" because salt, a bulky product presenting major transportation difficulties, originally was its principal cargo. Syracuse, NY, is to this day proud of its salt history and its nickname: "Salt City." Salt production has been important in Michigan and West Virginia for more than a century. Salt played an important role on the U.S. frontier, including areas like Illinois and Nebraska which no longer have commercial salt production.

Salt played a key role in the Civil War and on the the present. In December, 1864, Union forces made a forced march and fought a 36-hour battle to capture Saltville, Virginia, the site of an important salt processing plant thought essential to sustaining the South's beleaguered armies. Civilian distress over the lack of salt in the wartime Confederacy undermined rebel homefront morale too. Salt was critical to locating the city of Lincoln, Nebraska and West Virginia claims salt as its first mineral industry. The important role of salt in Kansas history will be captured in a new salt museum in Hutchinson, KS. The vast distances in the American West sometimes required passage over extensive salt flats. In Canada, Windsor Salt is more than a century old. In the American West, a "salt war" was fought at El Paso, TX and we know that Nevada was not known only as a silver state. Many cities, counties, land features and other landmarks reflect the importance of salt. Salt, of course, has many uses; some techniques using salt such as production of "salt prints" in 19th Century photography have been superseded by new technologies -- others have not. Several salt prints are viewable online Not all American "salt history" is so old, either. Salt-glazed pottery is still popular. Salt is even associated with the struggle for women's rights in the U.S.

Salt also had military significance. For instance, it is recorded that thousands of Napoleon's troops died during his retreat from Moscow because their wounds would not heal as a result of a lack of salt. In 1777, the British Lord Howe was jubilant when he succeeded in capturing General Washington's salt supply.
Similarly, throughout history the essentiality of salt has subjected it to governmental monopoly and special taxes. Salt taxes long supported British monarchs and thousands of Britishers were imprisoned for smuggling salt. French kings developed a salt monopoly by selling exclusive rights to produce it to a favored few who exploited that right to the point where the scarcity of salt was a major contributing cause of the French Revolution. In modern times, Mahatma Gandhi defied British salt laws as a means of mobilizing popular support for self-rule in India. In recent years, the promotion of free trade through the World Trade Organization has led to abolition of many national monopolies, for example, in Taiwan.
In short, the innocuous looking, white granular substance we know today as "salt" historically has been so essential to all life as to be of the utmost value. We are fortunate, indeed, that in the United States it has never been subjected to discriminatory taxes, and that in North America it is plentiful and one of the most easily obtainable and least expensive of our necessities.

Xtreme Gym Fun

2009-02-27T11:03:00.019-07:00

We went to Xtreme Gym on Friday for open play. Once again our whole family had a blast! Big Joe Miller came with his family this time and showed off his black, frost bit toes. He also added a wonderful diminish of climbing the wall and playing games. Looking forward to another rough and tumble afternoon together.

Here John is climbing the wall of rope over the pit of balls. This pit is so fun. Tons of big, colorful bouncy balls.

More pictures on Flickr.

The ball pit.

Big Joe after the chicken.

Big Joe taking a rest after chasing the chicken and getting the cheese (now that really makes you wonder)!

Swinging on the ceiling rope.

Jill taking out Lucretia

Brad getting ready to play.

Big Joe climbing the wall.

Salt...I am facinated

2009-02-27T09:58:00.002-07:00

A few cool facts:

- The word 'salary' comes from salarium, the pay Roman soldiers received for the purchase of salt.

- Salt is the only edible rock.

- In Iran, to break an oath is to be 'untrue to salt'.

- Many American roadways began as paths blazed by buffalo traveling to natural salt licks.

- During the Middle Ages the size of the salt cellar indicated the wealth of the household.

- A salt tax called the gabelle led to the French Revolution.

- In small amounts, salt makes sweet foods taste sweeter.

So...what if we did exactly what we wanted to do?

2009-02-25T10:36:00.005-07:00

People worry about everyone being selfishly oriented.

If everyone did exactly what they want to do, what kind of world would this be?

If everyone did what they wanted to do, everyone would feel free.

And if one feels free, one feels empowered.

Every negative emotion that exists is because there is some sense of loss of freedom.

Hmmm...So? What if we did exactly what we wanted to do?

My Girl turns 5 months!

2009-02-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

Seriously! Time fly's by when I can benchmark it against a baby. All her changes that happen in a blink of the eye are amazing to me. I see her processing so much by watch her big brother. When she is feeling extra playful she has taken to growling because her brother roars at her with his dinosaurs....It makes sense.

Brad and John on the way to the airport

2009-01-24T08:24:00.001-07:00

For John's 4th birthday, Bradley and John flew to OKC to see an arena show of dinosaurs. The show is produced by the BBC who made the show Walking With Dinosaurs. The arena show is called Walking With Dinosaurs LIVE! Here is the link to the show. UPDATE: They had a blast together. John was so excited and loved the whole experience including the plane ride with Daddy. John said the dinosaurs where so cool. There was a TRex and a Utahraptor. John wants to go back to the show and bring Mommy and Lena too!

12 Days of Yule

2008-12-26T11:31:00.001-07:00

The Twelve Days of Yuke begin with the day after Christmas Day and end on January 6, Twelfth Night. Supposedly each of the twelve days predicts what the weather will be like for the corresponding month of the year (that is, the first day foreshadows the weather in January, etc.).

Helen Farias suggests that the 12 days were originally 13 nights, celebrated from the dark moon nearest the solstice through the next full moon. Greek women celebrated a Dionysian ritual on the full moon nearest the Winter Solstice.

In medieval England, all work was suspended during the Christmas or Yule holidays. Women could begin spinning again on January 7th, the day after Twelfth Night, which was called St Distaff’s Day. According to Germanic tradition, the goddess Holle, dressed all in white, rides the wind in a wagon on the Twelve Days of Christmas. During this time, no wheels can turn: no spinning, no milling, no wagons (sleighs were used instead). Holle punished women who disobeyed the taboo. Women were also forbidden to work on the days of certain female saints whose holidays fall during the winter. Lacemakers and spinners take a holiday on Nov 25, St Catherine’s Day. And any woman who works on St Lucy’s Day (Dec 13) will find her work undone the next day.

It seems clear that this is a magical period, a time out of time, whatever dates you choose. It is a special time, existing outside of the usual rules, when work is forbidden and all routines should be turned upside down. If you compare the cycle of the year to other cycles, as Demetra George does in Mysteries of the Dark Moon, this time is equivalent to the dark moon in the lunar cycle, the time of bleeding in the menstrual cycle, the hours before dawn in the daily cycle and, in our life cycles, the period after death and before birth. It is the time right before your birthday in your personal year cycle, often a time to reassess what you've accomplished. All of these are powerful moments when new possibilities are seeded.-Waverly Fitzgerald

Merry Xmas

2008-12-25T10:28:00.002-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Winter Park Weekend.

2008-12-21T21:22:00.006-07:00

We had a wonderful time at Winter Park and Granny flew in to spend it with us! We stayed at the Winter Park Mountain Lodge pictured. It was a good place to stay. Winter Park once was part of the Denver park system and was once called Denver Winter Park. Since it was part of the park system a train runs from LoDo in Denver to Winter Park. It is also the reason the park is not developed as much as the other resorts. It is all public land so that means one can walk the trains even if the lifts are not running. It has the infamous Mary Jane - which has famed extreme skiing. The family enjoyed swimming and hottubing in the morning which included awesome mountain views. I have posted the rest of the Winter Park pictures on Flickr: Winter Park 2008

Happy Winter Solstice

2008-12-21T13:21:00.011-07:00

This picture was taken on our drive down from Winter Park! Beautiful! May your Winter Solstice be a connection to your soul..

The First Day of Winter
- Laura Lush

"On the first day of winter,
the earth awakens to the cold touch of itself.
Snow knows no other recourse except
this falling, this sudden letting go
over the small gnomed bushes, all the emptying trees.
Snow puts beauty back into the withered and malnourished,
into the death-wish of nature and the deliberate way
winter insists on nothing less than deference.
waiting all its life, snow says, "Let me cover you."

The Holcombs Elf Themselves

2008-12-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

My Dear Friend Kathy

2008-12-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, she sent me these awesome flowers. John was so excited to get flowers delivered right to the door. The ballons were his favorite. Thanks Kathy!

My New Car

2008-12-04T11:04:00.002-07:00

Thanks Hubby!

Car Shopping

2008-11-30T13:33:00.004-07:00

We went car shopping on Friday after Thanksgiving.    We had a lot of fun test driving a 2009 Honda Pilot. It was similar to the one in the picture.   We have not bought one yet and we are probably going to buy a 2005.    The depreciation for a new car off a dealer lot feels like throwing money out the window - literately!

We decided we needed a 7 passenger vehicle.    Minivans are the first thought, but I just don't like them. I usually feel sick in them and the slant in the front window makes me uncomfortable.

We looked at Land Cruisers but the carbon footprint is huge.    Also, the rear seats (6 and 7) are clearly afterthoughts by Toyota.   They hand on the sides in the cargo area.

I simply don't like the Toyato Highlander either. Again the rear seats are afterthoughts - at least it seems like that because the head room for those seats are almost none.   The middle seat split down the middle.   I don't like that because if 3 people are in the mid row, 2 people will always need to get out to let the back row in the car.

Honda seems to really have thought out the Pilot.   The rear seats have nice head room, they fold flat when not in use, the middle seats adjust back and forth to give the rear seats more or less leg room, and the middle seats split is not down the middle but to the side.

BioDynamic Farming!!!

2008-11-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

I am so excited!!! I have finally found a biodynamic farm close to us. It is named Frog Belly Farm. Here is the URL for their web site: http://www.frogbellyfarm.com/#/welcome/

I emailed the farm and asked if and how I can purchase some meat. I got an immediate response that they had 1/2 a cow available from a recent butcher. YEAH!!!! We are purchasing it and we now set for meat. I have been craving meat but really don't want to buy anymore from WholeFoods. I did it while I was pregnant because I really needed it ---

ThanksGiving

2008-11-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

The real history of Thanksgiving isn’t quite as simple as Squanto feeding the pilgrims of Plymouth Colony. Throughout early American history, colonists declared thanksgiving celebrations to mark safe landings in the New World, political and military successes as well as successful harvests. Thanksgiving Day didn’t become a national holiday until 1863 when President Lincoln proclaimed a day of thanks, not for the harvest but for the stability of society in spite of the Civil War.

Despite the history, the simple story we should be teaching to our kids is that Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful for the harvest—the local harvest that takes place right near our homes. We should be thankful not just for the delicious food on our tables but for all the benefits that local growers contribute to our lives and our country. The health of our nation and each one of us rests on the wellbeing of small family farms. When those prosper, our environment, economy and families all share in the good fortune.

Pangea Organics

2008-11-17T12:23:00.001-07:00

Pangea is located in Boulder. I have been trying out their products and they feel great on my face. They smell good too. The dry skin on my face is fading with the use of Pangea. They have a great website: http://www.pangeaorganics.com/. In addition, they have a holiday box that grows a spruce tree. I am not into Xmas and gift giving but I love to give gifts other times of the year. This would make a great gift anytime! When I say the box becomes a spruce tree - I am not kidding! Here it is off their website:

Beautiful Lena - 2 months old!

2008-11-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

Wii Fit

2008-11-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

I am loving our Wii Fit!!! I am using it to get in shape after the pregnancy and it is so much fun!!!

Slings

2008-11-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

I really love slinging my baby. Here is a cute pic of her in the Sleepy Wrap sling.

It Is Still About The Law of Attraction

2008-08-28T21:27:00.002-06:00

As most of us head to the polls to vote for a new president, I remember what Abraham-Hicks has to say:

Two statements that will serve you very well. The first is: There will always be war. There will always be those who aggravate within others a sense of trouble in order to promote the solution that they already have their mind made up about. And so you're never going to come into agreement as a mass consciousness that this is "the way." There will always be disagreements; therefore, there will always be turmoil; there will always be war.

The other statement, that is our favorite is: Well-Being will always abound, so the dominant experience of the majority of people will always be one of Well-Being. So you can decide, at any point in time, in what part of this you want to play. You can use anything as your excuse to align with Well-being, or you can use anything as your excuse to not align. The thing that we think is at the heart of this discussion is my own personal power. We think that's what you are, sort of, struggling for and reaching for.

Gladiator Fridge

2008-08-22T12:05:00.003-06:00

We just purchased a really cool fridge/freezer. It is called the Gladiator by Whirpool. It is made for the garage. It has a steel front. The top part is a fridge that can be converted to a freezer with the touch of a button. The bottom is the freezer. I am so happy with it. Our garden harvest has filled both freezer units of our existing fridges. So we needed more freezer space.

Our garden has produced a bunch of freezer meals. Plus lots of veggies have been blanched and frozen for winter use.

Abraham- Hicks

2008-07-12T11:48:00.001-06:00

We attended the Abraham-Hicks "Art of Allowing" workshop in Denver on Saturday. It was amazing!!! I was able to expand my thinking on many ideas about the Law of Creation and the Law of Deliberate Creation. It was emotional too because it was so touching. It felt like Abraham was speaking to me and I was in a room of 800 people. At the luncheon, everyone felt the same way.

I had a lot of questions. Prior to the workshop, they said to have your questions in your mind and Abraham would answer them. I wrote mine down and mediated on them. Only about 6 people were chosen to ask questions. Just as Abraham said, within those questions, my questions were answered. It was wonderful.

I have since felt this quicken in the movement of my energy as I work with the concepts I learned at the workshop.

I learned these concepts between 1992 and 2001 from a metaphysical group I associated with at the time. However, I could only go so far with what they taught because they were rigid, judgmental and heavy with the concepts - which was exactly what I needed at the time. I doubt I would of taken it serious otherwise.

Abraham took the concepts to the next level. First, the message was lighten up. Second, contrast is good. You are away from your true self (which Abraham calls your vibratory vortex)if you think you are failing because conflict or trouble arises in your life. Don't try to be on the side of perfection. It leads you away from your true self. Third, everything spoken about in the workshop was fine tuning.

It's Only A Thought and A Thought Can Be Changed

2008-06-30T13:51:00.006-06:00

Over the weekend we had a situation with little John that provoked a lot of thinking. The reader digest version of it...he took two toys out of store without buying them. He had asked for them and Daddy said no. So he hid them behind his back. Daddy noticed once John was trying to get into his car seat without using his hands. Daddy asked what was behind his back and John showed him stating..." I removed tags, now mine."

Hmmm...what to do?

What I know is what doesn't work. What doesn't work is what society teaches. How do I know? Simple. I look at all my friends, family and myself and I see how we all have fear and lack of prosperity and scarcity. Wait...how does that apply to what John did? Completely. Scott Noelle best describes it like this... "The scarcity principle is one of the central stories that informs our culture and frames our perceptions. This story is told to us over and over in a thousand subtle and unsubtle ways, from sayings like “you can’t always get what you want” and “money doesn’t grow on trees” to fairy tales like Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk to the endless drone of TV commercials urging us to buy now, “while supplies last.” The underlying message in so many of our stories is that there’s never enough to go around, but if you’re more virtuous — smarter, stronger, more beautiful, harder working, etc. — you might just get what you want... usually at someone else’s expense.

The belief in scarcity is central to the competition mindset. We are taught to interpret every experience as a win or a loss — to believe that even games played purely for pleasure are more fun when winning is contingent on defeating opponents.

But when a baby comes into the world, she expects to win by default. That is, she expects her needs to be met, and she doesn’t expect to have to compete for them. This — the child’s first nature — runs so counter to our “second nature” enculturated belief in scarcity, that we doubt our instinct to give them all the nurturing they need and the loving attention they desire.

Mother Nature is overridden by the voice of Father Culture, which warns us that we are in danger of “spoiling” our children if we dare to give them what they want. It implores us to give less. We are told it’s our job as parents to help children get used to the idea of going without.

The baseline fear is that if we give our children what they want, they will always want more. However, this theory is rarely tested because we seldom keep giving until they are satisfied. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy because they don’t get enough opportunities to learn what “enough” feels like. But what’s so bad about getting what you want? Isn’t getting it the whole point of wanting it? Here’s where one of our culture’s most destructive beliefs is exposed: the belief in scarcity, or the idea that there is never enough in the world to fulfill our desires, so we should desire less. There is nothing overindulgent about wanting to experience love, pleasure, fun, comfort and joy. Yet we often call children (and ourselves) “spoiled” when these needs and desires are fully and unconditionally satisfied."

So why in the hell would I want to repeat with my child what doesn't work and has made me miserable because it was taught to me? Why keep teaching my children the unhappy side of life because 'it is best for them'? Why teach my child that his nature is wrong?

A better solution is available and I going to grab it! I am going to teach myself as well as my child something different. I am going to follow another recommendation from Scot Noelle. I am going to consciously drop all ideas of scarcity and spoilability, and fulfill the request joyfully with 100% willingness and no arbitrary limitations. Indulge in the pleasure of giving until my child feels satisfied and stops of his own accord. Be curious about how much he can take.

I am going to let the discovery of my child’s capacity to receive teach me about my own capacity to receive. Perhaps I’ll learn to let more goodness into my experience.

If I begin to exceed my own limits, then of course I will stop. I will only give what I can give with integrity, from a sense of abundance

Remembering that Love — the greatest gift I can ever give — is something I can never really run out of, even when other limits are reached. Love doesn’t come from me, it flows through me. So when I give love I am also receiving it. Part of the process is saying YES to giving love even when I can’t or shouldn’t say yes to other things, and staying focused on that abundance.

Thanks Scot! Now let the experiment of life begin.....

Eldorado State Park

2008-06-15T11:09:00.003-06:00

Wow! This park is only 20 minutes from our house and it is outstanding! We had the best time hiking an easy trail, walking by the river, and viewing climbers. Some of the climbers were doing very technical climbs and it was amazing to watch them!

This picture shows a climber mid-right on the cliff. This is high up. The climber still has a lot to climb to reach the top.

Books Everywhere

2008-06-01T11:03:00.000-06:00

Here we are drying out books everywhere! Karen's team came over and helped with bringing it all outside. John enjoyed all the books and looking at them outside. We had a picnic and read books and just made it fun. What else could we do but have a good attitude about it. Plus it could of been a lot worse so we are grateful!

Vancouver, Washington

2008-05-29T12:49:00.000-06:00

Here are a few shots of Vancouver. The Life Is Good Conference was on the Vancouver side of the Columbia River.

Sunday - Life Is Good Conference – Portland, OR

2008-05-25T14:48:00.000-06:00

Our family didn’t wake up until late in the morning. We were all tired and the rest did us well. I was very groggy and wasn’t sure if I would be able to attend everything I wanted on this last day of the conference.

First stop was a circle chat called Starting an Unschooling Group by Robyn Talman and Pam Tellew. It was a wonderful hour of information. The first point they made was it was easier to start a group with 2 leaders. Both Robyn and Pam started by putting out hooks for unschoolers in the homeschooler Yahoo! Groups. Once they had a several people who were into unschooler and radical unschooling they started their own group. The events they do include an evening picnic/potluck so that those that work outside the home could attend too. It has been a great success. Perpetual recess is another event they host which is a day long activity at a rented location. They charge a subscription cost that covers the rental and do this only once a month. Everyone cooks together in the kitchen for the meals, they have projects for all ages and computers are set up for gaming. They host an outdoor adventure day which is either swim, hike, or park day with a meal included. They host an video game club that meets once a month including a dinner. The last event is a something different day. They also do camping trips.

One thing they have found through experience is that unschooling doesn’t mean all-inclusive. Finding those other families that are radical unschooling is key because you find like minded folks who are not straddling the curriculum fence.

Problems do come up. What has worked for their group is to have a No-Rule-Space. In this space one can talk about what is going on and get to the real issue. Let’s solve the problem without generating a rule to solve it. For example, at the adventure day, the moms weren’t getting to eat because by the time they cooked the food and helped served. So several people wanted to start a rule like the teens eat last, Moms eat first. Since they had a no-rule-space, they talked about the problem. The problem was they didn’t have enough food. So the solution was to bring more food and more food that the teens really liked. Problem solved.

They also encouraged a mission and vision of what the group was about and how they were practicing radical unschooling.

Wow! I really felt jazzed after this chat. I want to seek out those radical unschoolers in the Boulder area. I am on several list that promote unschooling but the post I read seem like they come from homeschoolers. Boulder and the area is such a phenomenal place to radical unschool – I just know that there are others in the community like my family seeking other radical unschoolers.

Next was The Daily Grove with Scott Noelle. It was another circle chat. John was with Gemma. I could tell he was still a little tired and maybe a little saturated from all the activity. He was hanging in there and he knew what he wanted was to hang with ‘His Gemma’.

Brad and I attended the circle chat together. Scott started off with how to handle conflict with friends and family over unschooling/ radical unschooling. He pointed out that most of the time to be authentic it is going to create tension so don’t have a percpective that a battle is going to start. Instead when asked about unschooling/radical unschooling use it as a teaching opportunity. Once family and friends ask, they have opened the door for you to tell them in a peaceful way what you are doing and how your family is living it.
When someone is judging you, it can be easy to step off of your beliefs because you are motivated by fear. You may have a feeling of wanting to connect with this person who is off center, so you want to find common ground and start to get off your center to relate. Give yourself permission that it is OK for them to be off their center and you to stay on your center. It is OK for you to stay in your center and not move to the place they are at that moment. Allow them the opportunity to meet you were you are or to for them to stay in the place they are in at the moment. When someone judges you it can be a good thing because you can ask yourself if you are being authentic and then you can recommit to what you believe. That gives you the chance to stop judging yourself based off this other person and just let it go!

When something is not working don’t tolerate the tension that comes from the situation. Find a solution that will work for everyone instead of keeping the focus on my needs vs. the other needs or the ‘have-to’ feelings. Look for freedom in the situation and that will open up a creative solution. Start to imagine different alternatives and check in with yourself to how each feel with each scenario. Staying boxed inside a house doesn’t align with kids. Getting out of the house is very important. Think outside the zoo!!! Culture is limited. Be weird! Be expansive! Ask yourself,” If I was 3, 5, or 8 and I had an expansive mindset – what would I want to be doing?” Be relaxed about setting principles for your kids because they can turn into rules.

Lunch!!!!! Yes! I am starving and I am full mentally! I need some down time. I told Brad I need some time to myself to process all the information and the weekend. It said he would take care of John (what a great daddy) and I went to have lunch by myself. I love eating alone and thinking. I went to the hotel restaurant and it was good. I had wonderful clam chowder and really tasty fish. I let my mind wonder and relax. It really helped me gear up for the next half of the day. I meet up with Brad and John in the lobby. We had a great conversation with Mark Schlichting. Mark was part of The Farm many years ago. I have read a lot about The Farm and of course the books that came from The Farm. My favorite being Spiritual Midwifery. Mark was the graphics go-to-guy for all their publications and more. He moved to Cali to work at their soy plant. He is no longer involved with The Farm but he has many great friends from that time. He had a loving, positive experience and it was wonderful to talk about what it was like when he was involved with The Farm. The next speaker was How to use Your Problems as Stepping Stones to Happiness by Mike Biskup. Initially, Brad really wanted to attend but decided it would be better if I did because he had read Byron Katie’s books. Sounds like a plan so off I went to learn about ‘The Work’.

Wow! ‘The Work’ is an amazing simply but powerful technique. I am so happy that I have and continue to attract to me the most amazing tools. I started off many years ago by leaving religion behind looking for what would spiritually fil me. That let me to begin with simple meditation and study of the mind including undivided attention, goals, self-healing work with my dark side, dream study, and techniques be a creator with my conscious and sub-conscious working together with my super conscious. These techniques continue to support me on my life journey but it also brought me to a place where I didn’t need to understand the pain behind the situation or emotion, I just needed to let it go. My first thought was NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) but that has not resonated with me for whatever reason. I believe it is a very powerful tool just not the tool my soul growth requires, however, that lead to EFT (emotional freedom technique). EFT has been a power tool for me to move through emotions, health issues, situations, fear, and pain easily. It was a tool that I could and have incorporated into my lifestyle with ease. EFT has many opportunities for me to continue to study and learn but at the same time use it right now! Now I have The Work as another tool to compliment me on soul’s journey.

Saturday: Life Is Good Conference

2008-05-24T09:27:00.008-06:00

Saturday morning came fast. I woke up really hunger. We ordered room service for breakfast so we could prepare for the day. It was another exciting day and I was getting to know other families. John was totally into the weekend and was ready to go, go, go ....after pancakes of course! It had been raining and cloudy since we arrived on Wednesday. I really didn't think it would affect me very much but after being in sunny Boulder - I was really missing the sun. Portland was one of the communities I had on our list as possible relocation places last fall. They have a great network of unschoolers, a lot of alternative care, unassisted child birth is embraced and they are greener than Boulder. However, it rains a lot and it is on the West Coast. We like the West Coast but right now the time difference to travel for our business clients on the East Coast is a little much every week.

The first round of lectures for the day started at 10 a.m. Brad attended Birthing Outside The Mainstream with Kinda Hessel. Brad had written our birth story and was completely on board with our unassisted birth. I attended Make Room For Daddy with Jon Gold. I really felt I needed to understand the man's side of unschooling from a man's perspective. It has been a challenge for Brad and I to integrate our lives on Thursday when he returns home and to detach when he leaves on Monday. It turns out this lecture was really geared to all dad's who come home every night with teens. That is ok. Jon was very funny and had a cute technical presentation. He started off by reminding everyone that as kids turn into teens, they go nocturnal. It is a common thing for the teen brain to need this because the cognitive centers are the last to be developed. He advocated flex time for kids because it works for them just like it works for adults. My main take away after that was how to be part of what you’re teen is doing....1) Watch TV with them. Be an active vs. passive viewer. For example, ask about why the director would dress the main character a certain way or why he chooses that camera angle. 2) If you watch commercial TV (dvr's would take care of that), pick the commercials apart. Talk about why the writer’s for that commercial chooses that marketing angle. Talk about the marketing hook each commercial has so that your kid doesn't take the bait. Commercials stress that things make you happy and that is something to talk over with your teen and why the advertisers would take that approach. 3) Don't freak about video games. Remember, video games escalate problem solving and cognitive thinking happens with gaming. Brad took John the next hour and they watched the boats on the Columbia River. The draw bridge was raised for a barge and some sailboats. Brad said that was really cool to watch. The sun was starting to come out too! Yeah! Shoes and pants had become something John would shed within the hour of leaving our hotel room.

I attended another circle chat with Alison McKee called Dealing With Doubts. Alison first point was to talk a lot about unschooling with your partner. Know the learning styles of your kids. It will help you to understand why your kids make the choices they do and seek out the different experiences they need. She touched on the same point from her other lectures that when a kid begins to show interest in something don't take it on as your own project. Allow your child to muse about their desires because this helps them think it through and decide on what they want to put their energy towards. The main point I got from her lecture this time was to allow your child to create on their own. My own thoughts was how unschooling was bringing everything together for me - full circle with what I already know about metaphysics and have studied about the use of the mind.

Brad and John were back in the room and ready to go swimming. The hotel had a hamburger/hot dog lunch in the lobby for a small fee. I grabbed a hamburger for lunch and went upstairs to eat it. Heather, Dylan and Mataya McDonald were eating lunch in our room too. So we hung out for a bit while Brad went and got his lunch too. After lunch, John and Brad went swimming. The sun had finally come out. I needed some down time and I really wanted to be in the sun. I took a walk to the Esther Short Park which was about 6 blocks away and got a latte. It was the perfect refresher for my afternoon. Gemma had John for the next hour because Brad and I wanted to attend the next lecture together. The lecture was by Scott Noelle Need Is A 4 Letter Word. Most of the world view is through the eyes of scarcity - not enough time, money, love, and whatever. Scott contrasted partnership vs. domination. Partnership being the individual is connected to a greater whole. There is a power with each other. Dominance is the power over another. Through partnership abundance is created and cultures last for a long time. Domination is more subtle because it happens through vehicles like religion and marketing. Glorification of the powerless and get them to feel good about it - like David vs. Goliath; Glorification of your needs by marketers - your only OK if you participate with whatever product is being marketed; Glorification of emotional needs - like the hype over romance in our culture where there is not enough love to go around...you need love, you chase it, you don't get it. (Love songs are disempowering and dysfunctional. They are not honest). This is when Scot broke out in song as the cheesy lounge singer. He rewrote the words to a lounge song. He made fun of how absurd a love song really is by actually singing what wasn't been sung. Remember, you can download all the mp3's of lectures from the Life Is Good Conference. It was a nice addition to the talk and funny. So on to the word NEED.

The word Need implies lack, poverty, scarcity, duty, obligation -- all these ideas are about domination. Needs vs. Wants. The needs idea has come to add value to whatever it is we are talking about like 'We need to go now. I'm going'. It is a form of manipulation. Kids will start whining about what they need because they pick up on the underlying meaning of how the word is being used to add value to whatever it is. Scott suggested to begin shifting your focus from needs to desires. For example, you might say to your child 'I need you to be quite.' (Need Focus) shifts to 'I would love for you to be quite.' (Desire Focus). In this process of shifting your focus, think about your unmet needs. Ask yourself the questions: 1) How would I feel if my needs where meet? 2) How would I feel if I already had it? This allows you to be creative. You will be shifting from competition (my needs vs. their needs) to creativity (we all get what we want). Being creative allows yourself to feel good even if you might not have what you want because all is well! Shifting from manipulation to attraction is a process of asking yourself what you want and then asking yourself how to shift things around to get it.

Scott gave some examples of how to apply to this to real world situations. As a parent you have 2 kids. One kid wants to be home, the other wants to be out of the house and the Mom wants to meet both kids’ needs. We have desires not fulfilled. Can that be OK? Sure. Choose to be at peace with it all even through the desires are not fulfilled. The kids pick up that it is OK if they are bored today or whatever it is. They start to get that all is well even if needs are not meet. This leads to the inspirational mindset. It is a shift from fear base needs to peace with it all. It is OK to have desires that you want and that is OK to want the desires; but everything is still OK without them. Your mindset is getting into a relaxed mode and again that is where creativity flourishes. Letting go of the 'shoulds' and replacing it with ' I would like it...' or 'It would be nice...' aids in this process. Scott went on to say that empowered kids come from NOT having the parent meet all their needs. They can meet their own needs too.

Next, Scot moved on to selfishness vs. sacred selfishness. Selfishness is getting what you want at the expense of others. Sacred selfishness enhances the self and makes you more authentic. It is putting the oxygen mask on you first before you can put it on someone else. Scott's real world example: You don't have enough time for yourself. Begin by reframing this statement. What is it that you wanting? Maybe it is time to connect with yourself. Is it really a competition with the kids? Can I connect with the kids and myself at the same time? By reframing, you are getting out of the mindset that it is competition, an either or situation. Another example he gave was the kids keep making a mess before you leave. Change your mind set by reframing. Maybe look at the mess and appreciate how creative your kids are being; or look at the mess and leave it as reminder of how much you love your kids and want them.

Friday: Life Is Good Conference

2008-05-23T21:27:00.004-06:00

Friday morning rolled around fast. We were all a little blurry eyed getting out of bed. The first lecture we were attending started at 10 a.m. We ordered room service and ate pancakes. John was ready to go quickly. He wanted out of the room to find Gemma and to play. He picked out his toys he wanted to take with him for the day and we decided the backpack we brought might work better for him. I loaded him snacks, got his name tag on him and let him out. The cool thing about this conference is letting your kid leave your sight. It was hard to just let him go explore on his own but I felt safe in the environment. I followed behind him about 5 minutes later. I had to check on him before I could focus on the first lecture. On my way to find John, I passed the registration table where his king kong was sitting to be claimed. It didn't take me long to find him in the thick of it all. I didn't bother him and I just observed for a minute - he was playing hard and taking it all in. He was really happy. So off I went to the first lecture by Alison McKee Learning To Unschool Ourselves.
Alison started off with what school really taught us....which is to not trust our instincts, that personal differences should be ignored, hard work was unpleasant, do not trust adults and do not trust ourselves. I could really relate to this because on my spiritual journey back to myself, I had figured out a few years ago, that my disconnect with myself began at school. I hadn't put it all together until I started reading some of the unschooling books Brad had purchased for us. I started making the connections of feeling isolated from myself and doubting myself beginning in school. Alison moved to point out that we all really trust our children from the age of birth to 5 years. We trust they will crawl, walk, eat and talk. We trust their time lines. When we put them in school, we start to doubt our kids and their ability. We no longer trust their time lines because the schools say they have to be reading by this age/grade. The schools will label the child as a problem kid because the child is not meeting the school's time line. Alison also said that learning a skill is a personal process unique to that person. I know that is true because once I was out of the school system, the way I process and learn new things is not the way I did it in school. I remember thinking I was dumb because the school way of learning things didn't work for me. It always took me more time and longer to do it their way and most of the time it just didn't stick after the test on that subject matter.

Alison talked about how kids know how to learn. Humans are programmed, out of the womb, to learn. She said that when kids are interested in something don't step in and take it over or direct it. It then becomes a parent project. Kids like to experiment with a lot of different things. Kids are naturally protective of what they are trying to create and if you interrupt their flow they will hide their real desire from the parent.

Alison gave many examples of unschooling her two kids. Her son was a book learner. He liked to read about what he was interested in and then decide from there if he wanted more. Her daughter was completely different. She learned totally different. She really enjoyed books on tape and spent hours listening to them. She would memorize and act out the parts in books. She taught herself piano to help herself with her singing. Her daughter was an experimenter and had to try many things to find a few she liked. Some examples she gave about unschooling her kids....1) When her son decided he wanted to do a habitat study in the area they lived, he really got into it until she stepped in to 'help'. She was providing charts and graphs and other visual aids for his study. After about 6 weeks, he didn't want any more to do with it. It was no longer his project and he was no longer learning the way he started out to learn what he wanted to learn through his habitat study. 2) When her son was 15 he started saying he was really bored. Alison said he started nagging her and her husband about being bored. She gave him 3 options: a) figure out what he wanted to do; b) go to school; c) do a correspondence course. He decided he wanted to fish and learn about fly fishing. He checked out a bunch of books and started learning about fly fishing. This interest, in fly fishing, lead to a 5 year venture. He got into tying flies at a professional level, started a guide business and lectured on fly fishing. If she or her husband had tried to teach him at this time anything about fishing, he would of lost interest. Parents just need to stay out of the way. Alison said that when her kids showed an interest in anything that was her cue to shut her mouth. 3) Her kids decided to go to college. Since unschooling is not curriculum based, her kids didn't learn school math. It is a standard stat that is takes 20 hours to learn all the math school teaches from K- 8 grade and that is what it took her kids.

A few more ideas that Alison spoke about included making your household user friendly for your kids. Find a happy middle ground for your kids to be self-sufficient and you to have your sanity. Alison said that when her kids come to visit, they always say this isn't the house they grew up in because when they left, Alison made it her sanctuary. She recommended when dealing with friends and family pressures about school to respond kindly, to remind them it is your decision to unschool, and if they want contact with your kids then they need to support them and not judge, criticize, and question them to no end. She recommended finding other home schoolers to network with that are not using a curriculum because you will have more in common with them than those home schoolers who are trying to get through a text book by June 1.

Alison also touched on the issue that seems to always come up - what about friends for my kids? She said that friendships always change so don't worry when your kids friends change. School is not a guarantee your kids are going to have friends. Some people in school make friends that last a life time others don't. (I know that is true for me. I spent 12 years with the same core group of kids and I have nothing in common with them. I hardly keep in touch with them). It is not school structure that creates the friendships. Alison's two kids were very different with friendships. Her son would have one or two friends that would last awhile and then change. Her daughter was the center of 6 - 9 friends all the time. She was very outgoing and decided in her teens to attend each lunch hour of the local high schools and hang with her friends and make new ones. She still stays in touch with many of them. Her son stays in touch with one of his childhood friends.

Meanwhile, John was playing hard and I was ready to allow my mind to soak up all that information I just got from Alison. The next hour, Brad and I were going to watch the movie The Business of Being Born but they had technical difficulties. That worked out well because that was when these two cool big ships sailed up to the hotel on the Columbia River. They were amazing with all those cords for the sails. I have no idea how you would keep track of all that without getting it into a giant knot. One of the tall ships was alleged to be the ship from Pirates of the Caribbean. I looked at them briefly but decided I needed some down time while they enjoyed the ships.

Lunch time! I was starving. The hotel provided a snack cart during the morning and then provided lunch for a small fee each day. Today's lunch was an Italian pasta lunch. So we all headed over to the lunch area. It was Dianna Jenner's birthday and she visited with us and about her upcoming Funshop Condom Art. We sat and visited with another family whose daughter was named Olivia. John decided he was a cat and she decided he was her pet. So John ate his dinner bit by bit under table. They had great fun!

We took some time to talk and purchase Scott Noelle's new book The Daily Groove. Scott recruited Brad into the Unchoir. I think he will enjoy doing it for the talent show. They have a rehearsal scheduled for this afternoon. I am going to take John to a Funshop called Let's Build A Fort.

Next I went to a circle chat with Alison McKee on When Teens Are At Loose Ends. I really wanted to go to this talk because unschooling works in my mind when the kids are young but I didn't get how it worked for teens. I was getting a better understanding about teens and unschooling by being around teens at the conference and from the morning lecture. Unschooling is a lifestyle not a teaching style. Teaching doesn't work only learning. Starting out, Alison said that kids start to have more focus between the ages of 10 and 12 and that unschooling allows authentic living in the community and it gives the opportunity to be real in the community. Teens need downtime so don't worry about it. Teens usually focus on something and then take it as far as they want - which then can lead to other things or something totally new. I was the only one in the circle chat without a teen. The other parents mostly had just taken their teens out of school and were at a loss at what to do with them. Alison told them that it takes between 6 months to 2 years to deprogram from school. Each teen needs their space to do it their way. They were not going to be engaged. Many parents were expressing concerns that their teens were just watching t.v. and doing nothing. Alison said don't worry and let them decompress. They will come out of it. Remember, it is deep in our psyche that not going to school means you are stupid. The talk really centered around this issue so I left early to hook up with my family.

I took John to the Funshop Let's Build A Fort while Brad went to the Unchoir practice. The room was mainly dad's and the kids. Everyone was given cardboard boxes - big ones - and these connector things. Then you built your fort and decorated it. This was a cool idea in theory. The big problem was the dads. They were getting frustrated quickly. Some kids got their boxes up quick and there seemed to be this competition thing going on as an undercurrent. Many of the kids (ahhhh like mine) was to excited about the boxes and those already build to bother with building one of their own. Just imagine a sea of boxes in a room. That is the coolest! We stayed for about 20 minutes until John and some cohorts tore through a window cut into one of the built forts. Several dads were sitting still with bleary eyes and the look of lost hope. I had not realized this but most of the dads were not on board with unschooling, were new to it or half way into unschooling. There were a few dads like Brad, who were really into unschooling. Brad is the one who has done the research for our family and organized everything for the conference. So why would that be important in this situation? Well, it was hard to let the kids do their thing with the fort. It really became a daddy project and their fort. Kids were losing interest quick because of that reason.

So John and I went into the Unchoir rehearsal where Brad asked us to leave. We were distracting him too much, although there were other kids and parents in the room not rehearsing. That is OK. There was always something to do so we went into the lobby and play room while we waited for the next Funshop which was Telephone and Balloons. We ventured into this Funshop and immediately John was jumping up and down with excitement. Balloons everywhere! I never did see the telephone part of the Funshop but balloons were plentiful. Somewhere along the way, John removed his pants and shoes and had his shirt on backwards. I knew his clothes would turn up because all his toys have been found. After lunch we found his snakes wrapped around the stair post and the lost and found had a constant stream of his toys. So no worries. Brad came in after his Unchoir practice and helped blow up balloons. I was really starting to get blurry eyed and so was John. There was no way he was going to stop so Brad said he would stay with him and I could go nap. Thank goodness!!

I went up to the room and slept for about 45 minutes when a knock came at the door. John was at the door knocking and I guess I didn't hear him. Scott Noelle was passing by and knocked louder for him. Ahh!!! So John came in and I tried to get him to lay down and nap but no doing. OK! I left the room with him and hooked up Heather McDonald. Her husband Bill and Brad went for take out chinese food. Their son, Dylan was also a dinosaur lover so John and Dylan had been bonding since Wednesday night.

The food was taking awhile and the evening concert was starting. There was a great opening act by a fellow unschooler band and then Amy Steinberg would play. I decided to settle in to the concert. John had found his Gemma and was dancing around with the other kids. Brad texted me as soon as he got to the hotel. He went up and got some of our Two-Buck Chuck wine from Trader's Joe to share with the McDonalds. Management let us set up a takeout picnic in the room across the hall so we could still enjoy the music. Amy had started her portion of the concert so I went in to listen and John joined the dancing. Heather joined me and we listened to the concert. At this point, I lost track of John and Brad. Brad is the music buff and he had missed the concert. Hmmm. I stayed after and purchased a cd and had Amy autograph it. I really enjoyed her music and lyrics. Her voice was great and she really was funny! Check out more info on Amy at her website: www.amysteinberg.net

So where was Brad? And John? I was almost out of steam so I headed back up to our room. At the door was John's shoes and we had found his pants earlier in the evening. I entered the room to lot of activity with John, Brad, Bill , Dylan and Mataya McDonald having a blast. John and Dylan were jumping between the beds because there was a river of alligators they had to avoid. I loved all the playing but I was so tired. Heather joined the room gang after awhile and I decided to just lie down. It wasn't working so I had to call the party off. I felt bad because everyone was enjoying themselves. I was asleep in 10 minutes.

Thursday: Life Is Good Conference

2008-05-22T19:00:00.003-06:00

We had a busy morning. First we moved rooms. I am really glad we did. We moved to a bigger room in the middle of all the action around the pool deck! Plus we have better internet. We went to breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The restaurant is modeled after a ship so that was cool. John took pics of us with my camera. He is getting to be a pretty good shot because I didn't do anything to the picture on the left. That is how he took it. He likes to line up his animals in action and take pics of them too. After breakfast, we signed in for the conference and made it to Trader's Joe for some snacks. The first session starts at 3pm.

The hotel lobby filled quickly with lots of kids. At first it was overwhelming but then it was just fun. All the kids were playing and laughing everywhere. John had his roller bag full of toys that he brought from the room and promptly empty for all to enjoy. At first I was trying to keep an eye on his toys but decided it would drive me crazy. I just let it go and decided to see what would happen over the weekend. John discovered these cool soft swords. I met Erica, Brandon, and Trevor Iwamura in the lobby. John was engaging Trevor in a sword fight. Erica was waiting for room and I enjoyed meeting her.

Gemma, a super cool 11 year old from Canada, had emailed the list several weeks prior about being available for babysitting. Brad jumped on it so we met up Gemma and we reviewed the weekend schedule that would work for her. So off Brad and I went to the two sessions of the afternoon. The first one was by Dianna Jenner called Change Your Perspective, Change Your Life. Half way through, I started crying. I couldn't stop so I left and went up to the room to finish crying hard. It was good cry. I only attended part of her lecture. The part I attended was very moving. Dianna's husband, Mitch, died of a brain tumor several years ago and then her little girl, Hannah, died of a brain tumor a few years after Mitch, her dad. Talk about pulling my insides out. Dianna talked a lot about gratitude which really stimulated me because I don't feel I show my gratitude for Brad and John being in my life and me in theirs. Dianna talked about wanting the time back with both her love ones to show that gratitude. Another point she hit on was caring for her son now that the death of both family members was over. She spoke of being angry that her son would wake up at 2 a.m. wanting a peanut butter sandwich. Dianna would stomp down to the kitchen and make this stupid sandwich and then she said it hit her....she would love to be making a sandwich for Hannah at 2 a.m. in the morning! She burst into tears and decided that wasn't the mother she wanted to be to her son. She also knew she wouldn't want a sandwich made with such bitter feelings towards her so why should she do that to someone she loves so dearly? She threw away that sandwich. She decided she was going to make a sandwich for her son with all the love and gratitude she had for him. That is when things changed for her. Another tidbit she mentioned that stuck with me was that trying is not a verb that can stand alone. She said if she is trying then she is withholding. Somewhere around this point is when the tears stopped streaming down my face and turned into a full cry...

Meanwhile John was at a Funshop called Body Art. I couldn't wait to see him, hug him and kiss him!

Next was a Circle Chat with Beth Fuller on Peaceful Partnerships.
There was a lot of information in this informal discussion. Brad's main take away was the way he viewed conflicts. We have a written list called Conflict Resolutions. It has worked well most of the time but we have come to place where it is not working as well anymore. So it was in this circle chat that it was suggested that the word conflict be replaced with contrast. With the word conflict, you're playing in the arena of win/lose, right/wrong. Looking at "contrasts", it opens up tons of possibilities for collaboration and creativity. Basically, Beth's whole idea behind Peaceful Partnerships is to take the ideas that unschooling applies to kids: Respect (they're fully human, not adults-to-be), Trust (they're born as learning machines, no experts required), etc., and apply it to adult relationships. It is just the next step to integrating unschooling into your whole life as a lifestyle. Another part of Peaceful Partnership is interdependence vs. independence. The old notion of independence is stressed as important because being strong and self sufficient are ideas promoted by academia. I like this idea that Beth talked about and letting go of idea of independence as all important but I am not at the place to embrace it yet. She also spoke of an essential piece to her peaceful partnership has been to be able to let go of the ideas of 'equal', 'fair', and 'right'. She says these ideas come from a competitive mindset. If she didn't feel her husband did his 'fair' share of whatever, she would treat him in less than respectful ways. This was justifiable to herself because she was only trying to do what was 'right'. Those terms are a hurdle for me overcome as well, especially since I am seeing how unschooling is a life style and includes everything. Another point she made was ideas like 'right' and 'fair' were not helpful to her having what she most craved: connection. She said she didn't judge her daughter based on how much she contributed to the household so why did she do that with her husband. She would only see what he did not do. She was competing with him (for what?). She was winning but she was losing her husband. She stopped doing that with her husband and started honoring him for all he is. She then saw his contributions to the family were huge, but they didn't always look the way she expected them to look. She now does more because she wants too and she can. She does it happily and with love and with no strings attached. In the past, if her husband did not have the time or energy to do one of 'his' tasks, then she would do it for him; But she would do it and either shame him or use it against him. She reflected how he must of felt so anxious and annoyed knowing his work was being monitored and judged.

John was in his second Funshop called Balloon Sword Madness. You can see his green face is the sea of kids and fun. Really that is the whole conference captured in one picture. It was dinner time now and I was ready for a nap. It had been a full day.However, the Coast Guard was doing a demo rescue right outside the hotel in the Columbia River. It was very cool and it drew everyone outside even though it was cold and raining. I went upstairs to our room to nap when Heather McDonald knocked to ask if she could change her daughter's diaper in our room. Sure! I met Heather on Wednesday night. She lives in Portland so she wasn't staying at the hotel. That brings me to my recommendations for next year. There needs to be a changing station area for families. The woman's restroom was getting a workout and the man's restroom didn't have a changing station. Another addition, a meditation room. I was already starting to talk really fast and not remember names and faces. A meditation room with calm music and some pillows to chill out on in between sessions would help a lot.

The evening was crazy with activity. Everyone was running from room to room meeting new people and hooking up with old friends. The Sabo Family was next door and John was jumping on their bed. It was great to meet Ginger and learn about her unschooling journey. It seemed all the families had signs on their doors too. So I borrowed some materials from our neighbors, The King Shawley Family (thanks again Mary) and made a door sign for our room. While I did that, John and Brad got in the heated outdoor pool and lots of kids filtered in and out of our room. The hallways were still filled with laughter and footsteps when we went to bed. I was happy to be at the conference with my family.

We have arrived in Portland, OR....

2008-05-21T21:00:00.005-06:00

We have arrived in Portland this afternoon. We made it to our hotel which is on the Vancouver, WA side of the Columbia River. We napped hard as soon as we got into the hotel room. We were then off to the open house in Portland,OR. It was at Emily Troper's house. It was a great way to start off the conference for our family. John played hard with the other kids and all the fun toys in Emily's backyard. I met a lot of new people and we visited about a lot of unschooling ideas. Most other families had attended several conference and were actively unschooling. We meet the Winkler Family, The Wylie Isocki Family,

Our Friend Dennis Visits!

2008-05-20T18:23:00.001-06:00

We are so happy that our friend Dennis has come for a visit. This will be his 3rd time to visit us in CO (and I was the one that thought he wouldn't visit us at all). We had a fun week together. The day activities varied but Dennis did help me with the garden. He is one of our friends that knows a lot about a lot of different things. He helped with the irrigation system that consisted of a drip line. I am really glad it worked out that he was here when we put it in because the gardeners that I am working with had not done one prior to mine. Dennis took over and made it perfect. Each plant has a drip line that gives it water on a timer every 12 hours (the rest of the garden is on a soaker hose set on a timer too). No water is wasted because it is just around the base of that plant. He also buried the line so baby and pregnant mommy wouldn't trip on it. The evenings consisted of playing Wii Tennis. That game is soo much fun. We have 4 controllers so we could all play at the same time. We all had sore arms and Dennis actually pulled a tendon. We all went to Natalie, our super cool hip chiropractor, and got treated for Wii Tennis. We were sad to see part of our family go home but we know Dennis will return.

Life Is Good Conference

2008-05-20T11:45:00.000-06:00

We are attending the Life Is Good Conference. This is an unschooling conference. I am excited because I can see other families already practicing unschooling and there are some great lectures and speakers to attend. We arrive Wednesday night. Wednesday evening is an open house and then Thursday begins the conference.

Our Anniversay --- 5 Years!!

2008-05-05T15:43:00.003-06:00

I was all smiles the whole evening!

We both enjoyed a whole evening to ourselves!

Earth Day in Boulder

2008-04-19T18:52:00.003-06:00

It was a very big success! The view from the top of Table Mesa was wonderful too! We all had fun and learned about our environment.

Our Date Night

2008-04-18T18:49:00.000-06:00

We had a date night on Friday. We are out of practice but we really enjoyed time together. We went to The Kitchen on Pearl Street. The food was wonderful! The Kitchen buys local and uses organic. It is wonderful to support a restaurant that has such practices.

Spring In Our Backyard

2008-04-15T09:26:00.000-06:00

Tuesday was a beautiful warm day in Boulder.

We captured this bee enjoying the nectar of this flower.

Upgrading the Weekly Review for GTD

2008-04-07T14:36:00.003-06:00

I have loved GTD since my friend Donna introduced me to it back in 2002. It has been a life saver in my former life as a corporate chick; And it has helped me regroup and move forward as a mom.

My weakest link in my GTD chain has been the weekly review. I stubble every time I come to it in my tickler file. I hold my breathe and draw a mental blank.

I know the weekly review can help with mental bottlenecks. LifeHacker has posted 12 ways to upgrade your weekly review. I really like them.

Time Off Review. Carve out when your downtime will be during the week. By deciding when your time off will be first, you prevent work from expanding to fill your entire week. Don’t let your energy levels get down so low that you can only function on caffeine and adrenaline. Try to pick a day where you won’t work on major projects, and move your work to morning hours instead of in the evening.
Weekly To-Do. Write a list of all the tasks you want to accomplish in the next week. A weekly to-do allows you to squeeze in activities that don’t scream with urgency, but have long-term importance. Weekly to-dos also help set the pacing for your week so you can see how much work you need to split up for each day.
Goal Review. Go through any written goals you have and write out what you did to work on them in the past week. Spending time to carefully review your goals each week can help you stay aligned.
Optimization Review. When you use a traditional goal setting + to-do list approach, every activity becomes either a multi-month project or a short task. Weekly optimizations help you find the middle ground. Brainstorm a list of short projects that would take less than a week, but could have long-term significance. Then pick one of these short projects to work on next week.
Expenses Review. Tally up all of your expenses for the past week and compare this to your monthly budget. Keeping track of your spending on a weekly basis can make for easier purchasing decisions later. If you know you’re going over the amount you wanted to spend, you’ll know to cut back on non-essentials in the following week.
Habit Review. I have several habits that I do my best to run each week. Exercising, waking up early, staying organized and batching my internet usage are just a few. Reviewing these habits can help you pinpoint possible trouble spots before they start. If you’ve missed a few days from the gym, you can make a point of going next week so your habit stays conditioned. Habit reviews can also help in deciding what new habits you might like to change in the future.
Learning Review. What books did you read this week? Doing a quick review of the major ideas you’ve picked up in the last week can help in two ways. First, it can help you anchor in that knowledge. Second, it can help you see how much you are learning. If you read little in the last week, you can set aside more time to read in the following week.
Social Review. What social activities will you be doing in the upcoming week? A lot of social events are spontaneous, but knowing when you want to visit with friends or family can make organizing your work easier. If you know about an event ahead of time, it can help schedule your work to avoid conflicts later.
Entertainment Review. Beyond just work, what fun and interesting things would you like to do next week. Boredom is usually a lack of planning. By picking out potentially interesting activities for the next week, you already have a list of things to do when you get some free time.
Dietary Review. Track everything you eat for a week. Measuring everything is a lot of work to do all the time. But occasionally doing a weekly dietary review can help you see exactly what you’re eating. It’s easy to delude yourself that you are “mostly healthy”, until you track the numbers and see a lot of junk.
Character Review. What did you do last week that went outside your comfort zone? If you keep drawing blanks to that question week after week, you’re stagnating. Decide to do something that will make you uncomfortable next week.
Productivity Review. What system of lists, calendars and schedulers are you using? Going over your productivity system can help you find holes where information is slipping out. A regular review can also point out places where you are keeping lists and folders that go unused. Reviewing your system keeps your life simple and stress-free.

The Rite of Spring

2008-03-19T11:48:00.002-06:00

I am so excited for Spring to be here!!!

On March 20, 2008, at precisely 1:48 A.M. EDT (March 20, 05:48), the Sun will cross directly over the Earth's equator. This moment is known as the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.

These brief but monumental moments owe their significance to the 23.4 degree tilt of the Earth's axis. Because of the tilt, we receive the Sun's rays most directly in the summer. In the winter, when we are tilted away from the Sun, the rays pass through the atmosphere at a greater slant, bringing lower temperatures. If the Earth rotated on an axis perpendicular to the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, there would be no variation in day lengths or temperatures throughout the year, and we would not have seasons.

Modern astronomy aside, people have recognized the vernal equinox for thousands of years. There is no shortage of rituals and traditions surrounding the coming of spring. Many early peoples celebrated for the basic reason that their food supplies would soon be restored. The date is significant in Christianity because Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Its ancient linkages to sun and moon worship are obvious. It is also probably no coincidence that early Egyptians built the Great Sphinx so that it points directly toward the rising Sun on the day of the vernal equinox.

Happy Spring!

What is up with the ugly mustang at DIA?

2008-03-18T15:14:00.002-06:00

First of all, it is a blue mustang with red, glowing eyes! Ick!!!

I checked out DIA's website and here is what they say....

"Mustang was completed and installed posthumously, serving as a tribute to Luis Jimenez’ life and body of work. The bright blue, rearing horse with lighted red eyes welcomes visitors and passengers to DIA as they approach or leave Jeppesen Terminal on Peña Boulevard. The greeting is not gentle, but dynamic, strong, and forceful. In this way, Mustang makes reference to the personality of the American mesteño (or mustang), the history of the West, and the majesty of this environment."

Hmmm....

Cactus Girls

2008-03-15T17:41:00.005-06:00

I was and am deeply moved by this video of the young girls singing the National Anthem. I could feel the emotion of that song and the meaning it had the day it was written. I felt the struggle that our founding fathers went through to stand on their own and the courage that endured.

How amazing that time in history must have been for those people to put their life on the line to be free of British Empire. The People's History explains the truth about these people in an eye opening manner. America, today, would not label them Patriots but Terrorist; And that gives the National Anthem another meaning that is much more deep and profound.

Falling Star

2008-03-12T18:19:00.003-06:00

Last night I was sitting in our living room with only the kitchen light on. I noticed a flash out the corner of my eye and the most beautiful shooting star was visible. It lasted about 5 seconds and arched over Boulder. It was a brilliant site with the Front Range shadowed behind the star. I made a wish....I just couldn't move my eyes off the sky for a few a minutes. Wow!!

Dr. Hauschka Products

2008-03-11T16:27:00.001-06:00

I really enjoy Dr. Hauschka product line. His hand cream smells so good and feels wonderful on my hands. Another reason I love to purchase his products, Dr. Hauschka donates part of his profit to Heifer International.

Daylight Saving Time

2008-03-10T18:57:00.002-06:00

OK...I have never been a fan of DST. There are several studies that have show the DST does not save energy. CBS Sunday Morning did a great story on it yesterday.

CBS reported that researchers found the impact in just 77 counties in Indiana was a net increase in electrical usage that cost $8.6 million in direct utility billings. Yikes!!!!

The practice of Daylight Saving Time made sense when it was first proposed by Benjamin Franklin back in 1784, when the primary lighting source was candles and oil lamps. It also made sense during WWI and WWII. It was repelled after each war.

In addition, the University of California did find energy savings occurred - but only in the spring months. And overall, the impact was an increase in residential electrical usage of 1% to 4% because Congress seemingly failed to take into account the nearly-universal adoption of a major household technology between 1945 and 2007 - air conditioning.

The report was released in preliminary form February 5, 2008 by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Work was funded by the UC Energy Institute, and the preliminary draft was released for discussion at an energy summit being held at Stanford University on February 8, 2008.

So armed with this data, why in the world has it been extended?

We have had a busy 2 months

2008-03-01T11:30:00.002-07:00

Mid January to March 1 has been a busy one for us. We had guest mid January from Indy...Michelle and Conan. Then the first of February, we had Granny, Chris, Amanda and Olivia for a visit. It worked out great! Their visit was on John's 3rd birthday and they bought lots of gifts! Chris, Brad and I went skiing at Eldora! It was a great snow day....beautiful in the morning, snowing in the afternoon. At the end of February, our friends from Missouri paid us a visit. Donna and Kathy drove out and Dennis flew. We all went skiing including John. John got up on the skis and made it down the kid slope several times with Daddy behind him and the instructor next to him. We played in the hot tub and enjoyed each others company. Kathy and Dennis may come for a visit in May. We talked about doing a weekend camping trip in the mountains. Our first for the year and our first for Boulder.

We have enjoyed all of our visitors and look forward to their return.

Bah Humbug Resolutions!

2008-01-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

I am not into New Year's resolutions because it always sets me up for failure. This year I have been using the 12 Days of Yule to review my year and usher in the new year to my life. The 12 days of Yule starts Dec 26 and ends on Jan 6.

Doing personal work on my inner self is the best way for me to attain my goals. There is no magic bullet, as far as a date, that causes all that work to gel and be done. It is always ongoing.

A wonderful quote from Abraham-Hicks sums it up:
"As long as you are feeling discomfort within anything, you're holding yourself in a vibration where all of the things that you have conjured, and all of the things that you have let the Universe know that you want, cannot flow to you."

Our New Year Ritual

2008-01-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

I have been working on our family rituals and tradition. It takes time and lots of reading to figure out what would work and then to try it out.

This New Year I wanted to do something that supported us in our spiritual journey. As I thought about this, I realized that celebrating outside the house was not the correct thing for us. Getting drunk and eating tons of food was not the way for us either. Being together as a family was the best for us.

Our way to celebrate the New Year entering our life was to be home and calm. It was helpful that we had a Network Spinal Analysis treatment for our whole family during the day. I could tell it changed all of our energy in a subtle way. We were more connected.

I borrowed a ritual from England called First Footing. A little before Midnight, we turned off all the light and candles in the house. We lit one candle and my husband went outside. At the stroke of Midnight, my husband knocked on the door and we let in the New Year's Light. He gave a blessing and then we went around together and lit candles with the Light of The New Year. Then we lit incense and smudged the house.

It felt extraordinary!! It was a tranquil and respectful experience. I felt it honored our family, our house, and what we want to create in the new year!

Did you know this about the New Year....

2007-12-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

The world's most widely celebrated holiday, New Year's Day has been called "Everyman's Birthday." In some countries, a year is added to everyone's age on January 1, rather than on each person's birthday.

January 1 has been observed as the first day of the year in English-speaking countries only since 1751. Before that, the New Year began on March 25 (at about the spring equinox).

In Victorian times, it was a day for gentleman to make brief social calls on ladies of their acquaintance.

Parades take place in many cities, including London, Paris, Pasadena, and Philadelphia, where the Mummer's Parade takes up a tradition that stretches all the way back to Saturnalia.

In Russia, New Year's Day is celebrated by setting up New Year's trees, holding parties for children with Granddad Frost and his granddaughter Snow Girl, exchanging gifts, games and songs.

Japanese New Year celebrations, shogatsu, or oshogatsu, involve a range of family customs, special foods, and decorations. Temple bells are sounded 108 times, symbolically driving out the 108 sins in the Buddhist catalog.

Then of course, we have the various Polar Bear and Penguin Plunges...

It's the final day of Kwanzaa. Today's principle is IMANI — faith.

- The Candlegrove

Our 3rd Week of Advent

2007-12-09T09:37:00.001-07:00

It has snowed a lot since Friday. We have about 6-8 inches of the wet stuff. It is awesome. Looking down on the valley, the trees sparkle. It decorates all the bare branches with elegance.

Today is our 3rd day of Advent. We celebrate Advent with the intention of celebrating the Sun's returns. ADVENT means "the coming or arrival, especially of something awaited for or momentous". It springs from the same root as "adventure". Since the 5th century of the Common Era, when the birth of Christ was declared to have occurred on December 25, Advent has been called the period of awaiting the anniversary of his birth. But in that era, December 25 was understood to be the Winter Solstice, the day of Sol Invictus (the Invincible Sun). Nowadays, astronomers pinpoint the precise moment each year: sometimes December 21, sometimes 22 is the true Solstice.

At the time of the Winter Solstice (called Midwinter because November 1, Samhain, is the beginning of Winter in our system, while February 1, Imbolc, is the end), the sun lingers in the north for about a week, appearing still. Solstice means "sun-standstill."

Advent Sunday in the sense most people know it today is defined as the first of the four Sundays in Advent, the Sunday closest to St. Andrew's day, which is November 30. (St. Andrew, one of the apostles, is now the patron saint of Scotland, and a legend of the middle ages declares he was killed upon a cross saltire, which is shaped like an X. This, curiously enough, is the same shape as the rune of the Scandinavian Goddess Gefjon (Freya) - "gifts" - and when surrounded by a circle becomes the doublestrength sun symbol of the Yule period, which to the Norse of Scandinavia and Scotland extended from late November through early January). The four Advent Sundays are those that precede Christmas or Yule.

It is no accident that the days on which the candles of the advent wreath are lit are Sundays. This day is the day of the Sun. Whether the ancestors of northern Europeans (from whom most of our other Yuletide customs descend) ever honored the Sun (or Moon) on a particular day is moot. After all, the old Teutons and Celts counted by nights and winters, not days and summers. (The months were named for moons). A survival of this is the use of the terms "Eve" (the night a feast begins) and "Night" (the night a feast concludes), as in, for instance, Christmas Eve and Twelfth Night, December 24 and January 6th respectively. But long before the Common Era the first day of the week was attributed in the Near East to the rulership of the Sun. We light the candles of the sun on the days of the Sun, to lend it strength even as the sun's power appears to wane.

The shape of advent wreath is most often round, with four candles set at equal intervals around the perimeter. Since the old Norse calendar mark for Winter solstice is a circle containing a dot, which later became a circle containing a cross, we might prefer to add a fifth candle, the candle of the Sun in the center, to be lit on the Solstice Day (December 21 /22 or 25). The first candle to be lit should be the candle of the east, the second, the candle of the south, the third, of the west, and the fourth, the candle of the north.

I made my Advent wreath from a styrofoam circle I covered with greenery and glued glass candle holders in equal intervals. I used 3 pillar candles in red and 1 in pink. In the middle I used a white pillar candle on an elevated candle holder. I decorated the wreath with springs of acorns and birds I got at the hobby store. It only took me about 1 hours to put together and it looks really nice.

39 Trips around the Sun

2007-12-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

How wonderful!!!

It's my birthday and the Mountains are in full splendor!!! It is really windy - 60 mph gust.

I am loving it!!!

Eat More Veggies

2007-11-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

I bought both the books Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seingfield and the Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine. These books are very similar even though both were published around the same time this year. I have tried a few of the recipes from Deceptively Delicious and they have been a hit with my 2 1/2 year old and my husband. I like the information on nutrition in both the books.

The Sneaky Chef has many make-ahead recipes which I really like. She puts an emphasis on make-ahead purees which is the corner stone for 'sneaking' the veggies into regular recipes. Both books have some unique recipes and some that overlap. The Sneaky Chef has a whole chapter on snacks that gave me new ideas verses Deceptively Delicious one page of snack ideas that are common ideas.

Over all it is design and function of the actually book that wins me over to Deceptively Delicious. Deceptively Delicious is a very pretty book with a nice color palate that attracts me to want to use it. It is wire bound which I love. It is so much easier to use a wire bound book in the kitchen and the front cover is a vinyl that is easy to wipe clean . I like pretty things and this book is pretty. The layout of this book is nice with cute caricatures. I enjoy the visual design and layout of pages and the smooth texture. Again, this makes me want to use Deceptively Delicious more than Sneaky Chef. Sneaky Chef is more to the point and text book in presentation. The pages are porous so not good for the kitchen and the book is hard to keep open. Instead of a picture with a recipe, the Sneaky Chef put a center section of pictures. I have never liked that option in cook books because I don't like flipping from picture to recipe. Deceptively Delicious features a picture with the recipe on most - not all- recipes.

The Sneaky Chef has good information so it is one I will use for reference. Deceptively Delicious is the book I will have on my counter top. I will use the recipes out of Deceptively Delicious first and I will apply the make-ahead techniques from Sneaky Chef to the Deceptively Delicious recipes.

Boulder Traffic is Crazy!!

2007-11-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

I love Boulder. I love the feel of Boulder. The people are great but the traffic sucks. The only saving grace is that most everyone is a friendly driver. I am going to have to get use to the traffic congestion. It is 3 times as heavy as Springfield, MO.

Weekend Camping in Gilbert,Arkansas

2007-09-10T09:56:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful time camping. The forecast said rain and it did rain on us - hard! We loved it!! Christine and Randy Austin had a parafoil sail to protect the group area from the rain. That worked perfect. Sunday was a beautiful day and we canoed for about 4 hours after a relaxing morning of fresh ground coffee, breakfast and fun with the kids.

Moving To Boulder, Colorado

2007-09-04T20:55:00.000-06:00

We have decided to move to Boulder, Colorado by November 1, 2007. We are very excited and are having fun with planning the move. We are renting first to get to know the area. We are looking for a short lease of 6 -9 months.

We have sold our items that we don't want to take with us. We have started to box up books and we have prepped a staging area for all of our boxes.

It has been almost a year...

2007-09-03T22:06:00.000-06:00

I can not believe that I have not posted for year.

Be patient. Check back. I will start posting soon.

Make Your Own Decisions

2006-12-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find anything that agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it." -Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha), 563-483 B.C.

Hibernating

2006-12-03T16:36:00.001-07:00

I subscribe to a newletter about the Seasons. Here is the lastest. I felt it was good to share because I hear many people speak of being confused by their own behavior and feelings this time of year. Enjoy….

“…..As the temperature drops and the darkness settles in, I feel the urge to hibernate deep in my bones. It's hard to crawl out from under the covers in the morning. I want to sleep more.

I think this is natural. In earlier times, when humans were more dependent upon natural light, people slept during most of the hours of darkness. It's a good way to keep warm and to conserve calories during a time when it was important to conserve food. I think we probably ate more too in the winter: fat is good for keeping us warm.

Of course, life in the modern world does not encourage hibernation. We can shop and do business throughout the night, thanks to electricity. We are expected to work our usual eight hours a day, even if it's dark when we arrive and dark when we leave. Then on top of this, winter is the holiday season, when we're supposed to be constantly shopping and partying. No wonder winter is the most difficult season for most people. The demands of the culture are contrary to those of nature.

Over the years, I've learned to trust my natural impulse to hibernate during the winter. Luckily my work schedule, since it revolves around teaching, comes to a natural break in the depths of winter, so I'm not working as many hours. I say no to most party invitations and I don't go shopping.

Make it your goal this week to find as many ways as possible to hibernate. Can you shorten your hours at work? Can you go straight home and curl up in front of the fire with a good book? Can you indulge yourself with more hours of sleep?
Blessings of hibernation,

Waverly Fitzgerald…”

Fitzgerald, Waverly. Calendar Companion: Hibernating (www.schooloftheseasons.com).

Searching....

2006-12-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

All religions, all mystery systems, all metaphysical philosophies, are nothing more nor less than systems of props which serve to study and support the mind and consciousness of the individual until it has prepared itself for high evolution - for stepping out and exploring the more intense and hidden aspects of divine life.

Andrews,Ted. The Occult Christ (Jackson, TN, Dragonhawk Publishing Book, 2006), pp. 17.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Yes it has been another year gone and more of life unfolds. Watching my son grow is an experience that I feel honored to share in....

In the afternoon, my husband, son and I snuggled on the futon and slept together. My heart swelled with love and gratitude for the opportunity to be with both of these people. I treasured the time and tried to imprint it on my memory.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Eyes for Indy

2006-08-16T15:46:00.000-06:00

While in Indy, we decide to go get eye exams. Bradley needed new glasses and so he needed an eye exam. He purchased a beautiful rimless pair that looks stunning on him.

I have not had one in 10 years.

I would sometimes have a hard time seeing things at a distance. It turns out I am nearsighted, but just a tiny bit. Dr Mark said he would not recommend glasses for such a slight issue. He showed me the difference with glasses I try the least prescription for a pair of glasses and I do see things slightly clearer.

No glasses for me.

Good Eats

2006-08-14T15:31:00.000-06:00

On Sunday and Monday I went to two Italian restaurants that are very good.

On Sunday, it was Buca di Beppo. They make the most wonderful bruschetta.

The portions are huge. I always order a small order which easily feeds 2-3 people.

On Monday, I had lunch at Giorgio’s. Awesome salad and spinach stuffed calzone.

The owners are from Italy and have a wonderful accent and often they speak Italian between themselves.

A Room With A View

2006-08-13T15:38:00.000-06:00

Here is a view from our hotel suite in Indy.

It is located downtown on Monument Circle. It is very centrally located to walk places. There is always something going on at the Circle.

Air Travel Nonsense

2006-08-11T14:31:00.000-06:00

We traveled the day after the liquid ban. We were on the last flight of the day.
Lines and security moved along as normal.

However, here are the silly things that we endured.

Going through security, TSA insisted on removing John’s shoes. I laughed. Seriously? Yes, I had to remove his shoes so they could go through the scanner. John is 18 months old. I usually carry in him in an Ergo baby carrier – interestingly, I did not need to remove him from the carrier to go through security, but his shoes I did need to remove.

I had a to-go container of applesauce that was sealed – I bought it at Mama Jean’s Health Food Store. It had to be tossed in the trashcan. They considered the applesauce, in John’s diaper bag, a possible dangerous liquid.

As I tossed John’s applesauce, it went into a trashcan. Big deal. I am wondering why they are dumping all possible dangerous liquids that could be combined to a make a bomb into a simple trash can from Home Depot. IF these liquids can create a bomb then we should be protected in case they leaked. After all, I can not board a plane with applesauce then these ‘dangerous’ liquids need to be deposited into a bomb proof container.

Why is this happening to flights within the US? There is no proof that any terrorist are targeting flights within the continental United States. It was all over the top. None of the TSA personnel uses common sense. In addition, the US has done extensive terrorist profiling. Neither my son John nor I fit the profile. Therefore, removing his shoes and dumping his applesauce just seems like power run amuck.

Native American Concept of Time

2006-07-11T15:37:00.000-06:00

This was written in the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians...

Time as a pond is a more Native American concept of time,
with everything happening on the same surface in the same area -
and each event is a ripple on the surface.

I find this beautiful. It stirs my soul beyond words.

John and Sweetie

2006-07-06T11:37:00.000-06:00

John and Sweetie have become best buds.

John follows Sweetie around most mornings and his word for all animals is “Edee”.

Every boy needs his dog.

Indianapolis is a great town!

2006-07-02T10:38:00.000-06:00

Indianapolis is a great town!

My family went to Indianapolis to visit.   What a fun city.   Our favorite activities where the river walk, Children’s Museum and Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians.

The Children’s Museum was a perfect place for John.   He had a wonderful time playing with the bulldozer, trains, sand box, and water features.  It is a full day event.

We rented a bicycle made for all of us….not sure what the name of it is but it was a blast.   We rented it twice and enjoyed all the activities on the river walk.

The Eiteljorg Museum was wonderful.    The Indian exhibit was amazing and the amount of information given about the Indian heritage was fascinating.

Indianapolis Children's Museum

2006-06-29T11:12:00.000-06:00

Indianapolis Children’s Museum

Daddy went to the race track and John and I went to the Children’s Museum.

We had a blast. They have wonderful exhibits for kids of all ages. Right now they feature a dinosaur exhibit.

If you visit Indianapolis and you have kids, this is a great stop.

National Sex Offender Web Site

2006-06-28T12:40:00.000-06:00

The best way to protect is to be informed.

This is a wonderful web site that tracks all registered sex offenders. It also post all Amber Alerts for the nation.

Enter your address and you will see who lives near you. Their picture and arrest record is available by clicking on the house icon on the map.

Also you can enter your email for alerts to when a sex offender moves near you.

A Rolling Stone Article...

2006-04-20T09:12:00.000-06:00

After reading this article by Rolling Stone: The Worst President in History? and similar articles over the past several months, I am dismayed at how this guy got elected to a second term. The only thing I can surmise is that most of the American public are marketing fools. They would rather believe the marketing than the facts.

A few points this article makes that echo several other points of view:

No previous president appears to have squandered the public's trust more than Bush has.

On September 10th, 2001, he held among the lowest ratings of any modern president for that point in a first term. (Only Gerald Ford, his popularity reeling after his pardon of Nixon, had comparable numbers.) The attacks the following day transformed Bush's presidency, giving him an extraordinary opportunity to achieve greatness…Bush wasted his chance by quickly choosing partisanship over leadership.

Bush came to office in 2001 pledging to govern as a "compassionate conservative," more moderate on domestic policy than the dominant right wing of his party. The pledge proved hollow, as Bush tacked immediately to the hard right.

History may ultimately hold Bush in the greatest contempt for expanding the powers of the presidency beyond the limits laid down by the U.S. Constitution. the Bush administration -- in seeking to restore what Cheney, a Nixon administration veteran, has called "the legitimate authority of the presidency" -- threatens to overturn the Framers' healthy tension in favor of presidential absolutism. Armed with legal findings by his attorney general (and personal lawyer) Alberto Gonzales, the Bush White House has declared that the president's powers as commander in chief in wartime are limitless. No previous wartime president has come close to making so grandiose a claim. More specifically, this administration has asserted that the president is perfectly free to violate federal laws on such matters as domestic surveillance and the torture of detainees

The president came to office calling himself "a uniter, not a divider" and promising to soften the acrimonious tone in Washington. He has had two enormous opportunities to fulfill those pledges: first, in the noisy aftermath of his controversial election in 2000, and, even more, after the attacks of September 11th, when the nation pulled behind him as it has supported no other president in living memory. Yet under both sets of historically unprecedented circumstances, Bush has chosen to act in ways that have left the country less united and more divided, less conciliatory and more acrimonious -- much like James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson and Herbert Hoover before him.

Wow…and we have another two years of this man.

I learned how to ride a motor bike!

2006-04-17T13:24:00.000-06:00

My husband taught me how to ride a motor bike this weekend. It is a small dirt bike but it is still fun! Brad was a great teacher. I learned my turns and got to second gear.

It was a lot of fun!!!!!!!!

Partycat Sucks!

2006-04-08T08:56:00.000-06:00

Today is my husband's birthday! We are having a bowling party to celebrate. 25 people are attending and we have several dropping in to wish my husband a Happy Birthday. We made shirts with a cute graphic and we will bowl two games. The first game will be Funky Bowl, each frame you bowl different. The second game will be Bingo Bowl, the goal is to bowl the number you need to blackout your bingo card.

After, we will have pizza, angel food cake with strawberries and rice crispy treats. There will be awards for different categories. Fun!!

Part of planning this party included invites. I ordered some cute invites with bowling balls on them from a company called Partycat. They are located in Dallas. They SUCK! Never use them. It has been a month long journey with these folks. First, I needed changes on the proof. I sent them the changes with no response. After a few days, I called them and after 3 calls and several emails they finally responded. They sent me another proof with only half of the changes I requested. So another 3 days of trying to get in touch with them to let them know, they did not make all the changes. Finally, I received a proof that worked. Now I have 14 days before the party. On March 25, they suddenly have a problem with my credit card. There is nothing wrong with my credit card but they are having problems. They call and we speak on the phone. They assure me they will call me back if they have another problem. Cool! Maybe this can still work. I don't hear from them.

I leave for a week away with my husband. I expect on my return - which will be April 3 - the invites to be in my mail. No such luck. I start calling Partycat. They don't return my phone calls until Thursday, April 6. It is too late now. There story: they called me on March 25 with a credit card problem and have been waiting for my return call. Whatever!

PLEASE! PLEASE! DON'T USE PARTYCAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Love My Neti Pot

2006-03-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to a neti pot many years ago. I didn't think I would like it then so I passed.

My husband decided late last year that it was time to lose his neti pot virginity. I went along with it this time. He loved it. I watched him several times and decided I wanted to give it try myself.

Oh my god! It felt so great!!

I am now doing the neti pot at least 3-4 times a week and I can tell a great improvement. I don't wake up in the morning with a crusty nose. I can breathe clearly all day long without the need to 'clean out' my nose throughout the day.

I recommend everyone give it a try. The key is to bend over far enough to let it run out the other nostril without it going down your throat. If it hurts, keep adjusting your angel.

Lifehacker posted an article about netti pots today too.

Toss Out That Underwear!

2006-03-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

Yes! That is what I said. I spent 15 minutes yesterday and 15 minutes today going through my underwear drawer and sock/panty hose drawer.

Wearing nice under things makes me feel good so...I tossed all the underwear that was, well, worn out. I tossed all the underwear that I simple do not like. I tossed out all those socks that I keep one of just in case the other one decides to make its way back to me. I tossed out the socks that had holes. I donated to the local woman's shelter all the panty hose I did not like or do not want. I also donated all socks - especially my white ones - that I want to replace but feel guilty about replacing because I have a drawer full of them.

Result: I have 3 clean and organized drawers and 1 drawer that has been liberated for a different duty.

I do want to give credit to Flylady. I subscribe to a Yahoo! group that sends emails everyday to remind and encourage forward motion. Flylady breaks a house down into zones. You spend a week every month in that zone with specific missions especially for that zone. This past week has been the bedroom and this mission was mission #3. It was Wednesday’s mission but all I care about is getting it completed. I am still a Flybaby. I do not get all the missions completed; In fact, I only get one of the missions completed each week for that zone.

Progress not perfection!

John is eating solid food!

2006-03-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

As of this past weekend, John is eating solid food for three meals. John is 13 months with four teeth. He has been breastfeed exclusively until last weekend.

Last weekend he decided it was time to eat and swallow food.

I chew up almonds for him and that has been his favorite. He really loves blueberries, sweet potatoes, raw spinach and bananas. He does not like apples.

He still breastfeeds. He request food by going to his red bowl, pointing in it and then making a sound that means food. He only does this when he wants food and not when he plays.

This feels right to me. I have watched for his signals. It feels good to be turned into him and his process of growing. My baby is now a toddler.

Happy Spring Equinox

2006-03-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

This time of equality between day and night has been, and continues to be, a timekeeper, marking our passage from darkness and cold to warmth and light.

In many traditions, this is the start of the new year. The Roman year began on March 15th. The astrological year begins on the equinox when the moon moves into the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries, the Ram. The Greek God Ares is equivalent to the Roman Mars for whom the month of March is named. Between the 12th century and 1752, March 25th was the day the year changed in England and Ireland.

While the Vernal Equinox was an important point of passage in the year, the actual method of marking the festival varied from village to village and people to people. Rituals for abundance in the new crops being planted would often be held during the new moon closest to the Equinox (traditionally a good time to plant). In some places this was also the time when promises were made between lovers for the Handfasting Ceremony that would come at Midsummer. In a very real sense the ceremony was an expression of hope and trust in the new lives that would blossom in the warmth of summer.

Even the latter day celebration (comparatively speaking) of Easter acknowledged the significance of the Vernal Equinox. The Council of Nice decreed in 325 A.D. that "Easter was to fall upon the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the Vernal Equinox."

As Christianity spread across Europe and Britain, these older symbols became incorporated into the new faith's holiday of Easter; even the name seems to have been a variant of the Goddess whose festival was originally celebrated with the arrival of spring. The old rites honoring the planting of new seeds, the fertility of the land and its people, and the hope of the new life arising in the world were replaced by solemn displays commemorating Christ and Christian beliefs.

Spring Equinox Fireworks

2006-03-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

We decided to celebrate the Spring Equinox with a small show of fireworks. This was John's first time to watch Daddy light the fuses. More later on the equinox

Newbie Thoughts on Reddit vs Digg and Del.icio.us

2006-03-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

I am a newbie to these forum sites. I say this first because seasoned viewers may disagree with what I have to say....

I have checked out all three sites. I read the links. I read some of the comments. I see what becomes popular and how long certain articles stay on the popular page of each forum. (Really this doesn’t take that long, 15 minutes – max!)

Reddit is by far a favorite. Digg seemed like a first choice site because of the techie articles; however, the comments are immature. Articles that do hold any interest on Digg, which are just a few, leave the popular page quickly.

Del.icio.us audience is young based on the articles that get to the popular pages. I am not interested in a 12 year olds point of view on life when no life experience of substance has been lived.

Last month, my husband turned me on to Reddit. A more mature audience mixes the articles. There is a large dose of politics/sociology/science and the comments more reasoned. Reddit is still working out their algorithms so I may not like this site next week. Just like my one year old, I am different from day to day.

TVP

2006-03-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

TVP is textured vegetable protein. Ick! That is what I thought but then I tried it. If you have a good recipe - it works!

Here is a favorite of mine. The dumplings are made with pancake mix. I buy all my goods at Mama Jeans.

Easy Veggie Cassoulet with Herbed Dumplings
INGREDIENTS: (Serves 6)
12 ounces frozen TVP crumbles
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 medium stalk celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 16-oz. can navy beans, drained
1 14.5-oz. can low-sodium vegetable broth
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups whole wheat pancake mix
2/3 cup low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, cook TVP in oil till lightly browned. Add water,oregano, basil, garlic, celery, onion, beans, broth and tomatoes into the TVP. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Now make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, combine pancake mix, milk and remaining spices until a soft dough forms. Drop 12 spoonfuls of dough on top of the TVP mixture (don't drop them directly into the liquid or the cassoulet will dry out). Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, then cover and cook for anadditional 10 minutes.

NUTRITION per serving: 498 Calories; 4g Fat; 52g Protein; 73g Carbohydrate; 16g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 1470mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 Grain (Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Steamed broccoli and steamed baby carrots tossed with butter and chopped parsley.

Bialetti Moka Express Coffeemaker

2006-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

I bought this awesome espresso maker at Target on Saturday with my girlfriends. I love it!! I was using a french press but when mine broke, I decided to try the Bialetti.

I had seen a similar model at Crate and Barrel. This model is the cappuccino maker and is called the Mukka Express. You add milk in the top and get a froth drink. They sell it for $89 which is the same price Bialetti sells it for on their website. Bialetti even has one with a cow print on it.

I paid $30 for mine at Target. It is considered the traditional Moka espresso maker and is the 12oz or what is referred to as 6 cup. Note: the cup size is the demitasse size. On Bailetti's website the same maker is only $20!! Oh well....

Bialetti makes a lot of different types of makers. It is worth checking out.