Thank goodness Thursday is a holiday. I'm beat!
TOday I'm grateful for:
1) ball point pens
2) chocolate
3) short work weeks
4) caffeine
5) mindless magazines
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
50 questions to free your mind
It's Monday again. And a hard Monday to get out of bed, I must say. I would have liked nothing better than to roll over, snuggle back down in the blanket, and sleep the day away. Alas, life calls.
One good thing about Mondays -- it's time again for 50 Questions to Free Your Mind, courtesy of City Girl.
Week 5: What is the one thing you would like to change most about this world?
I'd like to have a job where I can get paid to roll over and sleep in every day!
No, not really.
I'd love to have less intolerance in the world. It seems that so many of our other problems stem from the very problem of intolerance. Wars are fought over it. Lives are lost over it. And really? What's the point?
One of the great things about the world is all the diversity. I think its fantastic that there can be as many ways of looking at a situation as there are eyes doing the looking. We can learn alot from one another if we listened to other opinions. We may end up learning things we would never have thought of on our own.
Instead, it seems that we are so quick to condemn other opinions that are not the same as ours. We are so quick to point fingers at those behind the opinions. And we are so quick to demand retaliation on those behind the opinions for... what? Not being us?
It saddens me that the media just eats this behavior up, sensationalizes it, and encourages more of the same behavior in the future.
I once read a funny little book by Fannie Flagg. I don't remember the name of it. But in the book, a woman who made her living doing interviews died and got to go up to heaven and interview God (this may have actually been a dream. I don't remember) What I do remember is her final question to God "If you could go back and do anything differently, what would it be?" And God said She (God was a she) would make everyone's skin the same color. She said that when She made people, She loved how many different shades of skin there were, like flowers in the field or leaves changing color in the fall. She thought that people would see the beauty in all the different colors of skin and appreciate one another for how unique each person was. Instead, people used the color of their skin to enslave one another and discriminate against one another and start wars with one another. God said that it made Her so sad that all Her beautiful colors caused so much distress. If She had to do it over, She just would have made one color.
Yeah, it's kind of a silly little scene in a silly little book, but one that really makes you thing, huh?
If I could change that one thing about the world, I'd make us all appreciate those colors.
And I'd make everyone refer to God as "She" :)
One good thing about Mondays -- it's time again for 50 Questions to Free Your Mind, courtesy of City Girl.
Week 5: What is the one thing you would like to change most about this world?
I'd like to have a job where I can get paid to roll over and sleep in every day!
No, not really.
I'd love to have less intolerance in the world. It seems that so many of our other problems stem from the very problem of intolerance. Wars are fought over it. Lives are lost over it. And really? What's the point?
One of the great things about the world is all the diversity. I think its fantastic that there can be as many ways of looking at a situation as there are eyes doing the looking. We can learn alot from one another if we listened to other opinions. We may end up learning things we would never have thought of on our own.
Instead, it seems that we are so quick to condemn other opinions that are not the same as ours. We are so quick to point fingers at those behind the opinions. And we are so quick to demand retaliation on those behind the opinions for... what? Not being us?
It saddens me that the media just eats this behavior up, sensationalizes it, and encourages more of the same behavior in the future.
I once read a funny little book by Fannie Flagg. I don't remember the name of it. But in the book, a woman who made her living doing interviews died and got to go up to heaven and interview God (this may have actually been a dream. I don't remember) What I do remember is her final question to God "If you could go back and do anything differently, what would it be?" And God said She (God was a she) would make everyone's skin the same color. She said that when She made people, She loved how many different shades of skin there were, like flowers in the field or leaves changing color in the fall. She thought that people would see the beauty in all the different colors of skin and appreciate one another for how unique each person was. Instead, people used the color of their skin to enslave one another and discriminate against one another and start wars with one another. God said that it made Her so sad that all Her beautiful colors caused so much distress. If She had to do it over, She just would have made one color.
Yeah, it's kind of a silly little scene in a silly little book, but one that really makes you thing, huh?
If I could change that one thing about the world, I'd make us all appreciate those colors.
And I'd make everyone refer to God as "She" :)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Busy weekend, simplified
I had a fun, busy, exhausting weekend. It was really crazy busy in town! This should not surprise me. It's Plymouth, Massachusetts, the site of the original Thanksgiving Day celebration. And the weekend before is when the parade, festivals, concerts, etc, take place.
People come from all over. And yet, I'm still amazed. Really? You came all the way here to this little town on the water in the November cold for Thanksgiving? I live here and I almost skipped the parade!
Of course, not having the foresight to get there early, I had to park 2 1/2 miles away and had a nice little walk to and from the parade. Today, I did the Turkey Chase (freezing! I really should have worn more layers!), saw a bluegrass band, and went to the farmer's market. Overall, a good weekend. So why am I stuck in complaint mode, cursing the cold? Some people just can't be pleased, eh?
At home, I continued to purge. Its becoming a habit once, again; one I may continue through December. Just because I'm a typical American with way too many things and a preponderance to accumulate more.
So this week, I got rid of:
1) Two pairs of socks (donation)
2) A zip up hoodie I haven't worn in over a year (donation)
3) A bunch of sunglasses cases I don't even know how I got (donation bag)
4) A large storage tin with snowmen painted on it (donation)
5) Some holiday print cloth napkins -- don't know how I got those, either (donation)
6) Went through a few more magazines in the basket and brought those to the waiting area at work
7) Threw out a small bottle of lotion that looked a bit congealed.
At this rate, I should be ready for another trip to the thrift store next week!
Today I am grateful for:
1) warm clothes
2) comfort food
3) good books
4) good friends
5) the promise of a short work week ahead!
People come from all over. And yet, I'm still amazed. Really? You came all the way here to this little town on the water in the November cold for Thanksgiving? I live here and I almost skipped the parade!
Of course, not having the foresight to get there early, I had to park 2 1/2 miles away and had a nice little walk to and from the parade. Today, I did the Turkey Chase (freezing! I really should have worn more layers!), saw a bluegrass band, and went to the farmer's market. Overall, a good weekend. So why am I stuck in complaint mode, cursing the cold? Some people just can't be pleased, eh?
At home, I continued to purge. Its becoming a habit once, again; one I may continue through December. Just because I'm a typical American with way too many things and a preponderance to accumulate more.
So this week, I got rid of:
1) Two pairs of socks (donation)
2) A zip up hoodie I haven't worn in over a year (donation)
3) A bunch of sunglasses cases I don't even know how I got (donation bag)
4) A large storage tin with snowmen painted on it (donation)
5) Some holiday print cloth napkins -- don't know how I got those, either (donation)
6) Went through a few more magazines in the basket and brought those to the waiting area at work
7) Threw out a small bottle of lotion that looked a bit congealed.
At this rate, I should be ready for another trip to the thrift store next week!
Today I am grateful for:
1) warm clothes
2) comfort food
3) good books
4) good friends
5) the promise of a short work week ahead!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Friday's Wisdom
Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to what is present ---Albert Camus
Today I am grateful for:
1) clean drinking water
2) packages in the mail
3) yoga
4) progress towards goals
5) cleaning (yeah. I'm happy to be in a clean apartment today after a morning of scrubbing)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
carrot and ginger soup
Coming to the end of the wonderful bounty that's been living in my freezer after the last regular farmer's market of the season.
(Lucky for me, the special, before-Thanksgiving-Farmer's-Market is this weekend!)
I'll be branching out beyond soups, though. I got side dishes to prepare. Until then...
CARROT AND GINGER SOUP (Adapted from "The Garden of Vegan" by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer)
4 large carrots, chopped
1 leek, sliced
2 Tsp dark sesame oil
1 small yam, chopped
1 Tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups vegetable stock
Throw oil, carrots and leeks in crock pot on high while you cut up everything else. Transfer to low and add the rest of the ingredients. Then throw in some cinnamon and allspice just for the heck of it. Leave on low and go work out. Shower at the gym so you can run the rest of your errands -- post office, bank, recycling, gassing up the jeep, and stocking up at Costco. Then come home. Test the carrots. Leave in for a while longer, until the carrots are fork-smushable. Blend half the soup with the immersion blender and leave the other half all chunky and stuff. Yummy!
Today I am grateful for
1) carrots
2) the gym
3) fleece jackets
4) tissues
5) foot powder!
(Lucky for me, the special, before-Thanksgiving-Farmer's-Market is this weekend!)
I'll be branching out beyond soups, though. I got side dishes to prepare. Until then...
CARROT AND GINGER SOUP (Adapted from "The Garden of Vegan" by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer)
4 large carrots, chopped
1 leek, sliced
2 Tsp dark sesame oil
1 small yam, chopped
1 Tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups vegetable stock
Throw oil, carrots and leeks in crock pot on high while you cut up everything else. Transfer to low and add the rest of the ingredients. Then throw in some cinnamon and allspice just for the heck of it. Leave on low and go work out. Shower at the gym so you can run the rest of your errands -- post office, bank, recycling, gassing up the jeep, and stocking up at Costco. Then come home. Test the carrots. Leave in for a while longer, until the carrots are fork-smushable. Blend half the soup with the immersion blender and leave the other half all chunky and stuff. Yummy!
Today I am grateful for
1) carrots
2) the gym
3) fleece jackets
4) tissues
5) foot powder!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Helpful Advice from My 12 Year Old Neice
"A boy on the bus asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes, but the next day told him no. I told him we could sit next to each other on the bus, and text each other, and maybe go together to a dance at school, but that kissing is absolutely out. Yuck."
Today I am grateful for:
1) Foam rollers
2) caffeine
3) weighted balls
4) nutella
5) my bed
Today I am grateful for:
1) Foam rollers
2) caffeine
3) weighted balls
4) nutella
5) my bed
Monday, November 15, 2010
50 QUestions to Free Your Mind
It's time for this week's question, courtesy of CityGirl
WHEN IT IS ALL SAID AND DONE, WILL YOU HAVE SAID MORE THAN YOU'VE DONE?
Oh, Lord, no. I have a master plan to do it all. And though sometimes I wear myself down doing so much I have to sacrifice things like... sleep...I still feel so far behind!
That's what all my lists are for.
I do think it's ironic, though, that originally I wanted to be a writer. In which case, the whole point is to say more than you do, eh?
Well, gotta go. I got stuff to do.
Today I am grateful for:
1) spinach and strawberry salad
2) recovery workouts
3) email
4) my awesome new boots
5) pita chips
WHEN IT IS ALL SAID AND DONE, WILL YOU HAVE SAID MORE THAN YOU'VE DONE?
Oh, Lord, no. I have a master plan to do it all. And though sometimes I wear myself down doing so much I have to sacrifice things like... sleep...I still feel so far behind!
That's what all my lists are for.
I do think it's ironic, though, that originally I wanted to be a writer. In which case, the whole point is to say more than you do, eh?
Well, gotta go. I got stuff to do.
Today I am grateful for:
1) spinach and strawberry salad
2) recovery workouts
3) email
4) my awesome new boots
5) pita chips
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