Free Your Mind

I'm back! I spent the weekend sleeping, trying to shake this super cold from hell, drinking tea, and rallying to make appearances at the holiday party and play I was committed to. 'Twas fun, really. And I STILL am not back 100%!!!

But I am back enough to ponder....50 Questions to free your mind.

Week 7:

Are you doing what you believe in or settling for what you are doing?

You know, I can't help but think that this is a very all or nothing kind of question. Either you are doing what you believe in completely or you are settling. And while I get the purpose of the question: are you just doing something -- anything -- to pay the bills while ignoring your dreams or are you going after your dreams? In reality, I don't think things are as black and white.

For instance, I could say undoubtedly that I am doing something I believe in. I make a living helping people. I am working with people I really like, in a good environment, for a company I truly feel is a compassionate and forward thinking. I am making a difference.

On the other hand, there are things I'm not thrilled with. There are things I have to put up with that aggravate the crap out of me in order to continue to do what I do. There things that I have to settle for in this life. And there are dreams I'm still striving for that I have not reached yet and in all honesty may or may not work out in the end.

I think that's true with most things in life. In work, in love, when buying your "dream house", when going on vacation with friends. There are things you do that let you live out your dreams and things that you must settle for in order to do those things that let you live out your dreams.

That's where I am right now.

A couple days ago, I wrote that my voice had returned and I was on the mend. Well, that was after a weekend full of lots of sleep. Monday and Tuesday were filled with 10+ hour work days in which I had to pretty much talk all day long. VOICE NOT BACK.

Until today. Today at 3:00 pm, exactly. I was in the middle of an evaluation when suddenly my head went pfffffffft and the congestion in my head felt...looser. And my head felt less echo-y. And it wasn't a strain to talk. So NOW...I can say....I'm on the mend!

Today's Joy:
talking!

The end is near!

Today, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. (or, I'm breathing the air from the end of the tunnel?) I think I'm finally starting to kick this cold! It was the first time in 5 or so days that I had a phone conversation that didn't go like this:

me: Hello?
other person: Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?
Yes, I can hear you.
Are you on speaker phone? Cause I can hardly hear you.
No, no speaker phone. I'm sick.
What? I didn't get that. You must be in a spotty area. Are you in the car?
No, I'm home. I'm sick.
What was that?
I'm home. I'm sick.
You keep fading in and out. Are you holding the phone away from your head or something?
No, I'm sick. I have no voice.
You're what?
SICK! I'M SICK!
Oh, wow! That's not the phone? That's your voice?
Yes.
Ok, I'm hanging up. I'll text you.

I can actually sort of talk now. So it's good. I have a zillion things to do right now, most work related, but every time I sit down to do them, I get fuzzy headed and can't think straight. So next week is going to be busy.

Plus, that 30 workouts in 30 days thing? Not going so well. Either I'm doing a lot of doubles later in the month or its a lost cause.

But I AM still getting rid of stuff, which is going swimmingly. I was able to drag myself to the thrift shop today with two bags of stuff. Including:
another book, another shirt, a holiday tin that I had from last year that just isn't practical for using as gift wrap this year. A pair of running shoes went into the shoe recycling container at the running store. And I pulled out some craft materials to give to my oldest niece.

There just may be room in here for some new stuff come Xmas!

Today's Joy:
Saw the Harry Potter movie with my two best buds. It was good!

ARRGGHHH! I am so ready to be over this cold. I keep fluctuating between feeling like my body has let me down and feeling like I have let my body down by not taking care of myself enough and allowing myself to contract this horrible cold.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow I'll be able to talk.

Today's Joy:
Talking to my buddy, Nerd. I miss him.

Friday's Wisdom

The process of learning consists not so much in accumulating answers, as in figuring out the right questions

Today's Joy:

Hot tea with honey

cooking for the clueless

Here's something that is sad but true: I tend to strike out at Thanksgiving with my contributions. I'm not sure why. I think its because people get a way of thinking what Thanksgiving food "should" be like. You know, like the stuff their mother or grandmother made. Anything that deviates from that preconceived notion is wrong. Like the time I made sweet potatoes with **gasp** parsnips, olive oil, sea salt, and chili powder. (NOT marshmallows, butter, and cream) It was like I ran over somebody's dog.

Or my cranberry sauce recipe. It's delicious! It's adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe, for crying out loud! And, yes, it can be made in a crock pot.

But try bringing homemade cranberry sauce to Thanksgiving dinner. You'll be met with blank stares and comments like "I thought cranberry sauce came in a can."

Fortunately for me, this sauce can be used on just about anything. So when I bring my sauce back home with me, I can eat it with turkey, spread it on toast, use it as a condiment on sandwiches, I even mixed some with olive oil and vinegar and made a sassy salad dressing!

(plus, the two adventurous souls who ate some on Thanksgiving loved it and asked for the recipe)

CROCKPOT CRANBERRY SAUCE

2 cups cranberries
2 cups chopped apples
1 medium orange, sectioned
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Pop fruit, juice, and sugar into crock pot on high. (Unlike many other crockpot recipes, you can't just leave and let things take their own course on this one. I mean, keep busy, do stuff around the house, but keep and eye on things) When fruit has softened until you can mash easily with fork, blend with immersion blender but leave some chunks. Turn to low and all spices. Let simmer until about 1/2 liquid is absorbed and the smell of the spices has permeated the air. (about 2 hours) Periodically stir to make sure liquid on bottom and sides doesn't burn.

You can adjust sugar amount to taste or add more water if you prefer thinner sauce.

YUMMY!


Today's Joy:
Snuggling down into flannel sheets.

December Goals

You know how people say that when you have a cold your voice sounds all deep and sexy? Well, that's just rubbish! I sound like Peter Brady when the Brady Bunch sang that song: "It's Time to Change". Demi Moore voice my ass!

Anyway, it's officially winter in my book, even if solstice is 20 days away. And it's officially holiday season in everyone's book.....Happy Hanukkah everyone! I don't celebrate Hanukkah, myself, but I do enjoy lighting candles. So I'm gonna light candles every day this week...hell, every day in December! (Is it totally bad to say 'hell' when talking about a holiday?)

So in addition to lighting candles, losing my voice, and blowing my nose about every 5 minutes, December is about setting some wintry goals:

December Goals:

1) Wrap all holiday presents in recycled materials.
2) Training schedule all set up for 2011
3) Finish 5 books this month
4) Holiday Booty Buster (courtesy of this gal): Aiming for 30 workouts in 30 days. Of course, since I did not work out today, thanks to my cold, that means I'm gonna have to double it up sometime this month. That's ok. I like days like that!
5) Get stuff turned in for my advanced position (do you believe I gotta re-apply every year?)
6) Get apartment spectacularly decorated in Xmas cheer!
7) Organize a memorial for a friend (sad story)
8) Get rid of 30 more things.
9) Have a great birthday
10) And a great Xmas

And since December is the season of joy:

Today's Joyful Thing:
Wheelchair clinic at work. I just love my job when that's what I'm doing.