It is a habit for me to tear myself apart. The wounds of life can be harsh and I am easily obliged to become caught up in a wave of
self loathing.
But when I look at you, listen to you speak, your wounds are sometimes as visible as my own.
Yet I see more. Beyond the surface. I see what you don’t see.
I admire qualities in you that you probably don’t realize you have.
Your beauty is so apparent.
I overlook or don’t even notice the faults you hold within your being and in that regard it makes me feel safe.
You don’t have to be perfect.
I accept you when you are in good moods or bad, goofy or sad. I rejoice in your happiness and support you when you are down. When I see your smile and feel you radiating positive energy towards me I tend to focus less on my own short comings and instead accept me for who I am (through your eyes instead of my own), regarding the joy you leave upon my soul with your friendship, your love and the foundation that you bring to my life with the greatest appreciation I have ever experienced.
Your awareness helps me to love myself because you love me, and for knowing you, I am a better person.
I love the web! I rarely use cook books anymore. If I want a recipe I do a search on the Internet and get some great options and find new things I wasn’t even looking for. This morning I was doing a search for baked eggs and found this:
Here is a really great blog that has recipes for all kinds of yummy delicious foods. It is called Baking Bites. There are even recipes for making homemade Girl Scout cookies! The Thin Mints are my favorite so I am definitely going to try this one.
I have added this website to my links so that I remember where it is. I always do that when I find something that I want to return to. With so much info on the web it’s easy to misplace or forget a good site when I come across one.
Here are more of the recipes for the Homemade Girl Scout Cookies:
Every month my friends and I get together for what we call our “New Moon Goddesses Night.” It doesn’t necessarily occur at the new moon but close. Usually on a Sunday night. We always have a theme and everyone brings a dish to share. We take turns hosting. Last Sunday we made organic cleaners that work a lot like soft scrub. This one is non-toxic and organic. I’ve been using mine and I love it! I cleaned the whole bathroom, including the toilet with it yesterday. Plus I used it on my stove and kitchen counters and it works great. Smells so fresh and clean and it feels good on my hands too.
We each made our own and Adelle (our host) gave us the recipe to take home. Here’s what’s in it:
Put all ingredients in a bowl and use a spatula to stir. It will become creamy and foamy when mixed together. Use a funnel to place into a bottle. We used empty mustard bottles (see photo above) This recipe will fill one bottle. Shake it up before using.
You will need to rinse if off after using just like soap. Caution, it may cause you to go on a cleaning spree. =)
So, the other day my sister emails me with this five minute chocolate cake recipe. The title of the email? We’re doomed! LOL!
I looked it over and thought, “I’ve got all that stuff.” So I went into the kitchen and made the concoction in a large coffee mug. You know, the kind that could suffice as a BOWL? Yep, the kind of coffee cups I like to use. In the back of my mind I’m thinking about the times my doctor asks me how many cups of coffee I drink a day and I say, “Just one.” I leave out the part that my coffee pot registers 4 cups to fill that one cup. LOL!
So, back to the cake recipe. I mixed my ingredients in that coffee bowl and put it in the microwave and viola! I had myself a nice little chocolate cake. I didn’t have any chocolate chips and boy they would have been dreamy delicious melted in that warm chocolate cake.
It was really good.
See how nicely it fits on a saucer? I bet it would be good with a sauce drizzled over it or maybe some powdered sugar sprinkled over the top. As for this baby, it was gone in no time. Yep, my sister was right, we’re doomed when we have the ability to cook something like this up in five minutes.
Here’s the recipe:
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (Microwave safe)
Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in chocolate chips if you have them and mix thoroughly. (The recipe she sent actually says to add the egg first and stir before adding the rest of the wet ingredients, but I just added them all at once.)
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
Don’t be alarmed if the cake rises over the mug, it will settle back down.
Allow to cool for about 30 seconds. =) Tip out onto a small plate. Eat.
It can be cut in half for two if you’re feeling generous. Tastes best warm.
Wow! You just don’t expect this kind of vocal to come from a frumpy looking lady who lives in a small village in the country. But then again….. why not?
Adam Lambert is one of the best American Idol contestants ever. He brings to the stage a charisma like Elvis Presley. Not, like Elvis, not like an Elvis impersonator, but instead the same quality in his performances that attracted people to Elvis. I also see in Adam a style that is like Freddy Mercury of Queen. He has that vocal range and many of Queens songs were ballads which is Adam’s forte. I think Adam is headed for a huge and successful career in the music industry.
I expect to see Adam, heading some Broadway stage shows as well. But not before he goes on tour to sell out auditoriums across the United States. I think he is going to be bigger than Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood or David Cook.
If you didn’t catch Adam’s performance on last Tuesday’s American Idol (they ran over schedule) you can watch it at this link or going to http://www.rickey.org/?p=13956
I thought it was silly how all the media was making a big deal about Jessica Simpson putting on a few pounds. I think she just chose an unflattering outfit. And if Jessica were to put on weight would that mean she would no longer be worthy of our attention?
I have been following a channel on YouTube called Project Lifesize. It is a collaboration channel that was started by Meghan Tonjes.
Meghan started the channel as a way for people who felt overlooked and unloved due to their size to feel worthy. The channel covers issues such as eating disorders, self respect and relationships, as well as love and acceptance of people regardless of what size they are.
Meghan has also proven to be a talented songwriter and artist. She is about to launch a record album of her songs.
I’ve been concerned for my dear boy who has it in his head that he must live in a house with no heat (too expensive), with roommates, transferring to a new college and looking for a job and finishing up his semester and final exams here in Sac all at the same time. Mom isn’t around to help out and with the economy and jobs the way they’re going, I can’t do a lot financially either. Boy do I feel hopeless sometimes.
He’s excited to be living the grown up life. Welcome to the real world, kind of living. Yeah it hits like a ton of bricks. So as a mom. I worry. It’s my job.
I didn’t even know if I would see him for Christmas so I’d already sent his gift down to him. Christmas felt like it would be just be another ordinary day, but a day when I would feel depressed because it was Christmas Day!!!
This afternoon I got an unexpected surprise when he called to tell me he was on his way from Mountain View to stop by, visit and pick up a few of his things. YAAAAAAAY! My little heart went flitter flutter. Yeah, I’m sappy. I’ve said so time and time again.
He walked in the door, gave me a big hug and headed for the kitchen. While I was making him a couple of burritos he was inhaling the pickles, apple juice, anything he could grab on to. The boy was HUNGRY!
It kills me to see him struggling but that is part of growing up and moving out on one’s own. I know I went through it. Very few people have wealthy parents who can afford to finance their kids transition into adulthood. In a perfect world, maybe. But in this time when my husband’s job is cutting back their hours from 40 to 20 hours a week. We’re lucky to have a roof over our head and utilities. That’s about all we can afford and food is something we have to stretch.
My son is doing well otherwise, he’s been applying for jobs and has some good prospects. He’s looking for restaurant work. He’s a full time college student and since he lives with a shitload of roomies, rent is cheap. He’s got his first serious girlfriend and he is excited about that. Girlfriends do cost money. He was going to need to get her something nice for Christmas.
Isn’t this a gorgeous?
Newsboy Hat and Scarflette done with Bernat acrylic in Earth and Cozi(chenille like) acrylic in Marbled Taupe as the trim. The Earth color is a dark brown with bumps in creams and golds, Very beautiful and the marbled taupe is a perfect trim, as you will agree. This is simply breath-taking.
Lucky for us, my mom has a nice store on Etsy and she allows us to shop at a HUGE, discount. Basically, she gives us what we would enjoy having. So, tonight my son and I went shopping for his girlfriends Christmas gift. He chose a really nice copper necklace. Then my mom asked me if I wanted to pick something out for myself and I picked out a beautiful Lacy Agate and Copper necklace and a pair of Copper earrings.
I almost picked this:
I had my eye on it for some time. But when I held the other necklace in my hand and looked at the stone, I was in love with it. I wish I had a photo, but she took it down from her store. <sorry
Thank God for Moms!
Since we have been in such a bind Christmas this year has been lean. I’ve put up very little in decorations other than my candles and I do play Christmas music and we’ve been watching Christmas shows and movies so we are not completely void of holiday spirit. We have it in our hearts this year instead of our wallets.
We have enjoyed holiday get togethers with friends. So, we’ve been celebrating. It’s just the big day that I wasn’t looking forward to. Kind of like a build up to a let down.
Last night I was thinking that perhaps by volunteering somewhere is what people do to lift the mood. I didn’t want to have a boring, Christmas day with little or no activity. It’s one thing to watch TV during the holiday but ON THE HOLIDAY I need something more.
I asked my mom what she would think if we volunteered at the VFW to cook Christmas dinner and serve the veterans who have no place to go. I know they do this at our post every Christmas and Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving they served over 80 dinners. I didn’t know how it would be received but my family WANTS to do this and is looking forward to it. I am JAZZED!!!!! I think I am looking forward to this Christmas more than I have ever in a long time. There will be music, and the smell of baked hams and all the fix-ins. We don’t have to purchase the food, but we get to enjoy cooking it and serving it and visiting with people. It’s going to be fun. I’ve always enjoyed the times that I have cooked dinners or volunteered at other post activities. (I’m a life member of the Ladies Auxiliary) You get lost in the camaraderie and the festivities and the work, it’s not really work at all.
So I called today and volunteered us. It happens that the person who they were depending on is in the hospital and they will need the extra help. My son, who hardly ever goes anywhere with us, is even planning on helping. Hell! I’m excited he was even planning to be home for Christmas! I guess when they move out, our kids actually miss us. =) He’s going to be home for the holidays.
Yes, it’s going to be a very Merry Christmas this year!
I would not have expected that during a time when we are all struggling that I would be anticipating the good times ahead. But I am. More than ever!
So, after having my bad hair experience and many tears, today was much better.
I shampooed my hair and some of the red faded and it now looks more Auburn and less radical red. I didn’t put any hair products in my hair and just blow dryed it by running my hands through it so that it layed down a bit more. It doesn’t look as bad today.
My mom let me pick out a hat from her Etsy store. I chose this one.
Hunter Green 100% Virgin Wool Cap. Has a gently curving brim — an open roll — and the brim is flaired in the back. Lots of texture… which I tend to love.
The flower is a magenta camelia type with 5 petals in two rows and rayon, nylon pink center. There are two woodsy green leaves and one bud with a small leaf on the stem.
I received compliments when I was wearing the hat this evening. Not just from women, but one of my male friends said he really liked the hat and that it looked good on me. He’s funny. He took off his hat and wore mine for a little while (just joking around) but he said he did really like it.
Of course I was encouraged that my hair didn’t look as bad as I thought it did and that it will grow back. One friend even said that she didn’t notice my hair, she noticed my smile.
Today was a better day thanks to my mom and my friends. It IS nice to be loved.
"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes. I am out of control at times and hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." -- Marilyn Monroe
If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal." -- John F. Kennedy
