Be the light

Today I'm so glad I was reminded that the world is not going to hell in a handbasket, that there are "invisible" people being kind all the time, that goodness usually rules the day, and that just thinking of good things does some good in the world because it means you are sending out some positive energy.

So, grab a cup of tea.  Let yourself settle down for a few minutes.  Then enjoy this piece by Dr. Kelly Flanagan, "The Whole Truth About How (Not) Rotten Human Beings Can Be."  

Just a few things Friday

This outfit.

This Tedx talk because we all have closets we need to come out of.  And "hard is hard".


These life lessons from the wonderful Mister Rogers.

These printable notes of Thankfulness from hello bee.  They're free!

This poster.

Now whenever I hear Drake's song, "Hold on, we're going home", I laugh to myself because all I can picture is Drake riding in the front crate of Elliot's bicycle.  Next time you hear the song just try and not picture him as E.T. 

Wordless Wednesday: Daisy

Just a few things Friday

... my response to this article about stay-at-home-moms was "YES!!"

... you must acquaint yourself with Hazel and Gus.  They are two fictional characters I would love to meet.  Read The Fault in Our Stars now!

... this is currently on netflix.  

... this song replaces gangham style and you're welcome

Sunday Sounds

Besides all the cheering we've been doing here at home and hearing on the television(Seattle Seahawks game AND Portland Timbers, YAHOO!) we've been in a Lost mood.  We are almost done with Season 2 and cannot wait to get in on Season 3.  This "Seashore" song from Lost Season 2 episode 19 lingers.  

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Just a few things Friday

So, yeah, yesterday I got my first speeding ticket in 10 years.   $93.  Ouch. Washington State doesn't have driving school to "erase" your infraction from your driving record, but you can request a deferral.  I did that and fingers crossed I practice good driving behavior for the next 7 years (You can only request 1 deferral every 7 years).  Not a highlight to my day, but it is something I better remember.  And it is kind of funny that my Wordless Wednesday was a picture of slug and my title was "Taking it slow."  Um, not really leading by example, eh?  

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes are helping me get over the fact that summer really is gone.  I was not looking forward to summer's end, but a cup o' pumpkin goodness sure helps.  A whipped cream topping helps too.

I finally finished knitting a little new baby gift for my friend's daughter. At least the cooler weather is snuggling up to my knitting crave.  What baby won't look cute in a hand knitted beanie and booties?  I found the beanie pattern here on Ravelry. The booties pattern I found here and ohmygosh it was the most simple and quick bootie pattern I've found yet. I changed the pattern up a bit to match the seed stitch in the beanie.  I hope the newest little female earthling likes purple.

You have to check out this video from Jimmy Fallon.  He, Stephen Merchant, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt square off in a lip sync battle.  It's so awesome.  JGL's last lip sync makes the video. He's such a little cutie.

And, tonight I FINALLY get to watch this:

I'm all kinds of excited! I hope Baz does me proud.  I loved his Romeo and Juliet.  

Happy Weekending, folks!

That moment you made my day and then immediately smashed my ego

I never thought I'd have to start wearing a t-shirt like the sign up above while shopping at Target.  Seriously.  When the heck did Mary Kay start soliciting innocent shoppers?  

There I was minding my own business trying to pick out some jam when I was accosted (okay, before I knew what she was selling it was more approached than accosted) by a middle-aged, caucasian woman with a very cute blonde bob and yesi'llsayit spiffy outfit.  She almost ran at me while sticking her hand out for a handshake.  I had nowhere to run.  She was so close to me I could smell her minty breath as she singsongily said that she saw me and had to let me know I was an "attractive" woman.  My ego immediately ate this up.  Her words made my friggin' morning!! I could have danced right there in the jam aisle.  But, then...

Because I was so "attractive" would I be willing to be part of her Mary Kay project?  Had I ever heard of Mary Kay?  Oh, how I would be her perfect face model!

As soon as I heard Mary Kay I knew I was being pitched a sale.  My heart sank a little because those compliments about my "attractiveness" were just the phony way she tried to lure me in to her pink blush-y, plumpupthevolume mascara-y web.  Oh, Ms. Mary Kay, move along because this chica ain't buying your BS. *sigh*  Getting rid of her took a few minutes because she wanted a piece of my soul.

What happened to the good ol' days when your friends or friend of a friend sold Mary Kay?  Now we have to watch our backs when we go out shopping.

Just a few things Friday

As I drove to the market this morning the fog hung heavy.  Every so often I would catch a glimpse of a bright yellow leaf and even a few deep red ones.  Fall is definitely on its way.  Oh, it might still be 80 degrees outside, but Fall isn't waiting. And despite that heat I had a craving for soup.  My all-time favorite is broccoli cheese. I'm always looking for a great, simple recipe and I think I've found it!  This one was listed on HuffPost Taste, but it's from Campbell's Kitchen.  I made half the recipe which made about 2 full bowls.  I changed a few things to suit my taste. My changes are in parentheses.  The soup was exactly the kind of broccoli cheese soup I crave.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth  (I used beef broth)
1 10oz. package frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped (I used fresh broccoli)
2 cups nonfat milk  (I used 1% milk)
1 1/2 cups cheese  (I used shredded colby jack cheddar cheese)

(I used shredded carrot to garnish)

Directions

Heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until it's tender.

Stir in the flour.  Add the broth and stir until the mixture is smooth.  Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens.  Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low. Add the milk and cheese and cook, stirring until the cheese is melted.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

While eating my soup today I found the cutest fashion blog.  It's A Skirt A Day. Shey, the blogger, focuses on super sweet thrift store finds.  Her ensembles remind me of Chuck from Pushing Daisies. Love it! If you get some free time today, check her out.

And, yesterday I was able to watch my daughter's volleyball game. It's the second game of the season.  They lost *waaahhh* but I still had a fun time watching her and her team work together.  Those girls can hustle!  This is her very first year playing volleyball and I'm so proud of how hard she worked to make the team.  As much as I complain about rushing her and her brother here and there for different sports practices, I'm truly grateful that they stay active and enjoy team sports.  Tomorrow we are off to soccer.  They sure do keep me busy! 

Familia

This summer has been wonderful. I feel I've really been savoring the moments. There have been some delightfully small moments of just hanging out doing nothing more than chatting it up with the kiddos and the hubster. And then there have been the big moments of seeing my parents and my sis/her fam whom I hadn't seen in over a year.
You never know how much you truly miss people until they are gone. I had forgotten the easy and comfortable conversation I have with people other than my kids and my husband. I've been trying to form new friendships here in Washington and with that comes a certain etiquette and a little shyness.
Having my extended family from California with us was just what I needed. Their visits added some more spice and extra flavor and also a release. There are different conversations you get to indulge in with a mom or sister. There are different laughs you get to experience too. And it's a break from the normal household family routine.
I was able to share our favorite ice cream parlor.

My sis and I bought similar hats.

The kids were their crazy kid selves.

I missed my extended family as soon as they drove out of the driveway. I can only hope we see them again before another year passes.

Back on track

Saturday morning came and the hubby asked what I wanted to do this weekend. Sometimes I think I need to come up with something cool or exciting to make my life seem interesting, but really all I wanted to do was stay around the house and hang out with the fam. So, that's what we did.

It felt good to not be anywhere, not to expect anything and to just really be in the moment. I'm sure you can do that out and about too, but for some reason I felt a strong urge just to be grounded at home. We watched the Lunar Eclipse. I took a long, steamy bath. I read. I crafted with the kids. We played Munchkin (a totally FUN game, but we get kinda competitive). We watched the hubby play Uncharted 3 (which is pretty friggin' awesome because it feels like watching a movie but you are able to be an active part of the storyline). I knitted. We ate homemade food. We ate homemade desserts. I reflected on this thing we call life. We laughed. We watched silly movies. And we hung out in silence... a lot.

An early morning icy trail


And today I feel unhurried even though I have a few errands to run. After I dropped off the kids at school I took a walk with the pup, Zoe. We got to explore some new trails that are now being exposed in the backyard. I can see some clear, new paths now that all the leaves have fallen off the trees and the blackberry bushes have become somewhat dormant. It was neat to explore these new paths. And I felt a wonderfully grateful heart when I would look up from some of these paths and see home. It felt exactly where I was supposed to be.

Noodling this and noodling that

Okay, so I haven't gotten around to posting vacation pics yet. In my defense, I took a lot of pics and it will take a wee bit o' time to go through all of them. But, in the meantime I have to share this very cool site called CharityGuide.com. It's a site filled with different ways you can donate time or money to different causes. I took note of it while browsing a Wondertime mag article because the article talked about Volunteer Vacations. Wouldn't that be a cool way to spend a vacation... by helping others?

The hubby and I have considered considered something like the volunteer vacation in the past through a program named Cross Cultural Solutions. The idea never flourished because we decided we'd wait until the kids were old enough to experience it with us. Cross Cultural Solutions helps connect you to a community abroad that is in need of help. It's kinda like Habitat for Humanity, but instead of helping out communities in the U.S. you help other cultures abroad. So, when I checked out CharityGuide.com I became excited. Their ideas for Volunteer Vacations sound pretty neat and something I'd definitely consider for next summer since some ideas are family friendly.

Now why didn't they publish this article pre-Summer 2008? Darn it. Oh well. The beach and safari we did get were most enjoyably appreciated.

What you are sure to encounter at some point in my line of work

Image from Despair.com

The girls are alright.

What do you get when you mix 3 girlfriends with the beach, great food, even greater conversation and no hubbies or kids? You get a pretty darn relaxing weekend of rejuvenation and reconnection.

I met up with my friends Heathbar and Adj for some girly time in San Luis Obispo. It was trip we all needed. We savored every minute together and took advantage of the awesome weather.

Friday night we arrived at our little hotel room and immediately sprawled ourselves out on the beds. After getting caught up with eachother's lives, we ventured out to Mervyns. Yes, Mervyns. My dear, lovely, moxie-ful friend, Adj, forgot to pack accessories and needed some for the weekend. It was a fun trip out, but boyohboy, retail employees sure aren't fond of you when you walk into their store 10 minutes before closing.

Our next destination was the Madonna Inn for some yumm-AY dessert. The Madonna Inn is this kitschy, overpriced hotel with themed rooms. We wanted to stay here, but we thought saving for retirement was a better option for us. So, I don't have pictures of a cool hotel room to share with you, but you have to take a looksie at this beauty. She was so pretty we were afraid to eat her. We did anyways. Hungry girls have no mercy. I realize now that this picture does not do this white cake with raspberry cream filling justice.


The next morning we set out for some downtown San Luis Obispo shopping. To our amazement we didn't buy much. It was nice to window shop though. As a mom, window shopping of any kind is non-existent. You usually try to get from point A to point B in as little time as possible before the kids realize that you are actually out and about and not at home catering to their every need. Okay, I admit it's not that bad, but it's pretty darn close.

We got hungry after all that walking so we picked Big Sky Cafe as our lunch destination. And, what an AWESOME choice we made. The food here was brilliant! I absolutely lost myself in the Vietnamese Bahn Mi Pork Loin sandwich. It was amazing. I drool as I write about it now. What a delicious combination of flavors... spicy cucumbers, carmelized onions and pickled carrots. Wow!

The most relaxing part of the trip came after lunch when we ventured to Avila Beach. We grabbed some blankets, drinks, books and tunes and enjoyed just be-ing. It was nice to not have to worry about a thing for a few hours. It also was a wonderful time for reflection. Although I was happy to be in that moment sharing it with two very important friends whom I love I did catch myself daydreaming about my little family which consists of a hubby and 2 kids. It made me appreciate them and feel grateful I have them in my life. Sometimes you get so consumed in the crazy, busy-ness of every day life that you forget the whole reason you put yourself there in the first place. It also made me appreciate my beautiful friends whom I can turn to for support and reassurance.
Me and Heathbar

We spent a good deal of our Saturday hanging out on the beach. And by early evening our skin had had enough so we went back to the hotel to freshen up and get ready for dinner. We wound up at a mexican restaurant and shared a very large Peach Margarita. We had some food too. We then headed back to downtown San Luis Obispo for The SLO International Film Festival presentation of SHORT SHORTS on the TERRACE. This was an awesome evening under the stars watching seven short films by independent filmmakers. It was fun to be outside on our beach chairs reacting to each flm and cheering for the ones we thoroughly enjoyed. The audience vibe was cool and it was so fun to be a part of the experience.

The rest of our night was spent browsing books at the local Barnes and Noble. In the morning we got up early, went to breakfast at The Apple Farm, grabbed a couple of pretty gifts from their gift shop and then said our goodbyes. We hope to do it all again in the Fall.

Floating

This morning I'm pondering and dreaming and almost floating away with my thoughts. And if a song could be a soundtrack to my day so far, it'd have to be Weird Fishes/Arpeggi by Radiohead. The sound is ethereal. Ed O'Brien's backing vocals are amazingly airy and light. I can't help but get myself lost in the music.

HolySweetMotherOfGoshDarnFugnuggets!

There is something so not right with this:


Mormons Exposed Calendar

Is nothing sacred anymore?! Dear. Maker. Of. Heaven. And. Earth. Now when I see a sweet, innocent Missionary scooting around in his crisp white shirt on his bicycle built for one I will have to picture him a couple of years older all barechested and hunky. I shudder at the thought. It's a sign of the Apocalypse, people. Get your can opener, canned food and bottled water ready. You're gonna need 'em soon. Sheesh. Oh, and don't forget to buy the calendar to keep track of your days underground.

Still dreaming about vacation...

I need a vacation seems to be my motto these days. Isn't it everyone's? With Audrey off from school last week we had our chance to break free of routine and venture out to the coast. Yay! It was one of the most relaxing vacations we've had in a loooong time. I was ready to head back to our coastal dwellings the minute we started driving back home. Here are just a few highlights from our blissful time.

www.flickr.com

Where I'm From...

A very cool writing exercise found here.

I am from nacho cheese, from Chevrolets and brown, strong hands.

I am from the silky softness of a too-white cloud drifting through a too-blue sky.

I am from the Sunflower reaching and growing towards the sun, the moon shadows that move and dance upon the earth.

I am from Friday night pizza nights and turtle lips, from Garcias and Nunezs and Nanas and Tatas and Tios and Tias and Chulas and Chulos.

I am from the struggles for survival for a better life and bloody noses in strawberry fields on hot, summer days.

From La Llorona and "It'll grow hair on your chest."

I am from a rosary that means nothing more than jewelry to me now, from beautiful stained-glass windows that warm me in their colors but don't cage me in their history, from welcoming hands that embrace the seeker rather than the finder.

I'm from the East Side and Chicano Power, runny, cheesy enchiladas and spicy, red menudo.

From the abuelita who was denied by her family because she chose to love un mestizo, the sweet yearnings of young love that twist and turn their way through an adult world, and scandalous hearts that no longer hide.

I am from locked treasure chests, cobwebby albums, scattered images lost in a sea of unorganized clutter and files and files sitting patiently on a computer chip.