One Green Change

So I have to say---our one green change challenge totally rocked our worlds in a good way last month. Honestly, I had envisioned that we'd make lots of smaller changes and it would be challenging. Ironically, in January I feel like our one green change got the wheels a'spinnin' and we incorporated many of the other ideas I'd intended to use throughout this year.

Our green change in January was to only buy used for items beyond personal care products and groceries.....and we both did amazingly. We both only bought one new thing a piece (hub bought new clips for the dumbbells and I bought a new set of leashes for the dogs), and I honestly don't think I bought anything else the whole month. Hub ordered a few other used things but his overall spending was cut way back.

So what else in January did we do?

--Hub started to take his own lunches---this was going to be another thing for me to try to tackle and he did it all on his own accord. I've heard him mention at least three times how much money he's saving and it's great to hear. (He used to buy his lunch and sometimes dinner from the food carts---probably $5-$10 each go.) It's only really cute AND cool to see him packing his lunch of left overs the night before.
---Leading to: we've started actually eating left overs again!
---I started taking lunches period--making sure that I'm eating during the work day.
---I've started using my collapsible tote bag almost every single time I go to the grocery store OR carrying out items in my hands if I can.
---We've also started grocery shopping just once a week on Sundays---one list, one trip.
---We cancelled catalogs and a few magazines that we don't have time to read.
---Hub got himself set-up to be able to ride his bike to public transport to go downtown to campus.
---I've stayed out of Target.....and focused on using and reusing items already in my wardrobe.
---We are switching the dogs to dog food in recyclable packaging and that supports the local economy.

And honestly, I've been struggling to think of something realistic and energizing for February.....and it's now the 4th day of the month. I thought about not eating out---but we like it on occasion as a treat, it's a great social outing, and in reality we always eat places that support the local economy. I could choose some less-preserved foods or something else to benefit me on that level, but I'm not going to lie...right now time and energy for most things are lacking. So I asked hub the other day what he thought we should do for February. Our original idea had been not to buy anything this month, but I think we're going to stick with January's version of buying used...and also just trying to do without period. But anyway.....

Hub reported that his green change goal for February is to ride his bike to public transport to go downtown at least twice a week. A good goal and one I hope he sticks with.....especially if it starts raining again! :) So tonight, for me, I'm thinking beyond not trying to buy much of anything, I'd like to try returning to greener cleaning products in the kitchen and bathroom----mainly vinegar and baking soda. If I make it my greener challenge, then I'm more likely to follow through with it!

Our green change for March might just be plain sharing the house with the new housemate(s)....and yes you saw that "s" right. There might be two--as we've also agreed to open our guest room up to a potential new hire for my college who would be moving out here from NY, should he desire to take it. Don't worry.....I'll keep you all posted. Sharing square footage is one of the greenest changes we can make---and with how particular I can be, it just might truly be a real challenge! :)

Any new green changes for any of you out there?!

What a Productive Day!

Whew, for all my whining earlier in the afternoon yesterday, the last 36 hours saw much get accomplished. I knew it'd all get done, but I just didn't expect to feel so rejuvenated with the process. And as much as I know that only one glass of wine should be drank per day for maximum health benefits, I swear the three glasses I consumed throughout last evening just may have had something to do with it all.

You don't want to know that I was up until 2am this morning, but I'm telling you anyway and it actually allowed me to feel somewhat organized before calling it a night. I finished my Yoga X workout yesterday with much toxin releasing sweat and a few woozy moments, but the overall workout was what finally gave me the kick of energy I needed for the evening. Hub and I made our grocery store run mid-evening to stock up on the week's groceries and then fixed ourselves some sustenance to see us through an evening of studying and grading. Between late dinner and 2am, I made it through the rest of the online assignments (plus the ones that were already turned in for this week), spent 35 minutes responding to emails for my other job that had piled up over the weekend, and then quickly graded the assignments from my two in-person courses.

This morning I woke up feeling great, brewed myself a lovely cup of espresso with my newly found and purchased coconut creamer (which might be it's own blog post), and got started on the most amazingly productive day. Between 10am and leaving at 3pm for my late afternoon meeting, I graded a few late assignments, inputted grades, fixed and printed one of two exams for this week, looked over my lecture notes for tomorrow, emailed my class, and checked my work schedule for the rest of the week. Our entire bedding got washed and sheets & towels replaced, the spare room got picked up, the bathroom cleaned, the dishwasher emptied, the dogs loved on, the house vacuumed, the recycling taken out, and my 70 minute P90X work-out completed. Showered, dressed, snack grabbed, checked in with one of my vets, and out to my 2 hr meeting I went, where I also checked in with my boss and gave a five minute on-the-fly presentation. After the meeting, I chatted with my boss for another 45 minutes and copied my two exams for this week. On the way home, I gassed up the car and purchased stamps to mail our rent check to the landlords (who gave permission for the housemate btw). Once home, I gathered and took out the garbage for its pick-up tomorrow, did another load of laundry, folded the earlier loads, readied my bag and snacks for tomorrow, ground enough coffee to last the week, fed the dogs, took care of the chickens, loved on the cats, and made dinner. As I finished enjoying my dinner, hub came home from a late evening studying for his mid-terms and we chatted for a bit while he prepped his lunches & snacks for tomorrow.

And now somehow it's 10:30pm and we're ready to call it a day, but I'm so thankful for a Monday full of so much accomplishment. Definitely sets the tone for what will be a busier than normal (and desired) work week! Contemplating getting up at 5:30am to complete tomorrow's last work-out of Week 5, but I don't know I'm exactly that crazy yet. :)

Hope you all have had a happy and productive Monday! (And speaking of productive, how the heck did I manage so many posts in January?!)

A Day in the Life: Saturday

Of which Saturday really isn't all that much different than Friday, Sunday, and part of Monday around here. We were tempted to head south to our home town this weekend to visit with hub's "sis" and her new baby, but the highways are closed due to floods, sink holes, and slides----didn't I tell you that Oregon had some crazy weather this last week?

Yesterday started out lazy also, and concluded with my P90X workout, happy hour with hub's buddy, and getting my online grading done for the most part. We also watched a hilarious movie last night (Larry Crowne), which I think provided more insight for hub into what life is like for a community college instructor. ;)

But anyway, today which is Saturday:

4:30am I told Anna to lay back down, she'd been up flopping around half the night.
6:30am Both dogs are up. I let them out yesterday so I wait to see if hub will be the one to put them out. He does.
9:45am I grab my phone to check the time and proceed to check email, FB, and Pinterest. I also start texting with one of my gals in Louisiana, yet continue to lay in bed. (For all you parents out there, don't hate us......)
10:30am I get out of bed, let the dogs in, start my espresso, and start preparing french toast.
10:40am Hub gets up. The dogs greet him excitedly. He gets the paper and hands me my section (Home & Garden), and starts reading while also checking sports scores.
10: 50am We both eat the french toast and I save a piece for the dogs.

11-11:30am We look at the paper, mail, and chit chat about random things, including the other strange movie hub watched last night.
11:30am I clean up from breakfast and give the dogs their share.
11:45am I get ready for the day (clothes, make-up, etc). Hub takes out the recycling.

12:30 I head out to run errands and load the dogs up to come along.
12:40 First stop Albertson's to drop movies back at Red Box.
12:45 Think about stopping at gas station to put more air in tires.....but it's raining.
1:15pm Arrive at Bishops for hair trim. Wait for 25 minutes for the gal I usually have but turns out she's not there. Decide to let different girl cut it--turns out okay (but still wish original gal would have been there.....discover her name).
1:50pm Pay & tip stylist. Head back toward home.
2:15 Stop at gas station to add air to tires. (Low pressure light had been on for a week but hub checked them midweek.) It starts sprinkling. I discover there's an art to adding air to tires and I am in need of practice. Notice I am being oggled by men as I am airing tires.....in the rain. Finally get tires mostly situated and head home.
2:30 Arrive back home and unload dogs. Hub starts vacuuming. I check on chickens and open their abode to try to get them to come outside. Hub provides almost-empty peanut butter jar to dogs. Commence humorous evening of dogs attempting to lick all peanut butter out.

2:45 I leave for Feed Store to purchase a hanging pecking feeder to distract chickens while they're cooped up.
2:55 Arrive at feed store. Secure pecking goodie. Oogle bunnies, chicken hutches, and new leashes/collars for dog. For go "only buy used month" and select two new leashes and a new collar for Roxi so both vehicles now have leashes.
3:30 Arrive back home. Show leashes to hub and put new collar on Roxi. Hang distraction pecker in make-shift coop. Enjoy watching hub "call" to chickens to coax them out into yard (we're trying to get them to do this on their own rather than us drag them).

3:45 While back inside we hear commotion---chicken has vacated the coop! ;) Spend next ten minutes watching them not know what to do with themselves and eventually hop back inside shed & coop.
4pm Hub leaves for evening out with his friend. I change and do P90X Yoga X work-out.
5:30pm I actually concoct meal from random things in house (somewhat inspired by pinterest) and place in oven. Wash dishes.
6pm Hop in shower.
6:15pm Vacate bathroom. Remove meal from oven. Get dressed again and re-apply "face."
6:30pm Load dogs in Sorento. Go to Albertson's for a bottle of wine, bananas, and face stuff.
7:10pm Head back home and unload. Make smoothie and eat dinner (both are okay but not fabulous).

7:40pm My cousin arrives for conversation over beers & wine. Turns into a great time together.
10:30pm Cousin heads out for her house. I mend two garments. Watch an episode of Dear Genevieve.  And make (pinterest inspired) No Bake Energy Balls (with vanilla chips, chopped walnuts, and cranberries added)....they are delish!!

11:40pm I pick up laptop for first time all day and start looking at blogs etc. I'm on DD duty tonight for hub.
12:50am Finalize blog post and plan to head into bed.....after I check on just a few more things..... ;)
Expect phone call to pick up hub & maybe his friend before 3am.....

A Simple, Lovely Friday

Whew! What a day! I stayed up last night getting lists made for this weekend and finishing prep work for one of my courses. Once finally in bed, I just couldn't fall asleep. Thus at 7am, I fed and let the dogs out, then crawled back in for some more shut eye. Next thing I knew it was 10:20 and Roxi was barking outside---she must have known I wanted to see if the Freddie's sock sale was really something to talk about.....Somehow I still made it cutely dressed, face-on, and checked out of Freddies with wool socks (at $4 a pair) and a Christmas candle (for $5) by 11:05am. 

On the way home I stopped at the local feed store to buy a 25lb bag of chicken feed and yummy chicken "scratch" for them. The ladies sure clucked in approval as I filled up their feeder and spread some scratch on the floor of their home!

After brewing up morning espresso, I thought about getting started on some work, but instead took care of a few financial to-dos and then pulled down our crock pot recipe books as I have been wanting to make a pot of soup for weeks. I started out with the intent to make some veggie chili based off a recipe I'd made before, but once I chopped and added half an onion, some celery, carrots, and sweet potato to my chicken broth.....I just kept chopping and peeling through half the squashes I'd used as fall decorations.......threw in some dry white beans and added a variety of good smelling spices from the cupboard....I'm calling it mixed squash soup and it's been simmering in the crock for a few hours now---yum!

The rest of those squash halves got chopped in larger chunks and thrown with some baby carrots, chopped turnips, rosemary, olive oil, garlic salt, and ground peper into a greased pan. I slid the mixture into the fridge til I got home this evening and then I roasted them in the oven at 375 for about an hour---delish dinner!

The chickens gladly gobbled up some of the squash peelings and the rest got added to the compost, as well as one of the bags of shavings and chicken droppings. Next the box of old bras to donate to The Bra Recyclers finally got wrapped and then mailed.  And I picked up one of my cousins to go check out boots at Penney's and to chat for a bit. From there I decided to look for a wreath and some other Christmas decor---and I came home with two poinsettas and hung a wreath on the front of our house.

This evening hub texted to say they didn't see any sign of elk today, but hopefully he's having a good hunting trip with his buddy all the same. I've missed having him around and will look forward to us putting up our tree and adding our LED Christmas lights to some part of house once he's returned. Two pairs of boots ordered from Penney's online (my suede boots that I already own are not going to survive all this rain---time for slick leather boots since we're not in Louisiana anymore), and I've vegged out to a DVR'd episode of What Not to Wear (with a great explanation of the concept of CPU--Cost Per Usage! :)).

Now it's time to shower, make some tea, and do some lecture prep/other work for the rest of the evening! Unless of course a few of those magazines from the stack call my name---sometimes I enjoy too much a simple day of rest.

Hope you all had a wonderful Friday too!

Garden Changes & A Bit O' Preservation

The garden is in transition. We're still getting green beans and the tomatos came on full force. I picked our one red pepper this last week and we managed to get three small-medium pumpkins. I spent part of the weekend ripping out some of the stuff that has passed its prime and some that never really did what it was supposed to do. We did fairly well for our first trial run and we're discussing adding winter covers to one of the raised beds to try our hand at some basic fall/winter gardening. There definitely will be some changes to the lay-out of the raised beds next year, but altogether I am impressed by the variety of fruit and veggies that we planted, grew, and harvested. A few things to add for next year: other herbs (especially basil), potatoes, potentially corn, and hot peppers. A few garden pictures and one of preservation:

 The last artichoke blossom left to seed.

Two tiny cantalope that hopefully will still be good eating.

Some of the sweetest grapes we've ever eaten, coming over the fence from the neighbors.

 Harvest one of the tomatoes.

And I can take absolutely no credit for this, but my parents gave hub and I their old canner to use and hub made his first batch of salsa. He has a few other recipes in mind, but we'll see how timing goes with the craziness of the week ahead of us. His salsa is delicious and mild enough for me, although he wishes it was spicy enough for him. ;) Now that he's got the canning part down though, hopefully we can try our hand at more preservation next year.



Chick Update

At the one week marker of having the chicks in our home, we lost the smallish one. My aunt had come over to meet 'em and announced that Pip Squeak didn't look like she was doing too well and sure enough when I got up the next morning she was stiff. We'd tried to do some research and do what we could to help her, but she must have been too far gone by the time we noticed. Sad day for Pip Squeak, but luckily the other two seem to have really bonded and are thriving for now. The other plus side is that losing Pip Squeak got hub on board a bit more and he's been a fabulous help throughout the craziness of the last week. So here are the two survivors, pecking away at the area rug in the office:

 Hub built a perch and they've come to absolutely love it! They've also been upgraded to our mid-size dog kennel so they have even more room when they're "cooped up." :)

Major has stopped caring as much about the chicks. He still hangs out in "their" room most of the time but he's back to his regular lazy self.

It took Lady a week to even notice the chicks since she's in the house much less than any of the other animals and really only ventures into a few rooms in the house. She is the huntress and is fascinating by these chirping creatures that are behind bars. ;)

And ironically Anna continues to LOVE them. If they squawk and she's across the house, she comes running to investigate. If their cage is open she wants to be right there to keep watch and "help." First thing in the morning she runs to make sure they're still there and doing alright. We're continuing to build their relationship as we hope it will transfer outdoors--in case there start to be any critter issues, hopefully Anna will protect them.

We also are trying to make sure that we take them out of the dog kennel and give them time to run around free every day. Last week we alternating evenings running around in the office with sunny afternoons outside. Additionally, I introduced them to our raised beds a few days ago and they absolutely love them. They're fluffing their feathers and burrowing, plus are able to get some good grit from the dirt, etc. It's highly entertaining to watch and the dogs are constantly whining at the injustice of the chicks getting to be in the raised beds even though the dogs aren't allowed. ;)

To say the peepers are "cheep" entertainment is hardly even giving them full justice. ;)

We've Got New Friends!

Three lil' chickies sitting in a box. The poor things had quite an eventful first few hours in my care as I bought them in Vancouver, WA when I was picking up my bridesmaid dress and meeting the bride-to-be for conversation/lunch. I couldn't exactly leave them in the hot car during lunch, so I attempted to sneak them into the bar/restaurant, although their peeping soon made them not-quite-so-hidden. Luckily the manager gave me the go-ahead to keep attempting to hide them, and then when there was about 10 minutes left of lunch and their chirps were getting louder, I took them outside to chill out in the shade until we were done. Thanks to the bride-to-be for being such a good sport for my chickies today! ;)

Major and Anna were quite intrigued by the chickies. In fact, Major didn't leave the cage for the first hour that they were here, hence why they are in a locked old puppy kennel....no critters can get in at them!

Anna and I laid in front watching them for quite a while. The lil' chicks are pure entertainment!

Of the three, we have one that is quite smaller than the other, one that is much more vocal than the rest and already had a blocked poop vent that I had to clear, and then another larger and more adventurous gal. Well at least we're hopeful they're all girls, really and truly.....AND that they make it to adulthood in my care. 

I've dove back into the chick-care book and already made some slight changes. The water dispenser is sitting on a plate to make it harder for them to contaminate their own water with their feces. I've instructed hub to help monitor the-poo-in-the-water situation so we decrease their chances of getting sick. I cleaned off the lil blocked vent chick so she hopefully won't croak this soon on us, and I'm monitoring where they are in the kennel in relationship to the heat lamp. 

We did spend about an hour with the three of them tucked up in my curled up shirt, snuggling on the couch and they actually were pretty content with that situation. Now they're passed out--hopefully for a while and hopefully content in their little abode! They're incredibly sweet and seem to like when I pet their lil heads. ;)

And in case you're a chicken lover, they are Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, which means they might look like these when they're older:

Pretty no?! Picture taken from FeatherSite.com. 

Now I've just got to get hub to build them a coop ;) 

Today....

....feels like a beautiful day.

Some things I'm loving:

--Finally sun-bathing on the back deck again yesterday afternoon.

--An enjoyable and fulfilling afternoon/evening conversation with hub yesterday.

--Coconut popsicles and Coconut coffee creamer (yes, I'm STILL on my coconut kick!)

--Saturday morning low-cost pet vaccinations from LuvMyPet and a new purple collar for Anna so people might actually know that she's a girl...

--The garden: A bowl full of marionberries, a handful of bush beans, bags of lettuce, hoards of rhubarb, tasters of blueberries, and the beginnings of zukes, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, and other yummies.

--A Thursday evening out with friends at Montage (cajun food in the PNW). Food wasn't as great as we remembered, but the drinks and the company were perfect. In the bar after dinner, we half-participated in a game of hosted trivia, and dinner conversation covered everything from basic tid bits, to documentary reviews and suggestions, the current state of environmental and maternity affairs, sports debate, and hiking suggestions--making me so glad to be back amongst friends in the PNW. Friend's boyfriend is new to the PNW and hub and him got along well, so here's hoping the four of us can make a regular venture out for food and convo.

--Visits with cousins--an evening advice & catch-up session with one and an afternoon tour & chat with another at her home. Nice to spend a little time back with family.

--Checking off items on my to-do list for work and business.

--The sound and smells of the neighborhood: sprinklers in the evening and afternoon BBQs. The whistles from the high school football field with their summertime practices.

--Two dogs lazing next to the couch and a black cat curled up by my feet.

--A scheduled first Book Club meeting next month and the start of scheduling for the new public health discussion group.

--Completed professional observations (even if I did stress myself into sweaty feet, major cheek break-outs, and a few extra cortisol induced inches along my waist line...). ;)

--And the best thing of the month: hub constructed me a work space/desk out of a spare closet. It's the perfect amount of space for me and now I have a spot for passed course work, this term's notes, old text books, bills, etc. It's seriously perfect and absolutely wonderful---I love functional, simple gifts best of all...

Some things settling upon my soul:

--Excitement for babies, near and far.

--Five and ten year plans (in pencil)...

--Thoughts about how re-selfish I've become, mainly stemming from this topic:

     ---Famine in the Horn of Africa. Mercy Corps got ahold of me via an email plea the other evening, my heart broke, and my pinched wallet gave after a second "sign" came via a random mention of something similar in a new book I just started. Every once in a while, God cracks through my hardened soul in a new way or maybe by a remembered lesson. I've been giving regularly via a mission related to my Presbyterian background and actually was going to withhold this month since we're a little tighter on funds lately......but sometimes it takes a smack in the face to make me realize that what is "tight" to me is nothing compared to what is tight or non-existent for so many individuals on this planet. How frequently I take so much for granted, how frequently I fill my house with food, with clothes, with furniture, and most of it isn't even needed. I fill my life with extra possessions to fill "some void" when most individuals on Earth are just trying to survive. Makes me begin to take a hard look at how far I've come since my whole purpose of starting this blog....and so my heart and mind are opening (ever so slowly) and my wallet emptied a bit more to attempt to make even the slightest difference if I can.

A mixed bag of blessings, remembrances, gifts, lessons, appreciation, and determination added to a lil' bit of old fashioned hope. It's a great day to be alive.

Saturday Favorites:

FIVE FAVORITE THINGS ON THIS SATURDAY:

Hub's double-layer fleece-knotted blanket made for him by a hometown friend, which gives the perfect warmth no matter the season.

Stove-top brewed espresso Italian style....add a lil creamer and it's heaven in a cup.

75 cent clearance plants blooming in the window.

 

Earthy magazines a-waitin' reading.

Content critters, happy in their home....

What's making you happy on this Saturday?!

A Day of Rest

After running around on Tuesday getting the home finalized for an evening BBQ with family and a long work Wednesday ending with a scratchy throat and achy body, I declared Thursday to be A DAY OF REST. And what a great day of rest it was.

I slept in til 10.

I brewed coffee on the stove and made french toast.

I watched a Netflix movie until 1pm and then gathered my waiting stack of magazines and a few books I've been meaning to finish, and headed for our front courtyard corner:

Here I sat enjoying the sun, avoiding the eventual mist and hail, and sipping on my homebrew sun/sweet tea.

I appreciated the beautiful arrangement brought to us courtesy of an aunt and uncle and thought about how great that giant empty pickle jar has been for making tea....

Eventually as the rain started coming sideways, I moved to the couch where I finished The Hospital by the River and enjoyed the scene outside our front window.

I read blogs, researched fistulas and international NGOS, watched the scenes outside our windows, and sent messages to several of my military wives.

In the evening I went for a 4 mile run, maybe not the most restful, but a great way to blow off some steam, took a shower, checked on the hub watching the Blazers play, and stayed up finishing a spiritually endeavored book: God in the Alley-Being and Seeing Jesus in a Broken World.

In the midst of much, sometimes a few moments to take it easy are just what the body and soul most need. A day of rest, a day to heal.

Sending best wishes for relaxation to you and yours!

Slow Sun Day

A day that started off slow.

Coffee & pancakes a brewin'.

Blogs, emails, and a Dad phone call. 

Leek & potato soup in the crock.

An afternoon passed in the woods,

five miles hiking & trail running.

Picking up the home.

Dinner with my brother & sis-in-law.

Unloading the washer, finishing soup.

Stacking wood & watching the fire....burn.

A day that ended on slow....

Closing Out an Absolutely Amazing Day

Today was a perfectly wonderful day...and really not for anything particularly out of the ordinary. In fact, it was a perfectly ordinary day, and I'm pretty sure that's partly what made it a pretty amazing day. So what awesome things transpired today?

Well, here ya go:

---We met my friend and hub for one AMAZING breakfast. I mean, amazing. The type of place that's so old school tiny diner with a lil bit of Portland weirdness thrown in for good measure. The type of place that even on a weekday mid morning there's a 20 minute wait in line outside and a waitlist via clip board at the front door. We ate at Stepping Stone Cafe in NW PDX, and let me tell you, the hub's Banana Nut Bread French Toast was absolutely amazing and delish! My Neo Bobcat Omelette definitely hit the spot. And catching up with (and introducing the hub to) a gal pal and her hubby I hadn't seen in two years was a pretty awesome way to start the morning.

---After breakfast, hub and I wandered around the NW 23rd area and then briefly stopped off in the Pearl District. Mainly we were looking at furniture stores--the types of places I generally use for inspiration and then find something similar at reduced cost....although I have to admit one of these days...I just might break down and buy a legit bed from the ol' PB (Pottery Barn). Though most the rest of the stuff in there made me hang my head in disbelief.....I'd feel way too guilty to outfit my home in true Pottery Barn: a) who actually wants to put your feet on a coffee table that cost over 1000 bucks and b) I'm pretty sure that 1000 bucks could provide plenty of meals, bedding, and warm clothing to homeless kids on the streets of the city...I'd rather spend my money for that cause over a coffee table any day.

---While in that general area, the hub and I went in Whole Foods---which apparently he'd never been in before. We both wandered around and it was pretty fun to see him checking stuff out and in disbelief that such a large store exists that's full of organic and local selections. (On a side note: um, my old soy yogurt is CHEAPER than the organic yogurt I've been buying now for the last two years.....might just have to go back to soy on this one..... ;)) I'm sure we're one of the most random couples ever cause we didn't buy anything....more so, we just went in to look and be in awe of the selection.

---From downtown, we came home and spent a bit just relaxing together on the couch. Hub watched another season of his new favorite show available on Netflix instant (Dexter....I avert my eyes 50% of the time), while I poked around online on the laptop. Then, since the weather had cleared up, we decided to leash up the gals and take them down to the dog park for the first time ever, and I have to tell you that we were both pretty impressed. We let them in the "all dogs" section and they all did great! It was pretty entertaining watching about 13 mid-large size dogs running around sniffing each other, some fetching balls, and another third just running in circles. They loved it! It was great to let them socialize and they enjoyed finally getting to walk around the new neighborhood.

---After the dog park, I got distracted by picking up the yard and cleared another trash can of leaves and debris. I finally discovered some clippers, a lil saw, and the shovels in the shed and so I was able to remove a few shrubs and cut off some wayward branches from the bushes we do intend to leave. There are still a set of bushes to remove, but it felt great to get an hour in the yard!

---By the time I came inside, hub had the dough for our pizzas going in the bread machine and I got the itch to go for a run. We laced up our shoes and headed out on our three mile loop.....and this time around, it felt great! We ended just as a slight drizzle started down.

---An evening of homemade pizzas with some great local beer while hub finished watching a March Madness game and I had a couple great text conversations with gals back in Louisiana......

....and yep, folks, nothing overly special to most....but an absolutely wonderful day to the two of us. In fact, this regular ol' day is one that I'd probably have to rank in our top ten. Always amazing that sometimes "nothingness" can have the most significance.

Hope each of you has a great weekend ahead!

Reason for Blogging & A Book Response

I've mentioned my recent questioning about the purpose of maintaining the blog.....

....and then today, when I was whipping through the end of "Living Simply" by Joanne Heim, the following passage stuck out at me:

"How are you making and recording your memories? What are you doing to remember today? Nothing important has to happen--it could just be Thursday. But if you happen to be driving down the beach with your hair blowing in the breeze, smelling a tantalizing mixture of sea and Mexican food, singing your heart  out along with the Indigo Girls--then it might be a good idea to stop and think, I want to remember how this feels forever.

Feel the sun on your face, take a deep breath, and hold it for a second. Let it out and continue on your merry way, knowing the memory is made and stored away for the next time it's cold and rainy and you're feeling blue (pg 192)."

So even though I might not feel that I'm where I intended to be on this simple living journey (in fact most the time lately I've just plain forgotten.....), this passage reminds me that this blog has the capacity to be a living document---of those moments, of my life, of who I am at this exact time....if only I actually take the time to sit down and click out a few moments into script. In the few moments that I think about shutting down the blog, I do always contemplate using one of those hardbound services to convert the experiences and thoughts from previous years into paper......hmm....although I've thrown away/recycled some of my old journals, so not entirely sure about the point of that either. ;)

And now here are some thoughts on the book itself and the other lessons that I took out of it:

Honestly the first 3/4 of the book I wasn't overly impressed. Some of the reviews I'd read before purchasing the book had been mixed as well, but mainly from individuals who didn't know until the book arrived that the author is a known Christian author (and really you wouldn't know easily if you saw the book as a suggestion). There were many things about this book that didn't speak to me mainly based on a difference of lifestyles and that the author's manifestation of simplicity didn't necessary correspond to my idea of true simple living. The initial annoyance with the book surprised me as in the past I've delved into this material from other authors and felt much deeper connection and/or similarity of philosophy. However, there were some passages I highly enjoyed and that caused me to pause and think, including this referenced quote on friendship by CS Lewis:

"Friendship is the greatest of worldly goods. Certainly to me it is the chief happiness of life. If I had to give advice to a young man about a place to live, I think I [should] say 'sacrifice almost everything to live where you can be near your friends.'"

Truly I only finished the book because a) I hate giving up on books and almost always see them through to the end regardless of how frustrated I become with them and b) I feel like my sister may relate more to this book and I wanted to honestly be able to send it on to her with a positive reference for her. Honestly the last three chapters of the book were my favorite: Simple Sabbath, Simple Pleasures, and Changing Seasons. From those chapters the things that stuck with me the most harken back to one of my primary reasons that I fell in love with a "simple life" in the very beginning: we need a time to refresh and restore leaving ourselves open to what God has to tell us, we are surrounded by so many incredible experiences that can bring us such pleasure if we only stop to notice creation and the daily gifts of life, and that it's not to be about us but rather about how to glorify God.

When I think of the moments from 2007 that I love the most, I am engulfed with memories of trusting in God and his provision, of keeping in mind a global outlook while focusing on my local surroundings, of relishing the glory of what surrounded me, of trying to live rightly to benefit others on this planet, of feeling that my truest gifts were minutes and hours in the company of friends and family, and of realizing that in all things it never was nor is about me.  All of those thoughts, those moments to me are the foundation of Christianity, of simplicity, and of sustainability....

So for every individual there is a book, while this one may not have been my favorite, it will probably speak to others....and at the very least it did remind me of a fabulous reason for blogging! :)

A Wonderful Sunday Morning

A perfect Sunday morning:

--dogs running around like fools, Roxi's sharing her toys

--hub and I snuggled under layers of covers watching Definitely Maybe projected on the big screen hung on the wall across from the foot of our bed

--Major curled up tightly near our feet, relishing the extra flannel duvet

--steaming mug of espresso w/ peppermint mocha flavoring on the nightstand

--bundled up in the same layers of sweats I've had since college

--no heat on, but plenty of warmth in this room

At this point, it really doesn't matter what else the day brings. The dogs and I might start the week's 5K running this afternoon. We could hang our outside christmas lights or vacuum up the carpets. We could eat the left overs from my office Christmas party last night.....

No matter what the rest of the day presents, the morning most definitely got started off right.

It's Not About Me

So today for the second time in the last few weeks, I found myself annoyed with.....me. Because you see, lately (ahem maybe the last year...two years.....) it feels like this life is all about....me. So many sentences start with I, so many sentences focus on I, so many thoughts start and focus on I.....and really it's pretty tiring all this I, I, I all the time. Because truthfully, this life, well it's not about me. In the big scheme of things, my life is one little dot on the map and really there's not much missing from this life. Some of those big thoughts I mentioned in a previous post pertained to the disconnect that exists at times between our expectations of life and what the reality of our moments really can be at times. Its so easy to become upset with everything we DO have because it doesn't always compare to what we thought we might be getting.  Well, I hate to break it to myself, but there's not much for this gal to be complaining about.....

SO much gets taken for granted or still desired, when there are many others who could benefit from simple generosity. Part of the reason for my initial attraction to a life of simplicity was due to the lack of acquisition and due to the old standby statement of "living simply so that others may simply live." Rather than wasting money and resources, life took on a new meaning of being purposeful and mindful about purchases and how to greater bless the lives of others. While part of that mentality still exists, much has been lost in the last several months/couple years. While personal life has headed in lots of new directions, there still is ample room for generosity and mindfulness to prevail and for less of a focus on myself.

In thinking about how my selfish nature has evolved, somehow this song continues to enter my mind. The reality is the most settled life has ever been is when I felt most aligned with walking in the faith of Christian values which are pretty similar to those of living a life of simplicity. When my thoughts and focus goes back to the "heart of the matter" then its truly not about me anymore, but rather how I can be a vessel to demonstrate love, generosity, and companionship to others. When the "heart of the matter" is ever present, a life of stewardship and mindfulness come much more easily. So while it probably won't be easy, I'm working toward reconnection with that old matter of the heart and with being a better global citizen, giver, and protector.

My heart and soul breaks for the suffering the world over and while it might be overwhelming at times, the best way to make an impact on that suffering is to do something, anything....rather than to hide in the shadows pretending that the world is peachy keen. To help out where one can and in whatever way one can.....this is something I need to get back to....giving my money, giving my time, giving my prayers, and giving my heart.

This blog wasn't necessarily supposed to be a diary of me either.....that doesn't mean that you aren't going to continue to learn way too much personal info than I ever intended to broadcast across the web, but it does mean that maybe, just maybe there will finally be some educational posts---sharing that wealth of education and knowledge gleaned throughout my public health, social work, and education programs. Wouldn't that be food for thought?!

So on that note, I'm going to redirect you to an old post I wrote about a wonderful charitable organization back home. This organization continues to touch my heart and soul as they provide such a worthy service to many individuals that are frequently bypassed and overlooked on the streets. They haven't given up hope on the fabulous individuals they are serving although their funding is seriously touch and go almost every month, and they haven't given up on me for being a touch and go donor either (nor do they harass the mailbox either). Adding to the goals on the sidebar will be one pertaining to donating in some form each and every month to a charitable organization.

Please bear with me and show patience as I continue to learn that it's NOT all about me......and please feel free to remind me when I get too far out of alignment. Here's to getting back to the heart of the matter......

Wonderful Restful Balanced Weekend

Just a few of the wonderful moments from the past weekend, including catching up on much of the routine loveliness:

-On the way to the airport, the sky was beautiful and clear. We passed the cotton harvest, which was the first time I'd ever actually seen it! (Even though it reminded me of how many nasty chemicals coat and "assist" in the production of cotton---all the plants were sprayed to kill the leaves off for easier harvesting of the cotton....)

-I finally found a few work clothes items I've been searching and waiting for throughout the last year. Most were on sale which made it even more nice! Yesterday I found a way to get FREE shipping and more selection on needed new bras (my old ones are wearing thin and spilling out--not exactly the greatest to be constantly tugging in the chest region when I work with primarily male soldiers). Bras are one item I splurge on to keep the girls in place and covered, and I was stoked to realize the brand that works best actually has a website enabling me to cut out the middle man!

-The house was cleaned. All loads of laundry hung, carpets vacuumed (3 containers of dog fur!), sheets changed, dusting done, and bathroom and kitchen scrubbed. Get well flowers trimmed and reintegrated and my decorative birds were finally hung. Organized surroundings make the rest of me feel organized as well. PS Have I mentioned that we were cut a $17 refund check for our reduced electricity usage? If we can get refunded $17 each month, that's not bad indeed!

-We slept in and attempted to catch up on missing hours of zzzs. Spent a slow, lazy Saturday around the house. Then had a dinner date together and a visit to PetSmart to get a larger collar for Roxi and bones for the dogs! A harvest moon followed us home and the drive gave us time to share.

-I cooked....TWICE! :) I know I should cook more often especially since it is a value I hold most dear, but unfortunately for numerous reasons I usually leave it to the hub. I actually made bread this past week and Saturday morning turned the stale slices into french toast for breakfast. This evening I hit up one of my favorite recipes from the down home southern tastes and made spinach and cheese twice baked potatoes with a side caesar salad. Left overs for work lunches and I'm planning on using the Crock Pot this week. Must get back in the home cooking habit.

-Caught up via the phone. Saturday I phoned my nephew for what we here in the south call a "come to Jesus" conversation---full of tough yet unconditional, honest love. Touched base with Granny Sunday and checked in with Dad numerous times throughout the weekend. Sunday morning I had a phone date with an old high school friend while the hub wiled away hours at work in the field.

-Read through all the blogs I've missed throughout the past two-three weeks. Smiled, sighed, chuckled, and drooled. ;)

-Anna and I had one last walk with her dog friend Wall-E and his owner. We covered 4.5 miles and talked about transitions while the dogs happily romped through the tall grass. A long hug and well wishes shared--one of the simplest yet kind good byes.

-Three days of temps in the 80s-low 90s and rain all throughout today---fall just might happily be on its way!My pepper plants are back with a few more blossoms. :)

-Paid off the credit card. Paid off the hub's small loans. Small debts are g-o-n-e!! Hub focusing on truck payments. My focus is slightly on truck & my student loan, more so on our revised financial plan: saving for a cushion for our transition.

-And all those small items got taken care of: groceries for the week purchased, my hair thinned and trimmed, a book and letters ready to mail out, repaired my sandal with super glue, work clothes ironed, animals enjoyed and loved on, texts returned and waiting messages replied.

For the first time in months, each and every moment had its own place in an entirely different way. I didn't feel rushed. I didn't feel that any particular item "had" to get done or that it was weighing on my mind. I didn't worry about checking everything off the list. I just kept one foot in front of the other and enjoyed taking care of the things that had been patiently waiting...because in due time all things get considered. Amazingly everything that had passed through my mind got done relatively easily and our clan been able to spend hours of interspersed time just relishing in relaxation. A nice change indeed. I feel restored....and ready to head into the potential drama of Monday :)

Here's hoping you had a productive and restorative weekend yourself! Best of the moments to you!

It Was a Great Week

It was a great week....and not for any particular reason. My sleep was sporadic with fits and starts but I decided not to let it affect me during the days, and the hub was fabulous about letting me sleep in this  morning. The dogs wore their usual smiley faces and we did our usual evening runs. We ran 3 miles in the rain one evening and next day I matched my high school cross country season personal record running 5K in just under 28 minutes on the gym's treadmill. Three weeks in a row, I've covered ten miles each week.

Work was slower (and probably will be most of this month) but I spent some time looking for jobs and housing options back home (technically now qualifying as a client). Amazingly a great housing offer was on craigslist making me feel more optimistic about our return options. The hub and I talked some more about upcoming work schedules and our transition among other things. We also discussed tightening the reins this month (NO extras) so that end of August we're only left with truck and student loan payments. We've had a few more unexpected expenses arise but they too will be paid in full next month and we've budgeted for my mom and granny's trip. We're really getting excited to have them here and have been working with the dogs for improved behaviors with company.

We haven't eaten out in the last week and have done dinners in, usually scrounging together remains from last weekend. Yesterday, the hub made it to the grocery store and we fell into our natural cooking pattern: Him doing most the cooking and me prepping the small things. He grilled burgers (garden for me and turkey for him) and I made guacamole, sliced up tomatoes, and made milkshakes. We both stacked our burgers quite high and I have to say it was probably one of the best variations I'd ever made--quite delicious!

The week also included texts with a good friend back home and setting up our phone date next weekend. Offering support to a friend who is living over in Turkey. An evening phone call to Granny with excitement over their trip being a month away! I set up chat time with one of my public health gals from back home for mid next week. Invited some wives here for a bday celebration next weekend (two of them have bdays this coming week). This morning had a phone call to my parents and my excitement is growing over our return to Oregon--still 7-8 months away but it's closer than before! ;) A card got mailed for the Summer of Mail Love and I'll be wrapping up a package today.

Three loads of laundry last night, our sheets and bedding cleaned, dishwasher emptied, and the house vacuumed--leaves us with a relaxing day ahead of us. The hub works all day tomorrow and then starts a week of nights, so we'll relish the relaxation and "emptiness" of today.

So while nothing of this week was huge or out of the norm, that might just be what made it so nice. After  a long weekend of resting up, it was quite enjoyable to have a simple week that followed. Sort of like the long lazy stretch of a river after heading around a curve. Its always nice to see how much easier it is to enjoy the simple things of life when my head space is in the right spot. When I take the time to slow down, to not stress, and to just relish, life is so much...More.

Here's hoping everyone had their own wonderful week!  Wishing that each has a relaxing weekend too!

Gratitude & Happy Things

Definitely been feeling thankful lately and am constantly reminding myself to appreciate the little things in life.  Here are some of the things that have been gracing my life and mind:

--Butterflies in the air
--Racoon families crossing the road
--Weekends spent BBQing with friends and lounging on the river shores
--Long weekends up ahead to celebrate our nation's independence
--The know-how to search for jobs for our move back to Oregon
--Enough previous contacts to help me network back in Oregon
--Tomatoes purchased at the local, tiny farmer's market
--Grocery store runs with the hub
--Evenings reading in bed (Committed was a great sociological and personal look at marriage; Friday Night Knitting Club is looking good)
--Ten miles covered in running shoes last week (all with the companionship of the doggies)
--Jalapenos & bell peppers continuing to grow
--Excitement at the upcoming visit from mom and granny
--Email exchanges with dear friends
--The boss being a boss
--The dead beatle on display in my office
--Bins of recyclying
--Lady's purrs
--New mineral eyeshadow sets arriving in the mail
--Sending cards & summer mail love to others
--Phone visits with my father
--Pictures & photo worthy moments of life
--Orange & pink moths near the front door
--New Itunes music purchased by a wonderful gift card from a coworker
--Patience yet the ability to look long term
--Afternoon thunderstorms & a rainstorm that actually dropped us 10 degrees
--Daydream believers
--Free bang trim from another military wife
--Quick housecleaning on an early Friday evening
--Sharing moments with friends
--Commitment big and small

Interesting Links & Resources for June 6

Ran out of time this weekend, so just titles this time:


Why Buy, When You Can Borrow? ---Whole Living magazine


10 Everyday Rituals for a More Meaningful Life---presented on Yahoo Shine


5 Toxic Chemicals That are Everywhere--CNN and definitely worth checking out....along with their entire Toxic America series


Real Change is Coming blog post by Rhonda at Down to Earth


Sun, Sea, and...Orphans? A Vacation with a Difference in Thailand---CNN and something I've always wanted to do.

Sent to us at work via email. Sad to see that others can so readily turn a blind eye to the grief of another and instead focus on themselves.... Washington Post's Seeing a Fallen Soldier Home 

Mississippi Looks to Iran for Rural Health Care Model---interesting given the recent health care debates and our current relationship with the Middle East.

Environmental Health New's: President's Cancer Panel: Environmentally caused cancers are "grossly underestimated" and "needlessly devastate American lives."

Just One of Those Days

Do you ever have those days when regardless of how much you try, you just wake up annoyed with the world? Maybe you're annoyed with the injustice that exists, the prejudice, the lack of industrial regulation, the pissing matches politically, the current state of national and global affairs? Or maybe its on a more individual and personal level--you're annoyed with your inability to trust important individuals, you feel rushed, you feel that no one truly understands, or maybe you're wondering if somewhere you've lost pieces of yourself?

It's on these mornings that I always wake up with the old Monica song floating through my head (maybe it's a throwback to teenage angst?!) "Just one those days that a girl goes through, when she's merry inside...don't wanna take it out on you.." Or something along those lines...

So I have to admit, I've been hiding away in my office today. Definitely glad to be at work where I'm here to help others that might need it however....and that's just the ticket I realized.  Nothing makes me feel better at times than to help others.  So in an effort to cheer myself up, I'm making care packages--something I used to do on a routine basis, but got away from doing in order to save a buck..or two. But in reading a post over at the Simple-Green-Frugal Co-Op, I've realized to feel more at ease, I need to do more than to focus on myself.  This is the comment I posted in regards to Frugal Trenches great post "Somehow it surprises me that people would think that the simple life is only about the individual person's needs. While I definitely agree it can "simplify" to think only of oneself, I somehow thought that part of authentic, simple living was to get to the point where you're living generously. To me volunteering or giving of one's self is a greater reward--even if it's just the smallest thing. "Volunteering" to give someone a lift to the airport, sponsoring a scarf drive for homeless in winter, donating an afternoon at a carwash... I think I'm a much happier, simpler, and authentic person when I'm giving more freely of myself to others."

And so I'm putting my own comment...back into practice.  Hopefully it does the trick.