Dreaming of this bed...

Oh, the wonderful dreams that could be dreamed sleeping on this bed...

Manifesting time!

New Year's Resolutions

So it's about that time again to achieve and stick to some new things to do.

Here's mine:

1. Condition myself to run up to six miles. (This was my resolution last year!)

2. Get highly into reconstructing old clothes into new clothes.

I got these books just for this:

Along with all my old clothes, I think I'm going to find it fun and exciting to find stuff at thrift stores to turn into something new and creative.

3. Eat or drink one chlorophyll rich meal at least once a day. (I've already started and it's way easier and yummier than I thought. Can we say 'kale chips'?)

4. Work more on filling up my Book of Shadows.


5. Spend money more wisely to save more.

I may add to the list if I think of anything else.

"Santa Claus looks different."

This is a photo of my son Gavin at about 11 months - his very first photo with Santa. The other day he found this photo in a drawer and looked at it confused. Recently, his school had Santa Claus visit them for photos. Gavin asked me why the Santa in the photo looked different from the one that visited his school and then continued on to say that this Santa in the photo was not the real Santa. He did say the Santa that visited his school was the real one though.

We have a couple more photos of him with different Santas each year.

Our Golden Yule Tree!

I finally have photos to share of our golden Yule tree. The funny thing is that I had to go really cheap with the ornaments (bought today at the last minute) but hopefully next year I'll have some ornaments that I really like and adore.

I took like 87 photos!!! I didn't know I took so many until I plugged my camera into the computer to upload. It's like a vortex you go into where you just lose time I guess taking photos, because 87 photos of a tree just doesn't make any sense at all! I picked out 8. I think the photos really don't do the tree any justice but here they are:

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

I'm in love with the book Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine. I am loving reading it. I see now that I must read all the books she's written because her imaginative world is quite lovely. She wrote Ella Enchanted (which was made into a movie starring Anne Hathaway). Fairest is set in that same type of world.

Anyone else prefer to stumble upon books not knowing whatsoever what the book is about? I love total surprises. I remember the very first book I read like that, not knowing anything about the book and how much I loved what a complete adventure it was (The Eyes of the Dragon, by Stephen King). I think it's sort of sad to know what a fiction book is about - everything should be a discovery - it makes picking up the book and reading it all the more fun and exciting. Descriptions totally take away from that. Try it and see what you end up with! Pick up a book on total blind faith without even reading the back cover. Let EVERYTHING be a surprise.

The most recent movie I happened to not know anything about before watching it made for an amazing watch! It was No Country For Old Men. It was only because of Brian that I watched it, and wow, that movie was a total delicious shock.

Play-Doh PacMan

Brian and Gavin made this neat little thing today together: a PacMan game scene out of Play-Doh!

The Vertigo Tarot, Again

I received the new copy/edition of The Vertigo Tarot by Dave McKean. I have an old copy but a few years ago I foolishly believed it was safe in my suitcase on one of my trips to Austin. Airport security managed to make a very prominent bend in one of the cards while they went through the deck. And of course, that bend has always bothered me.

But now I have a new copy and all is well! I'm so glad they decided to publish it again. I thought that would never happen.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving EVERYONE!! I hope your day is filled with lots of love and joy and many reasons to be thankful!!!

Cucumber Noodles!

I am in love with cucumber noodles!

Yesterday, after trying to decide what to do with the rest of the cucumbers in the fridge before they went bad, I FINALLY made noodles out of them. I used a julienne peeler that I bought from a lady who sold Pampered Chef. Love it! The little handheld one is very convenient and quick for servings for less than a few people. Cucumbers peel nicely into noodles. And of course making noodles out of fresh whole foods is just FUN and fun to eat!

So yeah, this was my dinner tonight (and last night) - cucumber noodles with spinach cream sauce. YUMMY!


Tomorrow I am off to the grocery store for more cucumbers!

Fireplace Blues

I am so tired right now and my back hurts. Just got through putting the logs back into the fireplace after trying to figure out how to relight the pilot in there. Earlier Gavin rushed to me saying he had to tell me something, that he "blew out the fire". It was the fireplace pilot light he blew out. I cannot believe he did that when he knows not to mess with the fireplace at all and all of a sudden he can't help himself but to BLOW at the little pilot fire. He now knows that things like that can be very dangerous, that gas can lead to houses being blown up and people dying. I could have sworn I told him it was dangerous before, but now I really had to let him know how morbid things can get. Hey, it's the truth. He seemed to really get the message.

I AM glad that he felt the urgent need to tell me though.

I called the gas company and the lady I spoke to said everything was fine as long as I didn't smell gas (which I don't) and for me to call tomorrow to find out when someone is available to come relight it. I called my dad, and of course he said lots of "Oh shits", he doesn't even like candles being lit in his house for fear of a fire being accidentally started. But he made sure also that I didn't smell any gas. They have a fireplace that needs to be relighted too!

Looks like I'm waiting for Brian to come home to see if he can manage to relight it. We spent much time on the phone with each other on the internet looking at how to fix this mess. Our fireplace does NOT have that little red ignite button. Things would be so simple if it did. And honestly I cannot specifically find the pilot light area anyway! I even took photos to send to Brian to see if you could see something I couldn't see. Nothing. I guess we have to wait until he gets home in a few days.

He did have me turn off the gas valve in there though.

I wonder how much it costs to have the gas company come relight it. I'll find out tomorrow. I bet it's a ridiculous price, though I hope I am wrong.

Green Soul Challenge - Day 7

I haven't updated in a bit but I am doing well on my challenge, having my daily green including getting in some spirulina that I'm mixing with fresh orange juice. Last night I cut open the most beautiful grapefruits for juicing. I just love grapefruit juice! The grapefruits didn't look like much on the outside but boy were they beautiful when I cut them in half. You know that feeling you get when you cut open a beautiful watermelon? I get that same feeling when I cut open a beautiful grapefruit. So very luscious. I had a hard time deciding if I wanted to juice them or just pour a little agave on them and eat it with a spoon.

Speaking of cutting, I don't think I ever blogged about my favorite knife. I love this knife. It's a 7" santoku, but most importantly it's rainbow! Having a favorite knife I feel is nice a nice touch when making and caring about the food you make.


So, all this green has been very cleansing for me. A couple of days ago I started detoxing something fierce in the right gland near my throat/jaw. It is a lot better today though. I'll be sure to get my circulation going more to help it finish clearing out. I wish I had a rebounder though!

It was 17 degrees out this morning! I really need a new winter coat.

Green Soul Challenge - Day 3

I'm starting to type this at 11:11, awesome spiritual numbers. It's amazing when you really focus on eating cleaner to rid the body of unwanted things, outer things follow that show itself in needing to be rid of. There is a true connection with treating your inner life well and your outer life wanting to reflect that and I feel so blessed in experiencing that, it's very freeing.

Why yes, I did have my daily green today. Lots of salad still. We went to the grocery store to pick up some more stuff, so I was able to get the usual mixed greens. I didn't do the green smoothie today but hopefully soon. I just seem to be on this salad kick and I am really enjoying it.

I may just make a spirulina drink before I go to bed though.

Brian says he has birds too!

Brian sent this cell phone video to Gavin of some seagulls on his truck. The caption he sent along with it is what's funny. It said, "I got birds too.", in reference to my new birds. Silly Brian! What's also funny is that Gavin took him serious at first, thinking his daddy had some new birds! Silly Gavin!

Green Thoughts and Raw Packages

It feels good to be back in the green mode. This is day 2 for me in my Green Soul Challenge. All these leaves are filling me up! I only have lots of baby spinach left though. Depending on the weather tomorrow, I may go pick up some more variety of greens, if not I'll just make a banana mixed berry green smoothie with the baby spinach. I've actually been eyeing all those damn dandelion leaves in my backyard, I think I'll check tomorrow for some immature leaves if it isn't too wet outside, which it probably will be.

More raw agave nectar came today, I almost ran out. I am so thankful for Amazon on selling cool raw food staples like that at a more affordable price. I remember a few years back when agave nectar was ridiculously expensive. I mean, it really was robbery. Also recently from Amazon came my order of goji berries. For over 6,000 years, the Goji berry has been used to help protect the liver, help eyesight, boost the immune system, prevent cancer, and promote longevity amongst other benefits. Goji Up! I really need to make some sort of chocolate goji recipe soon. Mmmm.

Read more on goji berries.

Green Soul Challenge - Day 1

So I actually started yesterday, making sure I ate lots of leafy greens but I'm counting today as the starting point hoping my friend Sherry also started today. I had a nice salad of mixed greens - baby romaine, baby spinach, tango and a few leaves of radicchio. I don't really care too much for the purple leaves, they are awfully bitter to me, but when it's just a few leaves of it in the salad, it isn't bad at all and actually gives a nice contrast in taste.

The creamy salad dressing I make is really good (saving the recipe for my book). I love that my son loves it as well, he specifically asks for it whenever he has salad. Instead of water as the base, I use coconut water (along with nuts), it doesn't have a coconut taste whatsoever for those that are wary in using it. Coconut water is highly refreshing with loads of electrolytes. I swear I get a zing from it! I can feel its energy. Coconut water is awesome!

So yep, I had my green for the day! Yay!

I currently have some cucumber and lemon water marinating for tomorrow. I'll be sipping on that throughout the day. I meant to make it earlier today but totally forgot!