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It’s a new year…

02 Sunday Jan 2011

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So much has changed for us in just one year.

By us I mean humans. The earth cracked open and ruined the lives of so many. Some forever, some for the foreseeable future. The economy has slowly been crawling along trying to get back up that seemingly insurmountable hill. The electric car is trying again to get a foothold in the automobile industry at what seems like the perfect time. Everything from the printed word to cable/satellite TV is step by step becoming obsolete to the general public.

Is this what I pictured when I was a girl when I thought of the year 2011? Not exactly, but it’s not that far off. We are getting pretty Star Treky in our old age. We can scan bar codes in Best Buy and compare the price of the same item in other stores to see if we really are getting the best buy. We have an encyclopedia in our palm that is more complete and up to date than any volume of books could ever hope to be. True, we’re not driving hover crafts to the super market, but when you get there, you don’t have to interact with anyone if you really don’t want to. You can scan your own groceries, bag them and check out with a talking computer. If you are someone that hates frivolous small talk with strangers, it’s ideal. Personally, I’m not great at bagging, so unless I have just one or two items, I go to the regular checkout line.

I know that the changes didn’t happen all at once in just one year, but it kind of feels like it. Wasn’t it just a year ago that I started watching hulu on a regular basis to catch up on my favorite shows? We got rid of our cable TV years ago, but now I don’t have to wait for the next season to come out of DVD. The iphone/itouch has been around for a few years, but now it seems like the smart phone has taken over the world along with readers, pads and new apps that go beyond anything I might have thought possible. I mean the fact that you can test yourself for STD’s using your phone… it’s just… gah!

I kind of love how crazy amazing the world is becoming and kind of scared by it at the same time. But, that’s natural I guess. I remain a happy homemaker that cooks most of our meals from scratch and enjoys a good crochet-athon, but I can still dig on my techy husband and all the geeky things that I absorb from being around him and our friends. After all, technology is quite possibly the best way we have to preserve our earth and all it’s beauty. The electric car and e-books being exhibit A and B.

So 2011, what have you got for us? If I might, I’d like to request less tragedy and more wonderment. Please and thank you.

2010 in review

02 Sunday Jan 2011

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The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

Healthy blog!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

Featured image

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,900 times in 2010. That’s about 7 full 747s.

 

In 2010, there were 50 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 120 posts. There were 55 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 6mb. That’s about 1 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was January 6th with 141 views. The most popular post that day was Lost words.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, twitter.com, touch.facebook.com, en.wordpress.com, and kiwimagonline.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for split peas, strong women, dried split peas, recipe exchange, and my baby naturally.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Lost words May 2009
3 comments

2

Split peas, yes please! January 2010

3

About February 2009
4 comments

4

My Creations March 2009

5

Beware of Greene Street Consignment! September 2009
2 comments

A little bit more

12 Friday Nov 2010

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The terrible twos! Ahhhhhhh…

That’s what my life is feeling like today. I’m not managing my responses to Miles’ “NO!”s as well as I’d like at all. He’s slowly wearing me down to a stressed out little shell of a woman.

Kofi had band practice last night, so it has been just Miles and I since yesterday morning and we’re starting to not like each other very much. I’m tired of him “exerting his independence” and he’s tired of me not letting him. What happened to my Smoochie Pie that almost always did what he was suppose to, when he was suppose to? Why has he been replaced with this little task master that feels like he should be ordering me around and not listening to anything unless I threaten to punish him? Gahhh!

I know, I know this is normal. I thought I could escape it, that somehow my son would be different. Ha! Why would my child be different? He’s right on track with his development. I guess I should be happy. Sure, why not? Maybe this is all to teach me patience and love no matter what gets thrown at me. I just hope that we both survive this wonderful lesson relatively unscathed.

Hey, at least I’m writing again…

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Don’t know where to start

11 Thursday Nov 2010

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Yes, it’s been ridiculously long since I’ve written here or anywhere for that matter. Months. I’ve been working 2 days a week at the cancer center to fill in for someone on maternity leave. Somehow 2 days out of the house seems to make all the difference in the world. Good and bad. It’s nice to get away from the house and break the week up a little, but it seems to wreak havoc on my schedule and ability to do the things that I’m use to having the time to do. How does that happen? Two little days working in an office. I never would have thought it. I’m not cooking as much and when I do it’s pretty boring stuff. The house is looking pretty terrible, but that’s not really anything new if you know my housekeeping style. The worst part is that I haven’t made time for crocheting or writing which are the two activities that bring me the most joy other than my family.

The work is only temporary (I’ll be there through the middle of January). So, I’m looking forward to when I can be home again on a daily basis. I’m hoping that then I will be able to get back to my regularly scheduled life. Of course to blame a job that is only very part time is unfair. It’s really my stamina that is faltering. It happens from time to time and it happens much more frequently when I’ve got an excuse to let my laziness creep in and take over. Sometimes it’s getting hooked on a new show and needing to watch all the past episodes on dvd or hulu and neglecting my exercise or house work or what have you. Or, being tired from waking up with a sick son every night. My motivation takes a vacation and so do I.

So today I’m taking a few moments out of my hulu watching and facebook surfing to write a bit about how I’m feeling. Miles is just waking up from his nap, so this will be brief. Well, he’s calling me now, so even more brief than I thought. See you soon

More naps, never a bad thing.

23 Monday Aug 2010

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(Wow, another long gap in writing for me. Things have happened and lessons have been learned, but still no consistent writing from me. I get too distracted with the modern trappings of hand held internet access, free TV on hulu, and netflix rentals. Not to mention the not so modern cooking, cleaning, crafting and just plain being busy with mamahood.)

My baby is going to be 2 years old in about 3 weeks. I really have a hard time believing that it’s been almost 2 years since I held him for the first time. It feels so fresh in my mind. Without looking at photos, I can see exactly what he looked like. I can still feel the warmth of his tiny body laying across my stomach, then chest and the weight of him in my arms. It was like nothing I could have ever imagined. Here was this amazing creature that my husband and I created and I carried in my body for months who was finally taking his first breaths, his first everything. Now everyday I watch this smart, funny, walking, talking little boy make his way through books, toys and situations as best he can. There have been many tears and tons of laughter for both of us as me meet each day and each week with a resolve to learn more about ourselves.

I wish that I could learn as much and as quickly as Miles does. They say that children learn at the amazing speed and ease that they do because they get so much sleep. They give their brains the time to rest and therefore process the information that it took in the previous day. They also have the ability to retain enormous amounts of information for a longer period of time. So, if I was just able to turn off the computer and TV and get a couple more hours of sleep each night, maybe I would catch up with Miles the Brainiac. Eh, probably not.

Taking my time

13 Tuesday Jul 2010

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I find that when my life is most hectic,  I forget to write or don’t have time to. It’s also the time that I really need to write the most. I’m running around shopping, cooking, picking up the house, crocheting, sewing and I can’t even think of what else. But I know I’m doing it! That’s when my mind is crying out for a good writing session and not getting it.

The craziness of now is that I’m thinking of all the huge dreamy things I’d like to do on top of all the things I’m already doing. Things like: renting the empty store at the end of my block and making it into a small restaurant called ‘Mama’s Organic Kitchen’ (please nobody steal that),  finally biting the  bullet and going back to school, getting back on Etsy and doing it right this time, planning a MUCH needed vacation all by myself, learning how to knit and remembering how for more than 5 minutes after I’m taught…  The list goes on and on.

I’m trying to get organized by using my new/old iPod touch HoneyDo app., I really am. The secret to making it work is to actually take the time to write down all the things that you’re thinking when you think them. In theory this should be simple if you always have you iPod handy. The flaw in this theory is that sometimes I’m thinking of something that I need to do when I’m doing something else that I really need to do. Something like changing a diaper, cleaning a mess or crocheting a difficult section of a pattern that if I walk away from will surly end in much grief latter.  Of course by the time I’m done with the necessary task at hand, I have no recollection of what it was I wanted to make note of.

I was thinking last night as I was doing the dishes and putting away dinner, that my work day doesn’t end at 5:30 when my husband gets home. It doesn’t end by 6:30 or 7:30 either. I’m pretty sure that it ends at what ever time I decide that I can’t possible do one more thing and either sit down and veg or go to sleep. The time that I take to sit and write may be one of the only times in my day that I can actually feel that I’m doing something just for myself  because I love it. Not to say that I don’t love cooking meals for my family, because I definitely do. However, cooking a meal while you have a 22 month old child nipping at your heels and begging you to sit and play every minute isn’t exactly relaxing.

So I’m asking myself right here and now to please, please take the time to write when you can.

New old toys

04 Sunday Jul 2010

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Inheriting toys from others is fun, green and economical. Last night I inherited a used iPhone from a friend that I’ll be using as an iPod touch. I’m blogging from it right now!

I’ve also recently purchased a used sewing machine for $20 from a consignment shop that is bringing me enormous pleasure. I’ve been creating clothing and decor from fabric scraps and thrift store linen finds.

I feel as if I’m finally getting to the point in my life where I am really achieving my goals of being more socially responsible. I’m recycling food, toys and clothing the way I’ve always known that I should.

The incredible edible blueberry

03 Monday May 2010

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The fantastically simple frozen blueberry has become my best culinary friend.

In the winter I used it as a tasty addition to our morning hot cereal and a lovely compote for french toast or pancakes. On these hot spring days they have become stand alone snacks, creating dark purple tongues and fingers. Not to mention, that they are the perfect addition to any frozen fruit smoothie. They are not so sweet that I worry about Miles getting too much sugar in his diet, they are a perfect little finger food for him and the antioxidants are keeping us all healthy during allergy season and the crazy temperature changes. They can be used for baking, added to pancake batter, topping for a summer salad or made into a homemade frozen yogurt dessert. I use organic or wild blueberries because of the high absorption of pesticides in conventionally farmed berries. Using frozen berries is a great help to those of us that don’t always use fruit immediately and end up wasting gobs of money when the fruit starts to rot in the bottom of the fridge. All in all, I feel that the uses are limitless and it’s no wonder that a bag of frozen blueberries has become a true staple in my kitchen.

I’m really looking forward to picking my own this year so that I can stock my freezer for far less money. I haven’t gone berry picking since I was a kid. There is definitely something wonderful about hunting down the best, plumpest berries and ending the day with a full container and nearly black hands. I know it will be a challenge getting any fruit in the container with Miles helping. But, it will be so nice getting outside and watching him discover that one of his favorite foods grows on a bush, not in a bag.

Last Night’s Smoothie:

2- cups of plain yogurt (I use the organic whole milk creme top by Stonyfield)
1- cup of frozen mango chunks
1 1/2- cups of frozen wild blueberries
1- banana broken into chunks
1- cup of milk (I use organic whole milk)
1/4- cup organic raw agave nectar to sweeten (optional)

Place all ingredients in blender. If it’s too thick for the blender to handle, add more milk. It’s meant to be thick like a good shake. You can use any frozen fruit that you like, just remember that berries absorb more pesticides than other fruits because of their porous skins, so organic is best. For a great baby/toddler meal, mix the smoothie with some baby cereal so it’s easy to eat with a spoon.

Soupy oatmeal

29 Thursday Apr 2010

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Nom nom nom

You know breakfast is good when it leads to everyone involved needing a bath. Seriously, Miles is a freak for a big bowl of soupy blueberry oatmeal. Crazy but true. I’m sure that a lot of kids would rather eat a shoe than what looks like a big bowl of gruel. Somehow the messier the better. In the cleanup process after breakfast, we actually both end up dirtier than when it started. Little wet chunks of cold cereal stuck to every service imaginable. I miss the days of controlled parent served meals, when cleanup consisted of a quick face wipe and maybe a finger or two.

Oh well, it’s always an adventure.

Oh Wishbone… who are you kidding?

27 Tuesday Apr 2010

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So Wishbone, what are these magical oils?

I know it’s nitpicking, but when a company that manufactures crappy, over salted, processed salad dressing presents themselves as uniquely healthy to make people buy it… it really ticks me off. According to the latest Wishbone salad dressing commercial that features Tyler Florence, the special oils used in their dressings help our bodies to absorb vitamins A and E more efficiently. If you watch the commercial, you’ll notice that they say that the vitamins are absorbed better than if you are eating a salad with no dressing, not if you are using a homemade dressing or one from a different company. Surprise! That’s because when you add ANY salad dressing containing oil or fat, the nutrients in the vegetables are absorbed more easily. That’s just the way it is. The olive oil and balsamic vinegar from your pantry will do the exact same thing that the Wishbone yuck will and you’ll have control over what you’re putting on your vegetables. The same can be said for adding a pat of butter to you green beans or any other veggies that you are cooking.

I know it’s silly and a little petty, but every time I see this commercial on hulu, it makes me hot under the collar. The way that these huge processed food corporations bend facts to suit their own selfish agenda has been making me sick for a long time. Wishbone is just one company that uses advertising manipulations to sell incredibly unhealthy and unnatural products that contribute to the ever growing obesity and heart disease rates in America. How about the cereal boxes that are filled with sugar, chemicals, fake colors and flavors that advertise as being a great source of whole grain fiber? It’s just too ridiculous.

Anyway, that’s my rant for the day. You’re welcome.

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