While I Was Out...

Well, you may or may not have noticed my near total lack of presence in the blogosphere over the last week. It wasn't a planned blog-holiday--really impromptu, actually. So, here is what I have been doing over the last week while I have NOT been blogging:

• I HAVE NOT been finishing my guest room. There it sits, with a half-painted door, and only one coat on all the trim and shelves. I'll get there soon enough.
• I HAVE been blowing my nose. A lot. I caught a cold from my kids, that they caught from someone else's kids last week. The only one in our house not sick (other than the dog) is my husband. My nose resembles an unwashed beet right now--red and scabby. Not such a good feeling.
  
• I HAVE been scrapbooking! Over the last week, I have completed a dozen layouts, an astonishing 8 of which were done in less than six hours on Sunday, while I nursed my cold and Jason gave me a break from the kids. Here are a couple of the layouts I just did. You can see the rest in my 2 Peas Gallery ("My Scrapbook Brag Pages", left side-bar), mostly under "Family Album 2006." I don't have them all uploaded yet, but I'm getting there. (Something else I HAVE been doing.)
  
  
• I HAVE been knitting. I finally finished the sweater I started for Jude in September, which he loves. I even made him a hat to go with it (which I have not photographed.) Noah was a little torqued that it was for Jude, not for him--but if it is slightly big on Jude, it fits Noah like a dress. However, I had mercy and am making a little hat for Noah, too, since I can complete that project in a few hours, and then get back to working on the sweater I'm making for my sister-in-law.
• I HAVE been watching movies. Moulin Rouge has got to be one of my most favouritest movies ever. Anyone who has only watched it once, or only got into the first fifteen minutes, would never understand this. But the more times I watch it (and I've got to be pushing two dozen), the more I love it and appreciate all the nuances in the story-telling. And the music, what they did with it, is just out of this world.
• I HAVE been doing more on designing our dream house. Tentatively, if all our ducks line up just so, we are going to be buying an acreage this spring, then building a garage with a small apartment above it to live in while we build our Dream House. That has been oh-so-fun to plan, but a little stressful, too. They say if you and your husband can survive your wedding, you're off to a great start. I think next-most on the "high-stress" list should be designing and building a house together. Sheesh.
• I HAVE been catching up on office paperwork. YAY!
• I HAVE been getting much more disciplined with making sure I do a little "school-work" and reading time with each of the kids each day. This has been something that I've struggled with working into the schedule since the arrival of baby #3, but since putting a visual reminder on Jude's Chore Chart, it reminds both of us! Clever, eh? All those chores have to be done every day before he gets to do any "special" fun thing, such as play X-Box, so if I forget, he is pretty diligent to remind me.
• I HAVE been babysitting. But I mentioned that one last week.
• Guess that's the end of my list. I'm starting to repeat myself. For the last one: I HAVE been playing with my camera's self-timer:
  

I can't promise that this next week is going to be much different, but we'll see how it goes. Miss you all! Hugs & kisses!

(And I have to say--I really do appreciate it when you leave me a comment on my posts. It totally brightens my day to know someone else was thinking of me, and wanted to let me know that, even if I am super-busy and can't comment back for a day or so.)

More Benefits of Raw Honey--Amazing!

I knew honey was good for you, but this article blew me away! Now I'm wondering if I should keep my honey in my kitchen or my medicine cabinet! Enjoy:

The healing power of honey: From burns to weak bones, raw honey can help: (NewsTarget) Raw honey – which has not been pasteurized or filtered, and ideally taken directly from the hive – is a treasure chest of nutritional value and medicinal remedies. It contains an abundance of vitamins and minerals and is a natural and powerful medicine, both internally and externally.

The list of honey's beneficial functions is a long one. Honey increases calcium absorption; can increase hemoglobin count and treat or prevent anemia caused by nutritional factors; can help arthritic joints, when combined with apple cider vinegar; fights colds and respiratory infections of all kinds; can help to boost gastrointestinal ulcer healing; works as a natural and gentle laxative; aids constipation, allergies and obesity; provides an array of vitamins and minerals; and supplies instant energy without the insulin surge caused by white sugar. Many have found raw honey helpful for its positive effects against allergies and hay fever, and one or two teaspoons last thing at night can help with insomnia. As an antiseptic, honey is also a drawing agent for poisons from bites or stings or infected wounds, and has outperformed antibiotics in treatments for stomach ulcerations, gangrene, surgical wound infections, surgical incisions and the protection of skin grafts, corneas, blood vessels and bones during storage and shipment.

"Raw honey is exceptionally effective internally against bacteria and parasites. Plus, raw honey contains natural antibiotics, which help kill microbes directly. Raw honey, when applied topically, speeds the healing of tissues damaged by infection and/or trauma. It contains vitamins, minerals and enzymes, as well as sugars, all of which aid in the healing of wounds."

So writes Dr. Cass Igram, D.O. in The Survivor's Nutritional Pharmacy. In a fascinating modern development, scientists and doctors are beginning to rediscover the effectiveness of honey as a wound treatment. In recent years, honey has been used effectively in clinical settings for the treatment of fist-sized ulcers extending to the bone, as well as for first, second and third degree burns. Complete healing has been reported without the need for skin grafts and with no infection or muscle loss. It can be applied full strength to such conditions, covered with a sterile bandage, and changed daily. When the wounds are clean, honey acts as a healer. This also is the same procedure for infected wounds, ulcerations and impetigo. Garlic honey can also be applied directly to infected wounds, which will help clean up the area of infection.

Dr. Peter Molan, professor of biochemistry at Waikato University, New Zealand, has been at the forefront of honey research for 20 years. He heads the university's Honey Research Unit, which is internationally recognized for its expertise in the antimicrobial properties of honey. Clinical observations and experimental studies have established that honey has effective antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Astonishingly, it painlessly removes pus, scabs and dead tissue from wounds and stimulates new tissue growth. "Randomized trials have shown that honey is more effective in controlling infection in burn wounds than silver sulfadiazine, the antibacterial ointment most widely used on burns in hospitals," explains Dr. Molan.

Dr. Molan believes that if honey were used from the start in cases of septicemia, there would be far less tissue damage resulting. "The remarkable ability of honey to reduce inflammation and mop up free radicals should halt the progress of the skin damage like it does in burns, as well as protecting from infection setting in", says Dr. Molan. "At present, people are turning to honey when nothing else works. But there are very good grounds for using honey as a therapeutic agent of first choice."

Researchers believe that the therapeutic potential of honey is grossly underutilized. With increasing interest in the use of alternative therapies and as the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreads, honey may finally receive its due recognition as a wound healer.

Indeed, it works: Raw honey makes a sterile, painless and effective wound dressing. Apply it directly to open cuts, abrasions and burns, and cover it with a piece of gauze. The results will occur quicker than with conventional alternatives, such as salves and creams.

Honey is also exceptionally effective for respiratory ailments. One Bulgarian study of almost 18,000 patients found that it improved chronic bronchitis, asthmatic bronchitis, chronic and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. It's an effective treatment for colds, flu, respiratory infections and a generally depressed immune system. Whereas sugar shuts down the immune system, a good quality honey will stimulate it into action.

Here are some more ways to utilize the healing power of honey:

BURNS - Apply freely over burns. It cools, removes pain and aids fast healing without scarring. Apart from being a salve and an antibiotic, bacteria simply cannot survive in honey.

BED WETTING - A teaspoon of honey before bed aids water retention and calms fears in children.

INSOMNIA - A dessertspoon of honey in a mug of warm milk aids sleep and works wonders.

HYPERACTIVITY - Replace all use of white sugar with honey. White sugar is highly stimulating with no food qualities. Honey provides the energy without the "spike."

NASAL CONGESTION - Place a dessertspoon of honey in a basin of water and inhale fumes after covering your head with a towel over the basin. Very effective!

FATIGUE - Dissolve a dessertspoon of honey in warm water or quarter honey balance of water in a jug and keep in the fridge. Honey is primarily fructose and glucose, so it's quickly absorbed by the digestive system. Honey is a unique natural stabilizer: Ancient Greek athletes took honey for stamina before competing and as a reviver after competition.

FACIAL DEEP CLEANSER - Mix honey with an equal quantity of oatmeal, and apply as a face pack. Leave on for half an hour, then wash it off. Great as a deep cleanser for acne and other unwanted blemishes.

POOR DIGESTION - Mix honey with an equal quantity of apple cider vinegar and dilute to taste with water. This is also wonderful for the joints – and promotes weight loss.

HAIR CONDITIONER - Mix honey with an equal quantity of olive oil, cover head with a warm tower for half an hour then shampoo off. Feeds hair and scalp. Your hair will never look or feel better!

SORE THROATS - Let a teaspoon of honey melt in the back of the mouth and trickle down the throat. Eases inflamed raw tissues.

FOR STRESS - Honey in water is a stabilizer, calming highs and raising lows. Use approximately 25 percent honey to water.

ANEMIA - Honey is the best blood enricher by raising corpuscle content. The darker the honey, the more minerals it contains.

FOOD PRESERVATIVE – If you replace the sugar in cake and cookie recipes with honey, they'll stay fresher longer due to honey's natural antibacterial properties. Reduce liquids in the mixture by about one-fifth to allow for the moisture present in the in honey.

BABY'S BOTTLE - Four teaspoons of honey to a baby's bottle of water is an excellent pacifier and multivitamin additive. If the baby's motions are too liquid, then reduce the honey by half a teaspoon; if too solid increase by half a teaspoon. (Caution: Don't give raw honey to babies under 1 year old; it's just too rich.) For teething, honey rubbed on a baby's gums is also a mild sedative and anesthetic.

OSTEOPOROSIS – Research has shown that a teaspoon of honey per day aids calcium utilization and prevents osteoporosis – probably not a bad idea for anyone over 50.

LONGEVITY - The most long-lived people in the world are all regular users of honey. An interesting fact, yet to be explained, is that beekeepers suffer less from cancer and arthritis than any other occupational group worldwide.

MIGRAINE - Use a dessertspoon of honey dissolved in half a glass of warm water. Sip at the start of a migraine attack, and, if necessary, repeat after another 20 minutes.

CONJUNCTIVITIS - Dissolve honey in an equal quantity of warm water. When cooled, apply as a lotion or eye bath.

COUGH MIXTURE – Combine 6 ounces (170 grams) liquid honey, 2 ounces (55 grams) glycerin and the juice of two lemons. Mix well. Bottle and cork firmly, and use as required.

Raw honey may become granulated, as some does after a week and another maybe only after several years. If the granulations bother you, simply place the honey into a pan of hot water (not boiling) and let it stand until becoming liquid again.

Kelly Joyce Neff has an interdisciplinary degree in Celtic Studies which includes work in cultural anthropology, history, linguistics, language, and literature. She is a traditional midwife and herbalist, a reiki master, and an active craftsperson. She lives in San Francisco.

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Time is ticking away...

Where has this week gone?!

I've been playing a lot of "catch-up" on office this week, plus I babysat on Monday, and will again tomorrow. Looks like the babysitting schedule is going to be pretty solid for the next month and a half or so, which is good for the pocket book, not so good for the blogging time. I will try to keep this maintained with some regularity, but part of the "reprioritizing" I did last week was to decide that, for the most part, I can either scrapbook or blog in a day (and by "blog", I mean read my friend's blogs, as well as a lengthy post on my own), but try not to do both. Sigh. Such are the decisions we must make.

Anyway, here is a picture of Jabin enjoying a snack on my office floor yesterday while I was working. Like most babies his age, he has a talent for making a mess!


Also, while taking the photos off my camera to retrieve that shot, I came across a few other gems. While giving Jabin his first haircut a few weeks ago, we let Jude have the camera. Of the dozens of photos he took, I actually had to giggle at this one: We've been letting Noah run around "bum-naked" for the most part these days, to try and encourage him to remember to use the toilet. If he isn't wearing anything, he will use the toilet. Put underpants or a Pull-Up on, though, and it is just so much easier to stay where you are. However, he will "save" his Number Twos until he has a Pull-Up on, which is when we are out or at night. As a result, 95% of the time when he poops now, it is when we are out! SO FRUSTRATING! I have been encouraged this week, though--TWICE while he was wearing a Pull-Up, he decided to poop on the potty. YAAAAY!

Attitude Check

There are two mornings in our household that are high-stress for me: Tuesdays, when I am supposed to be in Grimshaw by 10:00 a.m. for the weekly "Mom's Time Out" Bible Study there (a twenty-minute drive), and Sundays, when our goal is to make it to church on time for 11:00.

Today was no exception. By 11:00, the breakfast dishes were just being cleared from the table, the kids were being packed into outside gear, I was finally getting to run a brush through my hair, and Jason was trying to pack kids out to the van. My nerves started to fray a little.

We got to church, and the service was already in full swing. Trying to corral Noah in that big, open foyer is like trying to catch a plastic grocery bag on a windy day--just when you think you've got him, you close your hand on thin air, and he is off on another lap. Words don't help either--he will just pretend he didn't hear you. (Or maybe he really didn't hear you, in the fashion of a one-track-mind, three-year-old-male.) Anyway, by the time we finally got all the outside gear off, my nerves were even more frayed. We caught all three wild colts (Jabin being the easiest!) and herded them into a pew.

After the service, the chaos continued. It was "Name Tag Sunday," the idea being that the congregation can congregate around snacks in the foyer (and try to restrain themselves from being guilty of the sin of gluttony) and get to know each other better.

One little Noah is much more agile and nimble in a crowded church foyer than his poor mom. By the time we were finally ready to leave, I had chased Noah out of the sanctuary at least four times, and after getting his coat on and turning my attention to his brother for five seconds, I had to go find him again. (I may or may not have been muttering something about having the attention span and self-control of a gnat.)

Everyone was finally back in their outside gear (except their boots) and in one location, so we headed to the back stairs landing, where we had left our footwear upon arrival.

"That's on the wrong foot, Jude," I said. He ignored me. Jason came through, quickly shod Jabin and headed out to start the van.

"That's on the wrong foot, Jude," I said again. He took his boot off his right foot, then got distracted by Noah who, with his usual uncanny luck, got his boots on the correct feet, as he does 98% of the time. Jude put the boot back on his right foot.

"That's on the wrong foot, Jude," I repeated. I'm not sure why I was so insistent on making sure he corrected his error, except perhaps I was feeling like I should try to make at least one thing from this crazy morning go right. Noah headed out the door to follow Jason.

In frustration, I raised my voice a little.

"Jude! That's on the wrong foot!"

He looked at me at last.

"Why you keep saying that, Mom?"

I was taken aback. "Because you are putting your boot on the wrong foot, and I thought you would be more comfortable if you put it on right."

"It's okay, Mom. It's okay if it's on that foot!"

Of course it was okay. What was my problem, anyway?

"You're right, Jude. You can put your boot on that foot if you want."

He actually did switch them around before he headed out the door. And I, chastened through the mouth of my four-year-old, followed sheepishly behind.

And the rest of the day? Went much better.

More bad news on Soy

I started this post three days ago, leaving it open on my computer. I just wanted to give you the "heads-up" that the negative effects of soy are becoming more well-known. Apparently, the Cancer Council of New South Wales recently started advising breast cancer patients and survivors to start avoiding soy altogether. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Australian cancer organization warns breast cancer patients to avoid soy: "Previous research has indicated that phytoestrogens found in soybean products can mimic the hormone estrogen in the body, which could possibly promote growth of hormone-affected cancers with long-term exposure."

Soy products can, indeed, be healthful for you, if you eat traditionally-fermented varietels, such as miso, tempeh, and traditionally-brewed soy or tamari sauce. But even those cultures who use soy as a staple only consume these items in moderate amounts at every meal, more as a condiment than the main course. (The fermentation process negates the negative effects that the phytoestrogens and phytates found in the soy would have.)

The best, most rounded source of protein, and the only source that contains all the necessary amino acids we require is meat (and other animal products).

What Can the Diet of Gorillas Tell Us About a Healthy Diet for Humans?: "For normal growth and sound health throughout life, the human species requires eight amino acids which their bodies cannot manufacture, vitamin B12 and some essential minerals. The only viable source of these amino acids and of vitamin B12 is animal protein such as red meat, fish, shell fish, eggs, milk, insects and worms. The lack of these amino acids results in serious illnesses. For example, kwashiorkor is a deficiency disease which impedes the normal development of vital brain cells and stunts growth. People may be getting all they need to eat to satisfy their hunger from grains and other plant foods. They may even become plump on a diet of grains, but their normal growth and development is stunted. For instance, some Maya Indian peasant groups of Guatemala primarily have only corn, beans and squash to eat. They like meat, but are too poor to purchase meats or raise animals. Feeding domesticated animals would sacrifice land needed to grow the grains on which they subsist. This condition is common over much of the world."

For more information about the dangers of soy, click here.

For more information about the benefits of eating meat (and the fat that accompanies it), please see this page.

I'll get a more personal post up later on this weekend! Hope you are having a happy Saturday!

Thirsty Thoughts

I am sitting here in my blogging shirt, wanting to pour out some of the random thoughts that have flitted across my brain over the last few days, but I have not had time to record.

First off, Jabin. Jabin has started climbing. He is climbing stairs, and he loves the little landing in front of our master bedroom (only four stairs off the floor from the family room.) He will sit there babbling happily for up to half an hour, proud as punch that he got up there himself. He also likes to climb onto the hearth (of the fireplace we never use, thankfully) and sit there with a very self-satisfied grin on his face. He is so funny.

Last Monday, at breakfast, when I uttered my traditional "Let's pray," he completely floored me by smacking his little hands together and holding them there until we were done the prayer. He has also started adding his own version of "Amen" at the end of the prayer (which sounds a lot like "ba." You might wonder how I can relate those two, but it is so purposefully said, and he says it every time we pray.) He has also started trying to mimic other words we say. One day I was cheering for him for doing something, and he clapped his little hands and tried to imitate my "Yay, Jabin!" It's so strange, because Noah was such a late talker, to think that Jabin is actually trying to communicate verbally. He has also caught on to a few Baby signs: "down," "dog," and he has also tried "more" and "all done," although is not using them with any consistency, yet.

Suri's getting spayed today. You might be wondering why I have barely mentioned our dog since my initial post about her. The reason is, most days I barely tolerate her. The rest of the time, I harbour a secret wish that she would wander off and get eaten by coyotes. This seems harsh and extreme, and all the good feelings you got about me for being so nice to the lady at the hardware store have just fluttered out the window. But truthfully, this was not a good time in my life to get a puppy, and we maybe should have: a) waited another 6 months to a year, as per our original plan, and b) gone with a Golden Retriever, as per our original plan. She has destroyed more stuff with higher value (both sentimentally and fiscally) than she will ever be worth to me, and has gotten us in trouble with our neighbours and the SPCA by escaping three times in the same week (by different means) and being a little too frisky and nippy with the neighbourhood kids. I can't believe we are spending $250 on this operation today. I thought about just giving her away, but then I took a deep breath, set my teeth, and decided to keep waiting it out. Eventually, she'll be done teething. Eventually, she will no longer be a puppy. Eventually, she will calm down (hopefully), and not always be knocking the kids over and going ga-ga over any stranger that comes to our door and not listening to simple commands.

Or, I'll give her away. (Or maybe wait until the coyotes are howling at the moon one night and open the gate to the backyard...)

Lastly (for today), the Lord has been dealing with me on an issue that has been uncovered in my spirit over the last week. Complacency. Ugh. How did I ever end up here? Since first becoming a Christian at the age of 15, I have abhorred Complacency. I have prayed fervently against it. I have wanted to always have the passionate fire for God, and helping people, and loving others, and sharing truth with them that I had then.

The thing about Complacency is you never see it coming. You just wake up one morning and it suddenly hits you that you have become Comfortable. And in that comfort, you no longer carry the burning torch that once lit your path. Each day seems to be mapped out through the familiarity of routine. Who needs a Lamp? Why doesn't it bother you that you haven't opened your Bible for a week? Or more?

Or wait. Maybe it does. And in the very thinking of it, you realize that the parched, empty feeling you have been ignoring has originated in the lack of the Living Water in your life. A lack that you allowed, and for which you have no one to blame but yourself.

I find I want to guzzle it, now that I remember how vital it is to my health and well-being. I want to stand in it's flow and just let it wash over me, right under the waterfall, like one of those commercials for Irish Spring or something. I have had to look at my daily schedule, my routine, and revamp, re-prioritize. Now that I have remembered where my true refreshment lies, I do not want to let old habits and life's "busy-ness" quench this life-giving flow.

Thank you, Lord, for always staying constant and being there for me, even though I am fickle and forgetful.

Psalm 42

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Saviour and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Saviour and my God.

"Inspired By Borscht" Beet Soup

This is the version of beet soup I threw together from stuff in my fridge one night. It was pretty yummy. Hope you enjoy it, too!

I try to serve beets semi-regularly because they are chalk-full of stuff that is good for you, but their vibrant colour and different texture are off-putting for the kids. But! They will eat stuff in a soup they won't eat any other time. This was a hit.

(Tip: To get little kids to eat their soup better, blend it up to a smooth texture with a hand-held blender, and let them drink it through a straw. This works even better if the straws are "bendy" straws, or cool colours, or something.)

Inspired by Borscht Beet Soup Makes approx. 12 cups
©2006 Talena Winters

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 large onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. dill
1 tsp. caraway seeds
8 cups chicken stock
5-6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
½ head of cauliflower, diced
4 beets, peeled and diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
3-4 sticks celery, chopped
1 tbsp. Celtic sea salt
Cracked pepper, to taste
Crème Fraiche or Sour Cream

Fry onions and garlic in butter and olive oil until onions are soft. Add dill and caraway and fry for a further 2 minutes until aromatic. Add stock, vegetables and salt and simmer on medium-low until vegetables are tender. Turn off heat and blend in pot using hand-held blender, or put though blender in batches and return to pot. Adjust seasonings, and serve with a dollop of Crème Fraiche.

(Note: Serving vegetable soups with Crème Fraiche, or another animal fat, allows you to digest the nutrients found in the vegetables and absorb them better.)

For I May Never Pass This Way Again

She was behind the counter as I breezed into the hardware store. I was glad to see her, and when she glanced up I smiled and asked "How're ya' doin'?"

She nodded and returned the obligatory, "Alright, and you?"

"Good, thanks," I said, then asked her to remind me where the electronics section was, even though I knew perfectly well. She looked across the store and named a couple of aisles, and I went to look for my item.

As I stood in line at the till, I wondered--not for the first time--what her story was. I knew very little about her--just that before she started here a few weeks ago, she used to work at the grocery store. I had once seen her in that same store as a customer with a young child in tow--a daughter, I think. Something about this woman told me that the father was not a prominent part of her life, at least not anymore. Perhaps it was the thin line she set her lips into whenever she had to do, well, anything. Perhaps it was the lack of a ring on her left hand. Or perhaps it was the fact that she never smiled.

I had tried to get her to smile. I had made a point of commenting on her unusual, but pretty name. I had used said name every time I had seen her since then, even when her name tag was not present or visible. I shared my own name with her, making small talk about the weather, the season, the busy-ness of the store. But not once had this woman with the flame-coloured hair and serious eyes broken into a full, genuine smile.

I wondered what had happened to this woman to give her such a serious outlook on life. (And if perhaps, she would still be working at the grocery store if she had been a little friendlier with the customers.) I also wondered if today would be the day when I would reach my goal--to see a beautiful smile crinkle her face, and see if maybe the lines were not so uncomfortable there as my experience would suggest.

"Would you like a bag for that?" Her query interrupted my reverie. I looked at the small item she had just rung though.

"No, thanks. Save a plastic tree, and all that."

And then I saw it--the slight up-turn of the corners of the mouth. I was close, I could feel it!

It was like the smile just kept growing. The few remaining comments in our conversation were not particularly humourous or entertaining, but before I left, she was wearing--albeit briefly--a full, glorious smile.

As I got back into my van, I knew what my new goal was:

If possible, I will be her friend.

Business Wednesday

I originally saw this video on Shaun Groves' blog. It was so funny, I couldn't wait to post it here today. If you want to see more, here is some gangsta folk rap duelling.



Meanwhile, I better get down to business, and get my office work done! (We'll take care of other business later, right, honey?)

It's Business Time!

We are now live...with sound!

YAY! After staying up way later than I intended to tonight, with my contacts dried out and plastered to my eyeballs, so I'm looking through a blurry haze, I finally figured out how to embed a little player, and how to host audio files, etc., so that I can put my music up here! YAAAAAAY!

So far, I've only posted one song, which is the audio file for "Ordinary Days." You can now listen to the song at the original post, Not an Ordinary Performance. You will need to have Quicktime Player or some other such player to hear it. You can download it quickly for free by clicking here.

Then, after you download the player and listen to that one, you can come back here and listen to this song. I wrote it in the cab of my truck while I was driving courier truck, and Candace sang it on a song-writer's demo album we put together in 2003. So far, no takers on the song, but I have dreams of eventually recording a full album and just selling it ourselves. (Yikes! The moola that takes, though--just to do 10 songs on a song-writer's demo would have cost us $10,000! Real albums would be at least double that! So, stop and think about that next time you are tempted to pirate music. The people you are really hurting are the hopefuls, just starting out, who have to foot the enormous bill for these recordings themselves. Or the record companies that take a chance on these hopefuls, knowing they will lose money on at least 80% of them. I could go on, but I won't.)

Enjoy!

"Walking In The Sonlight" by Talena Winters
Copyright 2001 All rights reserved.

Seems like I'm living my life in a haze
Of darkness, confusion, it's been raining for days.
No reprieve from the pain, this burden of sin
Till love touched my heart and the Son shone in!

Now I'm walking in the Sonlight
Running through the fields of grace
The love of the Father is shining on my face
So I spread my arms wide open
And laugh into the wind
I'm walking in the Sonlight once again.

To the heart that's been broken, To the woman left alone
To the soul that is hungry for a taste of freedom's song
There's a voice that is calling, "Come out of the night,
I have conquered the darkness, you are the children of Light."

Now I'm walking in the Sonlight
Running through the fields of grace
The love of the Father is shining on my face
So I spread my arms wide open
And laugh into the wind
I'm walking in the Sonlight once again.

(Ooo, I'm walking)Oooo
(Ooo, I'm walking) I'm walking by His grace
(Ooo, I'm walking) I'm walking, I'm walking in the Sonlight!

(Repeat chorus)

Blog This!

"Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising." - Mark Twain

I have started using my family as marketing tools.

I realize this is not a new strategy. People have been doing it since the first kid said "Daddy said I could!" to his mother's stern face, hoping she would buy it.

Except I'm not actually trying to get anyone to buy anything. All I'm advertising is this page you're sitting on. This one. Right here. (And all the other ones on my URL.)

Originally I was just going to get myself a shirt that said:



to go with my new pajama pants.

But, that was so much fun, and so easy, and the prices at Cafepress were so reasonable, I didn't stop until I had the whole family decked out. Now Jason has a shirt that says:

And Noah and Jude have matching ones like this:


Jabin's is, of course, the cutest, by right of being the smallest. (Who could resist a baby in a onesie, right?)



Creative or Crass? Wait. Don't answer that.

Happy Monday night, friends. How was your Monday?

Indulgence, Self

No matter how many times I blow my nose, trying to blow the little parasite out, the virus that has infected my body holds tenaciously onto my sinus cavities. It feels like it's trying to invert my eyeballs, too. And it also feels like it's getting stronger, although I know I must be winning by now, after three days--mustn't I?

Perhaps it only feels worse today because I am finally allowed a little self-indulgence--no extra kids to babysit, no company to entertain, no place to go, nothing to do except keep Jabin's little fingers from opening and closing the CD player on my computer tower interminably and scrapbook on my computer.

Not that it feels like I could do much of anything else if I tried. I did roast some squash for the soup I'm making for supper. That's an accomplishment, right?

Jason took the older two boys to the pool. At 4:17 p.m, the sun has almost set. And now, I must go preview the movie I ordered for the Music Teacher's Association Ed night which I am hosting on Monday.

But before I do, I will leave you with an image of the layout I just completed. Of the digital layouts I have done so far (which you can view in my 2 Peas Gallery, here), this is the one of which I am the most proud.

Enjoy, friends! Hope your weekend is happy!

Gender Confusion

I'm babysitting today. This is what I overheard a few minutes ago while the kids were watching Pahappahooey Island:

"That's a girl."

"And that's a boy."

"That's a boy, too." (In reference to the lightning-bug crooner on the show.)

"No, boys don't have long eyelashes. He's a girl."

O-kay.

What I did over Christmas Break.

Well, after ten days of having my honey around, he's back at work. *sigh* I miss him already. It's the first time he's had more than a weekend off in a year--and I'm not even sure we should say it was that recently, since last year we were moving at Christmas, making the 8-hour drive between Sylvan Lake and Peace River 3 times in a week, and packing and unpacking plenty of boxes and furniture on either end.

After that very long introductory sentence, I just don't know where I can take this post from here.

Just kidding. While Jason was home, we managed to get lots of "around-the-house" stuff done, as well as plenty of visiting, too. By the way, if anyone was wondering, Amanda had a baby boy on December 22nd, named Oakley Leo. He was a whopping 10 lbs. 3 oz! Good thing he was 2 weeks early! Yikes! Both he and Mommy (and the rest of the family, too) are doing well.

We got to enjoy a brief visit with my father and brother, as they came up in Dad's cool new pick-me-up truck on Christmas Eve, and left around noon on Boxing Day. (For the un-Canadianized, that would be the 26th.) There were a lot of X-Box, turkey, movies, and various and sundry card games enjoyed during their whirlwind trip, along with some good visitin', too. We wished it could have been longer, but! I am totally excited that my brother is going to be moving back to ye olde Alberta in February sometime. After six years in Seattle area, this will be a total blessing to know that we can see him even more often, and that the gag gifts will be cheaper to send in the mail.

After they left, Jason got busy cleaning out/organizing our storage room, so we can actually call it "useful space" now. All of the items we didn't know what to do with as we unpacked, or as Jabin outgrew his baby items, were just kind of thrown haphazardly in there with any tools from various renovation projects. Yay! for organized space.

The guest room is almost finished being repainted--I have to get down there after this and finish up the last bit of the walls. When Jason gets home in half an hour I'm going to run down to the hardware store and buy new trim. I'm thinking that the room hasn't been painted in at least a decade, and the walls sure showed it. Not only that, the last person to paint it also decided the ceiling tiles should be the same colour as the walls, but instead of removing the tiles, they just painted them as-is--right over the metal frame, and everything. It looks terrible. Now we are trying to decide if we should replace them all, or just keep on with what the last person did and re-paint them into a fresher, brighter colour.

The room already looks WAY better than it did when we started. Best part--I didn't even have to go buy paint, as I am just using up paint I over-purchased when we painted the office a year ago.

So. That is one more renovation project we will soon be able to check off our "to-do" list.

I didn't get nearly as much done on the holiday break as I thought I would, but I always have a tendency to over-estimate my capabilities. I think I still work on the "if I didn't have kids" time-table, forgetting how much of my day is required just to look after them. They don't really "get it" if you decide to skip making lunch because you just want to do one more coat. What's with that, anyway? (You'd think that by now, it wouldn't be so easy to forget that. I guess I'm a slow learner. Or an eternal optimist.)

Oh, and if any of you thought we were ignoring your calls, we just weren't answering because the phone line went whacko on Thursday morning, and the Telus guy couldn't get here to fix it until today. So, if you call now, we promise to answer.

Anyhoo, I better go see if I can get anything done downstairs before I have to head downtown. Sorry for the boring post--I'm just getting back in the swing. Hope you all had a very wonderful New Year!

What did you do on your break?

Soy Milk is Unhealthy

This is an excerpt from Dr. Mercola's comment about an article from the Weston A. Price Foundation about soy milk production. Both the original article and the full comment can be read by clicking on the title link below.

Soy Milk Is Unhealthy: "Still on the fence about the value of soy products, even after health claims have been hugely debunked? If there's any lingering doubt in your mind, you should read this piece, written by the author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food Revealed.

Modern soy protein foods in no way resemble the traditional Asian soy foods, and may contain carcinogens like nitrates and lysinoalanine. Non-fermented soy products like tofu, soy milk and meatless foods made from textured vegetable protein also contain phytic acid, one of many anti-nutrients it's wise to avoid at all costs. And all of the purported "health benefits" of these products are simply untrue:

• Soy isoflavones don't prevent various forms of cancer (prostate, breast or uterine).
• Neither soy protein nor soy isoflavones are useful in limiting menopause-related symptoms.
• The jury remains out on any soy-related benefits in treating osteoporosis."