Sunday, December 5, 2010

December

Good morning!

It's Sunday morning and I'm waking up slowly. We had a great time at a holiday party with all my Groovy UV's last night, our partners, and all the tinies! Between 5 of us college friends and our partners, there are 7 little ones, and they could all win for cutest kid on the planet. The newest addition to the group is Marion, who is 3 months old and doing great :)

My sister made stromboli (that was gone in seconds), other additions to the table were roasted chicken and potatoes, pulled pork, chicken wings and wasabi sauce, salad, mashed sweet potatoes (we brought those. Mix them with a bunch of sharp cheddar...so good), oh and some really tasty cornbread muffins. The host's 'signature cocktail' was a pomegranate martini, complete with seeds garnishing the bottom of the glass. Even my virgin one was awesome :)

We...didn't go hungry.

The plan is to do this every year. Can't believe it's taken us ten years to get this going!

Spent yesterday morning working on a paper for my class next weekend. Still have a few pages/ideas to go. That should happen today, along with some errands/Christmas prep.

I really love this time of year.
Next year, I will REALLY love this time of year, because I will be DONE, yes DONE, with school.

Come, they told me, ba rum pum pum pum....
Or new born kind to see, ba rum pum pum pum!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Mid November Check In

Again, it's been a while.

We're coming up on the end of another year! Come January, I'll be in my last year of grad school :)
6 months into my clinical sequence, I think I may be adjusting to the...hecticity (! Wow. See what's happened to my brain?) I feel the tiniest bit refreshed, surprisingly...since nothing has changed regarding my schedule. Perhaps it's the new, crisp season ahead, and the holidays upon us.

I watched an old, good friend get married this past weekend, which may have revived me, in a way. Nothing like the celebration of love to restart the heart! My own honey has been wonderful as I've crashed my way through grad school. Always a supportive presence, always watching out for me. He's taught me lots of things, but right now, one of the most important things he's taught me is...about the importance of sleep! Totally valuable lesson for me these days.

Speaking of sleep....it's alread 9:30 and I still have a few things to get to before climbing in.
Goodnight!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Acorns Away!

I'm always a little sad when my Peanut goes home. We had a nice weekend! Started out Saturday morning with a trip to the city. It was a beautiful fall day, cool in the morning, warming up in the afternoon. First stop: his new office. I love seeing where people work; it's so much easier to talk on the phone with someone if you can imagine them in their surroundings. Grabbed a coffee and a Milano. Next stop: Indian restaurant for chicken tikka (my favorite) and Vindaloo (one of his favorites) and about 8 pounds of naan (bring it on). With full stomachs and an Indian-food stupor setting in, we sauntered around the city, stopping at a little Indian market, the Open Center, and the farm market at Union Square. Saw some good looking produce, bee-buzzing-honey, and pumpkins galore. In addition, I was sort of blown away by the amount of crazy people we witnessed. I'm sure there are just as many crazy people in the suburbs, but it just manifests differently or something. Took a mid afternoon train home and ran a couple of errands before making dinner and calling it a night at my place.

Woke up early to get on the road for a birthday breakfast for my sister. Some family members were missing due to other commitments, which was weird because it often feels like I'm the one who can't make family gatherings for one reason or another (ahem, school). It was nice! The rest of the day, B and I lounged. We did manage to go grocery shopping so at least I'm ready for the week.

Can I just say...it was a BEAUTIFUL THING not having to study this weekend! See, I left out that I took the comprehensive exam on Tuesday of last week! Four months of prep work, and it's over. Now, please pray that I passed! We should hear in a couple of weeks. Please God, please God, please God! That was a TIRING four months of my (and my poor boyfriends life). However, during the time I had to study I also started my crazy clinical training schedule, so part of my exhaustion was/is also from juggling client hours between two sites.

It's been so long since I blogged, and I'm sure I have more interesting things to talk about, but for now I have dishes to do and pajamas to put on and all that good Sunday night stuff.
Hopefully tonight I can sleep through the noisy acorns that have been falling onto the roof, rolling down it, and bouncing off my decks, front and back....

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics...in Action

More accurately, my closet is teaching me about the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics this very moment. If you saw it, you would scream! It's the classic scenario: the closet is literally stuffed to the gills and I stand there every morning complaining about having 'nothing to wear'. It DOES take a finite amount of energy to maintain an organized closet, and I'm totally all out!

Anyway. Back to the other stuff...like my exam coming up in two weeks, and class starting back up tomorrow (honestly, where did the summer go? I didn't even see it while it was here). I am logging some good hours at my internship sites, though, so at least my anxiety about having enough hours to graduate when the time comes has been somewhat reduced.

This coming weekend is Labor Day weekend; yay for the long weekend! I'll be with clients part of Saturday and studying throughout the 3 days...and the fun things my boyfriend and I have planned are a birthday celebration with friends of ours we haven't seen in a long time on Sunday and a kirtan on Monday. Jai Uttal and Krishna Das will be there; we've seen Krishna a bunch of times (and it's always great) but Jai, we've never seen! We were talking about the kirtans we've gone to in 2010 and so far we've seen David Newman, Krishna Das, and Dave Stringer. I don't think I'm leaving anyone out? Last year we saw Krishna, Snatam Kaur, and Bhagavan Das. Bhagavan takes the cake for most far out. It was an experience. Did I ever talk about it?

The birthday celebration reminds me; we had my birthday celebration with my family this past weekend. I got some very nice gifts :) One being a new CamelBak water bottle that I constantly carry with me. I also got some sweet Kat Von D perfume. I love her! She rocks. I just got some cool things this year...including a Kindle (waiting by the mailbox!) and a Swatch watch (that was from my honey.)

I think it's too late for me to try to make any more sense, so...
G'night!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

A principle from physical sciences, aka the law of entropy.
This law postulates that all entities tend toward a state of decay. Every system will have a maximum structure that, over time, erodes. And every system has a finite amount of energy to maintain itself at that maximum structure. For example, the organization of a closet. Over time, it will become messy. The amount of energy it takes to main the high probability state of an organized closet uses more of the finite energy a system has vs. the energy it takes to maintain the low probability of the homeostasis of a messy closet.

A) This will be on my test in a couple of weeks. B) I have no idea what that says. and C) When I pretend that I do know what that says, it is somehow eerily representational of my life at this moment. I am maintaining my maximum structure with a finite amount of energy and I think I may become a bit of a messy closet shortly!

My schedule is idiotically crazy, as it has been for a little while now and it seems to be gaining crazy-momentum. Juggling work and driving here and there and making appointments and phone calls is one thing. The other thing...the harder/hardest/most painful thing, is managing the constant anxiety I am feeling surrounding my sessions with clients. I am so so so so SO NEW at this and boy, is it clear to me.
In general, I consider myself (after some hard work over the years) a confident person. In this moment, in my clinical training, I am experiencing a big blow to that (goodbye ego, whatever was left of you!) The second guessing of my abilities and extremely low self confidence is sort of taxing. Even though I recognize the process and know that whether or not I'm good at being a therapist doesn't determine whether I'm good or not at being a person, it's still totally brutal feeling like I'm sort of sucky at what I'd really like to be good at.
My saving grace is that before I started seeing clients I read in one of my textbooks somewhere that these exact feelings, these serious check ins about my capabilities will happen. I will find myself experiencing anxiety, changes in eating habits (great) and sleeping habits (no!!) and major doubts in my competency.

I wonder when it changes?

I ordered a book from Amazon today called "Doing Family Therapy: Craft and Creativity in Clinical Practice" by Robert Taibbi. While it looks like a great guide for the beginner therapist, what sold me on it was one sentence about being afraid but doing it anyway...

Monday, August 9, 2010

Green Wheels




Oh by the way, we were out fooling around this weekend and stopped by Toyota (well, on the heels of Bob's Tacoma antenna being broken off at the car wash, we drove over to order him a new one). We've both been drooling over the Prius for a year + now, and on Saturday we drooled some more. I test drove a Corolla S, which was adorable and fun (and different from the Jeep I currently drive!) Talking about it and glancing over at our beloved Prius', we strolled over again and actually took a look at some nice used ones...now there's an idea! They actually had a good deal on a couple and it got me all excited again about buying a new car. My Jeep is great, and has lasted us a LONG time; I'm preparing for its demise though, as it is 13 years old and will probably need to be replaced at some point within the next year. I wanted to have an idea of a car to turn to so that when it dies or before it dies, the process of getting myself into a set of new wheels will be a bit easier.
Prius Love!

Itchy and Scratchy

Well, it's been a really long time since I've blogged! I've been chugging away at work, clinical hours, finishing up a summer course, preparing for my fall comprehensive exam and...now fighting a case of poison ivy!
Yup.
I pulled ONE weed out of my flower box last week and am now covered in the stuff. I even washed my hands after pulling the weed; I gave it a long look before I touched it and was slightly skeptical. It didn't look like poison ivy, actually, so God knows what I actually have...yikes. It's on my ear (!) neck, back, arms, and a little bit on my face. Sooo cute!

...whatever it is, calamine lotion, rubbing alcohol, and oatmeal baths are my friend.

Stayed home today to try and mellow it out of my body, as well as not scare my coworkers. Do have a lineup today, so I have to figure out what to do with the rest of the things on my agenda.

I've been in a shopping mood lately. Probably an unconscious effort to break out of routine and do something that feels good NOW. This hard work in the long run will feel good, but come on, there's nothing like instant gratification to fuel the fire! This weekend I shopped the sales at EMS and Anthropologie.

I need to take advantage of my 'day off' and study a bit...maybe take a nap in there somewhere.
Happy Monday!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Stress Be Gone

How badly do I want these? LOL. I like that they're a) New and Improved and b) High Potency!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Wake up!

I've got to get my connection to a higher power out of bed; it's been snoozing a great deal lately.
I'm taking a class this month called Spirituality and Counseling, which will begin to cover ideas surrounding integrating the subject of spirituality into sessions with clients. There is a whole world of perspective and research on this topic, which I have just been introduced to in the past 48 hours. I must say, it is fascinating. I feel as though it is just endless....kind of how I've felt about God when I've tried to put my finger on exactly what I think He is or does.

I wasn't raised in a religious household. I never knew much about church and felt as though it was outside my realm of understanding. I don't remember talking much with my family members about religion or spirituality in general. Looking back, I wonder what we DID rely on during my mom's illness and death. I know we relied on each other. I remember feeling whole out in nature. I wonder how my coping would have been different or how it would have benefitted from having a solid foundation in faith and a belief in something greater than myself to help me through. It is apparent, however, that there was something there, whether I reconized it or not, guiding us through the agony. I just didn't realize I could meet it someday.

The class that I'm taking has oodles of homework, as these graduate classes seem to...and while I'm less than enthused about the volume, I am slightly humbled by the opportunity to enhance my spirituality through future discussions and assignments. What I wanted to tell you about is the spiritual journal I am to keep for the next 2 1/2 weeks (and we'll see, perhaps I can keep it longer!) What is it, you ask?
"Its focus is on the relationship between you and God, not you and your boyfriend or you and your pastor or you and your psychiatrist. Those others can be part of what you write about -- anything can -- but for the journal, they are to be seen through the lens of your relationship with God, and your living a life that is honestly spiritual."~ (spirithome.com)

Me and God? I can't wait to see what happens here. There are some websites that give more structure to the entry that I'm to write, which is helpful for me at least in the beginning. We are also to write a spiritual autobiography, where we examine the spiritual path that we have taken and how we create meaning out of the events we have experienced. How has my understanding of my own spirituality changed over the course of my life?

The paper I will turn in seems like it may end up just being the beginning of something much more significant. I'm not looking for a grade on my spirituality...but I am thankful that the exploration of it is brought to me as an assignment. For me that means it is a priority, where it should be but often isn't.

:)
Have a wonderful evening!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

The First Day of the Rest of my Life


Not to be dramatic or anything, but it kind of IS dramatic. Tomorrow I start the engine on a whole new career. And I mean new. For the past eight years I have sat at a desk and made Powerpoint presentations pretty. Filled them in, fancied them up. I like doing it, and I like the people that I work with. However, over the past few years I started tuning into the feeling that something SERIOUS was missing. Two big ones: direction and meaning.


I want to have my picture taken tomorrow, so years down the road, when I've had hundreds of clients I can look back on the day when I had my first one.


History in the making!


And you bet; there will be a follow up to this entry!


Thursday, May 27, 2010

Maximum Poof

I'm definitely a little hyped up. For my sister's sake, I'll say 'I'm definitely exhibiting maximum poof!' That means basically, that I'm freaked out, frazzled, have my guards up, and am likely to be hiding under the bed by the end of the week. (Term originally used by a friend whose cat was startled by a thunderstorm and displaying the bushy tail/maximum poof. It's perfect!)

I'm feeling like I've reached my limit of how many things I can possibly have going on. My life is full all right, but it's almost so full that I'm afraid it'll spill at any moment! The funny thing is, everything that is in play is great! I am, however, noticing the toll this level of busyness is taking on my sanity. I feel worn out, even a little depressed at times. That is just from exhaustion. Funny how the body works though. All these awesome things and...I'm feeling a little down?! What the heck.

I got a call today from my clinical site that...they have a new client for me. I immediately went into fight or flight mode. My first client? Does this mean it's REAL? I was really emotional about it (just like, anxious and shaky, not crying-emotional). I'm so nervous. I feel like I'm blanking on everything I've learned so far. Ha!

Anyway, enough of that whining.

Tomorrow is Friday! YAY! Yesterday was my oldest sister's birthday. We had a good talk on the phone and a good laugh (H, where is that YouTube video you were going to make!? LOL). She has always been there for me and has been a wonderful influence and strong and steady source of love my entire life! I love her very much and can't imagine how different (and lacking!) my life would be without her. Somehow I got lucky; I was given TWO amazing sisters!

Bedtime. Have a happy Memorial Day weekend!

Monday, May 24, 2010

The First Day Of...


...my new, crazy schedule. I thought the past 6 months have been intense; I have a feeling I'll be one-upping them pretty soon.
I start my reduced work-hours schedule today (40 to 30) as well as my graduate assistantship for my program department at school (1o hours a week). Other things happening this week: orientation at my site (clinical training), babysitting for a couple of girls for a couple of hours, and some quality time with my sister's dog this holiday weekend. Oh yeah and a Memorial Day barbecue, of course! The next week begins my clinical training at school (one day a week) and then my summer class starts the week after that. By the time everything is under way, summer will be over, ha ha.

This past Saturday I met one of my college roommates' two-month old daughter! I rode up to MA with another of our roommates (sporting a new baby bump!) which was great. I opted to because my car is getting a bit old and cranky and I didn't want to drive 3 hours to find myself stranded. Other happening of this summer: probably purchasing a new car.
We spent the sunny afternoon on my friends porch, complete with new porch furniture! They even have one of those tables with the fire pit in it! Love those.Her three year old daughter played in the kiddie pool and on her new playground. It was a long trip there and back in one day (about four hours each way) but well worth it to meet the little munchkin and spend some quality time with friends.

Sunday started off with homework (preparing for a comprehensive exam that takes place in September), and then the afternoon was filled with a 10 mile bike ride through the more historic neighborhoods of my town. So beautiful out!

Bob and I also stopped by my dad's house to see him and my stepmom who had just driven back from North Carolina, where they spent the weekend for a family wedding (on my stepmom's side).

So anyway, at the end of this week I'll let you know how all of my new things went! I'm looking forward to spending time up at my sister's house this weekend, where I'll be dogsitting her chocolate lab. It's always nice to get away/change the scenery and her town is a great place to spend some time.

Happy Monday!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Weekend Recap (and it's not even over yet!)

This weekend is so busy, it's great! But where do I start with this blog?

Yesterday I went for the first 'run' in about two weeks. Eeek. And it was THAT run. The run. That sucks. I had been pretty excited about getting back into jogging about a month ago, and then went on vacation and fell off my little routine (though did get some great yoga in at Kripalu).

So bear with me while I just set up the day:

Yesterday morning my bf and I went to the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Harlem for an Acolyte Festival! He's very active in his church, and this event was cool because it's set up to honor those who do the jobs other than Pastor, Deacon, etc. Kind of like...the techies of the church service, ha ha. The church is beautiful. HUGE. They had a welcome and then we could participate in various workshops or tours for a couple of hours. He and I went on the Vertical Tour - where you climb this little windy stone staircase up up up into the church. We stopped off at various 'levels' and were given a brief history and description by our very animated art history major tour guide. She was great. Finally, we landed at 'La Foret' which is the 'attic' of the church, basically - it's the structure above the ceiling of the church, that was built to protect the church itself from the elements. So neat. And then, we stepped onto the roof! What an experience!
The second workshop we went to was called 'Holy Smoke' - about how to incorporate the use of incense into your service. The technicalities of it and all that stuff. So interesting for me, because I don't know much about the details of a church service, i.e. what various objects are called or the meaning behind certain parts of the service. And finally, the churches that participated yesterday formed a procession that took them up onto the altar where we had a short service. It was so nice. All these people (kids too!) deserve to be recognized. I know my BF shows up when needed and is always ready to give a helping hand. Yesterday he and I went to the festival, along from the deacon of their church, and another churchgoer and her daughter and a friend. The two young girls (who are 11) are young acolytes and also participated in the procession. One awesome thing I learned about acolytes is that they've been serving the church for 1800 years!

After that, we came home and were so tired! Probably just from getting up early to be in the city early, but man! Bf napped and I threw on my running clothes. It was a beautiful day and I knew I had to get out there. I read on twentyonedayhabit.blogspot.com that when she feels like she doesn't want to run, she knows she really has to...so I took that with me. However, the couple of miles I've run around here start with one big long hill...so I had that in front of me, and my legs felt like two bricks! It was rough! I tried to just run through it but it was one of those runs where I just felt uncoordinated, tired, and slow. UGH. I walked a little bit here and there and then jogged home (which is downhill, ha ha. I know). I did, however, see that a school nearby seems to have a track or at least a path around the sports field; so I might head over there later and check it out. I also reminded myself that even if it was a crappy jog, at least I got out there and tried, and got some exercise, regardless!

This morning my Dad and I are headed to my sister's to watch her four kids while she and her husband head to brunch to celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary! Wow. I met her husband when I was 9 or 10. I'm 30 now. Isn't that crazy?

School is another story. I'll get into that later. I truly enjoyed our trip to MA and 'forgot' about work and school for five days, which was SO needed. However, the first day back in the groove was difficult. Coming back from vacation is always depressing, LOL, even though my daily life is great.

I have to keep getting ready and stop talking.
Have a happy Sunday! Peace and sunshine!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Rest and Relax

Today is the last day of the semester! I'm so psyched. AND tomorrow I'm going to the Berkshires for a couple days. I can't wait to get out of town and breathe in air other than academic air for a while.

Tonight I have a final exam in my substnace abuse class. Last night I had two dreams: One, that the test was moved to Saturday (therefore I'd have to come back from our little trip early, AND study while we're away, ew). The other dream I had related to my teacher telling us (in real life) that our test has a couple of different kinds of questions...some require listing out our answers, and others that allow us to be a little more creative. So, in my dream, my teacher handed out our exam and...a box of crayons.
Tell me that wouldn't be so awesome.

In a matter of weeks I will be working with real clients. No more simulated families.
I'm not even sure I'm nervous (though ask me again like, 5 minutes before I sit down with my first client). I'm more just...ready to move onto the next phase of my training. I'm confident that my insecurities are normal and many of my current questions will be answered by experience.
I'll keep you all posted. After my first session with a client, I envision myself doing the equivalent of a wet-dog-shake.

LOL

This weekend I'm excited for the change of scenery - I'm bringing my running skirt (beloved as it is) and a couple of changes of yoga wear. While we're away we'll be stopping at a nearby Yoga center as well...om shanti!

Friday, April 30, 2010

Brain Jogging


Oh the weekend has begun!

I am so happy.


Last night I jogged a 1.5 mile loop in my neighborhood. I left my iPod at work by accident, so upon this realization I feared my only escort would be boredom. I was wrong! It actually allowed me, at this beginning stage of running, to be as present as possible. I could hear my breath, and my feet, and the nice part was that I didn't think about ... anything! It was awesome.


When I ran a few years ago, I ran for fitness and stress release and mileage and all that, and I got really into it. This time around, I'm hoping to get really into it again, but I'm coming from a different place. Since my running days 7 years ago, I've gone through some stuff. It was soul-searching kind of stuff, and some really intense, spectacular personal growth has occured as a result. I am so lucky! Now, I look at the world just a little differently than I did then. There's a little more depth to it all. So we'll see where running takes me in 2010, one day at a time.


I ordered a couple of running books on Amazon to keep me motivated and fuel my interest. The first is The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life and the second is The Quotable Runner. I'll let you know how they go :)


Right now it's bedtime. Tomorrow is Saturday, my favorite day of the week! This one is blessed with my nephew's First Communion.


Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Energy!

I get to run tonight!

I was reading another blog and the author spoke of their attempts to change 'I have to' into 'I get to'. Certainly puts a spin on our daily activities! So when you're thinking 'Ugh, I have to do 7,000 loads of laundry tonight', try saying 'I get to do 7,000 loads of laundry tonight.'
It reminds me to be grateful for the things I'm able to do.

Next week is the last week of the semester; I have a final in my substance abuse class and a student readiness evaluation to go over (I'll talk with my pre-practicum professor about my readiness to enter the world of clinical training). I'm taking a long weekend following my last night of class and I'd love to do...nothing. Literally. I'm so....tired.
I'm certainly excited about taking the next step (I get to! I get to!) but I feel like I can't even wrap my head around that energy yet. Just need to decompress from this semester. My work schedule is going to be changing and I'll be adding clinical work and graduate assistant hours to my afternoons as of May-June, so things are going to look a little different in my day starting ! I've been arranging these pieces for the last few months so that's been an additional stress on top of meeting my class requirements, etc.

Back to work!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Happy Reading Little Ones!

Want to hear what I did last night?
I donated a book to a local school system. Great, right? However, the book was $17.99!
Here's what happened: I went to Border's to pick out a gift for my nephew who's First Communion is this weekend. At the checkout, the cashier asked if I'd like to donate a book to that town's school. I'm so used to the donation opportunity I often receive at the grocery store checkout, where you add $1.00 onto your purchase and it goes to a Children's Cancer fund, etc. So out of habit, I said 'Sure!' So then I find myself paying $17.99 for this book!
It's totally two sided in my head, because of course I want to support young readers...however, I didn't realize I would be paying another $20 for a book.
To get right-sized again, I have to remember that I just spent a fortune on shoes for myself this past weekend! Maybe it's God's way of reminding me not to spend so much on myself and spend it on others?

I left the bookstore glad to have donated but not glad to have spent another $20! LOL.

PS: Bookstores for me are like candy shops for kids.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The Reward of Suffering is Experience


Do you ever have one of those weeks you're pretty sure is never going to really...get off the ground? I'm thinking this is one of those weeks.


In honor of it, I'm going to take a good long look at the little things that brighten my day.


1. Aura Cacia lavender body lotion. Totally awesome. Free sample at the Earth Day celebration...might turn into a full size resident of my bathroom.


2. Cream cheese, walnut, and chopped date wrap for breakfast. Self magazine sends me email recipes a million times a day and this one is actually one that I looked at...and made.


3. Parenthood, the TV show. It's the one show I look forward to each week. The rest of the time my TV collects dust, mostly.


4. Jogging. I plan on getting a couple jogs in this week. It's been raining the past two days. I'm contemplating a rainy-run and wondering just how miserable it is? Only one way to find out!


Happy Tuesday!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Monday Blah

Well look at that! I have two readers!
Ha ha. Thanks guys!

I'm having one of THOSE days. I couldn't sleep last night, and when it was time to get up it was Monday AND rainy. Therefore, I am craving carbs, fat, and salt, as I always do when I'm working but really need to be sleeping. Therefore, my lunch consisted of turkey and swiss on a bagel with mayo (got the carbs and fat in!) and Baked Lay's (go, salt!)
Pfft.
I know it's not the healthiest lunch you've ever heard of, but considering I was like, falling asleep at my desk earlier, it's definitely helping me stay alive.
If I drank soda I'd probably be going for a Coke right now. Nothing like the feeling of your teeth rotting out of your head to keep you awake!

This past weekend was great! Friday I had dinner with a friend who was in town. She mentioned the possibility of moving back this way, which would be awesome. I didn't want to say anything (ie beg) but I would love if she did. She's my TV-watching, movie-going, sushi-eating friend and I need more of those things in my life (okay well, not TV but enjoying a good show with a friend sometimes is great). Saturday was the annual Earth Day celebration at a local natural food market; boyfriend and I had a field day in the free sample tent. I don't take samples of things I won't use, but somehow I still ended up with a ton! I guess I'll use a lot of that stuff.
Kiss my Face has a new mouthwash that they had samples of; I'm excited to try it. So far I've tried some face wash, shampoo, toothpaste, and body lotion that I picked up. I've also had some cookies and Valerian root supplements :)

Saturday night my family gathered for dinner to send my Dad off on a business trip to Prague. He'll be gone for two weeks so we used it as an excuse to get together. I love that we still do that as a family, even though the three of us girls (my stepbrother couldn't make it this time) are paired off (well, two are married; I'm still dating) and there are 6 kids between my two sisters! Lots of laughter and noise; never a dull moment! I hope they grow up enjoying the presence of family and appreciating our closeness.

Sunday we slept in later than usual, which was random but lovely. I did homework (finals next week) and then we went off to the mall for some shoe shopping. We left as proud owners of Sperry and Frye footwear. The Classics!

I went for a jog after shopping, and it started to rain while I was out. I'm just starting to get back to jogging, so yesterdays was probably about a mile and a half. Nothing crazy at this point, but I'm enjoying it as therapy and felt like I could have run a long time yesterday. It was cool outside; that seems to help.

Have a meeting to run into - just wanted to say hello.
Happy Monday!!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Today I went running in a skirt.

I admit that yesterday's purchase of an Energy skirt from Lululemon may have had something to do with the jog I went on today. Hey, if new clothes inspire me to exercise, I'm all for it. If you're wondering what I'm talking about, the skirt has tight shorts underneath it, so you have the comfort of the skirt but coverage of shorts.

I lost track but I think I have four things due on Wednesday between my two classes. I was stressing out about the presentation I have to give in my subtance abuse class: not the actual presenting part or the research paper that I'm presenting on, but the format of my actual Powerpoint. Mind you, this is what I do for a living and have done for the past 8 years: create Powerpoint presentations for a marketing research company (in short). Oh, the irony.

I'm exhausted. I can't wait until the 3 weeks or so that I have off between the end of the semester and when I begin my graduate assistantship. I plan on doing yoga, jogging, watching movies, reading books, and just sitting in the beautiful land of no-homework.
There are a couple of books I would like to read during that time, and I'm sure the list will grow:
Shadow Princess by Indu Sundaresan
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

Any book suggestions?
Does anyone even read this blog? LOL.

I'm starting to blur these words together which either means I'm having some brain dysfunction (wouldn't be surprised) or it's time for bed.
Goodnight!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Living my Dream




Today I am pretending that I live in a farmhouse in Vermont and have fashioned my lunch accordingly.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Thinking...

I often think about the person I am and the person I want to be. The person I want to be is crafty and earthy; grows her own herbs and vegetables and makes healthy homemade meals. The person I am gets tangled up in work and school, like everybody else, and forgets about the really grounding kinds of activities. It's kind of like what happens to yoga during the week when I'm busy: it falls off the map (though I've been once a week for the past two weeks! Sadly, that's an improvement). Yoga class is literally one of the only places I find myself feeling really whole. The fact that I 'have to' pass it up for homework or errands, etc, is disappointing. It is as big of a priority as other things, if not bigger!

This week I'm on vacation from work (so I can do homework! I kid you not) and I am going to make sure that each day I do something that makes me feel like I'm getting in touch, learning, communicating with the earth and myself.

On that note...off to yoga!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

True Blue Dream

I had a thought in my yoga class that 'I am right where I am supposed to be'. It came from thoughts about my clinical training (and where I am right now is...not quite sure what the hell I'm doing, LOL). Welcome, good thoughts! I like you!

Yoga is so inspiring. It was so hard tonight, that after class I felt like my legs were just going to shake until I fell over. In the hour, I sweat out tons of toxins, breathed in good thoughts, and thanked God for today and the good things in nature that we can count on (and have to take care of!) like the blue sky and greenery and air and sun. Our practice was set with a poem about the birthday of the sun, and our rebirth...and as we sweat and slipped and wobbled, the upcoming spring and season of transformation was the perfect undertone for why we were there on our mats, working on our selves, all the while hoping that this is the season we unveil some more of that inner spirit.

As for my Ayurevedic Adventure, I'm waiting patiently for Vasant Lad's The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies to come in the mail. In the meantime I'm eating lots of sweet potatoes, carrots, oatmeal, and soup. I read today that while nut butters are okay for Vata types in general, peanut butter is something I'm to stay away from when possible. Peanut Butter!! I freaking LOVE peanut butter!! Ha ha. Mannnnnnnnnnn.
Bob and I are having Ayurveda date night once a month, which equals me preparing an ayurveda-inspired meal. Fran's House of Ayureveda is a pretty happenin' website I found with some tasty looking meal and treat ideas :) I'll keep you posted on what I make and ... er .. how it comes out...

Spring Break this week, which means I don't have class tomorrow night. Yippee! Instead, I've deemed it paper writing night. Oh...boy!! Get EXCITED!!

Anyway. I'm exhausted. I need to go roll over.
Goodnight!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

I love Sundays

...especially ones like today, where the sun is shining and the doors are open and my boyfriend is happily napping with the cat.

I've been following an Ayurvedic diet for a couple of days now, after meeting with an Ayurvedic practitioner my friend recommended to me. I knew the most basic stuff about it; as when I first met my boyfriend, he was following an Ayurvedic diet for his type (pitta) and briefly filled me in on what that meant. Since that time, I've thought it would be fun to go to a practicioner and get their take on my dominant dosha. Turns out I'm Vata, with a bit of an enlarged liver and some toxins trying their best to get out of my body (!) My directions are to follow a Vata-pacifying diet, eating warm and soupy foods to nourish my liver. More sweet potatoes, bluberries, soups, and less dry crackers, breads, and cookies. However, sounds like (after reading a couple of things) Vata types do well with bread, but should perhaps dunk it in a bit of that lovely soup first :)
So far, so good, and I must say...I honestly feel better in these past couple of days than I have in a while. Helps that Spring is on its way :)
I'll keep you posted on my Ayurvedic adventure...

Poor Raina had two teeth pulled on Thursday. She is a trooper and actually didn't seem to be in too much pain (hard to tell of course) and is acting like her old self already. I will say, however, that they sent me home with Buprenex, an oral analgesic, to adminster every 8 hours or so. After giving it to her and noticing her CRAZY behavior (extreme hunger, little paranoia), I looked it up and discovered that it is a narcotic, stronger than morphine. Ummmmmmm. Once I realized that and also concluded that she seemed to be dealing all right without it, I stopped giving it to her. Didn't sit right with me. Thankfully she didn't seem to be in too much pain, otherwise I'm sure I would have made a call to ask the vet of other alternatives.

Did some homework this morning so I could go out and play this afternoon, ha. Felt like a kid again! Met Bob at a great little Thai place for lunch, then shopped for my friends Brand New Baby Boy! Born yesterday...9 pounds, 12 ounces, and she delivered naturally! I knew my friends were rock stars, but oh baby! After my little shopping trip I came home, found a sleeping boyfriend, and went out for a half hour walk.

Now I've got some strawberry kombucha (synergy brand, love it!) and the rest of the afternoon to bask in the glory of a sunny Sunday.

Peace, love, and Ashwaganda!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Snow Days

Wow, so far this month has been *snowy*! Digging out a few times in the past couple of weeks, and trying to keep my frigid apartment somewhat warm.
Eating dinner in the warm bathtub is not unheard of, LOL.

School is under way, panic attacks and revelations all happening right on cue. Planning research projects, writing papers, increasing hours at the library all mark mid-semester. I'd like to take a few days off from work next month and go a little nuts on schoolwork. Focused time is precious!
Doing my own research study on weight gain, apparently, ha ha. It's titled 'How eating a lot severely alters which clothes fit'...


Spent last Friday and Saturday in a lifespan class, then had a celebration lunch on Saturday with my sister and brother in law, their two little ones, and my college roommate, her husband, and their 1 1/2 children...the '1/2' due March 6th. We went for Indian, indulging in our love for the cuisine and hoping the spice might kick my friend into labor...nothing yet :)

My lovely boyfriend and I celebrated Valentine's with roses, chocolate (for him), some music, and the Indian lunch. I'm very lucky to have him in my life and love him more and more each day; he's an amazing caregiver and takes better care of me than I do!
Yesterday he even took my kitty to the vet in the snowstorm for her annual exam, and then back at my place he set up my coffee pot so it was all ready for me this morning! It's the little things...I know.

Oh and I'm not even mentioning the Olympics! I'm relatively addicted and want to watch as much as possible. Last night I watched Lindsey Jacobellis disqualify, bummer! Men's figure skating, wow those are some flashy costumes! I'm amazed by these athletes, and also by their humanness, which I appreciate, given the level at which they perform. It reminds me of the value of imperfectionism as well as the difficulty of what they're doing (and how easy they make it look, overall!)

I'm an Olympic procrastinator, so I better get going on my tasks for the day.
Have a lovely one!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Food, Inc

Spring Semester has begun, and I'm feeling more calm this time around. I think I actually have more work than last semester, if that's possible, but either it hasn't hit me yet or I'm pretty confident that hey...it'll all get done. Always does!

My pre-clinical training class is really fun/interesting. We're taught exactly how a session goes and exactly...what to say, really. A beginning therapist's dream :)

Another class, Substance Abuse, seems chock full of projects/papers/books. I'm reading Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp and I totally recommend it. We were also asked to give something up that we do/enjoy every day, for ten weeks. I gave up chocolate, and instantly regretted it, ha! Maybe when the 10 weeks is done, I won't even want it anymore. I'll...keep you posted. Or, you'll hear that I've run off to be the editor at Chocolatier Magazine and am in full swing training my chocolate lab while learning the art of fondue.

Have brought my yoga practice out of the studio and into my living room, due to class costs and time restraints! Enjoying some David Life and Sharon Gannon DVD's as well as an Ashtange Primary Series on YouTube and a mix of a couple other ones. I want to develop my second bedroom into more of a yoga space...any ideas?

I got into a bit of a Netflix/iTunes movie groove this past weekend with Bob, and we watched Ashtanga, NY (with Pattabhi Jois!) and Food, Inc. OhhhhhmyGod. Please, please watch it. And please, please do what you can to stop factory farming by supporting your local farms and organic fare.
A common misconception is that if you support organic foods, you have to eat ONLY organic. That isn't true! There are certain animal products (meat, milk, eggs) and fruits/vegetables (pears, strawberries, grapes, bell peppers, spinach, potatoes) to name a few that are Must-Buy organic, but there are also lists of the same types of things that DON'T have to be organic. So, learn what's safe and supportive and go from there. You can find so much information online; it's easy, you have no excuse!
Awareness is the answer!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Progress, not perfection!

Wow.
I really need to start playing nice.
Lately I've been playing this game called eat-bad-food-get-really-stressed-yell-at-your-boyfriend.
Trust me, it's not a game you can win, so you may as well put it back in the box and send it back to the factory for an overhaul.

I know that I'm anxious about upcoming changes this year, and that finances really can hit me over the head and cause a bit of confusion and upset, but come ON now. Enough is enough and I'm making everyone around me probably want to run screaming.

Sooooooooo I'm trying to get out of this funk. Think of others, meditate, laugh at the little things and not take life so seriously.

This week: School starts Wednesday night! Saturday, Bob and I head to the city for a chant and meditation workshop. After that is a vegetarian dinner and Sunday morning, a free yoga class back in town. I'm excited for the block of serenity we've marked on our calendars and just hope my stinking thinking doesn't get in the way!

Tonight I had a peanut butter and fluff sandwich though, that was fun. And I got my haircut, which it needed. And I have the sweetest boyfriend in the world.

Just thought I should check in and remind myself (and you while I'm at it!) that there is so much to be grateful for and we're all here, together, one day at a time.
xoxo

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Julie/Julia

Oh Julie/Julia. What a fantastic movie. The preview a few months back got me interested in the book. Reading the book got me interested in finally watching the movie. I do have a rule...if a movie and a book exist, and I'm excited about both, I always feel just a tiny bit better reading the book first. I know that seeing the movie first will mean that...I never get around to reading the book.
Boo.

Someday I'd love to be inspired to take on a project the way Julie Powell did. A commitment, an adventure! I could say that my grad school adventure is a project and a commitment, but it's a bit different.

It doesn't involve Beef Bourguignon!

Why hello again!

Jeez. I guess it's been a long time. I couldn't remember my log in information!

I have been having an excellent month off from school. However, in one week, it all starts up again! I'm actually rather excited and will be picking up my textbooks today at lunch.

What have I done over the past month?

Had a merry Christmas
Had a lovely New Years weekend in Vermont
Yoga Yoga Yoga
I will be visiting my friend this weekend who lives in Keene, NH, but we're meeting 'halfway' in Northhampton for a little shopping and yoga.

Oh boy....work is picking up! Better tend to the email that just popped into my Inbox.

Just wanted to say that I'm thinking of my stepbrother who lost his stepsister about ten days ago to an apartment fire. I'm also thinking of my uncle who is in the hospital after a ruptured appendix and complications from that. I am also thinking of my cousin who is now home with her newest daughter after an early delivery and some time in the NICU for Lilly.

Have a great day everyone, take it easy :)