As I see it........

Some thangs...

2012-02-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

Been taking more photos lately...documenting everyday life. Its the details...that we live in. Those are the moments I like to capture. I don't care much for posed pictures. I like sneak peeks of everyday life...people's belongings, people doing stuff they usually do.

I want to take more photos in 2012.

Me and D waiting for the bus..He took this one..

Just a little coconut pumpkin bread I whipped up

Still life at Faye's

Smoking spot...

Fear

2012-01-30T16:51:00.000-08:00

"Fear is the root of many criminal acts. Criminals often feel they are not in control of their lives. Many crimes are committed by someone trying to satisfy an ego by feeling powerful and in control."

~Mark Anthony~
Never Letting Go

I always see hearts

2012-01-23T18:40:00.001-08:00

These were in the parking lot of my apartment....

Adoption & Abandonment Issues

2012-01-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

Adoption I was to learn although not immediately, is hard to get right. As a concept, even what was then its most widely approved narative carried bad news: if someone "chose" you, what does that tell you? Doesn't it tell you that you were available to be "chosen"? Doesn't it tell you, in the end, that there are only two people in the world, the one who chose you? And the other who didn't? Are we beginning to see how the word abandonment might enter the picture? Might we not make efforts to avoid such abandonment? Might not such efforts be characterized as "frantic"?

~Joan Didion~
Blue Nights

Books I've read in 2012

2012-01-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

New Year, New list of books I've read:

1. Blue Nights
2. Lost and Found
3. Never Letting Go

I miss my Gavin...

2011-11-16T18:40:00.000-08:00

"I close my eyes and imagine I'm home...I miss the days when life was simple..."

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T15:32:00.000-07:00

We went to our town's Zombie Walk...here are the photos....

You can choose to make everything new

2011-10-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.

~Unknown~

Revenge

2011-10-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

Marriage

2011-09-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Perez Hilton's facebook. Love it!

OMG!

2011-09-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

This video is amazing. I've watched it like 4 times. It's made national news. It happened up the street from where I work.

Crowd lifts burning car, pulls injured motorcyclist from underneath - The Herald Journal

War toys

2011-09-08T01:31:00.000-07:00

This picture makes me laugh because when my son was a toddler I really didn't want him to have fake guns or toy guns. I called them "war toys". Then he used his own imagination and his legos became guns and sticks were guns. He totally won. After that I loosened up on the toy gun thing.

Wow!

2011-09-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

I love this! I saw it here.....

Cathy Louise Johnston Panther

2011-08-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

On August 25th, the woman who gave birth to me passed away. She was unable to fulfill her role as a mother to me, but I met her later, in my 20's. I suspect she had a very difficult life. I feel relief that her journey on earth is done, and she is free.

Cathy Panther

~ 1949-2011 ~

LYRICS:

When I go don't cry for me In my Father's arms I'll be
The wounds this world left on my soul will all be healed and I'll be whole

Sun and moon will be replaced with the light of Jesus' face
And I will not be ashamed for my Savior knows my name

It don't matter where you bury me I'll be home and I'll be free
It don't matter where I lay all my tears be washed away

Gold and silver blind the eye temporary riches lie
Come and eat from Heaven's store come and drink and thirst no more

So weep not for me, my friend when my time below does end
For my life belongs to Him ,who will raise the dead again

It don't matter where you bury me iIll be home and I'll be free
It don't matter where I lay All my tears be washed away

Jay Z + Kanye

2011-08-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

This song is hawt!!!!!!!!!!!!

BIC Win

2011-08-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

Bic had a facebook promotion where I won all this. It was fun to receive in the mail. Facebook is a good place to win sweepstakes.

Clams Casino

2011-08-03T23:49:00.000-07:00

This guuuuuuuuuy! I like his beats!

Sad...

2011-07-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse

1983-2011

Rainbow Stacked Salad

2011-07-18T00:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 (10-ounce) package ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
1 head romaine or iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 (12-ounce) package frozen corn, thawed
6 to 8 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 (16-ounce) packages frozen fully cooked chicken breast strips, thawed
1 (12-ounce) package frozen peas, thawed
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, chives, and ranch seasoning; mix well, cover, and refrigerate.

In a large glass bowl, layer half the lettuce then all the corn, tomatoes, chicken, peas, and remaining lettuce. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Toss with dressing just before serving.

Found this recipe at mrfood.com

Chris Cornell covers Billie Jean

2011-07-14T01:35:00.000-07:00

Chris Cornell singing Billie Jean? Yes Lord, Yes!

Cindy's Jalapeno Potato Salad

2011-07-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients(my adaptations are in red)

5 lbs potatoes, peeled, cubed, and boiled
8 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
8 ribs celery, diced (cut off all white parts of the stock)
10 green onion stems chopped (I used half a red onion)
1 large yellow onion diced
3-4 Cups "good quality" mayonnaise (And, I'm thinking, Best Foods! Is there really any other Mayo?)
1/2 Cup pickled jalapenos, chopped
2 TBSP juice from jalapenos
1/4 Cup parsley chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP salt

In a large bowl combine potatoes, eggs, celery, onions. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients; add to potatoes. Mix well and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Makes 12 servings

Natalia Stegall
Rexburg, Idaho

Alexa Goddard

2011-07-11T23:51:00.000-07:00

I really like this girls voice. She's cute too. Here, she covers Adele.

You Don't Know Jack

2011-07-09T00:35:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, this is a must see. Al Pacino as Jack Kevorkian?

You don't know Jack

Alex Pelzer "Man Down"

2011-07-06T01:34:00.000-07:00

Oh my! This boy has a very lovely voice. Listen!!!!!!! He's covering one of my current favorite songs, Man Down, by Rihanna..

\

See more Alex Pelzer here!

High Power - Kendrick Lamar

2011-06-27T23:42:00.000-07:00

Ohmigooooooooodness. How come I never heard of Kendrick Lamar before? I was researching another artist - and ran into this guy on youtube........LOVE IT! I guess I've always loved the West Coast rappers...

(warning: has offensive language)

Owning things

2011-06-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

I like Leo Babauta's take on owning things and possessions. It mirrors how I feel about the subject. Read the article below, and visit his blog zenhabits.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Simple Strategy for Simplifying

‘It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly.’ ~Bertrand Russell

Post written by Leo Babauta.

What do you do if you can’t let go of something you own?
How do you deal with the “just in case” syndrome, or the “it has meaning” syndrome?
There’s no easy answer for letting go of the emotional attachments we put into our objects, nor for letting go of the fear of what we might need in the future. But for me, the answer has been to change how I look at ownership.

Ownership, for me, is more fluid and less concrete.
We don’t own something for life — that’s wasteful, because most of our lives we don’t need or use something. We “own” something just for as long as we need it, and then pass it on.
Think of ownership like a public library — we check things out when we need them, and then return them when we’re done, so that others can use them. If we ever need something again, we can always check it out again.
In practice, for me, this has meant passing books and clothes and other things on to friends and relatives when I don’t need them. It means giving things away to Goodwill and other charities. It means getting things from Goodwill, used book stores, thrift shops, Craigslist, Freecycle, friends and family. And yes, sometimes buying things that I owned years before.
This means sometimes spending a little more, but it also means I’m giving away a lot of value, and others benefit from things I think are great. It means things pass through my life, into the lives of others, and I don’t try to hold onto anything. It means no object holds much emotional meaning for me, and so the meaning is instead put into experiences, relationships, conversations, the moment.

Some examples from a reader who is moving and has trouble parting with some possessions:

1. The baby’s things. She (the reader) says, “We don’t know if we want to have another baby in a few years. It’s hard to look at all of our daughter’s outgrown clothes and toys and items and think of selling them/giving them away when there is a chance we might have another baby. Seems wasteful. But then again, it seems stupid to ship a whole huge hoard of stuff simply to safeguard ‘in case’, when the reality is we may go through all that effort and never have another anyway.”
Just In Case is the reason we hold onto a lot of things. The vast majority of the time, we don’t need them. But we’re afraid we might, so we hoard. It wards off insecurities about the future. I beat this by actual facts: I let go and see what happens, and in the six years I’ve been trying this, I’ve never regretted it once. Experience trumps fear.
If you need something, you can get it again. If you aren’t using something, let someone else use it who might need it. And you’ll save yourself a lot of expenses: moving the stuff, storing it, caring for it, mentally remembering everything you have, fixing things that get broken, cleaning things, stressing over how many things you have.

2. My books. She says, “I have an ereader now, and that will be a godsend down south. But I also have a bunch of nice books here, that I’d hate to part with. I have already paired my collection down to: only the novels that I plan to read again multiple times + reference type books + cookbooks. This still makes for a huge pile, and my mum pointed out that most of them will probably mould in the humidity anyway. Do I just leave them all here and replace them in eformat when/if I feel like reading them? Seems like more money down the drain.”
Yes, give them to someone who would like them. You’ve read them, and you won’t read them again (at least for awhile). If you need the info, it’s probably online. If not, you can borrow the book from a library, or find it used online, or swap with someone online. It’s not money down the drain if you enjoyed the books, and if you let someone else enjoy them.

3. Decorative things. She writes, “Picture frames, candle holders, woven baskets, all the little things that sneak up on you over the years… Seems silly to get rid of everything when we don’t know what we’ll need at the new place, and could end up buying some of it all again.”
I’ve found that only a few pictures is all I need for decorating. We used to have a lot of candle holders and other decorative things, but when we got rid of them, it was liberating. Our house became emptier, but I found that I actually liked the emptiness. It means we have space to fill it with conversation, laughter, play, and silence. Whereas when we fill our house with stuff, we are doing it to stave off the void, to avoid having to fill it with experiences and silence.
There is almost nothing in my life that’s irreplaceable, other than people. Sure, I love books, but there are so many others out there in the library and thrift shops and friends’ homes that I will never miss the ones I give away. Sure, I would miss photographs if I lost them, but I put them all online now anyway, and more importantly, my life isn’t in the photos but is happening now. Sure, I would need a laptop and a few clothes if my house burned down, but those things are easily replaceable.
I’d miss my blog if I lost it, but not because of the lost words … I’d miss the readers.
And in the end, you learn that the people and the moment are all that matter. Everything else comes and goes.

‘As long as our civilization is essentially one of property, of fences, of exclusiveness, it will be mocked by delusions.’ ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Chicken Wraps

2011-06-22T00:56:00.000-07:00

Green Goddess Chicken Wraps - Sunset Magazine

Ingredients

1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons roughly chopped chives
2 tablespoons roughly chopped tarragon
2 teaspoons capers (I don't like capers so I left them out)
1 anchovy fillet (I didn't have an anchovy so I used a few drops of fish sauce)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups shredded skinned rotisserie chicken (I used chicken breast lunch meat)
4 whole-wheat burrito-size tortillas (11 1/2 to 12 in. wide)
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
4 ounces thinly sliced mushrooms
4 thin slices muenster cheese, cut in half (I used havarti)
4 ounces baby spinach (I used romaine lettuce)

Preparation

1. Make dressing: In a food processor, whirl garlic until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, herbs, capers, anchovy, vinegar, mayonnaise, sour cream, and salt and whirl until well blended.
2. Make wraps: In a medium bowl, toss chicken with about 3/4 cup dressing until evenly coated. (I didn't do this since I used lunch meat)
3. Lay tortillas flat on a work surface. Arrange equal portions of chicken down the center of each. Evenly top chicken with bell pepper, mushrooms, cheese, and spinach, then drizzle 1 tbsp. more dressing over each wrap's filling (save the remaining dressing for another use). Fold tortillas over short sides of filling, then roll up, starting from long side of filling.

yes, please!

2011-06-19T02:11:00.000-07:00

I get to kiss this mouth whenever I want.......

Leann Rimes Amazing Grace

2011-06-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

A great rendition....

Lives falling apart

2011-06-13T02:19:00.000-07:00

"I now realize that lives fall apart when they need to be rebuilt. Lives fall apart when the foundation upon which they were built needs to be relaid. Lives fall apart, not because God is punishing us for what we have or have not done. Lives fall apart because they need to. They need to because they weren't built right in the first place. "

Iyanla Vanzant
Peace From Broken Pieces: How To Get Through What You Are Going Through

The Boss 41 Shots

2011-06-12T22:52:00.001-07:00

This song never fails to give me chills....

A few of my favorite things

2011-05-31T20:52:00.000-07:00

Things I love lately........

North Indian-Style Chicken

2011-05-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

North Indian-Style Spinach Chicken
(from Sunset Magazine - March 2010)

YIELD: Serves 4
PREP TIME: 35 MINUTES
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
2-in. piece fresh ginger
4 large garlic cloves
2 teaspoons each ground coriander and cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken thighs, cut into 1-in. chunks
1 cup diced canned tomatoes
1 pound baby spinach
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. In a 6- to 8-qt. pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add fenugreek seeds; sizzle 2 seconds, then stir in onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, mince ginger and garlic.
2. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, cayenne, coriander, cumin, and salt to pot; sizzle a few seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes, or until no longer pink on the outside. Add tomatoes and simmer, covered, 8 minutes.
3. Stir in spinach and simmer, covered, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, chop enough cilantro leaves and tender stems to yield 1 cup. Stir into pot, along with lemon juice. Serve with cooked rice.

Avon Bottles

2011-05-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

Got these bottles at an Estate type sale.......I love mermaids and seahorses. These were a steal, for 50 cents each!

Yard Sale Finds

2011-05-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Totally scored these chairs at the local food pantry's benefit sale....

$5 each = 3 awesome chairs for $15!!!!!!

When Things Fall Apart

2011-05-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

"Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen; room for grief, room for relief, for misery, for joy."

Pema Chodron
When Things Fall Apart

Intimacy with Fear

2011-05-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

"...The most heartbreaking thing of all is how we cheat ourselves of the present moment. Sometimes, however, we are cornered; everything falls apart, and we run out of options for escape. At times like that, the most profound spiritual truths seem pretty straight-forward and ordinary. There's no where to hide. We see it as we see anyone else - better than anyone else. Sooner or later, we understand that although we can't make fear look pretty, it will nevertheless introduce us to all the teaching we've ever heard or read...."

~Pema Chodron
When Things Fall Apart

In the Open Ellie Goulding

2011-05-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

Oh to be walking by as this took place in San Francisco.....

In the Open: Ellie Goulding - Guns and Horses from In the Open on Vimeo.

Thanks to Alexander Shahmiri for sharing this. Wow!

Untied

2011-05-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

"As a child I was held captive by feelings of fear, shame, anger, loneliness, and a profound sense of being unloved. I developed a belief system about myself based on these feelings that shaped and directed the trajectory of my entire life. I was defined by that thinking and undone by it. Every decision and relationship was governed by it. I decided I wanted to write about where the belief system sprang from, the choices I made because of it, and how slowly over time it is metamorphosing. For years, I saw myself as a victim; I wanted you to see me as a victim too, because if I were a victim, then I wasn't responsible was I? Learning to accept responsibility for myself and my choices has been a rough and often reluctant path to trudge but the rewards have been copious and surprising. Becoming healthier and more mature, I attract like people. I'm no longer looking for someone or something outside myself to make me okay; I'm discovering I'm just fine as I am. "

Meredith Baxter
Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame and Floundering

Take Risks!

2011-05-11T23:24:00.000-07:00

"There is no reward in tiptoeing through life only to make it safely to death."

~David duChemin
Vision Monger

Strawberry Cream Muffins

2011-05-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

I made these today:

Strawberries and Cream Muffins (Nigella Lawson)

1 cup strawberries, slightly under-ripe, diced into quarter-inch pieces
1 squeeze of lemon juice
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
1/3 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tbs powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or line a 24 cup mini-muffin pan, or 9 cups in a 12 cup regular muffin pan.

2. Put diced strawberries in a bowl, spritz lemon juice on them and stir gently to combine.

3. In a medium-size bowl, stir together flour, sugar and baking powder.

4. In a small bowl, beat together oil, sour cream, vanilla and egg. Pour mixture over dry ingredients, stirring to combine with a wooden spoon. Fold in strawberries.

5. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Place pan on a wire rack and leave for 5 minutes. Take out muffins and continue cooling on the wire rack. When muffins are completely cool, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.

PS22 Chorus

2011-05-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

OMG! Found this while searching for Adele videos on Youtube.

These public school kids can siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

On Grief.....

2011-05-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

"Yes it is a physical and emotional test of endurance....My only advice is to sleep all you can and eat when and if you can. Grief is exhausting and requires the strength of an Olympic athlete..."

~Barbara Ascher~
from letter written to Joyce Carol Oates when her husband died.

The Kids are Alright

2011-04-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

"the bottom line is marriage is hard. It’s really fuckin’ hard. Just two people slogging through the shit, year after year, getting older, changing. It's a fucking marathon, okay? So, sometimes, you know, you're together for so long, that you just... You stop seeing the other person. You just see weird projections of your own junk. Instead of talking to each other, you go off the rails and act grubby and make stupid choices..."

Julianne Moore
~The Kids are Alright~

The year of Magical Thinking

2011-04-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

"I learned from it many things I already knew, which at a certain point seemed to promise comfort, validation, an outside opinion that I was not imagining what appeared to be happening."

Joan Didion
The Year of Magical Thinking

Books I've read in 2011

2011-03-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

All Things Green

2011-03-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

I spy with my little eye.......

Repertory Dance Theater

2011-03-15T21:48:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to see the performance by the Repertory Dance Theater. I likened the show to some CDs you might buy these days. There are 3 good songs on the album, the rest you could do without. I LOVED act 2 and act 3. Act 3 was the Lady of the Lake, which was amazing to me. Catch a peek here:

H2O Sneak Peek- Lady of the Lake from RDT on Vimeo.

Balloon Wreath

2011-03-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a warm spring day. Went for a bike ride and saw this: Look closely - the wreath is made of uninflated balloons. So cute against the yellow door.

I heart you

2011-03-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

This was in a parking lot - it's snow and ice. I often find heart patterns in rocks and water.......

More things I love

2010-12-15T21:38:00.000-08:00

Octopus
Seahorse
Mermaids
Bicycles
Tommy Guns
Peacocks
Old School Boom Boxes
Tulle Skirts
Petticoats
Motorcycle boots
Grace
Vivaterra
Crate and Barrel
CB2
Freebies
Sweepstakes
Parties
Etsy
Fortune Cookie Fortunes
Logan Library
Facebook
Babies
My brother Andrew
Cupcakes
Headbands
My Husband
Double Cheeseburgers and fries from McDonalds
Photography
Blogs
Cardigans
Prayer
Summer
Bodies of Water
Gardens
Art
Little Black Dresses
Cooking
Sleeping
Making Love
Hair Straightners
Nail Polish
My Mom's cooking
Life's lessons
Enumeration
My best friend and sister, D*
Coupons
Squirt
Hot Tea
My new job
Snuggling
Challenging myself
New days = new starts
Forgiveness
Lil Wayne
Shontelle
Barcardi Rum + Coke
Liberals

Alcohol

2010-11-15T02:16:00.000-08:00

Alcohol was my shortcut to the stars, but there are no shortcuts, not without a price. The drink had salved, not solved the problems. It had blurred the lessons of a bad day.

Gail Caldwell
Lets Take the Long Way Home

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

2010-10-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

Made these in my kitchen last night. The cake pedastal? I got it for 50 cents at a garage sale.

Rachel Ray's Caramel Apple Cupcake Recipe

Mix Tape

2010-10-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

I hear a scruffy sloppy guitar boy trying to sing his life. I hear a teenage Jesus superstar on the radio with a song about a sunbeam, a song about a girl, flushed with the romance of punk rock. I hear the noise in his voice, and I hear a boy trying to scare the darkness away. I wish I could hear what happened next, but nothing did.

~Rob Sheffield~
Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss One Song at a Time

Some Girls

2010-09-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

"The truth was, I wondered. My family was my family, but still. Still I wondered if somewhere in my DNA I would find an explanation for my restlessness, if somewhere in my biology lay the arrow pointing me in the direction I was meant to go."

Jillian Lauren
Some Girls: My Life in a Harem

Anarchist Flyers

2010-06-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

As I was bicycling to work today, there were hand-written fliers on nearly every telephone pole and sign pole along my route. I figured they were just yard sale signs. A man from the City was removing them. Immediately, I thought him a bully! Yes, he was just doing his job but whats the big deal - I wondered, is the City really using man-power to remove yard sale signs? Upon closer inspection it appeared that some kind of crusade happened in the night. Almost every flier had a different quote! Below are 3 fliers I snagged before they all got taken down.... (on the 3rd flyer, notice they spelled perfect with a purr...cat lovers, one can assume?) I like that they quoted Lincoln and Payne. I enjoy the spirit of activism!

Dad

2010-06-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day!
My dad has been deceased for 14 years. At my wedding 4 yrs ago, I attached a photo of him to my bouquet and he walked with me down the aisle. I miss him......

Basement Ladies

2010-05-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

These girls live in the basement of a local store. They are so colorful!

Easter Sunday in Idaho

2010-04-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

My mom has a little farm out in Idaho. Here is my brother feeding the animals. We spent Easter Sunday there! It's so country, I love it!

Stripes

2010-02-24T15:41:00.000-08:00

Mony Ty

2010-01-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

His ads in the Salt Lake City Weekly are always amusing. This is yet, by far his funniest....

Books I've read in 2010

2010-01-14T14:34:00.001-08:00

Impossible Motherhood: a testimony of an abortion addict

2010-01-09T11:46:00.000-08:00

"Self-mutilation, an inability to self-protect, is a common response to abandonment."

"There are many theories for self injury as there are trauma survivors - escaping feelings of emptiness, easing tension, expressing pain, punishing the body as a way of expressing responsibility for the abuse, providing a sense of control and mastery. My repetition compulsion was based on impulsive acts to ward off experiencing aloneness and badness. Dissociation was an opportunity for magical thinking, a sense of mastery to overcome powerlessness, hopelessness and learned helplessness. "

Irene Vilar
Impossible Motherhood: a testimony of an abortion addict

Things I'm thankful for

2009-11-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

Being best friends with my sister
Libraries
Cell Phones/Texting
Cute Babies
Eyesight
Coupons
Canon cameras
Dentists
Hope
Microwaves
Aspirin
Estee Lauder Equalizer Foundation
CVTD
My health
Caffeine
Imogen Heap
My Husband
Miller - the champagne of beers
Ariel Gore
Dawn Markova
Sabrina Ward Harrison
SARK
Having an old friend cutting your hair and being GOOD at it.
Mommy Bloggers
Warm hats knitted with love by friends
Newspaper delivery
Ice Cream

The Addict

2009-10-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

"I am a great protector of sad memories, and I carry my own, which I visit regularly. I am a champion of sorrowful moments. I believe that properly examined, opened up and touched, they bring not only a private peace, but also protection, a kind of melancholy good luck."

~Michael Stein~
from his book, The Addict

Beautiful Life.......

2009-05-12T19:10:00.001-07:00

I am loving Una Bella Vita right now. I love the photos. I love the song that plays. I love the quotes. It inspires me! It's a comfort, as well.

Passion

2009-04-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

"Another Venetian told me people work day and night. Day is when they make their paycheck; by night they work their passion. There is a dedication to something significant and grander than themselves and in that lives a genuineness."
~Lisa Occhipinti

Mirikitani

2009-04-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

Found The Cats of Mirikitani at our local library. What an amazing documentary. What an amazing story! You will fall in love with this man, and his story. I promise you.

Meringue

2009-04-01T16:26:00.001-07:00

Making Pies with my husband...............

His Pie (look at those gorgeous peaks)

My Pie - flat! I am so embarrassed! I was mad that he was better at this than me...

Books Read in 2009

2009-01-25T16:23:00.000-08:00

1. The Sky isn't Visible from here

2. Life is a Verb

3. Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life

4. No Angel

5. Self Made Man

6. Parenting Beyond Belief

7. Voluntary Madness

8. The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them.

9.Women on Divorce: A Bedside Companion

10. Trust Your Vibes

11. To Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate, What Our Lists Reveal About Us

12. When the Heart Waits

13. Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control : A Love-Based Approach to Helping Children with Severe Behaviors

14. Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen

15. Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts to Unleash Your Inner Eccentric

16. How to Be an Explorer of the World: Portable Life Museum

17. Listening Below the Noise

18.No Matter What!: 9 Steps to Living the Life you Love

19. Pretty in Plaid

20. Bitter is the New Black

21. Create the Space You Deserve

22. The First 30 Days

23. The Answer is Simple: Love Yourself, Live Your Spirit

24. My Big Book of Healing: Restore your Body, Renew Your Mind, and Heal Your Soul

25. The Addict: One Patient, One Doctor, One Year

26. The Water Giver: A Story of a Mother, a Son and Their Second Chance

27. Hell is Other Parents: And Other Tales of Maternal Combustion

28. Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping

29. I Will Not Die an Unlived Life

30. Wide Open on Living with Passion and Purpose

31. Whatever, Mom: Hip Mama's guide to Raising a Teenager

32. Uncommon Sense For Parents with Teenagers

33. Raising Blaze

34. Impossible Motherhood: Tales of an Abortion Addict

35. Crazy Love

36. You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas

NY Food Poisoning

2009-01-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

So, we at at a Halaal food stand which is on every freaking corner. This particular one was on the corner where the FAO Schwartz was. The food looks yummy right? WRONG. Damion loved his Sausage Brat thing, my chicken? Not all the way cooked. My stomach flip-flops just thinking of it. Eww. I barfed on the plane ride home. I blame the chicken. Do not eat meat at any of those corners in NY. Damion was fine though.

And this picture? Obama fries. It made me giggle. I would trust Obama Fries and/or the ice cream.

FAO Schwartz at Christmas time

2009-01-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

I had to see the big piano.

Here's a big Santa
And a big soldier made out of Jelly Beans. What a fun store.

Interesting sights in NY

2009-01-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

There were amazing window displays such as this one with the polar bears. The area with all the fancy-pants stores had really super cool displays.

These little cakes were big in the Asian Bakeries.

I thought Gavin would have loved this superhero thing

I know! What in the hell is this store? Bamn? They have instant food in little lockers that you pay to get out. It looked gross to me, but such a store exists. You are the cashier. I'm guessing someone has to be behind the machines putting more gross lamp-heated food in there. We passed on this experience.

Some guy had his girlfriend take his picture in front of this sign. He probably thought it made him look macho. Playboy has a NY office. Who knew.

This is in Times Square. Everything was oversized and lit up!

Storefronts in NY

2009-01-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

There is no Gucci I can buy
There is no Louis Vuitton to put on
There is no YSL that they could sell
To get my heart out of this hell
And my mind out of this jail
There is no clothes that I could buy
That could turn back the time
There is no vacation spot I could fly
That could bring back a piece of real life
Real life, what does it feel like?
I ask you tonight, I ask you tonight
What does it feel like, I ask you tonight
To live a real life

"Pinnochio's Story" Kanye West

Stage Deli, Magnolia Bakery NYC

2009-01-03T15:57:00.003-08:00

We had super huge sandwiches at Stage Deli and later we had yummy cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery...

Sushi in NY

2008-12-31T14:41:00.000-08:00

We ate dinner at Takahachi on Avenue A. (This was a recommendation from Smosch's NY guide!)

EVEN THE BATHROOMS ARE TAGGED IN NYC!!!!!!!!!!!!

NYC ART

2008-12-30T16:30:00.000-08:00

While we were in NY we did not go to any art museums. Maybe if we had more time. But the idea actually seemed suffocating to me. We saw so much stuff just on the streets....

Pizza and Bryant Park

2008-12-29T15:32:00.001-08:00

Southern Pacific

2008-12-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

My Dad worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad for over 30 years before he died in 1996. The railroad has always had a sort of symbolism for our family. In Memory of my dad, my sister made this wreath for my mom - it's so cute.

Halloween-er

2008-11-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

Gavin's costume this year

Gavins costume last year:

'Round Here.........

2008-10-12T14:59:00.001-07:00

NO MORE

2008-07-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

Making signs for the Peace Vigil in Downtown Logan. Gavin made his own sandwich- board-sign to wear while riding his bike.

Utah Phillips

2008-05-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

Utah Phillips passed away recently. Good article about him by Ken Sanders in the City Weekly. Aw, RIP DUDE...

Old Grave on Mother's day

2008-05-12T19:11:00.001-07:00

Found this grave in the cemetary up on Utah State University. I noticed that this woman was born in 1872, yet still around mothers day, someone remembers Mary. Cool old grave.

52 books 2008

2008-04-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to track the books I've read, and to hopefully read a book a week, I am counting the books I've read in 2008

UPDATE!! I've read 52.....whoo!

1. The Sexual life of Catherine M.

2. Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx

3. God Said Yes

4. Lessons in Taxidermy

5. Love and Consequences (Note)

6. The Devil in the Kitchen: Sex, Pain, Madness and the Making of a Great Chef

7. The sharper your knife the less you cry: Love, Laughter and Tears in the World's Most Famous Cooking School.

8. The Other Woman

9. The Bitch in the House

10. The Freedom Manifesto:

11. Beautiful Boy

12. HACK: How I stopped worrying about what to do with my life and started driving a yellow cab

13. Her Last Death: A Memoir

14. Gang Leader for a Day

15. America, Unzipped: In Search of Sex and Satisfaction

16. Eat, Pray, Love

17. The Amateur Gourmet

18. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

19. Dough

20. IF I did it

21. Cool Gardens

22. Verses

23. Heroin Diaries

24. What Would You Do If You Had No Fear

25. Trail of Crumbs

26. This Common Secret: My Journey As An Abortion Doctor

27. Anna's Story: A Journey of Hope

28. If I am Missing or Dead

29. The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures

30. Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines

31. Schuyler's Monster

32. Breeder: Real Life Stories From the New Generation of Mothers

33. Fabulous Friendship Festival

34. Rockabye: From Wild to Child

35. The Glass Castle

36. Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father

37. Candy Girl

38. Dry

39. Comfort: A Journey Through Grief

40. Girl Bomb

41. More, Now, Again

42. Have You Found Her?

43. Possible Side Effects

44. Running With Scissors

45. Snuff

46. How to Make a Journal of Your Life

47. Life with My Sister Madonna

48. I'd Rather Laugh

49. Garage Sale America

50. Everybody Into the Pool

51. Helping Me Help Myself

52. Waiter Rant

NYE in Logan

2008-04-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

I stole this picture from B! It's me and Lindee on NYE.

Tree art

2008-04-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

Quite a few years ago, traveling down 200 North and going towards 6th West I would pass this tree, and wonder who painted this trunk. So whimsical. So spring-like. I love faries. I don't think the painting is there any more.

Up in Smoke

2008-03-22T16:15:00.001-07:00

A picture taken several years ago, of Juan....

Altered Books

2008-02-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

I do this thing. I learned about this art form from Marlena, a young art teacher in SLC - she is a goddess among women... These are a few of my altered book pages that I've produced:

Activism

Humanity

Laura Love at Farm Folk Fest - Tremonton

Dad

Kevin

Marriage

Anger

Insomnia

Jesus

Mer

Amy Ray - SLC

Victor

2008-01-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

Victor - Logan Canyon

Richie

2007-11-24T11:38:00.001-08:00

Oh, my Richie, he asked me to do College Graduation photos. Isn't he cute? He has such good teeth. This was one of my favorites.

Love and Marriage

2007-11-12T11:45:00.001-08:00

Paul

2007-11-10T09:17:00.001-08:00

Beautiful people are so easy to photograph. I took this picture of Paul at an old abandoned house in Richmond Utah......

Thigh

2007-11-09T12:10:00.001-08:00

Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautifuls souls, and interesting people. Forget yourself!
Henry Miller

Labryinth

2007-11-06T12:38:00.001-08:00

Nancy and Kyle at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Logan, UT

Smoking Maid of Honor

2007-11-05T14:12:00.001-08:00

The work of art which I do not make, none other will ever make it.
~Simone Weil~