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Thursday, June 30, 2005

Carrots and sugar-snap peas…

Ah the joys of summer. Time for shorts and spaghetti-strapped dresses and bathing suits and cute sandals.

Unless you are me…then its cropped pants, short-sleeved shirts, one-piece bathing suits AND board shorts, and…well..I ALWAYS participate in cute sandals. Its my one allowable summer “bare.” Besides, I LOVE having my nails done up pretty and who wants to hide those in closed-toe shoes?

WHY do I wear so much more clothing? Is it because I’m in Alaska? Is it because I’m cold-blooded? Have poor circulation? NO NO NO NO NO

It is because I REFUSE to be a woman who has all her junk out in plain sight for the world to see! And currently, I have TONS of junk!

But I LIKE shorts! And I LIKE little tops!!! And I LIKE bathing suits!

So…I’m DOING THE WORK. UGH! Just for the record, I hate doing the work!

Yes, exercising every day…somedays TWICE a day. I’m desperate! I’m eating 6 meals a day. (it’s the right way to eat you know! 6 small meals of primarily protein and veggies). I’m drinking gallons and gallons of water. Its just stinking time, ya know?

Not that I’m a bad eater…I’m not really. I don’t really eat a lot of junk…but I like bready things and could eat just bread for a meal if I let myself. Still, there are not nearly enough veggies and fruits and hard proteins in my diet. Too many bread-based carbs…oh, Cranberry Scones, HOW I MISS YOU! While I love carrots and sugar-snap peas, they just are not a replacement for chips and salsa!!! Still, they ARE pretty good…yea, I know, mom, they have lots of sugar….but lots of fiber too…I’m CLINGING to that right now!!!

I used to be a gym junkie…my husband LOVED me for it. Unfortunately, being a gym junkie was what I have fondly referred to as my “anger management program.” It worked wonders for keeping my urge to kill a certain male who had recently vacated my life to a manageable minimum. I’m sure you can relate in some way…

But when I met Scott, I got HAPPY! Who needs anger management when you are HAPPY? Not me!!! Daily gym visits turned into every other day, then once a week and then…well…never. All of my previous attempts to jump start my gym-i-ness have failed miserably.

But, oh, how I pine for my little size 6 body, tanned and lean and muscular. And FINALLY, the longing has outweighed my couch-potatoe-ness…so, I’m off and running…er…walking…and doing core training to get back on track.

Sadly, I’m not sure that there is still a size 6 body IN here anywhere, but I’m going to try to find her larger sister - the size 8 body. Hopefully I can find her before she suffocates!!

Hang on, baby! I’m coming!!!

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Revolutionary Honesty

Saw this on a bumper sticker....Its awesome.



"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

- George Orwell -

Challenges...

SIGH!!!

Today has already been quite a challenge, even though its only 10 am.

I awoke with an enormous headache. Last night was a tough night in our house for some reason…the dog was restless, the house was hot…I knocked something very noisy off my nightstand…up and down and up and down and up and down…the kind of night that makes your body scream in protest when the alarm goes off in the morning.

I am so glad I LIKE coffee!

When I got to work, my phone was ringing off the hook…we lost a server sometime early this morning…I’ve been tempted for an hour to answer my phone “Grand Central Station.” TEE HEE! That makes me giggle!

I so love being the point of contact when something major goes on with systems! Its excellent PR experience. Praise God that He gave me a soothing phone voice!!!

Hopefully, I can apply my problem solving, communication, and patience skills acquired during my time at this company to my child rearing some day…I think these skills will come in VERY handy!

Ter – if you are reading this…I MISS YOU!!! I know this wouldn’t have happened if you were here! And I know I would have had somebody to vent at if it DID happen while you were here!!!

I am fed up with my body today. I’ve been scheming and dreaming and envisioning and planning to get a body like Shakira’s body…is that asking too much? She belly-dances…that might be a fun way to get in shape! I should look into that!

For now, my plan is walking and core training routines…anything is better than nothing, right?

Alright, I’m off!

I hear my phone ringing!!! Lol

Here is my scripture for today(thanks to my girl Sareta!):

2 Cor. 4:8, 16-18
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away(outwardly everything may be going wrong),yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Once upon a time…

Before I sang with the music ministry, I wanted to be a rock star…

Rehearsal

I have proof…

Galaxy 2

There are lots of pics…

Crossroads

When I look at these, I almost can’t believe its me…

I played with these incredible musicians…James on guitar, Kevin on bass (and Mark on drums…you can’t really see him…)

Galaxy 1

We recorded a great project…

Recording at Headway

At the Headway Complex …with Michael Mikulka (a gold record winner) and mastered by the famous John Vestman (a Grammy winner)…

The board at Headway

We even did a stadium show….

Storm Stadium

There were lots of original songs

There are performance videos

And this is only ONE of the bands I was in…

Coach House

:::giggle:::

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Countdown...

I was blog-hopping the other day and I found this on a number of other sites….

Ten things I do everyday:

1. Pray
2. Love on my husband
3. Drink coffee
4. Check e-mail
5. Floss my teeth
6. Snuggle my Pomeranian– Hunny
7. Read the Bible
8. Commute in California traffic
9. Read blogs
10. Check the weather report

Nine favorite shows of all time:

1. I Love Lucy
2. CSI
3. Emeril Live
4. Stargate
5. Battlestar Gallactica (old AND new)
6. Numbers
7. American Chopper
8. Alias (season one!)
9. Twilight Zone

Eight junk food favorites:

1. Triple Caramel Lattes
2. French Fries with Ranch dressing
3. Chicken Tenders
4. M&M’s
5. Cranberry Scones
6. Butterscotch See’s Lollipops
7. Jellie Bellies
8. Nachos

Seven things that bug me:

1. Rude people
2. Gossips
3. Poverty
4. Movie-star justice
5. Disorganization and clutter
6. Cigarettes
7. Drunks

Six songs I love this minute:

1. I Can’t Do This by Plumb
2. I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me
3. Invincible by Antigone Rising
4. Arms of a Woman by Amos Lee
5. Paperbag by Anna Nalick
6. I Am An Illusion by Rob Thomas

Five things I want:

1. A craftsman or mission style home in Redlands (comfortably furnished, of course!)
2. A healthy baby
3. My own creatively-based business
4. My scraproom re-designed and re-styled
5. A helps ministry

Four facts about me:

1. I get totally grossed out by rough, calloused feet (You know who you are!! GET A PUMICE!)
2. I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up.
3. I have a fascination with Egyptian history
4. I suffer from stress-related Migraine

Three wishes:

1. Salvation of my entire family
2. To visit Egypt and China one day
3. To endow an arts-based scholarship

Two people I wish I could see again:

1. My Grandmother
2. My friend Barbara, who had breast cancer

One thing I’m looking forward to:

Sitting at the feet of Jesus

Friday, June 10, 2005

The power of ONE…

Ali and Cathy both have one.org on their blogs. I was inpired…

I’m not really about the band-wagon in terms of One.org. It’s a good thing, a good organization with unlimited potential to do exactly what it says it will do. And the petition isn’t about your money.

But just in case you decide that One.org is NOT what you are going to do, I am going to issue a challenge…

What ARE you going to do?

Once upon a time, I attended a sales presentation on the power of one – what kind of difference does one more sale make, one more dollar, and so on and so forth.

Imagine a church where each of the 4 services are attended by 2500 people. If, at each service, each person reaches into their pocket and drops one dollar into the offering plate, the church will have an offering gained $10,000 EACH WEEK. The individual impact is minimal, but the overall effect is stunning. YOU have the power to change things.

I heard a story about a man who had $100 a week job. He fully believes in the power of the Tithe. (If you want to know more about this, please e-mail me. I’d be happy to give you some info.) He felt the work the church was doing was good and he felt blessed that he had a $100 a week job. He wanted to share his blessings and be in agreement with God. He brought $10 a week to the church offering.

So, I ask you, if a man who works part time and earns minimum wage, who earns $100 a week, can find a way to share is blessings, why can’t you?

Do you have a closet full of clothes that you do not wear? Take them to a shelter.

Do you have cans of food in your pantry that are “just in case” supplies? Take them to a food bank.

Do you have dollar in your pocket? Give it to the man who sleeps with his basket in the park every night.

Do you have a talent? Donate your time to the local Boys and Girls Club.

Can you walk? Walk for MS.

Are you cancer free? Race for the Cure.

Are you a healthy, red-blooded American? Give some of your red American Blood the local Blood Bank.

You sense the theme.

You’ve heard of the Law of Returns, right? The Law of Reciprocity? You reap what you sow. What goes around comes around. You get what you give.

Americans live in the most blessed country in the world, but we are too intent as a nation on KEEPING those blessings. I heard a pastor from outside the US speak once about how American’s boggle his mind. He said there is no where else in the world that people pay for space in an extra building to store things that they cannot currently use. It blew him away to see mini-storage facilities and know that people have accumulated so much stuff that they store the things they don’t want or cannot use somewhere other than their home and pay huge amounts of money to do so. That clicks.

The reality of the world gets lost somewhere in translation…what you KEEP is not blessed, its what you GIVE that is blessed. Its an economy that doesn’t seem to make sense while we are scrimping and saving and toiling away for a summer home, or second car, or extra bedroom, or meat for the table.

And what we fail to realize is that there are so many with no home, no car, no bedroom, no table, no meat.

What if they don’t use my money wisely, you ask? Well, I’m all for fiscal responsibility, but lets get real. WHO CARES if they are fiscally responsible with the money you GIVE them? It’s a gift right? They can use in the way they think is best, right?

Well, they got themselves where they are, you say. Yup. Maybe. Does that mean you are any less responsible to give a hand up? WHO CARES if they made some bad choices? How many of your choices would have been bad but for the miracle of circumstance? And who will you look to, what will you expect from others, if you ever find yourself in the same position?

Why should I give something to somebody who doesn’t earn it, you ask? Oh, I don’t know. Ask your parents why they bothered to feed you regularly long before you could earn it. Ask yourself why you purchase toys, books, food and clothing for your own children…do they have the power to earn it? Or do you just love them? Its about love, right?

Your heart is where you put your money and your time. Go through your check-book. Where do you spend your money? Look at your calendar. Where do you spend your time? How much of it is for you and yours? How much of it is for a helpless stranger? How much of it is because you love yourself? How much because you love someone else?

The point here is that we all have something to give. The tipping point is the condition of your heart.

With all your blessings, is your heart willing?

Thursday, June 09, 2005

Super inspiring…

Today, I wanted to post something super inspiring and uplifting or funny and witty or deep and thought provoking….

Alas, I’m getting NOTHING!

The tops of my feet hurt….from exercising…is that weird or what? I’ve never worked out in a way that made the tops of my feet hurt before. Its an odd sensation…Why in the world would the tops of your feet hurt?

I’m craving creative time today…the last few days have been kind of a whirlwind and I realized again this morning that its been days since I sat down at my scrap table and worked on something nourishing for my soul.

I was on Tina Barricale’s blog today and found her mention of the Lululemon manifesto. Its pretty cool…my favorites are:

Coke, Pepsi and all other pops will be known as the cigarettes of the future. Colas are NOT a substitute for water. Colas are just another cheap drug made to look great by advertising.

Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.

SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.

Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.


Since I’ve completely stopped drinking soda, I especially like the first one right now. I KNOW it’s a drug! I can tell by the way I feel without it!
I got to lead on one of the worship songs last night…it is always surprising to me to hear that chatter, chatter, chatter going on in my head when I get ready to do something like this…about my looks, my outfit, my abilities, etc…it like the devil himself is sitting on my right shoulder just talking away. I don’t know if this a new thing or if this little voice has always been there and I’m only just waking up to it and understanding what is going on. I find myself saying, “NOT NOW! I WILL DEAL WITH YOU LATER!” an awful lot!

It feels so amazing to rise above it and sing and soar anyway…to let go of what may or may not be wrong…to be elevated so far above it. “The waves they don’t seem so high, from the top of them looking down.”
Got a GREAT scripture last night:

Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.
- Malachi 3:10-11 –

God actually ASKS us to test Him with regard to the tithes. This scripture tells us to bring the tithes and watch him open the windows of heaven to pour blessings upon us…

Wow….

So I guess that’s my super inspiring thing of the day!!!

Hugs to all!!!

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Lofty goals…

We are having a “TV fast” this week in my house…

What does that mean, you ask?

It means that the TV is OFF all the time…

Scott loves it….of course, he is a child of the digital age and will go sit in front of the OTHER glowing box – his computer – if he gets bored.

He says its not entertainment, its work. I say show me the money, honey, and until then, its entertainment. I can be so not nice….its because I can only look at the computer for 10 or so hours a day (at work) and after that, it ceases to be entertaining! Besides, I’m missing CSI!

SO, all this down time has got my brain on overdrive….I keep thinking up things to do and putting them on a list. I’m going to have a to-do list as long as my freaking arm if the TV stays off longer than a week! Lol…

Some of my lofty goals:

Pull all of my old layouts out of their “storage locations” and organize them into cohesive albums. I’ve got the books, for the most part. And a reasonable price on D-ring albums if I find that there are lots of layouts with no specific home….so, I’m going to actually put them away for REAL.

While I have those layouts out, I’m going to get digital copies of them…and post them on 2 peas while I’m at it.

I’m going to clean up my scrap space….again….yes! I said “again.” Its an ongoing project. Got a cool idea from CK, tho…I already have a “trash” basket on my desk…I’m going to add another basket… a “put away” basket…all items go in one or the other. At the end of the week, I trash it or sort it. Cool idea, huh?

Thinking I should apply this concept to other things in my life….hm….

I’m going to organize my photos, upload those I intend to get prints of onto snapfish and then drop them all to disk as back-up. I used to do this regularly and I group them by year, but I haven’t done it lately and I have a TON of pics that need to be organized.

I’m preparing myself for the changes that I want in my scrap room…it will be the next room overhauled and given new furniture…now, what to do, what to do.

Lest anyone think I’m getting carried away, I need to tell you this:

There is laundry to be done…TONS of it.

I’m working out a minimum of 1/2 an hour every day…

I am singing at church today and have to be there by 5:30.

I have rehearsal for music ministry tomorrow night and have to be there by 6:30.

I have a dinner date with my girls on Friday night….

That would be why these are lofty goals rather than just goals…

Sigh…maybe the TV needs to stay off NEXT week too!

Somebody give me the scoop for the next CSI!!!!

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Appreciation

Today, I decided to be appreciative of all of the things in my life that I take for granted every day.

I started my day by deciding to thank God for each thing as I touch it, use it, engage in it…you get the idea.

I started by thanking God for my lungs that breathe, my eyes that see, my feet and legs that work (they are sore from working out, but they WORK!), my hands that touch and feel.

When I was actually vertical, I thanked God for my husband sleeping peacefully beside me and my little fuzz ball dog for teaching me what true love and adoration are all about. (I often think I should be with God like my dog is with me…happy constantly to see Him, always willing to sit in His lap, willing to receive my discipline from Him, following His commands, willing to receive any and all love from Him, and always, always, always adoring and devoted to Him.)

Making breakfast, I thanked God that I can open a cupboard full of food in a strong and sheltering house and choose a nourishing fresh breakfast, the ingredients of which were purchased at an air-conditioned, clean, friendly store just ½ a block away. I thanked God for my indoor plumbing and hot water heater so that I could have a clean shower and for my money that allows me to purchase pleasantly scented soaps and lotions.

I thanked God for my privilege that allows me to have colored hair done by a professionally trained stylist. I thanked God for electricity in my sturdy home so that I could dry and curl my hair.

There was thanks given for my smooth-running new car that takes me on well-paved roads full of other new cars and people on their way to jobs, all part of Gods great blessings on the USA. I thanked God for the radio in my car and the skills and talents of the musicians who’s music I listen to and for all the other blessings in their lives that make it possible for them to make recordings.

I thanked God that I have a well-paying job at a stable company, that I work with pleasant and intelligent people doing work I like and that I receive blessings from it continually. God received thanks for my computer, that allows me to do much with little time and effort…I am SO thankful I’m not doing this with a pen and paper or a chisel and stone.

So far today, I’ve thanked God and given Him praise for LOTS of things that I breeze by every day, that I get irritated by every day. Nothing is bad when it is viewed as a blessing.

I’m taking this theme throughout the day today and perhaps further. I do not want it to be a chore or rote, my thanks to God for these things. I’m going to continue to do this with an appreciation and awe of all that I have been given and with a heart to share my blessings as often as possible.

I want to have the heart of a giver, and to do that, I must recognize my immense blessings, whether I abase or abound.

Have a FABULOUS, BLESSED, and APPRECIATIVE day!

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Pass the Potato and California style

Holy cow, this is the cutest thing ever!

THANKS to Beck for turning me on to this…I laughed so hard this!!!

So, here is mine….a virtual Pass the Potato! Make sure you log in and enter your zip code. Let me know if you pass your own potato!

Tara did an entry about June Gloom (a weather pattern specific to SoCal) and about how we dress so funny here. I had to have a good giggle over the comments…

She relates how she overheard a girl in Target talking on her cell about how Californian’s dress so funny – mini skirt, flip flops and a sweatshirt.

Ok, I will admit – as a Colorado girl, I felt the same way when I came here in 1988. I thought it was odd that Californian’s appear to have made the flip flop mandatory.

We have the standard $3 drug store flip flops for going to the grocery. They get kicked off at the front door upon entering and never ever see the closet.
Casual

We have the dress casual flip flops that can be worn to work or church.
Dress

We have fancy flip flops that can actually be worn to full dress occasions.
Red

We have “athletic” flip flops…
Sprot

And flip flops with flowers…
Flowers

And sparkles…
Spangles

In suede…
Sparkles

And colored gold…
Gold

Even earthy…
Earthy

They are definitely a wardrobe staple!

No matter where I go, I can usually spot those that have lived in California… “the look” is sort of an eye-catcher, ya know?

So, here’s to June Gloom and to our flip flops!

And Praise God that there is Payless so that I can have at least one pair of every style flip flop available for a reasonable price.

And yes, I DO own a pair of flip flops perfect for every occasion! I guess that means I'm a California Girl now...

Happy Day!!!

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

My wishes…

Today, I’m meditating on my wishes…

Some say that wishes are a waste of time...

I think a wish right now is good thing. It could turn into a goal…or an obsession…or nothing. It might just fizzle out under the enormous pressure of having to exist on its own without me giving it any more energy than to wish it in the moment…

I’m glad I don’t have a genie’s lamp…I’d have wished for a whole bunch of stuff in the momentary frenzy that just wouldn’t have worked out in the long run…

This morning I’ve found myself wishing for whole bunches of things….

I wish I hadn’t dropped my purse four times from the moment I left my front door until the hit the door at work…its open on top and I’ve had to repack EVERY time. And I KNOW I’ll be looking for a stick of gum or my chapstick later and it will be nowhere to be found.

I wish that it was Friday again already.

I wish that the darn garage would clean itself out. Alas, the garage-cleaning-fairy moved to a cleaner garage because the dust, dirt and cobwebs in mine made her sneeze too much.

I wish that I could have “summer vacation” like I did when I was a kid.

I wish Hunny was a self-cleaning dog.

I wish it was ok to drop everything I’m doing at work and run to my scrapbook table and do a page when the urge and inspiration strike me.

While I’m wishin’ I wish that such spontaneous creativity was ENCOURAGED.

I wish that California was only ½ an hour from Minnesota and Colorado.

I wish that JOSH would stop sending me credit card offers and just send me a nice, friendly e-mail telling me all about his family and how things are going.

I wish that I could take my laptop outside and work out there today.

I wish that the sky could be an alternate color for just one day so I could see what that looks like. How about purple? Or Green?

I wish that cream puffs, chocolate croissants and cranberry-orange scones were calorie, fat and sugar free.

What do YOU wish today?