More squeefilled things from today
Taurus: The daytime TV soap opera The Young and the Restless has been the most highly-rated show in its time slot for more than a thousand consecutive weeks. First appearing in 1973, the show ascended to the top slot in 1988 and has never slipped since. I'm happy to announce that in 2008 you have the potential to begin a comparable run of success, Taurus. Whether you're able to cash in on that potential may depend on the preparations you make in the coming weeks.
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The dangers of excessive politeness are perfectly exemplified in the medieval legend of Parzival, Arthur's purest knight. His quest for the Holy Grail leads him to a castle where he is welcomed by a wounded lord. At dinner, a mysterious bowl captivates Parzival's attention. He's dying to know more about it, but he holds his tongue. His training as a knight has taught him that it's uncourteous to express too much curiosity.
Tragically, he doesn't realize that he has arrived at the very place where his quest could be satisfied. The wounded lord is actually the fisher king, the marvelous bowl is the Grail, and he is being presented with a magical test. The test consists of a simple task: to ask about the bowl. Because Parzival fails to do so, the king doesn't reveal the secret and doesn't give him the Grail.
The next morning, Parzival wakes up to find the castle empty, and he leaves having missed the very opportunity he wanted most.
Here we are with a return to an old friend. Thanks, Uncle Rob. I've been feeling pretty good regardless of up and down situations, but it's nice to randomly pick up my horoscope and see the future's looking so bright I might need sunglass, too.
Have also recently acquired a copy of Rob Brezxny's Pronoia is the Antidote to Paranoia: How The World Is Conspiring To Shower You With Blessings, as I stumbled upon it in a resale store I think two and half months ago. I haven't gotten to do much more than flip through it, but it is designed for wonderful.
I kept forgetting about this gluten-free bakery place that the girls at RCG had advised me to check out, until randomly I was invited to lunch there this week by someone who really has not qualms with eating style in any direction. I didn't even realize it was the place I'd been told about until I got there. The Little Aussie Bakery is a quaint little place that makes everything gluten-free, and a lot of their desserts are even cow-free. It's tiny, tucked back, calmly decorated, and has free wi-fi. (Meaning very soon it might end up being my writing spot. And they were okay with that, too!)
The food was to die for-- I got an Apricot chicken salad and pomegranate-something-or-other hot tea. The chicken was cooked in real apricots, the salad was mixed greens, apples slices, small yellow pepper slices, cherry tomatoes, and small cucumber slices and a tangy dressing. According to the website they cater to customers who have the following: Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, Lactose Intolerance, Cassein Intolerance, Corn Allergies, Soy Allergies, or are Vegetarian and Vegan. There dessert case looked delicious even though there wasn't time today and there brunch menu has dishes I want to try and none of it is vastly expensive.
I am entirely enamored, and for totally different reasons I will be making sure My Girl and my mother end up here for lunch at least once.
On the way back from my lunch out, I stopped off at by Chico Boy's Fruit Market to pick up supplies for my weekend of camping. I really love going there because I can never predict what might end up being there. Today's amazing surprise? A dozen Gypsy Leonidas roses for $1.99.
Having moved my eating into a more S/O/L/E (Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical) way of eating, I end up relying on this place a lot more than anywhere else now. I get fruits and vegetables constantly, and I'm adjusting rather well to go with the flow of whatever's on sale or in season. This has been rather fun in the last while actually. It meant a month and half ago when blue berries where on sale at $1 a package I bought four, one to enjoy that week and three to freeze. It meant learning to cook with broccoli heads (and to master the nummy yummy broccoli-onion-peppers-other veggies stir fry) for two week back the beginning of last month. It's presently enjoying (large) artichokes at 2/$1.50 and mandarin oranges at 6/$1, among my many other normal purchases.
I'm still debating whether to go back right this moment and pick up the 26ct Mango box for $1.99. Their weekly special sale sheet is the fifth option on my Firefox Speed Dial add-on, so that it keeps me up-to-date with new things arriving in and going on sale all the time.
I think I'm going to end up writing a lot about food, because it keeps popping up. I'm gleefully aimed toward sharing my squee with people, especially those around here who've inspired me and keep me feeling good about these choices. I just don't feel bad about giving up the 90% of food out there that really is crap, through its processing or at its base. I do rather like having food that is well made and will service my body well. Especially when it still isn't proving itself expensive. So this may be your warning that food talk may end up happing a lot. (Even if that warning came *counts* six paragraphs in).
On the topic of foods, I'm going to share some happy discoveries:
Stonyfield Farm Organic Vanilla Yogurt (made with organic low fat milk, organic naturally milled sugar, and organic natural vanilla) turned out amazing as my replacement yogurt (from all the others which have high fructose corn syrup). I've got them on my list to try their organic smoothies and O'Soy Soy yogurt.
Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Grain and Seed Bread is my cautious inching toward bread. I really do not like starches the much anymore, but this was another many long months suggestion from the RCG women when I would point out I don't do starch. I'm still not quite sure how they do it, but there is no mention of flour in any of their ingredients. This one is made from Sprouted Grain and Seeds (From the website "Teff from the highlands of Ethiopia, Black Quinoa from the mountainous regions of Peru, Barley from the ancient Holy Land, Brown Rice and Spelt from the Far East, Amaranth and Chia from Central and South America, Soy from China's past, Flax and Rye from Northern Europe, Corn from Old Mexico, Kamut from Ancient Egypt, Millet and Sorghum from the plains of Africa, Sesame Seeds from the Near East, Pumpkin Seeds from the Mediterranean, Spring Wheat and Unprocessed Bran from Montana, Sunflower Seeds from the Dakotas"). I've only had one slice thus far. It's denser than most breads, but the seeds are nice to chew on. And the people I bought from said its best kept frozen when you're not eating it so it could last for.....a very long time.
I think sometime soon I will also give you a post covering vitamins and supplements.
.....and. Hrm.
Other topic!
I love camping. I have gone camping in and out of my whole life, most especially for Girl Scouts, Amtgard and Religious Events. There is a hum in my skin and my life when I know camping is coming soon. Tomorrow the Beltane camping starts and so that means I started packing today. Why? Because camp packing is insanely easy in my life.
For one, the trunk of my car (one Buick Lesaber) is always packed with my main camp gear. What is my main camp gear you ask? Prepare to be awed:
A twelve-by-twenty-five tent (tent, poles, stakes, etc), two large tarps (one for over, one for under), a front floor matt, two camp chairs, two camp stools, a camp stove, a double layer air mattress, sleeping bag, meditation pillow and blanket, yoga mat, a lantern, one slim plastic chest of drawers (first aide kit, medicine bag [not the spiritual type--gallon size bag with a duplicate medicine cabinet contents], bug spray, sunscreen, aloe, tissues, toilet paper, condoms, a spray bottle, one large flash light, one small flash light, a water pouch, magical around the tent dust, the air mattress inflator, extra AA and D batteries, and the bottom compartment is all altar stuff). Recently added to this collection was also my art box which is endlessly filled with exciting things.
Having all of this already in the car is convenient on many levels. It means I usually only have to pack three or four main things no matter where I'm going. For this one those are: Clothes, Food, Toiletries, and Magical Sundries.
Parts one and four are actually mostly accomplished. First see the comment where the last drawer in the trunk chest is magical sundries/decorations. My traveling altar is in the front of my car at all times, and being lazy, after the last Festival of the Goddess, I never moved the wide plastic drawer cabinet out of my back seat. This contains varies sundries for ritually decorating my tent, plus the normal clothes that go towards these types of events, and also towels/sheets/shoes/etc.
Makes my list for today seem really short when preparing doesn't it?
Sigh. Oh, I love camping, so much. And religious event camping even more than that.
I am not wanting today to go faster--as I have my (omg!not in school tonight) RCG Third Thursday, and maybe the first since last summer for it being a pot luck night and not a ritual night--but I am getting all bubbly excited about camping out now. About classes and work shops and vendors markets and dancing the May Pole and wandering around in various degrees of not dressed and having rituals at morning and night, at the ringing of the bells in the morning, the games with the children in the sunshine afternoon, and the concert on Saturday. I'm glad this all finally caught up with me, until yesterday I was terrified it wasn't going to.
Well, I better go pack my last round of things. *waves* It was nice to get to share things I've loved today.
Know that you are loved and blessed.
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The dangers of excessive politeness are perfectly exemplified in the medieval legend of Parzival, Arthur's purest knight. His quest for the Holy Grail leads him to a castle where he is welcomed by a wounded lord. At dinner, a mysterious bowl captivates Parzival's attention. He's dying to know more about it, but he holds his tongue. His training as a knight has taught him that it's uncourteous to express too much curiosity.
Tragically, he doesn't realize that he has arrived at the very place where his quest could be satisfied. The wounded lord is actually the fisher king, the marvelous bowl is the Grail, and he is being presented with a magical test. The test consists of a simple task: to ask about the bowl. Because Parzival fails to do so, the king doesn't reveal the secret and doesn't give him the Grail.
The next morning, Parzival wakes up to find the castle empty, and he leaves having missed the very opportunity he wanted most.
Here we are with a return to an old friend. Thanks, Uncle Rob. I've been feeling pretty good regardless of up and down situations, but it's nice to randomly pick up my horoscope and see the future's looking so bright I might need sunglass, too.
Have also recently acquired a copy of Rob Brezxny's Pronoia is the Antidote to Paranoia: How The World Is Conspiring To Shower You With Blessings, as I stumbled upon it in a resale store I think two and half months ago. I haven't gotten to do much more than flip through it, but it is designed for wonderful.
I kept forgetting about this gluten-free bakery place that the girls at RCG had advised me to check out, until randomly I was invited to lunch there this week by someone who really has not qualms with eating style in any direction. I didn't even realize it was the place I'd been told about until I got there. The Little Aussie Bakery is a quaint little place that makes everything gluten-free, and a lot of their desserts are even cow-free. It's tiny, tucked back, calmly decorated, and has free wi-fi. (Meaning very soon it might end up being my writing spot. And they were okay with that, too!)
The food was to die for-- I got an Apricot chicken salad and pomegranate-something-or-other hot tea. The chicken was cooked in real apricots, the salad was mixed greens, apples slices, small yellow pepper slices, cherry tomatoes, and small cucumber slices and a tangy dressing. According to the website they cater to customers who have the following: Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, Lactose Intolerance, Cassein Intolerance, Corn Allergies, Soy Allergies, or are Vegetarian and Vegan. There dessert case looked delicious even though there wasn't time today and there brunch menu has dishes I want to try and none of it is vastly expensive.
I am entirely enamored, and for totally different reasons I will be making sure My Girl and my mother end up here for lunch at least once.
On the way back from my lunch out, I stopped off at by Chico Boy's Fruit Market to pick up supplies for my weekend of camping. I really love going there because I can never predict what might end up being there. Today's amazing surprise? A dozen Gypsy Leonidas roses for $1.99.
Having moved my eating into a more S/O/L/E (Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical) way of eating, I end up relying on this place a lot more than anywhere else now. I get fruits and vegetables constantly, and I'm adjusting rather well to go with the flow of whatever's on sale or in season. This has been rather fun in the last while actually. It meant a month and half ago when blue berries where on sale at $1 a package I bought four, one to enjoy that week and three to freeze. It meant learning to cook with broccoli heads (and to master the nummy yummy broccoli-onion-peppers-other veggies stir fry) for two week back the beginning of last month. It's presently enjoying (large) artichokes at 2/$1.50 and mandarin oranges at 6/$1, among my many other normal purchases.
I'm still debating whether to go back right this moment and pick up the 26ct Mango box for $1.99. Their weekly special sale sheet is the fifth option on my Firefox Speed Dial add-on, so that it keeps me up-to-date with new things arriving in and going on sale all the time.
I think I'm going to end up writing a lot about food, because it keeps popping up. I'm gleefully aimed toward sharing my squee with people, especially those around here who've inspired me and keep me feeling good about these choices. I just don't feel bad about giving up the 90% of food out there that really is crap, through its processing or at its base. I do rather like having food that is well made and will service my body well. Especially when it still isn't proving itself expensive. So this may be your warning that food talk may end up happing a lot. (Even if that warning came *counts* six paragraphs in).
On the topic of foods, I'm going to share some happy discoveries:
Stonyfield Farm Organic Vanilla Yogurt (made with organic low fat milk, organic naturally milled sugar, and organic natural vanilla) turned out amazing as my replacement yogurt (from all the others which have high fructose corn syrup). I've got them on my list to try their organic smoothies and O'Soy Soy yogurt.
Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Grain and Seed Bread is my cautious inching toward bread. I really do not like starches the much anymore, but this was another many long months suggestion from the RCG women when I would point out I don't do starch. I'm still not quite sure how they do it, but there is no mention of flour in any of their ingredients. This one is made from Sprouted Grain and Seeds (From the website "Teff from the highlands of Ethiopia, Black Quinoa from the mountainous regions of Peru, Barley from the ancient Holy Land, Brown Rice and Spelt from the Far East, Amaranth and Chia from Central and South America, Soy from China's past, Flax and Rye from Northern Europe, Corn from Old Mexico, Kamut from Ancient Egypt, Millet and Sorghum from the plains of Africa, Sesame Seeds from the Near East, Pumpkin Seeds from the Mediterranean, Spring Wheat and Unprocessed Bran from Montana, Sunflower Seeds from the Dakotas"). I've only had one slice thus far. It's denser than most breads, but the seeds are nice to chew on. And the people I bought from said its best kept frozen when you're not eating it so it could last for.....a very long time.
I think sometime soon I will also give you a post covering vitamins and supplements.
.....and. Hrm.
Other topic!
I love camping. I have gone camping in and out of my whole life, most especially for Girl Scouts, Amtgard and Religious Events. There is a hum in my skin and my life when I know camping is coming soon. Tomorrow the Beltane camping starts and so that means I started packing today. Why? Because camp packing is insanely easy in my life.
For one, the trunk of my car (one Buick Lesaber) is always packed with my main camp gear. What is my main camp gear you ask? Prepare to be awed:
A twelve-by-twenty-five tent (tent, poles, stakes, etc), two large tarps (one for over, one for under), a front floor matt, two camp chairs, two camp stools, a camp stove, a double layer air mattress, sleeping bag, meditation pillow and blanket, yoga mat, a lantern, one slim plastic chest of drawers (first aide kit, medicine bag [not the spiritual type--gallon size bag with a duplicate medicine cabinet contents], bug spray, sunscreen, aloe, tissues, toilet paper, condoms, a spray bottle, one large flash light, one small flash light, a water pouch, magical around the tent dust, the air mattress inflator, extra AA and D batteries, and the bottom compartment is all altar stuff). Recently added to this collection was also my art box which is endlessly filled with exciting things.
Having all of this already in the car is convenient on many levels. It means I usually only have to pack three or four main things no matter where I'm going. For this one those are: Clothes, Food, Toiletries, and Magical Sundries.
Parts one and four are actually mostly accomplished. First see the comment where the last drawer in the trunk chest is magical sundries/decorations. My traveling altar is in the front of my car at all times, and being lazy, after the last Festival of the Goddess, I never moved the wide plastic drawer cabinet out of my back seat. This contains varies sundries for ritually decorating my tent, plus the normal clothes that go towards these types of events, and also towels/sheets/shoes/etc.
Makes my list for today seem really short when preparing doesn't it?
Sigh. Oh, I love camping, so much. And religious event camping even more than that.
I am not wanting today to go faster--as I have my (omg!not in school tonight) RCG Third Thursday, and maybe the first since last summer for it being a pot luck night and not a ritual night--but I am getting all bubbly excited about camping out now. About classes and work shops and vendors markets and dancing the May Pole and wandering around in various degrees of not dressed and having rituals at morning and night, at the ringing of the bells in the morning, the games with the children in the sunshine afternoon, and the concert on Saturday. I'm glad this all finally caught up with me, until yesterday I was terrified it wasn't going to.
Well, I better go pack my last round of things. *waves* It was nice to get to share things I've loved today.
Know that you are loved and blessed.