Wildflower Ranch

Blissful Things

2012-01-27T06:27:00.004-06:00

My e-course instructor Liv Lane wants us to share things that bring us Bliss this week. Thinking about the things that bring me bliss is wonderful. It's like keeping a gratitude journal. After focusing on bliss and gratitude, it's easy to be in a uplifted mood.

My Bliss List:
1. Hearing "I love you Mama!" from my four year old son with a big hug included. Always a favorite.

2. Visiting my 100 year old grandfather who still lives on his own. He shared memories of when I was a little girl and our special evening walks when I visited him in Florida. He's such an inspiration!

3. Splurging on a new tube of lipstick (Mayflower by Nars) and blush (Orgasm by Nars). Thanks Tonya Leigh!

4. Discovering Pioneer Woman's Frito Chili Pie. It's the best recipe ever! This will be my Super Bowl Sunday meal for sure.

5. My daughter and me making decadent dark chocolate gooey brownies with a box of Pillsbury brownie mix and a few other things (secret ingredients). Recipe below.

Please send me your Bliss List in the comments below and share the bliss.

Happy Bliss List Friday! Kathy

Kathy & Chloe's Dark Chocolate Brownies
1 box of Pillsbury Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix for a 9 X 13 pan.
Follow all directions for brownie mix in a large bowl.
Add: 1 t. cinnamon, 1 c. white chocolate chips, 1/2 c. chopped walnuts, and 1 T. melted butter.
Stir in and bake as directed.

Winter Wonderland!

2012-01-24T18:56:00.004-06:00

Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius. ~Pietro Aretino

Winter weather in the Midwest is so unpredictable. One day it may be snowing and 25 degrees and the next sunny and 45.

When it snows my kids get so excited. They rummage around finding snow pants, hats, and gloves that are usually mismatched. It's a race to get outside to catch snowflakes on their tongues, make snow angels, and have snowball fights. These times are priceless.

The snow covered trees are so quiet and beautiful.

Shortly after, the air warmed, snow melted, and I went out on a hike with my dog Betty.

And a river runs through it.

My husband is fishing in January and caught a few!

Some favorite things: Hiking and taking pictures.

The trees are saluting to the sun in the western sky.

Sun in January is a gift!

Smile quick - a self timer shot.

And a spectacular sunset to end the day! Thanks for reading. Kathy

Super Delish Black Bean Nachos

2012-01-22T15:26:00.001-06:00

These nachos are so easy, cheesy, & delicious! I make them with some of my favorite healthy ingredients.

What you need:
Multi grain tortilla chips
1 can black beans, drained
Your favorite salsa
Shredded cheese (I like the Mexican Queso blend)
Avocado slices that are squirted with fresh lemon or lime juice.

Heat oven to 350. Place foil over a cookie sheet. Place tortilla chips on foil.

Layer chips with beans, salsa, and cheese. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is totally melted. Top with fresh avocado slices. You can also top with sour cream, jalapenos, and fresh cilantro.

Enjoy your Nacho Fiesta! kathy

White Space

2012-01-22T10:33:00.000-06:00

A fun assignment for a recent Do What You Love e-course was about color. We were given a color wheel to look at and decide which color we liked least. We could also choose black, white, and brown.

I chose white realizing I had very little white in my house. This may be a result of having four kids. Earth tones and various shades of beige tend to camouflage messes better.

My assignment was to make a collage of this color. This is what I made. I'm missing some white space in my life. It is hanging in my office and is soothing to look at.

What color least speaks to you? You may find adding a little of it shakes things up a bit.
Let me know your thoughts.
kathy

Taking a Leap!

2012-01-14T16:44:00.000-06:00

When you make a leap of faith, believing without a doubt that you will land safely on the other side, you can accomplish almost anything you set out to do. Go ahead, take a little leap!

Last week I posted this quote and this adorable photo on my Facebook page Wildflower Retreat. The post received many "likes" and it kept speaking to me. I have been blogging for a few years now and really love it. Being technically challenged, I have always felt I could use a little help improving my blog and finding my true blogging "sweet spot".
I discovered this online class starting in January called How to Build a Blog You Truly Love. created by Liv Lane. It started last week.
Today I listened to my whispers that were nudging me to take this course and I just signed up. I am going to take a leap! Expand my horizons. Learn and Grow. That's what life is about, right?
Looking forward to sharing my new adventure.
kathy

http://livlane.com/ecourse-home-page/

Wildflower Ranch: We are Magical Magnets attracting the life of our ...

2012-01-04T13:35:00.000-06:00

Wildflower Ranch: We are Magical Magnets attracting the life of our ...: "You are a magnet that attracts to you all that you focus your thoughts, emotions and energies on." ~ GRACE I woke up this morning, lo...

Tis the season with Sweet Treats

2011-12-19T16:56:00.002-06:00

Around here holiday celebrating kicks in at the twelve days of Christmas countdown. That's when I listen to Christmas music nonstop (Michael Buble Christmas is my current fave), bake treats, and take part in holiday cheer.
My kids and I began by making hugs and kisses for Santa. Santa rarely gets to indulge because they devour these yummy little treats. Try them and you will see why as the combination of sweet and salty flavors are divine.

Santa Kisses: Mini pretzels, Hershey's Hugs (white and milk swirled kisses), & plain M&Ms.

Hugs: mini pretzels, Rolos, and cashews or plain M&Ms.

Place pretzels on a lined baking sheet. Top with unwrapped Hugs or Rolos. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes or until soft. Top with M&Ms or cashews. Place in fridge to cool. Enjoy and share!

I also hosted a tasty and festive lunch for my two girlfriends that ended up being quite "corny". I made the Pioneer Woman's Corn & Cheese Chowder and my friend Tammy brought the Barefoot Contessa's corn muffins.

We enjoyed some sparkling pink Moscato and ended things with chocolate truffle brownies (Trader Joe's mix) topped with Haagen-Dazs vanilla bean ice cream. Decadent and fun is all I can say.

We had a wine themed gift exchange for $10 or under which was also festive. There are few things more joyful than sharing soup, chocolate, laughter and wine with good friends. I encourage you to do this with yours and use these great recipes too.

Santa hugs and kisses,
kathy

Life in Color

2011-11-30T19:02:00.004-06:00

Thanksgiving Bonfire

I find it funny to be following my last post called White Space because my life has had no white space in it since I posted over a month ago. I hope to incorporate some serene, quiet white space in the coming months. Promise. How about you? Could you use a little more simplicity, less clutter, quiet space to read, reflect and dream? That is my goal. Creating time and space to think, dream, slow down, and embrace the simple things in life.

Visiting our 100 year old Grandfather

I am so very grateful for my busy life with four kids, two dogs, and a great husband. My days begin early in the kitchen making breakfast, packing lunches, getting ready for school and work days. Time zooms by with my active and inquisitive four year old, never ending housework (not my specialty), volunteering at school, teaching yoga, cooking, grocery shopping, and evening activities for the kids. My husband works long hours too. I am sure many of you relate to some of these things. White space, remember?

As December begins, I am embracing the Christmas season with a spirit of giving, reaching out to a few in need of some comfort and caring, creating and continuing traditions with my family, and hopefully writing about some of the things along the way.
Wishing you a merry holiday season,
kathy
Here are some recent favorite photos below.

My kids, nieces, & nephew on Halloween

My daughter's 8th Birthday rollerskating party.

Family on Thanksgiving

Some Favorites

2011-10-18T09:16:00.003-05:00

There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Enchanted Forest

October has been warm and colorful. Frequent hikes with my camera captured some of the natural beauty around here. Also, I recently started a facebook page called Wildflower Retreat where I post inspirational quotes, photos, and thoughts. Stop by and say hello if you please

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? ~Mary Oliver

Just before harvest

Learning to live in the present moment is part of the path to joy. ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Keep shining your light,
kathy

Bursting into Fall

2011-09-27T21:14:00.001-05:00

Hello Friends~ As we say goodbye to summer I wanted to share some recent photos.
First, rainbow that I captured in the late summer sky. There was not much rain here this summer so I was happy to see this burst of beauty in the sky.

My son brought home a little sprout of cabbage in a Styrofoam cup last spring from his third grade class. He and my mom nurtured it all summer and it grew into a beautiful giant cabbage. We recently cut it and I made a delicious cabbage, chicken, and apple stew. It was full of love and flavor!

Indy's beautiful cabbage

Little guy starting preschool

September flew by as the kids are back in school and busy with soccer games, spell bowl team practice, and Nature Garden Club activities. My little guy started preschool too.

My Munchkins

Roots to Grow, Wings to Fly

Now that the leaves are changing and the air has gotten cooler, my creative juices have begun to flow. I painted this picture for my sister's birthday last weekend. I named it Roots to Grow, Wings to Fly. The tree represents her and the birds are here three kids soaring through the sky. I think she really liked it as she hung it next to her bed.
I also just signed up for an e-course called Do What You Love given by an English lady named Beth Nicholls. I'm looking forward to some creative inspiration.
How about you? What things are you doing as the seasons change? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Shine your light,
kathy

Tomato Time! Grilled Tomato, Basil & Cheese Sandwich with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

2011-08-30T08:05:00.001-05:00

It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. ~L. Grizzard

Tomato season is in full swing. Grab a few from you garden or local veggie stand and treat yourself to one of these delicious sandwiches.

Toasted Cheese, Tomato, & Basil with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:

Heat a skillet on medium with olive oil.
Add a slice of bread and top with cheese (I used cheddar/mozzarella), layer sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, salt & pepper, and slice of bread.
Toast both sides until golden brown and cheese is melting. Slice in half.
Honey Mustard Sauce:
In a small bowl whisk together 2 Tbsp. honey and 2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard. Enjoy!

Delicious!

Another of my all time faves is the CBLT (California Bacon Lettuce & Tomato).

CBLT: In an oiled skillet toast bread, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado slices, salt & pepper. Feel free to add fresh herbs and mayo if you wish. Enjoy!

Have a beautiful day,
kathy

Escape to Nashville, IN

2011-08-25T09:12:00.002-05:00

For our mom's birthday, my sister and I took her on a road trip to the wooded rolling hills of southern Indiana. Our first stop was The Brown County Winery for a tasting of their delicious sweet and tart wines.

After browsing through a roadside flea market and finding my sister's old summer camp Gnaw Bone tucked way back in the forest, we reached our final destination. Nashville, Indiana. This is a little gem of a town filled with cute boutiques, art galleries, and down home restaurants that serve fried chicken, biscuits, and homemade apple butter.

We checked in our charming bed and breakfast in the heart of town called The Cornerstone Inn. Upon arriving they directed us to the gathering room where fresh baked pies and fluffy cakes awaited.

The highlights of our little excursion were being together, carefree laughter, shopping, and eating dinner at a surprisingly gourmet restaurant called The Hob Knob, recommended by locals. The house spinach lasagna and tart glass of New Zealand sauvignon blanc was delicious.
To end the evening we ended up at The Chateau Thomas Winery tasting room sharing a bottle of their Fleur d' Peche wine and listening to a country blues singer sing about his long legged lover. She was sitting right up front and was truly has the longest legs I have ever seen when she stood at about 6'3!

After an abundant farm breakfast including strong coffee and gooey pecan rolls, we hit The Nashville Country Store for caramel corn and fudge for the kids, we hopped in my sister's van and drove home listening to the country singer's original "hits". A great escape!
Shine your light, k

12 Books of Inspiration

2011-08-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

I love love love books. Here is a list of books that are always on my bedside table for comfort and inspiration. They could be great gifts to you are anyone you hold dear.

1. SARK's New Creative Companion SARK is an artist that captures the magic of everyday inspiration. Just opening this book makes me smile.

2. The Blessings of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel
This is great for moms/parents with young children. Lots of guidance and advice, but I mostly love the importance she puts on family traditions.

3. The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer
He is one of my favorite self-help gurus. This book guides you on your journey to create and attract the life you desire. Read the last chapter first on Connectors. Inspirational!

4. Happy Yoga by Steve Ross
This is great for the yoga lover. He has a happy approach to life, yoga, and music.

5. 1000 Places To See Before You Die
I feel like I go on mini vacations when I open this book. I want to see them all!

6. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Women by Kristine Carlson
A great bedside book for daily inspiration. My favorite is her page on "Walk Through the Open Doors."

7. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
A total guide to discovering your inner artist. It is full of ways to become more creative in everyday life.

8. Grace Notes by Alexandra Stoddard
This book has been at my bedside for over ten years It's filled with daily quotes that are timeless and classic.

9. Girlfriend's Guide to Getting Your Groove Back by Vicki Iovine
Another good one for moms with young kids. I totally relate to her funny stories - especially never leaving the house without a diaper bag even though all your kids are potty trained.

10. Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin' the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy Through Wine, Chocolate and Your iPod Playlist by David Romanelli
You don't have to be a yoga lover to enjoy this book. He encourages us to enjoy a delicious moment, beautiful moment, and funny moment every day.

11. The Power by Rhonda Byrne
I love The Secret too. This one is all about the power of Love.

12. Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort of Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach Another book I go back to time and time again. Great insight for simplicity amidst a busy life.
Happy Reading,
Kathy

Summer Country Living

2011-07-17T11:45:00.001-05:00

Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. ~Jim Davis

Summer in the rural Midwest is hot but heavenly.

Here you can drive down the street and find fresh picked garden veggies on a bench in front of a farm with a cup to stuff some money in. The honor system.
My kids and I happily stuff the cup with dollars and pick up round juicy sweet onions, zesty peppers, and giant green zucchinis.

Up the road a little I can grab a pint of natural honey from Cara and Braun's while the bees buzz around. This morning my friend Amy dropped off a loaf of fresh baked zucchini bread on her way to the county fair where her kids will show sheep.

I sliced the bread, spread some butter and honey on it and washed it down with an icy glass of dark sun tea. Heavenly. She promised me she would give me the bread recipe.

Next stop, the sweet corn stand for tonight's dinner.

Celebrating Summer, Abundance, & Growth

2011-06-23T09:10:00.002-05:00

Hello friends~ Summer is here!

My Wildflower Garden Blooming

Are you feeling more alive in the light of summer? Do you feel a yearning for growth or new directions? Do you have dreams of learning something new, starting a business, getting healthier? Listen to your inner voice inside. Go outside and walk in nature and feel the abundance. Grab a little journal and write seven things you want to do. Just by writing them you will begin to create the energy for these amazing things to grow and happen. I am confident they will. Shine that light of yours.

I just returned home from a wonderful visit with my 95 year old grandmother. Last year she moved to be closer to my Aunt and cousins. I miss her so much but know in my heart that she is where she needs to be now.

Tuesday was my favorite day of the year. Summer Solstice. The day of the longest light from the sun. I always feel so alive during this time. It has long been celebrated as a time of light, love, growth, and fertility.

The night of Summer Solstice at my Aunt's house we were gathered there for dinner. She had friends in town from Tuscon, Arizona. Liz, who I met and is in her sixties, and I instantly connected. I told her this was my favorite day of the year. She instantly agreed and said, "Midsummer!" She told me she teaches high school English and loves teaching Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.

A huge storm came out of the sky with lightening, thunder, and buckets of rain. Liz and I went out onto the porch and danced in the storm together celebrating the summer sky. It was a rush of cleansing energy!

I am feeling grateful for so many blessings.

Wishing you an abundant summer!

kathy
keep me posted on your amazing new directions.
kathyanne70@gmail.com

What's for dinner? Grilled Steak Sandwiches with grilled peppers, onions, and melted cheese.

2011-06-14T18:43:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends~ I love to share meals that my family devours. They did tonight with these sandwiches made from leftovers.

I had leftover grilled sirloin steak that I sliced thin and leftover grilled sweet onions and red and orange peppers. (they can be sauteed too)

For the kids: Set aside some sliced steak and lightly salt.

For adults: Put the sliced steak in a baggie with the peppers.

Grab some hot dog buns and sliced cheese. Turn on oven to 350.
On the stove top, saute the steak and peppers until they warm.

Place steak and peppers on bun and top with cheese and a dash of spicy brown mustard if you please. Place in oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese in melted and bun is toasted. Serve with a light salad or fresh organic blackberries like I did.

For the kids: saute steak and place on a bun and top with cheese. Toast in oven. I hope you get two thumbs up like I did!

Happy Summer!

Love is exactly as strong as life ~Joseph Campbell

2011-05-20T18:53:00.001-05:00

Love is exactly as strong as life .~Joseph Campbell

This was today's quote in one of my favorite little books called Grace Notes by Alexandra Stoddard. I love her sweet inspirational books. This was a day that I felt love.

Wildflower Hill

Wildflower Hill is beginning to bloom.

nest of three baby sparrows

Baby sparrows have hatched in a bush next to the front porch. The mama sparrow is working hard to care for them.
The kids helped me plant small container gardens of lettuce, red peppers, carrots, and flowers.

Little Scout found a toad friend.

And I am embracing the moment while drinking a glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and waiting for my husband to finish on his tractor and join me.

Are you embracing the moment?
~kathy
Note from the next morning:
The night did not turn out as blissful as when I wrote. My dog Betty found the nest and killed the baby birds, the toad died from too much love and attention, my wine glass broke and I stepped on a chard of glass, and my husband did not come in until much later. I'm still glad I embraced the serene moments while they lasted.....c'est la vie!

May Days

2011-05-20T07:54:00.000-05:00

“It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”~Mark Twain

The Mothers

The month of May has been sprinkled with good things. Mother's Day was filled with family together here at the ranch. To make it easy on the moms, my dad picked up food from a Mexican restaurant and we set up a taco bar. It was easy, delicious, and no cooking. Hooray!

Huge Mushrooms!

We were able to sit out on the new deck and drink bubbly while the dads and kids went mushroom hunting with huge success.

Little Scout turned 4 and we celebrated at the Zoo with Mimi, Aunt B., and cousins Zach and Gracie. The big highlights were petting the Dog Sharks, riding the zoo train, and the close pacing Cheetah.

waiting for zoo train

Soccer and baseball season are in full swing and Indy, Blaze and Phoebe are loving the action.

big defensive kick

Blaze and best buddy

Spring has given me energy to create a few new things of my own. I'll write more later about those. How about you? Do you have any new creative projects to begin or new directions you want to take?
Shine your light,
~kathy

Grace is not the property of youth or talent. We find the necessary measure where we need it most: in our own good humor, in the love of family, or in the kind act of a friend. ~Claire Davis

The Great Motherhood

2011-05-07T18:27:00.002-05:00

There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.
~Jill Churchill
In Honor of the Great Motherhood

Sleepless nights, diapers, Desitin, runny noses, fevers, tears, tantrums, smiles, giggles, tiny toes,
Love.
Dinosaurs, baby dolls, butterfly kisses, twirl the earrings, wash baseball socks, spelling tests, pony tails, hair cuts, soccer balls,
Love.
Play dates, mom friends, PTO, school lunches, grocery shopping, breakfast, lunch, dinner, cook,
Love
Growing pains, doctor appointments, dentist, vet, birthday parties, cakes, costumes,
Love.
Hungry mouths, runny noses, bills to pay, fundraisers, laundry baskets, hugs, kisses, bedtime stories, prayers,
Love.
Game balls, trophies, homework projects, disappointments, heart to hearts, discipline, tears,
Love.
First love, heartbreak, graduation, gray hair, worry lines, weight gain, laugh lines, confidant, friend, Mother,
Never ending Love.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy May Day!

2011-05-01T09:42:00.000-05:00

Let all thy be as the month of May...~Frances Quarles

When April steps aside for May,

Like diamonds all the rain-drops glisten;

Fresh violets open every day:

To some new bird each hour we listen.

~Lucy Larcom

There are infinite shades of possibility

with which we paint the canvas of our life.

~ GRACE

April gave us enough rain to nourish our garden and now we have May to renew our spirits. Let's use May to focus on all the joys in our lives and remember the more we give, the more we receive.

Magical May Blessings to you.

Easter Munchies: Fig & Goat Cheese Spread and Sauteed Morels

2011-04-25T14:45:00.006-05:00

My sister and her husband always host our family Easter dinner. I made a chevre-fig spread for a starter. It was very festive and I served it with sea salt pita chips. It went well with crisp bubbly Prosecco.

Chevre-Fig Spread
3/4 cup snipped dried figs
3/4 cup crumbled chevre (goat cheese) 3 oz.)
1/2 cup light sour cream
3 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. milk
Salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Directions
1. In a small bowl pour boiling water over figs to cover; let stand 15 minutes. Drain well.2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together chevre, sour cream, basil, milk, and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in drained figs and half the walnuts. Cover and chill in refrigerator up to 24 hours.3. To serve, transfer spread to serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts and fresh thyme sprigs. Serve with baguette slices or crackers. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

We also brought our fresh picked Morel mushrooms and Chef Cam sauteed them in butter, salt, & pepper. Delicious!

Aunt B's Bunny Cake

Lastly, my sister Libby and my mom are the bakers in our family. Libby created an adorable Bunny Cake and my mom made Paula Dean's dreamy bread pudding. Those recipes will follow soon.

Easter Bunny Mimi & kids

Libby, Grandpa Sam (100), & me.

Mushroom Hunting Success

2011-04-23T13:11:00.000-05:00

I am... a mushroom; On whom the dew of heaven drops now and then.
~John Ford

Here at the ranch mushroom hunting is a family sport. Today we went out for our first hunt and it was a big success.

My son Indy found the first four so we crowned him Mushroom King. I did not think we would find any today and did not bring bags.

We found this old pot in the woods and used it. Maybe its our lucky pot.

I found a fair amount so they called me Mushroom Queen.

Finding these mushrooms is such an adrenaline rush. I just washed them and hope to saute them in butter after Indy's baseball game.

When my sister and her family come mushroom hunting she likes to do a mushroom dance with the kids. Hopefully that will be soon.
Happy Easter Friends,
Kathy

Spring Bowtie Alfredo with Ham and Peas

2011-04-21T18:30:00.001-05:00

Happy Spring! This pasta dish was a huge hit with my family tonight. I created it because my kids love creamy sauces and it has flavors of Spring. It took less than 30 minutes to make and was simply delicious. Use your leftover Easter ham or buy one just for this like I did.

Here is the short list of ingredients:

1 16 oz. package of Farfalle (Bow tie) Pasta

1 jar of Newman's Own Alfredo Sauce

1 16 oz. bag of frozen peas

2 C. chopped ham

Chopped fresh Basil

Grated or shaved Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes. Add frozen peas to pasta and boil for 5 more minutes or until al dente or soft. Drain water.

Add Alfredo sauce and ham. Serve and top with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper. Enjoy!

Note: I have made this same dish using sauteed shrimp instead of ham and topping it off with crisp crumbled bacon. So elegant and delicious!

A Change of Scenery with a Family Road Trip to North Carolina

2011-04-05T18:45:00.002-05:00

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flow into trees. the winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir

An invigorating climb of Mt. Baldhead - there's no vegetation up there!

We took a family road trip to the mountains of North Carolina for Spring Break. My dad and Helen have a one hundred year old house nestled in a mountain affectionately called "The Rock House".

Phoebe Fireball, Dad, & Helen

The weather in the mountains was mostly rainy and chilly with some snow. I'm sure glad I packed boots and coats for all. On the one sunny day we drove up the Roan Mountain and hiked the Appalachian Trail to Mt. Baldhead. It was truly beautiful. I felt so invigorated after the gorgeous hike.

Dad & me on the Appalachian Trail

Phoebe on Mt. Baldhead

We visited a gem mine and panned for rocks and minerals. We found some cool stones including amethyst, aquamarine, and topaz. The kids loved doing this.

Looking for gems

Me & Blaze on the front steps of the Rock House

My sweet husband even had rings made for Phoebe and me out of some stones we found.

The boys can't wait to put theirs in the rock tumbler.
The kids also loved feeding two horses in the pasture named Doc and Rebel. We went through a lot of apples and carrots!

The Yerf Dog go-cart got lots of use as my husband drove up and down the mountain with the kids and taught them how to drive it too. They also panned for gold in the stream and hiked in the rain.

A wonderful week in the mountains without TV, cell phones, and computers. More memories and delicious Rock House recipes to follow.

Happy Spring,

Kathy

Tell Me Something Good

2011-03-08T20:12:00.000-06:00

Hi Friends~
This girl was created by artist and author Christy Tomlinson. I do not know Christy but I love her mixed media art and I am currently taking a three week e-course from her called She Art Workshop. Since I am a beginner mixed media artist, I really appreciate Christy's detailed video instuction and her kind spirit.

Since December 21st, I have not felt quite myself. It seems like a dark cloud has been hovering over my family. Two deaths (one family member, one young friend), a basement flood due to a frozen pipe bursting, and continuous viral bugs have hit my husband, kids, and me. I have especially been hit with flu, bronchitis, stomach bug, and now a sinus infection. Through all of this I have still tried to count my blessings and stay positive and optimistic. It has not been so easy though. Hopefully this dark cloud is passing and my energy and inspiration will return.
Spring is a time for rebirth and renewal and will be so welcome. In January, I started an art journal full of doodles, dreams, and thoughts. It has been a friend to me. Wherever you are on your path I encourage you to keep a journal. It can be small or large. You can write, cut, paste, doodle, and paint in your art journal. Its your sacred place to think and reflect. The seeds of dreams can be planted and grow there too.

Tonight when my husband got home from work he asked my daughter to tell him something good. She said, "Mommy's Good!" That made my day. It really is the simple things that are the best. Here's to blue skys coming.
Shine your light,
kathy

Sweet Sunshine Inspiration

2011-02-18T19:19:00.001-06:00

Feeling the sun burst out of the heavy winter clouds has felt exhilarating. The thermometer has reached over 50 degrees here in the Midwest and you would think we live in the tropics with people wearing shorts and flip flops. My kids immediately asked my sweet husband to pump up the air in their flat bike tires. We loved watching them whip around the driveway with blowing hair and smiles on their magical bikes.
In a matter of days, the moods and energy of everyone I know has lifted. I have suddenly felt more alive and ready to tackle some new challenges. How about you?
It's exciting to think it won't be long until green grass is sprouting and dinner can be served on the deck. Of course this is just a late winter tease but
Dear Spring, I can't wait for you to arrive!
Shine your light,
kathy

Valentines Very Berry Coffee Cake

2011-02-10T15:20:00.002-06:00

This is a Sunday morning treat for my family. It has the brown sugar crunchy topping of traditional coffee cake and added berries for color and a fresh taste. Serve it with crisp bacon and hot cocoa or coffee for a perfect breakfast.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. ricotta cheese or sour cream
1 16 oz pkg frozen berries, thawed

Topping:
1 c. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13 x 9 baking dish, set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Alternately add flour and sour cream or ricotta to egg mixture. Beat at low speed to blend. Fold in berries. Pour into greased pan.

For topping, beat brown sugar and butter together. Add flour and nuts and stir to make crumbly mixture. Spread on top of batter. Bake 30 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Icicles, indoor soccer, yoga, & dancing

2011-02-03T19:36:00.000-06:00

To Look up is Joy
~Confucius
The sun came out today and I got a shot of the ice glistening in the sun.

I'd like to go climbing a birch tree....
~Robert Frost

Four days out of school due to snow and ice and cabin fever is setting in. The kids are bouncing around and I don't even seem to mind much as various balls fly through the house. Nothing is broken yet and I have danced to Justin and Miley.

Dancing Queen

Little Bug in action

Better yoga than I can do

The goalie gloves are on

I am dreaming of warm days for bike riding, tree climbing, and rocking on the front porch with a some crunchy chips, fresh guacamole and an icy drink.
Shine your light,
kathy

Ice Storm and my $30 Vintage Fur

2011-02-02T13:12:00.002-06:00

Day three of the great Midwesterm ice storm. Our cars have an inch thick layer of ice on them, my kids have made the house an obstacle course for indoor winter wipeout, and I have been outside bringing in firewood and snapping a few photos of the silvery ice on the trees.

Rewind to hot sunny Labor Day weekend, 2010. This is the weekend every year that my little town celebrates Old Fashion Days. This three day event includes the county's largest parade featuring hundreds of antique tractors. You can also shop antique booths, buy handmade crafts and Watkins Vanilla, eat crispy battered tenderloin sandwiches and drink lemon shake ups.

My entire family flocks to our ranch to take part in all the festivities. It's especially fun because we are only 2.2 miles from town and we can drive the Ranger for easy parking. The kids get a thrill sitting in back on a quilt while the wind whips through their hair.

This past Labor Day weekend was especially fun. My sister, step mom, and I were up there with the kids getting fake tattoos and listening to a bluegrass band called The New Old Timers. Thankfully my mom was back at home watching the little ones and the grandpas.

Helen my stepmother, told me to come see something in a little antique booth. I went over and she showed me a long dark chocolate brown fur coat. It was a little dusty and tattered but it had the prettiest vintage buttons. She told me to buy it. I offered the guy $30 for the coat and a couple stuffed toys for the kids. He took it. We laughed all the way home in the Ranger and I modeled it for everyone back at the ranch as I dripped with sweat. I have never had a fur coat before but Helen insisted I needed one for warmth with all the outdoor winter things I do. The price was certainly right.

Helen had the coat cleaned and the lining repaired for me. We then forgot about it and I picked it up in December. Irene -the fur cleaner- told me it was rabbit and very old. I don't think she was too impressed.

Fast forward to today. Out in the cold, windy, slick ice storm bringing in firewood, I am totally loving my super warm vintage fur coat. My kids are too as little Scout calls it my big bear coat and they are using it as a blanket for a fun nap. My big dog Buck grabbed a hunk of the fur as he thought I was a live animal. It's OK though, this coat will be happily worn on days like this for many years to come.

Artistic Escape

2011-01-30T21:58:00.000-06:00

Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life.
John Lubbock, Sr.

Everyone has an inner artist. Some of express it often and some of keep it hidden away. A work of art can be anything from a home cooked meal, a decorated room, to an oil on canvas. That's the cool thing - we all have our own unique art to share.

It has been less than a month since I began taking a six week art discovery workshop called Soul Restoration. I was given a list of art supplies to buy, and each week we get our assignments with instructional videos to assist the beginner artists like me. I had never heard of Mod Podge and now I love it dearly. My instructor, Melody Ross calls it Soul Glue.

There is also something fun about having my own art supplies. It reminds me of the joy my kids have as they get their new school supplies each summer. Now my heart goes pitter patter in the art and craft sections of stores. Martha Stewart's Florentine gold glitter, fresh paint brushes, and a Krylon 18 kt. gold leafing pen seem magical. I don't think my art is ready to be entered in a juried art fair but the journey sure is fun.
Go ahead, unleash your inner artist and see what you create.
Keep shining your light,
Kathy

How do you say goodbye to a 12 year old girl?

2011-01-27T18:11:00.000-06:00

How to do comfort a friend who lost her 12 year old daughter to the flu?
You go there. You listen. You take food. You make her lunch. Hot soup, a chicken salad sandwich and an extra large fountain diet coke. Carrot cake bars. Her favorites. You know because she is your friend of 25 years.

But Hunter is not there. Sweet, beautiful, artistic, loving Hunter. Hunter with the denim blue eyes, light blond hair, pretty smile and gentle ways. You are not gone are you? It is not real. How could this be?

Hunter, we miss you so much already. How do I comfort your mom? What will make her feel better? Her faith in God? Her loving family? Her true friends? I hope you help us. I will continue to be a friend to your mom.You touched so many in your short life. We will always cherish the time we spent with you. You are so loved.

Summer Fun. Hiking and creek stomping with friends. Hunter on far left.

More Meatloaf, Mom!

2011-01-14T19:11:00.000-06:00

Marvelous Meatloaf!

I am writing this even before the dishes are done. Tonight I took pictures too. My family loves this meatloaf recipe and it was gone in a flash. No leftovers. My son Indy had four helpings. I think it's the sweet glaze on top. Make this for your family and let me know if they love it too.

Ranch Meatloaf
2 pounds ground chuck/beef/your choice
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 onion chopped - I keep bags of frozen chopped onions in the freezer -use 1 cup.
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 t. salt
1/2 ground pepper
Glaze
1/2 cup ketchup
3 T. brown sugar
2 t. mustard
*for a little spice I add a dash of ground cayenne pepper

Combine first eight ingredients in a large bowl. Optional: squirt a little BBQ sauce in too - about 1/4 cup. Place in a lightly oiled pan and shape into a big loaf. Bake for 40 minutes at 350.

Make the glaze and spread it on after the 40 minutes. I like to spoon out the grease and add some frozen corn and green beans around the meatloaf then too.

Bake for 20 more minutes. Turn off oven and let rest for 10-15 more. Salt the veggies, slice the meatloaf and serve. Enjoy!

1/11/11

2011-01-11T11:47:00.000-06:00

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.
Albert Einstein

Life is mysterious and constantly changing. What are the stirrings of your heart? Listen to your intuition. Keep moving in the direction of your whispers. What is calling you? Write something down in your calendar or journal. Little steps will move you forward. Today is a day of new beginnings. 1/11/11.

Today the snow is falling here in Indiana. I was able to capture a photo of a red fox across the pond.

Today my friend Tiffany featured me in an interview on her photography blog about my passion for yoga. I was honored she asked. She and her brother have an amazing business. They inspire me with their creative photography and style.
http://blog.nathanieledmunds.com/2011/01/10/guest-blogger-yoga/

I'm also starting an online art course today called Soul Restoration. I set up a little table in the family room under the window. I have no idea what I will create but my heart is open to possibilities. Are you open to the possibilities?

I have never used Mod Podge or any of the supplies I on the list.

Here's to new beginnings.

Shine your light,

kathy

We are Magical Magnets attracting the life of our dreams

2011-01-08T13:44:00.003-06:00

"You are a magnet
that attracts to you
all that you focus your thoughts,
emotions and energies on."
~ GRACE

I woke up this morning, looked out the window to the clear winter sky, and told my husband I missed the birds. I know they will start to return in a few months, but I miss their sweet song and happy presence during the long cold winter months here in the Midwest. Winter is a good time to go within, dream, plan, and do our inner work.

What would you like to attract more of in your life?
If you desire more health and happiness in life, are you reading books on health and happiness? Are you aligning with healthy and happy people? Are you smiling a lot, gently exercising, eating healthy food, and imagining yourself as a vibrant, healthy, and happy being?
We are magnets to the energy we want and the energy we give out. Are you ready to get on another path? You can do it! We truly have the power inside of us. My blogger friend Kerri wrote about finding a necklace saying She Can Do Incredible Things! She is now wearing it and hoping to do incredible new things this year. I can't wait to see what she does!
Decide what you want to do and then Ask, Believe, and Receive. Go in the direction of your dreams.
Write your dreams down, make a vision board (I will write about this later they totally work!), talk to a trusted friend about finding your passion.
Do you know what your passion is? It's OK if you don't. Look around. What calls to you? Browse the web or a bookstore and see where you are drawn to. Crafts, organic gardening, healthy cooking, traveling to far exotic places, modern architecture, aviation, collage art, animal rescue, children's literature, painting. The list goes on and on and on.
Being a stay at home mom, I love e-courses. You can find them in any area of interest and do them at your own pace.
Jump on that new path of discovery. If you are trying, I know for sure that doors will open, people will enter, experiences will present themselves. It is the law of attraction at work.

You are incredible! You are meant to let your light shine and live the life of your dreams. Find out what your dreams are and live them!
Keep me posted too. E-mail me if you want me to help you discover your passion. Shine your light,
kathy
kathyanne70@gmail.com

This is my favorite spot to dream in the summer. It's under a tree overlooking wildflowers and a pond.

Our lives are our creation.
We need to acknowledge how incredible our lives already are and therefore how powerful we are. We have all created a great many unique, interesting, even amazing experiences in our lives so far. We have attracted a number of fascinating characters in to the drama of our personal reality. These people and experiences are all mirrors of our creativity . Although we are all capable of creating even better and more satisfying realities, what we have already manifested is strong proof of how powerful our beings really are
Shakti Gawain.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T18:44:00.000-06:00

Colorful Balloon I saw flying this summer

Happy New Year, Friends! Yes, this is a few days after the new year but I was down with the flu from New Year's Eve until now. I am so happy to feel better. I am ready for a fresh start, how about you?
The past year was filled with many good things that fill me with gratitude.
1. I continued teaching my yoga class and now have quite a few regular students coming each week. My class on New Year's Eve (just hours before the flu bug struck me down) had 21 yogis on their mats as I read to them about taking the path off the path in life and embracing the moment.

2. A big milestone and life changer -My youngest son is potty trained! Ten years of carrying a diaper bag has ended. For this I am so grateful!

3. I took an online class by artist Kelly Rae Roberts called Flying Lessons. That class gave me creative inspiration and put me in an online group of artistic flyers where we support each other's creative projects. This encouraged me to paint for the first time since high school, keep blogging, and dream bigger.

4. In April, I turned 40 and it felt fantastic. Also, my book club celebrated ten years together and we continue to eat, read, and connect once every month.

5. I continue to help at my kids school collecting and counting thousands of Box Tops, reading with students in reading groups, and being a PTO mom, soccer mom, baseball & basketball mom, and dance & tumbling mom. The list keeps growing with my kids.

6. My husband and I continue to finish our house project to make it what we have always dreamed it to be. It's been a long slow process but so worth it.

7. The most fun family thing we did was take the kids to the ocean this summer. It was a fun filled week of adventure that we hope to do again. There is nothing like a sandy beach if you live in the Midwest.

8. My final thing I stay grateful for is growing with family and connecting with friends old and new. These are the things I hold most dear. It's all about embracing the moments in life.

Here is to another year filled with family, friends, good health, gratitude, continued creativity, and big dreams.
Gratefully yours,
Kathy

Happy Inspiration

2010-12-28T10:07:00.000-06:00

I just found this painting online and it made my heart sing! I just love it! The amazing artist is Lori Portka. Here are a couple more of her colorful happy paintings. I hope you smile too.

Shine your light,
kathy

Thoughts, Reflections & Winter on Wordle

2010-12-28T08:05:00.004-06:00

Hi Friends, I found the coolest website called wordle. It takes a blog or post and makes a word collage. I used mine and this is what it made.
Seeing these words made me embrace this winter season.
A season for going within, reflecting on life. What is working? What can be improved? It's OK to slow down, curl up on the couch with a fluffy blanket, read a book, take a nap, rest, rejuvenate, reflect, refresh. Embrace life.

Wordle - Winter: ""
(click on the picture for a clear image)
If you are still reading this, I will share that we had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the magic through our kids' eyes. The week leading up to Christmas was difficult. We had a death in my husband's family. My husband then came down with a fever of 104 and was in bed for two days. He's well now but we are still feeling emotions about our loss. A fight we lost many years ago due to the disease of alcoholism. The loving intervention did not work but our counselor told us we should move on with our lives and find peace and happiness. Those words he gave us were a gift. We did move on to find peace and happiness in life, have four beautiful children, and a warm and nurturing home. We did our best and that's all we could do. We could not save her. We hope she is a peace now.
Looking forward to new beginnings in 2011. I hope you are too.
kathy

Winter Solstice

2010-12-21T08:22:00.003-06:00

There's a certain Slant of light, Winter Afternoons - That oppresses, like the Heft of Cathedral Tunes.
Emily Dickinson

Today is Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year due to the sun's tilt. Tomorrow the days will begin to have more daylight. I have always felt a strong pull and fascination to the winter and summer solstice dates. From the beginning of time we humans have celebrated these changing of the seasons of darkness and light with many celebrations. Christmas "Christ's Mass" is on December 25th which is Winter Solstice on the Roman or Julian calendar. Ancient Sweden's Winter Solstice is Lucia, Feast of St. Lucy. The Germanic "Yule" is celebrated with midwinter feasts and gift giving. The celebrations around the world are vast and abundant. Today I will light a candle and celebrate this new season in nature.

A Time for Change
I envision and prepare for new beginnings. As winter makes its arrival, I notice changes on display in nature--leaves gone from the trees, birds flying south and the temperature turning cold. As we leave one season of our lives and transition to another, we may feel a sense of loss. Yet just as the trees use winter to prepare internally for eventual springtime, I know that a quiet time of reflection allows me to envision and prepare for new beginnings in my life.
I cannot hold on to the life that was, but I can fully live the life that is, right now. By embracing the present moment, I find peace in the midst of change. I find hope remembering that in due time, in the right season, my own spring--my rebirth--will burst forth.

Surrender all to Love

2010-12-19T10:42:00.002-06:00

Winter has arrived!

2010-12-13T10:02:00.004-06:00

Beautiful Owl

Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again.
~Bill Morgan, Jr.

Winter has definitely arrived here the the great Midwest. My husband and I have stacked wood and fired up the wood burning stove. The kids have been enjoying the powdery snow for sledding and snowboading fun. Here are some weekend photos I snapped to capture the winter fun.

Indy in action!

Fireball pulling Scout with dog Betty following

Blaze's mini snowman creation

Snowdog Buck

The racing trio

Fireball pulling Scout uphill

Warming up with popcorn and Battleship

Comfort Food: Baked Ziti

2010-12-07T18:23:00.001-06:00

Hi Friends - Here is a dish that my family gets excited about every time I make it. It's so easy and is extreme comfort food. Make this with a salad and crusty bread and I promise you will have smiles galore!

Here is what you need and it only takes 15 minutes to put together:

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta or any tubular pasta of your choice
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 pound shredded Italian Five Cheese Blend (Mozzarella is fine too)
1 egg, beaten
1 (32 ounce) jar marinara sauce of your choice
1 pound cooked and drained ground beef , sausage or turkey (optional - I use it because I have 4 growing kids)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook and drain ground meat and add jar of marinara sauce. (Meat is optional)
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, don't overcook. Drain, rinse and set aside in bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, shredded cheese (set one cup aside), & egg.
4. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spoon in 1 cup of marinara sauce, layer with half of ziti and then half of cheese mixture. Repeat and top with remaining spaghetti sauce.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, remove and top with remaining shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until bubbly.

Baked Ziti, salad with creamy balsamic dressing, and a glass of Chianti.

Note: This is a huge crowd pleaser. I have made two pans for larger groups. One pan I make a little spicier with a fancier Marinara sauce or added crushed red pepper. I always make the basic recipe for kids. You can also add spinach, mushrooms, or roasted veggies. Make it your own!

Simple Gifts of Love & Gratitude

2010-11-29T07:59:00.001-06:00

Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.

Kahlil Gibran

This morning as I piled the kids in the car we saw the most amazing sunrise. I ran back in the house to grab my camera and snapped a few photos of nature's brilliance.

I returned home and pulled the Jeep up to the house as my husband was leaving for work and told him to take it since it was nice and warmed up with a full tank of gas. Three minutes later he called me and told me to go outside and look at the sunrise. I smiled and told him I had already seen it and taken photos.

This was a gift to me this morning. It made me happy to think that we both took time to give simple gifts of love to each other - a warm car, the beauty of a winter sunrise, a phone call. For this I am most grateful.

In the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, let's make sure to remember what's most important, making others feel loved and appreciated.

I challenge you to do something everyday until Christmas to make someone's day better. Let me know what you did and what happened.

Shine your light,

kathy

Grilled Turkey, Cranberry & Brie

2010-11-23T12:01:00.001-06:00

I'm already into the cranberries! After dashing around all morning getting the groceries for Thanksgiving here at the ranch, I came home so hungry. At Trader Joe's I bought a tub of cranberry/orange relish that I was going to add to a pot of fresh cranberries I will soon make. I also bought a wedge of creamy French Brie as part of a cheese plate to start things with on Thursday.

I just couldn't resist. I have a thing for turkey and cranberry sandwiches. My T & C recipe post from last year is here. Today I wanted something warm and melty. This is what was created. It was just what I hoped for and worth another trip to the store.

Grilled Turkey, Cranberry, & Brie:
Good Bread, buttered
Pulled Turkey (chicken works too)
Brie Cheese
Cranberry Relish - I used Trader Joe's
Crunchy Iceberg Lettuce or Watercress

On a warm buttered griddle, panini maker, or pan place buttered bread. Add cheese on both pieces. Top with turkey, cranberry relish, and crisp greens. After bread is toasty put two pieces together and toast until cheese is gooey.
Slice and enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving!

My new yoga project

2010-11-15T14:50:00.002-06:00

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live." - Greg Anderson

This week I was asked to lead a yoga session at a downtown business conference with a theme of *Revive*Reinvent*Renergize!

They needed a Bio of me and a website. This made me get my creative juices flowing and this is what I created.

http://k2yoga.blogspot.com/

I am excited to share my passion for yoga and develop more ways to communicate my enthusiasm. Saying "yes" to this conference was really stepping outside my comfort zone. I will report how it goes on Wednesday.

Namaste,

kathy

Ear Piercing Extravaganza

2010-11-04T09:45:00.002-05:00

Mimi & Girls at The Piercing Pagoda

My daughter has been asking to get her hears pierced for a long time. She turned seven this week so I decided it was time.
I was nine and thought I had to wait too long. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was 1979 and my mom drove me in the cherry red & wood paneled station wagon to a store called Ayr-Way (now Target). It was a thrilling experience to sit in the special chair and feeling the sting of the staple-gun contraption piercing the gold balls in my ears. My little sister watched in awe as well.

Fast forward to 2010. My daughter and I drive an hour to a fancy mega-mall to meet my mom, my sister and her seven year old daughter. Our daughters are so very close and love to experience life together.

My mom arrived first to scout out our options. We were thinking Claire's Boutique was the place but it was crowded with only one teenage girl working. In front of Claire's, my mom discovered The Piercing Pagoda where you buy the earrings and get piercing for free. It was clean, quiet and a sweet woman was working there. The girls picked out sparkling flowers with gold posts.

My daughter "Phoebe Fireball" went first. My mom, sister, and I hovered like mother hens making sure the dots were in the center of her lobes. I held one hand and "Sweet Lee-Lee" held the other. "Click" went the piercing gun and Phoebe's eyes got wide with shock and pain as she fought back tears to be brave and strong. We cheered. Click went the other sparkling purple flower. It was done. She was thrilled and gazed proudly at her red lobes that sparkled.

Lee-Lee went next. Same mother/grandmother/aunt hovering. Her lobes were smaller so we had to have the nice lady re-do the dots a few times. Lib and Phoebe held her hands. Click! Lee-Lee felt the pain and the tears rolled down her cheeks. We cheered her on. Click again as the final pink flower pierced her ear. Done. Hooray!

They stood together looking at each other proudly and then gazed into the mirror. A special time they will always remember. They did it together.

After all the energy it took out of us we decided to end the excitement with lunch at the food court. A fun girls day for all!

Lee-Lee & Phoebe with sparkling earrings!

A Grilled Cheese Martha Would Like

2010-10-28T11:41:00.002-05:00

My little son "Scout" loves to have grilled cheese and apple slices for lunch. I usually eat his crust and other tidbits he leaves on his plate (I know you moms get it). Today I decided to make my own grilled cheese for a few reasons.

1. Martha Stewart was on Oprah recently teaching her to use good bread, butter, and assorted cheeses, fruits, veggies, and herbs. Her grilled cheese bar looked so delicious!

2. I just happened to have a rosemary artisan loaf of bread that needed attention.

3. I have tart Granny Smith apples and one ripe yellow pepper.

On the hot griddle I threw on butter to sizzle, placed two slices of rosemary bread on the butter, added yellow pepper slices on one piece of bread and toppped it with a slice of creamy cheddar cheese. On the other slice of bread I topped it with a slice of swiss cheese and thin apple slices. After letting the bread brown, I folded the sandwich together. It was perfectly crisp with gooey melted cheese.

Martha would be proud of this one. Now I need a good tomato soup recipe.

Autumn Beauty, Pictures and Poems

2010-10-24T16:40:00.000-05:00

I never want to leave the ranch during this season. Here are some photos I snapped on a walk in the crisp autumn air.

"In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as
from August to November."
- Rose G. Kingsley, The Autumn Garden

"Just before the death of flowers,
And before they are buried in snow,
There comes a festival season
When nature is all aglow."

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October." - Nathaniel Hawthorne

"The sweet calm sunshine of October, now Warms the low spot; upon its grassy mold The purple oak-leaf falls; the birchen bough
drops its bright spoil like arrow-heads of gold."
- William Cullen Bryant

"The leaves fall patiently

Nothing remembers or grieves
The river takes to the sea
The yellow drift of leaves."
- Sara Teasdale

EMBRACE THE MOMENT

2010-10-15T16:20:00.000-05:00

DREAM BIG

2010-10-12T08:58:00.000-05:00

Sweet Treat - Grandma's Butterscotch Blondies

2010-10-11T08:18:00.000-05:00

I have had a few requests for a sweet recipe. This is a winner! My oldest son "Blaze" is my pickiest eater all around. He came home and was telling me how good Mrs. L's bars with powdered sugar were after a soccer game. She gave me the recipe and I have made them twice last week and am pulling butter out of the fridge as I write to make some more. There is nothing like the aroma of whisking butter, vanilla, eggs, and brown sugar together! Enjoy!

Grandma's Butterscotch Blondies
1 stick butter, softened
2 C. light brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 C. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
powdered sugar

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, baking powder, salt and mix well. The batter is irresistible! Bake at 350 in a greased and floured 9x13 pan for 20-25 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Warning: they disappear fast!

Perfect Pot Roast - Great for a Fall Gathering or Family Dinner

2010-10-05T13:21:00.002-05:00

I have made this twice in the last month for my family, and gave the recipe to my friend Tiffany to make for a birthday party. We both agreed that our husbands love this one - as well as the plain eaters in the family. It's comfort food that's simple and delicious! Fire up your crock pot or make it in a covered pan in the oven. You choose. Just make sure to serve it with a big fresh loaf of crusty bread and butter and a glass of deep red Zinfandel.

Ingredients

Perfect Pot Roast

4 lb. Chuck Roast

1 bag frozen pearl onions

2 bags fresh baby carrots

4-6 lg Yukon Gold potatoes cubed

1 32 oz box Emeril's Beef Stock

1 Sprig fresh Rosemary

Salt & pepper

Generously salt and pepper roast on both sides. Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large skillet. Brown roast on each side for 5 minutes until it is sizzling and very brown. While roast is browning, add stock to warming crock pot. I like to add a splash of red wine to the pot too. Place browned roast in pot and place onions and carrots on skillet to brown with a pinch more salt for 5 minutes. Place carrots, onions, and cubed potatoes on and around roast. Salt and pepper once more and add sprig of rosemary. Cover and roast of high for 4 hours or until meat is very tender. If roasting in oven, roast on 325 for 3 hours covered in foil.

When done, remove rosemary and serve in stew bowls with crusty bread and butter. Enjoy!

A "Thing" for Festivals

2010-09-25T19:25:00.010-05:00

My mom and I have this "thing" for festivals. Ever since I can remember she was always taking my sister and me to art fairs, cultural festivals, and the good ole State Fair. My favorite purple tie-dyed t-shirt came from

an art fair in State College, Pennsylvania when I was seven.

This weekend my sons had two travel soccer games in nearby towns and my sister and her husband were on a birthday weekend getaway. My mom was watching her three kids. We discovered there was a festival in one of the soccer game towns so we coordinated meeting with all the kids and taking them. This is no small feat. She met me at one game and had six of the kids, I drove to pick up my other son at another field. Of course he scores before I get there, which always seems to happen. I bring him back to the original field and we caravan to the town's festival.

The weather was perfect and we parked and hopped on a hayride to tour the pretty park, making sure we had a "buddy system" in place. After hopping off the wagon we entered and searched for the food ( mom and my favorite part!). I spent $29 on corn dogs and drinks for all seven kids and found a shaded picnic table to dine. My turn came to choose and I went for the "Bob & Carol's Philly Cheese Steak" Stand - a true mom and pop stand with juicy steak drenched in cheese, onions, and peppers. I doused mine with hot sauce too. My mom opted for a walking taco and lemon shake up.

After finishing lunch, my mom popped for dessert- a bag of cinnamon sugar mini donuts hot off the press (or fryer). The kind man even threw in a few extra for our motley bunch (the kids were getting dirty by now). The hot donuts disappeared in an instant and we were off to the bounce houses and booths. With seven kids, not much shopping was accomplished, just lots of smiles and squeals. Finally, the kids started to have blank stares and we were all running out of steam. We hopped back on the hayride to the parking lot and called it a day.
I really do think we are passing on the love of festivals and fairs to the kids as they always say, "Can we do this again?" I smile and hope we will, too.
K

Super Harvest Moon

2010-09-22T20:34:00.000-05:00

The Super Harvest Moon Is Upon Us

Tonight is the night of the autumnal equinox 2010. It will mark the beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and the the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

In addition to this, Jupiter and the moon will appear next to each other in the night sky. This amazing phenomenon is known as the “super harvest moon“.

Super Harvest Moon Dance

Good Thoughts from Circle of Light.com below:
This celebration is observed with a harvest feast to celebrate and share the abundance of the past season.

Traditionally, this celebration was observed with a harvest feast to celebrate and share the abundance of the past season. And a time when the plants are setting their seeds; making themselves ready for their new cycle. This ritual is all about harvesting ALL the Universe has waiting for you. And for assisting you to use this time to balance yourself and your life; setting yourself and your life to be ready for your new cycle of being. Remember everything that is placed on one side of the scale has to have something else placed on the other side. Thus, this ritual assists in creating and maintaining that balance; using this time to look closely at the balance in your life and shifting what needs to be shifted or changing what needs to be changed.

How do you balance your personal needs with your commitments to the outside world? How do you receive? How do you give? How do you hold on to that which is no longer beneficial in your life? You might want to reflect on this in a journal or make it concrete by putting objects on a scale. For everything which represents one side of the scale to you (for instance, a book representing quiet time alone), place something on the other side which represents its opposite (a letter or phone for reaching out to friends). If your scale is out of balance then this ritual can assist you to bring yourself and your life back into balance; thus harvesting more peace of mind, joy, prosperity, happiness; and less loneliness, chaos, confusion and frustration. A time to plant the seeds making yourself ready for your new cycle.

Happy Harvest Moon,
Kathy

Sandwich Art - Toasted Chicken & Tomato with Creamy Basil Spread

2010-09-21T11:15:00.002-05:00

I think a good sandwich is a work of art.

Before becoming a stay at home mom I owned a gourmet sandwich

cafe with my sister and dad. We created all of our recipes from scratch using only fresh and natural ingredients. I am still creating new recipes in my own kitchen at the ranch.

Here is what I just made for lunch using leftover grilled chicken and fresh tomatoes and basil.

Toasted Chicken & Tomato Sandwich with Creamy Basil Spread

Toast good bread

Spread both pieces with creamy basil spread (recipe below)

Add pulled chicken (can be turkey and or bacon)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper

Add slices of tomato

Top with basil leaves

Cut and enjoy!

Serve the sandwich with tortilla chips and the extra basil spread as dip.

Creamy Basil Spread

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 c. sour cream (or mayo)

Bunch of fresh basil leaves up to 1 c. (1T. dried basil can work)

1 t. dried Italian herbs

1 t. salt

ground pepper. Blend until creamy (I used my Magic BulletMixer)

Juice Journey Update

2010-09-13T17:02:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends,

Thanks for all the questions and interest on the juicing. You should know, I am not a dieter. I've never been on a diet. I love to eat. I love to cook. That's the problem.

Until recently and even after having four kids, I have been lucky to naturally stay around a certain weight with regular exercise and eating mostly what I want. The day I turned 40 it all seemed to change. It hit me over the head like a frying pan last week when the air got cooler and I reached for my favorite Lucky jeans. They would not zip from extra bulge in the gut.

That's when I called my friend Shannon in Iowa and asked her about her juice diet. She told me it works. I trusted her and started the minute we hung up.

Fast forward five days of just juicing. It works. I have dropped six pounds and the jeans have zipped. I feel cleansed and refreshed and back to a starting point. Kathy 2.0.

I just made my first meal - a veggie quesadilla (recipe will be posted soon). It tasted delicious and I enjoyed every bite slowly. I plan to get back on the juice for a three more days to drop a few more because crock pot season is about to begin.

Here is what I did for five days:

I did not give up my morning cup of coffee. I need my coffee.

Fresh juice prepared as much as I want followed by drinking lots of water.

In my blender (Magic Bullet) I filled it with ice, chopped fruit and a little water or Boathouse Farms carrot juice.

Fruit I used - all whole and organic and skins on:

Bananas, green apples, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, pineapple, strawberries, peaches, purple grapes, and avocado.

If I was out and on the go I bought fresh juice in the produce department of the grocery like Odwalla, Naked, and Boathouse Farms fresh juice blends.

Drank lots of water. Remember, cleanse!

The end of day two was the most difficult time for me. I was tired and sweating out toxins and my body wanted food. I pushed through that time with another smoothie and felt so much better. By day three and four I felt fantastic! Another benefit was that my kids loved drinking my juice blends too!

I had really planned on doing a seven day cleanse but on day five after four soccer games, teaching two yoga classes, and a Cub Scout BBQ, I came home and made the precious veggie quesadilla.

That's the story. It worked. I encourage you to try it to drop a few pounds, cleanse your body, and feel great! Crock pot season here I come! I will re-post my Indian Summer Beef Stew with Crusty Buttered Bread soon.

Happy Juicing,

Juice Time!

2010-09-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

After a summer of indulgent eating with my kids, I just realized I can't zip up my jeans. I called my friend Shannon in Iowa to get her wellness advice. She's into the healthy/ fitness/vegetarian lifestyle. She told me she was in the same too tight jeans boat a few months ago and started juicing and got quick and healthy results. She suggested going on a juice fast for a week to cleanse my body and drop a few pounds. I'm going to try it.

This morning I dusted off my Magic Bullet Mixer and tossed in a banana, sliced green apple, strawberries, and Boathouse Farms carrot juice. I poured it in a pretty glass on ice and am sipping it now as I write. It is utterly delicious and filling. Below is a paragraph I found on a juicing website about its health benefits.

Fresh juice provides us with minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins and much more. All of these factors are vital to maintaining good health. You will find that when you make fresh juice a daily part of your diet, you will have increased energy, a glowing complexion, strengthened immune system, stronger bones and a reduced risk of disease. It is recommended that you drink at least 16 ounces of freshly squeezed juice each day.
Let the juicing begin.
I'll update soon.

Busy August - Starting School and Turning Ten!

2010-08-30T19:23:00.001-05:00

“Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun. Care for those around you. Look past your differences. Their dreams are no less than yours, their choices no more easily made. And give, give in any way you can, of whatever you posses. To give is to love. To withhold is to wither. Care less for your harvest than for how it is shared and your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace.”
Kent Nerburn

It's really hard to believe that August is almost over. It's been busy busy busy and hot hot hot!
School started weeks ago and my oldest three began playing fall soccer. Little Scout starts preschool for 3 year olds next week and for the first time in ten years I will be by myself two mornings a week for two hours. I think I will sit in my house and listen to the silence. Oh, and maybe do a few loads of piled up laundry etc. Maybe I should just get out those paints again. Who knows...

Speaking of "ten", my oldest son turned 10 years
old this weekend. I thought my life was great before kids, but the day he was born I went from living in black and white to full technicolor. I did not know my heart was capable of so much love. I feel so blessed.
To celebrate, he wanted to have some friends over for a party. My husband and I sent them on a wild scavenger hunt through the woods in search of sparkling rocks from the creek, and snakes and lizards (purchased at the dollar store).

The party ended after hours of creek stomping with cupcakes and a smoke bomb. Seeing the boys frolic in the great outdoors made me want to bottle up those sweet, joyful and innocent moments. I was nearby taking pictures and smiling for sure.

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For the Love of Yoga

2010-08-24T14:47:00.001-05:00

Thanks for the way you make me feel like I just swallowed sunlight. I hope we're together for as long as that sun shines.

It's been 20 years since taking a Hatha Yoga class my junior year of college. Since then it has always been a part of my life. For over a year I have been fortunate to teach a mixed level Vinyasa Flow class 1-3 times per week. Each week there are usually new students who join the class. I tell them yoga means to join the mind, body, and breath, and to enjoy the hour as a gift to themselves.
The bottom line: It Feels Good!
As we move our bodies in a dimly lit room, we quite the mind. We check in and release any tension or strain. There is no competition or judgement. We breathe and feel ourselves in the present moment. We stretch. Inhale. Exhale.
It Feels Good.
Below is a letter I found written by a women who loves yoga too.
Dear Yoga,
I know, I know, we were just on the mat together, but there's something I'd like to say before we meet again tomorrow.
We live in a world that loves to tell me what to do with my body. From parents to teachers to government to doctors and dentists and personal trainers to television to the backs of cereal boxes, for Pete's sake.
Every day, someone tells me what and what not to eat (yes to quinoa, no to ice cream - thanks for that, when and when not to eat (every two hours, only when I'm hungry), what numbers I have to know (cholesterol, blood pressure, BMI), what behavior is acceptable (don't sing on the subway), what I must buy to be attractive (that is so last year), what hours I must work to prove my worth (lots and lots), what performance I've got to give every day to be worthwhile to someone else (always on, always 100%).
None of this feels like me.
So, yoga, thanks for encouraging me to show up when it feels right, to do what feels wonderful and within my chosen limits (my choice!), to challenge myself when I care to, and to rest in Child's Pose whenever I want. Thanks for encouraging and not demanding. Thanks for the joy you give back, whether I'm with you for five minutes or an hour and a half.
I love the way you make me laugh more easily, like myself more with every pose, and remind me with every practice of the beautiful, glowing-faced wonder I am.
Thanks for the way you make me feel like I just swallowed sunlight. I hope we're together for as long as that sun shines,
Kristin
Kristin Shepherd is a chiropractor, actor, and speaker (about All Things Wonderful) from North Bay, Ontario.
The photo above was taken with my friend Susan as we attended David Romanelli's
Yoga + Chocolate Everything is Sweeter in the Moment workshop. That was a treat!

You are meant to have an amazing life!

2010-08-19T13:15:00.001-05:00

You are meant to have an amazing life!

This is the first sentence in the introduction of Rhonda Byrne's new book the Power.
I am a huge fan of her first book The Secret in which she writes about the Law of Attraction; whatever you give, is exactly what you attract back to yourself. Byrne's new book almost jumped off the shelf to me as I was searching for mechanical pencils and cheap gym shoes for the kids.

the Power is all about the positive force of love. I am only 21 pages into the book but I wanted to share a section I circled in red pen.
People who have great lives talk more about what they love. By doing so, they gain unlimited access to all the good in life, and they are free as the birds that soar in the sky. To have a great life, break the bars of the cage that is jailing you; give love, talk only about what you love, and love will set you free!
Nothing is impossible for the force of love. No matter who you are, no matter what situation you may be facing, the force of love can set you free. -the Power
What do you love?

The Sweet Escape of Books

2010-08-14T08:42:00.000-05:00

Reading will set you free. - quote from my 10th grade English teacher

It has been swirling craziness around here. The kids started school this week, our house had been under construction for months with a few major setbacks and delays and is a tornado inside and out, three of my kids are in soccer on different teams and leagues, I have been teaching and training for more fitness classes, and I am still in the midst of potty training with lots of success yet frequent setbacks.

Everyone one of you reading could write a similar paragraph above with your busy lives. How do you cope amidst the chaos? What do you turn to for comfort and refuge?

I turn to books. The bigger and more intense the stress, the bigger the books I put my nose into. As this crazy time started a couple weeks ago, I chose to dive into a 1236 page small print historical fiction novel, World Without End by Ken Follett. This is the sequel to his epic bestselling dramatic Medieval novel, Pillars of the Earth. I read Pillars more than ten years ago.

One word comes to mind: ESCAPE. How thrilling it is to quickly slip back into year 1327 to experience the hard life in ancient England where life revolved around a great cathedral and and the town of Kingsbridge filled with good, strong, and villainous characters. Desire, Black Death plague, war, passion, and family conflict fill these pages that I willingly get lost in.
Maybe this makes my life seem like cake compared to those hard times of peasants and serfs. As I sift through assignment notebooks and my overloaded calendar, the Medieval world of Kingsbridge lingers in the back of my mind. Sweet escape. What's yours?

Italian Sausage Burgers

2010-08-09T18:40:00.002-05:00

My husband brought home some Italian sausages, sweet onions, and garden fresh peppers and asked me to create something yummy. I always love that challenge! Only having burger buns, I created Italian sausage burgers. They were so easy and delicious!
First, I chopped all the veggies and tossed them with olive oil, salt, & pepper. I placed them in my vegetable grill basket and BK put them on the grill for 15 minutes turning occasionally while the sausages boiled.

We took the veggies off the grill and added the sausages on for 10 minutes. While they were grilling, I warmed some burger buns in the oven to lightly crisp, opened and warmed a jar of marinara sauce, and a package of sliced provolone cheese. I sliced the sausages, placed them on the crisp buns, added a slice of cheese, sauce, & peppers. Yummy Italian sausage burgers! These would be good without meat too.

Top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Tomato Mozzarella Basil Salad

2010-08-08T09:21:00.007-05:00

My favorite summer salad is simple, fresh, delicious!

Tomato, Mozzarella, & Basil Salad
Slice up fresh tomatoes
Slice a fresh ball of Buffalo Mozzarella cheese
Tear fresh basil leaves
Arrange on platter
Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil on top
Add sea salt and ground pepper

Fearless Friday

2010-07-30T06:10:00.009-05:00

"To me, Fearless is not the absence of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. To me, Fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death."
— Taylor Swift

My six year old daughter conquered a fear and jumped off the high dive. She was so exhilarated and proud. I was too. I love that feeling. I love pushing myself through fear and fulfilling a challenge. That does not happen as often as I'd like. That's why I decided today was Fearless Friday.

Run or walk a little farther, call a friend for lunch or a movie, make that interesting recipe, sign up for a new class, paint that picture. I promise you will not regret it. Be fearless today.

Listening to the Whispers

2010-07-26T12:00:00.009-05:00

Whispers. We all have them. They're the little voices in our conscious minds that tug at our hearts and want our attention. These whispers, these seeds of dreams, encourage us, even when we're not entirely willing to listen, to simply begin.
Kelly Rae Roberts, Taking Flight

On April 7th, my 40th birthday, I spontaneously bought a set of oil paints, a little easel, and some canvas. The bag of supplies were not opened until yesterday. Yesterday I cleared out a space under a window in our messy and chaotic "no-no room", unfolded a long card table and took out the art supplies. Of course my kids wanted to join in on the fun so we had a little art party.

I picked a fragrant marigold from my garden and started to paint. This is what I ended up with. Mystic Marigold.

Listen to your whispers.....

Potatoes O'Brien Casserole

2010-07-25T14:10:00.005-05:00

My friend Dana asked me for a good side dish recipe for her family gathering. I feel so bad because I remembered just one hour before her party. I will share this with her and you for future gatherings. It is always popular at my parties.

Potatoes O'Brien Casserole
1 bag frozen hash browns O'Brien
1 stick butter (cut into small pieces)
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup

Thaw potatoes. Mix all ingredients together except 1 cup cheese in a large bowl. Pour into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, covered.
Enjoy!

Walking with Butterflies

2010-07-24T13:52:00.009-05:00

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.
~Irish Blessing

This morning I took a very long walk alone. I needed to release some negative thoughts that were churning in my gut. This was the cure. My energy increased with each step as I walked farther down the road, over the bridge, and up the hill. The hot morning sun beat down and the release of sweat and emotions began to pour out.

I realized I was not alone. Butterflies were everywhere. My whole focus switched as I watched those sweet butterflies swirling happily alongside of the quiet road except for the sound of birdsong and crickets. I felt peace within myself and comfortably content surrounded by nature's divine gifts.

Nerf Guns & Mystics

2010-07-20T08:06:00.009-05:00

Every year about this time I get this neurotic creative energy that makes me want to do about a million things at once. This time of summer is one of my high energy times where I want to stay up late and dance under the moon. Of course it makes me crazy because my mind is racing with so much creative energy and I still have to feed and care for my children around the clock which I love too, however, not much time for lengthy creative time. That is why I love this blog. It's my little corner of the world to jot my thoughts.

This link of Elizabeth Gilbert speaking about life really spoke to me this morning. First, she is wearing the same vampy nail polish I have on that is typically unlike my usual neutral colors, but probably a wild streak that wants to be expressed. She also speaks about buying Nerf Guns which are a big part of my life having three boys. I just rewarded my 9 year old yesterday with a Nerf "pistol" of his choosing. Finally, she ends the 21 minute talk about author Martha Beck's categories of women.
1. Women who chose career over family and are conflicted.
2. Women who chose family over career and are conflicted.
3. Women who are blending family and career and are conflicted.
4. THE MYSTIC. ~ A small sect of women from any of the above who have found a deeply resonant inner voice that they listen to. They negate everything else and they follow that path wherever it takes them.

Give yourself a little time to WATCH THIS VIDEO!!!!!! Fellow Mystics, you’ll be inspired.

http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Elizabeth-Gilbert-Talk-from-O-Magazines-10th-Anniversary-Video

Turning Over a New Lettuce Leaf

2010-07-18T15:07:00.012-05:00

Be still my beating heart...I found a fresh produce stand just down the road from my house and it's a wonderful thing! I stopped by the new little tent in front of a big farm house with only five bucks in my pocket. The friendly farmer walked up taking a bite out of a gorgeous green pepper. He enthusiastically told me all that he had to offer. I picked three green peppers for a dollar, three cucumbers for another dollar, a zucchini, and gave him my order for lettuce. He went out to his wife who was working in the giant garden and had her cut me some wilted and leaf lettuce. I paid him the five bucks and he threw in extra cucumbers and a giant zucchini that he said is good for frying.

I raced home and washed all the veggies. I threw some bacon on my little griddle since my gas top stove is out due to some home construction we are having done. As the bacon fried I sliced up some tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, and zucchini. I toasted some bread and spread it with a little cream cheese. Added the bacon, fresh picked lettuce, tomato, avocado, and salt and pepper, and ended up with some scrumptious California BLT's which are my absolute favorite sandwich in the whole world!

While eating the sandwich I threw some thick slices of zucchini on the hot griddle with bacon grease. I let these fry up for a few minutes on each side until golden brown, added a little salt, and put them on a paper towel to cool. Delicious!

I decided to dedicate the next few weeks to seeing what I can create with the bountiful produce from my nearby veggie stand and my little kitchen island griddle. Let the chopping and cooking begin!
K

Night Fishing

2010-07-06T08:55:00.002-05:00

I am a rise and shine early morning person. My husband is a night owl. That has its pros and cons for sure. A big benefit for the boys on vacation was that they stayed up late with BK to "night fish". Our pier even had a spotlight to attract fish and other creatures in the bay.

Each day they got their shrimp and squid at the local bait shop. After the two youngest and I turned in, their fishing adventures began. They were quite successful in catching flounder, pin fish, crabs, catfish, and more. I would hear all about their catches when they lazily awoke the morning after.

One night my son Indy ran in to wake me up. He excitedly reported he had caught "the big one" and asked me to get my camera. I really was excited for him and happy he wanted to share this with me. His big catch was a Black Drum fish. We think is was 8-10 pounds. He was so thrilled! I was so impressed at their system. He reeled it in and the "net man" would help get it in.

This is the last of my vacation memories posts. Since I've been home it's been fun to write and re-live the memories. One last memory I will mention is beach volleyball. The kids found a volleyball in the container by the pool. We took it to the beach in the evenings and taught the kids the basics of beach volleyball. The six of us could play a mean 3 on 3 game, get totally sandy, and jump in the ocean to rinse off. The thrill of being together as a family, watching the kids grow and learn in a new environment, and just having fun at the beach. That's a good vacation!

Hunting for Shark Teeth at Venice Beach

2010-07-03T08:56:00.003-05:00

Over fifteen years ago, my husband and I took a carefree vacation to Florida in our buff bodies and a rented convertible Chrysler Le Baron listening to Collective Soul and Tom Petty. We ended up spending a day on Venice Beach with nifty little shovel sifters hunting for shark teeth. Venice Beach is known as "Shark Teeth Capitol of the World". Our bodies glistened in the sun with Coppertone Oil and we found bags of shark teeth. When we came home to the Midwest, I stored them away in a newly started memory box.

Fast Forward 15 Years to 2010..... We are on vacation in Florida with our four children ages 9-3 in a rented minivan listening to Radio Disney and wearing Coppertone 50 Sport for Kids sunscreen and clothes a few sizes larger.
We realized we were only an hour drive from Venice Beach and thought the kids would really love finding shark teeth. We seriously became quirkier parents than the Griswold's in Family Vacation. On the journey down the coast we encountered vicious thunderstorms thanks to hurricane Alex. We cheerfully told the kids the storm would pass and we'd be in action soon. We got to Venice Beach in the pouring rain and found a restaurant called Sharkey's to hang out and eat waiting for clear skies. Little Scout developed a new found passion for Jimmy Buffet's Cheeseburger in Paradise song.

The skies cleared a little and we lugged our umbrella, buckets, cooler, and towels out to the empty beach. The power was out at the shop on the Pier that rents the sifter shovels that are essential in digging for the ancient teeth. We still pressed on thinking optimistically thinking we could scoop and sift in the crashing surf. We were wrong. We decided to get back in the van in our wet and sandy suits and towels to try and find a nearby store that sold the special shovels. Thankfully, a few miles up the coast we found a little overpriced shack that sold them. My husband bought three. We also decided to relocate our beach camp and try a fresher location. The kids were wet, shivering, and not excited.

Our perseverance and optimism paid off. Minutes into digging with the shovel-sifter we struck shark teeth. The kids squealed in delight and my husband and I felt triumphant! A couple rainy hours passed and the kids had sifted through piles of shells to find 53 shark teeth. We were still the only family on the beach. We succeeded in our mission and we now have more baggies of teeth in a much bigger memory box. The van got us back home with sleeping kids and we shared a bottle of our favorite Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. Another great family adventure.

The Pink Palace

2010-07-01T09:03:00.019-05:00

We took the kids to have a late lunch at The Don Cesar Resort. They affectionately named it "The Pink Palace". It truly is bright pink and massive with two pools on the beach. We munched on grouper sandwiches at the poolside grill. After, the kids jumped in the pool as BK & I sipped our icy piña coladas with dark rum floaters. We then ended up out on the beach for more body surfing, watching the kids bury themselves in the sand, and enjoying the sunset.

Like most evenings this week, a dark thunderstorm rolled in. Of course my kids were the last ones out of the pool and we scurried around collecting our things. Phoebe was distraught because she couldn't find her special gold rhinestone flip flops. We quickly searched together with no luck. We even thought she buried them in the sand and BK started digging around where our beach spot was. No luck.

The Pink Palace had an ice cream shop so we escaped the storm and ended the evening there as Scout wanted the "green ice cream" aka mint chip. They were all smiles but Phoebe glumly had no shoes on.

The next morning I woke up early and went to the beach alone for a run. Off in the distance down the beach was "The Pink Palace". I decided to run that way to search once more for the shoes, and now I knew where the restrooms were there.

I reached my pink destination sweaty and winded and looked around unsuccessfully. At the towel counter I asked the man if any rhinestone flip flops were found. He cheerfully asked me if they were tan. Gold and tan are close so I nodded. He led me over to a table near the beach and there they were gleaming in the morning sun. I gratefully thanked him and began my journey back down the beach. Phoebe was in disbelief when I handed her the sparkling shoes. It was a happy ending and the start of another day of adventure. Shark teeth hunting....

One on One Vacation Memories

2010-07-01T08:16:00.023-05:00

Oh have we had fun in Pass a Grille Beach, Florida! We have had hot sun, clouds, and a few big storms. The best thing has been being together a whole week as a family.

I try to take the kids out for one on one excursions. The others stay with BK.One morning I took Phoebe into the little historic town of Pass a Grille for some art gallery and boutique shopping. I surprised her with her favorite mint chip ice cream for breakfast at the local ice cream shop. On vacation, these are the things I like to say "yes" to.

Indy and I took a hot and sweaty two mile walk through our neighborhood. We crossed a big bridge over the bay, got a Coke at Circle K, and then hung out together at the beach sipping the cold drink. He loves to talk and I just love the conversations we have together.

The biggest excursion was with my son Blaze. He is passionate about soccer and has been watching the World Cup games. He spotted an ad in a tourist flyer about a place called United World Soccer. We hopped in the van and drove up Gulf Drive in search of the store. We got familiar with many of the nearby beach towns: Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, and Clearwater Beach. My quiet and serious son helped navigate us up the coast and we finally arrived at the giant soccer store. He was like a kid in a candy store as he looked at each official World Cup jersey from all the countries. Since they were a little pricey and the tourist flyer had a good coupon, I told him to pick out his favorite one for an early birthday present. He immediately chose the bright red Spain jersey. He put it on, we drove home a quicker way, and the Spain vs. Portugal game came on that afternoon. Spain won!

My little Scout has not required an outing. He has been happy with me helping him chase lizards out on the patio. I feel like a kid as I run around and hunt for those fast and funny chameleons. His squeals of delight are priceless.

So far these are the one on one things I have enjoyed with the kids. On vacation, I feel like I can tune into them without all the duties and distractions of home. That's what I love the most.
K

Retreat will move you Forward

2010-06-28T07:08:00.015-05:00

We are on our annual summer vacation at the beach. After three years of exploring the coast of beautiful but often chilly Lake Michigan, we decided to go south to warmer waters and the Gulf of Mexico.

It usually takes my husband BK and I a couple days to depressurize and feel on vacation. I am so happy, relaxed, and on vacation it is unbelievable! Now that Scout is three, travelling has become easier. No strollers, pack n plays, or other gear to lug around. We all fit everything in one suitcase this year. The big three have helped me in every way too.

So far my greatest joys have been feeling connected again as a family unit, and watching my oldest son fall in love with the ocean. Since April we have been totally immersed in school and baseball. Our schedules have been fast paced and divided. My husband's work schedule has been grueling too. Being on vacation with my family has given us that relaxed togetherness again.

We arrived in the afternoon and got settled in our sweet little rental home for the week. It is on the bay with a pool and fishing pier. Perfection! The kids immediately jumped in the pool as I unpacked and BK checked out the fishing gear.

As evening approached I packed a cooler and we did the short drive to the beach to watch the sunset. My 9 1/2 year old son "Blaze" was immediately smiling as he body surfed the gentle waves crashing into the shore. The others were a exhausted and not as enthralled with salt water and sand in their eyes. My little "Scout" said he wanted to go back to the "blue pool".

Last night I took Blaze and Indy back to the beach for sunset. BK stayed with Phoebe and Scout in the pool. He also wanted to set up the fishing poles.

While we were swimming in the ocean some clouds rolled in and looked like a possible storm. Most people got out but we stayed in but close to shore. Indy shouted, Look! A rainbow!" We looked up as we floated in the ocean and saw a rainbow arched above us. It was one of those magical moments that I felt so connected with the boys and nature. We will always remember that most extraordinary experience.
Shine your light,
K

Time to relax....

2010-06-25T06:13:00.003-05:00

Oh, bring again my heart's content,
Thou Spirit of the Summer-time!
-- William Allingham

Baseball is over and was exhilarating. I have a blog in my head that will come to fruition soon called "baseball in a peanut shell."

We just moved my ailing 94 year old grandmother out of her home and to a different state to be closer to her daughter and family. Maybe another blog called "emotionally draining."

Now for my little family of six to come together and enjoy each other for some summer bonding and fun. It is time to tune in to our own rhythm and enjoy the feeling of freedom that a summer break can give as a gift.
Shine your light,
K

Double Rainbow After the Storm

2010-06-15T09:30:00.008-05:00

It has been storming a lot here in the beautiful Midwest. We always wait for the first rainbow around my son Indy's birthday on June 7th. This year it came a little later.
Last night as another storm blew in with great force, we all ran to the basement with flashlights and cell phones knowing the power almost always goes out. There is an intimate feeling as we huddle together listening to a crashing storm feeling scared, unsure, and excited. I love to see the eyes of my kids get so huge.
Also, during the storm we saw a family of ducks standing together on the big log on our pond.
After the trees straightened and the thunder wained, I went upstairs to see a strange green sky. I walked out the front door and was greeted by a stunning double rainbow arching through the sky. I called for my family to come and we enjoyed our first summer rainbow together.

It's always good to keep in mind that after any storm in life something beautiful and unexpected usually appears.

1000 Awesome Things

2010-06-06T19:57:00.003-05:00

I need a tall ladder so I can catch the moon and put it in the barn and look at it.
My three year old son, "Scout".

I love discovering cool blogs. This is a fun one I wanted to share. What's your favorite #?
http://1000awesomethings.com/

Summertime Begins

2010-06-02T20:11:00.007-05:00

Memorial Day weekend is the gateway to summer. For the second year, my family gathered at our ranch after a big car race that takes place nearby. Four generations of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandchildren, and great grandchildren reunite from many places. My 95 year old grandmother heads up the family. It is just big fun.Excitement fills the air now that the kids are out of school and summer is fresh with possibilities. I made a list of my favorite summer pleasures and asked my husband and kids to add a few too. Here it is. I encourage you to write your summer fun list too and jump right in.
Happy Summer,
K

S'mores,
dragonflies,
chips & salsa,
baseball,
swimming pools,
sun tea,
Indiana tomatoes,
farmers markets,
Bluegrass concerts,
hummingbirds,
burgers on the grill,
listening to frogs at night,
ice cream,
guacamole,
sipping Sangria with friends,
art fairs,
thunderstorms,
rainbows,
fireworks,
Michigan blueberries,
wildflowers,
reading books outside on a quilt,
fishing,
walks at sunset,
air shows,
roller coasters,
tractors,
outside adventures,
camping,
blackberries & cream,
morning runs,
bluebirds,
corn on the cob,
visiting parks,
family summer vacation at the beach.

One lone red poppy

2010-05-24T20:15:00.006-05:00

I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind. Albert Einstein

I just put the kids to bed and decided to take a walk before washing a sink full of the day's dishes. In a large field in front of our house I spotted one lone brilliant red poppy in bloom.
It is the sole survivor of poppies planted a few years ago. My family spent a whole day scattering red poppy seeds from our metal buckets. We enjoyed an unforgettable summer of blooming red poppies in that field. It was like a dreamy Monet painting.

Unfortunately, our harsh Midwest summers are unlike the south of France. Our field of poppies did not thrive, they wilted under the blazing August sun. I consider this poppy a small gift and inspiration. It is a lone survivor of its kind among native wildflowers and raging weeds. It is blooming where it was planted and so beautiful in its strikingly unique way.
Shine your light,
K

Blue Zones and the fountain of youth

2010-05-19T13:12:00.007-05:00

Foutain of youth: Red wine, walking, friends, fish, nuts, and veggies? Sounds good to me!

I saw Dr. Oz on Oprah talking about Blue Zones which are places that people are happiest and healthiest on this earth. I also picked up the book Blue Zones by Dan Buetner and was intrigued on what made people most happy and healthy.

Here is the website where you can get a username and take a free and quick quiz called The Vitality Compass.
http://www.bluezones.com/vitality-compass

Author Dan Buettner writes, In my book, The Blue Zones, I reveal the secrets of the Power9: the nine common denominators that all of the world’s longevity all-stars share. Here at BlueZones.com, we've organized these behaviors into four main categories:

Move Naturally – Make your home, community and workplace present you with natural ways to move. Focus on activities you love, like gardening, walking and playing with your family.

Right Outlook – Know and be able to articulate your sense of purpose, and ensure your day is punctuated with periods of calm.

Eat Wisely – Instead of groping from fad diet to fad diets, use time-honored strategies for eating 20% less at meals. Avoid meat and processed food and drink a couple of glasses of wine daily.

Belong to the Right Tribe – Surround yourself with the right people, make the effort to connect or reconnect with your religion and put loved ones first.

This may all sound too simple, but the payoff is huge. The average American could live up to 14 more good years by putting these habits to work.

Get Started Right Now
To help you model your habits after the Blue Zones centenarians, we’ve created several tools, beginning with Vitality Compass
http://www.bluezones.com/about

On Being a Mom

2010-05-08T18:34:00.005-05:00

Happy Mother's Day, friends. It is my true joy to share this journey of motherhood with you: by my side at the ball games, sharing recipes and photos of our kids via e-mail, stressing over a school project, worrying about so much, and laughing and sharing the many wonderful day to day moments when our kids are happy and smiling. I am truly blessed to know so many devoted and inspiring mothers.
Below is an article by Anna Quindlen - a great writer and another inspiring mom.

On Being A Mom
by Anna Quindlen
All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like. Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to
mouth all by themselves.

Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past.

Everything in all the books I once pored over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, all grown obsolete. Along with "Goodnight Moon" and "Where the Wild Things Are," they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages dust would rise like memories.

What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the well-meaning relations --what they taught me was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all.

Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a
timeout. One boy is toilet trained at 3, his brother at 2. When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden
infant death syndrome. To a new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow.

I remember 15 years ago poring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month-old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China. Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.

Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the Remember-When-Mom-Did Hall of Fame. The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language - mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup. The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her
geography test, and I responded, What did you get wrong? (She insisted I
include that.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking?

But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.

Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity.

That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.

Tea Tree Oil "Magic Potion"

2010-04-29T18:42:00.003-05:00

“Lavender, thyme and tea-tree oils have been used for centuries as antiseptics; their chemical compounds appear to kill microbes on contact.”
Andrew Weil, M.D.

About a week ago I noticed an itchy rash on the back of my left leg, small red bumps that I assumed was poison ivy. I thought maybe one of the dogs brushed up against my leg and that is where it started. I rubbed some Cortisone 10 on it thinking it would help. Fast forward a week and I now have the rash all over the backs of both legs and it is beyond itchy, more like a slow painful burn that doesn't go away. I have also tried using a couple other medical creams with no relief.

Today I was desperate for relief. My entire family including me has had a severe stomach virus sweep through our home. Each of us had vomiting and diarrhea for 12 hours straight. Today I came out of my virus fog to the hard work of massive loads of laundry and carpet scrubbing. Also, the rash was excruciating.

Something in my brain pulled up tea tree oil. I knew I had a facial soap in the shower with it (Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash with Organic Tea Tree Oil and Awapuhi from Trader Joe's). I grabbed it and started spreading it all over my legs. Within an hour I felt relief. My oldest son even observed that it looked better.

I googled tea tree oil and found these facts below. I will definitely have this on hand for summer.
"dr. k"

The health benefits of Tea Tree Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties like anti bacterial, anti microbial, anti septic, anti viral, balsamic, cicatrisant, expectorant, fungicide, insecticide, stimulant and sudorific.

The All-Cure name given to this oil is not a bit exaggerated. The Tea Tree oil can be used as a cure for almost all sorts of tropical infections and diseases. You name it and it has the cure for that disease. It is invariably found in almost all the households of Australia, particularly those having small children. The magical healing and disinfectant properties make it a wonder-drug. It also boosts up immunity.

•Anti Bacterial: It is said that wherever Mother Nature gave the diseases, she gave the cures there itself. The activity of microbes, bacteria, virus and fungi are at their peaks in the Tropics and hence most of the medicinal plants are found there too. Tea Tree is one such plant. It can cure some of the ugliest bacterial infections of the Tropics. Wounds, which are most prone to bacterial infections in this region, can be effectively cured and protected using this oil. Although this oil is seldom taken orally, but if so, in mild concentrations, can cure internal bacterial infections too, such as those in colon, stomach, intestines, excretory system and urinary system. It can also be used in treatment of Tuberculosis.
•Anti Microbial: Microbes prefer to keep safe distance from this oil, since it is an effective anti microbial. It can kill and keep away certain microbes (protozoa) which are responsible for causing Tropical fevers, malaria etc.
•Anti Septic: Open wounds are most susceptible to infection by bacteria and fungi and may result in septic or tetanus. Thus they must be protected well in advance. For this, Tea Tree Oil can be a wise choice as it is an excellent anti septic. It can be applied directly on the wounds, boils, sores, cuts and certain eruptions, as well as insect bites and stings, to protect them from infections. It is as good as any anti biotic, but without its adverse side effects.
•Anti Viral: Viral infections are very hazardous and re-appearing, since virus can survive under most intolerable conditions. They can bear unimaginable heat, cold and even poison, as they develop a protective shell called “Cyst” around them. Some viruses are intelligent enough to develop a new cyst each time they are activated, like the Common Cold Virus, to duck our immune system. They never die a natural death and can live dormant (neither live, nor dead) for even hundreds of thousands of years. They can be killed only if their cyst is ruptured using some compound or they are subjected to extreme heat which is beyond their tolerance. The Tea Tree Oil helps rupture this cyst in some viruses and can give protection against them. It also helps cure viral infections like common cold, influenza, mumps, measles, pox etc.
•Balsamic: The Essential Oil of Tea Tree has balsamic properties, that is, it boosts health. It promotes absorption of nutrients from food and gives protection from diseases too, thus proving beneficial for total health.
•Cicatrisant: The Cicatrisant property of this essential oil makes it heal wounds quicker and protect them from infections, as well as help neutralization of the scar marks and after spots left by eruptions, boils, pox, acne etc.
•Expectorant: Those who are suffering from cough and cold, congestion, bronchitis and other troubles associated with cold, are sure to get relief using this Tea Tree Essential Oil. It gives relief from cough, cold, bronchitis and congestion.
•Fungicide: The Tea Tree Essential Oil is as effective against fungal infections as it is against any bacterial or microbial infections. It inhibits fungal growth and cures diseases like dermatitis, athlete’s foot etc.
•Insecticide: It is obvious that an essential oil that is so deadly for those adamant and hardy bacteria and viruses, will be effective against insects too. Tea Tree Oil is an efficient insect deterrent and insect killer. It does not let parasites and other insects like mosquitoes, fleas, lice, flies etc. come near a person who has rubbed some of this oil on his body. It kills internal insects and worms too, such as intestinal worms like round worm and tape worm and others like hook worms.
•Stimulant: This essential oil has stimulating effects on hormones secretions, circulations etc. but more prominently on immune system. It boosts up immunity and acts as a shield against infections.
•Sudorific: Besides infections, another cause of diseases is accumulation of toxins in the body. These toxins are either generated by the body itself, as a by-product of various reactions, or get inside the body somehow. Our body too, has certain mechanisms to throw away these toxins. One of them is perspiration or sweating. It has many advantages. It removes toxins, moistens the skin, open pores on skin and keeps the body cool. Tea Tree Essential Oil, being a Sudorific, increases sweating and promotes removal of toxins like uric acid. It also helps remove excess water and salts from the body.
•Other Benefits: Gives relief from muscular pain, aches, sprains,
Few Words of Caution: No potent threats, except that in some rare cases it may be sensitizing to few people.

Blending: This Essential Oil blends well with Cinnamon, Clary Sage, Clove, Geranium, Lavender, Lemon, Myrrh, Nutmeg, Rosewood, Rosemary and Thyme essential oils.
This article was contributed by Aparup Mukherjee

Planting Perennials and Annuals

2010-04-23T12:54:00.005-05:00

The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. ~George Bernard Shaw, The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God, 1932

There's a few things I've learned in life: always throw salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for good luck, and fall in love whenever you can. Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

My basil and lemon balm are already in pots sitting out in the soft falling rain as I write. I just stumbled across this article about lavender and other wonderful things to plant. I also love the picture and want a garden to look like that.
Happy gardening,
K
Planting Perennials and Annuals That Last

Ten Years Strong

2010-04-16T12:03:00.007-05:00

Ten years ago on my 30th birthday my mom had a surprise luncheon for me. She invited six friends from high school, college, and current. They did not know each other well. I was pregnant with my first child. A couple friends had just had their first babies. I casually mentioned to them that I wanted to start a book club. They all were interested in joining.
Soon after, I made invitations and invited them to the first book club meeting at my home the following month, May 2000. I asked them to bring any friends that would like to join. The book we read and discussed was Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom.
Ten years later our book club is still strong with the original members. Meeting once a month, we have shared in the births of many babies, life's extreme ups and many downs. They surprised me with a beautiful Tiffany silver medallion inscribed necklace from the Notes Collection. Here is my letter to them below.

Hi Friends,
I was blown away by last night. I want to thank you so much for the beautiful necklace. This gift means more than you will ever know. It has truly been my pleasure organizing our book club for ten years. We really have created and nurtured special friendships, trust, and a comfortable place to share our ups and downs. We are very fortunate to have each other. It is my hope we continue to grow and evolve as a group.

On a funny note, my daughter thinks the necklace has the "book club rules" written on it. I guess the only rules I can think of are to show up, have fun, eat good food, and maybe read some books. Everything in moderation, right?

Kirsten, Thank you for sharing your beautiful home and deck with us. Kord was wonderful and his dinner and drinks delicious. You both are glowing from happiness and love. The blooming wisteria is truly a message sent from heaven.

Anna - your sugar cream cake was sinfully delicious. I will share this coveted recipe. I know you never share catering recipes so we will guard it. The salad was also so good.

Most of all, thank you all for making the drive last night to share in an unforgettable evening. You are all such smart, strong, beautiful, and amazing women and I am proud to be your friend.
Love,
Kathy

Feeling The Force at 40

2010-04-15T13:36:00.000-05:00

At 40, something magical happens to you--something liberating and rejuvenating and exhilarating. You acquire a healthy disregard for what other people think. You gain the confidence to define yourself boldly and on your own terms. You don't accept anyone else's judgments but your own. In short, you stop living your life for other people and start living it for yourself. The force is with you because, at long last, it is in you. Laura Randolph

It has been a little over a week since I turned 40. So far I love being 40. I am feeling more comfortable in my skin than ever before. That is why that quote above jumped out at me. I am feeling that "The Force is with me" at 40.

This year I am making the commitment to take better care of myself. A light bulb went off recently as I sat in the dentist chair as they told me it had been way too long since my last visit. I realized that I make sure my kids and dogs have regular dental and doctor visits but my own are few and far between. My youngest son is almost three and I just went back for a follow up check up with my OB/GYN. He also told me it was important to have yearly exams.

So, around my birthday every year I am making the commitment to myself to have those important exams. I truly love being a wife and mother. At 40, I now have the wisdom to know that if I do not take care of myself I won't be able to take care of everyone else that I love.

My actual birthday was fun. My little "Scout" and I met my mom at The Pita Pit for yummy sandwiches. My mom told the owner it was my 40th and he was surprised we were there to celebrate and gave me a gift card. That's as fancy as I wanted with little Scout joining us.

When my "bigs" and husband got home later that day they showered me with homemade cards - my favorite! When my quiet oldest son wrote, "Mom-I love you very much.", it was the best gift ever. My daughter gave me an extra thick purple yoga mat, and my son Indy gave me the New Moon DVD. I also received a new zoom lens for my Canon from my husband. He took us out to dinner at a nearby organic farm with a "Loft Restaurant" on one of the barns. The homemade ice cream was delicious!

Later that week my friend Tammy baked me a three layer carrot cake. We hiked with the kids to Tipi Hill, and then returned to enjoy the delicious cake.

I am just feeling so blessed to be where I am at 40. It is my hope to continue to learn and grow and keep becoming more of myself. May The Force be with you too!
Shine your light,
K

Whole Lotta Hiking

2010-04-05T11:42:00.012-05:00

I am reflecting on the past week as my kids are back in school after their spring break. Little Scout just fell asleep so I wanted to write my thoughts. The weather felt like one of many gifts. Springtime in the Midwest is unpredictable and we had warm sunshine for most of the week. The grass got greener by the day and my daughter was thrilled to show me pale Spring Beauties and bright yellow Trumpet Lillies blooming in the woods.

Speaking of woods, we did a lot of hiking this week around the ranch. Near perfect weather and the fact that the kids are getting older are the main reasons. We all would take hikes together and then I was lucky enough to get the kids one on one. My husband took a couple days off so we could help each other give the kids precious individual time.

When I walked and explored with each kid individually, I was amazed by the extraordinary conversations we had. My son "Indy" guided me on an adventure through "shell valley" and up to "piston hill". They all have named the areas and know the land better than I do now. I truly know now what the "wonder years" are starting to mean.

This also makes me think of the book, Last Child in the Wood: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. In his book he discusses how nature can be a powerful stimulant and learning tool for children.

He summarizes that Neuroscience teaches us that what's important for a child's mental development is not necessarily the amount of knowledge he memorizes but rather how much of his body and brain he uses, and he writes how Nature stimulates all the senses. Research has shown that the stimulation of all five senses increases a child's intelligence and creativity. Thus, when children watch television or play video games instead of playing outside in the park or walking in the woods they're denied vital mental food for their growth.

Louv also writes that nature offers an experiential learning experience in that children can slowly come to understand nature and themselves by interacting and interfacing with nature. There's a wondrous process of exploration and discovery when a child interacts with nature.

I so agree with many insights in his book. I remember when I was eight years old I loved laying in the grass and looking up at the sky, and just dreaming. Yes, we do have a Wii, DSi, and online Club Penguin membership. Those things can be good in moderation for cold weather days and rewards for good grades. But when the sun is shining you will hear me tell the kids, "Go outside and play!" Just like my mom did.
Shine your light,
K

Perfect Cheese Pizza

2010-04-01T15:41:00.009-05:00

My daughter and her friend helped me make homemade cheese pizza today. It was fun and delicious. I definitely recommend you try this at home with your kids and friends. It was a cheap and great pizza party.
Perfect Cheese Pizza

1 16 oz ball of fresh pizza dough wheat or white. I used wheat from Trader Joe's.
1 c. marinara sauce. My fave is Ragu Sun dried Tomato & Sweet Basil
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese or your favorite cheese blend

Preheat oven to 375.
Take dough out of refrigerator and let stand for 20 minutes.
Flour your work surface. Lightly oil your pizza stone or pan with olive oil. I also oil a rolling pin. Roll out dough to about 12 inches and place on stone. Spread sauce on dough. Add more than one cup if desired. Sprinkle with cheese and place in oven for 14-15 minutes or until bubbly. Let cool, cut and be ready for smiles.

Note: Next time I will make my own and add olives, fresh basil, mushrooms, crushed red pepper, and anything else to jazz it up. Can't wait!

On the Run

2010-03-30T16:55:00.011-05:00

Running is one of the best solutions to a clear mind and has never failed to give me great results and that's why I keep coming back for more. Sasha Azevedo

I woke up today feeling energized and ready for some fun. The kids are on spring break so we have no worries about crazy morning routines this week.

As they were all lallygagging around and watching cartoons, I decided to lace up my Asics and go for a run. The air was cool but the sky was clear blue with the sun starting to shine. As the warmer weather has approached, I have been thinking about running on a regular basis.

In a recent article in More Magazine it said running can be very enjoyable mentally, both relaxing and invigorating, and has well-known physical benefits: weight control, reduction of risk of major diseases, promotes better sleep, etc.

The article also explained that it's never too late to start. Running is simple, requires no equipment other than quality running shoes, and can be done almost anywhere, alone or with others. It's the most efficient workout going, and has numerous health benefits for all ages.

Other reasons I want to start running include:
1. I turn 40 in eight days.
2. I still want to be able to eat cake, pizza, and enjoy
a glass or three of wine every once in a while.
3. I need the energy to keep up with my kids.
4. It does not cost anything and would be great around my hilly farm.
5. It will give me some productive alone time.
6. It will be a good compliment to my yoga practice.
7. My clothes might fit better.
8. Maybe I have a chance of loosing those last "baby weight" pounds
(my baby is almost 3).
9. Maybe I will find a running buddy or group.
10.Did I mention brownies, cheesy potatoes, and a dark IPA?

As I approach 40 I want to keep feeling good. That's probably the best reason of all.
Shine your light,
K

Hello Spring!

2010-03-20T13:03:00.007-05:00

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies. Nadine Stair

Today is the first day of spring. To me, this is the beginning of the new year. The prayer I received this morning says it all.

Wisdom, strength and love are reborn in me today.
Every year I see the rebirth of spring as the grass turns green, flowers bud and leaves and blossoms burst forth on the trees. Each sign of spring occurs at the right and perfect time, when the earth is ready to generate new life.

My personal springtime occurs as I open my heart and mind to the Divine. To prepare my soul for rebirth, I pray and meditate. I invite wisdom, strength and love into my life knowing that these powers propel me on my way to growth and renewal. As in nature, my renewal comes precisely when my soul is receptive and ready.

This morning was sunny and warm so we went outside to celebrate spring's arrival. I noticed some daffodil sprouts popping up. Listening to the birds chirp and the woodpeckers peck was music to my ears. My son "Indy" climbed a tree and I gave him my camera to snap one of us on the swing.

Pick up that journal and start writing. Lace up those shoes and start walking. Grab a sketchbook or paints and start creating. Don't worry about the house or that sink full of dishes. Begin something new for you.
Happy Spring,
K

Lift Your Spirits Lime Bars

2010-03-16T11:03:00.005-05:00

For Christmas my friend Tammy gave me certificate for a "dessert of the month" baked and delivered by her each month. So far she has made a moist and delicious coconut pound cake, and for Valentine's Day she delivered dark chocolate cupcakes with raspberry mousse filling.

Last night I was up all night with my son who has a stomach bug. This morning as I drove my other two to school, I had to go in to deliver the sickie's Leprechaun trap project to his second grade classroom. It is quite cute with a little rainbow bridge, gold coins cut out of ribbon, and a secret trap door for the Leprechaun to fall through. We'll see tomorrow if he catches any on St. Patty's Day.

I learned that my friend Tammy was subbing for the school nurse so popped my head in to say hello and she said my monthly treat was out in her car. I grabbed the plate of goodies, went home and made some green tea and enjoyed a lime bar (or two) before becoming nurse and cleaner again. They really lifted my spirits - thanks, friend.

Macadamia Nut Lime Squares
recipe from a Paula Deen magazine

2 1/2 c. crushed sugar cookies
1/2 c. finely chopped Macadamia nuts
6 T. butter
1 3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
3/4 t. baking powder
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 t. lime zest

Preheat to 350. Lightly grease 9x13 pan. In med. bowl, combine cookie crumbs, nuts, and melted butter. Press firmly into bottom of pan and bake 12 min., or until lightly browned.
In med. bowl combine sugar flour, 7 baking powder.
In small bowl, whisk together eggs, lime juice, & zest. Pour over hot baked crust and bake 20 minutes or until center is set.
Enjoy!

Yoga Mom at the Park

2010-03-10T18:27:00.009-06:00

Yoga is an exercise in listening...it teaches you to tune in to your relationships. Trudie Styler, yogi and wife of Sting.

I took my new issue of Yoga Journal to the park today with the kids. It was a warm and sunny day and there were many kids of all ages playing basketball, swinging, sliding, and playing tag.

About an hour into our stay I realized I was the only parent left there with all these kids. As I read the article about Sting and Trudie's 27 year marriage and passion for yoga and each other, I would pause and glance around to see all kids were doing fine.

My passion for yoga began almost 20 years ago during my Junior year in college. After the first Hatha Yoga class with a lovely instructor who played Enya as she taughts us cat pose, downward dog, and sun salutation, I was hooked.
Four semesters later in the Yoga textbook she had written she signed mine:
To Kathy (our model), Yoga will always be there for you. Dee Ann Birkel
How true her words have been and I still treasure that signed book. Little did I know that almost 20 years later I would be the mother of four children and a part time yoga instructor.

After reading the articles and studying the poses in my Yoga Journal the kids were still happily playing. I knew the chicken in the oven at home would be quite brown, yet I decided to stay and enjoy the moment. I placed the magazine on the ground to use as a yoga mat and began gently stretching into butterfly pose and seated forward bend. I then created and practiced a sequence for tomorrow morning's class.

The funny thing was that none of the kids snickered or even payed me any attention as I did my yoga in the park. I am sure it looked a little funny or eccentric to them. It was truly peaceful and fun. I did have to tell one kid not to use bad language at the park but that's part of being a mom. A job I have earned and really love.
Shine your light,
K

What's Your Medicine?

2010-03-09T12:55:00.005-06:00

Today I popped into Barnes and Noble bookstore to kill thirty minutes until the sporting goods store next to it opened. My two sons decided to play baseball this spring instead of soccer, so I had shopping list of cleats, batter helmet, balls, etc.

As I opened a mixed media art magazine, a cool quote jumped out at me. I scribbled it onto the sports list.

We all bring our own medicine into this world. Kellie Rae Roberts, artist. Unleash your joy is her artwork posted.

This quote made me pause and smile. We do have a certain medicine that is uniquely our own. I can think of a handful of friends that each have healing medicine to offer others. I hope I do too. Maybe I will ask them.
What is your medicine?

I also discovered that author Kelly Corrigan's new book is out called Lift. Ironically, after returning home I was sent a short clip of her talking about the same type of subject of the quote I posted. Check it out. I dare you.
DareYou_Kelly_Corrigan.mp4.mp4
Shine your light,
K

Time to Putter

2010-03-08T14:25:00.009-06:00

So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering. Brenda Ueland

Putter - verb. To busy or occupy oneself in a leisurely, casual, or ineffective manner: to putter in the garden.

It is a scrumptious sunny day today and I am fighting a cold. My throat is scratchy and raw and my muscles are sore. My energy level is low. After grocery shopping with my six and two year old, taking them to a little park, and dropping my daughter off at P.M. Kindergarten I was whipped. Since my little Scout has a cold too he agreeably went down for a nap.

Instead of darting around multitasking, I made a strong cup of tea and took it easy. After the tea and Advil kicked in and the house was peaceful and quiet, I spent an hour puttering. By puttering I mean leisurely going through piled up catalogs and magazines, and casually thinking about the house and ways to freshen it up for spring.

I ask myself, do I need to be sick with a cold to take time to putter? Taking time to putter and to just go with the flow is actually productive. It creates space for being rather than doing. It made me feel like my house was my home instead of a constant work space.

Looking on the bright side, having this cold gave me the gift of puttering today. I am grateful for that. Have you puttered lately?
Shine your light,
K

Thoughts on Leadership

2010-03-05T05:44:00.009-06:00

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
John Quincy Adams

We are all leaders in some areas of our lives. Being a mom of four, I feel this is the most challenging leadership position yet. I absolutely want to inspire my kids to dream, learn, and become their personal best. My most inspirational leaders have been my parents and friends.

What leadership position do you have? Is it parenting, in your career, or in your community? Most of us have a combination of leadership roles.

What leaders do you turn to in your life? Who inspires you to dream more, learn more and become more? In the link I posted below. Alex Lickerman M.D writes his thoughts on leadership on his blog Happiness in this World.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/200911/how-be-leader

To summarize his blog post he writes his ten requirements to being a great leader.
1.Be confident
2.Be kind but firm
3.Be an expert
4.Be decisive
5.Be willing to have people disagree with you
6.Know when to spend time building a consensus and when to make an executive decision
7.Have a vision
8.Care about the people you lead
9.Mentor people
10.Fully visualize every repercussion of each of your decisions in advance.

The one that jumps out at me today is #7 Have a vision. Do you have a vision for your life or family or business or community? This is something I will contemplate and expand upon more in a future blog. Now I have to spray paint my corn hole game and set up for the school's Spring Fling fundraiser. PTO Mom - is that leadership?
Shine your light,
K

Good Marriage Quote

2010-03-03T08:34:00.008-06:00

To keep the fire burning brightly there's one easy rule:
Keep the two logs together, near enough to keep each other warm
and far enough apart - about a finger's breadth -
for breathing room.
Good fire, good marriage, same rule.
Marnie Reed Crowel, natural history writer

This quote and Renoir painting are favorites of mine. I enclosed this quote in the card I gave at the wedding we attended last weekend.
Like the quote, I believe it is important for married couples to stay close for warmth and support. It is also essential to have space for room to grow as individuals.
As spring draws near and tends to be a time for renewal and rebirth, these things are good to contemplate. Do you have breathing room in your marriage to pursue individual interests and growth. Do you support your spouse's individual interests?
After fifteen years of marriage I have found that if my husband spends a day on his tractor working the back 40 he is revived and happy. I always benefit from his happiness.
Do you share activities and spend quality time together to keep the fire burning? Last month we got out for a "date night" and talked the whole time. It was fun for us to reconnect as a couple without all the kids wanting our attention. We decided to try and make date nights a more regular occurrence.
Time together and time apart - this combination can make life interesting and fulfilling.
Shine your light,
K

Gateway to Spring - An Invitation

2010-03-01T10:14:00.007-06:00

It is March 1st today. It will officially be spring in twenty days and I am glad to be through Janufeb. We were in Chicago this past weekend for a wonderful family wedding. After a fun lunch on Rush Street we shopped in a favorite store called Anthropologie. A small book called The Invitation caught my attention and I bought it. The author begins the book with her poem The Invitation and I posted it below. I found these words inspiring.
Happy Reading,
K
The Invitation
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

by
Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Cowgirl Chicken & White Bean Chili

2010-02-26T17:19:00.009-06:00

The aroma of good chili should generate rapture akin to a lover's kiss. Chili Appreciation Society's motto
I absolutely love chili in the winter. I have about five favorite recipes that are based on beef, Cincinnati style with cinnamon, bison, vegetarian, and chicken. Last weekend for my Dad's birthday I spent a whole afternoon making one of my favorites that I named Cowgirl Chili. It is an all natural perfect blend of white beans, a whole chicken, and green chilies. I made a huge crock pot for the party and it was devoured by the adults and children. I made a "from scratch" version and poached a chicken in a pot to make the broth. For quicker versions you can cook the chicken in the oven or buy a rotisserie chicken at the store and use 6-10 cups of canned or boxed chicken broth. Use some colorful bowls, bandannas for napkins, and have a cowgirl feast! Make it your own.
Happy Cooking!

Cowgirl Chicken and White Bean Chili
1 3-4 lb. chicken
2-4 stalks celery chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. oregano or Italian herb blend
1 T. salt

1 T. olive oil
2t. ground cumin
2 medium onions chopped
3 4.5 oz. cans chopped green chilies undrained

4 cans Great Northern white beans drained and rinsed
3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Optional but delicious garnishes:
fresh cilantro chopped
fresh avocado diced
sliced jalapenos
shredded cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips
bottles of Corona beer with lime or your favorite brew

In a large post place chicken and next 4 ingredients with ten cups of water. Simmer for one hour until chicken is tender and falling off bone. Strain all the broth and put broth in plugged in crock pot or pot on stove. Pick chicken off bone, chop, and put in crock pot. My kids love to pull the wish bone for fun.
In another pot saute olive oil and next 3 ingredients until onions are soft. Add to crock pot. Add the white beans, 2 cups shredded cheese, and more salt & pepper if needed. Simmer in crock pot for 4 hours.
An ice cold Corona with lime is a good garnish too. Yee haw!

Gratitude

2010-02-17T06:10:00.000-06:00

You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.
-Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance

Gratitude can be a powerful positive force in life. It always helps me turn my thoughts around when I am feeling lack or the need for something more. Some of us like to keep gratitude journals. I ususally have running pages in my daily journal just for things I am grateful for. It is fun to read down the list and it instantly infuses joy in my spirit.

I recently found a website just for expressing gratitude. You can post what you are grateful for and send it out into the world. The site is: http://thankfulfor.com/

Today I am grateful for the golden ball of sun that is shining on the frozen snow and all the possibilities this new day holds.
What are you grateful for today?
Shine your light,
K

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake for Valentines Day

2010-02-15T10:06:00.005-06:00

If the people have no bread, let them eat cake. Marie Antoinette

I made this cake for Valentines Day. My sister Libby gave me the recipe and told me we would not be able to keep our hands off this cake. She was right. It disappeared so fast I did not have time to snap a photo. I just enjoyed the last piece with a cup of hot tea for breakfast. Yum!

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
1 box yellow cake mix (18.25 oz.)
1 3.9 oz.pkg French Vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup water
4 eggs beaten
3/4 cup sour cream
1 bag mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Stir together dry ingredients and then add in wet ingredients until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips.
Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool and flip pan to release cake.
Enjoy!

Picturesque Morning

2010-02-12T07:42:00.016-06:00

The cream of enjoyment in this life is always impromptu. The chance walk; the unexpected visit; the unpremeditated journey; the unsought conversation or acquaintance. Fanny Fern

It is Friday February 12th. This morning was one of the coldest mornings yet also the most beautiful. After I had dropped the kids off from school I noticed a truck pulled off to the side of a desolate country road. I slowed down to see if they needed help only to see a familiar neighbor holding a camera out the window. I just smiled and said I was going to do the same thing. I got home and grabbed some gloves and my camera as the sun was coming up. It was cold, icy, and silent except for a few birds chirping. Here are a few photos I snapped. My hands are still a little numb.
Shine your light,
K

Gift of a Letter

2010-01-31T07:34:00.005-06:00

Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company.
Lord Byron

My husband has two aunts that still believe in the written word and post office. They even have e-mail accounts. Yesterday I trudged through the snow down our long driveway to collect the trash bin and mail. To my delight there was a card postmarked from Colorado by Aunt Karen.

After getting comfortable in the house I gently opened the card. It had a painting of a beautiful pink orchid and green hummingbird on it. Inside was a letter to say hello and describing her Victorian doll house project and recent orders from seed catalogs for the upcoming spring.

This card is sitting on my desk and has brought me joy. Unlike an e-mail, I can pick this card up, ponder her writings, and enjoy the painting. Now it is my turn to "write" her back the real way. I encourage you to surprise and brighten a friends day with the gift of a letter.
Shine your light,
K