Everyday, like most people (or at least I hope like most people), I think about my life and how I can improve upon it. I think about ways I can improve my business practices, ways I can rearrange my apartment, ways I can streamline my physique, ways I can feed my family better, ways I can generally improve not only my life, but the life of my family and the life of others.
One of the more selfish (yeah, whatever, being somewhat selfish is NOT bad, we DO have to work on ourselves, don't we?) things I do is write this blog. I do it for me, to clear my head to give myself some creative outlet without having to delve into a huge project. I do HOPE that there are other people who get enjoyment out of it, and I also hope that those of my family and friends who are curious about what might be in the head of someone they know (or love) have a way to find that out. I also, in my live, have found that I am very curious about what my parents think about, what my brothers and cousins and aunts and uncles, grandparents and friends are thinking about in their lives. I hope, that by writing this blog, my daughter won't have to wonder quite so much about me. Maybe she'll be able to source to this and occupy her mind with other things. Who knows, but it makes me feel better.
Anyway, in an effort to make 2012 a better year than 2011 on a personal level, I hope to be more committed to writing here.
If you're reading this: I hope you like it.
If you don't like this, I really can't take responsibility for that. I curse. There are worse things. And, to me, cursing is a non issue.
Link for the Day:
I don't claim to know everything, and I don't intend for these links to indicate that I do. They are meant to enrich your life of knowledge/spark interest in interesting things. That being said, please enjoy.
http://ravenredbone.wordpress.com/
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Day 274: Here's an idea... or two.
Here we live in this crazy confusing and complex world. A place where you can be sure you'd rather sit and watch the latest episode of your favorite program than the news, any news, and you'd certainly rather watch that than try to be informed about all the fucked up shit happening everywhere around you. Well, maybe YOU wouldn't, but that seems to be the idea extraordinaire for our population at large. Most people don't know what's in their food, they don't know what congress does all day, they don't know the dangers that REALLY lurk in your household (like bleach). I can't say I blame them. There are definitely days where I wish I could dismiss most of the truths I know. It sure would be easier, not to mention cheaper.
But no, I go on like I do, learning how to be self-sustaining, buying real food and learning how to cook it, finding out the OLD ways of cleaning and integrating them with new stuff that doesn't damage my family's endocrine production. So often I hear people tell me it doesn't matter what I do: there's cancer and disease in everything. I wish they knew more. I wish they had regular access to self educating material, instead of regular access to mindless comedy or drama or dramedy or whatever.
To all this I will say that I seem to talk to more and more people who are aware each day. I think people are waking up from the televisionic slumber and they're realizing their favorite snackfood, their precious chips contains MSG because mono sodium glutamate IS MSG, and the food manufacturer doesn't have to label it so you can understand it. They just have to label it.
Anyway, this isn't meant to be a tirade or a lecture, just a thought.
Another thought I had more recently was to add a link to my post each time I post. I'll call it:
Link of the day:
Some of these links might be educational, inspirational, or just plain thought provoking. I don't claim to know it all, and I don't think any of my links will either, but if you give them a chance they just might give you something else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z-cT8Qe7y3k
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z-cT8Qe7y3k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
But no, I go on like I do, learning how to be self-sustaining, buying real food and learning how to cook it, finding out the OLD ways of cleaning and integrating them with new stuff that doesn't damage my family's endocrine production. So often I hear people tell me it doesn't matter what I do: there's cancer and disease in everything. I wish they knew more. I wish they had regular access to self educating material, instead of regular access to mindless comedy or drama or dramedy or whatever.
To all this I will say that I seem to talk to more and more people who are aware each day. I think people are waking up from the televisionic slumber and they're realizing their favorite snackfood, their precious chips contains MSG because mono sodium glutamate IS MSG, and the food manufacturer doesn't have to label it so you can understand it. They just have to label it.
Anyway, this isn't meant to be a tirade or a lecture, just a thought.
Another thought I had more recently was to add a link to my post each time I post. I'll call it:
Link of the day:
Some of these links might be educational, inspirational, or just plain thought provoking. I don't claim to know it all, and I don't think any of my links will either, but if you give them a chance they just might give you something else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z-cT8Qe7y3k
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z-cT8Qe7y3k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Friday, December 23, 2011
Day 254: It's all coming together, sort of.
Well, here we are, creeping up to another New Year's Day. I don't know about you, but New Year's Day in my head translates to: New Life Starts Today. I don't necessarily gravitate to the whole New Year's resolutions track (though I do certainly see the value in it). I do, however, for whatever reason, have this magical thinking thing going on where I just think everything will be new and different and just the way I dreamed it would/should be: I'll wake up on New Years Day and I'll be thinner, less creaky, more energetic, a better partner, my businesses will take off, Mira will become more self-sufficient without losing her need for me, I will remember to write my blog nearly every day, I will cook better and I will be an instant success at baking...
It's nice to have dreams!
Though I fully recognize that none of these things will just happen because I have to hang a new calendar, it doesn't stop my brain from taking me on a new adventure each year about two weeks prior to the holiday.
I think it is because of this that I always start minor changes in my life and start to take some sort of an "inventory" of where I am, where I want to be, where I wish I was, where I thought I would be, what kind of mother am I, am I at least sufficient in love and creativity, do I have enough skills, what if the apocalypse happens tomorrow, am I prepared if I am lucky enough to survive? Yeah, I know, but it's inevitable: my mind always wants to end things with the ending of the world as we know it.
Anyway.
So this year as I started to take inventory I realized two things simultaneously: I'm broke and I don't know how to bake.
Utilizing those two observations, I spent a bit of my limited resource and bought supplies and for the last two days have been trying my hand at creating within myself: a baker. I've always been a decent cook, but the world of baking seemed light years away. For some reason, I had this idea that because you can't really taste-test the end product well before you're there (as you can in cooking), I just thought I would be an instant failure.
Turns out: cookies ain't so tough!
Now I have something to offer the loved ones around me AND I'm facing the new year with a new skill to pursue and (nearly) perfect!
By the way: I have to admit that the only reason I even THOUGH I could take on baking is thanks mostly to Alton Brown. Thanks, Stranger!
It's nice to have dreams!
Though I fully recognize that none of these things will just happen because I have to hang a new calendar, it doesn't stop my brain from taking me on a new adventure each year about two weeks prior to the holiday.
I think it is because of this that I always start minor changes in my life and start to take some sort of an "inventory" of where I am, where I want to be, where I wish I was, where I thought I would be, what kind of mother am I, am I at least sufficient in love and creativity, do I have enough skills, what if the apocalypse happens tomorrow, am I prepared if I am lucky enough to survive? Yeah, I know, but it's inevitable: my mind always wants to end things with the ending of the world as we know it.
Anyway.
So this year as I started to take inventory I realized two things simultaneously: I'm broke and I don't know how to bake.
Utilizing those two observations, I spent a bit of my limited resource and bought supplies and for the last two days have been trying my hand at creating within myself: a baker. I've always been a decent cook, but the world of baking seemed light years away. For some reason, I had this idea that because you can't really taste-test the end product well before you're there (as you can in cooking), I just thought I would be an instant failure.
Turns out: cookies ain't so tough!
Now I have something to offer the loved ones around me AND I'm facing the new year with a new skill to pursue and (nearly) perfect!
By the way: I have to admit that the only reason I even THOUGH I could take on baking is thanks mostly to Alton Brown. Thanks, Stranger!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Day 201: In Remembrance
As you may or may not know, my family has recently suffered yet another loss. As his very wise 10 year old grandson Lakota put it: He was a good man. We will miss him greatly. Everyone who had the pleasure of meeting Steve Newby learned something. Steve was my step father, but more importantly, he was my mother's loving husband. I remember shortly after I met him, he and I were in a car together alone for some reason. I was cooking up a speech about how he better not hurt my mother. Then, he beat me to it! HE tole ME I better be nice to my mother because she meant the world to him! Totally stole my thunder... and my heart.
He had a talent like no other of teaching you (and by "you" I do mean YOU, because he inevitably did it with anyone and everyone) a lesson about life, about yourself, about society, the valiant cause of honest and hard work among other things. His talent lied in the fact that he could do this without the actual ACT of teaching. It just came naturally to him to present the world in a way that made you see through your person to the reality that is the world. He lived his life in many different ways, the way I knew him proved that you can lead your mind with your heart without being foolish or selfish. He truly was a man who saw "the big picture" and did almost no act without considering the summation of its many consequences. I learned a great deal from him. Our relationship was cantankerous at times, but I always felt a mutual respect and love regardless of the situation or argument. Through this, I learned the true value of being respectful and mindful while still following your heart.
At his funeral I, along with many others, cried. I am an emotional creature, I may have cried more than others. I don't know. But I know I couldn't stop it. Damned crying! And then in the midst of my crying I had an almost vision. I had a vision of Steve up there at the podium of his own funeral. If there ever was a man who could take the podium at his own funeral: it would have been Steve Newby. Anyway, I saw him up there, leaning on the podium like it was a lunch counter. He looked around the room, at me, then addressing the room, he said "Why are ya cryin?" Pausing for effect and laughter, he continued "No, really: WHY ARE YA CRYIN? I lived a much longer life than I ever deserved, I was blessed with wonderful and beautiful people for children and after a long tumultuous dance with pain and anger within myself, I found a love that most people never get to experience. You people are wasting your time here doing all this mopin and cryin." And he turned away shaking his head and waving us off with a minor annoyance that only he could get away with and disappeared.
Well, we are selfish, that's why we were crying. We know what we've lost. And in the shadow of that, the grief is too large to just be grateful for having gotten to have him in our lives. He always sent you on your way with a "Glad you got to see me!" And good grief, wasn't he right? Aren't we all glad we got to see him.
RIP, Steve Newby.
Nah, on second thought raise as much stink as you can. You are loved and you will be sorely missed, but we will try to just be happy for the time we got to have with you.
He had a talent like no other of teaching you (and by "you" I do mean YOU, because he inevitably did it with anyone and everyone) a lesson about life, about yourself, about society, the valiant cause of honest and hard work among other things. His talent lied in the fact that he could do this without the actual ACT of teaching. It just came naturally to him to present the world in a way that made you see through your person to the reality that is the world. He lived his life in many different ways, the way I knew him proved that you can lead your mind with your heart without being foolish or selfish. He truly was a man who saw "the big picture" and did almost no act without considering the summation of its many consequences. I learned a great deal from him. Our relationship was cantankerous at times, but I always felt a mutual respect and love regardless of the situation or argument. Through this, I learned the true value of being respectful and mindful while still following your heart.
At his funeral I, along with many others, cried. I am an emotional creature, I may have cried more than others. I don't know. But I know I couldn't stop it. Damned crying! And then in the midst of my crying I had an almost vision. I had a vision of Steve up there at the podium of his own funeral. If there ever was a man who could take the podium at his own funeral: it would have been Steve Newby. Anyway, I saw him up there, leaning on the podium like it was a lunch counter. He looked around the room, at me, then addressing the room, he said "Why are ya cryin?" Pausing for effect and laughter, he continued "No, really: WHY ARE YA CRYIN? I lived a much longer life than I ever deserved, I was blessed with wonderful and beautiful people for children and after a long tumultuous dance with pain and anger within myself, I found a love that most people never get to experience. You people are wasting your time here doing all this mopin and cryin." And he turned away shaking his head and waving us off with a minor annoyance that only he could get away with and disappeared.
Well, we are selfish, that's why we were crying. We know what we've lost. And in the shadow of that, the grief is too large to just be grateful for having gotten to have him in our lives. He always sent you on your way with a "Glad you got to see me!" And good grief, wasn't he right? Aren't we all glad we got to see him.
RIP, Steve Newby.
Nah, on second thought raise as much stink as you can. You are loved and you will be sorely missed, but we will try to just be happy for the time we got to have with you.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Day 139: I have a secret.
I have a secret. Not the kind of secret you keep on purpose. The kind of secret you keep because it never comes up in conversation. Never.
I have the urge to take pictures of dead things. Also, to put FOR SALE signs on things and take pictures of them.
There's something symbolic about both of those things and I wish I could blame the urge on that. Unless I have a primal urge to relay subconscious symbolism that I don't know about - I can't claim it a purposeful genius.
I did try once for about a year to follow through with these urges. This was about 7 years ago... I don't know why I stopped. I got such a surge of satisfaction, like I was committing major societal breakthrough or something: the satisfaction level was so strong.
Maybe I should take this up once more, start carrying my camera around with me.
I especially love the idea of (and actually) taking pictures of roadkill. Yes, I know it's weird. No, I'm not scared to admit it. It's part of who I am. No need to be ashamed. It's not something I sought out to be enthralled with: it just comes to me. Every time I see roadkill, I mentally picture it as a photo. I picture the appropriate angle and everything. The urge is that strong!
And yes, I know it's a little wrong to take pictures of dead things without their permission (maybe I should ask them permission?), but there's a little thrill that comes from that aspect.
Well, I think that is just about enough sharing of myself for one day!
I have the urge to take pictures of dead things. Also, to put FOR SALE signs on things and take pictures of them.
There's something symbolic about both of those things and I wish I could blame the urge on that. Unless I have a primal urge to relay subconscious symbolism that I don't know about - I can't claim it a purposeful genius.
I did try once for about a year to follow through with these urges. This was about 7 years ago... I don't know why I stopped. I got such a surge of satisfaction, like I was committing major societal breakthrough or something: the satisfaction level was so strong.
Maybe I should take this up once more, start carrying my camera around with me.
I especially love the idea of (and actually) taking pictures of roadkill. Yes, I know it's weird. No, I'm not scared to admit it. It's part of who I am. No need to be ashamed. It's not something I sought out to be enthralled with: it just comes to me. Every time I see roadkill, I mentally picture it as a photo. I picture the appropriate angle and everything. The urge is that strong!
And yes, I know it's a little wrong to take pictures of dead things without their permission (maybe I should ask them permission?), but there's a little thrill that comes from that aspect.
Well, I think that is just about enough sharing of myself for one day!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Day 135: It's been a while!
Okay, so there's been so much going on!
Our family was facing a minor financial crisis.
I am getting some serious stomping on at work.
We (okay, more like I am) are working on some SERIOUS home makeover stuff.
Plus, I feel like the general cleaning has gotten way out of hand - it's taking up WAY too much time.
Then there's all the normal fracking issues.
Also, a lot of social commentary has been going on.
Not to mention the Occupy Wall Street movement which has spawned an Occupy Together in solidarity movement and you KNOW I can't keep my nose out of THAT!
Anywhat, amidst all of that I am still honing my cooking skills. Researching good old fashioned recipies that call for real, natural ingredients takes time and energy. Oh, and they are soooooooo worth it! I like to pass on any tips I get or things I find and I just found a doozie!
Say GOOD MORNING to homemade breakfast sausage!
A video tutorial!
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24hA3dD8SjM&feature=player_embedded&noredirect=1#!
My love,
Misty
Our family was facing a minor financial crisis.
I am getting some serious stomping on at work.
We (okay, more like I am) are working on some SERIOUS home makeover stuff.
Plus, I feel like the general cleaning has gotten way out of hand - it's taking up WAY too much time.
Then there's all the normal fracking issues.
Also, a lot of social commentary has been going on.
Not to mention the Occupy Wall Street movement which has spawned an Occupy Together in solidarity movement and you KNOW I can't keep my nose out of THAT!
Anywhat, amidst all of that I am still honing my cooking skills. Researching good old fashioned recipies that call for real, natural ingredients takes time and energy. Oh, and they are soooooooo worth it! I like to pass on any tips I get or things I find and I just found a doozie!
Say GOOD MORNING to homemade breakfast sausage!
A video tutorial!
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24hA3dD8SjM&feature=player_embedded&noredirect=1#!
My love,
Misty
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Day 108: Oh Age, you get the best of us.
I'm surrounded by people getting OLDER.
So are YOU!
One of my favorite songs (I have hundreds of them, but still I don't think it diminishes the point) is Older by They Might Be Giants
I went through a lot of the videos to find this one and I think this one was definitely my favorite: I love it when people get creative with their favorite forms of media.
Anywhat!
I like the song a lot. It seems at first that they are making fun of our mortality as living beings, but I think it can most definitely be taken to a deeper level than that. It's not human mortality they are making fun of, it's the way we treat it so dire. Like our mortality is something to fear.
Uh NO!
Mortality is something to embrace!
If you embrace your mortality you can embrace the very action of getting older and with THAT you can better understand not only your life as a whole but the goings on around you. We are all here for a while, some shorter than others and that is a shame it truly is a sobbing shame... For the people we leave behind. But if we understand our mortality and treat it with the respect of an old friend, we have LIVED every single day to its fullest! Or we have at least tried and implemented what it means to live life to its fullest.
I hear an awful lot of people saying things like "LIVE" or "Stop and smell the roses!" or "ENJOY LIFE!", and I see some of them really understanding that and what all that entails. All too often, though, I see people who say things like that but who walk around complaining about everything, constantly sucking the life out of everything. Not that I don't complain, I just mean that there are people who seem to get caught in the idea of complaining and let it run them down the big black hole that is death. Life is rough. It's always going to be rough. There will always be things to dwell on.
NOT
DWELLING
IS
HOW
YOU
ENJOY
LIFE.
You don't dwell on the crap, and you find a way to wipe your ass and stand up and smell the fresh air when you walk out of the bathroom. Too many people hang out in the bathroom poking the poo and calling everyone else into the room to confirm the horrible stench and the pure grossness of it all then bend over and show their asshole.
Not to be gross, that's just the best analogy I could come up with - never mind the pun.
So yeah. Stop and do smell the roses. Try your best to never mind the shit, eh?
So are YOU!
One of my favorite songs (I have hundreds of them, but still I don't think it diminishes the point) is Older by They Might Be Giants
I went through a lot of the videos to find this one and I think this one was definitely my favorite: I love it when people get creative with their favorite forms of media.
Anywhat!
I like the song a lot. It seems at first that they are making fun of our mortality as living beings, but I think it can most definitely be taken to a deeper level than that. It's not human mortality they are making fun of, it's the way we treat it so dire. Like our mortality is something to fear.
Uh NO!
Mortality is something to embrace!
If you embrace your mortality you can embrace the very action of getting older and with THAT you can better understand not only your life as a whole but the goings on around you. We are all here for a while, some shorter than others and that is a shame it truly is a sobbing shame... For the people we leave behind. But if we understand our mortality and treat it with the respect of an old friend, we have LIVED every single day to its fullest! Or we have at least tried and implemented what it means to live life to its fullest.
I hear an awful lot of people saying things like "LIVE" or "Stop and smell the roses!" or "ENJOY LIFE!", and I see some of them really understanding that and what all that entails. All too often, though, I see people who say things like that but who walk around complaining about everything, constantly sucking the life out of everything. Not that I don't complain, I just mean that there are people who seem to get caught in the idea of complaining and let it run them down the big black hole that is death. Life is rough. It's always going to be rough. There will always be things to dwell on.
NOT
DWELLING
IS
HOW
YOU
ENJOY
LIFE.
You don't dwell on the crap, and you find a way to wipe your ass and stand up and smell the fresh air when you walk out of the bathroom. Too many people hang out in the bathroom poking the poo and calling everyone else into the room to confirm the horrible stench and the pure grossness of it all then bend over and show their asshole.
Not to be gross, that's just the best analogy I could come up with - never mind the pun.
So yeah. Stop and do smell the roses. Try your best to never mind the shit, eh?
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