Pantry Challenge

Ok, are ready!  It is time to eat everything in the pantry.... 

No, not all at once!  

We endeavor to actually eat what is already in our pantry and not go grocery shopping until we do.  For one month (and more if this goes well), we plan to get creative.  We have some interesting things in the pantry.  Take a look below:

We will need to go to the grocery for things like milk, eggs, and things that may compliment a specific recipe.  Most recently when I did the pantry inventory, I ventured to use some unique items including, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, wheat germ and adobe seasoning.  All of which have not see the light of day for some time now. 

You may be wondering how we used these interesting items (glad you asked ;-): stir- fried orange chicken, broccoli cheese strudel and adobe rice with sausage--yum!

So why embark on this adventure?  I suppose because we can.  So many times I look in the cupboard and say we have nothing to eat.  It is time to prove myself wrong.  There are some interesting things in there and with a little planning, we can make some tasty stuff. 

With busy schedules and hunger in the belly as soon as we hit the door of the house after a long day, it is often hard to "see" the possibilities in the fridge and cupboard.  By taking a little time, doing an inventory and planning recipe, I think we will be ahead both in the pocketbook and in the stress department.  I find that my life goes much smoother when there is a plan in place. 

Garbage In, Garbage Out--no more

So, yesterday, Kye got out of the car to go to school and I said, "Your dad will be picking you up today."  He looked at me with dismay and said in a very whiny, blame induced voice, "You always say stuff that I already know!".  And then he was off...traveling up the sidewalk, entering the school. 

This small but significant interaction gave me a window into my world.  And, if you can hang in there, I will share with you one of the major dilemmas I have and continue to work on.

Some back thoughts about this situation is that I realized that Kye was tired.  He did not get enough sleep.  He was downright grumpy.  And, that probably had nothing to do with me.  It is a blessing to "know" these kind of things-- otherwise I could spend significant time wondering if I am somehow ruining his life by "telling him stuff".

Let's face it, there are times when people blame you when you are not to blame.  The trickiest thing is not getting locked into a desire to hear them out or fall into an endless examination of your conscious. 

What is difficult for me is that I take people's criticism as a gift and in their giving, it suggests that I am approachable and that I can grow from their gift.  Truth be told though, we need to not take all criticism as a golden nugget.  In fact, sometimes it suits us best to barely let the "feedback" filter in. 

I am reading a book called, The Law of the Garbage Truck by David J. Pollay.  This book talks about the garbage trucks we encounter in our lives--people dumping on us, what we can do about them and how not to become one. 

Here are the commitments he suggests:
1.  Do let garbage trucks pass you by.
2.  Do let your own garbage trucks pass you by.
3.  Do avoid becoming someone else's garbage truck.
4.  Do help the garbage trucks you can.
5.  Do honor our no garbage trucks! Pledge.
6.  Do live in the gratitude cycle and live free of the garbage cycle.
7.  Do declare your life a no garbage trucks! Zone.
8.  Do declare your work a no garbage trucks! Zone.

You can take the pledge or learn more about garbage trucks here.

From this point I am hoping to define, early on, whether some one's attitude or feedback is worth my energy reserves.

Kill the Idea

Fr. Bay, pastor at Sts. Augustine Gabriel, during a homily shared that he was imprisoned in Vietnam for attempting to escape the country.  He desired to escape in order to become a priest.  For some reason, he was not permitted to do this in his native country. 

He attempted escape many times and was imprisoned many times.  Over time, he began to lose heart for his goal. 

During this time he would pray, "God, please make a way for this, or kill the idea in me". 

This seems like a practical and poignant prayer.  I can relate.

Eyes Wide Open

This is my year.  My year to face the truth, live in the present and take each day with eyes wide open.  I may not know how to go quite about it yet, but I am determined.  I know that  focus is one thing that can aid me in the process.

I have had this thought before when thinking about my diet.  I have known for many years that to deny myself anything is just to increase my desire for that very thing.  So, in the past, I have thought to curb my sugar intake or stop eating unhealthy foods to no avail.  Instead, I have successfully fooled myself by deciding to infuse my diet with vegetables and fruits.  Lo' and behold, I have experienced positive effects.  Likewise, I have a feeling that I can apply this same principal to other areas of my life.   They say that your thoughts will lead you to your reality. 

Now, what to think about?  And how to think about it? 

I want to fill my world with positive thoughts--good memories, gratitude, ideas, inspiration, motivation, excitement, possibilities, shared promises, intellectual banter, dreams, acknowledgement of my senses etc.  I want to chose my thoughts rather than be victim to them. 

There is also research suggesting that your thoughts can rework your brain as shared in this npr tidbit. And, truth be told, my brain needs reworking.

Drive In, Eat Good

Went to Dan's Drive In on Saturday after Alea's game (she did great) The food was delicious and the atmosphere was whimsical. What impressed me was they knew how to make eggs benedict proper and even asked me if I wanted my egg poached soft, medium or hard--now that is what I am talking about!!

I love diners. There are usually kind waiters/waitresses, good home cooking and interesting motifs. I have passed by this one on S. High Street many times and have not had the chance to stop. Glad we did!

I told Kye to go downstairs and find his bathing suit so we can go to the Y tonight.
After a while he resurfaced from the dungeon and proclaimed,

"So......... Mom, I not a very good looker, you are way better at it--maybe you can find my suit".

I am not sure how much faith I have that he really tried. He did however find a game he wanted to play. So now he is playing tanagrams on the family room floor.

My dilemma is whether to encourage him to look harder or bask in his compliment :-).

I think he needs to give it one more try.

Personal Vision

There is a body of thought in the world called the Law of Attraction. I do not believe in it lock stock and barrel, but I believe there are some elements that ring true. One element I would describe as visioning. It is where you express your vision for the future as if it were already true.

I wrote the vision for myself on March 26, 2007 within my journal and as I turned to that page today, I realized it is the same for me now. I also recognize that even though I expressed my vision then, I did not take as many steps toward it as I would have liked. I find that I am a bit behind. Of course, there have been many wonderful moments along the way--just not there yet. So, my first action is to place my thoughts here and then take steps, small and large, toward my end goal.

Within the Law of Attraction you are coached to write your vision by expressing gratefulness as if it is already present in your life:

I am eternally grateful that

• I experience a deep, loving, fun relationship with my children where we can express true connection and love.


• I have a fulfilling career with a sense of purpose, where I use my gifts, and have esteem in my field of choice.


• I am financially stable, have extra money to play with, the ability to travel and make purchases without contributing to debt.


• I have a easy going, fun and loving relationship with an attractive man that leads to a bright and happy future.


• I feel good within my spirit, within my body and I am physically and emotionally healthy.

These are not in any particular order and in many ways I have elements of each of these in my life currently. I am grateful for each blessing. I believe we are all on a journey and have access to these blessings. I try every day to realize and live in the knowledge that happiness is present at all times.

My main goal is to make decisions that reflect and align with my goals and purpose in a consistent way so that I can fully experience this happiness. Along the way, I have forgotten my goals or have been distracted and I am sure that may happen again but then, it will just be time to hop on the path again.

To life well lived! (Imagine that I am raising my glass in a toast :-)

Danny &Annie

Watched this video that a coworker turned me on to and it is a reminder what real love is about and what is possible. Never settle.

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

One of the lines in the video/interview was:

"Knowledge knowing that you can hug somone without them throwing you down the stairs saying get your hands off me. Being married is like having a color television set--you never whant to go back to black and white. "

Facebook Wisdom--Thanks Roopa!

My friend Roopa Ravi shared this on her Facebook page:

"Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

So love the people who treat you right.

Forget about the ones who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it.

God never said life would be easy, He just promised it would be worth it."

These words hit me as true and as sage advice. Let's look at each of the phrases.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. As each day passes I realize this more and more. Time is precious. Every moment I spend on regrets or negative energy I end up wasting.

So love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't. I have struggled with this one at times. I have this sickness where I think I can work through issues and help difficult people realize that I am a wonderful human. I say this tongue and cheek, but there is some truth to my need to feel acceptance. As I get older and wiser, I realize that I am wonderful and I have a lot to offer this world. If a person or persons can't see the wonderfulness--I may not be their cup of tea and that is ok. It does not change the fact that I have value and worth. Only I can judge this and I choose to believe it. I also to choose to hang out with people who are capable of love and expression of said love.

Believe everything happens for a reason. One of my bosses told me that "sh*t" happens and not all things happen for a reason. This explains cancer, or a child getting hurt or numerous other things. I must admit that this rocked my boat a bit when I thought about this. How do we know when things are meant to happen and others that are just happenstance? I tend to put this thought aside and just concentrate on the belief that it is really about what we do with our circumstances. If we run into a bump in the road, do we see the gift within? Do we handle the situation with grace and love? Do we become stronger in the process? I often screw up in this department, but I strive to learn and grow with each opportunity.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. As I read these words a tear came. I am one of the most fortunate people. Grace has knocked on my door many times. I hope that I recognize when a second chance comes and that I have the courage to grab with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it. Letting go--opening up, trying something new, taking the risk--all takes bravery. It is a power/decision within us. We have the chance to become anew and more of our genuine self in the process.

God never said life would be easy, He just promised it would be worth it. Amen!

Gratitude

Reading a book about the science of gratitude. Here is a snippet:

"We have discovered that a person who experiences gratitude is able to cope more effectively with everyday stress, may show increased resilience in the face of trauma-induced stress, and may recover more quickly from illness and benefit from greater physical health. Our research has led us to conclude that experiencing gratitude leads to increased feelings of connectedness, improved relationships, and even altruism. We have also found that when people experience gratitude, they feel more loving, more forgiving, and closer to God. Gratitude, we have found, maximizes the enjoyment of the good--our enjoyment of others, of God, of our lives. Happiness is facilitated when we enjoy what we have been given, when we "want what we have.""

~ Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D

thanks!

How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier

I have come to understand that gratitude is a discipline. We have choices in each day; each interaction. We choose how we look at each and what we do with the information obtained through that analysis. Why not focus on what is going right? Why not let others know that the gift they offer matters to us? Why not move from taking things for granted to real acknowledgement?

Gratitude has a couple of parts--recognition and acknowledgement. Recognition brings about a self awareness, while acknowledgement is the expression of that knowing.

Also interesting to ponder the last sentence--enjoying what we have been given and wanting what we have.