Laughing

Good morning world!  I wanted to share a good laugh that Tim and I had last night.  We were driving home from a cubscout meeting and he was talking about wanting to set up a target shooting area that he could shoot his pellet gun.  Then he said, "I was thinking that we could set up a target range and shoot some cans...and then I realized that we have so little canned food in our house anymore that I can't find any cans!!"  And then he said and any cans that there are, are recycled so fast that I never see them! 

Needless to say, I agreed to help him collect some cans, even if it takes us a while.  :-)

So I think that this is a good place to update on our food stuff.  Sugar is not my friend.  We have been so good about lessening our sugar intake over the past few years.  But this season is really tough.  First there was my birthday:  cake and pie.  Then the first of my Mom's birthday parties: Cake.  Then there was Easter:  WAY too much candy, even though we tried to cut down on it this year.  But what we didn't know was that Carl was going to get a SECOND basket from his God father and step God mother.  It was sweet and too SWEET! 

So with all that said, this girl is going to have to work on getting rid of yeast.  Whenever I talk about yeast, everyone gets kind of red in the face.  I am not just talking about that kind of yeast infection.  I am talking about kind of having a yeast proliferation all throughout my body.  It makes me dizzy, my eyes hurt and get tired very quickly.  I have a hard time concentrating.  I am tired A LOT.  It is easy for me to get, but not easy to get rid of.  Do you know how hard it is to stay away from sugar when your body is saying, "WANT MORE!"  Anyway, it has been a good reminder of why we cut down in the first place. 

It is funny, but I have been thinking of things to write about all week and now that I have time to write my brain is empty.  Carl is up, so I guess this is enough for now.  Love to you and yours this week.

All jumbled up

Hello.  It is getting late in the evening, but I am feeling a need to write.  So maybe today's entry will be shorter than usual...or maybe it will just have more typos from this very tired girl.

I am enjoying getting acquainted with people on Facebook.  I have connected with old friends from grade school, high school, from college, and from when I lived in Japan too.  But sometimes I run into an old friend who makes me feel all jumbled up.  What exactly does that mean?  Well, it brings back memories that I had forgotten for a long time.  Here's a story to illustrate:

When I went back to Japan after graduating from college, I went back to work.  I worked at a small, private university in a Tokyo suburb called Musashino.  It was a lovely area, with green parks and sidewalks everywhere.  And yes, those sidewalks were used a lot!  And by me!  And yet I could hop on a train and be "downtown", which I considered Shinjuku, in about a 30 minute train ride.  I could also be at Tokyo Disneyland's door in about an hour and a half.  :-)

I turned 20 when I was studying in Japan and I wasn't much older than that when I came to live and work there.  I often think that I grew up with many of the students who I worked with.  I mean I wasn't much older than they were when I first started working and we had a lot to learn from one another.  They were all preparing to live in another country...I was living in another country.  They were studying and using English as much as they could.  I was studying and using Japanese as much as I could.

I helped build an exchange program with five universities in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  At one point we sent out 8,000 students in one year.  We worked with them to prepare them to go, worked with the schools to prepare them for the students coming, and then in cooperation with our sister schools, watched over the students while they studied. And then we would start all over with the next batch of students. 

My work team was awesome.  I look back now and really understand how blessed I was to be with such a great team of people, of innovators.  I learned so much from them...so much that I still use today.

But the "Hi" group was really an added bonus in my life.  This was a group of students who after coming back from studying in the States for 6 months, came and volunteered in our office and helped us prepare the next students to go.  They did so much for us.  They had such zest for life!  They inspired us as much as we inspired them.  I HOPE we inspired them! :-)

And now I am back in touch with several of these fine people on a regular basis.  It brings back memories, but it also makes me think how lucky I am to have had my life touched by them.  One is a photographer and is currently taking a lot of pictures all around the disaster areas in Japan.  He is encouraging people and finding hope himself.  One works for Nike and he says that he flies to Portland several times a year.  He has worked for them probably since before I left Japan.  One works for the Japanese government and is currently stationed with his family in Washington D.C.   

Good memories.  Good people.  Good to be reconnected. 

The Fisherman

An interesting story about really remembering what is important and loving what you have.  

The Fisherman

An investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The investment banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The fisherman replied, "Only a little while."

The investment banker then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"

The fisherman said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The investment banker then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening and spend time with my family, I have a full and busy life."

The investment banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a big town and eventually to the the city where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the investment banker replied, "15 to 20 years."

"But what then?" asked the fisherman.

The investment banker laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions?...Then what?"

The investment banker said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings and spend time with your family."

Nature

It is Saturday again.  Saturday mornings are my time.  My time to wander in my mind or wander in the fields.  Whatever I want to do. 

I am looking forward to tomorrow.  It is Easter.  It brings hope from the ashes. 

And that is what I am feeling this morning.  It is still cold here.  Frost is on the ground this morning.  But Spring has come.  Tulips are getting ready to bloom.  The small green shoots are out.  The plum trees are done blooming.  There are birds at my feeder who I have not seen before.  My guess is that they are done visiting relatives in the sunny spots and have come home to see what is up here. 

And finally the dogs are playing.  Ok, so the dogs play all the time.  But there is a newness to their play.  Even Gabby, the oldest of the bunch is running around.  Ok, so most of the time she is telling the younger dogs to settle down a bit, but she is spunky and showing her color. 

Belle is definitely in love with Sampson.  He understands her.  It was sweet to see him playing with her this morning.  He is so big and he is gentle with her. 

This is also a time for mourning for me.  My friend at work's son has taken a turn for the worse.  He is 25 and he has been fighting cancer for a very long time.  Last year he was told he has leukemia.  It was in remission (he had fought it into sumbission) for a while, but now it is back.  On top of that, he has a bacterial infection throughout his body.  My friend has been so strong.  But she is not ready to let go.  It is so hard to see. 

And my friend from my childhood's mother passed away last week.  She was just one of those women who could make a room light up just by being in it.  She was always good for a hug as well.  She was part of my church family as I was growing up.  She supported me by just caring for me as I was.  She didn't have girls, so I always felt like she was extra interested in the girlie stuff that I had to share with her.  I know she has a job now for the Lord.  But I wish for her family's sake that she could have stayed around a bit longer. 

And then, I come back to where I am and remember the love my husband has for me.  He cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom yesterday while I was at work.  No small feat after the busy week we have had.  And I listen to the meowing of my sweet cat Yodalina trying to get my attention.  A couple of my sisters are getting together for a small dinner to celebrate mine and my Mom's birthdays before Easter celebrations start.  And I remember that I am blessed in so many ways. 

Want to write

It is quiet here this morning.  My boys are asleep.  Belle is out roaming our territory.  Gabby is here sleeping next to me.  The cats are racing around wildly wishing that they had some yummy cat food. It is quiet and it is peaceful. 

Looking out our big windows, the plum blossoms are...the cat is now sitting on my hands. It is difficult to type.  The plum blossoms are moving gently in the breeze.  I can see out across our property and it is cloudy, but not raining now.  Really a lovely spring morning in the Northwest. 

I woke up early, as I usually do on Saturdays.  Saturdays are my gold days.  They go by too quickly.  Time with the family.  Time to dream a little.  Time to contemplate life and the direction we are moving.  Time.

Today I was thinking about gardening.  We haven't done much since last weekend when we started getting our soil ready.  I have been thinking a lot about how to keep deer and rabbits out of the garden.  I looked it up on the web and my favorite tip was to plant 1/3 for eating, 1/3 for the wildlife and 1/3 for the insects to get.  I liked that idea the best.  But there were a lot of ideas about using human hair around the edges.  Or using used kitty litter.  The problem with the last one is that my dogs like that enough as it is, and making it available to them outside...just not a nice thought for me.  There were also tips about putting up string between two posts and tying plastic bags to them.  People said that it scared the deer away, but it didn't sound like it was helfpul for the rabbits.  Just to be clear, we love having deer and rabbits around.  After all, our home is named Bunny Haven.  But I just would rather not have them eating anything that we plant.  I know, I know, why don't we just put up a fence, right?  Well, we are a bit short on funds to do that right now.  Or instead I could say that our funds are allocated elsewhere right now.  So...we need to figure something else or else we might not be able to plant anything. 

It is Saturdays though that make me thankful to live here.

Our neighbors the goat family (this is what we call the family who raise goats) has had a baby, so no baby goats this year.  They only have three goats and a big billy goat left right now and they said that they will most likely slaughter all but the Billy at the end of the growing season.  Then they are considering selling their Billy.  Wow.  What a difference this will make around here!  What will Sampson the Protector have to do all day?  I bet we will see more of him around here.  And who will eat the grass?  Our lawn mower can happily mow a swatch through the field for us to walk down to the river, but ummm....it won't do five acres. 

I went down to the pond last Saturday and started pulling some of the greens out of there.  I miss seeing the water.  I wonder who I can talk to about making the stream and the pond more healthy. 

Well, the birds have started their daily song.  My goal is to go get them 100#s of food today.  Crazy I know, but I used the last 100#s of food and it is less expensive if bought in bulk.  It is enjoyable to see the variety of birds who congregate to share in the wealth.  Maybe if I keep them fed that way, they will leave the garden alone. 

Belle is asking to come in after her morning jaunt.  Have a good day.

Food

For fear of sounding crazy...food is so important.  I had no idea how very important it is.  I have learned so much in the past few months.

I mean...well, we have eaten on a variety of different eating plans over the years.  We lost a lot of weight with the Atkins diet.  It isn't healthy long-term, but it did help us get pregnant.  One time we were on an eating plan that we made all our own condiments.  That was my favorite.  But Tim lost weight and I didn't.  We ate a lot of vegetables and a lot of rice, but we never thought about eating organic food.  And then we ate the "Clean Eating" way.  It talked a lot of about making sure to drink enough water.  It said to eat every three hours and to at least eat some protein every time we ate.  This was good, but the meals took too much time and were really too fancy for us.  We kept drinking a lot of water and we still make some recipes from that diet, but most of them are changed or simplified from the original.  This eating plan asked that we eat more fruits and vegetables and eat less processed foods.  We learned a lot from that. 

But we really never lost the kind of weight that either one of us needed to.  And Tim's health got worse.  And finally we decided that the lap band was the only option that would help him to be around for Carl when he grows up.  Not to mention for me.  :-)  I am a little selfish in that way. 

So it has been a year since he had his lap band.  It was expensive.  Was it worth it?  Tim says yes.  Even with the struggles he has trying to find things that he can eat and not get stuck.  But his feet neuropathy didn't get better. I had hoped...

And Tim is really unable to eat as much veggies as he needs.  Not to mention some of the other foods that are tough on him.  I think he misses the bread, rice, noodles, but really that wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. 

In the summer we bought a half share of fruits and veggies.  The fruits came from Yakima.  The veggies were grown locally by a really nice family. 

And then this winter I got sick.  I think I talked about that in and earlier update.  I started watching a lot of documentaries about food.  I have been continuing on that trend.  I think I am becoming one of THOSE people.  I started writing all that I have learned here...but I don't want to be tagged as subversive or paranoid.  What I will say is that it is making more and more sense to me to eat organic.  It is making more and more sense to me to eat more fruits and vegetables and high protein grains.  It is making more and more sense to me to eat as few processed foods as possible. 

Something I learned...or thought about today was how pesticides and chemical fertilizers can affect the farmers, their families and then the people in their communities.  I watched a very interesting film today on netflix.  It was in French with English subtitles and it was about a small farming community and how their mayor decided to change all of their school lunches and all the meals on wheels for the elderly to organic food.  They showed the impact that had on the community and the hope that it gave them for their cancer rates to go down. 

Enough said on that.  The other thing that we have been doing is juicing with vegetables.  Ok, so we realized that we have a hard time finding a combination of veggies that we could actually drink.  So for now we are making smoothies with fruit in the mornings and adding the veggie juice too.  It is a good compromise for us.  And it makes sure that we get fruit too.  I feel a lot better.  I wish that I could get Carl to drink more of it though.  He has a tough time with veggies and he won't eat much fruit. 

We are not able to do do ALL organic food yet, but we are working on a full switch.  We worked on our garden today.  It won't be considered all organic for a couple years because we used weed killer two years ago.  But we did use worm castings for our worm bin to feed the soil.  I have a feeling it will help. 

I am hoping to grow zucchinis, strawberries, carrots, potatoes...not sure what else.  We are trying to start on things that we know we will eat and that we know how to grow.  Oh and that are not too much trouble.  :-)

I read a very good book called "A Dirty Life".  It was a good book to prep me for a garden.  It is a good read if you are interested in reading about a woman who moved from being a free-lance writer in NY to marrying a hardcore organic farmer and building a farm with him. 

Ok, enough rambling.  I will keep you updated. 

Deer

I was out with the dogs yesterday just at dusk.  In the distance, I saw a deer stop and look and then sensing danger move quickly into cover.  I love the way deer move.  It is almost the epitome of the word bounding.

Just for the fun of it, I looked up deer.  I liked the final paragraph the best, "When a Deer totem enters your world, a new innocence and freshness in about to be awakened. New adventures are just around the corner and there will be an opportunity to express the gentle love that will open new doors for you."

Deer, Power Animal, Symbol of Gentleness, Unconditional Love and Kindness

By Ina Woolcott

Deer's medicine includes gentleness in word, thought and touch. The ability to listen, grace and appreciation for the beauty of balance. Understanding of what's necessary for survival, power of gratitude and giving, ability to sacrifice for the higher good, connection to the woodland goddess, alternative paths to a goal

In the Celtic tradition, there are two aspects of deer - female and male. The Hind (the red female deer), called Eilid in the Gaelic language, symbolises femininity, subtlety and gracefulness. The Hind is believed to call to us from the Faery realm, tempting us to release the material trappings of so-called 'civilization', to go deep into the forest of magic, to explore our own magical and spiritual nature. The topic gentleness is part of this tradition. Many stories tell of Hinds changing into women, often goddesses, to protect does from being hunted. The lesson to be gleaned here is that when we explore magic and spirituality, it must be with good intention, to harm no living being, but to enter the realm of the wild things in the spirit of love and communion. The Stag, Damh in the Gaelic tongue, is also linked to the sacredness of the magical forest. The Damh represents independence, purification, and pride. It is known as the King of the Forest, the protector of its creatures. For time immemorial people have sought to identify with the stag by ceremonially wearing antlered headdresses and imitating the deer's leaping grace.

Both Celtic and Native American hunters prayed to the deer to give them a good hunt, and in return promised to take no more than was essential for the survival of the tribe. This helps remind us that our spirit of gentleness and unconditional love should extend to all species, not only our own.

Maybe the most effective way to summarize the lessons of these beliefs, is to say that only when we move through life in the spirit of love for all beings can we melt the barriers that separate us from others, from other life forms, and from the beautiful mystery which is our own magical and spiritual gift.

By observing the ways in which deer behave, it is possible to see what amazing qualities - or powers - they possess. From the deer we can learn that the gift of gentleness and caring can help us overcome and put aside many testing situations. Only love, both for ourselves and for others, helps us understand the true meaning of wholeness.

If a deer crosses your path, this may show you that you are a very compassionate, gentle and loving person. If you don't have these qualities, then consider if you have a problem that needs addressing. Are you facing a challenge in your life, whether with a fellow human being or a delicate situation? If you are feeling negative emotions such as anger, try letting go. Think about whether a gentler and more loving approach can sort the issue out. It may be necessary to speak the truth, this is best done with kindness and from the heart, this will generally give a better result.

Deer teaches us how powerful it is to be of gentle demeanour, to exert keen observation and sensitivity. Deer's are in tune with nature and all it comprises. They are sacred carriers of peace and show those with this power animal how to open their hearts and love unconditionally.

Frequently twins or even triplets are born in the spring. Females and males reside in separate groups until the mating season. White-tailed deer are rather sociable, and family members forage food together along with other family groups, which gives the appearance of a large herd. Fawns are born a colour that protects them, camouflaging them from a predator’s sight. In the first few days of their life they hardly move, until their energy field is strong and grounded. They then stand up and begin to follow their mother around. A magical sight to behold is fawns coming out of forests, following their tenderly protective mothers. Even when grazing, the mothers are constantly watchful, fully aware and alert of what is going on all around them. They travel through forest and field with deliberateness and clarity, mindful of the fragile creature they nurture and protect. There is a powerful lesson to be learned here by us. Though we are born with an inborn ability to be unconditionally loving, often we are born to parents whose life experiences have taught them to become hard, and to lose that ability to experience and give unconditional love. Watching the deer and her babies is a reminder to honour and respect the child-like innocence within your self and go about your life with gentleness and an open heart. You should also stand strong on your path, in your beliefs, and not allow yourself to get distracted by outside influences.

Deer has entered your life to help you walk the path of love with full consciousness and awareness, to know that love sometimes requires caring and protection, not only in how we love others, but also in how we love ourselves.

A deer's senses are very acute and they see extremely well in low light, giving them the ability to understand the deeper symbolic meanings of things. They can hear a twig snap a very long way off. People with this power animal are often described as being swift and alert. They are intuitive, often seeming to possess well developed, even extrasensory perceptions. Sometimes their thoughts seem to race ahead, and they appear not to be listening, to be somewhere else. Anyone with power animal has latent clairvoyant and clairaudient abilities. They can see between the shadows, detect subtle movements and hear that which is not being uttered. Ask the deer to help you develop these true gifts.

The set of antlers grown by the male deer are antennae that connect it to higher energies. If you come across a deer in the wild, try to count the number of points on their antlers. This number is associated with numerology and can carry great significance for those with this power animal.

Deer teaches us to be gentle, to touch the hearts and minds of wounded beings who are in our lives. Don't push people to change, rather gently nudge them in right direction, with the love that comes from deer. Love and accept people as they are. The balance of true power lays in love and compassion.

When a Deer totem enters your world, a new innocence and freshness in about to be awakened. New adventures are just around the corner and there will be an opportunity to express the gentle love that will open new doors for you.