Love On Rose Street

Happy Birthday Baby Logan! ...and the candy dilemma

My sister Ashley had her baby today!

Logan George was born at 11:16am today, on November 1st weighing 7lbs. 4oz. and is such a sweet, handsome little angel!

I have been with them all day and don't have much to say about it yet...I am overwhelmed right now with happiness, excitement and it's too early for me to write about such a beautiful thing as my little sister having a beautiful baby boy, my nephew, Stella's cousin! 

I am going back to be with them in the morning!  I love him so much!

Yesterday being Halloween (and my Aunt Lisa's Birthday, "Happy Birthday Aunt Lisa!") I ran into one of my first kind of "road blocks" in parenting.  I didn't know how I was going to handle Halloween.   I know that I don't want my daughter to collect a huge bag of candy on Halloween every year and be on a sugar binge for a week following.  

After having a little time to think about it, I still don't know EXACTLY how it will go, but I hope it goes something like this...Stella carves a pumpkin, eats apples, goes on a hayride, sings songs round a bonfire, and dresses up in a handmade costume of her choosing, designing and planning (and Mommy's sewing), we celebrate the season, the Earth's harvest, and all the mysteries surrounding Halloween, but...I somehow keep her away from the candy aspect (which seems to have somehow become the main focus in this country!). And when she's old enough I explain to her why she wouldn't want to scarf down loads and loads of that junk and that Holidays are a joy of life, but that the junk foods involved are not the main point.  That's my resolve for now...

That all being said...I didn't have a costume prepared for Stella yesterday because I wasn't going to dress her up.  I figured she would just be miserable in a costume, and I was stalled by my feelings on the candy issue, which wouldn't really even be an issue until next year, right now she just wants booby, (and that's all she's had besides a few nibbles of avocado).  It was kind of depressing.  Then, I decided that I wasn't going to let the idea of some miserable candy ruin Halloween for me and Stella!  And, at the last minute I got caught up in the spirit of the day (because I really do LOVE the costume part of Halloween!) and just a couple of hours before the festivities got to borrow this cute black cat costume from my friend! 

I would have preferred to make Stella's costume if I was going to dress her up at all.  But, it's okay, this will remain a good lesson...I will always remember how the Fat, Hyper, Scary, Sugar Grinch almost stole Halloween for Stella, until Mommy stole it back at the last minute! 

So, we dressed her up in this very cute, probably Made In China, but still very lovely costume and you can see Stella here receiving her first piece of the "special candy to leave outside on Halloween Night for the Gnomes" (That's a good one huh?) from Grandma...that Mommy threw away as soon as we got in the car!  After we got that out of the way, we had such a great Halloween.  Stella really seemed to catch on to the excitement...and she really enjoyed inspecting and chewing on her costume.

Trick or Treat!...I'll take the trick!

Step One: Get Your Mind Right!

For the first week of this endevour I would like to lay down a foundation that is essential to the success of any health improvement goals.  We need to do some work on our minds first.  Any successful life improvements are a result, first, and foremost of a transformative inner journey.  You cannot just resolve to eat nothing but salad, for the rest of your life, on a quest for happiness through health. Without doing the mind work first, you would not be able to stick with that plan for long anyways.  The kind of radiant health that brings the joy we are all searching for begins with our minds. And exercising everyday can keep you away from problems like scoliosis.

There is a better way to live.  We can experience the joy of reaching everyday for our unlimited potential instead of just surviving.  We do have unlimited potential. Everything we need to know, to achieve true happiness, are not things we need to find out, but things we simply need to remember.  Most of us have long forgotten the natural and free state of childhood where joy was automatic.  The fear and limits that many of us experience daily are only learned states of being, not our birthrights. 

If we are to embark on a healthy diet and exercise lifestyle it is to improve our state of health and well-being, and we would only want to improve our state of health and well-being if we thought it would improve our happiness and increase our joy.  But, foods and exercise alone will not do that.  Health is not something that you can physically impose on yourself...you must attract it.  For the changes to last and become a life transformation they must come from the inside and will be then manifested on the outside.  We must first break out of our mental prisons before we start down the path to well-being.

The first step to doing any of this transformative work is to take RESPONSIBILITY.  This is where the majority of the people get lost and that's why most of us are not functioning at a level anywhere near our highest potential (which is actually unlimited).  Most people are too afraid to take 100% responsibility.  But, let me just say this, that when you do finally grasp that the RESPONSIBILITY for everything that happens to you is 100% yours it is a very empowering feeling, causes that means that you actually have CONTROL.  I want control of my life...how about you?

Happy Birthday Friend!

Today I would like to say "Happy Birthday!" to my closest friend Laura!  She has been there for me in so many ways I can actually credit her for helping to finally find the happiness I have today.  She has helped me grow so much throughout the years I would not be the same person I am now if not for knowing and having a close friendship with her.  She has been my rock through my years of figuring out who, what, where, when, why and how I wanted to be.

I think Laura was actually relieved when I finally found my prince charming, got married, and bought a house on Rose St.  At the same time, I think she might kind of miss my crazy days when she kind of lived vicariously through me long after she had married and bought a house on Helen St.  I am not her crazy friend anymore always moving around from town to town or state to state, trying to find my place in the world, having boyfriend drama, and crisis after crisis. She would spend hours with me on the phone sorting out, advising me, and though I hardly ever took her advice (cause I have to find out the hard way) she was almost always right.  Now when I call her the biggest drama is the baby on my end pushing all the buttons on the phone and pulling the cord out (yes, I still talk on a cord phone).

   

This is my friend who knows pretty much every deep down nitty gritty not so pretty detail about me and loves me still more.  I miss her all the time, I wish she was next to me now that we both have families.  I miss her humor, I miss our fun, and I miss her face so much.

Even though I am an extremely independent thinker, I still find myself looking for Laura's little stamp of approval on most things, I don't think she even knows that.  She always validates me when I am down, and I can move on with my life feeling much better because my friend has my back!  I am stronger because I have her in my corner, on my side, and in my heart.  Thank you friend!  For being you.  And for being an amazing friend to me.

Thank you for being thoughtful, patient, and wise even in my lost and selfish times.  I can't wait for the day you will meet and hold my beautiful daughter cause I know you will love her and appreciate her in your very own special way.

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday, my friend! I love you.

The Tao of Knitting

I'm feeling rather quiet today...I just want to knit...and read...and sit on the beach...and take a bath...and go to bed early.  Or any combination of those: beach knitting, bed reading, bath reading AND knitting, etc. (yes! I have knit in the bath from time to time.)  Here's what I've been reading and reflecting on (while knitting) lately:

Knitting as meditation, relaxation, creation, and peace... 

"This book is about seeing and listening.  It's about becoming aware that through knitting you can hear and give attention to what's in your heart and soul-to yourself, to the world, to others, and to the Holy," from, "The Knitting Way" by Linda Skolnit and Janice MacDaniels.

Knitting as teacher of life lessons...

 

"If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow." ~Chinese saying, from, "Things I Learned from Knitting...whether I wanted to or not."

Knitting as social pursuit...

  An excerpt by Debbie Stoller: 

"It's a freezing cold Tuesday night in January, and the gals at my office can't wait to head home, but I'm happy to face the biting winds and make my way to the Java 'n Jazz cafe.  After all, tonight is Stitch 'n Bitch, and I've been looking forward to it all week.  By the time I get there, the ladies have already staked their claim to the rocking chair and the coveted couch at the back of the cafe.  The low coffee table in front of them is covered with mugs of cappuccino and tea, and the women themselves sit thigh-to-thigh on the couches in a tight circle, their heads bent over their latest knitting projects, bags of yarn and needles scattered to their feet.  With a bit of rearranging, I find a way to join the circle as well."

Illustration by: Adrienne Yan, from the book "Stitch 'N Bitch," by Debbie Stoller.

Happy Knitting...and reading...and beaching...and bath taking!                                                    

Jessica's Farm

Local Food...for the fresh, delicious straight from the garden (or earthbox!) taste.  I love the benefits for my body and the planet, too.

 

My weekly trip to the local organic farm and I was greeted with these beauties!  I think I bought too many for us to eat before they start to go bad so I am planning a "living" marinara for the rescue cause it usually stays good in the fridge for a week or so.

The Romaine lettuces were so fresh and gorgeous, just picked from the earth, and look at that price (no shipping)!  I stocked up for a week of salads and green smoothies!

 

One more reason I'd rather just leave Florida in the summer...Jessica's summer break, I get a little depressed when they close up shop for a few weeks.  I feel like I'm back in my groove, now.  Ahhhhh! 

The sweet people there I always look forward to chatting with.  They watched me as I grew big with Stella in my belly...and now, they are watching her grow big.  And, I love knowing that I will be able to show Stella where her food comes from.  Where does your food come from?

http://www.jessicasorganicfarm.com/

Step Two: Make Friends With Superfoods!

In order to start crowding the bad stuff out of our diets, we need to start crowding in the good stuff!  Superfoods, in most cases, are not supplements, they are whole foods in their own right.  Superfoods are simply "super" food.  There are not strict guidelines of what goes in this category.  A "super" food is a food that is both nutritionally dense and easy to diget.

One could actually write a book on each superfood alone, as David Wolfe did with Raw Chocolate, and as many others have done with Bee Pollen, etc.  Therefore, I would just like to first introduce the whole community of friends, then I would like to go deeper into each of them individually.

So, here they are, uh-oh, where's Chlorella?  Just a second...

Okay, here she is hanging out with Spirulina, they are very close sisters.  Anyways, as I said, it would be best to do an in depth study of each of these magnificent super, powerful foods individually, so that's what I will do over some time here, at the end of each post I will do an ode to one of my superfood friends and introduce them properly with a lot of glory and love.

Here's a quick rundown of the main characters for your immediate knowledge:

Chlorella, Spirulina, and Algae (my favorite being of the Blue Green variety, E3Live) these are single celled aquatic green foods that are little powerhouses of vitamins, minerals, protein, and other nutrients which are missing in modern food.

Goji Berries delicious little berries, and a sacred food in Tibeten and Chinese herbalism, that contain at least 18 amino acids and are powerful sources of minerals, protein and antioxidants.

Bee Pollen is nature's most complete food, need protein, forget meat, eat Pollen!

Hemp Seeds extremely bio-available protein, excellent array of amino acids and minerals!

And last, but definately not least, oh, hold on a sec, this one gets it's own photo:

 

Okay, here we are, the "food of the gods" CHOCOLATE!  The food that makes my world go 'round.  The "love food".  Need I say more?

Well, yes, there is more.  Chocolate.  Raw Cacao, to be exact, is loaded with antioxidants and magnesium, as just a beginning.  And...from my own experience...chocolate prevents depression and is a an aphrodisiac.

Well, that's the short list for now.  There is so much information available on these superfoods that you will find plenty of research to support their amazing properties.

Superfoods are so important to the success of any healthful eating plan, because when you are truly nourished, whith all the things our bodies really need, it is much easier not to get cravings for junky foods.  Lack of real nourishment will leave you feeling "hungry" all the time...even if your stomach is full, becasue your cells are still starving for what they need!  If you eat junk foods all day long, you are actually STARVING yourself.  Fill up on superfoods and be nourished.

Ghiveci (giv-ech)

My MIL (Mami) was here in spirit this evening while Dorin was at work and I had to face a very empty house.  I made a Romanian specialty called Ghiveci (the veggie stew lookin' thing) for us.  Tonight was mine and Stella's first night alone in the house since Mami and Tati's departure and I wanted to feel them, so I made this dish that I watched both my M&FIL make several times while they were here.  The house was very quiet, Stella wanted to be held a lot, so we kind of made this together.  We ate together when Dorin got home from work and it wasn't the same at all.

Here is the typical Romanian set-up...almost always some kind of soup (the is a completely vegan soup, but they're not all that healthy!), a few slices of some white baguette, and a small side dish (usually a little bit of meat or cheese, but this is my healthy substitute of mushroom couscous).  Also, Romanians usually like a little bit of wine with their meals.  We miss you so much Mami and Tati!  I can't wait for Mami to get to work on Monday and see these photos...she will be so happy to see that we are carrying on the food traditions of the past six weeks!  She can't really read my posts because her English is very limited, but, hey, a picture can say a thousand words.

Quilt of Love

This picture doesn't do the actual quilt justice, at all, but the story behind it is the most important.  Last week I began pulling out some of my Christmas things, including the beautiful quilt my Aunt Lisa made for me last year (see below).  My Mother-in-Law admired the quilt so much when I put it on the couch.  Later Dorin told me she was asking where she could get one, if she could buy one, and how much.  Hearing of her desire and appreciation of something that was handmade by my Aunt (which I was very proud of) I decided that since I had been wanting to learn to quilt for a while anyways (I've even had all the tools for months) that there was no better time than now, before they left. I wanted to have a Christmas quilt, handmade in my Mother-in-Law's suitcase. 

I called up my Aunt Lisa, it was the day before Thanksgiving, and she said we could work on one together and definitely have it done in time for their departure.  I took Mami (my MIL) to the fabric store and had her choose her fabric and shopped for all the other materials I would need.  The next day at Thanksgiving my Aunt Lisa and I got to cut a few of the squares but we really didn't get much work done (Dorin's Dad was too busy making us all dance and sing while he played guitar!)  The next day was Black Friday and my Aunt went shopping, Saturday was recovery from that, and Sunday I made it over to her house around noon to get to work.  After half a day of cutting and sewing we realized we were not cutting the correct size and would have to start over completely.  Thankfully Aunt Lisa had Christmas fabrics we could use to start from the beginning.  So, Sunday evening I left and the new quilt was all cut out and about halfway sewn. 

They were to fly out Tuesday morning!  Well, I thought, we can always send it to them.  But, the next morning Aunt Lisa called...she had stayed up half the night and early that morning finishing up and could bring it over for me to hand stitch the binding on!  WOW!  My heart was so happy!  How generous of my Aunt!  She was so willing to share in my desire and enthusiasm to get a quilt made for my MIL, and so generous with her time.  It was truly an act of passion on our parts to want that quilt to be done and make it happen.  My Aunt brought the quilt over so we could present it to Mommy together and of course she cried.  I finished the hand stitiching at 2:30 am and they left for the airport at 9 am.

Our hearts have been so sore since they left.  Our house is so empty without them.  We had such a beautiful and happy time with them.  They seem so far away over there in Europe, across the World.  It's not easy to get there, or to get them here,...time, money, jobs, life, etc.  We don't know when we will see them again.  It felt so good to have that real family closeness in our lives, just to have them go so suddenly...it snuck up on us so fast.  Six weeks went by in the blink of an eye.  They fell in love with their granddaughter so wholeheartedly, and she them, that to see them say goodbye to her was truly heartbreaking. 

I miss them so bad.  The days will feel just a little bit empty until we are together with them again.  But, this quilt story has reminded me of something that I forget sometimes...if you want something bad enough you can make it happen.   I know that someday we will live close to Dorin's parents and have the kind of family closeness that I dream of for Stella.

It is so nurturing for a child to be raised with that kind of love and family around them.  It was very healing for me, as well.  Having them close to us is one of our hopes, dreams, and goals.  Until then, we will try to fill the void with plenty of phone calls, photos, and love, sent across the ocean...from our hearts to theirs.

 

Thank you Aunt Lisa!...for sharing that dream with me and making it happen!  I love you!

A song about finding your soul mate...Macy Gray style.

sorry, that I'm late
I been searchin' for something great
something to fill me up
he said, "join the club"
then we made love till my body ached

and baby when you have the time
I wanna tell you what is on my mind
I gotta get it off
cause it's so heavy

after what we did the other night
I wanna be with you for all my life
I'm so glad you're a freak like me

someone be a true one
see the last one made me cry
all the time my love
he said, "join the club"
and we make love till
my emotions rise

my emotions rise

and baby when you have the time
I wanna tell you what is on my mind
I gotta get it off
cause it's so heavy

after what we did the other night
I wanna be with you for all my life
I'm so glad you're a freak like me
love like I dream of
like they sing of in the beautiful song
feeling it deep tonight
and I'd rather die
than be without you when the morning comes
you make me feel like my search is done

baby when you have the time
I wanna tell you what is on my mind
I gotta get it off
cause it's so heavy
after what we did the other night
I wanna be with you for all my life
I'm so glad you're a freak like me

 

4th of July Reunion!

Fair Warning:

Watch Out Daddy!...Mama's old college friend and former partner-in-crime is coming to visit...

she be here in just a few hours!  And I haven't seen her since these pictures two and a half years ago!