Rhi Farrell

GM Diet/Detox Recap; On to Green Smoothies

2012-04-29T17:31:00.002-07:00

My goal was to keep a journal detailing my 7 days on the GM diet, but life (mainly motherhood) doesn't always cooperate. Here is a recap of the rest of my week following this plan.

Day 2: All Veggie day
This day was the worst. My body craved for sugar, any kind of sugar! I kept wanting to sneak in my daughters room to steal some of her leftover Easter Candy. It took every last ounce of will power to stay away from the chocolate.

I don't tend to eat much a day, and normally don't get hungry until the afternoon. Around noon or one, I stared to feel the hunger set it and made a salad. I added tomatoes and an avocado to my greens and for dressing, I used this great stuff I found at Whole Foods called Vegi-Delite. I also made a batch of wonder soup and had a bowl. It was not very tasty, but I put in too much water for my liking, making it taste somewhat bland.

That night for dinner my daughter wanted Subway. Walking in to the shop, I smelled the fresh baked bread and it was pure torture. As I watched my daughter eat her veggie sub w/cheese on the Italian herb bread, I sadly ate my salad. This time I also added some green peppers and cucumbers to my tomato and avocado. For the dressing I had them drizzle a little bit of red wine vinegar.

Next to this Subway shop is a Tutti Fruitti and my daughter talked me into letting her get some desert. She sampled a new flavor that she thought I would like and tried to get me to sample it. Then proceeded to laugh at me after remembering my diet. I had a feeling them that it was going to be a hard week.

Day 3: Fruits & Veggies
I wasn't home much this day, and ended up drinking a lot of iced Black Tea. When I did get a chance to eat, I had a pear, some pineapple, a bowl of the soup and some cuties. I definitely felt better at the end of day 3.

Day 4:Banana and milk day
This was my favorite day. I lived on Banana smoothies all day. I used 2 bananas per smoothie and mixed it with my Light Vanilla Soy Milk and ice.

Day 5: Tomato and Beef day (or in my case, brown rice)
Another good day. The tomatoes were yummy and I had about 4 or 5 of them throughout the day. I also had a bowl of the soup and made some brown rice.

Day 6:Veggie & Beef day (or brown rice)
Today I had another one of my salads and some tomatoes.

Day 7: Fruits, veggies & juice day
I had a PTSA meeting at school that day, and afterwards a few of us went to The Soup Plantation. While it sounded like a good place to go when on a diet, it was extremely hard to stick to the diet. The smells of the soups, pastas and breads were killing me. But I stuck to it and had a big salad w/olive oil & vinegar drizzled on, a baked potato w/veggies as a topping and some fruit. I did cheat a little and had some of their lemon summer salad. The dressing was not GM diet approved, but it tasted awesome!!

At the end of the week, I ended up losing a total of 6 1/2 pounds. Not quite the results I was hoping for, but it's a start. On my two days off of dieting I tried to keep the healthy eating going, but was not all that successful. I had an egg & cheese croissant from Jack in The Box after going to the gym one day & a small Chipotle bean & cheese burrito from Del Taco that night for dinner. The next day I had a pear and some cuties for lunch and a childs size portion of spaghetti for dinner.

During these two days, I started thinking back to the banana and milk day, and how much I enjoyed it. I decided that I wanted to do a Green Smoothie Detox/diet next. My plan is to do 7 days of the GM, take 2 days off then do 7 days of Green Smoothies with 2 days off. Then start all over again.

There are many different variations of the Green Smoothie plan, but essentially you should drink at least one Green Smoothie a day and eat healthy the rest of the day. I have been making one to two big smoothies each day and nibbling on little items here and there.

If you google "Green Smoothie recipes", you will find all sorts of yummy concoctions. I have never been one to follow recipes or directions all that well, so I tend to just throw things in. Some of my experiments are made up of the following:

1)Bananas, vanilla soy milk, flax seed oil, spinach, dried seaweed, frozen berries & plenty of ice.
2)Bananas, kale, chia gel, cacao nubs, peanut butter, vanilla almond milk & plenty of ice.

A few minutes ago, my daughter was pestering me for a smoothie (a bonus to this plan is my daughter is drinking the smoothies with me, getting more veggies in her diet). I made this one with mango, strawberries, kale, cacao nubs, chia gel, gogi berries and plenty of ice. It doesn't look pretty, but tastes pretty good :)

I really enjoy the green smoothie plan, and was considering not even going back to the GM Diet, but I am not losing any weight. In fact I am up 2 pounds. I still have over 60 pounds to go, so I will stick to my plan of flip flopping them until I lose the weight.

GM Detox/Diet; Day 1

2012-04-19T20:36:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was the 1st day of my little experiment. The last few days have been busy, and I hadn't made it to the the grocery store to stock up on what I need. By the time I made it to Whole Foods it was the afternoon.

Day 1: Fruit day

I ate some pineapple and some Cuties, and that was it. I wasn't feeling hungry after the pineapple and had to force most of the cuties I ate. The main reason I just ate Cuties was because they are compact and easy to bring on the go.

I woke up this morning feeling fine and was down 1.5 pounds. So far, so good :)

The 7 day GM Detox/Diet

2012-04-19T20:05:00.005-07:00

The other week while perusing Pinterest, I came across a pin for the "GM Diet". After doing some research, it seemed doable and I decided I would give it a go.

The Diet basically consists of the following:

Day 1. Only fruits except for bananas. All fruits can be consumed in generous quantities except for bananas, as they are high in carbohydrates and potassium.

Day 2. Only vegetables. A cup of baked potato would serve as the body’s main energy source for the day, and then it can be followed up with vegetable dishes during lunch and dinner. The "Wonder Soup"* is highly powerful during this day, as it provides all the energy the body would need.

Day 3. Fruit and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables may be served the whole day, from breakfast to dinner, including midday snacks. Though no bananas or potatoes are allowed.

Day 4. Bananas and milk. Banana and milk combos may be consumed all day, with servings of the "Wonder Soup" during lunch and dinner. Banana and milk may be taken in the form of shakes, during breakfast and midday snacks.

Day 5. Lean Beef and 6 tomatoes; feast day!! Since I am a Vegetarian, instead of beef, brown rice is substituted on One cup of rice is good to last for the day together with tomatoes in order to induce cleansing.

Day 6. Lean Beef and vegetables. Once again, I am altering it to fit my needs, so on this day mixed vegetables may be consumed all day, together with one cup of rice.

Day 7. Up to two cups of brown rice may be consumed, together with fruit and vegetable servings and fruit juices.

*Wonder Soup
The following soup is intended as a supplement to your diet. It can be eaten any time of the day and on any day of the diet.

The main ingredients of this wonder soup are :
Onions, Green Peppers, Tomatoes, Cabbage, Celery, water, flavorings, herbs.
You may substitute the above vegetables according to your taste. Asparagus, peas, corn, turnips, green beans, cauliflower, etc.

Avoid beans like lima, pinto, kidney, etc.
You can use 1 spoon of oil to sauté the vegetables and cook with water and herbs and flavorings of your taste.

I did many searched looking for a recipe I would like. I made my first batch today and it consisted of a head of Cabbage, a few tomatoes, water, celery, onions, carrots (Whole Foods had these three ingredients pre chopped up in a container together) and some spices. Every recipe I came across had a different amount of water, so I played with it. I feel I put too much in for my liking, and plan on making the next batch with less.

Do’s and Don’ts of the Diet:

Drink 10 glasses of water
Don’t repeat this diet with out an interval of few days.
No alcohol ( at least for the 1st 7 day interval, if you plan on repeating it)
Moderate Exercise
If you plan on repeating the program, take a three day break inbetween

Beverages you may consume while on the program :

1. Water (flavoured with lemon/lime if desired).
2. Club Soda is OK.
3. Black Coffee. No cream or cream substitute. No sugar or sweetness.
4. Black Tea = Herb or Leaf.
5. Absolutely nothing else except the fruit juices which are part of day seven. No fruit juices before day seven.

You may repeat this program as often as you like, however, it is suggested that you are allowed two glasses of white wine in addition to the instructions on the program. You may substitute champagne for white wine. Under no circumstances are you to drink any other alcoholic beverages with the exception of beer which is allowed. Any liquor (bourbon,vodka, rum) is forbidden. Cream drinks are especially forbidden. You may have an occasional cordial such as creme de menthe or schnapps, but you must always limit yourself to two drinks. If you wine, drink only wine that day. If you have beer, drink only beer that day, etc. Alcohol adds empty calories to your diet. However, after the first week it will help your digestion and settle your stomach.

Do you have Flower Power?

2012-01-27T15:10:00.001-08:00

(I am always looking for ways to help out those near and dear to me. I have been a member of my local chapter Mommies Network group since 2007 as well as worked with them on a National level, so when I saw this I felt the need to share)

Are you looking for some curb appeal? Do you need to beautify your back yard? Spring planting season may be a few months away, but there's no better time than now to grow with SCValleyMommies! We've partnered with Flower Power to bring you a fabulous fundraiser to help you plan the garden of your dreams.

Flower Power sells quality flower bulbs with a 100 percent money-back guarantee. Gorgeous geraniums, tantalizing tiger lilies, and beautiful begonias are just a few of the many bulbs available and ready to be shipped to your door. This fundraiser runs Jan. 22–March 20, 2012, and your bulbs will arrive in April and May, just in time for beautiful summer blooms.

So save some gas and the trip to your local nursery or big-box store, and plan your perfect garden from the comfort of your computer. Visit http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/i/t/240241/Sx89zFxHmHXL to view the enormous array of flower bulbs, and spring into Flower Power and SCValleyMommies’ fabulous fundraiser!

Special bonus: Spend $40 or more to receive a free bag of 10 Twilight gladiolus, a $10 value.

Grow with us!

Profits made through our fundraising link go toward our chapter's operating expenses.

Starting a new venture

2012-01-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about Crowd Funding? Basically it is a way that individuals, organizations, new businesses, ect ask others to help fund their idea.

I am working on a new website venture and am hoping that crowd funding will help me make sure I can get it up and running properly and fast.

"TheParent411 is anxious to get fully up & running. We don’t want to do it bit by bit either. Therefore, we have decided that crowd funding was a great medium for us to utilize.

Please take a moment to check out our campaign, as well as share it with others"

Dear Santa

2011-12-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

With Christmas fast approaching, I have been after my daughter to make her wish list. Since her birthday is three days after X-mas (lucky us & our wallets), her list can get a little crazy.

This year though, she only has one item on her Letter to Santa, a Kindle and some nail polish for her stocking. I lot that my little girl has become some an avid reader like her mom. Hopefully Santa will come through for her. Or even better, he can get me a Kindle Fire and I can give her my old Kindle ;) (Hey, we can all dream)

Obviously she wants some other things, after all it is two events and more than just Santa gives her goodies. After much prompting, here is the rest of her list:

Kit, the American Girl Doll

Lagoona's Hydration Station (Monster High)

Gift Cards (Justice, iTunes, Game Stop, Toys R Us)

Little Pet Shop toys

We did give her one gift already, a guitar & guitar lessons. After all she is going to be a famous singer one day ;)

What items are on your childs wish list this year?

Hump Day

2011-12-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

While looking for my original "Greedy Bitch Wish List" today, I saw some of my old MySpace blogs and started reminiscing. One of my favorites was the "Hump Day" list.

The Hump Day list was a weekly blog I would do on Wednesdays (duh) that was a place for myself; and others; to let it all hang out. You could bitch, moan & rant about your day. Or you could list what you are looking forward to. Whatever you wanted to talk or list was welcome on Hump Day.

I decided to start this as a mid-week relief hatch. There was another MySpace blogger that had a Friday Fuck List, but sometimes we just didn't want to wait till Friday.

It was very therapeutic until I caught on my Employer was looking at it. Not as much fun when you had to be careful and edit your words...

As today is Hump Day, I figured I would do a list for old times sake. Feel free to join in if you wish :)

1) Hubby has a 7mm bulged disk. Will the back problems never stop? He also has to fly to FL next week to take his 1st PGA checkpoint test. Hopefully the DR's can help him some before then

2) It is starting to get really cold. The mornings are brutal and it makes it hard for my achy bones to get moving in the morning.

3) Speaking of getting moving, my motivation is severely lacking. I have so many thing I need/want to do, but I just can't seem to get myself to do them.

4) The last few days I have ended the day with a nasty headache. Sometimes I wish I could just chop off my head.

5) On the bright side, at least they aren't migraines. The migraines are back, but not as bad as they used to be

6) Finally pulled out the old laptop (Windows) so I could get to my SSDI files & converted them to PDF's so I could view them on my MacBook. Hopefully I can get some of my old DR files from them & forward to my new DR's so I can get some decent help.

While it was fun thinking about old times & hump day lists, I am not sure I will rekindle this list. There are too many things I would like to post, but with so many people active in virtual land these days, its probably best I keep it to myself or a trusted friend.

Thanks for walking down memory lane with me. While you are here, feel free to type out your "Hump Day List"

Greedy Bitch Wish List, 2011

2011-12-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

'Tis that time of year again; Greedy Bitch Wish List update!!!!

As I was sitting down to start updating my list, I started wondering how long I have been doing this. I actually went through the hassle of finding my 1st one on MySpace (yes, I said MySpace) to see how it has changed over the last 5 years. If you feel like taking a walk through memory lane & checking out MySpace, here is the link:

http://www.myspace.com/irishdreaming/blog/209883894

Please make out one of your own and share with us. If you are going to post onion your Blog or FaceBook notes, please share. I love seeing what others wish for.

1) Amazon Gift Cards

2) iTunes Gift Cards

3) A travel Tea Tumbler from Teavana (check it out)

4) Teavana Tea Tins

5) Teavana Gift Cards

6) Victoria Secrets or Fredrick's of Hollywood Gift Cards

7) Kindle Fire

8) Disneyland passes for myself & Keely (Southern California Annual Pass)

9) Disneyland Gift Cards

10) A BlenderTek Blender (Saw one at Sams & fell in love)

11) A Flip video camera

12) A portable Blue Ray/DVD player

13) A DSLR camera

14) A new Coach Purse (there are soo many I like I just can't narrow it down to one)
15) New tattoo(s)
16) Get my eyebrow re-pierced
17) Replace the diamond chip in my rose ring
18) Jewelry (the expensive kind, that glitters, mainly this blue topaz & sapphire ring that is being sold at a local jewelers)

19) iPad

20) iPhone

21) A Tanning membership
22) Notre Dame gear
23) $8000 to start up an on-line business idea I have (assuming I don't have an iPad & iPhone at the time, less if I do)
24) a new Vehicle (preferably a Sequoia or a luxury version)
25) A new Key for my truck as my current one broke & I can't keep it on a keychain (if I can't get the new car) & a second set of car keys to Terry's Pontiac
26) If I not going to get the new car above, then get all the dings and dents Terry has put in my current truck repaired and the wheel bumper replaced that I messed up.
27) Plastic surgery (Nothing extreme. I can't get rid of my thighs, never have been able too, even when I was allowed to exercise. I now I can't exercise unless I want to be sick in bed for weeks. So some lypo and a breast replacement. They don't need to be bigger, just raised since I ran around braless so much growing up. Damn gravity catching up!)
28) A trip to Jamaica (RIP Mikey. I am going to go to your dream Island before I die)
29) A trip to Ireland and Italy (to see my roots)
30) Enough money to set Keely's college fund so that she can go anywhere she would like for as long as she needs to
31) A house – at least 3 bed, 2 bath, w/a yard big enough for a dog & Keely, a walk-in closet big enough for mine & Terry's clothes & shoes (he is such a woman, but you didn't hear it from me)/on the other side of the spectrum the house needs to be at least 5 bed, 3 bath, a yard big enough for a pool and yard space so we can have a dog for Keely, big walk-in master closet, a the master bath has to has two sinks.
32) Start-up capital for my real-state investment company I want to own
33) To be able to have the resources available to research my whole family tree and Keely's as well
34) Have my charity for abandoned cats
35) Find my old best friend (Jason Metz) from when I lived in Diamond Bar as a child (How in this day and age when there are so many sites, can I not find this guy?)
36) A cabin in the mountains (So I can get away and clear my head every now and then. Maybe do some writing that I have been so blocked on. I have a few great book ideas swimming in my head right now.)

Please share everybody. It is always fun to see what others want. Plus you never know, Santa could be reading your list!!!This is just for fun though, so don't hold back!

Loving my Kindle & technology

2011-05-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I won a $100 GC to Amazon thanks to one of the many social sites I troll (Social Moms). I had been wanting a Kindle very badly & had just found out my local Borders was closing. It was kismet & I hopped on-line to buy my Kindle.

Since I have had my Kindle, I have been introduced to many new authors. It is awesome to be able to read so many different kinds of books w/out having to lose space in my already cramped living situation.

Today I just finished a book by a new author I have never heard of. At the end of the book it asked for me to review it. It is something I have never done before, being content to just rate & go to the next book. But decided I would this time. And thanks to my nifty FaceBook app, Goodreads, I can do so with ease & share on my blog. What did we do before the Internet & Social Networking?

A Modern Witch by Debora Geary

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a fan of occult books, but as I age it has been harder to find stories that aren't geared for teens or have porn undertones. But being an avid reader, I have a hard time turning down books.

A few nights ago, I was bored w/my free Kindle downloads and searched for something new to read. I am glad I did, as I found this story.

At first the story jumps around a bit and makes you wonder how everything is connected. But as the story unfolds, it becomes very entrancing. It is a simple read, but filled with emotion. Unlike some "witch" stories, this one doesn't make one feel they are in a fantasy realm. I think the main fantasy element in this story is it leaves one hoping to meet the characters.

I am anxiously awaiting the next installment and can't wait to see what happens next with this wonderful witch family/community.

View all my reviews

The Boogieman is gonna get ya!!

2011-03-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the new Jello "Temptations" commercial(s)?

In the 1st one they had a brother & sister standing in front of a fridge while the parents are telling them a spooky story about what happens to a little girl who stole her parents "Jello Temptations". I have to say I thought it was extremely cute & unique. Even my seven year old daughter thought it was great and funny. Though she did reassure herself that wouldn't happen to her, "right mom?"

The whole family enjoyed it soo much, I actually went on Jello's & Kraft's FaceBook pages to rave about them, and subscribe to their YouTube page. I even went out and bought some, though I am a Whole Foods person & don't tend to shop much outside of there (and yes, I let my daughter pick out some for her).

To my surprise and confusion, there were many remarks about how horrible these commercials are. People were actually saying that these commercials promoted Child Abuse!!? WOW!!? There are posts & blogs bashing Kraft & Jello for these commercials & trying to work up a campaign to boycott them.

I never realized I was such a bad parent. According to that logic I need to stop letting my daughter watch TV. After all, one of her favorite shows is "R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour", shown on HUB. Or how about some of her favorite Disney movies? Classic Fairy Tales? Better not let her go camping because a ghost story mighty be told around the camp fire! Time to go "burn some books"!

How traumatizing!! After all, look how bad be we all came out. I'm sure none of your parents never used the threat "Better go to sleep before the Boogieman gets you". Are you an insomniac now because of that? Spent years in therapy?

I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, but what I don't get is the way people are quick to judge or criticize anybody who thinks differently then them. Unless you are doing something that is right out deceitful or ACTUALLY harmful to others (like trying to cripple a business or bash parents who like the commercials), then I am not going to speak out or judge. After all, remember that old adage, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"?

If you really need a cause to be involved in or work to spread the word, how about making sure everyone who has been paying in their Social Security gets it? Or raising funds to keep our schools keep programs; such as physical education or the arts? Japan just suffered a terrible blow and could use your help. Come on, lets get our priorities straight and focus on what is really important.

I am off to go enjoy a yummy Temptation and will eave you with a funny & spooky commercial from Jello:

Since we are on the subject...

2010-11-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

The other night I asked my daughter what her X-mas/B-day Wish List was (there are three days between the two). Since I published mine for the world to see, I thought I would do the same for her. After all, the Holidays are supposed to be for the kids and this could help other parents of 6/7 year old little girls.

A Black Wii
An American Girl Doll
Disneyland Pass
A "real" microphone
The new Taylor Swift CD
An Ipod Touch (I gave her my 1st gen one, but it doesn't do Farmville & she likes playing that)
A Razor Scooter
A Barbie Dream House
A new CD player (hers is slowly dying), I would like to play her ipod as well ;)

It's not much, but did you notice that the majority of them are pretty big ticket items? It makes me miss the days of the little toys (not much, just a little).

So, what items are on your child's wish lists?

Greedy *itch Wish List

2010-11-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

'Tis that time of year again. Time to do our wish lists. And as I have done for the last few years(not sure why I didn't do one last year), I am keeping up and updating my own "Greedy Bitch" wish list.

This tradition of mine started back when I was still working and used MySpace. Later it was transferred to FaceBook & now with the awesome apps out there, I can post it on my blog & have it go to FB as well. Gotta love technology :)

Please make out one of your own and share with us. If you are going to post one in your notes (or blog), please share the link in my comments so I can check it out.

I was motivated to do this a bit early this year by all the X-mas advertisements & decorations already out. If Corporate America can be early, so can I!! This year I decided to re-organize as well; from most realistic to the obscene and put items on the back burner that are unrealistic as I have no home to put them in.

1) A Wii (black w/motionplus)
2) Disneyland passes for myself & Keely (Southern California Annual Pass)
3) All of Anne Rice's book's in hardback (except for the few that I own, which aren't that many)
4) Adobe's Creative Master Suite (Edition CS5)
5) A Flip video camera
6) A Tanning membership (since it never happened last year, even though that was my present from hubby)
7) A portable DVD player
8) Good health Insurance for both myself & Keely
9) A Kindle
10) A SLR camera
11) Notre Dame gear
12) A new Coach Purse (there are soo many I like I just can't narrow it down to one)
13) New tattoo(s)
14) Get my eyebrow re-pierced
15) Replace the diamond chip in my rose ring
16) Jewelry (the expensive kind, that glitters, mainly this blue topaz & sapphire ring that is being sold at a local jewelers)
17) $1500 to start up an on-line business idea I have
18) a new Vehicle (preferably a Sequoia or a luxury version)
19) A new Key for my truck as my current one broke & I can't keep it on a keychain (if I can't get the new car) & a second set of car keys to Terry's Pontiac
20) If I not going to get the new car above, then get all the dings and dents Terry has put in my current truck repaired and the wheel bumper replaced that I messed up.
21) A TV that doesn't make horrible noises, preferably in the flat panel family
22) A Mac (So I can do animation again. But I know the PC like the back of my hand, so I want both. Mac for animation and video editing & PC for everyday stuff. Greedy bitch aren't I?)
23) Plastic surgery (Nothing extreme. I can't get rid of my thighs, never have been able too, even when I was allowed to exercise. I now I can't exercise unless I want to be sick in bed for weeks. So some lypo and a breast replacement. They don't need to be bigger, just raised since I ran around braless so much growing up. Damn gravity catching up!)
24) The complete works of Walt Whitman & Emily Dickinson (These are really the only two Poets I like & the complete plays of Shakespeare (I do love how almost every modern movie/comedy is based off him)
25) The Chronicles of Narnia in hardback (I used to own these , I would like to have them again, not only for myself, but for when Keely is older.)
26) All the James Bond movies on DVD
27) The following CD's:
Amy Winehouse
All of Incubus (minus the two I have & can find)
All of Pantera's
All of Type O Negative's (I know I have some, but who knows where)
All of the Beatle's
All of the older G'n'R's
Frank Sinatra's greatest hits
(This is all I can think of at the moment)
28) The following DVD's:
Rudy
Dazed and Confused
Grease
The Lion King
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Interview with a Vampire
The Basketball Diaries
The Corpse Bride
(I know there is more, but once again, I can't remember)
29) A trip to Jamaica (RIP Mikey. I am going to go to your dream Island before I die)
30) A trip to Ireland and Italy (to see my roots)
31) Enough money to set Keely's college fund so that she can go anywhere she would like for as long as she needs to
32) A house – at least 3 bed, 2 bath, w/a yard big enough for a dog & Keely, a walk-in closet big enough for mine & Terry's clothes & shoes (he is such a woman, but you didn't hear it from me)/on the other side of the spectrum the house needs to be at least 5 bed, 3 bath, a yard big enough for a pool and yard space so we can have a dog for Keely, big walk-in master closet, a the master bath has to has two sinks.
33) Start-up capital for my real-state investment company I want to own
34) To be able to have the resources available to research my whole family tree and Keely's as well
35) Have my charity for abandoned cats
36) Find my old best friend from when I lived in Diamond Bar as a child (How in this day and age when there are so many sites, can I not find this guy?)
37) A cabin in the mountains (So I can get away and clear my head every now and then. Maybe do some writing that I have been so blocked on. I have two great book ideas swimming in my head right now.)

Please share everybody. It is always fun to see what others want. Plus you never know, Santa could be reading your list!!!This is just for fun though, so don't hold back!

Trying out Flowergirl Hairstyles

2010-09-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law is getting married next month and my daughter is going to be a flower girl in the wedding. Since it has been so long since I really did any fancy hairstyles & with the pain my hands are in, I thought it would be good to practice on her before the wedding.

We are not sure what her hair should look like, but this is the 1st try I did today.

I made some twists in the front & clipped them. Then I made two ponytails in the back. One on top & one underneath it so the top one would cover it.

I usedmy ceramic curling iron that has three barrel sizes. I made most of them using the biggest barrel. Then I seperated the curls & ratted up the top ponytail to give it more body. I then switched out the barrels, and put in the small one. I curled some fly-a-ways in her face & made a few small curls in back.

I took out the clips that were holding the twists & hair sprayed like crazy. I had these cute little hair spirals that have a "diamond" on top & put three of them in her hair for some sparkle.

The hardest part of this style is how long it takes to curl all her hair. I think if this one makes the cut, I might use the medium barrel for the majority of the curls. I will also invest in an actual ratting comb. I had to improvise with a brush.

After she sat through the torture of getting her hair done, she tried on her dress & shoes. I let her have a little fun in her outfit, before turning her loose :)

Her official get the picture taken already pose:

Feeling craft today

2010-09-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

My daughter has become a huge fan of head bands. And on mornings we are running late, I am all for them.

We have gotten to the point where our hair drawer is soo full of them, that it is hard to find anything else in there. The other week, I decided I had enough!

I started google'ing head band holders and ways to make them yourself. I took the info I saw & came up with this:

See all her headbands?

Here is what you will need if you would like to make this:
An empty oatmeal container (or the like)
your choice of fabric (or you can use paper)
Hot glue & glue gun
some Tacky glue (or elmers if you use paper)

I bought 18 inches from the bolt of fabric I picked out. I then measured the container (about 16 inches) and made a fold for half of that, inside out. Then my wonderful mother-in-law made a quick stitch for me on the sewing machine (I have yet to learn h0w to use it. After my sister-in-laws wedding, I was promised some lessons). After sliding it on to make sure it fit, I cut off the remaining material, turned it right side out & slid it on.

I hot glue gunned the fabric to the bottom. I then cut out a circle & tacky glued it in the bottom. Mainly because I didn't want anyone to look in & see brown. This step is up to you & your insanity level ;)

Then I glued the inside edges with the fabric left over the top of my cover. The fabric pretty much covers it all, top to bottom.

Then I cut out another circle & tacky glued it to the lid. Since I put on the purple trim, I didn't need to fold it over, & just covered the bottom. From there I hot glue gunned the purple trim around the bottom of the lid & hot glued the lid to the bottom of the container.

Let it dry & put your headbands on. You can even use the inside of the container for clips & what not. That was my idea, until I realized HOW MANY headbands she has.

And if you are not the craft sort, shoot me a message.I would be glad to make one for you.

No Poo and a new hair style

2010-09-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

Wed morning I mentioned how greasy my hair got due to applying the vinegar rinse. When I got in the shower that morning I did the baking soda & water cleanse, then did the vinegar rinse (staying away from my scalp this time).

I also read how you shouldn't use hot water, so I cooled it down. Brr..., not fun. I need the heat to warm up my joints and ease some of my pain. But for the sake of having nice hair, I decided I would try & tough it out.

Here is how my hair was looking that evening:

Not to bad, just a little oily. I managed to go with out washing it yesterday & this moring when I woke up, it was needed to be washed, but it wasn't super icky, greasy.

Now for the wrench in my plans. I went to get my hair done today. Of course shampoo was used to wash out the chemicals of the color. Since it has red in it, I do want to go a few days with out "washing" it. So no more updates on this experiment until I let my hair sit a few days.

But, I must say, my hair looks awesome right now:

There is a story to go with my new hair....

Yesterday I was supposed to get it done. I had gone in a salon (J Ferrer in the Valencia Westfield Mall) on Sat afternoon to get a quote on how much it would cost for what I wanted.

I was very specific; lighten it up & get rid of the growth (roots), add some red chunks, trim the ends about an inch/inch & half and add some bangs.

The manager/owner (Jackie) had me talk to a stylist. We looked at color samples and picked what I liked, ect. She did kinda of scare me when she mentioned a weave. But almost all stylists end up trying to do that to me. But she was young & seemed to understand my vision. She then consulted with Jackie about what would be done & Jackie quoted me a price which included a discount special they were running. It was an awesome price & I said lets book it. Well the stylist I talked to couldn't do early hours, which I need. I was booked with some one else, but was told that they would relay our discussion with her.

I show up yesterday morning for my appt. The place is closed, but I understand not everyone is as concerned about being on time like I am. I wait about 10 min & somebody shows up; my stylist. She is clueless to what I wanted. So I had to go over the whole thing again. She starts to seem like she understands, but what she is saying seems to be differing from what I was originally told. Finally I think we are the same page & she goes to mix the color. Guess what, they don't even have the color on hand that was supposed to be used on me. She keeps trying to use some other color, that is no where close to what I want. Finally she calls someone & asks them to buy some & bring it in. So we get started on my weave. As she starts to foil me, I mentioned that I wanted to have some red in my bangs, so I am not sure how that will effect her coloring my hair. She is clueless that I was getting my hair trimmed as well. She then calls her boss to verify that the price they quoted me will cover it all. HELLO!!! I have the appt card w/the quote written on it by Jackie. I am not paying a cent more than I was quoted. And I have already wasted an hour of my time & only have two foils in my hair.

So she washes out the little she did & I was out of there, very upset & disappointed. I call hubby, who then calls the salon. The owner was called by the stylist for him, and all she could say is could she call him back later that day around 3? (It is 11am ish) We never did hear back from them.

I was driving around,feeling very sad & decided to drop by a salon I used to go to years ago, Mirage Hair & Nails . There happened to be a stylist (Nikki) at the front desk when I came in. I told her I was wanting to get a price quote for my hair. As we were talking, she really listened to me. No weave, just lighten my roots. She totally got how I don't like any growth showing. She brought out magazines and had me go through and look for colors I liked. Not only was she listening to me, but she voiced concerns because of the shape my hair was in,and things she could do to help. It cost more than the other salon quoted me, but would have cost me the same as what they tried to charge me with a discount! I booked it then & came in this morning.

Once again, we talked about my hair and its issues. As well as the the problems that could come up with this color. She made sure to use extra conditioner, rinsed the red hair out and did her best to keep it away from my blonde so it wouldn't bleed. She was awesome!!! And my hair turned out better than I have ever had it turn out before. No roots/growth showing. An extreme red. Just what I wanted!!

THANK YOU NIKKI!!! :)

No "Poo" hair, morning 4

2010-09-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

I woke up Monday morning and my hair was still looking relatively good. But the urge to clean it was more powerful than to let it be. After all, I have been washing my hair everyday (minus a few sick & lazy days here & there) for years. So I tried the baking soda & water scrub again w/the conditioner scrub.

Slight problem, I have acrylic nails & they are in desperate need of a fill & are starting to lift. As I was massaging my scalp, I didn't quite do as well a job as Sunday. There were some slight patches here & there that felt a little greasy as my hair dried. I also used a bit less water in my mixture & other areas felt a bit dry. Worry & unease started to set it.

Tuesday morning, when I woke up, I decided it was time to try the vinegar rinse & that was all. After all, my hair might be a bit greasy in spots, but it was still looking fairly good:

The vinegar rinse I used was based off a recipe I found here, One Green Generation.

Can I just say UGH!! My hair is super greasy now. Here are some pics from last night

& this morning

After doing some reading though, I found my mistake. I put the vinegar rinse on my scalp. The trick is to just put it on your hair.

One of my biggest concerns would be combing my hair with out using a conditioner. I have super fine, straight hair that tangles easily, as does my daughter. I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to comb my hair with ease yesterday morning. In fact it was just as easy, if not easier than if I had used one of my super expensive conditioner.

I might have had a little set back, but I am going to keep staying the course. Though the urge to go hop in the shower & and scrub my hair with shampoo is very strong this morning. But tomorrow I am getting my hair cut & colored, and I hope this new process will help keep the red in longer. As well as the hope that my hair will be much healthier so it will withstand all the other torture I do to it; the constant coloring & infrequent trims.

No "Poo" hair, day 1

2010-08-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

I have been researching hair styles for my little darling for the past few weeks. My SIL is getting married in October, which prompted this. But I also enjoy new & cute hairstyles, and since I do have a girl, I might as well enjoy the hair aspect of it.

What does this have to do with "No Poo" you might ask. Well I stumbled across a few sites that referred to this saying & it made me wonder. After a bit of research, I found out this meant cleaning your hair with out using shampoo.

As someone who has super fine, straight hair that tends to get pretty oily, I was somewhat grossed out. I could never imagine not "washing" my hair. I won't even leave the house in the morning (unless I am dropping off my darling in the valet line @ school) unless I have showered & washed my hair. And normally by the evening, my hair feels greasy & very weighed down.

This morning, I decided to give this no poo thing a shot. There are a few different methods on how to do this. For today's trial run, I combined two of them.

First I mixed a tablespoon of Baking Soda w/some warm water. I slowly poured it to the roots & massaged it in starting from the forehead to the base of my neck. After making sure I had gotten my whole scalp, I rinsed it out.

Then I used my conditioner and did the same, making sure to run it through to the ends. I let that sit in my hair while I finished showering & shaving, then rinsed.

Reading the many blogs & articles out there on this, I was concerned on how my hair would turn out. It warned that it would take a few weeks to get your hair and scalp to acclimate to this & thoroughly cleanse out the "poo" build up. I was sure I would be pulling my hair back & borrowing the darlings headbands. But I must say I am quite happy. My hair is shiny & over five hours later & a nap thrown in, it is still clean & non-greasy.

I am sure I will experiment with the methods I have read about until I find the right way for me. But I have a feeling that the "No Poo" method will be one that I will continue using & most likely transition my darling to. This seems like the perfect hair cleansing way for her & her super sensitive skin.

Here are some pics of my shiny hair taken hours after the washing:

Friday the 13th

2010-08-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday the 13th, a dreaded day in most peoples mind. On a site I belong to, the question was brought up on whether today was a lucky day for us or not. It got me to thinking & remembering an old blog post of mine on MySpace where I had done some research on this "doomed" day. And in honor of the day, I thought I would recycle that old blog post:

Well, today is Friday the 13th. I have always had pretty decent days in my past. But how many of you have?

Paraskevidekatriaphobics — people afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th

I thought in honor of today, I would do a little research to find out why so many people have this phobia.

The 6th day of the week and the # 13 both have foreboding reputations said to date from ancient times, and their inevitable combination from one to three times a year portends more misfortune than some unsuspecting minds can bear. Some sources say it may be the most widespread superstition in the United States.

Though no one can say for sure when & why people first associated the number 13 with adversity, the belief is assumed to be quite old, and there exist any number of theories — all of which have been called into question at one time or another.

It has been projected, for example, that fears surrounding the number 13 are as ancient as the act of counting. Primitive man had only his 10 fingers and two feet to represent units; this explanation goes, so he could count no higher than 12. What lay beyond that — 13 — was an unfathomable mystery to our prehistoric forebears, hence an object of superstition.

That's great & all, but did they not have toes to count?

Despite whatever terrors the numerical unknown held for their cave-man ancestors, ancient civilizations weren't unanimous in their dread of 13. The Chinese regarded the number as lucky, as did the Egyptians in the time of the pharaohs.

To the ancient Egyptians, these sources tell us, life was a quest for spiritual ascension which unfolded in stages — 12 in this life and a 13th beyond, thought to be the eternal afterlife. The number 13 therefore symbolized death — not in terms of dust and decay, but as a glorious and desirable transformation. Though Egyptian civilization perished, the symbolism conferred on the number 13 by its priesthood survived, only to be corrupted by subsequent cultures who came to associate 13 with a fear of death instead of a reverence for the afterlife.

Anathema
Other sources speculate that the number 13 may have been purposely vilified by the founders of patriarchal religions in the early days of western civilization because it represented femininity. (So, once again, in ancient times, anything to do w/the female having some type of power is evil or wrong)Thirteen had been revered in prehistoric goddess-worshiping cultures, we are told, because it corresponded to the number of lunar (menstrual) cycles in a year (13 x 28 = 364 days). The "Earth Mother of Laussel," for example — a 27,000-year-old carving found near the Lascaux caves in France often cited as an icon of matriarchal spirituality — depicts a female figure holding a crescent-shaped horn bearing 13 notches. As the solar calendar triumphed over the lunar with the rise of male-dominated civilization, it is surmised, so did the number 12 over the number 13, thereafter considered anathema.

On the other hand, one of the earliest concrete taboos associated with the number 13 — a taboo still observed by some superstitious folks today, evidently — is said to have originated in the East with the Hindus, who believed that it is always unlucky for 13 people to gather in one place — say, at dinner. Interestingly enough, precisely the same superstition has been attributed to the ancient Vikings. The story has been laid down as follows:

Loki, the Evil One
Twelve gods were invited to a banquet at Valhalla. Loki, the Evil One, god of mischief, had been left off the guest list but crashed the party, bringing the total number of attendees to 13. True to character, Loki raised hell by inciting Hod, the blind god of winter, to attack Balder the Good, who was a favorite of the gods. Hod took a spear of mistletoe offered by Loki and obediently hurled it at Balder, killing him instantly. All Valhalla grieved. And although one might take the moral of this story to be "Beware of uninvited guests bearing mistletoe," the Norse themselves apparently concluded that 13 people at a dinner party is just plain bad luck.

As if to prove the point, the Bible tells us there were exactly 13 present at the Last Supper. One of the dinner guests — er, disciples — betrayed Jesus Christ, setting the stage for the Crucifixion.
Did I mention the Crucifixion took place on a Friday?

It is said: Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams. Don't start a trip on Friday or you will have misfortune. If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow. Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck – as in the tale of H.M.S. Friday ... One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell once and for all the widespread superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned, named "H.M.S. Friday." They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday, and was never seen or heard from again.

Some say Friday's bad reputation goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
It was on a Friday, supposedly, that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit. Adam bit, as we all learned in Sunday School, and they were both ejected from Paradise. Tradition also holds that the Great Flood began on a Friday; God tongue-tied the builders of the Tower of Babel on a Friday; the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday; and, of course, Friday was the day of the week on which Christ was crucified. It is therefore a day of penance for Christians.
In pagan Rome, Friday was execution day (later Hangman's Day in Britain), but in other pre-Christian cultures it was the Sabbath, a day of worship, so those who indulged in secular or self-interested activities on that day could not expect to receive blessings from the gods — which may explain the lingering taboo on embarking on journeys or starting important projects on Fridays.

To complicate matters, these pagan associations were not lost on the early Church, which went to great lengths to suppress them. If Friday was a holy day for heathens, the Church fathers felt, it must not be so for Christians — thus it became known in the Middle Ages as the "Witches' Sabbath," and thereby hangs another tale.

The Witch-Goddess
The name "Friday" was derived from a Norse deity worshipped on the sixth day, known either as Frigg (goddess of marriage and fertility), or Freya (goddess of sex and fertility), or both, the two figures having become intertwined in the handing-down of myths over time (the etymology of "Friday" has been given both ways). Frigg/Freya corresponded to Venus, the goddess of love of the Romans, who named the sixth day of the week in her honor "dies Veneris."
Friday was actually considered quite lucky by pre-Christian Teutonic peoples, we are told — especially as a day to get married — because of its traditional association with love and fertility. All that changed when Christianity came along. The goddess of the sixth day — most likely Freya in this context, given that the cat was her sacred animal — was recast in post-pagan folklore as a witch, and her day became associated with evil doings.

Various legends developed in that vein, but one is of particular interest: As the story goes, the witches of the north used to observe their Sabbath by gathering in a cemetery in the dark of the moon. On one such occasion the Friday goddess, Freya herself, came down from her sanctuary in the mountaintops and appeared before the group, who numbered only 12 at the time, and gave them one of her cats, after which the witches' coven — and, by tradition, every properly-formed coven since — comprised exactly 13.

So far there are many different events to mark Friday as unlucky or 13 as unlucky, but Friday the 13th? Are we just combing two unlucky happenstances together — to mark Friday the 13th as the unluckiest day of all?

There's a very simple reason for that — nobody really knows, though various explanations have been proposed.

The Knights Templar
One theory, recently offered up as historical fact in the novel The Da Vinci Code, holds that it came about not as the result of a convergence, but a catastrophe, a single historical event that happened nearly 700 years ago.

The catastrophe was the decimation of the Knights Templar, the legendary order of "warrior monks" formed during the Christian Crusades to combat Islam. Renowned as a fighting force for 200 years, by the 1300s the order had grown so pervasive and powerful it was perceived as a political threat by kings and popes alike and brought down by a church-state conspiracy, as recounted by Katharine Kurtz in Tales of the Knights Templar (Warner Books: 1995):
"On October 13, 1307, a day so infamous that Friday the 13th would become a synonym for ill fortune, officers of King Philip IV of France carried out mass arrests in a well-coordinated dawn raid that left several thousand Templar's — knights, sergeants, priests, and serving brethren — in chains, charged with heresy, blasphemy, various obscenities, and homosexual practices. None of these charges was ever proven, even in France — and the Order was found innocent elsewhere — but in the seven years following the arrests, hundreds of Templar's suffered excruciating tortures intended to force 'confessions,' and more than a hundred died under torture or were executed by burning at the stake."

A Thoroughly Modern Phenomenon
There are drawbacks to the "day so infamous" thesis, not the least of which is that it attributes enormous cultural significance to a relatively obscure historical event. Even more problematic, for this or any other theory positing premodern origins for Friday the 13th superstitions, is the fact that no one has been able to document the existence of such beliefs prior to the 19th century. If people who lived before the late 1800s perceived Friday the 13th as a day of special misfortune, no evidence has been found to prove it. As a result, some scholars are now convinced the stigma is a thoroughly modern phenomenon exacerbated by 20th-century media hype.
Going back a hundred years, Friday the 13th doesn't even merit a mention in E. Cobham Brewer's voluminous 1898 edition of the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, though one does find entries for "Friday, an Unlucky Day" and "Thirteen Unlucky." When the date of ill fate finally does make an appearance in later editions of the text, it is without extravagant claims as to the superstition's historicity or longevity. The very brevity of the entry is instructive: "A particularly unlucky Friday. See Thirteen" — implying that the extra dollop of misfortune attributed to Friday the 13th can be accounted for in terms of an accrual, so to speak, of bad omens:

Unlucky Friday + Unlucky 13 = Unluckier Friday.

If that's the case, we are guilty of perpetuating a misnomer by labeling Friday the 13th "the unluckiest day of all," a designation perhaps better reserved for, say, a Friday the 13th on which one breaks a mirror, walks under a ladder, spills the salt, and spies a black cat crossing one's path — a day, if there ever was one, best spent in the safety of one's own home with doors locked, shutters closed and fingers crossed.

(source http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/friday_the_13th.htm)

Kohl's $500,000 Giveaway to local schools...

2010-07-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Please help & vote for my daughters school, Meadows.Our funds are low (as are most schools) & this would go a long way in securing our schools Gym programs & as well as many other great resources for our students.
http://bit.ly/afj0wi

Help Me Support a great cause

2010-06-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me, know that I help out a Non-Profit Organization called The Mommies Network.

First I joined my local site, SCValleyMommies.com. Eventually I was volunteering on its committees & was even their Promotions Manager. When the site founder moved away, I applied to be our SA (Site Administrator).

During that time, my commitment to our parent organization, TMN, grew even more.

The Mommies Network (or TMN) is a 501c (3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping moms find support and friendship in their local community. They were founded April, 2005 and have over 100 communities in 32 states, and over 25,000 active members.

Right now Chase bank is having a little competition. Chase Community Giving is back to give away another $5 million, and you help decide which 200 local charities receive donations. It’s a new Way Forward for giving. On July they will announce 200 winning charities

* One charity will receive $250k
* 4 runners-up will receive $100k
* 195 others will receive $20k

TMN is not just a "moms group", but a community of mothers who are dedicated to giving back to their community as well.

You can help TMN by voting for them today, as well as to spread the word. This money will help not only the existing communities, but future sites as well.

Vote here (you need to have a FaceBook account in order to vote)

A Day in the Life

2010-02-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

A fun thing that has been going around one of the forums I am on is to document your day in photos.

Here is my day this previous Tuesday:

Sorry no pics were taken when I first woke up. Hubby was still sleeping & the flash would have disturbed him

While I was in the shower, Keely got herself ready for school:

Now its time for breakfast (donut holes)

And getting Keely's snack ready for school:

Check my e-mails on my phone before we leave for school:

Running a little early, so while I dry my hair, Keely watches a little TV:

Off to school:

Sorry, no pictures were taken during this three hour block. I had a PTSA E-Board Meeting, then I was volunteering in Keelys class

Ok, 11:15 and finally done at Keely's school just in time to get caught in the rain:

And checking my e-mails again on my phone since I don't have time to go home before Keely gets out of school:

Quick stop @ Whole Foods to get cookie mix & some scones for Keely:

Back @ Keely's school in the pick up line:

A little early so I do some paper work for the PTSA while waiting:

Didn't have my camera when I went in Keely's school, but we bought some Valentine candy grams for her friends, then off we go

At MoviesByKids (a really cool place out here) to finalize the after school enrichment program they are doing for Keely's school:

Quick stop @ the Alta Dena drive through to buy a Mega Millions (can't win if you don't play)

Home finally & time for lunch (a huge muffin bought @ Sams):

And my first chance to get on-line & check SCValleyMommies.com, The Mommies Network & FaceBook:

Time to start making cookies for Keely's class Valentine party that was today (grandma is helping us get the area ready):

TADA!! Heart shaped cookies ready to go in the oven:

A little piano practice while they are baking:

The cookies are cooling while I clean the kitchen:

I am wiped out, time for a nap:

While Keely plays her new Barbie cut out thing:

Nap time is over, and time to check on-line again:

While I was on-line Keely grabbed a snack, and we had a mishap. Grandma chased after her & slipped on the kitchen floor & cracker her head open. So I am sure you all understand why I didn't take any pictures of me cleaning all the blood up

While grandpa takes grandma to the ER, we have dinner (Thank you Amy's for your great frozen foods):

Cleaning up:

Time to relax & watch TV (NCIS):

Then storytime, 1st Keely read to me & then I read to her, (at this point I was too exhausted to remember to take pictures) & off to bed.

Hope this post will inspire some of you to do the same. And if you do, please share :)

Living a Tech Life

2010-01-25T14:40:00.000-08:00

Ask my daughter what I do, and she will tell you that I am always on the computer or texting. Which is pretty much true.

A few months ago, I upgraded my cell phone to a Palm Pre, and now I can check e-mails and get on-line anytime I want. If the computer is turned off, and I get a sudden urge to look up something, I can. No more putting it off & forgetting about it. (hence my daughters thinking that I am texting since I am on the phone).

If you would have told me 15 years ago that I would be so vested in computers, I would have laughed in your face. My friends from High School can back up this sentiment as well. When I had a report due that needed to be typed up, I would get one of them to do it for me. I was your classic "two finger typist", and didn't think that I would ever be comfortable on the computer.

I still remember my first PC in '96. I was living with my boyfriend of the time, and we bought it, mainly for him. It was Packard Bell, and the BF thought he was computer literate, and was always messing with the stupid thing trying to re-format it and compressing it for more space. needless to say, it was always crashing. And being a guy, wouldn't let me touch it to try & figure it out. No, we would have to wait until one of our actual "tech savy" friends could make it over and fix it. At this point though, I had learned to like the stupid computer. I am not sure if "computer withdrawals" were common then, but I had them. And being the impatient person I am, waiting was not an option. When he was out, I started tinkering and guessing on what to do to fix his mess.

Now I own a PC & Laptop. Both of which are about three years old. The laptop is hooding up well, but the PC is shared with my husband & daughter, and needs some more RAM to keep up with things. In the last year, it has really become my daughters computer. In fact she is on it right now. Did I mention my daughter is only six? She can barley read, but put her in front of a computer and she is good to go. Most of the time, she doesn't even need me to read instructions.

The things I do on a computer have changed too. Back then it was Solitare and a typing tutor program. I thought we were pretty high tech because we used it as our answering machine, w/seperate voice mail boxes; one for me, one for him & one for the alligator. Eventually I was introduced to AOL, instant messaging & "Warcraft: Orcs & Humans". When I finally broke it off with him, the one thing I made sure to take with me right away was the computer, didn't feel like I could live without it.

Today, I still feel like I can't live without my computer, and some things are similar. AOL is out, Google is in; now "WoW" is the game of choice; instant messaging is here, the location though is Google or FaceBook; and now I am productive by creating Web Pages, promoting businesses and organizations on-line and volunteering for a web-based non-profit.

Earlier I mentioned my new cell phone. Seven years ago, my cell phone didn't even have a color screen, let alone a camera. I was soo upset when I had to upgrade my phone because I didn't need all the extras. Now I don't know how I managed for soo long with such a plain phone. Two years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of texting. Ask me if I could live without it now!

My poor husband is not as adaptive as I am, but was forced to learn texting for work. What an ordeal that was! He is some what of an odd ball in our family. Not only am I & our daughter pretty tech savy, but so is his dad. I have been trying to get him to open a FaceBook account, but unless he has to for a professional reason, I can't see it happening.

It is amazing how technology has come, and how we have all evolved with it. I am aware that I ahve become quite dependent on it, but I am fine with this. And I can't wait to see what the future has in store.

2010 Relay For Life

2010-01-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

My Reason to Relay

Relay For Life is my personal opportunity to fight back against cancer by raising funds and awareness. I fight so one day no one has to ever face cancer.

It's amazing to think that millions of people will be diagnosed with cancer this year. But, by taking part in Relay, I am helping the American Cancer Society save lives by:

Helping people stay well by helping them take steps to prevent cancer or detect it early, when it’s most treatable
Helping people get well by being in their corner around the clock to guide them through every step of their cancer experience
Finding cures by funding groundbreaking research that helps us understand cancer’s causes, determine how best to prevent it and discover new ways to cure it
Fighting back by working with lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and rallying communities worldwide to join the fight

Please support my efforts by making a donation or by joining my Relay For Life team. Together, we have the power to make a difference!

New Year

2010-01-16T22:30:00.001-08:00

So, a New Year has started. I can't believe we are already 16 days into it. I had this plan at the end of last year of what I wanted to accomplish this month. And so far, I have gotten almost nowhere on this list.

Thanks to my friend Dave & the wonderful technology at my fingertips (FB chat & Google chat), I have gotten some motivation, and am working on starting this "to do list".

First step, get my blog back up, and to actually use it. So, here is my first post in over two years. I can't promise what I write will be interesting. But I feel like I need a place to just say a small portion of the scrambled thoughts in my head. Hopefully it will help me make sense of things and retain some sanity.

As I am typing this, I am noticing my outdated punctuation. I can't seem to stop putting two spaces after a sentence. When did this change happen? How many of us "oldies" follow the new rule? It sure makes typing hard when you are so used to doing it a certain way. Please forgive my posts, until I have trained myself all over again (if it is possible).

Well, goodnight all. Here is to a New Year full of hope & change.

Let give thanks

2007-11-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

(an old post from last year on my myspazz page)
W/Thanksgiving around the corner I thought I would look up the "real" history. Not just the happy, fuzzy warm feeling one we have all grown up with. You know, the one where the pilgrims came over on the Mayflower, landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. They had a hard winter, the next spring, Squanto and his friendly Indian band helped them learn about the land so they could grow vegetables and fish. Then that fall, there was a big feast for three days. JOY

So, I found this nice little story that sums it up pretty well. See what you think.

THE
REAL
STORY OF THANKSGIVING
by Susan Bates

Most of us associate the holiday with happy Pilgrims and Indians sitting down to a big feast. And that did happen - once.
The story began in 1614 when a band of English explorers sailed home to England with a ship full of Patuxet Indians bound for slavery. They left behind smallpox which virtually wiped out those who had escaped. By the time the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts Bay they found only one living Patuxet Indian, a man named Squanto who had survived slavery in England and knew their language. He taught them to grow corn and to fish, and negotiated a peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Nation. At the end of their first year, the Pilgrims held a great feast honoring Squanto and the Wampanoags.
But as word spread in England about the paradise to be found in the new world, religious zealots called Puritans began arriving by the boat load. Finding no fences around the land, they considered it to be in the public domain. Joined by other British settlers, they seized land, capturing strong young Natives for slaves and killing the rest. But the Pequot Nation had not agreed to the peace treaty Squanto had negotiated and they fought back. The Pequot War was one of the bloodiest Indian wars ever fought.
In 1637 near present day Groton, Connecticut, over 700 men, women and children of the Pequot Tribe had gathered for their annual Green Corn Festival which is our Thanksgiving celebration. In the predawn hours the sleeping Indians were surrounded by English and Dutch mercenaries who ordered them to come outside. Those who came out were shot or clubbed to death while the terrified women and children who huddled inside the longhouse were burned alive. The next day the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared "A Day Of Thanksgiving" because 700 unarmed men, women and children had been murdered.
(That's nice, Thanksgiving Day is named after a day of slaughter. Lets go eat.)
Cheered by their "victory", the brave colonists and their Indian allies attacked village after village. Women and children over 14 were sold into slavery while the rest were murdered. Boats loaded with a many as 500 slaves regularly left the ports of New England. Bounties were paid for Indian scalps to encourage as many deaths as possible.
Following an especially successful raid against the Pequot in what is now Stamford, Connecticut, the churches announced a second day of "thanksgiving" to celebrate victory over the heathen savages. During the feasting, the hacked off heads of Natives were kicked through the streets like soccer balls. Even the friendly Wampanoag did not escape the madness. Their chief was beheaded, and his head impaled on a pole in Plymouth, Massachusetts -- where it remained on display for 24 years.
The killings became more and more frenzied, with days of thanksgiving feasts being held after each successful massacre. George Washington finally suggested that only one day of Thanksgiving per year be set aside instead of celebrating each and every massacre. Later Abraham Lincoln decreed Thanksgiving Day to be a legal national holiday during the Civil War -- on the same day he ordered troops to march against the starving Sioux in Minnesota.
This story doesn't have quite the same fuzzy feelings associated with it as the one where the Indians and Pilgrims are all sitting down together at the big feast. But we need to learn our true history so it won't ever be repeated. Next Thanksgiving, when you gather with your loved ones to Thank God for all your blessings, think about those people who only wanted to live their lives and raise their families. They, also took time out to say "thank you" to Creator for all their blessings.

No wonder I am not big on these Holidays. Feasting on days of massacre. Our Presidents naming days as National Thanksgiving Days to cust back on the amount, but it doesn't sound like they cared about the reason behind it. So this Thursday when you are gathering w/your loved ones giving thanks, maybe you should take a little time out and remember the past and how this day came about.