itsnotthedestination...

Hearts

2012-02-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

It's Valentines Day tomorrow... a day to celebrate Love.

The shopping for gifts and cards of days gone by has changed for me. Don't get me wrong, the celebration of this day is no less important... But, the money spent on treats that sabatoge the New Year's health intention and the decorations & cards that get thrown away just seem like an oxymoran to the celebration of "Love".

... and hearts, might we celebrate our hearts in the literal sense? Keeping healthy hearts = self-love, right?

So, I decided to have a little fun creating my Valentines in my everyday routines and forget the shopping, money and cards this year. Here is what happened over the weekend with this very thought in mind... (ok, so I did not totally adhere to a rigid health kick and found a few sweet and sugary "treats" around the house!)

It started with the cookie cutter I used to make some rolled oatmeal cookies for the Grandkids:

Then proceeded to the breakfast arena, Toast, then French Toast and some cinnamon Toast the way my Mom used to make, where you broil the buttery, sugary topping on the toast!

More and more hearts started appearing throughout the day!

I went for a walk with hearts on my mind on a cloudy, stormy day mixed with sunshine. This heart jumped out at me and I almost missed it with my camera! It moved and changed so fast!

Walnut Orchard - Central Valley, CA

On to lunch and suppertimes, the hearts continued with little creative tasks inspired by Love....

Potato Salad

Meatloaf - Done!

ready for the oven

Inspiration continued as I started texting my Girlfriend my little Heart displays -

My Valentines are my wishes for us all to find hearts everywhere we look... and to keep our Hearts full of LOVE

Happy Valentines Day!

Fresh Fruit Presentation!

2012-02-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

Fresh Fruit

Credit Bridget Beashbum for putting this photograph up on a FaceBook Post! Still looking for the origianl photographer/creator for proper credits.

California Icycles

2012-01-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

Waiting for the rain….. the dry spell surprised us all this winter. It’s not that we want to complain about 65 degree temps in December and January where one can go out for a walk at will, any time of day, sometimes with no jacket. Or that the clear starry nights were not noticed while out and about throughout the Holidays. We were carefree as we had little concern for roads conditions or remembering umbrellas as we dashed out the door.

Those of us that live in Rural Farmtown America know better than most the weird twist and costly risk of this type of weather pattern. Established orchards that lack rain and water slowly dry out to the point that a hard freeze can be fatal. Twenty degree mornings will have their effect on the trees and the cost of no water will eventually hit us all in the pocketbook.

An occasional wintery site will result from farmers scrambling to save their trees as the irrigation is turning on to keep the soil moist only to result in freezing water for those magic few hours of the early morning. It creates a visual excitement amongst the townspeople as they scurry about to work and to school. An area that sees no snow form year to year suddenly is graced with icycles glistening in the sunlight.

A little winter magic…. As we are waiting for the rain…..

Wallnut Orchard in Central Valley, CA

24 years....

2012-01-15T08:28:00.000-08:00

"I prayed for my babies, I prayed for myself, I prayed for my family."

Now that my Triplets have reached the 24 year milestone, I have finally gotten around to dusting off the old 1990 issue of the Triplet Connection Newsletter to post online.

Here is my story.....

I prayed with such intensity! There I was, once again in my doctor's office, trying to make some sense of the waves on the sonogram screen. Why was I threatening a miscarriage after all we had been through? “Please” I prayed, “Let me have this baby!”

We heard the doctor say, “There are three embryos!” Triplets? I looked at my husband in disbelief. My first words were “I want them all! What are their chances?”

Could this really be happening to us? The Doctor and nurse were really excited. The sonogram showed cardiac activity from each of the three engross. While my doctor explained some of the risks of mufti-fetal gestation and pre-term labor, we both knew that we were committed to do anything we could to ensure the lives of these three.

As victims of secondary infertility and its emotional trauma, “Why us?” was a question we regularly asked ourselves. After successfully conceiving one child we were amazed to learn that we might never be able to have more children. I was torn between decisions I never thought I'd have to make. How far are we willing to go to have a baby?

After two years of charts, tests and treatments, we decided to use a fertility drug (Pergonal) to achieve conception. This was probably our last hope to have another baby. Were we wrong to want more children when so many childless couples would be happy to have just one?

We wondered if we were “playing God' as we carefully weighed the risks of using Pergonal (Increased risk of multiple conception, increased possibility of miscarriage, etc.) I was sure our son was not meant to be an only child. We asked ourselves, and we ask God, “Why us?

We considered adoption. To have the opportunity to love and provide for another child would be the answer to our prayers. As we explored our options the subject of adoption opened up a whole new set of questions and disagreements for my husband and me. Could we take the risk of adopting and loving the child only to have the birth mother reclaim parental rights/ Could we deal with an “open adoption” and possible involvement with the birth parents? What kind of problems would we encounter if we adopted as older child? We felt a little guilty when we thought about adopting a baby when so many childless couples were waiting so long to adopt. We also felt out chances of being chosen as adopting parents would not be good because we already had a “natural” child.

Another year of waiting, hoping and praying went by. This was to be my last month of drug therapy. The expense of treatment, and the physical and emotional stress involved, was taking a toll on our family. To complicate things further, we had to deal with a nation-wide Pergonal shortage, never knowing for sure if enough of the drug would be available to finish the month of treatment we had started.

Finally, we achieved pregnancy! I was going to have a baby! We were thrilled, but terrified at the mere thought that the pregnancy might not be a successful one. My doctor was confident that this was a single fetus pregnancy, as I was carefully monitored before and after conception, and every precaution was taken to avoid mufti-fetal pregnancy.

When complications began at seven weeks gestation, I was terrified! Once again the question, “Why us?” was my constant tormentor. Was a miscarriage going to be the end result of all we had been through? Did I have the stamina to continue fertility therapy now that we knew conception was possible? I desperately wanted another child!

And Now the reality of triplets! There was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. How much risk was involved? Would they survive? Could my family and I manage three babies? While I was experiencing fear for what was to come, there was also an overwhelming feeling of joy and honor that I was chosen to be the mother of triplets. I knew at that moment that my family had something very special – that we were being given this rare opportunity.

The next day I began to research triplet pregnancies. I wanted to know everything I could about my condition and what was to come. It seemed that little was known about multiple gestation and how to insure a healthy outcome. I found very limited information available through our library. In one book about twins there was an address for the “Center for Multiple Gestation.” I wrote to them and received information about the “Triplet Connection,” a national non-profit support and informational service for parents of higher multiples. This organization provided us with answers to our questions, and help with every phase of our situation. We carefully monitored and took life saving precautions, determined to have the bests possible outcome.

At twenty weeks gestation (only half way through a term pregnancy) I began to show signs of pre-term labor. I was recommended bed rest and an oral medication (Terbutaline) to reduce contraction activity. It was much too soon for our babies to be born. Every day became a milestone towards the possibility of healthy babies.

I read all I could about premature babies. Prior to bed rest we had taken tours of two hospital neon-natal intensive care wards. I talked with many doctors and nurses on the phone, as we tried to prepare ourselves for all the possibilities we might face. I contacted other parents of triplets and found our conversations to be inspirational. Everyone I spoke to agreed about one thing – we would need a tremendous amount of help.

The search began for a support network in our community. This was most challenging because we weren't sure of exactally what kind of help we would need. By making our situation known to neighbors and friends, we were fortunate to receive an overwhelming amount of support and including: prepared meals for my family, child-care for my four-year-old son, rides to my doctor, and later, volunteers who helped me feed my babies while my husband was at work.

At twenty-three weeks gestation I had my third sonogram to monitor fetal development. My doctor found baby “C” to be considerably smaller than babies, “A” and “B.” This was a major concern , because it is common to have a weaker baby in the case of super twins, and often the smaller fetus must fight harder for nourishment as the stronger, larger fetuses use most of the supply provided. It was very soon to detect such a difference in size. Baby “C” would also be at risk during the birth process due to her position as the last of the three to be born. People we didn't even know were praying for our babies, and especially for baby “C.”

As the thirty-fourth week approached, we couldn't help but feel fairly confident that the babies would be in reasonably good condition. Baby “C” had caught up in her growth, and the sonograms showed good fetal development. The in-home monitor that I used daily showed continually decreasing contraction activity. I was in extreme discomfort, and it was apparent that my body would not be able to handle much more of the babies rapid growth.

Acting on the theory that my uterus had become so distended that it had lost its ability to contract, we agreed that I would have to be scheduled for a cesarean section delivery. The big question was when? Waiting too long could be even more disastrous for my babies and myself.

We scheduled surgery for January 15, 1988. My due date was February19. The babies would be at 35 weeks gestational age. We knew we would not be taking the home for some time because they would need special care in the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU). My doctor, husband, and I hoped that this would have the least possible risks considering all factors.

That night we prayed that we were making the best possible decision. I prayed for my babies, I prayed for myself, I prayed for my family. If our outcome was not good, would I always blame my self for using Pergonal to conceive? I wanted my babies to be healthy, I wanted to keep them together, and I wanted to take them home.

The big day finally arrived. The operating room was packed with people. Each baby had to have its own pediatrician/neo-natoligist, resperatory therapist and nurse. Counting the surgical staff, the anesthesiologist, my husband, the babies and me, there were twenty one people present. I elected to have an epidural, so I was awake for the event.

It was 6:30 a.m. On a r ainy morning and I remember asking the doctors if they had made time to have theircoffee. My husband was at my side all the way, We were ready!

Desiree Leanne was born at 6:50 a.m., weighing 4 pounds 8 ounces. She was whisked away immediately and though the anesthesiologist turned my head, all I saw was a blur. Joseph J, arrived at 6:51 weighing 5five pounds. I got to reach our and touch his foot as he was taken to his isolette. The placenta was tearing away prematurely, and baby “C” had to come out fast. The doctor reached in and pulled her out by her feet. Cassandra Michelle was born 6:53 a.m. and weighed 4 pouinds , 5 ounces, a very pink, healthy baby.

Desiree and Joseph had to go on ventilators for a couple of days, but when I left the recovery room the nurse wheeled me right into the NICU and put Cassandra in my arms. She was one hour old, and she was beautiful! I longed to hold my other babies.

The excitement in the hospital that day was incredible. The staff was wonderful. Most of the nurses and doctors who were in the OR came to visit me later. By the time my doctor came back, my room was filled with flowers and balloons. He was happy that the babies were doing so well, and told me I couldn't have carried them much longer because the right side of my uterus was stretched so thin that it could have ruptured at any moment at any moment. What a relief to know that the timing was just right.

It was three days before we got to hold Desiree or Joseph, but we touched them and talked to them whenever we came into the room. When we finally held them it was indescribable to have such an intense bond with each of our three babies. We knew that this experience was a very unique gift from God.

The two weeks we spent with our babies in the NICU ward gave us a whole new perspective of life. The babies we saw fighting for their lives, the families we met, and the commitment of the NICU staff was such an inspiration. We laughed and we cried and and felt a very closeness to people we hardly knew and probably would never see again. We knew that this time in our lives would always be more than just a memory.

Cassandra came home 10 days after her birth. She weighed four pounds and wore doll cloches. Somehow, with the help of my mother, we managed to care for her and make the 80 mile round trip to the hospital to feed and hold Desiree and Joseph every day. Having had very little sleep, and still recovering from surgery, I found this to be more exhausting than having them all home to care for. Fortunately Desiree and Joseph were discharged together four days later.

My dream had come true. They were healthy, we were all together, and we were
home!

Watching our babies grow has been an incredible privilege. At first I feared for their well being as individuals. But now it is apparent to me that they are indeed separate individuals with a special relationship to one another. When I watch them play I am convinced that being a super-twin is a rare and wonderful gift. I am constantly reminded of what could have been, and just how blessed we are.

As their first birthday approached, I found myself reflecting on the past five years, and how I had come full circle. There was a part of my infertile self that would never be forgotten. I now had a special understanding of the infertility crisis and how devastating it can feel. This experience has given me more endurance and patience than I ever had before.

Being a mother of four healthy children is not something I take for granted. It gives me great joy to have my family tackle the enormous responsibility of life with triplets. We are tired at the end of each day, but feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose that is hard to describe.

I am currently a member of the Board of Directors for “The Triplet Connection,” and am deeply committed towards helping to improve the quality of life for multiples and their families.

I hope each of my children will love each other as exceptional individuals, and that our family will always appreciate how extraordinary it is to be blessed with three children at one time.

Occupy - 2012

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is the year I will occupy 2012. Yep… my own occupy movement is underway. It is not so much that I am disgruntled, have grudges, or need to make my demands… It is more about choosing the changes and knowing exactly where I want to go with my reactions to what the year may present.

I am occupying the year to make it count. When I am very old and look back over my lifetime, 2012 is going to stand out in my memory. Maybe I will view it as pivotal, a time when I decide that I will make changes for the better. A time that I will be grounded in what my true purpose is. I am thinking that I will choose my responses to new experiences with a quality of eager motivation, less by obligation and expectations.

It took many years to create who I am today. No more wishy-washy handwringing questions asking, “Who am I? Why am I here?” My occupation consists of my true authenticity. There is a profound reason that I get to greet another New Year – my existence is a small but important piece in a much larger puzzle.

As I occupy 2012, I will trust my instincts and my gut. I am still learning how this phenomenon serves me. My intent is to recognize it and trust it. That “feeling” may not be foolproof, but it has guided me out of some sticky situations in years past. In 2012, it has my full attention!

During my occupation, I will tend to my garden and my soul. Both need constant care and cultivation. While never fully completed, the tasks will keep me very busy for yet another year.

Encouragement will occupy my interactions with others. I do not have to know the full effect that my encouraging words might have on another person. Encouragement has powerful results even though it is so easy to offer it to someone that passes through my day. The power? Well, I trust it makes everything better for all of us. There is not one of us that does not benefit from someone else’s simple, encouraging remark.

Charitable contributions will keep content in my everyday. My acts of charity will not be limited to monetary gifts, defined causes and percentages. Each new day presents opportunity for this type of occupation. I am determined to notice it, recognize it and step up to the plate as I am invited.

This year I am not going to wish my friends and loved ones are perfect… or that they always have my best interests at heart. The reality of love is that it transcends these “tests” of relationships. I invite love to fully occupy my heart and mind. It is my desire to love… and this decision will help me to overcome the challenges of relating with others and honoring our right to have differences.

This year will be occupied with my negativity being kept in check. My actions and words shall be chosen carefully. I plan to make my own truths considerate of others and their feelings. My thoughts will minimize fear based thinking; my heart will keep soft places for tons of love and compassion as I view my surroundings.

My occupation includes more humor… sometimes I get stuck because I view circumstances with a most serious spirit of trying to “figure it all out” instead of simply being amused by what I observe – yep, more humor in 2012!

I will occupy my nights by noticing moonbeams and seeing the bright stars in the sky. Sunshine and rain and clouds remind me that it is not up to me to orchestrate everything that happens in a day – what a relief!

Yes, consider the year 2012 to be occupied. At least 99% plus… by my choices, determination and with my eyes eagerly wide-open to the possibilities. I am not budging! And, I am betting there will be many who will join me.

The Year I Threw Mary & Joseph Away

2011-11-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

When I was a child, our family embraced and celebrated many customs and family traditions. These Rituals made me feel happy inside. They kept our family unity constant over the years. We all knew that we could count on those special things - ceremonies, decorations and the making of traditional special foods and cookies year after year. Holidays became family centered even during the toughest times.

Once I grew up, I brought these traditions into my own family, adding more each year to the busy-ness of it all. We added yet another string of lights and I found more recipes to try. There were scheduled Holiday customs like going to the mountains to cut down our Christmas tree on a wintery day. I knew it was important for my children to grow up with these family bonding experiences the same way I had.

Setting out the Nativity was a sacred part of decorating for Christmas. The cherished set my parents had would be handled so carefully as not to break the ceramic figuines. Over the years, I had collected my own beautiful Fontinini Nativity set, piece by piece. I cherished the set for its beauty and its usability. The figurines would allow little hands to pick up them up and play with them with no fear of breakage. I would never have to scold children for handling the pieces or tell them “not to touch”. As more pieces were added, the absence of a third wise man did not bother me. How do we know there were three wisemen anyhow? No one really knows for sure.

Angels became another collection of significance as I became so aware of their existence through miracles I had witnessed and lived through. One Christmas, I wrote about the presence Angels in my life and shared it with family and friends. Soon, relatives began presenting me with angel figurines of all types! It warmed my heart to see the angels all over our house, reminders of God’s protection.

Our storage boxes were growing in number and with that, the added tasks of putting out, hanging up, taking down and putting away until the next year. Trying to make all of our favorite kinds of Christmas cookies became a burden while trying to get the family off to services and performances. Nevertheless, persevere I did, all in the effort to keep “more” of the *Magic*.

Occasionally an ornament would break, maybe one from when I was a child. Often an old school project decoration made by my child’s little hands would be found crumbling in the bottom of the box. I experienced different levels of heartache with each loss depending on the sentiment attached to the item.

One particular year changed everything - our family broke apart. The big “D”. I knew that our customs and traditions were needed more than ever, especially for the children. But, with each one came a painful realization of what had just been “lost”. The memories, even the happiest ones, would bring each of us to tears at one time or another… We all forged ahead in spite of the changes and each of us tried to keep our chins up and go forward, believing that Christmas *Magic* is about more than just our memories of the past.

Over time, there were new friends, new loves and new places to go. I slowly started to crave simplification and ease with how we would move through our Holidays and Family Traditions. I recognized a need to create space to embrace the new. This became especially important as I remarried and our family took on another new shape.

Little by little, I started weeding out the more ordinary mementos from the massive collections stored in boxes and bins that were marked “Xmas”. Hanging on to so many things was not giving me that satisfaction that I once thought it would. I gave away some ornaments and some of the homemade projects were boxed and thrown in the trashcan. It was somewhat sad, but also liberating. The progress was slow, but the paring down continued spurred on by the realization that we had just “hung on” to too much and that all that “stuff” was just bogging us down. No one missed the items that were gone… No one was asking where it all went.

One year, as I unpacked my beautiful Fontanini Nativity, I could not find Mary and Joseph! As I frantically tore through old boxes and the wrappings, a realization hit my heart with the impact of a sledgehammer. I knew what had happened. In my quest to downsize the decoration inventory, I had accidentally thrown out a box that the Mary and Joseph figurines had been placed in the year before. I was horrified! How would I explain this to my future little grandchildren as they were learning the Christmas story? That their Grandma had “lost” the little Baby’s parents?!

It took me a while to see the significance of my sad loss. At first, I was afraid to display the Baby Jesus without Mary and Joseph present to take care of their Little One. It seemed sacrilege to put out an incomplete set. Then, over time, I reasoned that the Angel, the Sheppard, the Wise Men and even the awestruck barn animals had the Baby Jesus’ back. Surely, they will take care of him in the absence of his parents.

I looked in stores to replace the missing figurines only to find that the set that I had was currently unavailable. This left me to struggle with the phenomenon, year after year. I continued to place the incomplete set out for display and found that its beauty still took my breath away. It told the story even though Mary and Joseph were missing. My admission of my error of why there are missing figurines told to wondering little faces will someday assure them that I am human, make mistakes and have regrets. The story of the Nativity will still be told, the way it should be.

During these years, I discovered that it is not up to me to keep the “constant” of the Holidays for myself or anyone else… nor can I “create” a perfectly complete Christmas. There is a gift in accepting that there will be more evolving circumstances and that changes will occur as the years roll by. Many people travel through our lifetime… And, the mistakes, the losses, the changing customs – it is all OK. The real Christmas *Magic* remains. It is constant. And the real “Gift” is to Believe.

Pumpkin Seed Roasting

2011-11-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and with the cool winds and falling leaves come the smells from the oven as the cooking gravitates from the outside BBQ into the kitchen. Home centered projects leave one to feel content to be inside.
One annual kitchen project is the roasting of the pumpkins ... and the seeds!

My son came to help make Jack-O-Lanterns and expanded on my seed roasting method this year. The additions of a little olive oil and another sprinkling of salt made the seeds better than ever!

I am often asked how to go about roasting the seeds, an important part of carving Jack-o-lanterns as well as a side job on the same day that I roast the pumpkins for pies.

My step-by-step method goes like this:

1. Separate the seeds form the pumpkin "guts" and rinse the seeds in a collander.

2. Boil the seeds in a saucepan with water to cover and add about 1/3 cup sea salt.
3. Simmer 20 minutes (do not let it boil over).
4. Strain and let the excess water drip off.
5. Spread onto a cookie sheet and roast at 175 degrees ("convect roast" if you have a setting, bake is fine if you don't).
6. Stir the seeds about every 20 minutes.

7. After about an hour, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a little more sea salt - stir some more and again about every 20 minutes for about 2 more hours.

Once the pumpkin seeds are dry and a little brown, roasty looking, they are ready to put into jars... or eat!

A House, An Era

2011-10-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

The old faded photograph sat on the small table between two large recliner chairs… my Mom handed it to me as she explained the reason for its proximity. The photo showed an old brick house. “This is the house that your Dad grew up in”, she stated. I was visiting my parents when this occurred, they are in their eighties…. and the photo grabbed my attention. The brick house had a charming look with beautiful detail of trim and stonework.

My Dad quickly came to my side to tell me that under the front porch was a “coal cellar” and a “fruit cellar”. Well, now they really had my attention, having my own recent interests of home canning and the food storage challenges that result. Boy! would I love to have a fruit cellar! I was trying to wrap my mind around a visual, so my questions began…

My Dad explained that the house was built in 1935. It was 1936 when his family moved in to this brand new “bungalow” style home, a word that I found amusing. “Bungalow” seems an inappropriate association with an old, brick house, but I had to remember that the home was new and modern back in the day.

Apparently, the two “cellars”, described by my Dad, were sort of like walk in closets - each with a door that stemmed off the basement. The basement was much larger and my Dad spoke of “dances” held by “Aunt Olivette” in this part of the house.

The memories of having to go downstairs to shovel coal into the furnace each morning and several times a day were told by both of my parents. As my interest about details peaked, the memories continued to flow; each parent’s stimulating each other’s remarks with another. I was clear that these visits with my parents and the conversations held between us were precious.

My Dad described the “small monkey stove” that sat in front of the furnace. It was lit only for those times hot water was needed, such as when it was time to shower or wash dishes or clothes. Each time someone had to go and light the monkey stove and wait for the water to heat. I know why my Mom and Dad seemed to stress this part of the description. Our spoiled generations insist on frequent long hot showers no matter where we are or what the agenda is. Of all of the people I know, Shelby would be the only young person that truly understands the luxury of running water, let alone instantly hot water ready and waiting for one’s desired use.

Returning home from my visit, I had so many thoughts running through my in my head of how things progress over one's lifetime, I remembered what my GrandDaddy said when I was visiting him and I remember the excitement of gathering around a small television to watch the moment of “man walking on the moon”. With amazement, he just shook his head and said, “what a great era I have lived, from horse-and-buggy to man-on-the-moon!” He was in his seventies.

I returned home from my visit and the newscasts were suddenly full of the news of Steve Jobs death. This great visionary and creator of Apple Products had his life cut abruptly short. Only one year older than I, his fate of contracting pancreatic cancer brought his productive life to conclusion. The memorials and tributes flowed freely for days to come. It was an end of an era.

My thoughts grabbed at a small part of what he said in his commencement speech to the Stanford raduating Class of 2005. He spoke of “looking back” and “connecting the dots”. In this present day, when phrases like “don’t look back” and “live in the present” are prevelent, I realized how refreshingly important his advice was to each of us. There is great value in looking back at all the things along the way, these occurrances make us who we are… To really know one’s self, how else but to look back and connect the dots? Reflecting on history is one of the most important components in decision-making that I know.

I think about the short era Steve Jobs lived. He and I most certainly sat in the same type of classroom, reading the same “Weekly Reader” that told of futuristic times when every household would have a computer for personal use. His short life of 56 years spanned from when computers were barely heard of, all the way to the barrage of computerized electronic necessities in almost everyone’s hands. And, mostly due to his own vision of progress.

I see the joy when my parents reminisce and tell stories to the younger family members. And, as they share them with us, there is importance to what we get to take with us, making up who we are! Living life is a chance to connect the dots! It reminds me of the reason for the title of this Blog. It is not so much about a certain destination in life. The matters of the heart are really about all of the little things that happen along the way… through the Journey….

Less is More….

2011-09-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

I marvel at how a seemingly tragic situation will often lead to an outcome of promise. Take the recent economic situation our country faces, the joblessness, the skyrocketing costs of gas and groceries. This situation forces new ideas about how to live sustainably.

Never before have I noticed so many people using their yards to grow their food. It is so important the novice gardener have access to the knowledge of those who have learned over time. Meet Scott, who agreed to post on this blog for those (grasshoppers) just starting out on their vegetable garden journey…

How to Grow More in Less Space

by Scott Reed

As I often visit neighborhood gardens, I am always surprised at the large amount of space that people take to grow their flowers and vegetables. That's ok I guess, if you have the space. However, more space usually means more weeds, which means more work. People often tell me that they would like to grow a garden but do not have room. Where did we ever get the idea that you have to have wide rows or lots of room? If you will stay with me, and read along, I will tell you how to grow enough food for a family of four with 48 sq. feet of raised beds (three 4x4 ), 12 each - 2cubic foot bags of potting soil or 10 bales of rice straw. The point here is you do not need a lot of room or even have dirt ground-space to grow a garden. You can grow your garden in containers, in your flowerbeds, along the patio, driveway, blacktop or concrete. If you want a garden, start thinking outside the box. Stop looking at those big beautiful fields as you drive down long country highways, they harvest with machines, they need those wide rows.

So where should I start. First, my garden method is a combination, of what is called, French Intensive and Square Foot Gardening with Vertical thrown in for good measure. What does all this mean you ask? Well listen up grasshopper. French Intensive is a broadcast method. After the soil is prepared you take your garden rake and furrow the space (lightly rake it grasshopper) broadcast your seed, water and when the plants are about 2 inches tall lightly rake the plants in one direction only. Continue to do this every 2 weeks or until your plants are about 6 inches tall. You are thinning out the plants and in the case of carrots, beets or lettuce add the thinnings to your daily salad.

Square Foot Gardening is a raised bed method where your bed is divided into squares of one foot each. Now here is where its gets interesting. You can grow four corn, 9 beets or bush beans, 16 small onions or 1 Tomato, Pepper, Zucchini or Summer Squash per Square foot, mixing in your herbs or flowers. I have done it and it works!

Vertical growing means that if it is a vining plant you can train it to grow up, not out. Example, a vining cucumber plant will occupy 4 square feet on the ground but only 1 square foot if you train it to go up. There are lots of climbing varieties for most types of vegetables. This summer I have 30 inch Jumbo Banana Squash growing on my back fence with four other types of squash including melons. This year everything that can grow up is growing up. Some books that I recommend you read are; Vertical Gardening by Derek Fell, Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew or Cube foot Gardening by Christopher Bird.

If any of this is interesting to you, please respond in the comments section. I can also cover some other topics; gardening with bags of soil, how to grow a Straw Bale Garden, a quick discussion on container gardening, the fact that not all soil is good, how and what seeds to save, plus the all important Companion Gardening or - not all things grow well together.

Please feel free to request subsequent postings on any of these topics...

Muriel's Garden

2011-08-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

I am honored to have Muriel write this guest blog post for itsnotthedestination. her quest to become a successful organic gardener is her journey... She has learned along the way and has much to share in the way of gardening knowlege... Thank you, Muriel, for this contribution:

Managing an organic garden is much like managing life. It requires balance in all its phases from soil prep to harvest. The foundation of a stable and prosperous life is developing a belief system that will encourage good choices. One that is too rigid stifles spontaneity and one that is too loose can lead to missed opportunities. The foundation of a prosperous garden is the soil.

I started my garden with clay soil that was rigid like adobe in the summer and loose as quick sand in the winter. I have since amended the soil with a dump load of sandy loam (best $300 I ever spent) and organics such as compost and grass clippings. Here’s how it works. I lay out the vegetable beds in different directions each year, sometimes horizontally, sometimes vertically and sometimes diagonally. This assures that the crops and amendments will be rotated throughout the entire garden. When I mow the lawn, I spread the clippings on the paths between the vegetables. I keep them about 2” deep. It not only looks neat and tidy, but it retains moisture, keeps the mud from collecting on shoes and chokes out the weeds. The weeds that do get through are easy to pull. The grass decomposes and adds nitrogen to the soil. I till it in at the end of the season and the organic matter loosens and enriches the soil. Every season brings a little improvement in quality. Giving back to the foundation and distributing the burden of nurturing growth over the entire growing area is of benefit to the productiveness of the whole garden.

I think everyone has the same basic goal in that we all want to get the most out of life. Whether our motivation is emotional, spiritual or material, we all strive for the most bountiful harvest we can coax out of our world. Organic gardeners share that same philosophy, but the challenge is to conquer the evil and foster the good in our vegetable beds without harming ourselves or others. That takes patience, vigilance and hard work. It is easy to vanquish the agricultural enemy with a giant dose of malathion, but, just as in war, to win by force is to accept the resultant collateral damage. The aphids, cabbage worms, cucumber beetles and leaf borers will most certainly be gone, but so will the lady bugs, praying mantises and lacewings that feast on them, not to mention the honey bees. The impatient and heavy handed gardener merely realizes a temporary victory in that the pests will return, and this time with a clear playing field. Ecological diplomacy and patience solve perceived garden crises more permanently than drastic measures.

One afternoon, I went out to water my cucumbers and noticed they were looking rather sad and wilted. I turned over a leaf and was horrified to find it was literally solid with aphids. My first reaction was, “Dang! I’m going to have to spray to get rid of this many aphids.” I had seen a few ladybugs around and a mantis though, and really was reluctant to kill them as well. (Besides, my hairdresser trades me haircuts for organic veggies, and the guilt of passing off pesticide laden cucumbers would have haunted me forever.) I immediately ran down to Orchard Supply and purchased a carton of ladybugs. Ladybugs do not fly after dusk, so if they are deposited in the garden in the evening and they locate food (aphids, scale, mites etc.) they settle in and start eating pests and laying eggs. Patience is a virtue. It has taken three weeks, but my cucumbers and melons are now a veritable ladybug nursery and the aphids are well under control. Knee jerk reactions create temporary fixes.

Snails and slugs present another interesting challenge. There is a product called Sluggo that is iron phosphate and safe for organic gardens. Apparently, they eat it and lose their appetites and die of starvation, but with the wet spring we had, our population was out of control. To stay ahead of the game, constant vigilance is required. I use several methods to keep the numbers down. The first rule on our property is: if you see a snail or slug, it’s mandated that you kill it. Beer traps catch a few, but the most effective weapons are timing, location and the foot. I never let a rain pass without a snail hunt. It brings them out in force and they are easy prey for a stomp. I netted over 300 in 15 minutes the last rain we had. Early morning is optimum for the hunt. I invert pots in corners of the garden and catch them where they hide. Deterrence is another strategy to keep the slimy critters away from tender plants. I noticed they were really going after the beans more than anything, so I chose those as my target area. Slugs have tender bellies and don’t like to crawl across sharp surfaces. I save all my egg shells, crush them and lay a barrier around the plants that are most vulnerable. Walnut shells or cocoa husks will also work. Making it unpleasant to attack slows the enemy down and averts conflict.

In life, it is important to choose our friends carefully. We’ve all seen the successful teen who chooses the wrong friends and ends up “tanking.” The same is true for vegetables. Some combinations create symbiotic relationships that benefit both plants and others end in poor harvest. I once bought plants that were labeled as broccoli from our local high school and they turned out to be broccoflower. It is the Voldemort of vegetables. Nothing will grow next to it. It thrived and everything else withered and died. Ironically, it tasted like cauliflower and no one in my family would eat it. Epic fail! The next year I planted fennel and peppers together. Neither did well. Then I discovered a website called Gardens Ablaze which has a companion plant chart. Now I plant basil with tomatoes, oregano with peppers, pole beans with corn (they use the stalk for a pole . . . no staking required and put nitrogen into the soil for the corn), and, with the right choice of allies get a much better yield.

There is much to learn from organic gardening that could benefit the world. It’s all about balance, patience, integrity and respect. It’s about managing our enemies without destroying ourselves and our allies. It’s about remaining open to accepting whatever harvest gift the day might bring and savoring the joy of the first tomato, melon or cucumber. It’s about conserving resources and giving back to the earth and making choices that carry the most benefit and least harm. It’s about recognizing that nature has provided us with solutions that eliminate the need for us to forcefully control our environment. Perhaps it should be a requirement for the world leaders to spend an hour a day managing an organic garden. Maybe, then they would understand how to maintain self-sustaining, peaceful and productive nations.

August Harvest

2011-08-01T20:30:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Muriel's Garden...

Each time I revisit, I learn something new. Upon entering the gate, I was taken with the sight of bean plants climbing up the tall cornstalks. Now if this is not just the best example of sustainable gardening!

Muriel came around the back way and explained that the beans and corn are companion plantings. The beans use the cornstalks for support, while the weight of the bean plants actually strengthens the corn stalks. Everything with it's purpose... and a higher plan in action.

The garden represents what I find out more and more about life in general:

Things have a way of working in unison.
There is a higher plan of action than I will ever know completely.
wonderful things happen for those of us that stick around long enough to observe.

Muriel and I struck an agreement as she embarked on the massive task of organic vegetable gardening some years ago. She would share and I would trade for the food on my table with my own business services. The barter has been appreciated both ways.

The garden has become a Taj Mahall of vegetables, at least in my own observation. As Muriel learns and implements her research findings, the yield becomes more efficient with each coming season.

The growing, harvesting and using food that is "in season" is something that was taught to me as i was growing up in the Santa Clara valley of Northern California. in those days, the "Bay Area" was mostly orchards; plums, cherries and various fruits and nuts. My Dad would plant the vegetable garden and food was provided during the long California growing season.

"What's for dinner" was decided by what was growing and ripe, not by which restaurant you felt like trying...

It is so easy to put together a meal with what is available. A little creativity and inspiration is that "love" that everyone refers to when a meal is planned with a little care and consideration.

If there is something I could pass on to my kids, it would be for them to know this and pass it on to their own kids....

One of my sons has a vegetable garden of his own this year. The learn as you go process has it's frustrations, but the rewards are there for the taking. You have to start somewhere!

Mealtimes will bring true meaning to the term "fast food". What might be easier than slicing some tomatoes and cucumbers and placing them on a dinner plate for the side dish.

Now add my own special sauce + sesame seeds:
2 teaspoonsbalsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
Shake in a jar and drizzle over the vegtables. Sprinkle with the seeds.

Tonight's "fast food' became the white corn I had in my fridge from the fruit stand combined with some of the vegetables I had picked:

I steamed my chosen ingredients, then used butter with a slotted spoon to melt over the this entire "medley of flavors" while still hot.

Honestly, going "out" to eat would have taken more time....

Destiny...

2011-05-29T21:07:00.001-07:00

my wedding bouquet - 10 years later

Destiny dictates the reality of circumstances and events despite intention. A person might be destined to run into someone they thought they could avoid in a crowd. Likewise, one’s destiny will keep them from finding someone whom they might have been searching for.

A missed turn or detour might be the safest route for unknown reasons and the frustration of delay becomes a minor detail in the bigger plan. Circumstances that seem random or synchronized will put us on the course of where we are destined to be.

Ten years ago, while standing at the crossroads of so many chapter changes in a very short period of time, my own destiny presented itself with the most charming elements of surprise while I was making plans for my own wedding.

The first I learned of the antique music box was in the spring of 2001. The man I was to marry had spoken of its existence following a telephone conversation he had with his 83-year-old mother. At that time, I had no knowledge of its size or beauty, or the “magic” that was to evolve…

The music box was the one thing that my Fiancé asked his parents to ship out to the West Coast. The large and heavy shipment, all the way from Charleston, SC would be a costly task. Each time he spoke of the music box, there was excitement in his voice that was hard to ignore. I had seen music boxes, the smaller type that might hold jewelry and have moving parts, but little idea did I have of the quality or history behind this special heirloom.

I received a phone call from my future Mother-in-law just before the music box was delivered. She informed me of the family history of how the music box stayed within the family for generations. She added a little story about her son and his fascination with the hand carved piece. The handle had once been wound too tightly which sprung and broke the mechanics, so the box was retired to the attic for many years, only to be rediscovered years later. Realizing its great value, the family eventually had it repaired and brought it out to play and enjoy. Later, my husband confessed to “messing around” with the handle until it had sprung!

Once the box was delivered to its new owner, I received a phone call and my fiancé proceeded to play the music via telephone. I was completely enthralled with the beauty of the sound! He described the size of the big steel records and how they were interchangeable. I was eager to see it for myself.

I was totally unprepared for my own reaction when I was finally able to the music box. The beauty of the craftsmanship of the woodwork was gorgeous! Once the lid was lifted, I exclaimed at its beauty. The painting on the inside of the lid of a woman and child drew me to a felling of familiarity. My own grandmother’s house was full of antiques when I was a child, and though I cannot recall ever seeing a music box, the feeling I got when gazing upon this work of art took me back to those times.

We quickly unwrapped and few more of the discs leaving most in the original wrapping for the move to our new home in the weeks to come. As the tune was played for me, I could not help but visualize how it must have been in the 1800s, families gathering round, listening and dancing to these very same records in the days before such magic was spoiled with the habits of modern television.

That same evening, while dining with friends, the conversation turned to the logistics of our upcoming wedding. We were planning a small ceremony and had unexpectedly been presented with an opportunity to hold the event at a little known stone house that was built in the 1800s and had been preserved as a National Landmark. The topic of music came up and my groom remembered that one of the discs that came with the music box was indeed of the “Wedding March”. That night we unwrapped all of the discs and played every single one on the music box. We found the Wedding March was indeed included in the collection and selected other favorites to record and later play at our wedding.

We pledged out vows to each other at the Wildermuth House on the seventh day of July in 2001. Located in Valley Springs, California on the Coast to Crest Trail, the stone house had been built in 1861 by William A. Watt. William had constructed the stone house of hand dressed sandstone quarried form a nearby hillside. Centuries later, here we stood with this monument as a backdrop to one of the most important events of my life.

It had rained that morning, holding at bay the valley heat typically know to the area, creating a certain element of the unusual. The mood of the day was full of the romance of the present day as well as the feeling of days long ago. While the recording of the music box played in the background, I could not help but reflect on how it might have been one hundred and forty years earlier. It was at this moment that a realization swept over me; feelings of joy and enjoyment are indeed timeless….

It is now ten years since that day and there is no doubt in my mind that destiny had brought us together and led us to a place where the ages came together to create a new beginning of our own journey through time.

Easter Eggs Allelujah!

2011-04-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

It’s a custom I grew up with, so I know no other….

Holy Week brought the fun custom of dying colored Easter Eggs! On Good Friday my Mother would boil dozens of eggs in large Pyrex glass pans and pots. The sight of huge mixing bowls full of hard boiled eggs showed the first sign of the anticipation of our Annual Family Custom. “Always add a little vinegar to the boiling water”, I’m still not sure why…

The next day (usually in the evening) we would fill repurposed empty glass jars with a mixture of Easter Egg Dye adding just a little more food coloring to the Paas Easter Egg Dye tablets. We measured the water and vinegar carefully, doubling the recommended strength of the solution. Paraffin wax (later, bees wax was preferred) was heated by stove burner in a shallow pan and my Dad would find the “tools” to create the magic artwork on our Easter Eggs. He had learned this “art” from his Aunt as a child. The tool was made out of a nail with a wooden handle fashioned onto the end. Later years I learned that this technique was evolved from a Ukranian custom called Pynsanky. My Dad is of German descent.

I remember that the heat had to be just right for the wax to adhere properly onto the shell of the egg. We needed to stay vigilant about turning the stove control back and forth between medium and medium-low to keep the temperature constant. If the wax was too cool, It would not stick onto the shell, if the wax was too hot, it would not “pool” properly when the tip of the tool met with the shell of the egg producing a lovely tear drop shaped stroke. My Father was practiced, no one could master his technique to perfection, though some of us came close in later years.

The night before Easter was full of anticipation, I could hardly go to sleep! We would put our new shoes (bought specifically for Easter Morning Church Services) beside our beds. The next day we would dress in our new pretty Easter clothes and embark on a day filled with Joy and Happy People singing Joyful Hymns as we attended Easter Services. Upon awaking on Easter Morning, the first sight of a beautiful Colored Egg placed in one shiny, new shoe was the first sign that the Easter Bunny had come in the night. Easter Baskets awaited us filled with Colored Eggs and Easter Candy!

None of our friends had such beautiful colored eggs, so we often gave my Dad’s artwork to favorite people and one with the design of a Cross or a Chi-Rho to the Pastor.

Through the years, family members moved to new locations, church memberships changed and new babies were born. The Easter custom continued year after year as new generations were included. The colored eggs my Dad made each year remained constant until he was in his eighties. It was what we knew Easter to be and so it was the same for our own children... which explains why my 4-year-old son, while searching for his shoes one day, said that he needed to find his “footbaskets”!

Earth Day 2011 - inspired!

2011-04-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

This year I am inspired to actually DO something in Celebration of Earth Day! I am going to write an email and shoot it over to a few Corporate Offices…

There have been suggestions by certain Bloggers about actually snail mailing a physical letter to Restaurants asking them to be aware of the trash their establishments generate (specifically straw trash). However, since I am not a participant in the Earth Day 2011 Contest, hosted by GlassDharma and I am not expecting a free glass straw to be mailed to me for writing this email, I get to make up my own rules.

If you are interested in receiving a free GlassDharma Glass Straw in your own mailbox, or if you would like a chance to win a $100.00 Gift Certificate from GlassDharma, you may want to visit these other Blog Sites. They will show you how. These links will take you to their posts:

Safer Choices

My Plastic Free Life

It Starts With Me

Sip The World

Retro Housewife Goes Green

Clean Eating Chelsey

Seven In The Ocean

Recycle Your Day

Now for my own Earth Day project! My letter to my favorite restaurants:

Dear Restaurant Representative,

I would like you to know that I love frequenting your establishment and enjoy the food and service. Your restaurant is a favorite meeting and dining place for my friends and family as well.

It has come to my attention that our planet is in crisis. Our collective habits of wastefulness are having apparent impact on the well being of our environment. We are all in this together! What each of us does will make a difference. Our recent love affair with convenience and single use plastics has brought us to the point where we now know that there is a price to pay.

I would like to address the amounts of trash being generated by restaurants in general, specifically, straw trash. I wonder how many straws are used in your Restaurants? There are many who like to refuse a straw in their drink, only to have it brought to them anyway. My guess is the un-used straw ends up in the waste bins along with other straw trash.

I wonder, If each customer had the choice to refuse/request the addition of a straw to their beverage, would your straw supply be reduced?

If drink options included a choice of an “upgrade” including a reusable straw for the customer to keep, might it reduce single-use straw trash?

If it became normal for a customer to bring their own reusable straw, would the number of straws you supply change?

And finally, if single use straws are the desired method of serving drinks, have you considered alternatives to plastic straws? A simple choice of paper straws over plastic straws would reduce waste that cannot break down and forever pollutes.

Many restaurants are now “pioneering” the idea to reduce their waste, a trend that improves our environment. This trend sets the example for other businesses and each of us, your customers.

I hope that we will all be thinking about how our actions bring us consequences in the years to come. We all have the option to choose re-usable vs. “disposable”. I would love to see more restaurants like yours lead the way into a future that holds promise for humankind and the generations to come.

The desired "Destination" is a Healthy Planet free from pollution, but the focus of this letter is that we now need to prioritize “the Journey”.

Happy Earth Day!

Sincerely,
A Happy Customer with Hope for a Healthy Planet

I chose to email my "letter" to Corporate Offices of my favorite Restaurants including some chains like Chili’s and Marie Calendar’s. Some websites do not provide email addresses, so you have to call them or use their contact forms. I do provide complete contact information for myself in email correspondence and contact forms.

*IDEA*
For those that would like to act, but find it hard to take the time, consider this. Most Restaurants do have a FaceBook page! You can simply use my letter using this link and post it on the wall of your Restaurant “likes” on FaceBook! You can easily add your own “comment” to the post.

LINK to post on FaceBook

I think it is a good thing to think about how we can make a difference about what is happening on our Planet. We need to be aware, and then we need to make an effort to make changes and encourage others as well. What we do (and don’t do) will have its own impact on us – and each other.

Have a Happy Earth Day! I hope you will Celebrate!

Earth Day Letter

2011-04-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Restaurant Representative,

I would like you to know that I love frequenting your establishment and enjoy the food and service. Your restaurant is a favorite meeting and dining place for my friends and family as well.

It has come to my attention that our planet is in crisis. Our collective habits of wastefulness are having apparent impact on the well being of our environment. We are all in this together! What each of us does will make a difference. Our recent love affair with convenience and single use plastics has brought us to the point where we now know that there is a price to pay.

I would like to address the amounts of trash being generated by restaurants in general, specifically, straw trash. I wonder how many straws are used in your Restaurants? There are many who like to refuse a straw in their drink, only to have it brought to them anyway. My guess is the un-used straw ends up in the waste bins along with other straw trash.

I wonder, If each customer had the choice to refuse/request the addition of a straw to their beverage, would your straw supply be reduced?

If drink options included a choice of an “upgrade” including a reusable straw for the customer to keep, might it reduce single-use straw trash?

If it became normal for a customer to bring their own reusable straw, would the number of straws you supply change?

And finally, if single use straws are the desired method of serving drinks, have you considered alternatives to plastic straws? A simple choice of paper straws over plastic straws would reduce waste that cannot break down and forever pollutes.

Many restaurants are now “pioneering” the idea to reduce their waste, a trend that improves our environment. This trend sets and example for other businesses and each of us, your customers.

I hope that we will all be thinking about how our actions bring us consequences in the years to come. We all have the option to choose re-usable vs. “disposable”. I would love to see more restaurants like yours lead the way into a future that holds promise for humankind and the generations to come.

The desired "Destination" is a healthy Planet free from pollution, but the focus of this letter is to now prioritize “the Journey”.

Happy Earth Day!

Sincerely,

A Happy Customer with Hope for a Healthy Planet

Embracing Autism

2011-03-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

"it's the journey" is posting for a Special Contributor in honor of Autism Awareness Month (April).
This is a glimpse in the life of another. May each of us know... and help... and love.... along the way.

“Circle, CIRCLE!!” Four-year-old Rogi exclaims while frantically patting his mother’s hip. “Circle!” He is pointing to a box of round Waffles sitting on the counter.

“Say, ‘WAFFLE,’” his mom says, chuckling, while popping the waffle into the toaster. Rogi’s chants get louder while he waits for his breakfast to heat up. “Ciiiirrrrcle!”

BOOM!

A loud crash interrupts Rogi’s pleas. Mom turns around to find two-year-old Emi wailing at a spilled DVD collection on the floor. He picks them up one-by-one between his frustrated sobs and stacks all twenty movies up for the third time, making sure his tower is straight and perfect. His six-year-old sister, Lily, sits nearby, oblivious to the commotion, fixating on a repeating video of singing chipmunks on You-Tube. Welcome to a day in the life of Carmen, a single mother of three children with Autism.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1 out of every 150 American children - a 172% increase since 1990. Origins of ASD remain debatable, but it is thought by most scientists to be genetic. It is the third most common developmental disability and affects more children than multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and childhood cancer. With Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI), however, there is much promise for the future of these kids. These programs, when implemented at an early age, have been proven to greatly improve skill deficits and problem behaviors.

Rogi and Emi are both thriving with the help of EIBI programs. When Emi began his Early Start program last August, he had almost no eye-contact with his therapists, was constantly banging his head against walls and floors, and his tantrums lasted hours at a time. Now, less than a year later, Emi is giving kisses, saying words like “good-bye,” “apple” and “jump,” and scoring 100% on matching lessons. His tantrums are down to an average of 3 minutes long and the head-banging is gone.

Rogi finally began talking last year with the help of intense vocal imitation lessons and is scoring high in all areas of his program. He is now fully potty-trained and enjoys singing, watching movies, and has taken an interest in Dinosaurs. He knows numbers 1-12, all of his colors, and is getting ready for pre-school this summer. He has been in his EIBI program for 2 years.

Carmen and her daughter Lily

Lily is in Kindergarten and was denied an EIBI program by the school district. “There are things my 4-year-old knows that Lily does not,” says Carmen. Lily does not participate in school, cannot write in a straight line, and has trouble socializing with her peers. Getting her out the door in the morning is a daily struggle complete with tears and screaming. Carmen knows Lily would greatly benefit from an EIBI program, but the School District won’t budge.

In order to get Lily the education and therapy she needs, Carmen will have to come up with $1,200.00 for an assessment with an agency that is separate from the district. To raise the money, Carmen came up with a creative plan to make 1,000 Tamales to sell locally. She will do everything in her power to ensure money does not get in the way of her kids’ education. She has already given up having her own bedroom in order to provide Rogi and Emi with their own therapy rooms.

In honor of Autism Awareness Day beginning April 1st, please remember to wear blue in support of Carmen’s family and many like hers that are dealing with the financial, political, and emotional fight to provide therapy, education, and support for their kids.

footnote: find out more about Carmen's Homemade Tamale sale by emailing carmenstamales @ yahoo.com

... and may God Bless the Journey....

Birthdays

2011-01-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

Birthdays mark the years of our life, measuring the distance of time... A cause for Celebration of being alive, of YOU being alive and a celebration of Self! It's our own personal "New Year"... A time to reflect back to see how far we have come on this Journey of Life..... and a time to look forward to the Promise of what the future may hold.

A birthday marks the end of a year while the beginning of new roads stretch before us....Why then, do we say, How "old" are you? Why not, How many years? (have you lived?)

Too often people express dread as another birthday approaches. Aknowledging the higher number makes them groan, "Another year gone..."

In my book of life, birthdays are cause for Self Celebration. I believe that we should all,

"Celebrate each year for the Gift that it is!"

I'm counting them all!!!!!

A New Year

2010-12-31T07:58:00.000-08:00

This day marks a most notable passage of Time... As continuous as the clock may tick the moments gone by, no other moment of the year reaches the same caliber as the clock striking in the New Year at Midnight.

It is with much anticipation for new hopes, new dreams and a new beginning that marks this moment of a changing era. While many use this time to keep resolve, I find myself ready to set my own Intent. Not so much for how things should go or to predict what should take place. My intent is more about how I will respond to life events in the New Year.

Embarking on a New Year is much like walking through an open door, leaving one room behind and entering into another.  I don't have to know what is in the room to know that I am supposed to be there.  I am hopeful that certain people I love will be present in this room, or at least come into the room while I am there. If not, I will love them throughout the duration, no matter... Some of my surroundings will be similar to days gone by, some will be new to me.

Through this passage I see reflections of what was (memories) contrasted by a slight glimpse of what is to be (future). Many old traditions will fall away and be replaced with new experiences.  I am choosing to move fear of the unknown aside so that I might look forward with the eyes of a child, wide open with hope and wonder.

Abondoning expectations, I choose my intent carefully. I trust that all circumstances will bring about some worthwhile purpose.  I wish to see Beauty in the ordinary, and take notice of each day with Grace and Compassion. I will listen to hear the calling that points me to my own service.

I am very excited about this New Year, I don't have to know what is going to happen... I want to be surprised!

Uses and benefits of Lemongrass

2010-09-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

My love of growing and using culinary herbs began during childhood. I can still see and smell the fresh mint patch on a shady side of the yard in the Bay Area house where I grew up. Our backyard vegetable garden would include Parsley, Chives and Basil as well.

It occurred to me in recent years that as I try to incorporate the health benefits of leafy greens into my diet, that fresh green herbs should be counted into the equation. This is a fact that many of us overlook. There is almost as much Lutein in parsley, as there is in fresh spinach!

Two years ago, my friend who is an organic gardener introduced me to a new culinary delight. Lemongrass! This tropical plant grows and multiplies each season and she is able to harvest many bulbous sections of this fragrant plant for her use in cooking.

This introduction opened new doors for me in my herb garden and in my kitchen. I absolutely fell in love with the fresh lemony flavors of this herb! Never again will my chicken stock or my homemade chicken noodle soup be made without this fresh delicate accent! Rice dishes are enhanced and sauces flavored in new ways with this fresh taste. I have found that this is one herb you really do not have to worry about using too much of. It maintains a consistent background flavor regardless of how much you use, but does not get too pungent (my kind of ingredient, no fail).

I learned from my friend the ways to process and use fresh lemongrass by splitting open the bulb at the base with a sharp knife (it is a tough plant) and pounding the fleshy “meat” with a meat hammer before adding the piece of the plant to my teapot, broth and sauces. Then, I simply discard the fibrous stalk after the liquid steeps its flavors into my recipe.

Lemongrass Tea is amazingly refreshing iced and unsweetened. Hot Lemongrass Tea is soothing and satisfying. Researching the health benefits of this herb confirms that I have stumbled on something that will be a lifelong practice – sipping Lemongrass Tea…

With all this love for the many uses and benefits of Lemongrass, the time came to think about how I would process and preserve it for year round use (the plant is a tropical perennial). Here is what I came up with:

The blades of grass will dry easily if you simply put them in a dry vase (or) cut into pieces with scissors and allowed to dry in a cool dark place. I sometimes use flat cardboard boxes with holes poked all around the sides and layer my herbs between cloth napkins. The boxes are stacked onto the very highest top shelf inside my pantry where it stays dark and cool.

The dried peices of Lemongrass are tough so I use a spice grinder (coffee bean grinder used for spices only) and make a fine powder to use in my cooking when the fresh “bulbs” are not available during the winter months. This powder is easily added to recipes or even green smoothies, making it a perfect addition for many raw food recipes. The cut up dried pieces (unground) are perfect for making tea in the teapot.

The Lemongrass freezes very well, another option for having it on hand year round.

You can also make a tea from the fresh processed lemongrass and freeze the “tea” in ice cube trays or in a thin layer using a flat pan. (I use Pyrex glass pans to avoid BPA interaction when I freeze it) Once frozen, the “tea” can be chipped into pieces with a knife. Back into the freezer it goes for storage until you are ready to use it a piece at a time. Simply slip the frozen pieces of lemongrass “ice” into whatever liquid you are cooking. Easy!

I would love to hear from other cooks and gardeners about the different uses of this delicious and beneficial herb!

Bamboo & Glass Water Bottle! Ingeneous Design!

2010-08-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

The Bamboo Original™ $25.00- Volume: 17 oz

- Height: 10.25"

- Width: 3.125"

Finally, there's a clean, safe and stylish bottle that is made from the practically inexhaustible resources of bamboo and glass. Bamboo gives our unique bottles style and strength. The glass guarantees safe, clean drinking at all temperatures, erasing the dangers of plastic water bottles. Whether you're chugging ice-cold water or sipping on steaming-hot tea, this uber-cool bottle is BPA-free, ensuring no chemicals leach into your drink. To clean your insulated bottle, simply unscrew the bottom and the easy-to-tote top to remove the dishwasher-safe glass. To help clean the planet, simply keep using your Bamboo Bottle to hydrate instead of bottled water.

The Bamboo Bottle Company prides itself on making safe water bottles. The glass insert, plastic top, nut and bottom are all dishwasher safe. The bamboo sleeve is not. Before microwaving, remove the bamboo and plastic components.

My opinion: Well thought out design takes you through the Journey...

Diva Recipe: Foaming Hand Soap

2010-08-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Diva Recipe: Foaming Hand Soap

My Morning Smoothie

2010-06-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

Some years back, while doing some health research on the benefits of Zeaxanthin and Lutien, I was somewhat amused to find so many “cure-all” type advertisements for health supplements. Distracted by the many so-called “authorities” on health and nutrition, it seemed as if each promoter had the secret to optimum health… well, that is if you bought a bottle of their product to ingest each day. One thing they all seemed to have in common was that the health supplement was made out of a rare fruit (one I never heard of) that grew only in remote regions on our planet… and only when the sun shown on it a certain way… well, you get where I am coming from.

Deciding to take a more practical approach to my quest for keeping myself healthy as I skate through life, I started researching nutrients in foods and food preparation. It just seems that if one can incorporate good nutrition into a daily routine it would go a long way towards laying groundwork for a healthy life. Enough servings of fresh fruits and vegetables seem to be the thing my diet is lacking. I could bet that for most of us there is a lot of room for improvement in this department.

The introduction of my morning smoothie ritual became sort of a spiraling thought process, a means to incorporate more uncooked fruits and vegetables into my daily diet. My Smoothies became more of a practice than a recipe; always relying on whatever the fruit basket offered that needed using that particular day. Since fresh fruit is not always available, I came to rely on my freezer and I started what I now call a “smoothie bin.”

Green Smoothies have become ever so popular for concentrating the diet with nutrient rich super foods. Tasting my Brother’s own recipe (chock full of parsley, celery and tons of fresh ginger) left me not really wanting to start each day off in this manner, a little too much “kick” for my own gently waking from sleep hours. However, adding some spinach to my Berry Smoothie, I found there really was not difference to the taste!

I quickly learned that fresh sliced carrots added to my smoothie bin would easily liquefy when previously frozen and that they actually add some sweetness to my recipe! Kale and Spinach and Beet Greens started finding their way into my smoothie bin… grapes and bits of oranges, etc… When I slice the cauliflower for grilling and bits of little flowerets fall off, you guessed it, into my smoothie bin they go.

The ingredients in my smoothies evolve along with the food choices that are stored in my smoothie bin. Every morning, into the blender goes fresh fruit that is sitting in my fruit basket, frozen ingredients from my smoothie bin, milk (almond milk is my fav!) and a little fruit juice or yogurt. I find no need to add sweeteners, using this method, but would recommend a teaspoon of pure Maple Syrup to those who do.

Exploring different methods and recipes brings so many more ideas to what I choose to eat and how my choices affect my health and daily performance. Please add your own ideas and recipes in the comments section of this post … it is a process, and a journey we are all on, despite our different demographics!

Making Laundry Soap

2010-03-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

My new laundry routine is -- (subtle drum roll) -- making the laundry soap!

Yep, you heard me right… I actually make time to make the laundry soap that washes all of our clothing and linens. My preference is liquid and there is a bit of a trick to getting it right.

Is this practice worth the time and effort, you ask? I think so, and now I will show you why.

#1. cost – saves hundreds of dollars a year

#2. I love the way my clothes get clean and how they smell and feel.

#3. All those laundry detergent bottles I “threw away”. I now reuse! And I reuse vinegar bottles, juice bottles etc. for this purpose as well. This is my one desirable use for plastic as I continue to de-plastic my kitchen and cooking methods. The key word REUSE (means you don’t even have to recycle!)

About every 3 months I assemble these ingredients:

½ bar of Zote Soap, grated (see substitution options)

1 cup of Arm& Hammer Washing Soda (sodium carbonate, not to be confused with baking “soda” which is sodium bicarbonate)

1 cup of Borax

I found the Zote Soap and the Borax no problem, available at most of the stores where I shop. I had a hard time finding the Washing Soda, but research taught me that “PH Plus” that you use for swimming pools is the same thing. Check the ingredient contents on the package. It should say “sodium carbonate” and nothing else.

It’s really important to know a little about what is used and what substitutions are appropriate. Then it may take time for you to perfect your own recipe depending on the quality/makeup of your water.

My first batch did not turn out quite right. I made it way too thick. (I mistook the perfect consistency while still warm for the finished product. When it cooled, the substance took on a solid form in the bottle!) Now, when I pour the finished recipe into the bottles, I leave about 1/4 to 1/3 of the bottle with air space for shaking and diluting as needed. As you perfect the proportions, you will get a feel for the right fill level.

First, I grate the soap. I tried a food processor but it is so easy to grate it by hand and cleanup is much easier.

The grated soap goes into a big sauce pot with 6 cups of water and I cook it on medium heat until all the soap is dissolved. The Zote Soap dissolves easily and does not make the “noodley” texture that others speak of in other online forums.

I get my 5 gallon bucket ready, yes 5 gallons so that you don’t make a big mess! Hot tap water goes into the bucket first, filling about ¼ of the way. Next, I pour in the contents of the pot and immediately, I add 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Washing Soda, stirring and stirring with a long handled, sturdy spoon. The mixture thickens – a lot! Start adding more hot tap water and keep stirring, filling the bucket about 2/3 of the way to the top.

I store these bottles in a cupboard in the garage and use them as needed.

For our household laundry needs and the type of water we have (hard water), I find about ¾ cup of my homemade liquid laundry soap per load is ideal. Shaking the bottle each time you use it is the only way to keep the mixture balanced. It may start to separate some with storage.

Leave it to my Cousin’s kids to tell me how to do laundry! Bethany referred me to this recipe and let me know that she uses “ a couple of tablespoons” of white vinegar in place of Fabric Softener in her last rinse dispenser. I have found this to be an amazingly easy way to wash clothes with the best of results! No more “waxy/perfumey” feel and smell to my laundry! No static, no vinegar smell and just the right amount of softness to the fabrics.

One final tip. Adding a few drops of your preferred pure essential oil (I use lavender) to the liquid laundry soap as well as to your vinegar bottle lets you customize how it all smells. You are in total control!

Trying this practice will find you enjoying fresh, clean laundry as you take a huge step toward eco-fying your laundry routine.

Worth the time and effort? What is your opinion?Next, I use a big measuring cup with a pour spout, I pour the contents into my plastic bottles, using a funnel, a little more than ½ of the way full. I then let the bottles cool, sometimes for a couple of hours. Just about the time the bottles feel luke-warm, I add more hot water and shake them again, leaving some air in the top of the bottle for future shaking and remixing.

Food Preservation by Yvonne Leonhardt

2010-01-22T11:23:00.000-08:00

My kitchen continues to change it’s contents over time as I learn more about healthy eating, cooking and food storage. Observing these changes and the cycles they take on got me to thinking about what my Mother and Grandmothers may have noticed over the years in their own kitchens.
Meet my Mom, Yvonne Leonhardt, who agreed to write this post as a guest author of “itsnotthedestination”.

One of my daughters recently asked me about refrigeration and food preservation in the past. I decided to write about this for all my sons and daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all you friends who may be reading this.

Our Mother canned fruits and tomatoes in season for use all year. She used Mason Jars for containers. Dad helped at times and of course we daughters often helped. My fondest memory was the bushel basket of whatever was being processed, on the floor by the kitchen door. We were allowed to take a piece of fruit
to eat whenever we wished! My favorite was the fresh, juicy tomatoes!

Another memory is how Mother always apologized for not making dessert once in a while, and for asking one of us to go down in the fruit cellar to get a jar of peaches – as if she hadn’t worked just as hard when she prepared them as she would have to have baked something that day!

The pioneers in the USA were really challenged in many ways. One was keeping perishable food safe for later consumption.

One method was by digging a hole on an angle and sinking a barrel or a metal drum into it, then placing a heavy cover at the opening. It was cooler with the ground used as insulation from heat, or to keep the food from freezing in winter. Sometimes this was built under a house for added insulation.

Another way was to build a spring house. If a cold spring was available nearby, a small house was built over it. The cold running water cooled the food placed on shelves in the house. In time businesses were set up sawing ice blocks from frozen lakes and storing them in ice houses under layers of straw for insulation.

Iceboxes were built for use in kitchens. They were made of sturdy wood, with layers of cork or corrugated cardboard for insulation, and lined with galvanized sheet metal. The doors were also very heavily insulated and needed sturdy hinges and latches to keep them tightly closed. Inside, racks were placed for shelving.
Bowls or jars of food would be placed on the shelves with plates used for lids covering the dishes.

A small door at one side near the top of this cooler was for the block of ice. A drain was installed to a pan under the icebox for drainage of the water which melted from the ice. This had to be emptied twice a day. When forgotten, our family would get up in the morning to find large puddles of water on the kitchen floor.

In time there were ice houses that could manufacture the ice in very large blocks. Then “icemen” would buy the ice and chop it into smaller blocks as needed, and deliver it to houses. A card was put into a window letting the man know how much ice was needed. It was usually sold in 25, 50, 75, or 100 pound blocks.

In about 1910 small kitchen electric refrigerators were being made, but even by 1932, only wealthy people could afford them. At $250 each it would have taken an average worker almost a year to be able to earn that much, and certainly a much longer time to save that much!

I was born in 1930 so I mostly remember iceboxes, and the iceman who delivered our ice to us. But even in 1949 after I was married and we had our first daughter, there was a cupboard (with no insulation) built into the outer kitchen wall, under a window in our rented three-room flat. This was originally used to store perishable foods in winter.

Refrigerators were not common in homes until about the 1940s. We had to turn off these refrigerators and defrosted them each week, as heavy frost built up on the cooling unit.

I believe our large family of 9 children first had a refrigerator in 1942 when our parents were able to buy a large, run-down mansion in St. Louis for $4500. The living area had a total of fourteen rooms and one and a half baths on three floors. There was also a basement with five rooms and bath. The two car garage had a small room and half bath to be used for chauffeur’s quarters. Since we didn’t even have one car, it was used for a shop for our Dad, and the small room was used for a short time for my brother to raise birds, as it was heated for winter use.

But getting back to food preservation: With the more modern refrigerator, Mother wanted more space saving containers for the food. Squared glass dishes were being marketed, and our family purchased some for food storage. They had glass lids, and it was easy to see what was contained in each one. Mason Jars were also used for food storage in the refrigerators, as well as for canning foods.

Finally, after WWII, plastics were invented. Instead of glass dishes for storage, rigid plastics were used for food storage. I bought a few of these and my husband was so upset! He said they would just break! And he was right. Great care had to be used to let the food cool completely so as not to crack these hard dishes.

In 1946 Tupperware and softer plastic dishes were being made and housewives loved them. We were invited to Tupperware parties. The items were very attractive but expensive. And even these had limits for food storage. If hot soup was placed into them, they bubbled and layers of plastic would peel off. But no one contemplated what else these plastics gave off into the foods.

Today our offspring have gathered more information on the effects of plastics in our lives and we have come full circle – going back to our daughter requesting glass refrigerator dishes for Christmas.

As glass was always a common material for drinking containers, it is good to see more glass used in many ways. It is a material that can be recycled over and over.

Walk To Work And Carry Your Lunch!

Our Dad always got up at 5 a.m. and had a large breakfast of cereal, toast with butter and jelly, eggs, bacon, fruit, and coffee with cream. Mother would make a couple sandwiches of left over roast for him and wrap them in waxed paper and then in newspaper. Households always seemed to have enough newspapers for various things as it was the most common means of getting the news. No TV and no radio until some years after my parents married.

If we ran out of waxed paper, bread bags were reused for wrapping sandwiches.

After work Dad also walked home! About a 40 minute walk each way. He was 5’5” and never weighed over 135. He had no use for snack foods or second helpings. But bread had to be included at every meal. He knew how much he could eat, filled his plate and ate every bit of it.

When Mother baked – which was almost every day – the loaves of bread or the cake were covered with dish towels. Usually the cake was frosted as soon as it cooled, which kept it fresh longer. How she managed to do all that every day to feed 11 people is a mystery. She also sewed beautiful clothing for her daughters!

We were a fairly poor family, but in later years we really ate well! However there were earlier lean years also. An older sister tells of asking Mother what kind of special pudding she used to make for them before they went to bed. Mother covered her face and cried, “Oh, don’t remind me of that! I knew I couldn’t send little ones to bed hungry so I took sugar and flour or cornstarch with water and a bit of flavoring and made pudding using water instead of milk!”

Our parents taught us to be resourceful. This was probably one of the greatest gifts of all!

Reducing Risks In My Kitchen

2010-01-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

This video tells why I am changing my kitchen over to Stainless Steel and Glass. I am rapidly getting rid of plastic in it's various forms. Give the information and the questions that lie within, why would we take chances about the risk factors of ingesting BPA ? We carefully pay attention to bacteria when it comes to food storage and keeping our counters and dishes clean, why would we not do a head's up on chemical issues?

Now here is a video and this Doctor practices what I now practic in ideas for bringing my own water.