Spring Cleaning

Yesterday I began the ‘master cleanse’. My goal is to have a nice pink tongue, which means that my body is in perfect balance.
Yesterday’s challenge was to stop thinking of food. It’s harder than you think. Go ahead, say to yourself I will not think about food, and then try not thinking about food. It is especially true if you have a family to feed.

So I told guys that they are on your own for a few days. Immediately, they order pizza! I said to them, although you are on your own you can't order take out everyday.

This morning, I feel great drinking my tonic of lemon, maple syrup, with a dash of cayenne pepper. I am deviating from the program slightly, by drinking a protein shake at mid-day. I’ve read so many posts on the subject and my instinct tells me I’m on the right path for me. Perhaps that is why I'm not feeling hunger.

Dreams

Creating a meditative garden
I dream of allowing my inner child to come out and play!


I dream of long white beaches, and sunny days!

A Final Good-bye

Dr. Francis (Frank/Pete) Abbott, April 12,1928 -February 25,2010

Dearest Friend and Neighbor,

Yesterday, February 25, 2010 I was told of your death. It saddens me deeply that you will no longer walk this earth. I admit though, it was not unexpected, after all you have been experiencing considerable problems associated with aging.

In particular, your quality of life in the past year was difficult for you to accept without a fight. Especially because you were someone who was so active throughout life. Mostly, I think, the fact that you had to rely on others for basic assistance for your daily routine made it that much more distressing. Your body was failing, but yet you felt you should still be doing the things you did several months ago. Hell, not just several months ago, but years ago. You talked recently about taking my son canoeing in the summer. You really had a very strong will, and maybe it could have happened. I know it must have been hard to reconcile the two, making living each day more unbearable. But yet you fought a good fight. Your frustration was evident in your eyes even when you didn’t complain.

I am sure you appreciated though that you were able to live in that beautiful place by the Ottawa River for as long as you did. I have many fond memories of sitting in the screened in porch enjoying the river view in your company. So, dear friend, I do understand and appreciate why your home gave you peace and comfort.

I want you to know that you were the best neighbor I could have asked for, kind, gentle, and an amazing conversationalist. As soon as we met you made us feel part of your family. I will cherish the memory of our Sunday dinners and the stories of your adventures from near and afar.

I will always be grateful that you were part of our life. Good bye Friend! (inside joke / He sang this on his answering machine)

Happy Dance!!!

This image depicts how I felt on Friday!

Last month, I decided to open my eyes and really look at my spending habits because more than anything I needed to know where my money was disappearing to. It seemed like money was flowing through my fingers like water and leaving no evidence that it was ever in my hand. Part of my plan is to record all spending no matter how small. Which means documenting all receipts and opening all mail and recording even the interest payments. Previously, I would guess what I had to pay, and sometime over paid and other times underpaid the bills. This you can imagine resulted in paying higher interests if under paying bills.

Therefore, in keeping with my plan I have been going through my stacks of mail, sorting, and filing them since the beginning of the year. As it is tax time, I decide to look for and found my tax assessment from last year. I remember receiving it but was in a hurry and placed in on pile of the stack of correspondence where it stayed for seven months unopened, until Friday. I opened it and inside was a check for over $6,000!!! Wow! Let that be a lesson to me, open every piece of mail no matter how in a rush I might be.

Strange but True

6:35 am my phone rings...it is a call from my security company informing me that the alarm was triggered at the office.
He says, "There is movement in the kitchen..."
I asked, "Have any of the doors been compromised?"
He responds, "Nope. Do you want me to summon the police?"
I say, "If the doors or windows are not compromised then I should check before we call the police." (There is a charge for false alarms if police show up)

Went over to the office to discover that everything was as it should be. No sign of any intruders. It can't be mice because it has to be at least 25 pounds to set the alarm off. In three years we've never has a false alarm. Hmmmm.

I am thinking it was the ghosts of the previous owners, two spinster sisters. I think they were checking on the property. They lived well into their late 90's and stayed in the house until they died. Although I must add that they did not die in the house.

And there was a full moon...

Too hot in the Kitchen

Why is January so long? I don't know if it is just me or what, but it seems like January is in slow motion. I've been busy, yes. But it is still January!!!

I pass my time on long cold January days by drinking hot chocolate or tea, making soups, baking cookies, reading by the fireplace, hot bubble baths. And talking on the phone...

A couple of days ago I was making french toast and talking on the phone. Yes, my bad. I noticed the oil was getting too hot and starting to smoke, so with one hand I moved it to another burner and in the process oil splashed on the hot element. That's right, it started a fire. First I yelled into the phone, then quickly thinking, I was able to contain it by smothering it with the potholder. whew!

Later when my heart stopped pounding against my chest and I was calm it occurred to me we had a fire extinguisher. But it was not anywhere in sight. I later found it inside a kitchen cupboard on the highest shelf. It is now sitting next to the stove where it should have been all along.

A word of caution - all it takes is one small mistake for a fire to start...you should be prepared in the event this should happen by making sure you have a fire extinguisher and place it in full view next to your stove. A kitchen fire is not the kind of heat anyone needs on a cold day in January or any other day for that matter.

Good for the Soul, Good for the Belly

On days such as today, cold, cold, and cold I recommend a nice warm breakfast and a blueberry smoothie. Today's choice is to make the guys some french toast with extra eggs!

A week ago, Andrew decided he wanted to make pizza. This is the masterpiece, vegetarian wholewheat pizza!