Approaching the School Year with Reluctant Eagerness

Summer break is coming to a close all too quickly. While part of me longs for the return to routines and schedules and the busyness of all of the extra curricular school year activities, part of me is dragging my feet. I will miss lazy mornings, jumping in the pool just because it is hot outside, fresh tomatoes and peaches, reading good books, and just plain old playing with the kids.

Since I home school we have the flexibility to start school whenever we want and believe me, I have strongly considered not starting until after Labor day, but I have to admit there is something about "knowing what I am going to do each day" that is attractive to me. I also love the way newly sharpened pencils and fresh clean notebook paper smell. There is an excitement in putting together new notebooks and opening the boxes that contain all our school materials for the year. I always get a kick out of watching Emma's eyes grow big as she looks ahead toward the sentences she will be masterfully diagramming by the end of the year.

Planning ahead is not only for school work, though. The schedule of the school year also forces me to be very intentional about planning my meals and snacks throughout the day. This year it will be even more so as Jake and Emma are taking a couple of classes outside the home that I will have to be out and about during times I would normally be at home. We are planning fresh fruit and vegetable options, and it is time to get my dehydrator revved up again. If you know any good raw food dehydrator recipes, especially for bars and such, please pass them along to me.

To update you on other things That happened this summer: I finished my five month boot camp at the beginning of this month. It was quite the commitment -- 6 days a week for an hour a day at 5:30 in the morning. I learned lots of ways to get protein as a mostly raw vegan, and I have a little 4 pack to prove it. While I have enjoyed having most of August off I am considering doing it again. I gained such a sense of accomplishment by committing to the regimen, and I feel as though my body has responded amicably. It is hard for me to believe that it was just three years ago that I was was overweight, lethargic, and very sick. Today, I feel like a picture of health and energy thanks to a change in intake philosophy. A raw diet and exercise have indeed changed my life!

Jake, our 13 year old, went to Scotland and Northern Ireland and had the time of his life! He rally enjoyed it. It was interesting to me that he said tings such as, "Mom, you wouldn't believe how quiet it was there," or "My favorite time was the time I spent hiking the mountain alone." When his grandmother asked him what was the most important thing he learned after thoughtful consideration he said, "I learned that no matter where you live in the world all people build their own kinds of fences." I am so glad that we made some sacrifices so that he could have that opportunity.

Emma and Jake had an excellent swimming season! They both went to "A regionals" and Jake even qualified to swim in the state competition, doing better than he ever thought he could do. It was so much fun to watch them excel. Phillip also learned how to really swim this summer, in large part, due to his sister teaching him everything she knows. He has become quite the fish.

Wayne's work is going well and we have just enjoyed spending time with each other and our family this summer. His mother and my parents both came to visit at different times, and it was a nice to be with them. I did some itinerant preaching in mostly small, country churches this summer which was very refreshing. I also read several good books, including Infidel and Eat, Pray, Love, both of which I highly recommend. Unfortunately, my tomato plant only produced 2 tomatoes, but that is 2 more than last year. I will keep trying this thumb of mine, hopefully one day it may get a green tint. Until then thank God for the Farmer's Market and Whole Foods!

Alive and Kicking!

I can't believe it has been since April that I last wrote! I have had so many irons in the fire I lost track of time. If you are a parent, you know all about the end of the school year hustle and bustle. We had dance recitals, and dance pictures, T-ball games, and T-ball pictures, Kindergarten graduation performances, and kindergarten pictures, and Chorus concerts, and, you guessed it, chorus pictures. My parents visited. Wayne's mom visited. All of that was quickly followed by Jake's trip to Scotland which was much harder on me than I would like to admit. I stood in the airport waving goodbye and crying my eyes out (something I had promised myself I wouldn't do).

I don't think I slept by a couple hours a night the whole time he was gone. The good news is I was very productive! I have been working on editing 2 books for a very good friend of mine, and I was able to complete that (They are very good books and I will be talking it up as it gets closer to publish date). I was able to write a few sermons and I preached a few times. I carted Emma and Phillip back and forth to summer camps and swim practices. I went o the doctor and to the dentist. I dug in at boot camp and worked my butt off. The time went by quickly and Jake is back home now. He had the time of his life! I am so glad we let him go -- he seems to have grown up so much!

Speaking of boot camp -- I am in the home stretch -- only 1 month left. I feel so good! I will be posting pics soon. It has been very challenging, but very rewarding! I have even donned a bikini in public this summer, and I am down to a size 6. But boot camp is not all about the exercise; it is also about fueling your body. My mostly raw diet has provided me excellent fuel and results! The only problem is that I feel like I eat all day long! I eat enormous amounts of fruits and veggies all day long to ensure that I get the proper caloric intake. I am definitely not one to skip a meal!

I am enjoying the fruits (and veggies) of summer so very much! I think I have eaten the best watermelon I have ever put in my mouth this summer. The heirloom tomatoes are so delicious and I have even had a couple from my own backyard. My tomato plant is still alive -- that is quite an accomplishment for me! The cherries and blueberries have been so sweet and juicy! And I love the local peaches, squash, and green beans.

I hope you like the new look of the blog and will continue to follow me on my journey toward reclaiming my health and my life!

Physical health leads to Spiritual Health

Judging from all of the emails I have received about yesterday's entry, I am apparently not alone on the running thing. Thank you all for your responses -- I was beginning to think I was the only one who did not like to run. I really don't mind the exercise, in fact, once I finally make it to the gym, it makes me feel a lot better. I have found that when I feel good about my body, that good feeling translates to other areas of my life as well. I feel more confident, I sleep better, I feel more focused, I care more about what I eat, etc.

The first few weeks I was doing boot camp I felt like getting up at 4:45 was possibly the worst thing I had ever committed myself to do. However, the last few weeks (it is hard to believe I have been on this regimen for seven and a half weeks now) I have been waking up even before the alarm goes off, and I have been wide awake and ready for the day.

There are things I like about getting up early. For instance, 4:45 is the only time of day when my house is completely quiet and I can be totally alone. I like to sit in my favorite chair all by myself and read a devotion. No one is competing for my attention, putting their feet on me, or asking me to do something else. I also have a private time to pray. I feel as though waking up for boot camp has not only improved my physical health, but my spiritual health as well. Funny how that works.

Confessions of a wanna-be (not really) runner.

I have always admired those people who put on their dry-fit clothing and running shorts and step out of their front doors to "go for a run." Recently, my sister-in-law and her husband were visiting and he stepped out for a little over an hour one day so that he could run a measly ten miles. I must admit, I was jealous. In my mind I am a runner. I can picture myself training for a marathon. I can imagine getting that "runner's high." I can feel that need to finish the race somewhere deep down inside of me.

Running seems like it would be a great way to exercise, especially right now -- when the weather is so nice. I always think that I want to do it; that I want to be a runner... then I try it. I think some people are just not meant to be runners, and I must be one of those people. No matter how much I want to like it -- I simply don't. In fact, I might even say I don't like it at all. I can ride a bike, I can get on an elliptical machine, and heck, I can even row until the cows come home. BUT I CANNOT RUN! I DO NOT WANT TO RUN! I DO NOT LIKE TO RUN! There, I said it. It is all out in the open. I feel much better now.

Convenience Foods

Today I discovered Vega -- bars and shakes for vegans. These products are all or mostly raw and are designed for athletes. While I would not yet consider myself to be an athlete, I am working on it. I must say that both the bar I had and the shake were quite tasty. I guess they have always been at my local Whole Foods Store, but I only noticed them for the first time today. It is so nice to have high quality whole foods with convenience!

Sometimes the very thing that keeps us from eating healthy is the idea that we don't have the time to prepare healthy meals. I am a very busy mother of three who knows what it is like to juggle 20 things at a time. When my doctors first suggested to me that I become vegetarian almost one year ago fear and dread ran through my mind as I thought, "What am I going to eat and where am I going to buy it?" As someone who spends most of her afternoons as a taxi driver, convenience foods (read - fast food standard American Diet) were a huge part of our lives. I thought that either I would have to learn to like fast food salads or starve. Boy was I wrong. I found it is just as quick to run into the grocery and pick up an apple or banana as it was to wait in the drive thru line. I also discovered nuts and seeds, and almost all grocery stores sell well made organic salads. There are so many raw bars and snacks out there that I didn't even know about -- I just had to look for them and ask where I could find them.

Now, I don't have time to not eat a healthy meal. Now, I can't even imagine eating the way I used to eat -- I realize that the standard American Diet was sucking the life right out of me!

One way to see what you are really putting into your body is to keep a food journal. There are so many easy to use websites that have free calorie counters. It will open your eyes when you see that one cup of low-fat soup and half of a cafe sandwich at a local "healthy fast food alternative" contains over 100% of your daily sodium, or how just one hamburger can destroy your fat and caloric intake. There are so many better choices out there, and they are just as easy. You are so worth putting just a little effort into eating well. You can do it! I promise, it will change your life.

Another Green Smoothie Day

I had a green smoothie day today! I have been noticing that ever since I started eating some cooked foods (mostly fish and beans) to try and get some protein back in my diet that my skin has started to break out again. So I did some research and discovered that Pea Protein and Hemp Protein are very good sources for vegans and have been trying them out. The first smoothie I had was strawberries, banana, orange, kale, with pea protein. The second was strawberry, banana, mango, kale, with help protein and 1/2 serving of pea protein. I must say they were quite tasty. I can't believe the hemp protein had 14 grams of fiber. Things ought to be moving well in the morning. It felt good to eat almost all fruits and veggies today. I feel as though I have much more energy and hopefully it will help me clear up my skin. I'll let you know.

My brother and sister-in-law are in town searching for a new home. It is such an exciting and stressful time in their lives (preparing to move a family to a new city is quite an undertaking), but we are so glad they will be moving close. It will be very nice to have family in the area! Phillip can't wait to play with his cousins and Emma can't wait to help babysit them. Jake is just excited. I hope they find the perfect house and that the move goes smoothly and just the way they want.

Goodbye Body Fat!

We measured body fat today at boot camp. It is my fourth week and I have lost 4.5% body fat! I am so excited! I did not really expect it to be that much. My trainer told me not to expect such a significant drop every time (we measure every 4 weeks), but I am quite happy with the results so far. One thing that is slightly difficult is that I have actually gained several pounds. I do not want to get hung up on the scale, though. My trainer reminded me that I am gaining lean muscle and bone density (very important for someone with calcium issues). I know he is right, and honestly, the weight isn't as important as feeling healthy and fit. I really do feel as though I have much more energy throughout the entire day. Wayne says he can tell a big difference.

My trainer also said he is not used to seeing someone drop so much body fat in such a short time. I think that has a lot to do with my diet. I am eating mostly raw protein from plant sources (Pea Protein, Hemp Protein, and Source of Life Raw Protein, and raw seeds/nuts) and occasional fish. That being said, the majority of my diet is still raw fruits and vegetables -- probably 80%. I am starting to feel like the outside is beginning to reflect the strong woman that I am on the inside. It feels good!

I'm Back

I have not abandoned my blog. I did take an unanticipated 2 week hiatus from it. The first week everyone in my household had strep throat and things were just crazy. I simply could not find time to get online -- any time I found was spent sleeping. The second week was recovery from the first, that and the fact that I started boot camp again. 4:45 rolls around awfully early, and it has just taken me a little time to adjust.

Life is going well. Even though boot camp is early, I really do enjoy going. I am going 6 days a week and every time I finish a class I feel very tired and very invigorated at the same time. I have such a sense of accomplishment! It also makes me feel like I a truly doing something for myself.

The danger with home schooling my children is that it can become very lonely at times. There are days when the only human contact I have is with an eleven year old, a thirteen year old, and a five year old. I do not have to take any children with me to boot camp -- they are simply not allowed. It also gives me a community of adults to interact with every day which is important for my sanity.

I have been trying to add in a little bit of raw vegan protein to my diet. I am starting with just one serving a day to see how my body handles that. I have also decided to go with my doctor's recommendation an have some occasional fish. It was a little strange the first time I ate it -- it really has been a long time, but it went okay. I am still faithful to my delicious green smoothies and they are definitely the high light of my diet.

Anyway, I am back and looking forward to sharing my continued journey to health with you.

Wonderful Day!

Today was an absolutely GORGEOUS day in my "neck of the woods" (as Al Roker would say). It was 73 degrees and partly sunny with a nice breeze. After school today we headed to the park for some soccer and playground time, we even took the dogs. I don't know who liked it more the kids, the dogs, or me. It is hard to believe that two weeks ago it was 11 degrees. It made me hungry for spring to be here!

The day started out wonderful and stayed wonderful. I drank a liter of green smoothie this morning. It was kale, mango, banana, orange, and was it ever good! Later I had a Go Raw! bar. I also ate lots of fresh fruit and finished the day off with a large salad. I am considering making a batch of raw brownies this evening. It has been a while since I made some and they just sound so good!

At the end of next week my mom and dad are coming for a short visit and to stay with the kids while Wayne and I go to the Bahamas. We have had this planned for a while, but it just finally seemed real today. I am starting to get pretty excited! It is going to be a quick trip, only four days, but it will be a wonderful four days. Wayne and I are really making an effort to spend some adult time together as a couple. I think every marriage needs that. It gives us a chance to remember how much we like and love each other, a chance to remember why we fell in love with each other in the first place. Not that I have forgotten, but it will still be lots of fun to remember. :)

Back in the Raw!

The holidays proved to be a pretty difficult time to stay high raw. Like many of you, I struggled to stay on my high raw diet. My body definitely felt the difference. While I still ate healthy and vegetarian, I was tempted by the cheese and the sweets. Needless to say, my percentage of raw foods dropped significantly. I felt it in my energy level, my skin blemishes, and bloating. There have been so many times in my past where I broke a diet thinking it would be just for a night or a week. If you are like me, it is easy to get stuck in a cycle of "eat bad, feel bad, rationalize that you have already blown the diet, eat more, feel even worse, rationalize..." I did not want to get stuck in the SAD rut. However a raw food diet is not the typical diet.

I found other diets were hard for me to maintain because I did not feel very good while I was doing them. I tried many ways to lose weight in my past, including The Zone, The South Beach Diet, Slimfast, and yes, even Atkins (I am ashamed to admit some of those, but it is the truth). Desperate people do desperate things. Anyway, all of theses diets made me cranky, hungry, and tired. My skin did not improve, either. However, a raw diet is completely different. Although I thought I wanted some of our traditional goodies, once I ate them I could immediately feel the difference in my body. I longed for my green smoothies! I was able to rationalize that if I did not like the way my food was making me feel, "the only way to get out is to change." And this time I knew exactly what would help me feel better! The last few weeks I have been revving up my raw diet again and kicking it into gear.

This morning I noticed my energy level has returned, my stomach is flat again, and my skin is clear. It is amazing to me how quickly and efficiently the body can work when we don't obstruct it. I am very glad to be back in the raw! The five pounds I gained are history and I learned that sweet and creamy didn't taste near as good as I thought it would.

Better than ever!

I have been thinking about my health journey a lot lately. I guess it is because more and more people are starting to ask me about it. Why exactly did I decide to go raw? After two years of being sick, and about 4 years of just not feeling like "me," I got tired. I was fed up with feeling lousy all of the time. When my calcium issues began it drastically changed my life. I was tired all of the time, got sick very easily, took handfuls of medicine, was gloomy all of the time, not to mention the real physical symptoms of my arms, legs, and face tingling and going numb. I did everything the doctors told me to do. I took all of my meds like I was told. I completely changed my diet like they advised -- eliminating phosphate almost completely (this left me eating a lot of white rice and sourdough bread). I was open with my doctors about feeling alienated from my body and emotions, and they told me to be patient. I was tired of being patient. I was tired a patient. I felt like I was just watching life pass me by. My life was ruled by lab visits and doctors appointments.

One day something just clicked and I knew if I was ever going to be better I needed to take control of my health. I was missing out on my children, my husband, and life in general. It was just chance that I happened to see a personal interest news story about a woman with breast cancer who went into remission after going to a raw food resort and clinic in Florida. Honestly, I decided I would try it, I never in a million years thought it would change my life the way it has. My rationale was that trying it at least gave me a sense of empowerment. I felt like I was doing something for me. Even if it didn't help, it was something I could do on my own, and surely the doctors couldn't criticize me for eating healthy.

In short, I decided to eat raw purely out of desperation. Hope was beginning to fade from my vocabulary as my health issues seemed more and more like they were going to be permanent and need constant monitoring. I had given all of my power away to the experts. I had been hoping they would "fix" me. They were doing their best, but my body just wasn't responding. It wasn't that the doctors weren't trying, they really were. They were relying on science and when science didn't respond they didn't know whet else to do, but something deep inside of me did. You cannot imagine how many times I have given thanks for seeing the ten o'clock news that night. Now, I feel like the "new and improved me." Raw food has given me my life back, and things are better than ever!

Stress Test -- he passed!

My dad's stress test went very well today! I am so glad. It really is a relief to know. I mentioned before that my dad had a heart attack at a young age. His father had multiple heart attacks, the first at a young age. This knowledge was not part of my switch to a raw diet because I had so many other health problems -- I wasn't even thinking about my heart. However, I do worry about my brothers. I hope they are aware of the increased risk since they run in our family. I know they know about the risk (technically), but being aware of it is a different thing all together. Being aware of the increased risk requires one's attention and vigilance, not, "One hamburger a week won't matter." I love them and want them around for a long while.

Speaking of loving someone and wanting them around, I spoke with Wayne about my concern for him. Since Thanksgiving he has been gradually wandering away from the healthy lifestyle he had adopted. A few cookies here, some holiday ham there, a few drinks at the party started to become, "can you brig home some of that from the grocery." I wasn't sure how he would take it, but when I mentioned it to him he was glad. He said he had really noticed a difference in how he looks and feels and is ready to get back to a healthy lifestyle again. He just needed a little push. It is so easy to get sucked back into a SAD diet. I am glad he is willing to make positive changes.

The kids and I started reading Dante's Inferno today. I had forgotten how much I like it. We have been through the first circle of Hell -- they were surprised to find out that Dante thought angels were there, existing side by side with all the people who sat on the fence. Jake didn't think that was very fair. He said, "But they didn't do anything wrong." I reminded him they didn't do anything right either, in fact, they didn't do anything at all. We had a great discussion about what makes a person virtuous.

In raw food news, I am really getting into this juicing thing! This morning I made juice out of two apples, 2 carrots, a handful of raspberries, a handful of blackberries, and two handfuls of spinach. Jake and Emma said it looked diarrhea, but thought it tasted delicious.

Monday

It is has been a rough Monday for me. The morning went okay and everything seemed to going well, but it quickly deteriorated from there. We started back to school today and the kids seemed to be moving at the pace of frozen slugs. I became very frustrated with them and just had to take a break from them for a few minutes. Jake is trying to understand negative numbers and had reached his max. Emma was trying to get away with doing as little as possible. I felt used and abused. Jake was telling me that I didn't understand the problem and did the same problem wrong five times before he would listen to me. Emma had to repeat her Grammar lesson on outlining 3 times because she was trying her best to learn outlining without actually doing an outline. FRUSTRATING!

I think what was most frustrating to me is that I had such big plans and new ideas for school today and they just didn't happen the way I had pictured in my mind. Funny how that happens sometimes. Then I was frustrated with myself for being so frustrated with them. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. I will recharge tonight and we will all try again tomorrow.

My dad also went to his cardiologist for a check up today and found out that things were not as good as he hoped. While it is nothing serious, it is a reality check that every little thing we do (or don't do) can effect our lives. The holidays were not kind to his diet -- a little too much bread with butter, pies, ham, and sweets for him. Under normal circumstances he eats pretty well (thanks to my mom mostly), but during the holidays it is easy to get caught up in the, "I'll just have a little bit of this and since I don't do it that often, it won't matter that much." I even found myself getting caught up in the holiday diet cheating. The fact is a consistent diet full of lots of fresh fruits and veggies is what our bodies need, and a little cheating can get out of hand very quickly. My dad had a heart attack a few years back and a anything other than a stellar doctor's report makes me a little nervous. He is having a stress test on Wednesday, so I will rest easier after that is over and we get the results.

On top of his not so stellar report from the cardiologist, he also found out that the pain he has been having in his back is the shingles. He really does seem to be fine, but I cannot help worrying about him. I want to tell him, "RAW, RAW, RAW," but I know that is something he will have to decide on his own, and that it is not for everyone. I just want him to healthy and to be around for a very long time! My best witness for the raw food lifestyle is to be an example, the rest he will have to decide. I just want him to know I love him very much! I want all of my loved ones to be healthy and happy!!!

So anyway, Monday is almost over and boy, am I glad! Tomorrow is a new day -- it will be better.

ALIVE in 2010!

Today I experimented a little more with my juicer. For breakfast I had coconut, pear, romaine juice. I blended the water and meat from one young coconut and then added it to two juiced pears and a head of romaine lettuce. It was quite good, I must say. I love coconut. I think I could add it to pretty much anything. For lunch I decided on a nice vegetable juice. I did 5 tomatoes, half a red pepper, half a yellow pepper, a stalk of celery, and a little bit of Bragg's Amino. It was also very good. I wasn't sure because I vegetable juice is typically not my favorite, but I really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow we are entertaining people who are not, and don't want to be, vegetarians, much less raw vegans. That is okay with me because I realize this lifestyle is not for everyone, but it does make feeding everyone a bit challenging. At first I was going to say to hell with it and make a big pot of chili and have hot dogs on hand. They could all enjoy the chili and I could just make myself a smoothie. But I finally settled on a vegan homemade minestrone. It is not raw, but it is still chocked full of all kids of good stuff. I also got some crusty bread for everyone to enjoy and I am going to also chop up some fresh fruit and veggies to munch on. I figure that is a pretty good compromise. For dessert vegan pumpkin pie -- Yum! I can live with that. I am also juicing oranges in the morning and we are going to make mimosas. I am not a big champagne fan (I don't know many who are), but it is hard to beat a good mimosa!

2010 looks to be good, though, and I am excited about what this new year will bring. I think about how much life has changed in just a little over half a year of eating a high raw diet and I get goosebumps -- I can't see what a year of eating a high raw diet will bring, and two years, etc... I feel so much wiser, healthier, and ALIVE!

Holidays: Preparing to Succeed

Three days and counting. Mom and Dad are driving here as we speak and should arrive within the next hour. We are all getting excited! Today the kids and I made white chocolate covered pretzels and some organic cookies. Those are some of their favorite treats. Then we made some treats for me. I made raw almost oatmeal cookies -- they are in the dehydrator as I type. I also bought lots of fruit and am ready for the holidays! Tomorrow I am making raw not-peanut butter cookies and raw brownies so we can leave some for Santa. I have been so much healthier that I do not want to fall off of the wagon because of a failure to prepare.

For one brief moment, all of the laundry is done and the house is clean. I am enjoying it while I can because Wayne and the boys will be home any minute and this moment will be over as soon as they walk in the door. Oh well, it was good while it lasted. They have been at a living creche tonight. Jake was a shepherd. Phillip loved petting the sheep, donkeys, and cows. Emma and I did not go because she had choir rehearsal since she is singing in the Nutcracker tomorrow. They practices with the symphony tonight and she was thrilled! It was neat for her to practice singing with the back-up of an orchestra -- she said she felt like a "real" singer.

Pink rubber gloves -- the new sexy

Emma was feeling much better today! I am thankful for that! We were even able to get her hair cut -- it is so cute. It is her first "tweener" haircut; I took her to my stylist for the first time. She looks so good! Getting her hair done put a little pep in her step. I could tell she felt great about herself and her new do because she was posing in the mirror. After we got her hair cut we went to pick up out Thanksgiving meal and someone asked her right way if she was 14 (remember she just turned 11, and she is about 5'5"). When she told the lady how old she was the lady said, "Holy model!" Emma was just shining.

I was getting in the holiday spirit today and made a new smoothie. It had cranberries, apples, kale, agave, a vanilla bean, and cinnamon. It was yummy and did the job getting me in the spirit to celebrate thankfulness. I didn't even mind doing the dishes by hand. It hasn't been too bad not having a dishwasher. I may feel differently by December 10th, but so far so good. I kinda like my bright pink rubber gloves. They are the new sexy.

Thanksgiving preparation is underway!

I should have known that either Jake or Emma was going to get what Phillip had last week. Emma was the lucky one. She has been sick all day -- cough, sore throat, fever, and throwing up. I took her to the doctor, and they said it is just a virus and we have to wait it out. We are hoping that tomorrow will be much better for Emma. I have been loading her up with fluids, vitamin C, and homemade vegetable soup. She really isn't hungry, though, and has been sleeping most of the day. Sleeping is good and healing!

I had two delicious smoothies today. One was kale, pineapple, strawberry, banana, papaya. The other was apple, banana,strawberries. I also ordered a Thanksgiving meal this year. Wayne's mother and brother are celebrating Thanksgiving with us. In short, am the only raw foodie. I did not want to spend the whole day preparing food that I cannot eat. I ordered from Central Market, so my family is going to eat good! Not only will their food be delicious, it is also organic and the turkey is a free-range turkey. I feel good about feeding them good stuff, and I also feel good about staying true to myself and the goals I have for my own health.

Spring in November

We had a wonderful salad for dinner this evening. It had lettuce, broccoli, dried cranberries, carrots, cucumbers and onions. It was warm here today, almost seventy degrees, and it tasted so refreshing! It almost made it seem like summer.

Phillip had a play date today with some of the children from his preschool. The hostess was so nice and had sandwiches, drinks, and desserts set out for the moms while the children played. It is these types of social situations that always worry me. I don't want to appear to be rude, but I also don't want to compromise the way that I feel either. I politely declined and told her that we ate a late breakfast. I think I always get more nervous about it than is really warranted. I don't think anyone thought anything about my declining the refreshments.

On another note I have been doing some serious house cleaning the last few days. I am rearranging furniture and doing some of the heavy duty cleaning. I know it is not spring, but the cleaning bug has definitely bitten me. I am really interested in simplifying my life these days, and feel as though cleaning my house is helping me clean out my life and make room for new things to move in.

Living foods and God

I am teaching a Sunday school class on The Song of Solomon (a.k.a. Song of Songs, a.k.a. the centerfold of the Bible). I was really nervous about teaching it at first, but it has really been a lot of fun! I have enjoyed learning about it and teaching it. One thing it has made me realize is that Christians don't utilize our senses near enough. (I realize that this is a HUGE generalization, but one that I am willing to make). Christians rarely take the time to feel God and/or Jesus with anything other than our "brains." What would happen if we really paid attention to what is going on around us. What would happen if we listened for God? I don't mean listen as in when the preacher says on Sunday morning before reading the Scripture, "Listen for the Word of God..." I mean really listened and heard God speak in the way the birds chirped at daybreak on Saturday morning, or in my five year-old's voice exclaiming the wonder of how the sun can shoot beams through the clouds. What if we heard God speak in the nursing home as the 92 year-old woman ponders if tomorrow will be her last day, or in the 82 year-old person's room next door explaining how she can't wait until his grand-daughter visits tomorrow.

What if we tasted God's work every time we bit into a ripe and delicious honey crisp apple. What if we smelled God in the labor of our laundry? What would happen if, when I rubbed the tear off the cheek of a tweener or a grandmother I imagined I could feel God's own tears. Could we handle it? Would it be a sensory overload? Sensory perception may, in fact, be THE best way we can sense God's presence in our lives.

You have read many times where I have written that I noticed my food more now that I eat a high raw diet. I appreciate the smell, the texture, and the taste more. I appreciate the labor it took to get from the soil to my table. I know it sound silly, but maybe I am sensing God's presence -- the real livingness of my food. The real smells, tastes, and textures that were meant for me to perceive. Perhaps eating living foods requires me to be alive in a way I had neglected before now.

Seeking Suggestions for Thanksgiving

Shopping for a new dishwasher is not fun at all! I am stressed and tired. I have been racing back and forth from Sears to Home Depot, to Lowes, and Best Buy. Of course, no one has the dishwasher I like in stock and it will take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on where we decide to buy it (The stores with the cheapest prices are, no doubt, the ones where it will take weeks to get it). What is a few weeks anyway?

I also looked at some new flooring for our kitchen today as well. That is also stressful, but a little more fun. We have been wanting to refinish the floors in our house since we moved in two years ago. Now we have an excuse to actually do it. I just hope that the quotes don't totally blow my mind. Let's just say, I know what I am getting for Christmas this year.

Thank Goodness Tomorrow is Friday! I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend. We may break out the Christmas decorations. Phillip is really into decorating this year. He is ready to celebrate. Speaking of celebrating, I am beginning my raw food research on Thanksgiving meals. If you have any suggestions, please email me!