Be willing

Be willing to see yourself in everyone you encounter in 2010.

Be willing to act from a place of real love and grace when dealing with people.

Be willing to see that everyone is going through something in their lives that they might just take out on you.

It’s not about you, be willing to see that it is about them. Be willing to give love to that person even though you would normally get caught up in their drama.

Treat everyone as a spiritual being, be willing to look for the face of someone you truly love, in every face before you. That way it might become easier to treat them with respect.

NY

If you always make resolutions and feel deflated if you don’t manage to achieve them all, perhaps you might be best not making them at all. Live every moment the best you can. The best to nurture the highest version you hold of yourself.

Look back and forward if you will but remember to enjoy the present too.

I was thinking the other day about the phrase “are you looking forward to..... Christmas, New Year, your birthday, celebration…..etc. There’s always something we want to be looking forward to on the horizon. I say enjoy what is happening right now.

Enjoy Now and find peace inside x

My life in 18 Gallons.

So iM moving. To Ethiopia. To live in a small rural village. There I will work on a self reliance program I spent the last 6 months developing. There I will farm. There I will teach mothers to be self reliant. There I will learn from the people. There I will [grow/change].

I leave in 17 days. I still have 4 days left of full time work. I have a lot of program development to do, oh and I have to completely pack my life and stick it in storage.

I’ve been packing, slowly. Not because I am afraid, or don’t want to go anymore. Simply because packing is a lot of work & I hate it.

It is weird to see your life in 18 gallon Tupperware bins. Books, DVDs, pictures, projects, trinkets that make up who you are. Random artifacts from your life that show your intricate tapestry of experiences.

A letter from a brother who lived overseas.
A worn paperback that provided entertainment and comfort.
My favorite pen that has been out of ink for years- I STILL hope I can find it each time I walk into a stationary store.
A baby gift I forgot to give
a card
a note
Pictures.Ticket Stubs.Play Bills.
an old journal

is this the proof that I lived?
How do I reconcile my entire existence with a stack of bins.

It is the one time I wish I wasn’t exactly so single. That someone else would be a witness to my life. So that boxes full of stuff weren’t the only proof that I lived & loved. So that someone else could say- I was there, it happened & it was just as great as Celina said it was.

Instead I will file away my life. I will lock it up safely in storage. And go out into the world to create new memories. Experience new heart ache. & add to my life tapestry. One unknown day after another.


That is, if I can get all this stuff packed in time.

♥ Sinlge Girl

Our Perspective

It is the night before Christmas Eve and all through the house....not a creature was stirring...not even a mouse. But there was two little gerbils up in The Scientists room one spinning in his wheel, the other singing a Christmas tune. He was singing about a baby from a long time ago who came to earth, God’s love to show. The gerbil sang and sang till he could sing no more...well the truth is I couldn’t put up with his voice and had to close the door.

Hey that was fun!

The truth is everyone is in bed asleep, the fire is going and I have come down with my glass of wine...to post my last entry for 2009. Though tonight I am not going to reflect on the year....but I thought I would take lead from the name of our web page...Our Perspective...and find out what each of our perspectives of christmas was....

now I must warn you...this is an honest account of each interview I did....some of this may....well just may not be for the faint of heart...you have been warned.

We will start with The Scientist as he was the first to be interviewed yesterday morning:

My Name is Aiden, I am 6 years old and my favourite colours are blue & green.

What do you like about Christmas?

That you celebrate Jesus’ birthday, because then everyone knows that a Saviour has been born at that time. the other thing I like is you get presents, I like presents because....I don’t know. (pause) Well because for kids there is always toys and you might get the same thing your friend got. I like seeing family and having a nice dinner with them.

I was wanted to see if The Scientist meant about the Saviour thing....so I asked...

What does it mean to have a Saviour?

Having a Saviour....mmmmm....I don’t know.....fells like I have everything I have ever wanted in my whole life. It makes my heart feel bigger than ever!!!

What are you doing for christmas?

We are going to the island to see my grandma and grandpa. My cousins Evan & Aaron and auntie connie and the uncle..Uncle tony.

What do you hope to get for Christmas?

UFC fighting shorts ( no he does not watch the UFC!)

an Enjoy skate board

Tech Deck Sets

(well he did get some Tech Deck sets but that is about it from that list of wants....poor guy!)

Next we have the rock Star...interviewed this afternoon:

My name is Nathen, I am 15 and my favourite colour is green.

What do you like about Christmas?

Snowboarding.

Christmas =snow...snow = boarding!

Presents, haha, yeah.

Chillen’ with family and friends.

What does Christmas mean to you?

I don’t know.....it means Santa is coming ROFL

Yeah yeah, the story of christmas is pretty dope...I guess.

It makes me feel happy.

What are you doing for Christmas?

Chillen’ with my grandparents, my grandpa is a bit crazy LOL

What do you hope to get?

What do you mean?

What do you hope to get for Christmas? in way of presents???

I got a snowboard so I’m pretty stoked on that. but I would like some “skull candy smoken’ buds” ear phones and a couple CDs I guess. And maybe some snow boarding equipment. (mom gives a “look”) What? you asked what I would like!!!

SANTAS REAL!!! LOL ROFL PCE

Interviewing teenagers is...how to put this....and adventure in itself!!!

Well we did get him some skull candy ear phones...no boarding equipment...after receiving a brand new snow board from John (bio dad) and his family we feel strongly that he can buy his own new goggles and helmet!!!! Spoiled much??? I will not even tell you the price tag on that board....moving on......

The Horticulturalist...interviewed tonight while lying in bed...my most reluctant informant:

You know what my name is...you know how old I am....my favourite colour is red for blood..hehehe.....actually I don’t really have a favourite colour....I like all colours.

What do you like about Christmas?

BOOBIES

What do you like about Christmas?

Boobies

Me: Steve come on!

S: I don’t really want to do this

Me: I know,but whatever, just do it.

S: I want you to put the red thing on- the red number. Let’s make a compromise...you put on the red number and I will do the interview....

(time passes)

(red number is now on...the things a blogger must do to get her story!!!!)

What do you like about Christmas?

I love the spending time with family.

Refocusing, time to refocus.

Memories as a kid.

I think the meaning of christmas has been manipulated, altered and highjacked.

It should be about Christ.

What are you doing?

You can write that answer...

What are you doing....in your own words?

going to the island to visit my family with my family....it’s sweet.

What do you hope to get?

Nothing. LOL

Once your an adult its not fun anymore....lol

Oh yes, now it is my turn. I would be happy to give you a little of my perspective....

I am 41 and my favourite colour is dark red...blood red if you will.

I love the snail mail cards that hang in my kitchen telling me that we are thought of and loved.

I loved that some of my favourite clients dropped by today with gifts of appreciation. I love the cards in my studio tree that have been coming in over the last month. I love to know that I mean as much to my clients as they mean to me.

I love that I talked to two amazing friend tonight, whom live on the other side of the globe...one in Australia, a friend of 20 years....the other in New Zealand, a friend NOT of 20 years.

Wishing them both a blessed Christmas and feeling so blessed my self by their love and friendship!

I love the memories of childhood Christmas, growing up in a small mountain town, where winter lasted for 7 months with tons of snow, and we spent Christmas day with 4 other families, which meant a lot of cousins to play and get up to know good with!!!

I love the Christmas Story and the special hope that it exudes. That there is more to this life than can be seen with he human eye.

I, along with the Horticulturist feel that this time of year has been stripped of it’s true form by modernism and consumerism that is placed on the masses, causing people to buy in fear rather than freedom. But as this time represents...there is ALWAYS hope.

This year we will go to Steve’s sisters and enjoy christmas with his family.

As far as what it is I want...not too much...maybe some new CD’s...but really as i said to my Aussie mate...healthy, happy children and a good marriage....what more could I ask for?

That is as plain as it gets.

Unto us a child is born, to us a son is given.

And the government shall be place upon his shoulders

and he shall be called

Wonderful Counsellor

Everlasting Father/Mother

Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6

-The Bible

Christmas is a time when you get homwsck-even when you’re home. -Carol Nelson

I have always thought of christmas time, when it has come around, as a good time; a kind forgiving charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. -Charles Dickens

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better through out the year for having, in sprit, become a child again at christmas time. -Laura Ingalls Wilder

Love is what’s in the room with you at christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. -Author unknown, attributed to a 7 year old named Bobby

Much love and light to you all this Christmas season and in the new year to come....

Let us all pray for peace and unity, it does not matter where we all come from...it all about where we are all going. -xo me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2M0GQOgYGg

FACEBOOK WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND. IGNORE.

I've deleted my facebook page. For the second time this year. And dare I say it for the last time.

"What's such a big deal about that?" and "What's so bad about facebook?" you may be thinking. And my answer is nothing. For some people. For me however the issues run deep. Far below the surface of innocent social networking. Somewhere deep inside of me is a murky place that is calling out for approval and acceptance from all the wrong places. A place where I can show the "cool" people from my past that hey, I turned out ok.

The "Look at me! Look at me!" is a far cry from living for an audience of One. I'm creating an image of myself that I don't believe I am entitled to create.

That and it is so easy to turn on quickly to check my messages and stay browsing for an extra 20 minutes. I shudder to think of the time I have spent wasted on there, snooping through other people's "life image's". Yes there are great things about the site. I have found such satisfaction in finding long lost friends and rekindled many old friendships through facebook. I fear though in the process that I may have damaged some also in the real world. Friends who I would visit or call to catch up with before FB now are quickly caught up on with a quick scan of their page.The relationship realness gets lost. (and then it's also really weird when you finally do bump into them in the real world and they still know everything that's going on in my life). Weird.

I've become a hermit.I turned from someone who couldn't stand being stuck home for two days straight to now sighing in relief that I can sit at the computer instead of actually interacting with anyone face to face.

I've also gained a good 6 kilos since getting a computer. I used to be out walking a lot. Because I enjoyed it and it was part of my day.

My house has been less clean.

My kids see my back at the computer far too often during the day.

This is the verse I have screaming at me during all of this:
Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible, but not everything builds up.1 Corinthians 10:23

I truly believe that this seemingly small act is a big chunk of de-cluttering my life. I feel that I am finally being obedient as I have been plagued with thoughts and desires to get rid of this from my life all year. I justified it and tried to discipline myself in this area. I did start to spend less time on there but there is also the vanity and self promotion that is rearing it's ugly head in me. A desire in my heart is to learn humility and I can't be chasing after that while stressing over showing only the best parts of my life on facebook. I never shared my blog there as many of you do because I never wanted certain people knowing my real thoughts and struggles of daily life. I wanted my blog to be real. Not a show. I wanted my facebook profile to be cool.

I don't Double POST but this is Important.

I need your help, and I dont ask for it EVER...So here it is, I need you to send an email.

I know…I know. It take like all of 10 second to send one, but THIS ONE is important. My friend Elaine is on a mission to save her parents house & I want to help.

So instead of googling me, finding my address and sending me flowers in appreciation of all the funny crap I write here (which i know you were doing at THIS very moment), send an email. Elaine’s parents are losing their house.

After 23 year in my home town of Dublin, these first generations Americans were evicted earlier then was legal and are in a fight with Wells Fargo. For all the details see here.

WHERE YOU COME IN. Please cut and paste the following into an email and hit send.

Send to: mike.heid@wellsfargo.com
CC: Kamlleyhome@gmail.com
Subject: Edilberto & Cecilia Kamlley, 0030079628, Wachovia/Wells Fargo

Body: RE: Edilberto & Cecilia Kamlley 7660 Burnham Way Dublin, CA 94568 Loan number: 0030079628, Wachovia/Wells Fargo

To the Office of the President of Wells Fargo,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Kamlley family with a humble request that you might restore their hope for the holidays. For the past 23 years, they have proudly called themselves homeowners and raised their children and their grandchildren at their dream house located in Dublin, CA. I, [insert your name], support a decision by Wells Fargo (acquirer of Wachovia as of 2008) to reverse the foreclosure status at 7660 Burnham Way Dublin, CA 94568 and restore the loan to Edilberto and Cecilia Kamlley.

Simply put, this is not just a house; this is where a family started anew and cultivated their dreams here in America for nearly a quarter century. With your support, Wells Fargo will be able to give back a home to a family who not only raised their own in this house but raised a community. Sincerely,
[your name]
[Current City]

I know this seems like a dumb thing to ask for help on. But its not.

These people fed me. They let us cut class at their house. We highjacked their van to go on shopping trips. They let us crash on their couches. We spent counted hours playing you don’t know jack there. It was safe place to land. IT was the house with the red drive way.

It was a place where as an [awkward/confused/frustrated teenager] you could go and just be.

So please help me.
 Please help my dear friend Elaine.
Please help save Ed &Cecilia’s American dream. Happy Holidays

♥ Single Girl

A fabulous holiday cocktail

I shared this today and thought you might enjoy it as well. The batter alone is simply divine. This is my mom's recipe and even though I do not consider Rum a tasty treat, you can't go wrong with this at the holidays. I am not implying your holidays will be improved by large consumptions of rum, but should you need a sip to help you relax, here is an antidote even St. Nick would imbibe on. Enjoy.

HOT BUTTERED RUM MIX

1 pound butter (I use Land O Lakes)

1 pound brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1 quart vanilla ice cream

Cream sugar and butter until fluffy, add 1 quart partly melted ice cream. Mix well. Store covered in the freezer.  In a mug add 1 shot of rum (I use Cruzin Clipper 151 proof. Have also used Captain Morgan's Spiced). 2 heaping tablespoons of mix (or to taste) and boiling water. Scrape fresh nutmeg on the top.

Cheers. JennyMac