Year in Review!

*****************************
1. TRAVELS:
- Houston for a wedding
- Boca Raton, Hallandale Beach, and Miami to visit Grandma Carolyn and Rob


2. NEW LOVE(S):
- introspection

3. DISCOVERIES:
- flaws
- learning to love flaws
- tea of the day at "Fat Straws"
- White Russians
- active listening
- Wii fit
- Bikram yoga
- UT Tyler counseling psych MA program
- Pastazio's cannolis


4. LOSSES:
- Neurontin (1800mg per day to be exact) ..YAY!
- a perpetually-affixed CTO vest
- quite a bit of whimsy

5. MILESTONES:
- significant recovery from spinal cord surgery (recovered mobility--no longer on bedrest (!)--no longer on pain meds)
- applied and got accepted into the UT Tyler MA in counseling psych program- classes start Jan 11th!
- learned how to help Comb feel understood during conversations
-my dad swore i'd be back to jogging sometime in 2010..well, i have a secret..i've made a lap or two around Addison Circle park...slowly but surely! i don't think it is something that will be healthy for me to do on a regular basis (something lower impact would be safer), but i just wanted to prove to myself and to my dad, that it was possible. btw, i love my dad! :D

6. THE YEAR SOUNDTRACK:
Songs:
"Use Somebody" -Kings of Leon
"Low Rising" - Swell Season
"Crack the Shutters" - Snow Patrol
"Dream" - Priscilla Ahn
Bands:
Mat Kearney, The Kooks, Swell Season

7. MOUNTAINS:
-lawsuit
-relationships
-physical pain and limitations

8. MY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Listen to yourself. Respect your limits. Connect with yourself and with others because that connection is what grounds us.

9. MOMENTS TO REMEMBER:
-a huge number of Claire's firsts. endearing moments too many to list..hopefully the photos will help keep my memories permanent.

10. ETC.:
-working on strengthening myself physically, obtaining a masters in counseling, and understanding the intricate dynamics that make many of my closest relationships what they are

11. 2009 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION(S):
Endure.

12. 2010 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION(S):
Stay in school. Don't do drugs. (ie. follow through with the masters program and avoid pain meds)

Christmas Season!

Oh, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Christmas decorating, cookies, shopping, wrapping, and cards are all done! Now I'm switching gears to focus on GRADUATE SCHOOL! Classes begin January 11th and before that I must finish paper work, study for the GRE, apply for financial aid, register for classes, buy books and MOVE from our apartment to my mom's house. Things are looking up these days, most definitely. I'm feeling really well and have been off of my pain meds for several weeks now! Before New Year's, I'd love to post on the year in summary--so here's my attempt to hold myself accountable. In the meantime, I'll be buzzing about. Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

Transitions

In my own time, originally uploaded by dandelion_♥.

me: i called claire and told her we were going to pick her up tonight and she ran and grabbed two stuffed animals and stood by the door then started crying when we weren't there
the poor thing is going through so much
it's difficult to explain all of these transitions to her
well i just can't
me: i wonder if God has the same heartache for us..knowing that we're not aware enough to understand the transitions we go through in life

Good Morning, Morning!

"Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished."

~Michael Strassfeld

A song by "Snow Patrol." Have a beautiful day!

Clifty Creek intimate cascade, originally uploaded by Bernie Kasper.

Deep, unspeakable suffering may well be called a baptism, a regeneration, the initiation into a new state. Suffering can be likened to a baptism - the passing over the threshold of pain and grief and anguish to claim a new state of being.

~George Eliot

Good Morning, Morning!

Double A trees, originally uploaded by B℮n.

"I think dreams are special destinies that God gives to people. It's like your own little cosmic fortune cookie."

~Chaedria LaBouvier (a friend of mine)

Good Morning, Morning!

102 - Apr 12 - Bunny Slippers, originally uploaded by ladybugrock.

“Bunny slippers remind me of who I am. You can't get a swelled head if you wear bunny slippers. You can't lose your sense of perspective and start acting like a star or a rich lady if you keep on wearing bunny slippers. Besides, bunny slippers give me confidence because they're so jaunty. They make a statement; they say, 'Nothing the world does to me can ever get me so far down that I can't be silly and frivolous.' If I died and found myself in Hell, I could endure the place if I had bunny slippers.”

-Dean Koontz

Good Morning, Morning!

As their world suddenly turned upside down, they were barely able to cling on..., originally uploaded by cmac66.

The world has enough pain, loss and difficulty to keep all of us sad, bitter and hurt for a lifetime.

The world also has enough hope, love and renewal to bring us a full measure of joy, happiness and fulfillment - even in the midst of life's inevitable sorrows and losses.

- Dr. Neil Neimark

Green Algae on Oak, originally uploaded by maxi millipede.

“The sense impressions of one-celled animals are not edited for the brain. This is philosophically interesting in a rather mournful way, since it means that only the simplest animals perceive the universe as it is.” -Annie Dillard

Good Morning, Morning!

Haena Surf - Kauai, Hawaii, originally uploaded by PatrickSmithPhotography.

One could laugh at the world better if it didn't mix tender kindliness with its brutality.

~D H Lawrence

(Today would be D.H. Lawrence's 146th birthday and 8 years since the 9/11 attack.)

From Claire's book "Love is a Handful of Honey"

I`ll follow my dreams..., originally uploaded by neloqua.

"Love is that high-flying feeling / That makes you leap out of your bed. Love is what makes you throw open the curtains / And somersault 'round on your head. Love is that warm cozy feeling, / A cuddle that tells you you're sweet, / And love is that feeling of laughing out loud / When somebody tickles your feet. Love's skipping out in the morning / And hoping the day never ends / And love's what you feel when you all get together / And go on adventures with friends. Love's when you hide in the forest / In places that nobody knows. Love is that fluttery feeling you feel / When a butterfly taps on your toes. Love is a handful of honey / And love's making friends with the bees / Even the flowers are bursting with love / When they're dancing about in the breeze. And then when your stomachs are grumbly / Love is unwrapping your treats / And love's stuffing everything all in at once / Leaving masses of mess on your cheeks. Love is splish-splashing through puddles / And love's getting soaked in the rain. Love is a rainbow that bursts through the sky / When the sun begins shining again. Love's when you can't stop describing / Just what you've been doing all day / And love is when somebody quietly listens / To everything you've got to say. Love is a great bedtime story / That takes you to faraway lands, / And love's when you want to show someone you care / So you snuggle up close and hold hands. Love's looking out of the window / To wave at the Man in the Moon, / And love's when you whisper good night to the stars / Who'll be watching you dream very soon. / And then when you're tired and sleepy / And you're cozily tucked up all tight / Love is that last little cuddle and kiss / That helps you sleep safe through the night..Good night!"

my status update from facebook

"we are doing really well! claire is running around the house, destroying things faster than i can fix them and making us laugh all the while. she has learned to say "i'm nuts" and is quite the little lady using her "tank you," "pease," and "sorry." however, to balance it all out, she announces whenever she passes air saying "i fart!" we're very proud. :)"

Good Morning, Morning!

Verdant, originally uploaded by dandy_fsj.

Peace begins with a smile. ~Mother Teresa

Today was Mother Teresa's birthday!

Good Morning, Morning!

Dreaming............., originally uploaded by Nicolas Valentin.

Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.

~Saint Francis de Sales

(St. Francis de Sales would have turned 442 today!)

*Strike My Fancy*

Claire and I are fond of Sandra Boyton books. This morning Claire picked out a Boyton book called Your Personal Penguin. This book has always been a little troublesome to read because I didn't know the tune that I was supposed to read it to. Comb fixed the problem this morning by pulling up the tune on his computer and playing it on the speakers. Soon Claire and I had a penguin dance going on in the living room. Flap your "wings" and waddle like a penguin to this tune. Have a fun day!

"Your Personal Penguin"

*Strike My Fancy*

Trio of Autumn Woven Baskets for a Nature Table or Children's Purses, originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann.

"Trio of Autumn Woven Baskets for Nature Table or Children's Purses"

This is an idea I wanted to file away to create myself sometime.

Good Morning, Morning!

Singing Chaffinch, originally uploaded by Herzkasper.

Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow.

-Dorothy Thompson

Good Morning, Morning!

Unbeeindruckte Natur, originally uploaded by DaAnda.

"Edelweiss"

Most of us think that if we are not suffering from any particular disease or illness, then we are healthy.

But true health is more than the absence of disease.

True health is about our physical health and our emotional, mental and spiritual health.

In fact, it is nearly impossible to be physically healthy if we are emotionally distraught, mentally distressed or spiritually out of touch. Our physical health occurs in the greater context of our mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Gerald Jampolsky M.D., psychiatrist and author, defines health as "inner peace," which comes from an inner sense of unity and wholeness.

It is interesting to note that the words "health" and "healing" both come from the root word "whole," meaning "to be one." In other words, true health and healing embody the notion that we are more than mere physical beings. We have thoughts, emotions and spiritual beliefs that move us far beyond mere physicality.

-Neil Neimark, MD

I've got an old friend in town. We haven't seen each other in two years so I'm taking a blogging break! See you all later!

Good Morning, Morning!

pamela1, originally uploaded by fardazza.

"Try not to become a man of success but a man of value."

Albert Einstein

Good Morning, Morning!

Heart of flower, originally uploaded by manu4971.

In the middle of the night, there is a star. That keeps me smiling.

Agitated

Snarl, originally uploaded by Ajka_Hungary.

I'm so agitated. For the past few nights, I've been on the brink of having an anxiety attack. Each night I have a great deal of trouble falling asleep as I struggle with a sense of impending doom. I'm not ready to follow through with a lawsuit. It feels wrong to me. I know that I cannot put all of my reasoning into words because, frankly, a lot of it isn't reasoning: it is emotion.

Good Morning, Morning!

(252/365) (099/365), originally uploaded by kimberlyfaye (busy).

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

~Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Swiss and Fig Sandwich

My mom harvested so many figs from her tree again this year and brought 2 bagfuls to us. Because figs are very perishable (they only last about 5 days after picked), I've been trying to find a recipe to use all of them. In the meantime, I was hungry and made a delicious sandwich with the figs! If you have any fresh figs on hand, try it!

*1 crusty baguette
*several fresh figs, sliced lengthwise
*swiss cheese
*fresh rosemary, minced
*olive oil
*salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the baguette lengthwise and heap the fig slices on one half. Layer swiss cheese on the other half. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil over the figs. Sprinkle a bit of minced rosemary and salt over the cheese. Close the two halves together and bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is well melted.

*This recipe would probably be even better with goat cheese, but I didn't have that on hand.

If you are just making a single sandwich like I did and don't want to go through all of the trouble of heating the oven, etc, just pop the sandwich in the microwave for 25 seconds. Yum!

Good Morning, Morning!

Willow Lake Sunrise, originally uploaded by NaturalLight.

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

~Albert Einstein

Have a good weekend!

I wish you a warm breeze that kisses your face,
A gentle sun that lights your path,
A blue sky that inspires your heart,
A strong hug that strengthens your resolve.

Good Morning, Morning!

Seagulls mobbing behavior, originally uploaded by Bеn.

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song."

- Chinese Proverb

My Great-Grandmother's Blueberry Tea Bread

Here's a recipe that my grandmother got from her mother and then passed down to me. It is a beautiful breakfast tea bread that reminds me of a moist blueberry muffin in loaf form. It is delicious and with all the ripe blueberries at the market, you've no reason not to enjoy this right now!

*2 cups flour
*2 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp salt
*1 cup sugar
*1/2 cup butter, softened
*1 egg
*3/4 cup milk
*1 1/2 tsp vanilla
*1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, butter, egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix at low speed until ingredients are dampened, then mix at high speed for 3 minutes. Dust blueberries with a bit of flour then plop them into the mixture and gently fold them in. Bake in a sprayed loaf pan for approximately 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.

*This is delicious served with cinnamon sugar whipped butter. Just mix softened butter with some cinnamon and sugar and voila!

A Break

I've been on a little blogging break because this three day weekend took a lot out of me. I've been feeling quite tired and need to get the house straightened up. A toddler can do a lot of damage in no time at all!! Despite being tired and having to deal with a bad case of the grumps (4 molars coming in and a diaper rash make for an unhappy Claire) , we got in a bit of fun. We've been trying to teach Claire how to sign, watched two firework shows (Claire seemed quite alarmed by the antics in the sky and kept saying "Bye, bye," trying to alert us to her uneasiness), went to a a friends house to play Taboo, and visited with Aunt Yung.

I make no apologies for the lack of posting though. I have some great books and have had little time for reading lately. At any opportunity, I'm trying to catch up with housework or reading. Once I'm done with some books, I'll post reviews!

Good Morning, Morning!

Alive...moving in grace and liberty...floating lighter than a feather...dancing in the morning light, originally uploaded by neloqua.

"I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief...For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free."

-Wendell Berry

Happy 4th of July!

Photo: The American Flag of the United States of America (USA Flag), originally uploaded by jcolman.

Good Morning, Morning!

"We are not born all at once, but by bits. The body first, and the spirit later; and the birth and growth of the spirit, in those who are attentive to their own inner life, are slow and exceedingly painful. Our mothers are racked with the pains of our physical birth; we ourselves suffer the longer pains of our spiritual growth."

-Mary Antin

Good Morning, Morning!

The Earth & the Heaven, originally uploaded by Catch the dream.

"When our two lives grew like two buds that kiss At lightest thrill from the bee's swinging chime, Because the one so near the other is."

-Brother and Sister by George Eliot

*Strike My Fancy*

Summer reading!

Last week, Barnes and Noble held a great sale online. I bought a few books for myself and bought a few for gifts. Part of my order arrived today! So, now I just need to find the time to read. I'm one step closer to this goal, having finished all of the dishes, vacuumed the house, and laundered every piece of anything that needed to be washed. These are the triumphs of a stay-at-home mom!

I'm not sure which of the three books I should start with. The one that I was most excited about, The Scent of God, has yet to arrive. Eeny, meeny, miny, mo should do the trick..

Good Morning, Morning!

"Cheerfulness is the very flower of health."

~Proverb

Good Morning, Morning!

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tired, Worn Out, Well Loved

My Old Teddy, originally uploaded by poppalina.

I'm feeling so tired and worn out. I think all the post surgery stress, drugs, and lawsuit issues have a lot to do with it, but this morning was an immediate cause. Claire woke up screaming and writhing in pain. Comb and I tried desperately to figure out what was wrong. We'd never seen or heard her behave like that. I started thinking that she might have an intestinal obstruction, given yesterday's symptoms. After about 30 minutes, she started to calm down a bit. A few minutes ago, the director at Claire's daycare called me to let me know that Claire just suffered a fall and would have a severe black eye. Poor Claire! At times like this, I feel so exhausted because, try as I might, I cannot do anything to help her. I wish I could drive to her and lift her up to my chest, but these things are impossible right now. I feel tired and worn out, but very well loved.

Good Morning, Morning!

“To spare oneself from grief at all cost can be achieved only at the price of total detachment, which excludes the ability to experience happiness"

~Erich Fromm

Mango Tilapia

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• dash of pepper
  

Salsa:

• 1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
• 3 roma tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a shallow baking dish, combine the olive oil, orange juice, and pepper. Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry. Place them into the baking dish and turn to coat with the seasonings.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until fish can be flaked with a fork.
4. While the fish cooks, combine the mango, onion, avocado, tomatoes, lime zest and juice, cilantro and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stir to blend and set aside at room temperature until fish has finished cooking. Place fillets on a platter and spoon the salsa over them to serve.

I suggest serving this over rice. This is amazing stuff and it doesn't get much healthier! Enjoy!

(Let me know how this goes, Hue! Happy Cooking!!)

Good Morning, Evening..

~ Seen Scene ~, originally uploaded by ViaMoi.

If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.

~St. Clement of Alexandra

Good Morning, Morning!

Perfect Bloom, originally uploaded by judy stalus.

Many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.

Helen Keller
(Today would have been Helen Keller's 129th birthday!)

Baking Fiend

I don't know what has gotten into me, but all I want to do is bake all day. For the past month or so, I've baked something at least once a week. Yesterday, I made banana muffins with cinnamon sugar centers and a double batch of oatmeal raisin cookies. A few days ago, I made carrot cake. I'm now in the process of making double chocolate brownies and an apple blackberry pie. It's the first time I'm trying the apple blackberry pie recipe so I'll post it later if everything turns out well!

Good Morning, Morning!

Blossom Bokeh [Explored], originally uploaded by kimberlyfaye.

"All things are possible until they are proved impossible - and even the impossible may only be so, as of now."

~Pearl Buck
(American author and Nobel laureate who would have been 117 today)

Michael Jackson

RIP Michael Jackson's Star On Hollywood Blvd, originally uploaded by Sërch.

Whether or not you cared for Michael Jackson and his music, it is undeniable that the world just lost a little color, a little character, and he will be missed by many.

“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.” -Michael Jackson

*Strike My Fancy*

This makes me want a pet hedgehog! What do you think might be a good name for this little fellow?

Good Morning, Morning!

Fields of Gold, originally uploaded by Allard One.

"Living isn’t enough! One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower!"

~ Hans Christian Andersen

(Photo: tulip fields in the Netherlands)

Good Morning, Morning!

, originally uploaded by kimberlyfaye.

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you must always remember... You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you."

~ Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday's Adventures

Yesterday was a beautiful day, brimming with play and sunshine! You may have noticed that I didn't post a "Good Morning, Morning" post and I apologize if you missed it, but we were out having too much fun all day! My mom and brother visited. We had a picnic in the park and played in the fountains. Claire didn't eat much of her sandwich during the picnic because there were just too many other things to do outside! After all, it was her first picnic and there were butterflies and balls and grass and countless other distractions.

Good Morning, Morning!

"All right! All right, rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty! Come on. Hup, hup, hup! Get your clothes on. Get ready. Got breakfast for ya. Look..and it's happy to see you!!" ~Mushu from the movie "Mulan"