Daily Worship

I've been running a lot lately.  Maybe not far (about 3.5 mi), and definitely not fast (apx. 35 min).  But it has definitely become integral to my daily routine.  Mornings, Sage and I clean a little, eat a little, read a little.  And talk...A LOT.  (She has so much to say, all the time.  I wonder where she gets that???)  Cleaning usually involves putting away her books and organizing her toys, or dusting the tables.  Her favorite task is washing dishes.  She also likes helping Mommy juice veggies and fruits for the day.  We sip our smoothies and talk about what we plan to do today, all the while munching on fruit and maybe watching a few minutes of Elmo or Dora.  After lunch we brush our teeth and go down for a nap.  Sometimes willingly, sometimes kicking and screaming.

And then...I take a deep breath.  Between making enough smoothies and juice for two adults and one growing little girl, washing and prepping fruit to snack on all day, cleaning, eating, reading and planning our day, and sneaking in a moment or two of work here and there, I'm pooped by naptime.  I lace up my 'racing day shoes' as Sage calls them, turn on my iPod, and head out the door.  I let my subconscious choose the music.  One day, Bob Dylan or the Blackeyed Peas motivate me.  Another, ZZ Top or Dvorak.  I clear my mind, or at least try to, and let my legs do all the work.  Usually but not always I wear a stopwatch.  I like to set personal bests but whether or not I do, I enjoy every run.  I run the same route but it's definitely not routine.  The beach changes day by day, hour by hour...sometimes minute by minute.  Fascinating and always stimulating.

Running, stretching and cooldown takes about 45 minutes.  That's my time.  And so worth it, because after my run I feel all my little stresses and tension-triggers massaged out.  I work a little more, I sip some watermelon and spinach smoothie.  I'm ready for post-nap playtime!  I've worshipped at the altar of nature.  My soul is whole, my mind is clear and my body is relaxed.

My garden(s)

Here is my vegetable and herb garden on February 28th.  The three distinct plants in the middle of the raised bed are red bell peppers.  Along the edges of the bed are seaside strawberries.  The tomato cage on the left side of the bed protects fennel, and throughout the bed are little tomato seedlings.  I'll post a pic later today of what the garden looks like now.  The seedlings are huge compared to this pic!  And I already have about a dozen strawberries...

The pots serve as my herb garden.  I have Copper Canyon Daisy, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lemongrass, onion chives, leeks and mint.  The clay pot on the ground to the right of the veggie bed contains irises from my Grandma's house in Kentucky.  In the background, under the window, is a bay tree in a glazed pot.  It will be going into the ground soon...

To the left of the garden is a small sandbox -- Folsom's 'potty'!  Don't mind the a/c unit eyesore.  ;-)

My chimenea got a lot of use last fall.  Mesquite smells so warm and earthy when it burns, and the smoke deters mosquitoes.  They are BRUTAL here.

I have more clay pots to fill with herbs...basil, especially.  Soon I'll have another raised bed to grow cucumbers and peas, and maybe an area for berrying bushes.  I want to grow blueberries and raspberries -- they are so expensive at the grocery store and usually are poor quality.  We plow through a boatload of produce each week and I want to nourish us with the freshest, chemical-free and locally grown produce possible...and that doesn't break my budget!

Happy Strawberry Day!

This morning Sage and I had a plate of fresh, raw strawberries and blueberries.  We also had a smoothie made with fresh-squeezed orange juice, cantaloupe and banana.  No dairy, just water and ice added to fresh fruit.  She asked where her heart balloon went.  I reminded her that we set it free (and for the record I realize this is not a very eco-friendly gesture but neither is throwing the mylar into the landfill.)  She thought about it for a moment, and I also reminded her that we will be getting green balloons soon for St. Patrick's Day.  I also told her that she is Irish through my dad's family.  Then my little brain started thinking of our heritage...and all the things I want to teach her about the Cherokees, Germans, Swedes, English and Freedmen.  I want to learn more about our heritage, too.

Suddenly I remembered I had bought her a book about a Cherokee legend called The First Strawberries.  So we dug through all her baskets of books until we found it.  I read the story to her while we nibbled on our fruit.  At the end, the lesson is revealed: strawberries remind us to be kind to others, and that "friendship and respect are as sweet as the ripe, red berries."  Lovely!  I explained the words to Sage, and gave examples of kindness she might remember.  We decided then and there today would be Strawberry Day. 

Now she's napping and I'm catching up on work, housework, and writing.  Finally, I'm writing.  This afternoon we might open up our art box and create a masterpiece with a strawberry theme.  Or perhaps we will find and make a new recipe using strawberries.

How will you spend your 'berry' special day?

Brainfried

I've been writing and editing, writing and editing web content for a couple of weeks.  (Check out http://www.nativedave.com/ if you want to see my handiwork.)  My brain isn't exactly dead, but it is fried.  Well done.  Almost overcooked.

Gimme Some Skin!

For about five years I've had this strange rash on my face.  It just appeared out of nowhere, really.  There was no drastic change in my diet or level of activity.  Strange.  I have spent a lot of time researching skin rashes online, deducting and re-incorporating parts of my regular daily routine.  I've tried countless products, some natural, some not.  Nothing seems to match up, nothing seems to have worked.  The one thing I have not done is consult a dermatologist, primarily because I do not want to get on the pharmaceutical bandwagon.  There must be an all-natural, home remedy for these peskly little red dots.

Recently, however, I have noticed tremendous improvement.  My husband has noticed, too.  I'm sure if I were to just take a little pill, all would be clear.  But would that really be the cure, or would it render me dependent on the little pill in order to have clear skin?  Hmm.  I've chosen instead to use a variety of natural methods that improve my overall health in addition to my skin.  Here they are:

1. Stop putting stuff on my face.  Seriously.  Many cosmetics and personal care products contain abundant unnatural ingredients that damage your skin, but may also create other serious side-effects.  I have not worn liquid makeup regularly for more than a decade.  But I have used a lot of cleansers, scrubs, toners, masks and moisturizers -- even those labeled "natural"; many contain carcinogens.  Check the safety of your favorite products here: http://www.safecosmetics.org/ 
2. Make your own beauty products!  Grind oatmeal and mix with honey for a sweet and truly natural facial scrub.  Combine glycerine and drops of lavender, among other ingredients, for a non-sticky, non-greasy body moisturizer that really works.  Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold Bond is a must-have for any Green Queen or Queen-to-Be.  Packed with plentiful recipes for concoctions, decoctions, etc., Better Basics is a great mentor for anyone wanting to rid her home of potentially harmful chemicals. 
3. I remove mascara and moisturize my eye area with virgin, first cold-pressed olive oil.  A little dab will do ya.
4. I started wearing waterproof mascara and Burt's Bees tinted lip moisturizer to take attention away from my rash.  (LOL.)
5. Instead of scrubbing my face violently, trying to erase the rash, I gently splash my face with water a couple of times throughout the day.  I leave the exfoliating for bedtime so my skin may recuperate while I sleep.
6. Daily I drink a "skin juice" made with two cucumbers, one carrot, one-half red bell pepper, and one small apple.
7. I drink at least one green smoothie per day.  My favorite is watermelon and spinach.  Spinach is a superfood!  Not only does it benefit my skin, it boosts energy and alleviates menstrual cramps.  Also, it's a great source of PROTEIN and CALCIUM, a natural combination rarely found in foods.
8. Fruit, fruit, fruit.  I eat a LOT of fresh fruit everyday.  Some in its whole form, some blended with other fresh fruit, and some juiced with greens.  The more whole foods you consume, the better your overall health.  Better for the planet's health, too.
9. Cut back on alcohol intake.  Since New Year's Eve I've had a whopping total of five drinks.  Multiple benefits.
10. Reduce caffeine consumption.  Since I only drink one cup daily, two if I'm really really sleepy, I wasn't sure this would help.  However, I'm wondering if I might be allergic to the chicory in my beloved Cafe du Monde coffee.  Tomorrow I will begin drinking "regular" coffee for a couple of weeks to test that theory.  It might be caffeine, period, that I have to eliminate.  Grrrrrrr.
11. Exercise more.  I'm running more, and I make sure I splash my face with water after I run.  This should rinse away any toxins I've eliminated through sweat.
12. Rest.  I'm still working on this...I get so much more done at night after everyone's in bed!  And then I can spend my day learning and playing with Sage instead of cleaning, blah blah blah.  There must be a compromise...
13. Be happy.  This I have achieved!  I live somewhere I want to live, I keep my life as simple as possible, and I have finally learned not to obsess about things out of my control.  I'm content to focus on my life and all the wonderful people and things in it, versus lamenting people or things I've lost...or have not yet found.  But I do still dream about being totally debt-free...sigh.
14. Make time for loved ones.  I call my friends and family much more frequently than I used to.  Keeping up with them and their lives, and letting them know about mine, is good for our souls.  Humans need to feel they belong...somewhere.
15. Keep life simple.  Do what you love.  Know what is truly important.  Although your priorities may differ from mine, they are valid.  They are what make you YOU.  Embrace you...and celebrate the differences between people.  Smile.  Often.

Back in the Saddle

For the past week we have been spinning our creative web(site) around here.  The new and unquestionably improved website will be up soon.  As in days, not weeks or months.  So far, it's gorgeous.  I can't wait to upload it!

Since I've been in my zone with NativeDave.com stuff, I have neglected my personal blog.  I'm thisclose to being finished with the other so I can return with new and unquestionably improved perspectives on life.

Until then...enjoy the solace of winter, y'all.  The newness, the emergence of spring is near.  Giddyup.

More and more

This week on Facebook people are posting pics of themselves and their significant others.  They are also telling how long they have been together.  I changed my profile pic to an old one taken of David and me in 1992, the year we began dating.  In July we will celebrate 18 years together; but in April we will celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary.  Both sound like a really long time, and when I look at that pic I remember distinctly the night it was taken.  It was my 23rd birthday, and David, April and Scott had planned a huge surprise party for me.  That was the best birthday party I ever had.

I keep looking at that photo.  For some reason I'm intrigued about that moment being captured before all these other things happened.  That was before we bicycled the Yucatan Peninsula for a week.  Before we rode our bikes from San Antonio to Corpus Christi.  We crossed into Mexico on foot and backpacked the eastern-half of that country for two months.  We had not yet stood in Times Square on New Year's Eve, nor driven across the US to move to Seattle, a place we had never before visited.  We quickly found jobs and a cool apartment, and lived there for seven months.  That pic was taken before we went back to college and graduated; before we formed NativeDave.com; before we lived in a camper on the beach in Florida for a year.  That was before we spent many weekends camping on the beach on N. Padre Island, dreaming about someday living there.  At the time that pic was taken, we had not yet discussed marriage or children.  It would be almost nine years before we would tie the knot, and a whopping FIFTEEN before our little girl would be born.  (Dang!) 

Before that pic was taken, however, we had developed a great friendship over five years.  We had taken vacations together, had spent most every weekend together with our friends.  Although we had only been together romantically a few months, we were not strangers.  Not long after celebrating one year together we began living together.  We had fallen in love and were committed to sharing our journey.

Our journey has taken us many places over the years.  There have been thrilling joys and agonizing sorrows -- but overwhelmingly, we have had mostly joys.  I feel fortunate and grateful, and I'm looking forward to many more years, many more joys, many more adventures on this shared journey.

I love you, David.  More and more every day...