Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Nifty new features
Under each post you should now see "share" buttons that will allow you to zap my posts to your loved ones via email, facebook, and a few other 'sites. I humbly request that if you like something I write, please share it with as many people as possible. My journey as a writer (and all these other roles) will be enriched by the feedback you, and the folks you share it with, offer me. Sincerest thanks in advance. :)
Welcome new batch of readers!
So I posted the url for this blog on facebook today...then began gnawing at my knuckles in fear. Until now, I've been writing here mostly for myself and a few others. Blather -- yes. A lot of it. Now with a whole new crop of readers I have to write a bit more...focused. That's OK, really. I need this kind of pressure if I'm to express myself clearly and succinctly, and in a way that makes you, my readers, crave more. What if I were to offer chocolate?
Monday, July 19, 2010
Going mobile!
Did you guess my big news yet? I've been leaving clues and can finally announce that we are 'going mobile'! Talk about downsizing...wow. Our rig of choice is a 1970-something Drifter slide-in truck camper. It needs some updating; I will post pics of the rehab project-in-progress in a day or two. This transition affects our business as well as our personal life, so until we had some logistical snags worked out, I had to keep mum. Now that I can talk about the decision freely I'd like to explain the inspiration and goals for our adventure(s).
Many of my posts have addressed my need to simplify my life. Until Sage came along, David and I were addicted to our business. We allowed it to dictate every aspect of our life...we seldom spent time with our family and friends or nurtured our marriage. Never did we take time for ourselves individually! Life was passing us by and we hardly noticed...but there was a vague gnawing, like a hungry soul crying out for nourishment, whose voice began to grow louder and louder. Then along came our precious wise little wildflower, and the need to listen to our hungry souls became undeniable. Coastal living beckoned to us, so with minimal resources, and hopeful hearts, we moved our family and business to Corpus Christi.
Two years have passed since we took this giant leap of faith and I have zero regrets. Sage and I have met a lot of nice mommies and their babies through Stroller Strides and, more recently, LUNAfest. Of course, having the beach right across the street from our house has also been a tremendous gift. The recession hobbled our business, which in a way was a good thing. Timing is always important, as they say, and the recession's was "impeccable." Our business stalled about the same time David took on some responsibilities which required his full attention for months...and when that role began to diminish, demand for our services ramped up. (Thank you to Higher Powers for watching over him!) Greater interest in NativeDave.com means more work for me, as you might guess. Sage is more mobile, creating more messes (ha ha ha), which also means more work for me. It has become more and more difficult to juggle my workload, my housework-load and still be Mommy. Time for me has become rare and precious. So again that voice returned...this time SHOUTING AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS.
I began a spiritual and intellectual journey to discover the true Me. Yes, I have written ad nauseum about that, too. Many wonderful and not-so-great things have been revealed to me! I have re-discovered myself and my priorities, MY VALUES. As I wrote recently, my passion is writing. Green living is my secondary passion; I can get lost for hours reading about natural and non-toxic homemade products for homecare and personal care. Or raw food! Ha ha, another frequent topic of my blogposts. Adventure travelling is something I deeply appreciate but have done little of since before pregnancy. Writing about all these things would be bliss...And not least of all is my penchant for sharing these passions and interests, as well as discovering new ones, with my little Sage. I also learned that I am eternally grateful for everyone and everything that has brought me to today, this precise moment in the present. (Even the bad people and events have taught me priceless lessons.) As I have travelled this authentic path, I have shared every thought and epiphany with my sweet husband. Thankfully, we share the same spirit of adventure and affinity for truth, love and happiness. He has embraced my ideas and inspired new ones. Many many years ago we agreed that IF we were to marry and IF we were to have a family, we would live and work in a way that would allow us to co-parent and explore the world together...as a family. That pact has never been amended and has served us well. Our mobile adventure brings us even closer to realizing these long-time dreams for us and our family.
Our business is still as important to us as it ever was, but now it is an extension of us, not the other way around. Efficiency rules our daily operating procedures (the administrative tasks) so that our focus is teaching others to landscape and live in a sustainable manner. In other words, we teach others to live more simply. Now, as a mobile entity with a much-smaller footprint, our message will be clearer. A lot of changes will take place in the services we offer, and if you are interested in following that journey, check out nativerave.blogspot.com. I have not made the announcement there yet...but will in a day or two. My goal for that blog is to become not only a place where we announce speaking engagements or post articles related to sustainable living. It should be David's account of our mobile adventure and, most importantly, its relevance to the mission of our business. This blog, then, will become strictly my take on the adventure, mostly discussing the other green nuances of our lifestyle. In other words, nativerave will talk about plants and clients and their gardens; this blog will follow us through butterfly houses, farmers' markets, kid- and pet-friendly activities we encounter in our travels. And beaches, of course. Lots and lots of beaches...Maybe I should move my blog back to 'txgreenqueen'? Thoughts?
To my new Corpus Christi friends...I am not going away. At least not permanently. We will be here half-time (maybe a little more) and travel the other half. Now that I will have more Sage-and-me time, you can expect to see more us! Promise! About that, I am very happy. See? :)
To my lifelong Dallas and Austin friends...I will see you more often, too! When we travel, I will let you know far in advance so we can meet up when I'm in town.
And to all my other friends, flung across the globe...I might not be travelling to see you in my home-and-office-on-wheels, but I should be able to get away for that long-overdue visit. Finally. FINALLY.
Thank you for joining me for what I'm sure will be the most profound adventure of my life. I can't wait to bring you up to speed on the preparations that have been in the works for about a year now. More soon...until then, get to know you and make yourself happy. Let your light shine. Even when others seek to dim your light, let it shine! Shine on, Friends.
Many of my posts have addressed my need to simplify my life. Until Sage came along, David and I were addicted to our business. We allowed it to dictate every aspect of our life...we seldom spent time with our family and friends or nurtured our marriage. Never did we take time for ourselves individually! Life was passing us by and we hardly noticed...but there was a vague gnawing, like a hungry soul crying out for nourishment, whose voice began to grow louder and louder. Then along came our precious wise little wildflower, and the need to listen to our hungry souls became undeniable. Coastal living beckoned to us, so with minimal resources, and hopeful hearts, we moved our family and business to Corpus Christi.
Two years have passed since we took this giant leap of faith and I have zero regrets. Sage and I have met a lot of nice mommies and their babies through Stroller Strides and, more recently, LUNAfest. Of course, having the beach right across the street from our house has also been a tremendous gift. The recession hobbled our business, which in a way was a good thing. Timing is always important, as they say, and the recession's was "impeccable." Our business stalled about the same time David took on some responsibilities which required his full attention for months...and when that role began to diminish, demand for our services ramped up. (Thank you to Higher Powers for watching over him!) Greater interest in NativeDave.com means more work for me, as you might guess. Sage is more mobile, creating more messes (ha ha ha), which also means more work for me. It has become more and more difficult to juggle my workload, my housework-load and still be Mommy. Time for me has become rare and precious. So again that voice returned...this time SHOUTING AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS.
I began a spiritual and intellectual journey to discover the true Me. Yes, I have written ad nauseum about that, too. Many wonderful and not-so-great things have been revealed to me! I have re-discovered myself and my priorities, MY VALUES. As I wrote recently, my passion is writing. Green living is my secondary passion; I can get lost for hours reading about natural and non-toxic homemade products for homecare and personal care. Or raw food! Ha ha, another frequent topic of my blogposts. Adventure travelling is something I deeply appreciate but have done little of since before pregnancy. Writing about all these things would be bliss...And not least of all is my penchant for sharing these passions and interests, as well as discovering new ones, with my little Sage. I also learned that I am eternally grateful for everyone and everything that has brought me to today, this precise moment in the present. (Even the bad people and events have taught me priceless lessons.) As I have travelled this authentic path, I have shared every thought and epiphany with my sweet husband. Thankfully, we share the same spirit of adventure and affinity for truth, love and happiness. He has embraced my ideas and inspired new ones. Many many years ago we agreed that IF we were to marry and IF we were to have a family, we would live and work in a way that would allow us to co-parent and explore the world together...as a family. That pact has never been amended and has served us well. Our mobile adventure brings us even closer to realizing these long-time dreams for us and our family.
Our business is still as important to us as it ever was, but now it is an extension of us, not the other way around. Efficiency rules our daily operating procedures (the administrative tasks) so that our focus is teaching others to landscape and live in a sustainable manner. In other words, we teach others to live more simply. Now, as a mobile entity with a much-smaller footprint, our message will be clearer. A lot of changes will take place in the services we offer, and if you are interested in following that journey, check out nativerave.blogspot.com. I have not made the announcement there yet...but will in a day or two. My goal for that blog is to become not only a place where we announce speaking engagements or post articles related to sustainable living. It should be David's account of our mobile adventure and, most importantly, its relevance to the mission of our business. This blog, then, will become strictly my take on the adventure, mostly discussing the other green nuances of our lifestyle. In other words, nativerave will talk about plants and clients and their gardens; this blog will follow us through butterfly houses, farmers' markets, kid- and pet-friendly activities we encounter in our travels. And beaches, of course. Lots and lots of beaches...Maybe I should move my blog back to 'txgreenqueen'? Thoughts?
To my new Corpus Christi friends...I am not going away. At least not permanently. We will be here half-time (maybe a little more) and travel the other half. Now that I will have more Sage-and-me time, you can expect to see more us! Promise! About that, I am very happy. See? :)
To my lifelong Dallas and Austin friends...I will see you more often, too! When we travel, I will let you know far in advance so we can meet up when I'm in town.
And to all my other friends, flung across the globe...I might not be travelling to see you in my home-and-office-on-wheels, but I should be able to get away for that long-overdue visit. Finally. FINALLY.
Thank you for joining me for what I'm sure will be the most profound adventure of my life. I can't wait to bring you up to speed on the preparations that have been in the works for about a year now. More soon...until then, get to know you and make yourself happy. Let your light shine. Even when others seek to dim your light, let it shine! Shine on, Friends.
Forest Kindergartens
Thank you to my dear friend, Denise T., for sharing the following links to articles about "forest kindergartens", programs that emphasize nature and play-based learning to encourage creativity, healthy conflict resolution and development of large motor skills. Nature and environmental processes are becoming foreign to children all over the world -- someone termed this divorce of humans from nature the "nature deficit disorder." Not all of us may afford the private tuition of a Waldorf school or similar programs, but everybody is capable of integrating more outdoor learning into their children's playtime. Check these out:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/nyregion/30forest.html?_r=1
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/education/2009/nov/US-Schools-Realizing-Benefits-of-Forest-Kindergarten.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/nyregion/30forest.html?_r=1
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/education/2009/nov/US-Schools-Realizing-Benefits-of-Forest-Kindergarten.html
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
a lot of stuff...but still not ready to announce
I don't know about you, but I am beyond excited about my impending announcement. Soon, soon. ;-)
July 4th marked two years living at the beach. We marked the anniversary by starting our day watching Le Tour de France (which we do EVERY day for three weeks in July.) After that day's stage ended, we took The Driftah to our new favorite spot on the Laguna Madre. The water was really high after Hurricane Alex, but still relatively clear. We swam and played, and we reflected on many of the past two years' memories. Later, we had dinner on the Gulf side of the island and waited for the fireworks to begin. There are signs posted everywhere notifying that fireworks are prohibited, but in previous years police officers do not enforce that law. Instead, they join us gawkers in our revelry. This year, however, things were a bit different. The dunes caught fire! And nobody -- except for city employees -- seemed to worry much; they continued launching Roman candles and other dazzling things, even as the blaze spread. Along the drive home, we found a tall fore-dune where we could watch the fire safely. Amazing. As we pulled onto the main road, we noticed the fire had spread up to it and several firefighters were battling it back away from the neighborhood. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and no property incurred damage. The dunes are charred, which will bring vibrant flowers next spring.
The Driftah will be put up for sale this Saturday. Everything works on it, according to the previous owner. But, no amount of sweat equity will make the thing FIT our truck properly. It rides too high and, honestly, it just isn't big enough. We have found a few additional truck campers we like and are sifting through the pros and cons so we can select one. I will post pics soon.
And a bunch of other stuff will be in our sale this Saturday, as well. This is the big push to declutter our home. Please pray, cross your fingers, do a garage sale-raindance so that we sell a LOT. Time to lighten our load, get organized and maintain a level of cleanliness that's greater than our current situation. All of these changes bring me great comfort and encouragement; I'm reclaiming my life finally!
First, I discovered my true path. Then, I charted a course to get me onto that path. Now, I'm implementing that plan so I can finally begin my journey. Abundant joy!
July 4th marked two years living at the beach. We marked the anniversary by starting our day watching Le Tour de France (which we do EVERY day for three weeks in July.) After that day's stage ended, we took The Driftah to our new favorite spot on the Laguna Madre. The water was really high after Hurricane Alex, but still relatively clear. We swam and played, and we reflected on many of the past two years' memories. Later, we had dinner on the Gulf side of the island and waited for the fireworks to begin. There are signs posted everywhere notifying that fireworks are prohibited, but in previous years police officers do not enforce that law. Instead, they join us gawkers in our revelry. This year, however, things were a bit different. The dunes caught fire! And nobody -- except for city employees -- seemed to worry much; they continued launching Roman candles and other dazzling things, even as the blaze spread. Along the drive home, we found a tall fore-dune where we could watch the fire safely. Amazing. As we pulled onto the main road, we noticed the fire had spread up to it and several firefighters were battling it back away from the neighborhood. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and no property incurred damage. The dunes are charred, which will bring vibrant flowers next spring.
The Driftah will be put up for sale this Saturday. Everything works on it, according to the previous owner. But, no amount of sweat equity will make the thing FIT our truck properly. It rides too high and, honestly, it just isn't big enough. We have found a few additional truck campers we like and are sifting through the pros and cons so we can select one. I will post pics soon.
And a bunch of other stuff will be in our sale this Saturday, as well. This is the big push to declutter our home. Please pray, cross your fingers, do a garage sale-raindance so that we sell a LOT. Time to lighten our load, get organized and maintain a level of cleanliness that's greater than our current situation. All of these changes bring me great comfort and encouragement; I'm reclaiming my life finally!
First, I discovered my true path. Then, I charted a course to get me onto that path. Now, I'm implementing that plan so I can finally begin my journey. Abundant joy!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Raw food gives you patience???
About a week ago I downloaded an audio file of a webcast by Karen Knowler, a well-known raw food coach. The call lasts about an hour-and-a-half and focuses on 'raw transformation.' Curious, I copied the file onto my iPod and gave a listen during my run yesterday.
Wow. Her message is so simplistic, and she speaks as if you are the only listener. More like a conversation than a teacher-student exchange. She speaks a lot about authenticity, about assessing your life in a realistic manner so that you can set reasonable yet challenging goals. Not everyone wants or is intended to 'go 100% raw', she explains. It's much easier for single people than married people, especially those with children. More members of a family means more opinions and a greater chance of incongruent preferences. Her advice is to give yourself permission to NOT go 100% raw, if that's what really suits your lifestyle. Or to make the transformation overnight, if that works for you. Whatever, just be true to yourself and your current lifestyle. That makes sense to me.
Her transformation lasted much longer than it should have, she explains. What should have taken months or even a year took FIVE YEARS. But finally, after going on and off cooked foods for several years, she realized the plentiful benefits of eating raw. Then and there she vowed to keep doing the things that make her feel good.
The transformation is not just physical. It is emotional, spiritual, ecological and, in many ways, economical.
Although I have not gone 100% raw (and really do not intend to) I have felt a shift on each of these levels. Physically I have shed some pounds and bloatedness (ha!) My skin looks much healthier and younger when I'm eating mostly raw foods. Emotionally, I feel balanced like never before. I have experienced a deeply spiritual connection with the universe, and feel detached from trivialities. My thoughts turn to big picture topics (but I also have a natural tendency to think on that level, so I suppose eating raw simply enhances that inclination.) I have a penchant for all things green; eating raw is a very low-impact eating lifestyle. Economically, I find I'm able to streamline our budget by choosing largely label-less foods that we ALL like. Eating fresh produce can be a tremendously effective method of doing good things for your body, the planet and your pocketbook.
One thing Ms. Knowler touched on, and that caught my attention, relates to patience with children. Many raw foodists claim they interact with their children (even small children) on a much healthier level when they eat raw foods. If this is true, perhaps they are also more patient with adults who behave like children? SOLD.
Wow. Her message is so simplistic, and she speaks as if you are the only listener. More like a conversation than a teacher-student exchange. She speaks a lot about authenticity, about assessing your life in a realistic manner so that you can set reasonable yet challenging goals. Not everyone wants or is intended to 'go 100% raw', she explains. It's much easier for single people than married people, especially those with children. More members of a family means more opinions and a greater chance of incongruent preferences. Her advice is to give yourself permission to NOT go 100% raw, if that's what really suits your lifestyle. Or to make the transformation overnight, if that works for you. Whatever, just be true to yourself and your current lifestyle. That makes sense to me.
Her transformation lasted much longer than it should have, she explains. What should have taken months or even a year took FIVE YEARS. But finally, after going on and off cooked foods for several years, she realized the plentiful benefits of eating raw. Then and there she vowed to keep doing the things that make her feel good.
The transformation is not just physical. It is emotional, spiritual, ecological and, in many ways, economical.
Although I have not gone 100% raw (and really do not intend to) I have felt a shift on each of these levels. Physically I have shed some pounds and bloatedness (ha!) My skin looks much healthier and younger when I'm eating mostly raw foods. Emotionally, I feel balanced like never before. I have experienced a deeply spiritual connection with the universe, and feel detached from trivialities. My thoughts turn to big picture topics (but I also have a natural tendency to think on that level, so I suppose eating raw simply enhances that inclination.) I have a penchant for all things green; eating raw is a very low-impact eating lifestyle. Economically, I find I'm able to streamline our budget by choosing largely label-less foods that we ALL like. Eating fresh produce can be a tremendously effective method of doing good things for your body, the planet and your pocketbook.
One thing Ms. Knowler touched on, and that caught my attention, relates to patience with children. Many raw foodists claim they interact with their children (even small children) on a much healthier level when they eat raw foods. If this is true, perhaps they are also more patient with adults who behave like children? SOLD.
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