Yesterday was pretty amazing. We did our grocery shopping at Nash's organic grocery store and Sunny Farms. We left the house at 8:30. Willow was such a good girl, so we all had little ice cream cones at Sunny Farms. We also checked out the plants at the Sunny farms nursery, which is one of the places Chris has applied for.
The weather was beautiful. We worked in the front gravel garden pulling weeds. That was hard work for this fibro body, but I am determined to keep myself going. Willow was a good helper and she also set up her angry bird toys on the stepping stones. She's still obsessed with angry birds. It's the one thing she talks about the most. We must have worn her out because she passed out on the couch with her mouth hanging open.
Her Grams picked her up at about 5pm, and she brought us some tomato and basil plants from her neighbor! Sweet! Chris and I got a hold of some friends and made plans for the night. We were both exhausted, but we didn't want to pass up seeing the fabulous Shelly and the wonderful Denny, and the rest of the crew. We went to the Barhop to hear some "bluegrassy" classic rock. They were amazing, and the dancers were shakin and movin! The banjo player and lead singer always captures me. He has such an amazing voice, and I love the way he plucks that banjo. Then we went to the Junction, and heard Blu Meadows. They were awesome! I had a couple drinks and boogied down, although I knew I would feel some regret in the morning. I was right, but it was fun. I'm so tired and sore, but my head is filled with funky music, flashes of dancing people, and my heart is overflowing with positive energy.
We woke up earlier than we should have since we were out all night, but Chris is doing his shift at Studio Bob in Port Angeles, and he is the featured artist at the gallery for tonight's art walk! His art fits in really well here. It's a better fit than the Red Raven Gallery in Port Townsend, but the Red Raven is still seriously fabulous.
So I'm sitting here at Studio Bob looking out the huge windows at the cars driving by, but mostly watching the people ...the way they walk, who they're walking with, what they're wearing, the way they have their hair, the dogs that they are walking. It's fascinating. I could probably write about it for hours. It would be fun to write little summaries on each single person or group.
In the background I see big boats...one looks like a ferry one looks like a barge or something. There's a bus stop and people standing around. There's a ferry terminal, and a farmer's market across the street. I would love to check out the farmer's market, but I'm broke and it's so warm and cozy here at this spot. There's a lot of little shops here in the downtown. Oh jeez, I'm trying to convince myself to go shopping. It could be fun, and I don't have a little one in tow.
Enough blogging for now. On with the people watching, and maybe some snacking...not on the people, sillies.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Willow's Room
We are still working on Willow's room. We've had a few other things that we are doing, so that doesn't help any. We're also having a little problem with the purple paint not covering well, but we will do the best we can. She might end up with three colors on her walls, instead of the two! A while back we picked up some things for her room from Ross that we were saving for her birthday, but we wanted her input, so she knows what's going on now.
Yesterday we took her out to do some errands, and she gave us a really hard time. I decided to put the work on her room on hold until she turned her behavior around. So yesterday she had to work off the attitude! We cleaned up some weeds in the front garden together, and the painting resumed today.
Here's the two paint colors we're working with. This paint came from a second hand home improvement store. These two cans cost us $2.
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Yesterday we took her out to do some errands, and she gave us a really hard time. I decided to put the work on her room on hold until she turned her behavior around. So yesterday she had to work off the attitude! We cleaned up some weeds in the front garden together, and the painting resumed today.
Here's the two paint colors we're working with. This paint came from a second hand home improvement store. These two cans cost us $2.
UPDATES!
I never did get around to posting pictures of how Willow's room turned out, so here I am over a year later posting an update. I only have a few cell phone pics, but I figured it was better than nothing!
I will include a list of the items we bought and materials we used at the end of this post.
You should also check out the first BEFORE picture of what the room looked like when we moved in and we were cleaning boxes out of the house! You can find that picture on the very bottom of this post.
~Bamboo shade: Home Depot
~Shiny, pink sheer curtains: Ross
~Five colored standing light fixture: Walmart
~Gold picture frames, plastic, set of 10, all different sizes: Ross
~Bed comforter: Walmart
~Purple sheets and pillow cases: Walmart
~Pink bed skirt: Walmart
~Green fuzzy pillow: Walmart
~Blue fuzzy body pillow: Ross
~Silver curtain rod set: Walmart
~Glass hanging candle holders (not used for candles): Ross
~Pink Angry Bird pillow: Walmart
~Frosted glass vanity light fixture: Home Depot
~AMAZING octopus art print: By the talented Amy Weber. You can find her work on here on Etsy:
~Orange dresser: Vintage item that came with the house
~Orange and yellow roll-top desk: Vintage furniture that came with the house
Painting materials:
We used all the usual materials which includes:
~Drop cloth
~Paint rollers
~Sponge brushes: (better than bristle brushes!)
~Painter's tape: (I cannot express how important it is to use FROG TAPE! The adhesive is much better quality than cheaper brands)
~Exacto knife: (to cut painter's tape if it is not placed correctly, AND in case you try to pull the tape off and the paint is too thick.)
~Damp washcloth: to wipe up boo-boos and spills.
~*Dap* fast n' final lightweight spackling
~Electric palm sander with fine grit sandpaper
~Lots of elbow grease and hard work
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Our Beltaine
It's May 2nd, and about 6:30pm. I'm sitting here in peace. My husband is gone doing errands, and our little Willow is gone for the weekend with her Grams. It is SO peaceful here right now!
My husband and I did not do any ritual yesterday, we usually don't do much. We must be lazy pagans. I always get so caught up in life!
What we did do...was spent time with each other. We mowed the lawn, and tidied up the yard, and made a million plans for the house, garden, and for our future. Today we did more of that, and we got to walk together and hold hands. That was the most beautiful ritual that we could have done in public. It was amazing seeing so many people smile at us. Of course, I noticed one lady give us an annoyed look. That is okay. I have been there myself. I know that not every day is going to feel like this, but while it's happening...I want to savor every moment.
I hope all is well with anyone reading this, and if not, let me know. I will try to spread some love your way.
~Amanda Star~
My husband and I did not do any ritual yesterday, we usually don't do much. We must be lazy pagans. I always get so caught up in life!
What we did do...was spent time with each other. We mowed the lawn, and tidied up the yard, and made a million plans for the house, garden, and for our future. Today we did more of that, and we got to walk together and hold hands. That was the most beautiful ritual that we could have done in public. It was amazing seeing so many people smile at us. Of course, I noticed one lady give us an annoyed look. That is okay. I have been there myself. I know that not every day is going to feel like this, but while it's happening...I want to savor every moment.
I hope all is well with anyone reading this, and if not, let me know. I will try to spread some love your way.
~Amanda Star~
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Praying for Prosperity, New Opportunities, and Closure
I need my own life. Well, I love my family life, but I need to be able to have my own goals to achieve, space to create, friends to do things with. Chris has taken the garage and the workshop, and it's very depressing for me to not have my own space. My little workshop is accessible to everyone...no privacy...no soundproofing for solitude. If I want to get up early in the morning to work in my workshop, which is full of every one's stuff, I have to be careful not to wake up Willow because we don't have any doors. It's truly frustrating. I understand that creating a small business will not bring in a substantial amount of money, but it would be something. I haven't found the boost that I need yet, but I will continue to work towards it. It's a financial thing. Right now I consider us below poverty, but rich in love and knowledge.
I am sometimes struggling to walk and use my hands. I want to use my body while I still can. Sometimes people poke fun at me because I can't do everything that a 30 year old woman "should" be able to do. My mental health is still compromised. I am still grieving pretty bad, I realize that. I know that it is written all over my face everyday, and through my writing and conversations.
I will be praying today and tonight, during this full moon, to be shown the way to a new way of life for myself. One that will allow for me to still have strong bond with my family and husband, but an outlet for me to have my own experiences without them as well. I will be asking for support, prosperity, and for new opportunities. I am willing to work hard for these things. My physical limitations are just one thing. I still have my mind and my passion.
I still have myself...my own dreams and aspirations.
I will stay positive and work on drawing in positive things, and opening new doors for myself...that will also benefit my family and friends.
Thank you God, Goddess, Universe, etc....for everything that I have and for all of the new things that may come my way.
I am so very thankful, and looking forward to seeing what my future will hold.
With all that being said, I would like to post a beautiful graphic as a reminder to myself and to anyone who may read this, that we are all warriors in our own lives. We need to stand up for ourselves and take charge when needed. We must stay strong.
I am sometimes struggling to walk and use my hands. I want to use my body while I still can. Sometimes people poke fun at me because I can't do everything that a 30 year old woman "should" be able to do. My mental health is still compromised. I am still grieving pretty bad, I realize that. I know that it is written all over my face everyday, and through my writing and conversations.
I will be praying today and tonight, during this full moon, to be shown the way to a new way of life for myself. One that will allow for me to still have strong bond with my family and husband, but an outlet for me to have my own experiences without them as well. I will be asking for support, prosperity, and for new opportunities. I am willing to work hard for these things. My physical limitations are just one thing. I still have my mind and my passion.
I still have myself...my own dreams and aspirations.
I will stay positive and work on drawing in positive things, and opening new doors for myself...that will also benefit my family and friends.
Thank you God, Goddess, Universe, etc....for everything that I have and for all of the new things that may come my way.
I am so very thankful, and looking forward to seeing what my future will hold.
With all that being said, I would like to post a beautiful graphic as a reminder to myself and to anyone who may read this, that we are all warriors in our own lives. We need to stand up for ourselves and take charge when needed. We must stay strong.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Earth Day and Cultural Anthropology Studies
Today is Earth day and I think it is only natural to think about the earth in it's entirety. This would include the geology and also studies in cultural anthropology. I happen to be blessed with a collection of anthropology books, that I got for free. I like to call it a miracle, or a syncrhronistic manifestation. The books are from a used book store that is like a spiritual vortex, helping people manifest the knowledge that they are seeking.
Last night I was reading a page from a book called Cultural Anthropology, Understanding Ourselves and Others, second edition, by Richley H. Crapo. I immediately started reading about culture shock, but I flipped through the pages and found myself very interested in a section titled "Intercultural Influences". I would like share an excerpt from that book, that I believe is important for everyone to understand.
Intercultural Influences
Contact between cultures can bring tremendous change. This is especially true when the two societies differ greatly in economic and political power. Sometimes the extinction of native populations has been carried out by systematic acts of war. Even in less extreme cases, the transition from the traditional way of life to a socially dependent status is never without turmoil. Cultural subordination of one way of life by another, even when it occurs peaceably, can be a shattering experience both psychologically and culturally.
Time and time again, anthropologists have described the tragic effects of the world's nonagricultural peoples of contact with the industrialized peoples of the world. Diseases introduced from the more densely populated societies sometimes decimate the local population, in which there is less resistance to the diseases of the civilized world. The awareness that other peoples are more powerful and more blessed with luxuries is a blow to the cultural pride that unifies a society. Often, contact is followed by a rise in the rate of internal conflict and other forms of deviance, such as alcoholism and suicide. For the Kwakiutl (tribe), contact with Europeans may have led to exaggerated-and destructive-attempts to display wealth and power.
This really makes me think about the conflicts that are going on around the world, and right here in the United States, between the people of different states or within the groups of people with different economical statuses and religious or spiritual views.
In the United States accurate education about world history is stifled. It takes a certain amount of intuitiveness and curiosity to break free from this perception. Ideally, we would all want to strive for a better understanding of the world, but most of the time, this is not the case.
I believe that it is our responsibility to try to understand the psychology of the people in the world and our own psychological process. With insight into these processes we can better understand and accept different cultures and religions with less resistance.
Last night I was reading a page from a book called Cultural Anthropology, Understanding Ourselves and Others, second edition, by Richley H. Crapo. I immediately started reading about culture shock, but I flipped through the pages and found myself very interested in a section titled "Intercultural Influences". I would like share an excerpt from that book, that I believe is important for everyone to understand.
Intercultural Influences
Contact between cultures can bring tremendous change. This is especially true when the two societies differ greatly in economic and political power. Sometimes the extinction of native populations has been carried out by systematic acts of war. Even in less extreme cases, the transition from the traditional way of life to a socially dependent status is never without turmoil. Cultural subordination of one way of life by another, even when it occurs peaceably, can be a shattering experience both psychologically and culturally.
Time and time again, anthropologists have described the tragic effects of the world's nonagricultural peoples of contact with the industrialized peoples of the world. Diseases introduced from the more densely populated societies sometimes decimate the local population, in which there is less resistance to the diseases of the civilized world. The awareness that other peoples are more powerful and more blessed with luxuries is a blow to the cultural pride that unifies a society. Often, contact is followed by a rise in the rate of internal conflict and other forms of deviance, such as alcoholism and suicide. For the Kwakiutl (tribe), contact with Europeans may have led to exaggerated-and destructive-attempts to display wealth and power.
This really makes me think about the conflicts that are going on around the world, and right here in the United States, between the people of different states or within the groups of people with different economical statuses and religious or spiritual views.
In the United States accurate education about world history is stifled. It takes a certain amount of intuitiveness and curiosity to break free from this perception. Ideally, we would all want to strive for a better understanding of the world, but most of the time, this is not the case.
I believe that it is our responsibility to try to understand the psychology of the people in the world and our own psychological process. With insight into these processes we can better understand and accept different cultures and religions with less resistance.
Earth Day, Some Dreams and Spiritual Evolution
I had an awful dream last night. I won't get into it, but I realize that I REALLY need to start doing some more serious dream work. That's something that shouldn't be ignored. If you are constantly having vivid dreams they shouldn't be ignored! It's time to delve into my subconscious mind and work on a few things.
I woke up in a weird mood because of the dream, and I got on the computer to help wake up my eyes. It's a ritual that I enjoy. I also decided that I should scramble around and find my walking shoes and workout clothes. Willow woke up, but I still got ready to go for a walk. I woke Chris up while I was looking for a bra. Whoops. Well, he needed to keep an eye on Willow while I was gone anyway.
I really needed to take a walk. That dream really did shake me up and made me question some things in my life. We live in a beautiful neighborhood, except for a few little things. During my walk I had to keep reminding myself to not worry, and to just have TRUST that I am where I belong. I need to believe that the universe will give me signs as to where I belong and what I should be doing.
That is trust.
Today is Earth Day, and also the anniversary of the day Chris and I decided to set off on an adventure as a couple. We went through flirting, courting, feeling out the situation, and then finally we went looking for moss covered rocks and a waterfall...that was on Earth Day 2007.
I walked past some trash on my walk, but was disappointed in myself for not thinking about bringing a bag for trash and recyclables! At the end of my walk, close to our house, I started picking up cigarette butts. I think I know where they came from, but I can't be certain...so I can't point any fingers. It does make me sad, though. My sister lost her husband a couple years ago because of his cigarette addiction. He went through many painful treatments and surgeries.
It's 9:42am, and I have a lot more things to do today.
I'm just going to go with the flow...
I woke up in a weird mood because of the dream, and I got on the computer to help wake up my eyes. It's a ritual that I enjoy. I also decided that I should scramble around and find my walking shoes and workout clothes. Willow woke up, but I still got ready to go for a walk. I woke Chris up while I was looking for a bra. Whoops. Well, he needed to keep an eye on Willow while I was gone anyway.
I really needed to take a walk. That dream really did shake me up and made me question some things in my life. We live in a beautiful neighborhood, except for a few little things. During my walk I had to keep reminding myself to not worry, and to just have TRUST that I am where I belong. I need to believe that the universe will give me signs as to where I belong and what I should be doing.
That is trust.
Today is Earth Day, and also the anniversary of the day Chris and I decided to set off on an adventure as a couple. We went through flirting, courting, feeling out the situation, and then finally we went looking for moss covered rocks and a waterfall...that was on Earth Day 2007.
I walked past some trash on my walk, but was disappointed in myself for not thinking about bringing a bag for trash and recyclables! At the end of my walk, close to our house, I started picking up cigarette butts. I think I know where they came from, but I can't be certain...so I can't point any fingers. It does make me sad, though. My sister lost her husband a couple years ago because of his cigarette addiction. He went through many painful treatments and surgeries.
It's 9:42am, and I have a lot more things to do today.
I'm just going to go with the flow...
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Boob Talk: Teaching Older Children About Breastfeeding
Today my four year old was asking me about my boobs. I don't want her to be scared of breasts, I just want her to understand them. Recently we went to visit some good friends of ours. She got to see a little girl nursing, and I'm so glad she did. I nursed my babies, but didn't nurse them for as long as I wanted to. I ended up with breast infections that left me very ill. I nursed two of my children for six months. Well, today Willow wanted to see my breasts, and I told her "Sorry, I'm not just going to show them to you just because you want to see them!". I want her to realize she can't just show them to people whenever they ask. I am not completely shy and we have our own house, so I do walk around in the buff sometimes. Partly so she knows it's ok behind closed doors, and partly so I can dry off after a shower. The truth is, I want her to love her body, and I want her to feel comfortable talking about it to the right people. I also want her to know the importance of breastfeeding. If she decides to have children, I want her to be educated and to not feel like it's wrong to nurse and use her breasts for the right reason. I let her know how amazing it is how mothers can make milk for their babies, just like the mom on Ponyo, which is one of her favorite movies. I talked to her for a little while about it all, and she seems very satisfied with our talk. She also laughed and said "Daddy has boobs, too!" Haha! Out of the mouths of babes...
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