Bohemian Single Mom

Cozy in for the Full Wolf Moon

2012-01-09T09:50:00.002-05:00

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It's going to be a cozy night over here at the boho diggs.
The Farmer's Almanac tradionally calls the January full moon the Full Wolf Moon; a time of midwinter when wolf packs circled around the native's snowy villages.

Are you feeling emotional? Your need for security might be riding high, making you feel vulnerable. If you're away from home, you're likely feeling homesick and missing your family. This full moon will bring to the surface your desire to honour your home, protect your family and children.... your "tribe, kinship and ancestry"
Tonight's an ideal time to spend with family and loved ones in a cozy and safe domestic environment; maybe cook a special meal and gather your loved ones around you.
I'm making my hatchling's favourite sweet potato shepherd's pie. I'll light candles and we'll sit on floor pillows at our coffee table and just be. It's all about family love, so nurture yours, especially for the young and vulnerable, and go ahead and acknowledge your own insecurities and fears, and allow yourself to be nurtured.

"It's a good time to...
~ give shelter to an animal or neighbor from the storm.
~tune in to your ancestors.
~make something artful from your memories.
~indulge your sentimental side.
~reach out to an old friend.
~be near a lake or the ocean"

Today's Instant Karma ~ scrape the ice or snow off someone elses's windshield

carpe diem!

The Action-Packed Adventures of Toronto OR Starting the Year With Abundant Happiness

2012-01-08T11:39:00.000-05:00

Just got home from an amazing 4 days in Toronto at the home of my gracious and hospitable brother. (and coming down off my Starbucks abuse of caffeine).
Hatchling brought her friend and they did what they do best - lots of shopping!! They also handed out mitts and hats to the homeless, those sitting on the cold concrete of downtown Toronto. They're making an Ark (acts of random kindness) video to document the experience...(perhaps hatchling will allow me to post it here to share with you guys?)

we walked past an "occupy" demonstration to save a park downtown,

and here's my hatchling, her friend and my bro being "political".

We went to a new MEGA-HUGE grocery store that used to be Maple Leaf Gardens.

We went to "center ice", which they kept marked

and took this artsy-cool shot to commemorate.

And it just wouldn't be my bro's if we didn't hang out around the piano singing

and him teaching the girls to play their favourite movie theme songs.

Got back just in time ...back to school TOMORROW!! Everybody ready? For me, it means a grocery haul and catch up on laundry day. It's been a warm and wonderful holiday season for us....hope yours was filled with much love and happiness.

☺Today's Instant Karma~ Do things that make you feel passionately alive!

peace out!

Morning Pages~

2012-01-03T17:45:00.001-05:00

♥Big hugs and a thank-you to all you bloggers who commented on my last post.

Such kindness and encouragement....

Seriously, you guys made my heart break open a little bit.

♥ ♥ ♥

I went surfing over to Jamie's blog today and read her inspiring post on Morning Pages. I knew what I had to do. I immediately went and dug out this super-fun journal from my bookshelf. I am all about journalling. I must have 20 of them laying around my apartment, some half written in, some painted and drawn in,some with pathetic attempts at poetry, and even a couple still blank, such as this one pictured above. (hatchling & I each got one on our last trip to Chapter's).

Pretty cute, huh? With cool, decorated pages inside for those little notes & ideas that spring into my head when I'm writing.
I used to do morning pages religiously, after reading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. It was sort of like a brain-dump
every morning before I started my day. But I fell away from this practice, much the same as I stopped making time for my weekly artist dates, and yoga, and meditation, and drinking only lemon water and using eye cream, and all those millions of other things that we promise ourselves with the best of intentions.
I think we all need to slow down and find a balance in our hectic lives. It's so hard to juggle everything at once and keep our my balls in the air, so to speak. There has to be a moment of zen at some point in our day; to process, to plan, to be creative, or to just dump the overflow of activity swimming around in our heads.
So I'm beginning this year with a commitment to show up for myself. Every morning. I will write my 3 pages, long-hand in my journal or fingers speeding away on my keyboard. Either way, I'm going to write this year. A lot.

Someone asked the Dali Lama what surprises him most. This was his response...

"Man, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recouperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present. The result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die and then he dies having never really lived."

Carpe Diem!

On Being Authentic~

2012-01-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

abundancetapestry.com

"Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of" ...Charles Richards

So has everyone selected their power-word for 2012?
Mine, after much thought,and retrospection, is Carpe Diem (seize the f*cking day).

2011 was a fail. I became one of those walking cliches that I try to avoid- "when I get a good job, life will be better" and "as soon as I get a car, things will start happening for me". And this mindset killed my spirit. Of course both are true and 100% on the mark, BUT, my mistake was playing the waiting game. Overwhelmed by the immensity of struggling through another year of running my ass off for shitty min. wage part-time jobs, getting myself and my kid around town on foot in all kinds of crap weather, I became discouraged, just sort of gave up and it became the year of slack!
My eroding self-esteem made it nearly impossible to get over my psychotic dental phobia for some much needed dental work.
Pretty much my only priority was my daughter and helping her through these rapidly growing teen years. And if I accomplished anything in 2011, at least I held onto that. As all you moms out there know, there isn't anything that can prevent us from displaying a positive and optimistic outlook for the sake of our kids, even when we have to fake it at times. So we got through ANOTHER move to a cheaper (and nicer apartment), cause that's how I roll. But I'm truly sick of packing and moving that unless it's for a job or very cheap rent, I am fighting the gypsy in me and we are staying put where we are for awhile. ( so I also proclaim this to be the year of NOT moving) If I get the urge to move, I'll just rearrange my furniture or something).

My life-saving, life-changing car is very close - So close. I can't help but feel happy and excited and positively euphoric. It is my life-line out of this sad, decaying town of unemployment, and I cannot wait.
And I want to thank each and every one of you who've been reading my blog and supporting my years of rants and bitching and whining and and working and saving pennies and hoping for a car. Your encouraging and understanding comments have helped me make it to every crappy bus stop, whilst dragging my hatchling and groceries along. Standing in snowbanks and blazing heatwaves, waiting for off-schedule buses and being late for pathetic jobs.
I never gave up hope and thus 2012 is The Year of the Car for me! And In the meantime, and every day leading up to and following the birth of the car....Carpe Diem !!! 2012 is going to be mine and my hatchling's year!!!

"Things are going to start happening to me now!!"...Steve Martin - The Jerk

Peace & wishing you all a wonderful 2012!!

Are We Done Yet?

2011-12-30T15:07:00.004-05:00

LOVE my hatchling !!

It's been a busy season of spending time with friends and family, eating a LOT, and staying up late, late, late, enjoying this time with my hatchling being on Xmas break from school. I don't know how I'm ever going to get her up at 6:30 a.m. again after these lazy mornings of sleeping in while I drink mugs of speciality teas and coffees that I got for xmas.
Yesterday , we met friends for lunch, went to the health food store to check out boxing week sales, and celebrated Festivus (sans the aluminium pole). Lots of laughs and both hatchling and I are just pooped out from the non-stop action of the season.
So today will be a lazy day of movie watching, grazing on leftovers, and maybe putting some of the holiday decor away? I really want to take down the tree and get our apartment back to it's usual bohemian look, without all the greenery and twinkly lights....well, maybe the twinkly lights can stay..... :)

I'm thinking of my power word for 2012.....anyone else have theirs yet? I've done this for the past 3 years now and find it much more effective than making a bunch of unrealistic resolutions that I break during the first week of January anyway.
I do, however, proclaim this to be "THE YEAR OF THE CAR". I own it.....used, but paid in FULL. It's runs great, has been e-tested and safey-checked, and is parked and waiting for plates, and insurance, and renewal of my liscense. I'm almost there. Baby steps, but I've made it this far. (gotta love poverty = no car).

So don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't reach your goals, that it's hopeless, or too difficult. At times it will seem hopeless and too difficult, and you will feel completely discouraged, but hang in there. I am here to tell you that it's possible. If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen. It may have taken me 8 freakin years!!! But I made it happen - and all by myself, which makes it that much more appreciated.
And I thank my hatchling for her years of patience and tolerance of being the only kid who has to take the bus everywhere, for being the only kid whose mom couldn't drive to the mall or pick them up from the movies, who couldn't even do a drive-thru McDonald's (probably a good thing),. Who couldn't visit friends and relatives out of town, who had to haul groceries home on the bus with me and walk in all sorts of intolerable weather. It won't be long now kiddo!! We're almost there!

"There is merit in the attempt, and a whole lot accomplished along the way" ..author unknown

When Christmas is Hard

2011-12-27T12:38:00.010-05:00

"I can't tell my child to reach for the sun.

All I can do is reach for it, myself.”

...Joyce Maynard

This Christmas season, my hatchling went through an emotional growth period of about 10 years. Today in our small city, 2 days after Christmas, a funeral will be held for a 15 year old girl - a victim of cancer.She went to the other high school in town, not my daughter's, but her battle with cancer throughout the past 7 months united the teens of our small city in a way that no other experience could. Through purple ribbons, fundraisers and social networking, kids have joined together in a common battle of hope and belief that their constant prayers and cheers for this young girl's recovery would no doubt be answered. But instead the cruel and relentless cancer won in the end. It was devastating.
My hatchling found out at school on Friday (the day before Xmas Eve)... literally minutes before she went on stage to sing and play guitar for the school's Christmas talent show. I am so proud of her for her ability to "keep it together" and still go on stage with her sweet sweet singing voice and her acoustic guitar, playing for an auditorium filled with a hushed and stunned crowd of her peers.
Cancer is no stranger to many, many kids my daughter's age. Almost everyone has a relative who has been taken by this horrible disease. But when cancer held it's grip on someone their own age, someone who played along side them on the soccer fields and the volleyball courts, someone who won the same academic excellence award as my own daughter; someone who just one year ago was healthy and happy and celebrating Christmas with her family, it became a horrible and cruel thing for the teens in our town to have to process through the Christmas holidays. The girl isn't sick any more; isn't going through chemo any more; isn't receiving "Get well-you can beat this" messages on her facebook wall anymore. The girl is dead.
So this Christmas season, I am doing what I can to help my hatchling process this awful truth. Being the empathetic teen that she is, my daughter is grief-stricken for this girl's family. It's horrible enough when cancer takes a grandparent or a parent too soon, but someones child? It's just too cruel and unfair to sort out.
So this Christmas our own family tried a little harder, hugged a little tighter, stayed together a little longer, and loved a little deeper. My one brother made a point to visit from Toronto, spoiling my hatchling, as always, with love and attention and pressies.
And the absolute best part for me was seeing my hatchling and my other brother singing and playing guitar together - "jamming together", and him teaching her to sing "the blues". A family tradition that goes back to my own childhood when my Dad (who is also gone from cancer), used to sing and play the guitar every Christmas. He'd have been so proud to see my daughter and my bro celebrating Christmas the way he did. It was like a healing balm applied directly to my hatchling's heart.
To echo my hatching's sentiment and the words posted on her fb wall this Christmas....
"I have the BEST FAMILY".

peace & love

Happy Christmas to all my Blog Friends

2011-12-25T13:21:00.002-05:00

* Just a warning - some pretty intense scenes here - not for children's eyes. (although the realism of the children in the video breaks my heart)

Peace and Happy X-mas from Boho mom & hatchling (& and the wisdom and compassion of John Lennon)

My Favourite Christmas Quote

2011-12-23T00:28:00.000-05:00

"There are some upon this earth of yours," returned the Spirit, "who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and all our kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us."

... Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol

~ 3 more sleeps ~

And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas ♫

2011-12-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

One of my all time favourite songs at this time of year...

Recorded 27 years ago!

Do you think it made a difference?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Peace & Love & Happy Weekend

Bohemian mom

Re-Birthing into 2012

2011-12-12T09:55:00.002-05:00

My awesome hatchling,
who reminds me every single minute of every day,
that I did something right!

With the big X-mas just a couple weeks away, I find myself thinking ahead of that day. I am more psyched about starting 2012... shifting into a new year, setting new intentions, shedding the crap that hasn't served me in 2011... beliefs and ideals that have kept me stuck. That said, I don't want to be too hard on myself, it's too exhausting. I did my best in 2011, and I acknowledge and remind myself of the positive steps I've taken, the growth process...I own that. All of it comes together in helping create my focus and direction for 2012.

Live and learn - I always tell my hatchling. Live. Every single day is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Mean people suck and for whatever reasons, it's their problem, not ours, and certainly not a reflection on us. I remind myself that there are unhappy people in this world, who choose to be that way, who choose to put others down to make them feel better about themselves....(highschool 101). I will never be able to, or desire to ,"wrap my head around" these people and their own internal conflicts. That's for them to work out and resolve - it's none of my business.

One of the hardest things in life is feeling stuck in a situation that doesn't serve us, doesn't meet our needs; a stagnant situation that we don’t like and want to change. Each new year (each new day) is an opportunity for us to set our intentions to the Universe.
To kick off my internal, spiritual, car-driving, fully employed re-birth, I'm totally down with this on Pixie's blog.

And although I'm worn out from struggling and doing the work to make positive changes, I am not giving up. Taking chances, huge leaps of faith, or baby steps will get me there and I have to keep reminding myself of that.

Bring it on 2012!

"The first step toward change is acceptance. Once you accept yourself, you open the door to change. That's all you have to do. Change is not something you do, it's something you allow." ..Will Garcia

peace out!

The Cold White Stuff is Here

2011-12-09T10:01:00.003-05:00

Snow!
It came overnight softly and quietly while we slept. A friend of mine who was born and raised in Australia told me that the very first time she saw snow, what surprised her the most is how quietly it floats down from the sky. It doesn't make any noise, like when it rains, and she found that to be fascinating....how snow can silence everything.

So I just had to get out there and walk my hatchling & her friend to school and take some pics along the way.

Peace & happy weekend!

The Day the REAL Music Died ♫

2011-12-08T17:01:00.003-05:00

Eco - Awesome Decor Ideas

2011-12-07T09:11:00.003-05:00

I am LOVING these eco-friendly, inexpensive (or free),

bohemian, upcycling ideas from one of my

favourite magazines

Tiered Tray
"Find new purpose for mismatched dinnerware sets in the form of a tiered serving tray for hors d'oeuvres or desserts, or use as a catch-all for jewelry, keys, and other small knickknacks. 1. Gather three plates and two cups. 2. Alternating between plates of descending size, using teacups as spacers between the tiers, glue the dishes together with a strong epoxy. To avoid using excess glue, apply only to the rim and bottom of the cup, rather than the plate. 3. Allow the glue to dry overnight, then hand wash before using. Cost: about $2"

Rustic Candles
"Melt down the dregs of burned-out candles to make new ones in old flowerpots. You'll give both items a new lease on life. 1. Scrub the inside of the pot only, leaving the outside aged. 2. Use a coin to cover the drainage hole in the bottom. 3. Insert a ready-made stiff cotton wick (sold at craft stores) or make your own wick out of cotton twine. To hold the wick upright, tie one end loosely to a pencil laid across the top of the pot. 4. Melt chunks of old candles in a pot set over a low flame or in a double boiler. Pour the liquid wax into the flowerpots. 5. Let set overnight and then trim the wick. Cost: about $2"

Mixed Glass Centerpiece
"Grouped together on a tray and filled with leaves and flowers, weathered bottles and jars make an easy table dressing. "In quantity, simple vessels can look so dramatic," says Seo. 1. Collect your own bottles of various shapes and sizes over time (mustard jars, perfume bottles, and jelly jars all work well) or salvage some for just pennies at thrift stores. 2. Randomly fill some of the containers with leaves and flowers and place them on a serving tray or platter, packing the jars tightly together. Cost: $0"

peace out!
bohemian mom

Let's Remind Ourselves....

2011-12-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

I post this every year around this time....

Henna Love

2011-12-05T08:52:00.000-05:00

Hatchling and her friend gave themselves all natural henna tattoos over the weekend.
Because they are just cool like that. Me and my friends were never this cool at 15....

After the goopy mixture dried and was rinsed off, they were left with orangey-brown stained designs all over them. Good times.

10 Things

2011-12-03T11:56:00.002-05:00

10 Things I Never Get Tired Of .....

1~ hot strong coffee

2~ staying up late watching horror movies

3~ walking in the woods

4~ baths with lavendar oil, candles lit and a Cat Stevens cd playing

5~ yerbe matte with almond milk

6~ my hatching playing guitar

7~ going to the farmers market on Sat. mornngs

8~ shopping at thrift stores

9~ kisses from our chihuahua

10~ baking from scratch

peace out & happy weekend

Morning Thoughts~

2011-12-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

It's here - December 1st

(24 more sleeps till X-mas)

Yesterday it snowed for the first time. White flakes flying about in the air, almost like they didn't know what to do or where to land, because the minute they did land, they melted. It's always like this at the beginning of winter, the first couple snowfalls are light and quick and dance around before any accumulation can be measured.

I woke up this morning feeling cold, wanting to stay in bed,....cozy and warm under hatchling's old purple tie-dyed comforter that she didn't want anymore, so I inherited for my bed. I put my bare feet on the floor and felt... IT.

IT being that feeling that comes this time of year, every year. The cold floor rising up to meet my bare feet. The warmth of my moccasin slippers as I wiggle my toes into them.... my heightened sense of everything cozy and comfortable in our little bohemian apartment....

~ the more than usual craving for that first cup of strong hot coffee~

~ the feeling of warm flannel against my arms, as I hugged my hatchling good morning~

~ the steam rising off the cold outside ground while letting our little chihuahua go pee~

~ the cozy feeling of plugging in on our little electric wood stove~

(that I scored at a yard sale this summer for $5)

~ the addition of hot chocolate and mini-marshmallows to this week's grocery list~

peace out!

A Personal Potpourri~

2011-11-29T09:43:00.006-05:00

Our fur-babies watching a squirrel on the balcony - lol

(and yes, it's time to compost the pumpkin)

Reading~ hatchling's copy of Tweak - very intense, very candid and very informative... (just when you think you know everything about street drugs from growing up in the 1970's- ha!).

Drinking~ fresh celery & carrot juice from my juicer

What's for dinner ~ cheap, easy homemade soup.... lentils, assorted legumes, brown rice, quinoa,and barley (soaked in water overnight, & rinsed well), now simmering in vegetable stock with garlic & sliced carrots....(bread machine in rising mode - whole grain)

Check it out ~ finally found the most awesome Almond Milk out there. Processed with filtered water, almonds and cane sugar from Canada; tastes soooo good and creamy! Even my hatchling, (a devotee of cow's milk), agrees that it tastes like a luscious, yummy dairy product.

Sharing ~ the most effective use of 29 words...

In the Works~ I've noticed that my blog is up to around 9,100 hits with this newest current format I've been using. So....once my profile reaches 10,000 views, I am going to hold a Kick-Ass Give-Away here to celebrate and say Thanks to all who have stopped by to read my words, see my pics, leave comments and keep me inspired to continue sharing my journey as a bohemian single mom on this blog....so stay tuned!.....

peace out!

The Relevance of the X-mas Tree~

2011-11-28T10:23:00.004-05:00

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall" ....author Larry Wilde

So who all has their Christmas / X-mas / Yule / Solstice / Holiday tree up?

Hatchling and I had some fun spending part of the weekend re-arranging our living room furniture to accommodate the ole festive greenery.(hence her performing "back of the couch ballet" and other various poses ...gotta love her.)

Our tree is artificial, always. First reason - I could never bring myself to chop down a real tree or buy one at one of those lots where trees are grown and cut specifically for the X-mas season.

Second reason - I remember going with my dad every year to the "Christmas tree lot" in our small town. He'd buy a tree, I'd be all excited. We'd get it home and my mother, the queen of psycho-bitches would be unsatisfied with the way the tree slanted or a particular branch sticking out, and we'd have to take the tree back and try another one. After spending an entire afternoon and about 5 or 6 trees later (and my poor, flustered and humiliated father wanting to crawl into a hole), she'd finally agree on one. And then she'd yell about pine needles all over the car and house. I think my father blew out more vacuum cleaner motors trying to suck those pine needles up at record speed just to shut her up. And it was like this Every. Single. Year. I remember when my parents finally bought an artificial tree - I'm sure that this was one of the happiest days of my dad's LIFE!!!

And then.... the decorating of the tree- omg - another fun episode with my mother bitching at me and my brother for hanging those stupid aluminum "tinsel strands", (which she called icicles) crooked, or in clumps or in some way that was not up to her standards and omg - "what would people think if the "icicles" weren't hung properly" (???) And there she'd sit on the couch stuffing her fat face with a box of holiday chocolates and barking orders at us about which ornaments to hang where. Good times.

I remember one Christmas,specifically, wanting to string popcorn for our tree. ( I believe it was during the time in my childhood when I'd discovered the "Little House on the Prairie"books). Well, you would've thought I'd asked for Nazis to join us for dinner. She went ballistic and yelled until it was drilled into my head that only poor people strung popcorn and how dare I request something so "GODDAMNED RIDICULOUS" when we had "nice ornaments"!!

Ummm....okay.....never brought up the popcorn idea again.....UNTIL I moved out and had my very first, very own X-mas tree to decorate. I had a huge party and invited all my friends over to string popcorn (and drink lots of booze) and we COVERED my little "Charlie Brown" tree with popcorn strings and with wild abandon and self-satisfying rebellion!

Fast forward to my present day tree decorating mindset. When I had my hatchling, I created all new traditions. I kept none of the ornaments from my own childhood, as some people like to keep for the sake of tradition and family heirlooms and all that - no thanks.

Instead, every year we make our own home-made ornaments. Very cute and special.... simple ones when she was a toddler and a little more sophisticated with each growing year.

And always, lots and lots of strung popcorn!

peace & traditons

A Difficult Week~

2011-11-25T11:44:00.007-05:00

I am loving the 1960's photo app. these days...

“What's in store for me in the direction I don't take?” .... Jack Kerouac

I've been quiet here. It's been a week of sadness, confused emotions, memories, re-connecting with people from my past and a lot of deliberate introspection on my part. It's strange how when someone we know dies, suddenly our whole world seems to come to a halt. Everything on our individual priority lists is dropped in lieu of macaroni salads, cold cuts and pickle trays, phone calls & consoling friends, carefully selecting sympathy cards, funeral visitations and memorial services. On top of that, I've also been trying to process and cope with a feeling of disdain that some people (who I never would've guessed), have towards me.

An old friend from my hometown died, same age as me and although his body was aged and unhealthy and broken down from years of drug and alcohol abuse, I believe he still deserved to be treated with respect and dignity as he passed from this earth. And it's such a small town, I re-connected with so many friends I used to consider my besties. We used to go to the same karaoke bars and sing the same songs and sit at the same tables and order the same drinks. We used to meet at the local bacon & eggs & homefries place for their $2.99 Saturday morning breakfast special. It brought back a lot of memories, but mostly an acute awareness of how much I've changed....and how much my life has changed just from growing up and away from that town.

I was elected to do the memorial video and while collecting and looking at photos of this man, it brought me back to a place in my past where I too, never took my future seriously, when I too, was involved in dysfunctional, energy-sucking relationships with guys whose only purpose in life seemed to be a path of self-destruction.
Oh how much having a child has changed my life's course, and for that I thank my hatchling every single day.

So it's over now, the weekend is here and life really does go on.... In all the emotional turmoil, I picked up a flu-bug of some sort and have been feeling quite sick.

Last night my wonderful, considerate hatchling brought me a Tim Horton's coffee....cause she knows the simple ritual of that steaming cup of sweet creamy coffee always turns my world to positive with the first sip.....and kisses from my hatchling's chihuahua always help too.

peace out & happy weekend

Stay on Your Path~

2011-11-20T21:00:00.001-05:00

The secret of the Universe really is
minding your own business.
What we mean by that is;
don't get so involved in the desires or beliefs of others
that cause confusion or chatter in your own vibration
and compromise your own alignment.
When you let nothing be more significant
than your own alignment with your own desire
then everything in the Universe is working in concert for you.
It is anyway,
But...
you're not letting it in,
if you are misaligned.

...Abraham-Hicks

Pumpkins ~ not just for pies and Halloween

2011-11-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

Okay people, I made this body butter and it rocks!! Smells sooooo good, very natural, very organic; only difference is I used a $1.29 brick of solid coconut milk, blended well; grated an actual cinnamon stick...and warmed the concoction up before jumping in the shower. My skin felt soooooooo nourished!!

by Cait Johnson, author of Witch in the Kitchen (Inner Traditions, 2001).

"Ever get annoyed at the pumpkin puree left over from recipes that don’t use the whole can? Now there is something sublime you can do with it: Whip up this luscious body butter, a beta-carotene feast to moisturize, nourish and smooth your skin. Pumpkin Body Butter is easy to make, smells absolutely heavenly and does simply divine things for your skin.

Pumpkin puree has enzymes and antioxidants that offer results similar to gentle alpha-hydroxy action: It removes dead dull cells, while its beta-carotene-rich antioxidants nourish your skin. Coconut solids are a lovely natural moisturizer, and ground cinnamon is gently warming, stimulating and antibacterial."

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
* 1/2 cup solids from a can of coconut milk
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Mix ingredients in a bowl. Apply generously to clean skin (standing or sitting on a towel, if you like), massaging gently to work well into the skin.

2. Allow to remain on for 10 minutes or so, then rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Wednesday Wishing

2011-11-16T09:44:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since I've participated in Jamie's Wishcasting Wednesday. Her prompt today is "What Is Your Greatest Wish?" Hell yes....count me in on this one!!!

First I'd like to say that 95% of my "wishes" since Jamie began this blog project have been for a car. And the power of universal wishing and minds-in-sync have made me a believer that we most definitely and collectively can make magical things happen. I know, because I actually have a car now, and am oh so close to accomplishing my dream. And I thank each and every one of you who sent your intentions out to the universe. Believe Jamie when she says, "There is great power in wishing together."
Above is a pic my car. After saving pennies in my poverty-stricken existence for the past 8 years I was able to buy this used car, but in kick-ass condition, and at a price I could actually afford. I bought it a year and a half ago but I couldn't afford to insure it. After a year and a half of sitting there, it needed a new battery and fuel pump. Now it is sitting at the mechanic's garage because I cannot afford to pay the $700 ransom on it. The work is done and I can now afford to insure it.

My wish today is to bring this wish/dream/hope/desperate situation full circle. I have been busting my butt trying to work in my area (where people DRIVE CARS TO AND FROM THEIR JOBS). I have taken on menial, exhausting and disgusting low-paying jobs just to make money. I sleep in the dining room of our 1-bedroom apartment (so bohemian!!) I have all but stopped eating to save a dollar here and there. (no worries - I still feed my hatchling).
My wish today is to finally find a way to earn the $700 to get my car out of the garage and on the road....and soon, or it's "go west young man"......or in my case, pack up my hatchling and move to a city where one who depends on public transportation can actually use dependable transportation.
I. will. not. survive. another. winter. of taking 2 hours to travel a distance that takes 10 minutes by car.

Peace & happy wishing!

A Soulful Sunday~

2011-11-13T13:23:00.001-05:00

I've lived in Ontario Canada my whole life. I grew up and along side of the changing of the seasons each year. I've always felt tuned in to the seasons, especially Fall, my favourite time of year. When I accept the flow of life and Mamma Earth's patterns, I become more calm, more accepting, and more aware of the moon's cycles, and even my own menstrual cycle.
As we move closer to winter and the solstice, I find myself craving homemade soups and stews made from local squash, grains and root vegetables. I've hauled my bread machine out from it's cupboard, and am making nourishing meals and turning towards cozy evenings with my hatching. Blankets and quilts are thrown on our couch and big comfy floor pillows are gathered near our rustic wooden coffee table.
On this Sunday I am cooking a concoction of carrots, turnip, lentils and barley in a big pot of vegetable stock. Our kitchen window is steaming up and I am reminded that the last of the warm weather is probably behind us. My hatchling is working quietly on her homework, and I feel so warm, so nourished, so safe and so very calm for the first time in a long time. I am not worrying about Monday and all the work, tasks, errands, meal-plannning and grocery shopping for the week.....today is Sunday and I am feeding my soul. It's such a wonderful feeling to sit with nothing but a pot of hot vanilla chai tea and a blank page in my day planner. So simple and yet so refreshing to stop my mind from the constant chaos of never-ending to-do lists. My soul is filled on this Sunday by simply living in the moment and just being.
I think I shall declare all of my Sundays to be Soulfilled.

Take a Minute~

2011-11-11T08:40:00.003-05:00

my hatchling on a class trip to an army base

peace & rememberance, love and respect

My Wild Child

2011-11-09T13:41:00.007-05:00

She...

is 15 and a half

still goes trick or treating

is loyal to her friends

pets stray cats and dogs

never litters

doesn't wear make-up

takes school very seriously

cries when watching sad movies

respects adults

can shop till she drops

is in love with a boy for the first time
bakes awesome chocolate chip cookies
helps me carry in groceries
listens to Simon & Garfunkle
makes the best art
loves to vacuum

writes inspiring songs

keeps her room clean (??)

won't eat veal

makes smart choices

sticks up for the underdogs

She loves...

nature hikes

climbing trees

cinnamon toast
Taylor Swift

bike rides
taking pictures

her friends

campfires
tobagonning

baby animals

reading in bed
the Beatles White Album

pizza with pineapple

ranch dressing on everything
scary movies
road trips

football

little kids

The Big Bang Theory

flannel sheets

her chihuahua

bubble baths

skinny jeans

playing guitar
eating in restaurants

singing
slumber parties

dancing

writing in journals

and coconut shampoo

and she is my world :)

peace out!

This Poster Could Change Your Life~

2011-11-02T12:49:00.000-04:00

Go here > > > This Poster might just Change your Life. ~ Nicole Duncan

peace out!!

Welcome November 1st

2011-11-01T13:04:00.000-04:00

Such is the morning after Halloween at our house

An almost month-long celebration of horror movies, pumpkin patches, haunted house tours, zombie parades, jack-o-lanterns and by all means, YES, my 15 year old hatchling still goes out trick-or-treating with her friends.

It's better than X-mas for us, seriously, and cannot wait. until. next. year. !!!

Hope yours was good too!!!

peace out !!

Warning - Scary Shit Some May Find Offensive

2011-10-27T00:57:00.001-04:00

Building on my previous post, here's some more pics my daughter and her friend took at Toronto's Zombie Walk...

Walking with the Un-Dead

2011-10-26T08:40:00.000-04:00

my hatchling at Toronto's Zombie Walk

When I was growing up, my favourite times were when my parents would go out and my older brother would have to stay home and baby-sit me. He'd have his friends over and I'd be allowed to stay up late late late and watch scary movies with them. I evolved into a horror-movie lover and I anticipate Halloween more than Christmas. To this day, my older brother and I love watching scary movies together, and now I've coaxed my hatchling over to the dark side.

Here's some pics of the recent Zombie Walk in Toronto - we live for this shit man.

Determined......

2011-10-18T10:54:00.006-04:00

 lol- google image search for "determination" came back with this.....gotta love it!

No one rises above who he or she has been, without first having fallen down. The best time — in fact, the only time — to make a real change in your life is in the moment of seeing the need for it. He who hesitates always gets lost in the hundred reasons why tomorrow is a better day to get started!"
.....Guy Finley

First of all. wow, my heart is full. Huge hugs and thanks to each and every one of you who left your inspiring and encouraging comments on my last post. Seriously, I've been soaking in humility, fresh perspectives, and wonderful new information.

To me being a grown-up, an adult and more importantly, a single mom, is about making the best choices for ourselves under whatever circumstances we face at the time. To me, this is the definition of wisdom and maturity. Face it, deal with it, and don't look back. Get on with your life. If you blow something, pick yourself up and begin again. It's served me well so far, so I'm sticking with it. Word.

I wish I could write that I had a weekend of introspection in the woods and had an epiphany, but I didn't. I wish could say I have all the answers figured out but I don't.

That said, we are all familialr with the tired worn out phrase/cliche "where there's a will, there's a way"......and I've always had the will. It hasn't let me down yet.

I AM.....

taking my power back

considering all my options

thinking outside the box

being open to new possiblities

appreciative of new possiblities

setting realistic goals

acting on them

being gentler with myself

being thankful for what I do have

for what I've learned

and for what I continue to learn every day

I AM NOT...

giving up

procrastinating

blaming myself for the economy anymore

whining about shitty transit systems

waiting for the right circustances

or the right timing

allowing poverty to define me as a person

taking the good things in my life for granted

peace out
love boho mom

When Life Kicks Your Ass~

2011-10-14T12:40:00.009-04:00

I just don't get it anymore. I can ask myself till I'm blue in the face. I can read all the "manifestation" and "thoughts become things" books that are selling by the gazillions out there. I can practice stretches and poses on my yoga mat as the sun rises while my daughter is till asleep in her cozy bed. I can light candles and sit in meditation and take slow deep breathes and count my mala beads a hundred times and chant dozens of mantras. But really, what does it all come down to? Can we ever gain control of the circumstances that we face? that we must deal with?. I believe so, if they are they are circumstances brought on by our own choices and behaviour. We create our own reality....of that I have been certain since I was 16 years old..

But what about the other stuff? No matter how much we take care of ourselves and our mind-body connection, no matter if we cut out cigarettes, don't eat animal protein and processed foods, and decrease stress, our bodies will still grow old, still weaken, still break down with disease. We cannot control this. I can fill a hundred journals with inspiring quotes from wise philosophers, work out issues with my favourite pen and pots of herbal tea, but seriously, what's it all for? What can I really change? The most simple, most hated parts of my life I have not been able to change. Bohemian lifestyle or not, anyone who says money can't buy happiness is naive.

I absolutely despise where I live. We live in one of the most economically depressed cities in Southern Ontario and I am literally trapped in a cycle of poverty here.I cannot get a job without a car and I cannot get a car without a job! It's eating my spirit alive. I am sick and tired to death of people asking me how I can possibly function as a single mother without a car in the car-based community/city that I live in. "How the hell do you do it?" or "I could never cope without a car". It's so difficult to "keep my chin up" and say, "ohhh, we manage". I have tried and tried over the years to break the cycle of my poverty, to save even $10 a month towards a car. After pathetically existing through 7 years of not being able to drive my own daughter to a dance class or to the mall or to her friend's house, or to pick her up at school or take her to the doctor's when she's been sick,; of dragging home bags of groceries in 2 separate trips on the buses, it sort of kills the hope, the excitement for life....and the whole "thinking positive/eco-friendly/bohemians use bicycles" philosophy has gotten really old. I have moved countless times to be closer to my hatchling's school or a grocery store or where ever I can grab a job in our glorious town of non-employment. I have also moved for the sake of saving $20 extra a month in rent.

Now I finally do have a car. A good used car. (I am not spoiled or hard to please - everything I own is used or second-hand.)...and I gave up hope years ago of ever owning my own home - Ha! what a joke!

My car has been sitting for a year, while I try to claw my way out of the depths of shitty, geographically accessible employment, welfare supplements (omfg), and depression to get this car insured and on the road. And I'm so tired of it. So discouraged. Seven important formative years of my daughter's life that we will never get back. Never got the chance to be the mom that drove her & her friends to the movies, or the mall or a school dance. It makes me feel like a piece of shit, like the most incompetent, useless parent who ever lived, because it recently hit me (hard), that this is how she will remember her childhood and I fuckin hate that. I have a very supportive brother, with a huge heart and always an ear to lend, who makes sure my daughter never goes without, but I am supposed to be a grown-up, an adult and it sickens me to ask him for help.

I've made some radical choices during the past couple months. When you live below the poverty level, it's somewhat of a joke to try and cut costs, but I've been doing what I can. While I buy the healthy nutritious food for my hatchling, I have been on a steady diet of rice, beans, and oats. Not a lot of variety, but it's healthy and I haven't gotten scurvy yet from lack of fruits & veggies. I cut my own hair; I wash our clothes but have MacGyvered clothes lines all over my apartment to save money on drying them.

While some people might call my present mindset a nervous breakdown, I simply call it a break-down of what's working and what's not. Simply put, I cannot live like this anymore, and I will not make my daughter live like this anymore. I am giving myself one more month to get my car going so I can work; OR I am packing up and moving to a city where the people who have to rely on public transportation can actually find jobs and travel to and from their jobs on a reliable, competent bus system.

I refuse to let the stress encourage cancer to come and fester in my body; I am far too busy to struggle with depression, and I am still much too hopeful to continue living this way. There has to be a better quality of life, somehow, some way or somewhere else.

I am open to suggestions, (I'll even relocate to the U.S.), advice or any encouragement you can offer.

Thanks for reading....peace!

Who Are You?

2011-10-12T09:57:00.001-04:00

FULL MOON in ARIES

"In western culture, we struggle constantly between our glorification of spontaneity and our respect for control.

We yearn for the natural state of just being who we are, answerable to no one but our own spirit. True authenticity rings like a clear tone amongst the noise of expectations, demands and judgments from others.

This Full Moon in Aries asks....

Who are you?

What differentiates you?

You might say you're a mother, or maybe you're a husband. You're someone's best friend. You're a secretary, or a photographer. Perhaps you're a Democrat or a Republican. You're Canadian or Iroquois or African American. You're Jewish or Wiccan or agnostic. Or maybe you define yourself by what you're not: you're "not a liberal" or you're "not rich." And so on.

But these are just categories that show where you coincide—or contrast—with others, not who you are as an individual. You might identify with some of these classifications, but you're also something more beyond the roles you play or the philosophies you align yourself with or the activities you invest your time in.

Who are you, really? When you strip away all the influence, the indoctrination, the conditioning and genetics, what is left? When you subtract the ways that you fit in and even the ways you feel isolated, who is the person left who is asking the question, "Who am I?"

This is the central quest of Aries—to reconnect with that original essence that makes each of us a unique entity. And that quest is not for the timid! It takes raw courage to walk out on the ledge and jump, leaving behind the familiar, comforting approval of others, and daring to just be who you are."

... (paraphrased ) from Evolving Door Astrology ~ for the spirit, heart & mind

peace out!

Words To Live By~

2011-10-11T09:39:00.003-04:00

"I don't know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.”

...the Dalai Lama

It was Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, and we had absolutely gorgeous sunshiney weather. Grabbed the camera and took hatchling and her friend walking in the woods for some glorious pics....

We went to our good friends' home to break bread with them. We brought out the guitars and my beautiful daughter's singing lulled us all into gratitude. I am thankful for a glorious beautiful weekend spent with people who love us.....(and for vegan pumpkin pie)!Our tummys and hearts are full.

peace out!

Thankfulness from a Single Mom~

2011-10-07T11:40:00.004-04:00

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.”
.... Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism

my hatchling and her BFF enjoying a day off school - "chillaxin' "as they call it

It's been awhile since I last blogged. Living the bohemian existence, one cannot always afford internet service. Sometimes one must make a choice between these things. Sometimes one is trying to cut costs and corners wherever there is a possibility of shaving off a bit of expenses in order to get one's car insured and road- ready so that one can access employment so that one doesn't have to live so deep below the poverty level. All the while maintaining and meeting the needs of a growing hatchling, which incidently includes internet access for homework, etc.... so here I am - back by popular demand!

Which brings me to this post. It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, which gives my daughter a long weekend off school. And no school means "sleepover time" with giggling teens in the next room, strumming of guitars and beautiful voices harmonizing, video game tournaments and potato chips and popcorn and baking of cupcakes. And me in my sacred space (diningroom turned into bedroom/office/meditiation room.).
Being the non-traditional bohippians that we are, this year will be different for us. Hatchling has one of her BFFs staying with us until Sunday, and will then go to her friend's house for Turkey dinner and all the traditional feasting for my hatchling, the meat lover. This is the first time in 15 years we will be separated on this day of thankfulness, but it's all good. I get to go with my people to a vegan Thanksgiving dinner....lots of dishes made with the seasonal "orange" fruits of mother earth. Squash and pumpkin and yams... apples and cranberries and whole grain goodness.

So on this gorgeous sun-shiney day of fall - my favourite time of year, I will blog a Gratitude post.
As my whole identity seems to be hang on being the best single parent I can be, I am giving thanks to the great spirit, mother earth and all of our ancestor spirits and guides and guardian angels for their assistance.....

* my hatchling and our continued bond of love and trust and openness. I am always ready for her teenage spirit to rebel, but she's so so so good and decent in every way, and is an absolute gift to be around. She is such a loving and happy person; her peers and teachers adore her, and I am so so so blessed every single day, to be her mother.

* thankful that she is so much wiser and emotionally solid than I was at her age. She is off to a great start in her 2nd year of highschool after a successful, happy and fun year of grade 9, and finishing the year on the honour roll, and making her mark.

I give her kudos for branching out into extracirricular activities and leaving many of her elementary school friends behind in the "smoker's pit". I am reminded at how easily and quickly a kid can go down the wrong road, and I am also amazed at how my hatchling kicks ass at peer pressure. She has a great head on her shoulders, has incredible focus and is emotionally solid. She blows my mind with her intelligent choices and social skills to deal with day to day life at highschool. It 's scary and difficult to outgrow your best friends from elementary school, but sometimes that is the case, when your 15 year old self grows and expands and some of your best friends go off in different directions of self-sabotage or irresponsiblitiy or suddenly develop a resistance to all matters academic.

paint your face and look as weird as you want "Spirit Day" at highschool

* Perhaps the scariest part of the single-mothering gig is carrying all the worry, all the stress, all the coping and all the solutions on my own shoulders. I've never needed a tag-team set-up for taking care of her. Although incredibly exhausting, I've never complained or asked for help in raising this little human being on my own, rarely even left her with babysitters. But the times that scare the shit out of me, as a single parent are the worst. There is no father...nobody who loves her as much as I do and that's sometimes very frightening to me. I recently had to put my hatchling through some medical tests, including a cat-scan of her brain, where I learned that I myself have grown quite strong and solid and capable in the face of stress. She was diagnosed with, sometimes dipilitating, migraines. While I feel so bad for her, and responsible too, (as it's genetic), I was never so grateful in MY LIFE to learn that her brain and body are perfectly healthy and that migraines can be dealt with. The other possibilities were
very very terrifying for me to think about.

* And finally, I am grateful for my friends and family members whom I know I can turn to in times of crisis, when I feel overwhelmed , need parenting advice, a coffee outing and break from the stress. Someone to simply tell me I'm holding my own, doing a great job, and my hatching is growing into an amazing and beautiful young lady. Not having a man/father figure to share and "decompress with" at the end of each day, has probably been the hardest part of being a single mom.. It's a difficult, challenging and isolating gig, but I'd gladly do it all over again.

peace & Happy Thanksgiving weekend

Priorities~

2011-09-19T12:26:00.001-04:00

On Friday I posted that I was serving Kraft Dinner for supper. To me this was quite a big deal, admitting what I feel is defeat in the kitchen, and utter failure as a mother who tries to stay away from serving processed foods to my daughter, who refuses to own a microwave, who attempts to keep only brown bread & non-cow milk in our home. This obvious sign of sloth & poverty took a lot of courage for me to write about.
Being of sound mind and body, I know it's ridiculous, and I admit it's over-the-top, but it's just how I roll. Thanks to all who didn't judge me - lol.

I don't know about other single moms, but this is the time of year I feel the most pressure, and the most exhaustion. Trying to find the flow through the new routines of September, and it never falls into place easily. The whole getting-the-hatchling-up-for-school-in-the-morning following a lazy summer of no set bedtime and very little structure. Shopping for the gazillion school supplies and back-to-school trendy outfits. Grocery stores and flyers and meal planning to include a healthy variety of uncool lunches, instead of going broke appeasing her with high school cafeteria food. Juggling back-to-school with extra cirricular activities to ensure that my hatchling won't have the time to end up in the smoker's pit outside the highschool. Man, I don't know how you moms with more than one kid do it!!(or afford it!!)

The first day of Fall is only a few days away and this is my favourite time of year! The sun is setting earlier each night, and the cooler air is creating such cozy nights for us in our adorable little bohemian apartment. I baked every night last week, partly because we love the smell of pumpkin muffins and banana bread permeating through our home, and partly because money is tight this month and I had to ravage the cupboards to scrape together ingredients to make something to eat.

My mantra these days is "do we need it or do we need it to survive?". Now that all back-to-school needs are met, I am determined to cut costs whereever I can in order to get my car on the road. I soooo don't look forward to another winter on our 3rd rate bus system that takes 90 minutes to go what should be a 7 minute ride. And climbing over snowbanks to get to 2 or 3 part-time min. wage jobs. I never went this long without accessing decent employment. I want my car ....period.

peace out~

Embracing Imperfection~

2011-09-16T14:16:00.000-04:00

A Girl and Her Room~

2011-09-14T12:22:00.001-04:00

Lebanon-born, award-winning photographer Rania Matar did this photography project that my hatchling & I think is uber-cool and wanted to share it with you all..teenage girls from all different cultures, and their personal spaces/bedrooms....check it out!

"A Girl and her Room

This project is about teenage girls and young women

at a transitional time of their lives, alone in the privacy

of their own personal space and surroundings: their bedroom,

a womb within the outside world."

Peace~

5 Senses~ 1st tour

2011-09-13T10:41:00.002-04:00

A lifestyle & culture meme!

Monica over at Bohemian Shadows has come up with this fresh & fun
blogging project for Tuesdays. Are you in? Check it out here!

Monica writes..... share beautiful and interesting things

books

films

songs

foods

designs
art
photography

currently on Tuesdays

Click here for all the details!

My first 5 senses tour begins today.....

1~ Books

AWESOME book about the civil rights movement of the 1960's. A girl returns from college and decides to write a book about the African American maids and the white families they work for. She writes from the maid's point of view. My daughter read the book and passed it on to me. (she also saw the movie and said it's fabulous!)

2~Song

my hatchling's amazing performance this summer at a talent show; playing accoustic guitar and singing If I Die Young I was such a proud mama!

3~Design

I want to take a nap here .... I can almost smell the nag-champa!

4~Food

I heart Tabbouleh Salad and it's super easy to make...

5~Photography

My hatchling crashed out & her chihuahua waking up for a pose!

peace out~

Full Moon in Pisces

2011-09-12T12:18:00.000-04:00

Mercury has been in retrograde leading up to this Full Corn moon (or Harvest moon). You may have been more sensitive than usual, like you were spinning in circles and feeling out of sync. And you're probably already beginning to feel an alignment with the moon's energies; things are calming down and pieces of the recent puzzles in our lives are being brought back together and moving forward. I love the moon is Pisces. It helps us to see rationally past the sometimes overwhelming emotions, and put things into perspective. It may still be a sensitive time for us, but with this month's full moon, we can take the lessons we've learned that had us reaching out of our comfort zones and build a new comfort zone around us, while learning anything is possible and nothing is to be feared.

Fullmoon folklore has followed us through the ages, influencing our tides, emotions and spiritual beliefs. Tonight's Harvest Moon also shares with us the abundance of the universe. Our ancestors would go out on this full moon and harvest the last of their crops before the winter months. The last full moon of the summer solstice, being huge and bright, lit their way.

Jamie Ridler holds a workshop every month to make dreamboards in alignment with the Full Moon....hopefully I'll have time to join in!

Peace & Happy Full Moon tonight!

A Reminder....

2011-09-11T02:10:00.001-04:00

10 years ago today....

Peace & prayers for thousands who lost their lives and left loved ones behind...

And 10 years later there is still a war going on....

Joy Pockets

2011-09-09T08:49:00.004-04:00

Joining Mon over at Bohemian Twilight for Joy Pockets....honouring the bits of joy from the past week. All too often I don't acknowledge them...

beautiful wild flowers growing freely

that special bond between a girl and her dog

~smooth "back-to-school" transition for my hatchling

~finding avocados on sale

~over-ripe bananas on sale and baking loaves & loaves of banana bread

~cooler weather with misty rain (my favourite)

~making home-made applesauce

~walking in the woods

~carob mint herbal tea

Arlo Guthrie

PEACE & a joyful weekend
Bohemian mom

peace & a joy-filled weekend!

Just Putting it Out There~

2011-09-07T09:19:00.001-04:00

It's Wednesday Wishcasting over at Jamie's blog.
"What path do you wish to follow?" , Jamie asks us on this Wednesday...

So many paths.....

but the wish that I want to send out to the Universe today is about my writing.

Tired of dicking around with freelance this and that;
a bit of money here and there.

I wish for my writing to evolve into more serious, more professional stuff.

I wish for the time and the means for research and writing.

I've had articles and stories published,
but I wish for more frequent and more serious work

to come my way.

And I wish for inspiration and energy to work on my

"middle-of-the-night-instead-of-sleeping" book that I'm writing.

Woo-hoo!!

May all our wishes come true!

peace & wishes

Toronto~ Feel the Love~

2011-09-02T10:41:00.005-04:00

...more specifically, Kensington Market. A borough of the city that is my favourite place to visit.
If I could afford to, I'd live here. Amongst my people...hippies, bohemians, neo-pagan-Buddhists who worship colourful artwork and coffee; prayer flags, Indian fabrics and Ganesh; exposed brick and graffiti; musicians and buskers and writers and cool happy people everywhere....

ahhh.... if I had a million dollars....I'd open my own used book store here with an expresso machine and comfy vintage chairs and funky reading lamps.....

my hatchling fits right in here!

Peace & Happy Weekend!

* Stay tuned for more pics of Toronto....

~Let Them Drink Coffee~

2011-08-30T14:26:00.001-04:00

I gotta say, I am loving this pic of my coffee cup
in downtown Toronto after adding a 1960's app. to it.

Just returning back ~~to hell~~ home after a fabulous time in Toronto. I have stories and lots of pics to share, but for now, we're unwinding, unpacking and at the same time gearing up for the back-to-school count down.
Thanks for all your awesome and supportive comments on my last post. It helps so much (doesn't it?), to know we're not alone in our journeys. Reading your stories here validated my whole life-is-what-happens-to-you-while-you're-busy-making-other-plans (John Lennon) philosophy. I went from feeling sort of detached from my own life's path, to knowing that we're all in this together. I believe each of us is exactly where the Universe wants us to be.
I believe even as I write this, that circumstances, people and experiences are being put into place for our greatest good.

So for now, have a coffee on me and enjoy the end of summer.
Next post - me & hatchling in our beloved city of Toronto.

~peace out~

Thinking~

2011-08-25T10:18:00.003-04:00

my deck -aka -my summer oasis

It's funny, because when I think back to when I was younger, I thought I'd have all the answers by now. I thought I'd be much more settled and sure of myself in all areas of my life. But the truth is I don't have a clue.

Aside from my airhead notion of having attained all my set goals by now which include: having a great job that I love getting up for in the morning and a book published (ha!)... as well as checking off my material list of owning my own little bohemian cottage near some beach, or forest, (ha!) with a Saint Bernard running loose with my daughter, and driving around in an orange VW van (circa 69-70), (ha! ha!). I'm not even close.

BUT - it's about the ride, right?

I wonder how many of us achieve what we set out to? I wonder how many of us have a plan and stick with it. Or do circumstances, people and life experiences in general, deviate us from that plan, time and again....until we are on a completely different course? And then one day, we look behind us and it's like wtf? How did I get here? Good or bad.

Mine is a good ride, wonderful in some areas.... bumpy and full of potholes in others. I've been blessed with a beautiful healthy daughter and I never ever take that for granted. She has healed me in ways I never could have imagined, and in some ways I've struggled and grown up right along side her.

We are considered poor I suppose, (by my city's standards) but we're not materialistic either, so that's hard to gauge. The bohemian in me has never desired brand new furniture from some big name store; ....dragging stuff home from thrift shops and yard sales is my style. I end up with a mishmash of individual pieces that don't match, and I love it. (although I do LOVE Ikea). My decorating style has no rules. I scored a sage green couch from craigs list - $75; moroccan tables collected from various thrift stores at different times in my life, vintage lamps that don't go with anything, some with hideous shades, so I just throw a boho scarf over it for a subdued lighting effect in my apartment; a banged up old wooden bench that makes a perfect coffee table; patchwork throw cushions on the floor, because we also use it as our low dining table. (stay tuned for my new project - weekly blog posts of my living-space with lots of pics) !

And a normal sized T.V. No big screen, no high def. I can't afford cable and am sick to death of reality TV shows, so it's all good. Both hatchling and I love movies, so our dvd player is our best friend.

I refuse to own a microwave...don't like them, don't trust them. I find cooking from scratch healthier and cheaper and there's something zen; something soul-nourishing about baking from scratch.

The only thing I need that I don't have, is a car and it occurs to me that I've been trudging towards that goal since I started this blog almost 6 years ago. (Actually I'm one step closer to that goal- have the car, used, but great condition.... it's the expense of insuring it and getting it on the road that's been impossible).

When my daughter goes back to school, I have to kick some serious ass and search aggressively for a better job. The unemployment rate in my area is incredibly high and my options are limited without a car. I can't stand the feeling of being stuck due to the economy, and if we have to move again, it will be completely out of this area. I feel like I've just been spinning my wheels since moving to this city - no growth, just barely exsisting, and I despise living like that, and worse, I hate making my daughter live like that.

Friends and other bloggers sometimes email me and ask how I know exactly how much of myself to share here, on my blog. I'm not at all sure that I do know. But I am certain that I am raising my daughter as authentically as I can, and I try to "keep it real". I don't think she's disallusioned with life at all, and she'll certainly know what's important and what's not by the time she goes out on her own into this world....she already knows.

So in keeping with the general theme of this post....my question....How's your ride? Are you where you expected to be in your journey? Have you had to sway off course and how far? Or is everything working out as planned? I'd love to hear about it.

Wishing~

2011-08-24T09:25:00.001-04:00

What do you wish to enjoy?

is the prompt Jamie has given us for this Wishcasting Wednesday....

~I wish to enjoy the relaxed pace of mornings~

google image search - altered with photoshop

Soon my hatchling will be back-to-school

and I wish to return to a structured, but relaxed routine of

rising with the early morning sun to ground myself for the day...

~morning coffee, strong & hot~

~journalling~

~morning pages~

~yoga practice~

~meditating at my Buddha altar~

What do you wish on this Wednesday?

Peace & Wishes

Mixed Media Art

2011-08-23T10:11:00.002-04:00

It all began earlier this summer when

I won this fabulous Scraptastic book

from Mon's Boho-Give-away draw...

(applause!!)

Hatchling and I got right on it and began this

mixed-media on canvas project as a gift.

(hence the names have been whited-out for privacy)

Oh so much fun; glue sticks and watercolours;

acryics and modge-podge,

paint brushes and sponges,

inkpads,stencils and stick-on-letters....

...but the real creativity didn't get

absolutely awesome until

my hatchling and her bff got a hold of the book...

gone are the days of finger-painting

with chocolate pudding....

these 2 teens took their creative liscence to the max...

Rule #1 - there are NO RULES when making art!

So much fun, inspiration and happy creative mess-

you just gotta love it!

peace & gesso
Bohemian mom

The Power of a Talisman

2011-08-17T15:55:00.002-04:00

This is my tiny green Tara, my Goddess friend, who I carry with me in times of stress, or when I need some extra Goddess support. Tara was originally a Hindu Goddess. In Buddhism, Green Tara's role is that of a savioress. She is believed to help her followers overcome dangers, fears and anxieties, and she is especially worshipped for her ability to overcome the most difficult of situations. Green Tara is intensely compassionate and acts quickly to help those who call upon her. When she's not in my boho bag that I carry everywhere, she sits on the windowsill of my kitchen, and supports me when I'm washing dishes. lol

Last weekend I put our crystals outside on the deck to be cleansed by, and soak up the light of the full moon. Lately I've been sharing the power and grounding properties of crystals with my hatchling.

Her first experience with crystals was when she was 3 years old and we went on a road trip to my friend's in another city. The small, but gorgeous tree-filled and shaded town was having a summer " eco-hippie/tribal" festival of sorts. It was so nourishing to my spirit and we loved sitting under a huge oak tree with our friends and ate our simple picnic of fruit & cheese. (& my hatchling ate her first veggie burger here).
We visited a particular booth where a very earthy & glowing-skinned woman sold crystals. She told my daughter to dig her hand into a huge basket with a variety of small pretty gem stones and various crystals...so many different crystals to choose from, each loaded with it's own unique quality. My hatchling put her little hand in and chose one crystal "that felt good to her", as the woman had directed. Hatchling had pulled out a sweet little piece of rose quartz, a symbol of love and beauty, and the woman let her keep it, no charge. Rose quartz helps in the development of love, friendship and self-love, and I was fascinated that my little 3 year old was drawn to this particular stone. It helps to attract positive, gentle energy into our lives, and is a perfect crystal for children. The woman told me that my daughter was very wise and "tuned in" to herself as a feminine energy. I was a bit skeptical, I mean what little girl wouldn't choose the pretty pink one, right? But then again, there was such an assortment of gorgeous colourful stones, that she would've been attracted to all of them. Rose quartz carries the properties of unconditional love and opens the heart chakra to all forms of love. This gentle little stone enhances self-esteem, self-confidence, compassion, peace, patience, forgiveness, and increases your capacity to love others and yourself. Perfect. I bought her a little mojo bag to carry it in around her neck and she still has it.

She wears it during special times when she needs the added bonus of all the supportive qualities her talisman holds. I love it when my hatchling accepts even one of my "crazy/earthy/boho/hippie ways", as she calls them.

I carry my gorgeous blue mala beads with me at all times. Sometimes I wrap them around my wrist, and chant "om mani padme hum" as I finger the tiny beads one by one. (my dentist probably thinks I'm demented; yeah, we don't live in a very enlightened city). Sometimes, I just have them in my bag, and it's comforting to know they are with me, supporting me.

I also cherish my "footprint on Mother Earth" necklace with a tiny stone of purple amethyst. It reminds me to stay grounded in my journey.

a hemp bracelet, that my hatchling made for me at summer camp with turquoise gemstones in it...it's precious to me because she made it.

Having a talisman infused with your intention is yet another tool you can use to assist you in your journey. Just hold it and let it soak up all your energies related to your intentions....and when you find yourself losing your direction, bring it out and meditate on it.
Many of our ancestors found peace and solace in objects of significance. (in my family heritage, it was statues and medals representing the Catholic faith.) Ancient Egyptians used massive stone tablets as healing talismans while the Greeks and Romans used lead talismans to communicate with the spirit realm.
A talisman acts to sort of anchor energy in the physical plane. That energy may be protective in nature or it may be intended to draw abundance, health, courage, security, good luck, or a wide variety of blessings to its carrier.
A talisman can be anything. Special charms, or crystals ; gems, amulets, herbs, pictures, written affirmations (I use these a lot). Just pick something that is meaningful to you and cleanse it out in the sunshine, or by the light of the full moon. Then set your intentions to it and let it's power assist you in your journey.

Do you have a talisman? Something that you carry with you to help keep your balance in this sometimes unsteady and upside down world ? Something to affirm your intentions and help you achieve your goals?

Terror on the 3rd Floor

2011-08-14T12:18:00.001-04:00

google image -

I wasn't quite in the headspace of "cool - I should get my camera!"

I shall begin this post by saying I have seen enough horror movies to take down a 300lb man, to leave one crying and quivering in the corner while I could go on munching away on popcorn. You'd think I'd be a little jaded when it comes to fear...you'd think.
I've also, being a single mom, have had to deal with all sorts of kill-that-spider emergencies, my cat bringing home dead mice, a nest of newborn baby birds falling and thus dying on my porch and having to be (ahem) disposed of, running past scary looking raccoons at night feasting on the garbage outside my door, and well, the usual stuff that we as girls, mostly just yell for a guy to come deal with.
Which brings me to my latest adventure with Reason #17 - why I should get married.
There was a bat in my apartment. OH. MY. GOD. I don't know how it got in, but the super said being near a wooded area, bats get into our apartments sometimes. Awesome.

When I first saw the sucker, I ducked, thinking it was a bird that got in somehow, and let it swoosh over my head. It smacked into the wall and fell....I went to get a closer look and omg. It was a bat. TERROR...paralyzing FEAR. If you'd asked me before this if I feared bats, I would've said nawww...no big deal, just like mice with wings. Ummm, nope. Hideous, creepy, horrible little creature that scared the shit out of me! I took one look at it close up and thought I was going to die. D I E - DIE!!!

google image

I couldn't bring myself to touch it, pick it up or anything. It was staring at me with beady little eyes and it's little mouth opened and the teeniest screech came out, and it had little teeth...ew! ew! ew! I was terrified.
I called our superintendent, and by the time he got here, the bat had of course vanished from it's crash site. He helped me look around my apartment and told me they like to hide in dark places, omg omg omg omg. Creepier by the minute....thankfully hatchling wasn't home.
So after a fruitless search of my apartment, superintendent leaves to go home, but not before instructing me on how to catch a bat and set it free outside, (unless of course I preferred to beat it to death - which I did consider, but only for a second or two). We couldn't find it and when the super LEFT ME ALONE WITH THIS THING, and I continued my search, with our handy little chihuahua sniffin it out...slowly with my heart pounding so loud that I could hear it.... I found the bat - crawling up onto my bed. Heebie-jeebies...wanted to turn and run screaming from my apartment, but the super was gone home, my daughter was soon to come home, and I knew I had to catch the thing, period. I turned on the bedroom light (super said they're blind in the light), and tried to coax it to climb onto the end of my broom. I CANNOT STRESS THE TERROR IN WATCHING THIS CREATURE SPREAD IT'S WINGS WITH TINY CLAWS AT THE ENDS OF HIS WINGS AND RESISTING THE CLIMB ONTO THE BROOM I WAS HOLDING. He wouldn't do it. He fluttered his wings, hit the floor and crawled under my bed....so gross. I screamed and jumped back out of reflex...and had to wait until he came out from under my bed. I put our chihuahua in the bathroom with the door shut.... I din not want her getting in a scrap with this thing.

I turned out all the lights in my apartment, opened my balcony door and stood with my back up against a wall and my handy broom in my hand, wishing it were a freakin gun! Soon enough, the sucka felt comfortable enough to crawl... CRAWL, out from under my bed, across the floor, over the bookshelf and onto my couch (right beside the door to the outside - WHERE HE BELONGED!!). I approached him once again with the broom and couldn't have been more scared if I was staring down a pack of wolves, I swear! I seriously thought I would have a heart attack. I turned on all the livingroom lights - for some reason, a bat will get stunned and blind or something in the light, and won't try to fly. It took about 5 minites to nudge and coax the "thing" onto the end of my broom and when he finally grabbed on with his creepy little claws, I ever-so-carefully held the broom as far away from me as possible, walked it very slowly out the door to my deck. The whole time I was thinking "omg - please don't fall off or let go, or try to fly into my face...omg omg omg!!!
I got it outside and shook it off the broom and the sucker wouldn't let go. By this time I was screaming and shaking that broom like a maniac. FINALLY - it let go and dropped or flew away or something - but at least it was OUT OF MY APARTMENT!!!

Shortly after my daughter came home and we laughed about it. She went to bed and I stayed up until 5-ish am. I washed EVERYTHING - I was so grossed out!! I loaded the washers & dryers in my building with all my bedding, (cause the thing was ON MY BED), a couple piles of folded laundry on the couch had to be re-washed in case it had "bat-germs", and I had the heebie-jeebies all night!
Our little black chihuahua almost gave me a heart attack a couple times when I saw her out of the corner of my eye.
So yeah, added to my list of phobias which include elevators, airplanes and dentists, is now bats. If I have to go through that again, We WILL move again.

The End!

When You're Alone

2011-08-10T07:21:00.002-04:00

"The most important thing that parents can teach their children is how to get along without them"
... Frank A. Clark

Things to do when your kid (who you are much too attached to) is away with family for a few days and you are missing her, although you're supposed to be strong and independent and not let anyone know you're missing her, so that she'll grow up strong and independent...

~ buy the really expensive kind of ice-cream in YOUR preferred flavour and eat it all
~ let the laundry pile up
~ ...dishes too
~ have granola for supper, after a cat-nap
~ play all the James Taylor, Cat Stevens, and Carol King cds that you want...loudly...and sing along too...loudly
~ smoke a cigarrette...in the house!
~ make a pot of coffee and have a dusk to dawn horror movie marathon and eat the popcorn with the most butter on it
~ have friends over and discuss government conspiracies and stuff
~ waste some time here and there on facebook
~ have friends over to play your kid's wii & guitar hero
~ burn nag champa and chant at your Buddha altar at 5:00 a.m.
~ let the chihuahua in the shower with you (seriously) :o
~ dance in your yoga pants, skip the yoga
~ make yourself breakfast in bed...cinnamon toast & chai tea and crawl back into bed with a good book

* just be sure to catch up on those dishes and all that laundry before she gets home so that nothing is suspected.....peace out :)

Not Without My Daughter

2011-08-08T18:36:00.005-04:00

click on pic to enlarge

So my hatchling is away from home for the next 4 days, having a "fam-jam" as she calls it, with her cousins. Don't get me wrong, I am soooo happy that she gets to spend some summer vacation time away from home, and I think it's healthy for her to spend time away from mom, but man, she just left last night and I miss her so much already!

I really need to get a life of my own! I don't regret one minute of always putting her first, meeting her needs before my own, but wow, I'm completely exhausted from this single mothering gig! Where do I start with reclaiming some of myself? I don't even remember the BT (the before hatchling was born time).

So far summer has been pretty damn fun. I've once again drained my "let's-get-this-damned-car-on-the-road fund", for hatchling to have the best possible summer.

click on pic to enlarge

Summer days of Chinese food, bussing everywhere, hanging out and hot stone massages.

click on pic to enlarge

Hatchling wanted to dye her hair blonde (gasp!). I figured why not - it's summer, it's not like she's asking for a piercing or a tattoo....so her bff did all the work and all she got was a lighter shade of brown....(exhale....). It's perfect and looks natural and sun-kissed, and we all love it!

Other than get some online jobs finished, any ideas what I should do with my free days?
I could...

a) sleep and blog and read books and drink yerbe matte tea on the deck
b) hang out with friends
c) veg on the couch in the air conditioning and watch X-Files re-runs and drink yerbe matte
d) clean every crevice of my apartment and re-arrange furniture (what I usually do when my hatchling goes away.)
e) go on a nature hike with our doggie
f) work on MY book
g) or...maybe...all of the above! (except d)

peace & sunshine!

Book Lovin' Bohemian

2011-08-02T17:58:00.001-04:00

Once in awhile in blogsville, if we're lucky, our paths cross with a kindred. A fellow blogger who seems to put into words everything we feel and think; someone who is in sync with everything we are passionate about, whether we have or haven't expressed these things on our own blogs. A blogger who posts photos that take your breath away, and writes posts that confirm that somebody else out there "gets you"; it's like they're on some of the same brain-wave patterns....someone who we would soooooo hang out with in the 3-dimensional world.
Such a person is Mon, a true bohemian spirit, raising a little one with the organic innate knowledge that each of us brings to our own raw journeys of motherhood, but are often afraid to trust in. Not Mon, and I find that quality most admiring about her. Not to mention her "vie boheme" is very similar to my own. And... she is the groovy creator of Joy Pockets.

Anyhoo...enough with the blog envy. Awhile back, this fav. bohemian nomad of mine decided to post a book/art/incense/boho-goodies give-away-draw celebrating and (& being thankful for), her followers reaching 100. And woo-hoo, I was so, so, so lucky to have WON THIS BOOK!!!

It's bursting with juicy creative ideas for art journalling and scrapbooking - both of which I love doing! Both of which I've been trying to get my 15 year old hatchling into...and this book may have done the trick!! She loves it and can't keep from leafing through the pages of this cool and awesome book!

It teaches you how to get super creative
with all different mediums.

AND for artistically challenged, (like myself),
each project comes with play-by-play instructions!

To show my appreciation, I will share my very first project from this book with y'all! Promise!

Peace & Thanks Again Mon!!

Joy Pockets

2011-07-29T13:21:00.000-04:00

It's Friday, and on Fridays I do this thang called Joy Pockets, inspired by Mon.

Lately I've been in this new headspace of adjustment. Adjusting to a new apartment (2 months TODAY in the same place!!!). Adjusting to a way too hot & humid summer which is difficult after being acclimatized to cold, snowy winters for most of the year. Adjusting to my hatchling growing and maturing so fast that as much as I am cheering her on, I still cannot believe how fast she is growing up!

So I look back on my week and find the joy pockets, the things that went well, the things that brought me joy...(cause they are there...you just have to look).

* I received my creative book in the mail
that I won in Mon's generous draw!
(post about that coming soon).

* a film in the making that I cannot wait to see

* my hatchling's pile of summer reading expanding
(we heart books!!)
*her generation's version of Go Ask Alice

* a tent we scored for $20 in anticipation
of an upcoming camping trip with friends

*my hatchling pushing all furniture against the walls
and setting up the tent in our livingroom!!!
(*note to self - get a pic of this!)

* local fresh-picked raspberries &
blueberries & yellow beans

* this Aussie-Goddess and her website,
overflowing with projects and e-courses
to help make your life fabulous!

* one baby step closer to getting my car on the road

* did I mention we scored a life/sanity saving air-conditioner?

*and omg - Paul Simon's son Harper proving once again
that the apple didn't fall far from THAT tree
...perfection!!

Peace & Happy Weekend!

Find Your Joy

2011-07-28T14:21:00.006-04:00

"A possible source of guidance for teenagers is television, but television's message has always been that the need for truth, wisdom and world peace pales by comparison with the need for a toothpaste that offers whiter teeth and fresher breath.” .....Dave Barry

One of my hatchling's best friend's since grade 3 moved to Alberta a few years back. Since then, her parents fly her back here every summer to spend a couple weeks. We absolutely love having her and the girls miss each other so much. When they get together again after the long winter and 1600 miles separating them, it's like they've never been apart.
I love these kinds of friendship connections that withstand all things, all the changes these girls are going through as teenagers and living so far away from eachother. I love how they still "get each other" and still have a very special bff bond.
I have a couple priceless friendships like that, so I totally get it when they "click" and end up in a heap of giggles on the floor

The other night they decided to embark on nail marbling! (just when I thought me & my friends had done it all).

Also spent a night of hot stone massages, making lemon/olive oil/espsom salt foot scrub (ahhhh....nothing more soothing for my constantly bare-foot hippie hatchling), and movies, junk food, more movies and more junk food.

See!!! NOT EVERYONE is out partying and getting high all summer!
Although in our small and completely uncultured town, with not enough stimuli for a growing teen, it's sad to say that drugs, alcohol, sex & teenage pregnancy are the norm here.
So proud of hatchling for remaining true to herself & her value system.

peace out!

Holy Shit - Some people are really FUCKED !!!

2011-07-23T22:51:00.005-04:00

Okay....I don't really use my blog as my soapbox or any kind of platform. And I think hate and anger are the stupidest and most useless emotions we have. I don't dwell on stupid people, angry & unhappy people and the shit they do...because it's their shit, not mine....why give losers, and shit-disturbers, and all liars, my energy, right? Fuck 'em!

That said, I cannot help being absolutely disgusted at the acquittal of this vile, evil, twisted bitch.

What's really got me fuming is that someone is idiotic enough to write this moronic, imbecilic waste of words. OMFG...I seriously can't believe what I just read!!!

Some nutjob wrote "Let’s Give Casey Anthony a Break".

"Let's give Casey Anthony a break"??????????? Huh, duh? wha???

Did her sweet little daughter Caylee get a break? Her mother didn't even report her missing for a month!! But "let's give her a break" Holy fuck man...I don't believe it.

Unfortunately, the justice system failed this sweet little babe.

You may or may not want to read this. I bet she is that one person who believes O.J. didn't do it either. The woman is a complete whack-job. Usually I write/speak diplomatically and am quite fluent in intelligible conversations....with intelligible people that is. When speaking with nut-jobs, however, sometimes you just have to sink down to their neanderthal way of thinking and drop a lot of F-bombs.

Her writings are in blue....my responses (other than wanting to give her a good smack upside the head) are in black.

The nut-case writes...

"Clearly, the girl’s got problems. Her daughter disappears and she fails to report it."
(you call this "problems"? I call it murder you idiot)

"She probably made a mongo mistake even becoming a mother in the first place." (ya think?)

"She’s pretty much lost all her friends and family".(awww...Caylee lost her LIFE!!)

"Plus, she sacrificed the past few years of her life to jail time," (arghhh!! sacrificed? SACRIFICED? she is a criminal of the worst kind - and jail is for criminals -duh?)

"which can’t have helped her professional life" (hahahahaha!!! you're fukn nuts lady!!!)

"–and God only knows what else probably happened to her in prison."(oh, I think we all know what happened to her in prison - and she deserves to be in there for the rest of her life)

"Now a jury has acquitted her of murder, but the rest of us are bound and determined to skewer her anyway". (yep!)

"Have we all lost the capacity to forgive?" (don't know anyone who could forgive a child murderer)

"I don’t know whether Casey Anthony killed her daughter. And I’m not going to spout off about how I totally trust our justice system" (your stupidity proven with this statement alone!!! )

"Let’s just give Casey the benefit of the doubt for a minute".(no way you dumb bitch)

"Let’s assume she was telling the truth and she really was abused by her father" (ummm...it means she let her own child live in the same house with a man who liked to put his dick in her mouth every morning before school).

"What if she did the best she could" (puke -no words)

"even though she might have been immature, selfish, and misguided when something terrible happened to her daughter a few years back." (nope, not buyin it - a mentally challenged 4-year-old would know to get help if a child drowned - if Caylee indeed even drowned)

"What if, freaked out but maybe even a little relieved, Casey made a horrible mistake and didn’t call the cops." (no mistake - Casey made a CHOICE not to call the cops)

"Maybe she wasn’t a very good mother".(LMAO - no words)

"After all, there are a lot of assholes in the world, and sadly, some of them reproduce. Maybe she wishes she had aborted her baby, but people in her life pressured her to keep it". (so "aborting" her at 3 yrs. old is the solution?)

"Maybe she was afraid she’d go to hell if she didn’t keep her child–or maybe she would get thrown out of her church–or maybe her parents would reject her." (right- yeah, but it's religiously and socially acceptable to let your child go "missing" and not report it for a month!!!)

"So she kept the baby she really never wanted in the first place.

Maybe she grew to love her child, but a little part of her always felt restless, trapped, tied down to a life she didn’t choose. Maybe she longed to stretch her wings, follow a dream, or just sow her wild oats, get laid, party her ass off, and let it all hang out." (lady- whoever you are, you are completely insane - get some help)

Then maybe Caylee disappeared in some way that had nothing to do with her.( so you're insane AND stupid)

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not defending Casey.(yes you are)

But if she was my sister, I would find it in my heart to forgive her. Because that’s what love is. (umm, No, love is not leaving your little girl in a wooded area; her mouth was sealed with duct tape and her body stuffed into plastic bags.)

"We all f*ck up, some of us bigger than others".(murdering your child is not a fuck up! it's murdering your child, you idiot!)

"Most of us get to keep our secrets hidden. But not Casey." (omfg - maybe cause her "secret" was not an affair with mailman...she stuffed her daughter into 2 plastic bags, duct-taped her mouth and left her in the woods)

"And now the whole world is judging her. (duh? yeah!!!)

"We’re ready to slaughter her, boycott any creative projects she ever tries to put out into the world," (what, 100 ways to creatively kill your child and not get caught?)

"Plus, not to get all born-again on you," (omg - here it comes...)

"but seriously, what would Jesus do? This dude loved even the sinners". (historically, the "dude" loved children and taught that they are a gift from the heavens)

"I’m not one to often quote the Bible," (apparently not - what about the commandment THOU SHALT NOT KILL)

" What I Propose" (haha - this oughta be good....)

"I abhor all the vitriolic hatred spewing around regarding this case, so I feel compelled to speak up. I believe things happen for a reason," (you fkn idiot, when a child dies at the hands of her mother, the reason is that her mother is evil!!!)

"and for whatever reason, The Universe has given Casey Anthony a second shot at life".(the Universe has done no such thing - a fucked up court & judicial system gave her an undeserved shot at freedom)

"What we can do is pray for her". (never)

We can open our hearts and let her know that we’ve all made mistakes we regret, and some of us have done horrible things we’d rather forget.(and you put this on the same level as what that vile bitch did? seriously, you whack-job, what part of she duct-taped her 3-year-old's mouth shut, stuffed her into plastic bags and left her in the woods for 6 months do you not understand?)

"I propose that we forgive Casey for any actions we might find reprehensible and give her a chance to use her experience to guide her to a life of meaning, purpose, and service".(I propose that you be locked up in the hoo-hoo house cause you're seriously fuckin crazy!!!)

"There but by the grace of God go I – or any of us for that matter" (I am not a christian, but how dare you make it sound like she had no choice between loving her daughter or killing her?...because that's what that phrase/scripture means)

"Let’s not be so quick to vilify this woman". (too late! she murdered the baby girl who depended on her the most - that makes her the worst kind of villain)

"This is our chance, as a society, to demonstrate that love trumps hate," (so you're saying that love doesn't trump killing your own child?)

To read the entire nut-case's story, or leave your own response, go here!

Rest in Peace sweet little Caylee

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Joy

2011-07-22T15:10:00.006-04:00

It's been quite a week. Looking back at the Joy Pockets that made s

my week one to be grateful for is something I'm learning from Mon and her perfect project for Friday bloggers. It really puts things in perspective when you think you've had a rough week. You should join us....go here to read more joy pockets.

* my new iced coffee addiction and learning to make it myself

*discovering this crazy-fun website

* hatchling and I survived this

* finally received tax refund money & spent $100 on groceries (tons of fresh fruits & veggies, and summertime not-using-the-oven meal ingredients)

* also able to purchase desperately needed fans & used air conditioner

* swimming in a friend's pool to beat the heat

* getting a whole pile of movies from a friend

(we don't have cable, so this is very exciting for us)

* planning our annual summer trip to Toronto to hang out with my brother

peace & happy weekend!

Is This What The End of the World Feels Like?

2011-07-21T12:41:00.001-04:00

(google image search)

For anyone who thinks we here in Canada are off hunting whale blubber....

Weather Warning from Environment Canada

Issued at 11:36 AM EDT Thursday 21 July 2011

Extreme temperatures and humidex values expected today. The humid tropical air mass has arrived as expected. The strong July sun will quickly cause the mercury to soar well into the middle and upper thirties this afternoon. Combining the record setting temperatures with the high humidity in this sultry tropical air mass will result in oppressive humidex values in the low to mid forties across all of Southern Ontario by this afternoon. There will be some local relief from the high humidex values immediately along the shorelines of the Great Lakes and large inland lakes. Current indications suggest that a weak front will slip through tonight. However in the wake of the front it will continue to be hot on Friday with temperatures in the low to mid thirties but somewhat less humid. Well above normal temperature will continue into the weekend for most of Southern Ontario with temperatures reaching the low thirties again on Saturday. It will be the combination of the duration of the high heat along with warm overnight conditions which makes this heat event particularly significant. During times of high heat and humidity, it is critical to stay properly hydrated by drinking Plenty of fluid like water or juice. Strenuous outdoor activities should be scheduled during the early morning or evening hours. Wear loose fitting, light weight clothing and spend as much time as possible in air conditioned places. Stay out of the sun and never leave elderly, children or pets unattended in a car.

I feel like I'm in a disaster movie. Thank the sun-gods that I was able to find a used air conditioner for $75 the other day. This is extreme. Seriously, I've lived in this area my entire life and don't remember a day when we couldn't go outside. The news is worried about a major power-outage in our area from being over-loaded with air-conditioners and fans. That would be horrible and I don't even want to think about it.

So today I will hang out with hatchling in our apartment, maybe do some scrapbooking, some art journalling, get ready for this, and drink lots of this!

What's it like in your neck of the woods today?

peace and keeping cool
Bohemian mom

Today is Magic

2011-07-19T06:42:00.002-04:00

"The morning wind spreads its fresh smell. We must get up and take that in, that wind that lets us live. Breathe before it's gone." ....Rumi

my oasis, my utopia, my nirvana...or my deck (depending on how I choose to see it)

I love to wake up early, especially in the summer. This morning I was up at 5-ish a.m. to enjoy some time outside before the heat of the day moves in. I think there's something magical in the very early pre-dawn hours. The whole world is still asleep. The birds, the squirrels, and the insects are beginning to stir. My daughter still crashed out in her sweet slumber, dreaming about whatever 15-year-olds dream.

It's a new day, fresh from yesterday's experiences, which are now already added to our memories of life.
It's a new beginning. Today - to do with whatever we want.
To choose to be happy and present as we go through our day or to just go through the motions of our everyday lives and not see it for the gift that it is....another day to live, to be alive, to be grateful for what we have, and forget about the rest.
Our day to enjoy, to be around people we love and choose to love, and who love us back; to not give our precious energy away to negative experiences, or to mean people who don't deserve to be a part of our headspace.
Today is ours, in this magical space and time; to begin again, to set new goals, to accomplish those already put into motion, to enjoy new experiences, to be present and aware and excited and appreciative.

I think Buddha said it best.....

What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind. ...Buddha

peace out!

And the Lord said, LET IT RAIN

2011-07-18T11:06:00.002-04:00

Ohhhhh My Gawwwwddddd!!!! I cannot remember a hotter, more humid summer - arghhh!!! And it's only mid-July!!!! I will melt into a oozing pile of flesh like some Rob Zombie movie if this keeps up. Maybe cause I'm in a 3rd floor walk-up ~~inferno~~ apartment with bizarre shaped windows that won't accommodate any air conditioner I can afford. I now have 4 fans going constantly and not feeling much of a difference. Never thought I'd say this, but I cannot wait for Fall! This is not what I call an enjoyable summer, and yet we here in Ontario Canada wait 9 months for this season....really???? F*ck this!

We were lucky enough to spend the 100 degree weather weekend at a friend's in their pool,(hatchling is such a water-sprite), and browsing air-conditioned stores that even let us bring in our chihuahua, because it was so hot & humid.

When I woke up this morning there were grey clouds overhead - a thunderstorm teaser. Now the sky is ~~fucking~~ freakin' blue, BLUE!!! and the thunderstorm prediction is being lifted! Gawwwddd....we can put a man on the moon, why can't the meteorologists get it right!!

Rain, hail, wind, thunder, lightening....bring it on!!!!... We haven't had a good summer thunderstorm yet. Please Mother Earth...give us a break from this humidity!!!
Pretty please with a storm cloud on top?

peace & umbrellas

Joy Pockets

2011-07-15T10:50:00.005-04:00

Inspired by Mon to join her Joy Pockets circle, on this Friday.

Reminding me of the little pockets of joy tucked into this past week. Even when you have one of those chaotic-busy-stressful-nothing-is-going-right weeks, you can always find a moment of joy...if you look....

*I was walking home from the grocery store and ohmygosh!!, right in front of me this mama duck was leading her babies across the street. I barely got the pic, after putting my groceries down very quietly so as not to scare them, and digging through my bag for my digi-cam. It's not the greatest pic, but what a great sight to see!

*my newest food addiction....cream cheese and homemade strawberry jam on pita bread

*the humidity finally B R O K E and we've had a couple of enjoyable summer days

*my friend's brand new preemie-baby thriving

*laundry piles diminishing

*sitting on my back deck under the stars, burning incense from Tibet,
and sipping herbe matte

*my basil plant flourishing in my sunny kitchen window

*a new kick-ass fan given to us from a great friend

*reading Jack Kerouac

*loving my new blog layout that I worked so hard on

Peace & JOY, have a great weekend!

"Beaching" the Generation Gap

2011-07-12T00:37:00.008-04:00

It's been so hot here, so when my friend called up and said "let's take our girls to the beach", I was all over that! So, we piled our collective girls, and one Chihuahua; towels, water and fresh fruit into her car and made the drive to the shores of Lake Erie.
Now this isn't just any ole beach, nope...this is actually MY beach...the beach that I grew up on in the little town where I was once a teenager. It was pretty much the only thing to do in the summer, (except for the summer me & my bff's all worked at Bic's Pickles - lol).
Anyway, we'd get our bikinis on and smear ourselves with coconut scented Hawaiian Tropic dark tanning oil,(all the boys loved that smell, you know), and we'd hang out all day, swimming and baking in the sun. Back then, we could do that, as there was still somewhat of an ozone layer. It was our thang, and sometimes at night some bad-ass-guy would start a bonfire and those were always the best, best nights.

So it was sorta weird for me. Who knew back when I was 15 years old, I'd be bringing my own 15 year old daughter to this very beach one day in the future? And it looks exactly, I mean EXACTLY the same. I even pointed out my favourite spot to my hatchling, and wondered if any of the same teeny-tiny grains of sand that I dug my toes in were still right there?
It was a great day, and a perfect break from the humidity. The water was cold, and therefore still (kind of) clean. The temp. was at least 10 degrees cooler than at home, and my hatchling loved seeing a glimpse of the girl I was...(like, about a million years ago)!

Don't judge me...I had beach humidity-hippie-hair going on and no make-up.

Hatchling doing the "Baywatch beach run".......

and our Chihuahua doing the "Baywatch beach run"...!!!

peace & sunscreen #5000!!

Over - Over - OVER - Whelm !!!

2011-07-07T13:30:00.002-04:00

*note - I'm trying to fix the glitch in my email

Alrighty then, so it's already July 7th - we've all made our grand entrances into summer. Kids are out of school...sun is shining...weather is HOT !!!
And my great summer to-do-list is staring me in the face every morning when I wake up. I wake up at dawn before the stifling heat & humidity take over my day. I sit on my deck (omg - I freakin love this deck!!!)
I drink strong coffee with almond milk and let my hatchling sleep in. I get out my journal, my favourite Sharpie, and open the otherwise known as "the bible for my life" to the back section where the SUMMER 2011 TO-DO List is.
Ahhhhhh!!!!
Cripes...!!
I am overwhelmed. Why do I think I can accomplish more in the next 2 months than I did all year? Not one thing, NOT ONE, is crossed off yet.

My blog is a mess...still trying to adjust widgets and xml and html codes to personalize a pre-made template I found on the net...time to go back to minima maybe?
My apartment is finally unpacked but it's been a hot & humid, steady 85 degrees F. up here for weeks,(feels like 90, as the weather guy likes to say), and I find it too exhausting to sort through the "stuff", arrange the furniture, set the right lamps in the right places, hang the pictures and all those energy-sucking little projects that make a house (or in this case, an apartment), a home. Instead a dull, throbbing heat-induced headache has trumped most of my days.
Dentist appointments I'd rather die than show up for, my car sitting in some mechanic's garage getting a new battery and I have no idea if it's even still there because I can't afford to pay the "ransom" on it. Income tax I still haven't filed ( I know - wtf? - procrastinator much?). A million resumes to prepare and deliver so I don't have to pick strawberries with foreign women at 5 a.m. for 1960's wages.
Perpetually cutting up fresh fruits and veggies for my hatchling to eat because it's just too hot to be hungry. And if I do attempt to cook something in our tiny apartment, the stove heats the place to over 100 degrees - no thanks. I fill our 2 Brita water pitchers constantly. Searching for a used air-conditioner that will fit my odd window size, when everyone who is lucky enough to have one, wants a million dollars for it (because they know they can get that much in this heat).
A laundry pile that almost reaches the ceiling of my closet, a sink full of dishes because I just cannot fathom standing over a sink full of hot soapy water to get them done. (maybe if I put my Walmart fan pointing at me - hmmm?....I may have just had a lightbulb moment?).

So I do what I do best when I'm overwhelmed. I say f*ck it. I take my kid to the nearest bus stop and we hang out at the air-conditioned mall, walking around and sipping iced drinks, to survive at least the hottest part of the day.


*Kudos to this cafe in Toronto's Kensington Market....pic taken last summer*

So how's your summer so far?

peace & huge kick-ass thunderstorms please!
(Happy Birthday V. wherever you are)

Insanity by Mosquito ?

2011-07-06T14:17:00.001-04:00

Public Service Announcement from the boho mom....
If you like to go, you know, OUTSIDE in the summer, here's a tip!

I don't know about your area, but where I live the mosquitoes seem to be bigger, more aggressive, and out for blood in droves, more than in past years. OY! Me & hatching are covered in itchy bites!

I found a solution that works for us. The nice, helpful, wonderful, sanity and skin saving girl who works in our local health food stored told me....

Lemon Eucalyptus Oil

Go get some now....do not pass go, do not collect $200 - just go get it now and your summer may be saved from the wrath of the mosquito ! I mixed the essential oil with our sweet almond carrier oil that I already had.....and it freakin works!!!!

*My hatchling is a teenager, so I don't know how this is with little ones...I'd advise you to check it out first.

peace out!

Mr. Sun - bring it on!!!!

2011-07-04T21:47:00.003-04:00

It's here, offically, genuinely, beautifully here! Summer, with it's sunshine but also sweltering humidity -(blahhh-something you non-Canadians wouldn't expect we get up here.), and omg - mosquitoes the size of Godzilla!!! But it's here and after a long, cold,  snowy and pretty much, an unproductive winter, I won't complain that it's over 85 degrees F. in our apartment most days.

My hatchling has completed her first year of high school -YAY!!!, and exams; and made the honour roll...(((((applause)))), and we're settling into our new rodent-free apartment quite nicely and I. AM. SO. HAPPY!

We've been spending evenings on our back deck with this view...

Hatchling drumming and welcoming in summer at our Soltice celebration, because that's how we roll!

Clusters of local fruit farms are so so so close to my home, and not 1, not 2, but 3 local Farmer's Markets!! 

Consuming as much as possible of the Mother Earth's gifts...

And acres of pick-your-own-fruit fields. The thing I miss most about having a car is bringing my hatchling picking fruit. So every chance I get to hitch a ride with someone, I go for it!

Me & hatchling hanging out and lounging and lunching with loved ones at their home...we were treated like royalty...(I felt like I was on a retreat!)

And here's me, a little out of my element, but loving it just the same. I'm more attracted to the organic beaches and polluted waters of Lake Erie...lol

*peace & prayers to the Great Spirit in the summer sky to help me find an affordable air conditioner!!!
.

This Girl

2011-06-24T10:57:00.003-04:00

This pic says it all. My hatchling, with her blackberry in one hand and her guitar in the other.
Today marks her last day of exams; her last day of her first year of highschool. She has soared through the year, amazing me every day with her level of maturity and intelligence, her self esteem and her self-worth, and her conscious choices not to conform in an environment of social conformity among her peers. This year has been one of learning for her, those lessons that lie beyond elementary school. Lessons that come from hours of hanging and talking and laughing with like-minded friends, guitar playing and writing song lyrics in her journal. Introspection, setting goals, realization of what she likes and what she doesn't like; discovering who she is as a person and getting a taste of who she wants to be as an adult. It's a magical time in her life and I feel privileged to have been witness to all these changes and I am so so so very proud of her.

And I am completely and totally 100% in love with her.
In love with her endless singing around the apartment, her guitar strumming of the same chords over and over again; the way she laughs at how I dance, the way she holds her little chihuahua's paws and dances with her, the way she investigates her closet every morning,looking for the perfect thing to wear, and yells at me if something she wants is in the laundry pile; the way she naturally ties her long hair up in a bandanna after she hops out of the shower. The way she turns her nose up every time I try and cook a new vegan meal.
I love that the only thing she is interested in learning to cook is a grilled cheese, that she refuses to wash dishes, how she calls me a "weird hippie" for my refusal to own a microwave, and how she whines that she's the only kid who doesn't have cable T.V.
I love that she finally shares my love of horror movies, and how she demands that all the lights are turned off and candles are burning when we watch one. I love how she still makes blanket forts when her friends sleep over, and gets mad at me when I won't allow her to drink coffee, coke or pepsi. I love how she's not shy to get up on a stage and sing and play guitar in front of hundreds of people; I love how she doesn't give her energy to negative people, and her ability to recognize that other people's problems are just that -their problems, and not a reflection on her; that negative, narcissistic, and just plain nasty people will always be out there, but they are not worth her valuable time..for she is too busy living and loving life!
Bring on the summer vacation!!!!

peace & love & growing up!

Summer is Here!

2011-06-22T17:35:00.008-04:00

How do busy New Yorkers celebrate the longest day of the year in the city that never sleeps? By winding down with a massive yoga class in the heart of Times Square, of course! Every year, Broadway Plazas between 45th and 47th Streets in Times Square are blockaded off from traffic as thousands of people partake in "summer solstice yoga." (Adam Pantozzi- timessquarenyc.org)

Isn't this the coolest thing? Kinda makes our little bon-fire celebration and honey cakes seem insignificant....
How did you celebrate the first day of summer?

My annual recipe for summer solstice Honey Cakes
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger (I use fresh-ground, yummmm!)

Warm the honey slightly and combine with the sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Sift the flour with the soda and spices and stir into the honey batter thoroughly. Let the dough rest overnight. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness; cut out with a round (sun-shaped)cookie cutter. Brush with the slightly beaten white of an egg; press half a blanched almond into each cake and bake at 375 degrees F, for about fifteen minutes.

peace & sunshine

FREE ADS & a boho give-away

2011-06-20T11:39:00.002-04:00

To celebrate being back online, I am offering FREE ADS for the summer. So if you have a blog, an etsy shop, or an indie business that deserves to get noticed or you want more traffic directed to, just email me at bohemianmom@hotmail.com, give me your link, and I'll put you in my sidebar for FREE until September rolls around.

AND...

Monica over at Bohemian Twilight is holding a give-away at her blog to thank her readers and followers. She is a true bohemian kindred spirit and I've been drawn to her blog from the first time I found it. You should really check it out. Authenticity, not like all the faux-boho blogs out there (my biggest pet peeve is people who spend a fortune trying to look poor!)
...this girl lives her truth, the bohemian way.

peace & happy summer!

Inspired by Real Men

2011-06-19T10:39:00.023-04:00

"A hundred years from now,
no one will remember the size of your bank account,
the kind of car you drove or the square footage of your house.
The world might differ greatly however,
if you were important in the life of a child".

Ridgely Goldsborough-(originally written as prose)

*Sending huge love and thank-yous out to all the men in my hatchling's life...her uncles, cousins, and our friends who've stepped up to the plate, to be present in my hatchling's life, to help me raise her with the unconditional love, encouragement and confidence that it takes to know she is definitely NOT "father-less" in her journey.

(hatchling chose some of her fav. pics for this important post)

peace & Happy Father's Day to all the real men out there!

COMMENTS CLOSED TODAY

Just say no to DNA

2011-06-16T13:48:00.010-04:00

Alicia Silverstone and friend

I'm usually not one to buy into celebrities and their sudden, overnight success in authoring books like "ways to lose weight", or their new found ability to produce a yoga dvd after a 6 month stint in rehab; or a book - "I didn't murder my wife, but IF I DID, here's how I did it". Stupid. Ridiculous. Bizarre.

I do however, make an exception with Alicia Silverstone and her book, The Kind Diet. It's the real deal. She's an authentic sweetheart, a compassionate and wise soul, and very very truthful and natural in the way she writes. She's not trying to exploit her "I'm the Aerosmith chick who appeared in 3 of the band's music videos; "Cryin'," "Crazy" and "Amazing." fame. She is not phony or arrogant about any of her lifestyle choices or the foods she cooks in her own kitchen and eats. And she shares all her information in the way only someone who is truly enlightened can do.

I am presently trying to shed the layers of an emotionally and physically stifling winter. This past winter was an absolute drag to me. For the first time in my life, I didn't push myself to do much. It was a boring trap that lacked my usual thirst for all things creative. I produced nothing. No writing, no resumes, no women's circles, and not too much was going on in my kitchen either. And because of the insane lack of jobs here, I didn't work much either. I didn't have the privilege of losing myself in TV shows or the internet. I couldn't afford cable or internet or even a phone most of the time. I immersed myself in my daughter's life; her initiation into high school and her feelings and growing pains along the way, which is a good thing that a present and devoted mom would do, right? Always, always...putting my own needs last, or just not meeting them at all.

So what did I do all winter in the basement apartment that we never should've moved to in the first place?... I mostly just went out for coffee a lot.
And I gained weight. About 15 pounds that I really don't feel comfortable in. Enough weight to notice that this last move, I wasn't able to lift as much, or as high or as easily as in the past. I felt the shift in my energy levels. I have a small frame, and for most of my life have always been slightly underweight...but alas, is middle-age is finding me? Well, so is my mother's DNA. Ughhh. My friends are telling me I'm looking way too much like her lately. This does not sit well with me at all!

A long time ago, I swore to Lucifer I would never wear Chanel #5, scarlet red nail polish on my toes, or dye my hair "Miss Clairol - medium auburn". And never, ever get fat like her. My mother led a pretty sedentary lifestyle. She was like in a perpetual state of PMS and would break out the potato chips and chocolate every night and plop herself on the couch in front of the T.V.
I am the opposite, quite by choice. I am more like my dad, whose hands were rough and calloused from working his whole life, who was always on the go-go-go, whether it was work or grocery shopping or carting us kids around....and whose muscles were still visible all the while he was sick with cancer.

So here I sit with my Kind Diet book, my box of black hair dye (kidding), and making my hatchling laugh that she too, will one day have this body to call her own.

I have made a promise to myself to drop these 15 pounds quickly by eating healthier...fresh fruit, veggies and grains, and stick with the program!!! I've been experimenting quite a bit the past couple months and stocking my fridge with healthier choices. I already walk everywhere, and just resumed yoga practice again.

It can be done! (I don't live next door to Tim Horton's anymore...large double sugar-double cream, anyone?). OMFG - can't believe my body hasn't rebelled and killed me yet!

peace & barley salad