Full Moon in Leo: Feb 1-2

I've been noticing beautiful Luna in the sky the past few nights. I can't believe two weeks have passed since the new moon. I thought she was full tonight, but not technically until 9:45pm PST tomorrow. (This timing puts the full moon into the 2nd in the Eastern U.S.)

If you'd like to read more about it, here's some specific info on this upcoming lunation from astro-blogger Jeffrey Kishner. Here's another really nice full moon in Leo article by Jean Hinson Lall from mooncircles.com.

~t

Egreetings

I've been talking about how much I love email. Another great function of email is the ecard. Ecards are wonderfully handy and convenient for any holiday. Check out these free, funny Valentine's Day eCards.

Here's a pic for a taste of the Valentine sillyness:



There is a great variety of funny, risque, animated eCards available for birthdays, Valentines, and many other occasions. If you're unsure about the commitment, you can get a free 30-day trial membership. When you're checking it out, be sure you have some fun by personalizing your cards with your own messages and even a picture. If you decide to take the plunge, a membership is a very reasonable $13.99 for a year. Think of all the paper cards you'd buy in a year. And these can be selected, personalized and scheduled to go out on any day. OR, if you forget (or get a last minute Valentine), you can send cards out on the same day. Love that.



~t

New Specs, at Long Last

I know, this has been a very exciting continuing saga. The broken glasses. The bad fixing by the husband. The geeky tape. The eye appointment (mostly covered by my new insurance, too--how cool!) Well, here is the final result of all of that. Thank you all for taking this journey with me. I'd like to thank all of the little people. You know who you are.

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And yes, those are non-glare lenses. Thank you Target Optical lady (Why can't I remember her name?) Part of the reason I got the non-glare, was for these pictures, dear reader. Snif snif.

~t

Email Marketing

I was asked to compose a sort of letter poem discussing how I feel about email. Ahhhh...email. I love it. I remember back over 10 years ago when my Dad got me hooked up online and I thought, "What do I need this for?" Ha! I need this for EVERYTHING! So, that is my first word for what email means to me. It is my everything. Here is a video version of what I wrote:



This post brought to you on behalf of MindComet, makers of amazing Email Marketing. And come on, who doesn't love email?



~t

Grisly Reality

Zane is having his very first Mars return. They happen just about every two years. It is the time when Mars returns to the place it was at when you were born.

You all know what Mars stands for, right? Well, if you don't, it's the male principle. Action, agression, excitement, raw sexuality. It also rules cuts and scrapes and bloody things. I think accidents, too. Zane had a very Martian experience yesterday. Check the poor little tyke out:

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I know, that's sad, isn't it? He's being pretty tough about it. He was touching it today and we were talking about how tough he is. He's been doing a lot of good talking lately. Here he is looking a little bit better so you don't have to focus so much on that nasty scrape:


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See? He's allright.

~t

Weight Loss Wednesday: Week 3 Results

Here we are on Weightloss Wednesday again!

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

Start Weight: 216
Goal Weight: 150
Total to lose: 66 lbs

Last Weigh In: 180.8
This Weigh In: 182.8
Total this week: +2

Total loss overall: 33.2
Total left to lose: 32.8

Wah. I have my period?

I am trying to focus on daily good habits. But apparently, it's hard.

I'll keep at it. Back on the horse, right?

~t

Protein Power

I had been putting off getting protein powder because it's so expensive. I'd been waiting and waiting and I finally decided I wouldn't wait anymore. I'm telling you, it makes all the difference for me in being able to stick to better eating habits. I find my body craves protein. When I'm hungry I could eat carbs until the cows come home. Hopefully, the cows come home early, because maybe then I'll stop eating carbs. Ok, that was a crazy digression. I lost it on my eating goals yesterday, but I'm back on track today and having snacks and breakfast that include the good ole protein powder are really making a difference. It leaves me feeling much more satisfied. Just thought I'd share.

Be Mine

There's just about 3 weeks to Valentines Day, so our lovers in the audience better start thinking about what you're going to do. How about something easy? I'm always down for easy gifts. I'm talking about Valentines baskets.

Gourmetgiftbaskets.com has a number of pre-designed baskets available with the finest in chocolates, nuts, wines, and fruits from the finest orchards, vineyards, and cheese makers in the world. But, you can also create a more personalized gift by designing your own and picking out the very favorite delicacies that you know your love will enjoy the most.

I don't know that I'd play this, but they did have a somewhat unique gift in the Strip Chocolate Checkers. They also had some great bubble bath and accessories baskets. Check it out.

~t

Poor Cow

Luke was cracking me up the way he was really going to town on his toy cow's tail today. He's getting bigger and bigger. (Luke, not the cow.)

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A little while later, Kevin told Luke to drop the toilet paper or paper towel or tissue he had in his mouth. He likes to get into the garbage. Yucko. Turns out it was none of the above. Cow tail.


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He doesn't seem too upset about it.


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~t

Leukemia Information

Cancer is such a heartbreaking disease. It can be especially so when you realize there is a chance it was preventable. If you have cancer, following is an important question for you. Was your Cancer Caused by solvents? If so, you may be entitled to legal compensation. Leukemia411.org has important information on:

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Leukopenia
Chronic myologic leukemia (CML)
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas (NHL)
Multiple Myeloma
Myeloma
Leukemia Lawsuits

If you feel as though solvents, maybe have been involved in your instance of cancer, you can contact the legal team at leukemia411.org. They will evaluate your case and see if you may be entitled to monetary compensation. Every little bit helps.



~t

Ba Ba Bock

We have been enamored of Ba Ba Bock's since we first purchased Zane's awesome Halloween Costume. Since then, we have collected a few other Ba Ba Bock's. This one became attached to Zane the other day, much to his amusement.



(I seem to catch my floor in photos a lot. Hmmm. I guess perhaps I am subconsciously super-proud of our beautiful hardwood floors. Love 'em. Especially with puppies and toddlers, who make MESSES!)

~t

Landmark Education

I've been interested in personal development for well over a decade. One name that comes up over and over again is landmark education. I have not personally taken any landmark courses (yet), but have heard from a number of their graduates how useful the program has been for them.

I am intrigued landmark education for a few reasons:

1. Their reputation and what I've heard from graduates myself.

2. The results they promise are intriguing to say the least. Here is a quote: Graduates "report major, positive results in the following areas:

• The quality of their relationships.
• The confidence with which they conduct their lives.
• The level of their personal productivity.
• The experience of the difference they make.
• The degree to which they enjoy their lives."

3. Among other things, Landmark education uses the power of language to show you how to change your own life. That is a powerful tool.

If you have an interest in any of these results in your life, you should definitely check out landmark education.



~t

Weight Loss Wednesday: Week 2 Results

Here we are on Weightloss Wednesday again!

Well, I'm not gaining! Ha.

Start Weight: 216
Goal Weight: 150
Total to lose: 66 lbs

Last Weigh In: 180.8
This Weigh In: 180.8
Total this week: +/- 0

Total loss overall: 35.2
Total left to lose: 30.8

I just keep to be holding steady at 180.8. Le sigh. However, I had an interesting realization this week. I've been trying to motivate myself by looking at how bad I think I look with the extra weight. I've been doing it all backwards. Instead, I've decided to think about how I looked at my goal weight. And then do a sort of "What would Jesus do" in the form of "What would skinny Terri do?" Basically, trying to get into my old mindset that kept me in a better shape.

So, that's my big goal.

I did better with water and a little better with eating I think. I decided not to count points because I was getting so sick of it and I've been having trouble with my WW site. But I didn't lose any weight, so I'm going to try to get back to the points counting. I also bought some protein powder, which really helps me. I just feel better when I include protein as part of a snack. It scratches some sort of snacking itch and makes me more satisfied. So, that was good. I also added a lot more vegetables back in the last few days. I finally made my marinated veggie salad that I love and made a green salad with dinner last night, at the risk of my own life making it while Kevin was making dinner. Ha! And the weather has been better so I've taken a couple walks. WHY didn't I lose? Dangit. Oh well. Back to points.

Allright, this week I plan to continue with the water, the veggies and add the points counting. And get some exercise when I can.

Here's the photo I've been looking at for inspiration this week. I'm a little over my goal in this shot, but I love it. It's from my wedding.



~t

Getting the House

Looking for a house can be a lot of fun. Paying for a house isn't always as fun. When you find that perfect casa, you need to make sure you are checking out the Mortgage Rates in order to be sure you can afford it. (I know, details, details.)

It can be intimidating to figure all of it out, especially if you're a first time home buyer like we were. (Now we're seasoned veterans. Ha ha ha. I'm sure if we decide to buy again, we'll need a lot of help still, since this sort of thing tends to go right out of my head.) Luckily for all of us, here is a great online mortgage calculator. Tools like these are great to help you make sure that not only are you getting a good deal, but one that works with your financial needs. That way, you can truly live happily ever after in that new castle.

~t

Attention Parents of Toddlers

If any of you do NOT have Fisher Price Little People, go right now and buy some. We got this for Christmas:

He LOVES this. He absolutely loves it. At first, he was really good about playing with them by himself. Now he still does sometimes, but we also hear a lot of "Play guys, Mommy" and "Play guys, Daddy."

We got some of the "guys" from my friend Erika, whose daughter is almost five now. One of my favorite guy memories is from a while ago, when I was talking to Erika on the phone and Emma was acting up (like they do). Erika said to Emma, quite sternly, "Emma, you go find yourself a guy and play with him."

~t

PartyCasino.com

Well, what better to do on a dull day than play some online casino games. It's a good way to pass some time and perhaps even make a little money, as long as you can be responsible about it. One of the first things I noticed about PartyCasino.com, is that they are committed to responsible gaming. I think that's really important.

I've had some fun with slots in the past and a little bit of video poker. I was able to sneak in a couple of slot games in Vegas, but it's fun to be able to play online. PartyCasino.com has a number of different varieties of video poker and slot games. They also have Caribbean Poker, Triple Card poker, Let It Ride, Blackjack, and more. You can take a tour around the site and preview everything before you start playing.

All you need to do is download a little over 6MB of software, install it on your system, and create an account. It's that easy. In case you have any problems, there also is 24 hour support. Check out PartyCasino.com and start playing (and hopefully WINNING!) now. Now, play responsibly, folks. (end Mom lecture.)

~t

Dull Day

I'm trying to think of what to blog about and there hasn't been much going on today. The sun is shining. It's been a while. It's funny. I don't notice until it comes out. I somehow hurt my back. It had that little weird feeling like it had to pop. So I tried to pop it. I tried everyting. I popped just about everything in the process. Now my back hurts worse. Duh. I fell asleep with Zane. That probably didn't help. I wonder if my insurance covers chiropractic. Wow, that would be awesome. I should figure this stuff out. I miss my chiro.

We finally got Luke a new crate. It's too big. Kevin doesn't think so. He thought the medium was too small. I thought the large was too big. It's supposed to be cozy. It's not cozy. Kevin still thinks it is. Sagittarius. Bigger=better. Kevin is too busy to read my blog these days, so he'll never even know I blogged about him. Bwah ha haaa!

I'm actually glad for a dull day. Except for this back business. It's so nice out. I'd like to take a w-a-l-k (one of the words we ALWAYS spell around here.) Seems like it won't happen. Darn.

~t

More Vacation Dreams: Florida

I have a friend who lives in Wisconsin and goes down to Florida alone on a regular basis. Her children are grown and they have children of their own, so that's not an issue. She leaves her husband and just has her alone time, walks the beach, attends classes, sees movies, etc. Now that sounds like a really nice thing to do, and easier to do if not in a majorly tourist area.

A great way to accomplish a trip like this is the many by owner florida vacation rentals. It's also a nice option if you decide to take the family with you. Since the place you would be renting is an actual home, you'll generally have benefits like a full kitchen to do your own cooking. That's a real cost saver with a family. This one looks really nice for that at 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and a fabulous beachfront. It even has a heated pool. I've stayed in condos on the beach before, and that's been great fun. I wonder if I could convince Kevin this would be a good idea.

~t

You Will All Be So Sad: Glasses Update

Heh heh--I ordered new glasses today! No more tape for me. Well, in 7-10 days there will be no more tape. And, I found out at the store that a large chunk of my exam, glasses, and contacts were covered by the insurance I'm paying WAY too much for. Gotta love Target. Woo hoo. I even got non-glare lenses so I could take more attractive pictures for you with my webcam. You'll be the first to see when I get 'em. Ok, maybe my husband and kids will see them first. Oh, and my mom.

By the way, shout out to Target Optical in Lacey, Washington. (I'm sure they need a link from me!) They had the nicest and most helpful staff I've ever encountered at an optical place. And I've been going to optical places for roughly 23 years.

~t

Aloha Hawaii

Just about this time of year we all start dreaming about a tropical vacation. Now that I'm on the west coast, Hawaii seems like a really nice option. Although I've never been there myself, I know a few people who have visited or lived there and I hear positively lovely things about the islands.

When I went to Paris, I stayed in an apartment right in town, and that was fabulous. There are a lot of by owner hawaii vacation rentals available for a similar kind of experience there. The above site is a great place to find options that you can rent directly from the owners or managers. Hey, wasn't there just a movie with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet where they did something like that? I wonder if the Hawaii rentals include a fling with Jude Law. Somehow I doubt it, but it doesn't hurt to ask. (Just kidding, I wouldn't ask for that.)

~t

Feelin' Poorly? Or Want to Help Others Who Are? Read On!

My dear sweet husband, Kevin, is a healer. He was a professional healer and teacher when I met him. Somehow, I unwittingly killed his career with my love. Or the fact that he needed to move to Milwaukee to be with me. He was also somewhat disillusioned with "the industry", meaning mostly New Agey-type folks. Kevin believes a lot of truths, but he doesn't stand for any nontruths and he'll tell ya exactly what he thinks they are!

Anyhow, much to my happiness, he has recently gotten back into teaching and healing (he's been healing all along, just wasn't charging money.) He is great at it. If you have any interest in a healing or learning to heal others using his methods, check this out. If you just want to read about the cool things he does, check out his healing blog, Theta Mind.

~t

Car Insurance

Caspian likes to talk about the day he'll be able to drive. He's very much looking forward to it, even though he only just turned nine. I am NOT looking forward to in the slightest, especially based on the way he space-walks through some of his days now! Aye yih yih. And then there's the question of automobile insurance. How much do teenagers add to your premium? I don't even want to think about it.

GEICO, however, does think about that and much more. They have an entire online library devoted to teen safe driving. One part of that is some great tips on "teens and trucks". Sample topics covered include passing trucks, staying out of trucks' blind spots, avoiding sudden stops near trucks, and more.

~t

Happy Birthday Aquarians!

It's time to celebrate! The sun entered Aquarius this week. What does that mean? Well, my birthday is coming up. Ha. But other than that, I've been combing the web looking for new astrology blogs. That's a perfect sun in Aquarius activity, actually, since Aquarius is all about both astrology and the internet.

I just found this site, Numerology-Astrology, which funnily enough uses the same template I'm currently using. (I really hope to get something more customized soon.) I found a lot of stuff, but I don't want to bog either you or me down right now, so just check out this one, too.

(ha ha--they're talking about the "eye of jupiter" on Battlestar Galactica, Kevin's favorite show.) Allright, I am inspired. Here is an article on Jupiter in Sagittarius. Enjoy.

~t

Embarassing Concert Experience

Well, PayPerPost is definitely up to something again. They have asked us to share our most outrageous, exciting, or embarassing concert experience in video. And then there will be a contest on YouTube. Whoever gets the most views wins $500! AND, the contest ends just a couple short days before my birthday. Wouldn't that be the ultimate birthday gift? Five hundred smackers. We could really use that.

But, what exactly is PayPerPost up to? I have a feeling perhaps they are planning something of their own PayPerPost Concert or something. Maybe it will be Ted and the Catfeesh.

Anyway, here's my video. I hope you enjoy it.





~t

The Devil Wears Prada

I dug this movie. It was the perfect "everyone's-gone-to-bed-and-I-have-the-living-room-to-myself" movie. I think I even got to watch it in one sitting. Holy heck, somewhat unheard of. I don't really understand why Anne Hathaway always has to play the ugly duckling, but I guess it works. Maybe it's in her astrological chart? This was just fun. I mean, there was a little bit of a message and all, but mostly it's girl fun with clothes and accessories. Which is not to say the story wasn't good. It was. It definitely kept me interested. And I just liked watching what they kept doing with Anne's bangs. Yes, I'm feeling very deep these days.

And for those of you who still read books: (I love to read books, just have a hard time doing it these days!)



~t

Lasershield

I don't believe in letting fear rule my life. However, having the added peace of mind that a Security System can bring does have a lot of benefits. I am pretty accustomed to them in the workplace, but this one is a nice model for the home.

The Lasershield is portable, easy to install, and can expand in order to connect multiple systems. It's a wireless unit that provies 24/7 monitoring perfect for a small office, home, or apartment. The unit is wireless, pet friendly, and also has a keychain alarm. Not only that, it's readily available at the following stores: Comp USA, Home Depot, Costco, Kmart, Montgomery Ward, and Sears. Now those are some benefits. If you're in the market for some added security, I'd definitely check it out.

~t

My newest love

Yes, it's hard to lose weight when you find lovely little delights like these. Truffles. Mmmmmm. I love truffles. And these are organic and from France! Sometimes we think Zane is from France, mostly from the way he says "paper". It sounds like "pay-pearrrr".



Those are the chia herbs in the window that I got Kevin for Christmas. They seem to be doing nicely. We've got some basil and cilantro and chives and parsley, methinks. They should be some good eatin' soon.

~t

Capricorn New Moon

I seem to be into sharing information about astrology lately, so I think I'll just go with it. Today we are under the influence of the Capricorn new moon. The new moon is a special time for me, because I used to to make new moon wishes for a long time. I had some great luck with those for a while. I suppose it wasn't luck. We even got married on the New Moon in Libra. Here's a link to the book on Amazon, if you are so inclined. It's great.

.

Here's an article on the current New Moon in Capricorn by astrologer Jeffrey Kishner. Here's another one from mooncircles.com.

Enjoy!

More phones, more phones, more phones

I tend to do those triple phrase titles. I don't know why I like them so much.

So, I was just waxing poetic about the Motorola Razrs that are so popular, and then I found this: Motorola Z3. I think I may be in love. Honestly. I am not even really a geek. I mean, I am a little, but not really to the naked eye, and I'm definitely not one of those who needs to have the latest and coolest technology, but...Oh.My.God. It is just so cool looking. And it's got a camera and games and all that jazz, of course. I think it even makes phone calls! Ha-it probably makes a martini. Ok. The real scoop is: Yes, it makes phone calls. No, it doesn't make martinis.




So many phones, so little time. Also check out the Motorola KRZR K1. Motorola has got it going on.

Good Morning America

Well, sorta. This morning was so funny. Good Morning America had a segment on that showed how to find the best glasses for your face shape. Ha ha ha ha ha hah! Do you think the universe is trying to tell me something? Still no for sure job on the horizon, so I'm reluctant to put away the masking tape for a real pair of new prescription glasses. Plus, I've never gone here. They don't seem to have a Stein Optical, which is where I went in Milwaukee. I'm thinking of going to Lenscrafters. Anyone, anyone?

I need to do a card reading on my job situation. But I'm blogging right now. Haven't felt like blogging in a while, so I best get to it, huh? I think I might even do a vlog for Shameless Reality Show! Hold the phone!

Oh yeah, and I wanted to do an entry on the new moon. I'll go look into that. Oh, let's hope Zane stays asleep! (Well, I don't know if you really care, but I do.)

~t

Wirefly Announces Top 10 Phones of 2006

I have been somewhat slow to warm up to cell phones. I think everyone should really be forced to take an etiquette class before they allowed to purchase one. However, they do seem to be an extremely pervasive part of our culture these days and certainly have their merits when used in a conscientious way.

Of course, they are also somewhat fun toys. The best of the best can be seen where Wirefly announces the Top 10 cell phones of 2006. This list was based on customer sales, so it really is a popularity list. What won? Hands down, Motorola Razr. These phones consistently top the list of most popular. Why? Well take a look:



I'm sure the technology is what it needs to be. I'm sure the features are there. What else? I imagine it's because they are just darn cool lookin'. Yep. The phone has become an extension of the person. (Was that a pun?) They're cool. Some say iconic. No wonder they're so popular.

No go ahead and get one, but please don't talk on it while a waiter is trying to take your order, you're in a traffic situation (I know, I know), or blab as loudly as you can in the airport. Just don't.

~t

Hey, I fixed 'em!

I look cool, don't I? Good thing Kevin broke 'em. He hasn't been able to say anything about it all day.

~t

Totally Blind and Lost

My glasses have been on the way out for a couple years now. I only wear them right before bed and in the morning before I get dressed. On some PJ days I wear them all day. After Zane was born, they took a beating because I tended to sleep with them in the bed with us, not in a case. A lens popped out. The glasses place popped it back in after MUCH wrangling and a little stretching of plastic. They said they would never be able to be fixed again. The lens popped out again today. I sorta had it back in and Kevin asked if he could help me. I should have said no. He tends to use force. He used a little too much force. Broke-ola. Dang. The entire frame is broke. He didn't mean to. He thought he had them fixed.

It's time for me to get ready for bed and I don't know quite how to do it!!! I can't put my glasses on and putter around the house, the computer, or the TV. Without glasses or contacts, I can't see squat. If I leave my contacts in, I will not be ready for bed when Zane calls. Aaaaaah.

I have to make an appointment with the eye doc, but I haven't gone in a long time. I guess it's time. But what do I do until then? And who will I take to help me decide on glasses? I guess it doesn't matter, but I need me some! (And dang, they can be expensive, especially for the unemployed. More on that later. Been stressed lately, hence the less blogging.)

~t

Eddie Murphy's Mom's Cheese Sauce

Do you remember that sketch that Eddie Murphy used to do where he talked about wanting McDonald's cheeseburgers and his mom always made cheeseburgers from scratch? And how different those mom-cheeseburgers were. Not at all McDonaldsy and not at all what Eddie had in mind.

We had a similar experience in my house today. Something got us on the topic of cheese sauce. And I decided I wanted cheese fries (gee, wonder why I'm not losing weight?). Not being from around here, we weren't quite sure where to get such a delicacy. I thought Arby's, but Kevin had to go to the store to get smokes and decided he would just make cheese fries.

Do not attempt to make cheese fries.

You know the sauce I'm talking about. You can get it on nachos or pretzels at the movie theater. It has a nice unnatural orange hue about it. It's probably out of my home state of Wisconsin. It doesn't need refrigeration, which should tell you something. I know this because we actually had a cheese sauce dispenser at my last place of employ for a while as a special employee treat. It's smooth and creamy and cheesy and I'm sure really wrong as a food.

Here is what Kevin made:
(Disclaimer: Kevin is generally a fabulous cook who does a whizbang job with everything in the kitchen. This was the exception.)



So proud. Is that a SLEEVE of cheese?:



Gack.

Caspian also made this sandwich with the meal:



And Zane took his buttered roll, stuck it on his thumbs and slathered the butter all over his face.



It was one of the grosser meals we've had in sometime. Perhaps the grossest. It recalls bland dinner night in a weird way.

Caspian loved the cheese sleeve, I mean sauce.

~t

ps--if you like this post, you'll love my friend Amy's post on colon cleansing. (Beware: truly gross.)

Weight Loss Wednesday: Week 1 Results

Here we are on Weightloss Wednesday again!

My goals for this week were to get on program and stay on program and to drink more water. I did not really get on program, but I did drink more water. So yay for that! It's been a stressful week with looking for work and having to get some more professional clothes for interviews and going on interviews and having my kid home from school waaaay too often and having a kid party. I did learn that I definitely eat when I'm stressed now. I never used to that. I guess that's why it's hard for me to lose weight. It's good to know. Now I can work on changing that.

So, I guess I'm just glad I didn't gain.

Start Weight: 216
Goal Weight: 150
Total to lose: 66 lbs

Last Weigh In: 180.8
This Weigh In: 180.8
Total this week: +/- 0

Total loss overall: 35.2
Total left to lose: 30.8

I'm going to make those the same goals for this week:
Drink my water
Stay on Program

I'm a little over my goal here, but this is the photo I've been trying to look at for inspiration:




~t

Coming to a future near you: Pluto in Capricorn

I've been reorganizing my online life a little bit more lately. I've been using Google Reader to read more blogs lately and one I really like but always forgot to go to is a great little astrology blog called The Pisces Chronicle by fellow Washington Stater, Pat Paquette. I've not met Pat, but perhaps someday I will. I've been doing a bit of back-reading tonight. She points out a great astrology article in Vanity Fair about the long ranging effects of Pluto for the United States. I thought it was fascinating. And Vanity Fair. And astrology. How cool. Check it!

~t

Postie Carnival 2: Worthy Causes and Charities

I know, I've been a carnival freak lately. (ha ha ha.) But, I couldn't help participating in this one for a couple reasons--first of all, this the Carnival of Worthy Causes and Charities. There are a lot of these near and dear to my heart, but apparently the nearest and dearest is till good ole Ten Chimneys. I feel like I grew up in my job there and it will always be special to me. Second of all, my friend and fellow Postie, Suni, is hosting. So hop on over, and check it out. I'm sure you'll learn something of value and maybe even feel inspired to give in some way.

~t

Fuel My Blog

Here's a cool way to advertise your blog for free. It's for a limited time only, and guess what else? They have GREAT taste? Why, you ask? Because I'm currently blog of the day in the lifestyle section! Yay. Thanks, Kevin from fuelmyblog.com!!!

~t

Ten Chimneys

Before I was gainfully unemployed I worked at Ten Chimneys. It's hard to explain what Ten Chimneys is, easily. It's many things to many people. Originally, Ten Chimneys was the estate of 20th century Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. It was their home, their summer retreat, the place where they created, entertained, and relaxed. Their friends came to stay and enjoy the renowned hospitality of Lynn and Alfred. These were people like Noel Coward, Helen Hayes, Laurence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn and other luminaries of the day.

Lynn and Alfred built Ten Chimneys from the ground up. It is as personal as a diary and holds the history of early 20th Century theatre. Not only that, but it hold their ideals, their values, the things that made them great and can inspire us and future generations to greatness. These values are intangible but important: friendship, creativity, hard work, dedication, family, discipline, reflection, and whimsy, just to name a few.

The place itself is beautiful: 60 acres of rolling hills in the southern Kettle Moraine of Wisconsin. Three picturesque buildings with hand-painted murals and curtains made by the first lady of 20th century American Theatre, Lynn Fontanne. It is important to preserve this space for all of us to remind us of the values, so we can tell the stories and remember.

Ten Chimneys is now an official National Historic Landmark. It is a house museum with tours from May through November. It is a center for the arts where important work in theatre happens to this day, as it did when Lynn and Alfred lived there. Visit in person, or online if you cannot get there. But visit. If you'd like to learn about touring, visit here. If you'd like to donate, click here.

~t

Money Money Money

So, how's everyone doing with money after the holidays? Well, if you've been following around here, we don't really have a huge amount of income these days. Hopefully, that is about to change. However, none of us are any strangers to loans, and I imagine if we really need to, we'd be able to get some money for at least the short term.

Of course, my mom has had her share of mortgages, including one on our current home. Kevin had a whopping student loan that he ignored until we were married and I forced him to deal with it. They were actually a number of loans that turned into debt consolidation loan. That was very handy indeed, and I'm sure saved us some money after all the money we squandered letting it go for so long. Oops. Well, I didn't feel qualified to nag until we were officially married. Of course, it's best to take care of these things rather than let them go. We're still paying on that one. But I've been helping Kevin and his credit score out, thankfully. Otherwise our only option might be a bad credit loan.

We've been working pretty hard to get all these things paid off, so hopefully we will be financially stable and debt free in the future. Perhaps even the near future. I guess a job might need to come first.

~t

Self Portrait Sunday

I searched and searched for an angle where you couldn't see my beautiful zit on my cheek. I FOUND one! This is for Cass, creator of this fun and humbling meme.



~t

Another Great Use for Baby Sign Language

When your mouth is full of chocolate, sign language allows you to ask for more chocolate. I swear to God, that Zane has not signed anything in about a month (since he has begun speaking much better). Just now, after he shoved a mini Kit Kat in his mouth, he signed "More" so he could have another one.

He loves chocolate.



~t

Maybe it's the waning moon

I think the waning moon probably is playing some part in my desire to curl up into a ball of jammies and not wear contacts today. It's that old game from childhood revised. Maybe if I don't see you (contacts), you won't be able to see me. Maybe it's the end of a cycle. It seems to be the end of a lot of cycles lately. My handy dandy little sidebar widget has been reminding me of the moon. That's why I put it there. Oddly, since I've had my kid I've become more disconnect from mother moon and the planets (and no, that's not a band).

As a fledgling astrology student, I am aghast at myself. On any given day, I don't know where all the planets are. Ok, lemme think, I could tell you from Jupiter on out. That's despicable. I mean, if I think I can always tell you the sun. But I do not know where the moon, Mercury, Venus, or Mars are right now. I'm sure that sounds weird to the lay people, but when I was really studying, I made it my business to ALWAYS know where the planets were in the sky. It just seemed the responsible thing to do. The moon can be hard to keep track of--she moves every couple days, so that one I could tend to forgive.

Anyway, I like the widget, so I wanted to call your attention to it. And off me? Ha ha. If you like it too, you can get it here. I found it on LaDonna's blog originally. Hmmm...I thought I found it there, but now I don't see it. Sorry if I'm missing giving someone credit.

Here's what it looks like:

CURRENT MOON

lunar phase

Here's a site about Lunar Astrology. I didn't find anything about this specific waning moon. Well, the moon just went into Sagittarius from Scorpio. Perhaps that's why I had been feeling so withdrawn and why I'm now blogging away about feeling withdrawn. Scorpio can be withdrawn, hidden. Sagittarius is into truth, baby.

This is kinda cool about magic and the waning moon. See, it seems astrologers don't get into that much of nitty gritty moon stuff since it's always changing. But Wicca practitioners do, since it's always changing. If you want to harness astrology for manifestation, the moon is handy that way. You don't have to wait to long to work something or begin something. If you want to harness astrology for personal understanding, the current moon isn't as handy as other things can be. It doesn't have as much effect on us in the long haul, since it's always changing. That's just my personal take. Ok, here's a quote from that page that I like to describe this time that might explain the introverted feeling:

"The Waning Crescent Moon can be seen after the Last Quarter Moon and before the New Moon. The crescent growd smaller every day, until the Moon seems to disappear - turning "dark" at the New Moon.

More reflection, quiet, and meditation."

Perhaps that's also why I've been reading, consulting my cards, and just kinda rambling on here. Enjoy your reflections.

Ok, and in my research as I babbled along this post, I learned:

Moon in Sagittarius
Mercury in Capricorn (almost in Aquarius)
Venus in Aquarius (near my sun)
Mars in Sagittarius

There, now I feel better. It's like other people not knowing the news. It's the celestial news for the astrology minded.

~t

Bulgaria

Another kid-party related post. This is so funny. Just yesterday, Kevin was looking for kid party games. He searched online and found some of the weirdest games we ever had heard of. I don't know the link, but there was one where you make kids smell different flowers and identify what flowers they are. Well, that sounds sweet, but first of all, where would we get all these flowers in Washington in January, and second of all, those kids wouldn't be able to identify them! Maybe it's a sad commentary.

And then there were the games mentioning "the Bulgarians". There were also some adult games where you make someone drink a glass of wine and some where you make an appointment for someone else? Like what? A dental appointment? That's not a game, that's called being a wife! We thought it was very odd until Kevin realized he had found a Russian site. Nothing against Russians or Bulgarians, but it was just very funny to us. The cultural differences were quite obvious even though it was hard to spot at first.

So, then Bulgaria came up for me again today, when I read about sofia property. Apparently, Bulgaria has a lot going on! They were just accepted into the EU this month. There are beautiful beaches and resorts and great skiing.



Who knew? Sometimes living in the United States it's easy to become insular. It's great we have the internet to broaden our horizons. Yay, Bulgaria.

~t

Feeling Introverted - Kid Party Shell Shock

It's so funny that my last two entries have been about online popularity contests and I just can't seem to write a real post the past few days. I thought of something earlier and now I plum forgot it.

I have a lot of pictures to go through from Caspian's kid party yesterday, but thinking of that intimidates me. And then I might have to relive it. ::shudder:: Kid party. ::shudder:: We had approximately 7 kids here and we might as well have had 70.

The upside? We don't have to do it for at least another year! Yaaaaaaaaayyyy! We always hate doing the kid party. We got out of it last year. Other times we feel guilted into it. This year it was because we are new here. How could we not invite his new friends over? So we did. We are not the picture perfect parents. We are fun, sometimes. But not fun in the way of wanting to be involved in kid-related things. We are not fun in that way. So, this is what we do out of guilt. NOW, everyone is asking us if the party is a SLEEPOVER? Are they INSANE? This was 2 hours and it was PLENTY. Plenty, I say. Plenty.

Ok, I found one photo. If I ever get my shit together, I might have more.

(See, here's the problem. Blogger is not letting me upload. So I have to upload to Flickr. Or I could use dropshots, but I'm at my limit. It's a pain to upload to Flickr. I tried to upload their tool, but it didn't work. Arrrgh. Technology.)l

Anyway, here it is:



~t

I'm a FIVE

Holy heck, people, Google updated, and I've finally got some PR! Wanna check your PR? Go here:




Woo hoo, I'm unstoppable now!!!

Thanks to everyone who's linked here!

~t

I'm about to be booted from Top Momma!

Well, I can't say that I'm surprised that I ain't Top Momma. I've had my 4 hours in the sun. Top Momma is a cool new site advertising blogging Momma's. You get your pic on the top board when you get there and then if you are popular via clicks (through to your site) and referrals, you get to stay. I ain't so popular. But you can help! If you are a blogging Momma, go there via this link.


Maybe I'll last more, but it's looking unlikely. Go on over there and SAVE ME from annihilation.

Later edit: I think I must be assuming it's still just Heather, my husband, and my brother who read this blog. But my new blogging friend Mel didn't know what to click! Look for this picture of me and Zane and click it:



~t

Scattered Zen

I'm trying to decide whether or not I think that title is an oxymoron. I guess not. Since Zen incorporates all, I suppose being scattered would be fine.

Scattered Zen is a new online community and store dedicated to health and living from a natural and renewable perspective. Right now they are in the building phase and excited to welcome new members, who will be Charter Members with special benefits as time goes on.

This is a cool way to create a community of like-minded folks interested in doing something good for themselves and the earth. There will be sharing of recipes and knowledge on the message board and in fully accredited articles and members will be able to sell their products in the site's store. Check it out!



~t

Animal Carnie

No, that's not animal meat, it's animal carnival. It's the latest edition of Bestest Blog of All Time's Carnival, hosted by Morgen over at It's a Blog Eat Blog World. Yours truly is paticipating once again. (And we thought I wasn't a joiner!) Go on over and show the carnies some love. Tell 'em I sent ya!

~t

9 Year Old Wisdom

Caspian turned 9 today!!! Yay!!! I cannot remember where the phrase "9 year old wisdom" started. It happened last night. He thought he was being particularly smart about something and said his "9 year old wisdom" must have already showed up. Heh heh. There were then many jokes about whether it was coming FedEx, UPS, USPS. Could we track it online? You know. Here's a pic for ya. I think I'll write more about the day on Shameless Reality Show, since that's what that is for.

Isn't he cute?



~t

Hear New Music First or Be Discovered!

This is such a cool idea. There's a new site that showcases Unsigned Artists. This way, the listeners get to hear new music first, and the artists get listeners and a chance for signing and a lot more listeners.

Unsigned.com is a brand new site, just released January 8th, so it's still in Beta, but they've got some big plans. Right now, artists can register, listeners can preregister, anyone can browse artists by genre.

They're also working on some great upcoming features for the full release.

Be one of the cool kids. Check it out. I mean it.



~t

It really doesn't snow in Olympia

We love Olympia. One of the reasons we moved here, was the more-temperate-than-Milwaukee climate. Supposedly, it really doesn't snow here, neither does it get that cold. It's been snowy and cold. Not as bad as Milwaukee usually is, however, so I can't really complain. I just find it kind of funny.

Funnier still is that because of the amount of snow you see in these photos, Caspian was off school. It just stops things in their tracks here. Be careful what you wish for, I guess. I always thought we should just stop for storms. I guess I still think that. I guess I just wouldn't really consider this a "storm". It's kinda cute. It's Pacific Northwest charming to me.

Kevin took these pics. Ain't they gorgeous?



~t

Pet Insurance

Way back in the year 2000, my cat Madeleine got very sick. She ended up having a mass attached to her small intestine the size of a fist. We had been together for 4 years at that point. I lived alone and she kept me company. I was very attached to her. It was important for me to do everything I could to help her get well, so when that ended up being surgery, I went for it, despite the price tag that I couldn't really afford: over $2000. At the time, I thought, why don't they have Pet Insurance? I could really use some.

Well, guess what? They may have had it then, but it's definitely gained popularity since that time. I know I'm not alone in valuing a pet like a member of the family, and I also know I'm not the only one who has gone through this.

Statistic show that:

• 1 in 3 pets will need emergency medical care in the next year.
• 2 in 3 pets will experience a major health problem during their lifetime.
• Some fairly common pet health issues can cost between $2000-$6000.

What ended up happening with Madeleine? Well, the mass was cancerous and they gave her only a few months to live. That was how I met my healer husband. She's still kicking today, although we left her in Milwaukee with a good friend when we moved to Washington. I might still be paying off her vet bills, however.

~t

Weightloss Wednesday: The Beginning

I haven't written this post yet today, because I can't get into the blog that started it all day! Well, here's the link, in case you can, but I didn't want to not participate for that silly reason. Weightloss Wednesday. I don't know why I can't get in right now.

So, I am bumming about my lack of progress. The weight I'm trying to lose is leftover from the over 60 lbs I gained while pregnant with Zane, 22 mos. I really thought that weight would be gone by now, but it's been much harder than I anticipated for a number of reasons. Althought, in the end, it is no one's fault but my own.

I about 24 lbs of baby weight without doing too much. Then I stalled. Then I joined Weight Watchers online. I lost some more weight. Then I stalled. Then I yo yo'd. I've been yo-yoing the same 5 or so lbs for probably a year now. Sigh. I don't mean this post to sound like such a bummer. I guess I'm just bummed about it.

So anyway, I am at the top of that 5 lbs of yo yo right now. I have about 30 more lbs to lose total. For now I guess I'm still doing Weight Watchers online, but I've been having a lot of challenges with it. I liked the points system, but I'm getting tired of recording all the time. And I don't find their new rollout very user-friendly. I liked it the old way better. Today I was trying to recommit and I couldn't even get in to my points tracker. Le sigh. My husband is an excellent cook and makes way too many fattening things. I have enlisted him to get more into the vegetable zone for me. He is very supportive but very skinny and eats whatever he wants of course. I REALLY need his help to do this as I hate to prepare food. Tonight he made these home made rolls that I have a very hard time resisting. I probably ate 3 or more. With butter. Dang. Other than that, I was pretty good today. Didn't track it because of the darn internet. I'm also still nursing Zane and that makes me hungrier, I think. And all the upheaval and stress in the past year hasn't helped. But...excuses, excuses.

To see more on my weight loss journey and the campaign I'm currently failing, check out the Solstice Slimdown on my other blog.

Thanks for reading all this. I'm a little sad. I am generally a real go-to kind of person. That it has taken me 2 years to lose this weight (and I haven't done it) is difficult for me to face. But I'm trying to face it and be accountable and do better. That job would HAVE to help, wouldn't it? Tune in next Wednesday to see how it's going... (or sooner!)

later edit: HEY, I finally got into the Weightloss Wednesday site!

I see they posted their weight on theirs so I can do that too!

I don't know what to use as a starting weight? Should I go whole hog and start with my heaviest? I guess I will. I think it will make me feel better.

Start Weight: 216
Goal Weight: 150
Total to lose: 66 lbs

Last Weigh In: 179.2
This Weigh In: 180.8
Total this week: +1.6

Total loss overall: 35.2
Total left to lose: 30.8

My goals for the next week:
Drink more water.
Get on program and stay there

~t