This Isn't Zentangle
I was a snob about Zentangle at first because "that's only doodling."
But I admit that doodling, as a purposeful way to relax the mind and body, is a new and valid concept and deserves its own name.
Then I get to be a snob because I don’t want to be found doodling according to someone else's ideas, copying patterns I got from books.
My own thing isn't nearly as pretty. But here it is.
These are pages from my sketchbook that date from before Zentangle was a thing.
But I admit that doodling, as a purposeful way to relax the mind and body, is a new and valid concept and deserves its own name.
Then I get to be a snob because I don’t want to be found doodling according to someone else's ideas, copying patterns I got from books.
My own thing isn't nearly as pretty. But here it is.
These are pages from my sketchbook that date from before Zentangle was a thing.
Dave is an Arctic Runner!
This is from January 2014. Love it that I'm posting it when it's like 85 degrees and all the Washingtonians are melting in the heat.
Try to adjust your thinking back to 17 degrees!
In most kids' races Dave does well, but he's not really in training steadily, so the kids who train with a coach end up winning.
This Reindeer Run, Dave entered the kids' race on a 17 degree day and walked away with it!
The probable winners started off really fast like they normally do and zoomed ahead, but they ended up on the sidewalk with their lungs hurting and Dave just kept on chugging.
The really great part is that Dave finally won a big race and his mother did not get a picture. He was TOO fast for me! He came around the corner first, and it surprised me!
Check out the Reindeer Run fashions! Some were cute, some were crazy!
That's how cold it was.
Another stylish adult runner.
Smokey the mascot from Crime Stoppers.
I got a shot of Dave's back and his finishing time!
There's the bike cop, coming back from leading the adult runners on their course. What a cool idea! The frontrunners don't have to pay attention to where to go, they just follow the bike.
The bike cop complimented us on Dave's cold tolerance :-)
Try to adjust your thinking back to 17 degrees!
In most kids' races Dave does well, but he's not really in training steadily, so the kids who train with a coach end up winning.
This Reindeer Run, Dave entered the kids' race on a 17 degree day and walked away with it!
The probable winners started off really fast like they normally do and zoomed ahead, but they ended up on the sidewalk with their lungs hurting and Dave just kept on chugging.
The really great part is that Dave finally won a big race and his mother did not get a picture. He was TOO fast for me! He came around the corner first, and it surprised me!
Glorious Miscellaneous
You must want to see my random pictures or you wouldn't be here!
And that's why I put them HERE :-)
The tank was basically full, but I don't think that's why the pump stopped.
Vicky's been labelling the jars in her kitchen...
I know that this idea came straight from her mother.
Random excellentness in a parking lot. I take pictures of stuff like this. I am a follower of true STYLE!
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What we gotta do when we don't have pie pans :-)
This was out by the garbage! I LOVE it! So classy looking. And although similar to the ones at "that other place", also distinctly different.
I really like this chair. Gonna haul this one around with me from now on (Lord willing, weather permitting, etc)
The kids wondered how somebody could actually throw away that nice chair... but they aren't, they put the chair out NOT on garbage day because they expect somebody to grab it within moments.
This, too. When I first moved here the boys wanted one of these at the Goodwill for $4 and I was pinching pennies. This one's in better condition!
And the table was by the garbage at Vicky's place.
I'll be your garbage collector for today!!
A glass top for the handy setting down of hot cookies!
Went for a walk and found this in the grass by the side of the road. Um, I mean street!
And that's why I put them HERE :-)
I know that this idea came straight from her mother.
I really like this chair. Gonna haul this one around with me from now on (Lord willing, weather permitting, etc)
The kids wondered how somebody could actually throw away that nice chair... but they aren't, they put the chair out NOT on garbage day because they expect somebody to grab it within moments.
This, too. When I first moved here the boys wanted one of these at the Goodwill for $4 and I was pinching pennies. This one's in better condition!
I'll be your garbage collector for today!!
Went for a walk and found this in the grass by the side of the road. Um, I mean street! The First Anniversary of Freedom
I didn't plan for July 4th, 2013 to be the date of my final escape. The whole thing began to blow up in the morning and the day went dramatically sideways, but it was only midway through it, about five pm actually, that the holiday came to mind.
I am an American, this is Independence Day, I am not anyone's prisoner, I am not going to be a victim any more!
It occurred to me that July 4th would be a GREAT date to cast off the shackles, as it were, and deciding to claim that date actually helped by a bunch.
I'd been worried that I wouldn't have enough strength.
Having a deadline helps things get accomplished.
"I must get free tonight, because tonight is the coolest possible date for it."
I may publish the account. It is a pretty good level of drama and suspense! But maybe not yet.
Right now, I have other FREEDOM to celebrate.
For one thing, freedom from drama! The daily wallowing in emotions and expectations-- over.
Freedom from blame. Case dismissed. Spending all our time figuring out who's to blame? It doesn't matter any more. Because it just doesn't.
Freedom to go to sleep at night, with peaceful and pleasant vibes. Leave the squabbling in the living room, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Be friends again before bedtime, and go to bed with a smile on your face.
FREEDOM to do something else. Like, get a life. Have some plans. Get stuff done! Think of a goal and take steps to reach it.
Some time ago I was walking with Karen and she expressed something just like that-- how do we find something that's really inspiring, something worth striving for?
I started singing on the sidewalk: "Climb every mountain! Ford every stream, follow every rainbow, til you find your dream! A dream that will need all the love you can give--" etc.
Karen said, "Well, Mom, if this was a movie, I would start singing, too."
Hey, you gotta go with the moment.
And that's the big news, worth making a blog post about-- I've thought of a dream. A goal. Something to do.
I want to be a paralegal!
Does that not sound fun? When I read the list of classes, every one of them sounds like candy.
I have the office skills and the language skills and the thinking patterns.
I would not do family law, but there's lots of law besides that. I like discussions of contracts. I like freedom and privacy issues. I like concepts of right and responsibility.
When I hear about someone being taken advantage of by others, something inside me seems to flare up and glow.
Can I do it? I don't know. Are there problems and difficulties? Yes, indeed. But is it doable? Yes. Could I do it, in theory? Yes. Could I do it if I wanted to badly enough and tried hard enough? Yes.
If it's HARD, then that means it's time to go up a notch.
And those shoes I showed you a couple posts ago?
*perfect*
I am an American, this is Independence Day, I am not anyone's prisoner, I am not going to be a victim any more!
I'd been worried that I wouldn't have enough strength.
Having a deadline helps things get accomplished.
"I must get free tonight, because tonight is the coolest possible date for it."
I may publish the account. It is a pretty good level of drama and suspense! But maybe not yet.
Right now, I have other FREEDOM to celebrate.
For one thing, freedom from drama! The daily wallowing in emotions and expectations-- over.
Freedom from blame. Case dismissed. Spending all our time figuring out who's to blame? It doesn't matter any more. Because it just doesn't.
Freedom to go to sleep at night, with peaceful and pleasant vibes. Leave the squabbling in the living room, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Be friends again before bedtime, and go to bed with a smile on your face.
FREEDOM to do something else. Like, get a life. Have some plans. Get stuff done! Think of a goal and take steps to reach it.
Some time ago I was walking with Karen and she expressed something just like that-- how do we find something that's really inspiring, something worth striving for?
I started singing on the sidewalk: "Climb every mountain! Ford every stream, follow every rainbow, til you find your dream! A dream that will need all the love you can give--" etc.
Karen said, "Well, Mom, if this was a movie, I would start singing, too."
Hey, you gotta go with the moment.
And that's the big news, worth making a blog post about-- I've thought of a dream. A goal. Something to do.
I want to be a paralegal!
Does that not sound fun? When I read the list of classes, every one of them sounds like candy.
I have the office skills and the language skills and the thinking patterns.
I would not do family law, but there's lots of law besides that. I like discussions of contracts. I like freedom and privacy issues. I like concepts of right and responsibility.
When I hear about someone being taken advantage of by others, something inside me seems to flare up and glow.
Can I do it? I don't know. Are there problems and difficulties? Yes, indeed. But is it doable? Yes. Could I do it, in theory? Yes. Could I do it if I wanted to badly enough and tried hard enough? Yes.
If it's HARD, then that means it's time to go up a notch.
And those shoes I showed you a couple posts ago?
*perfect*
The Divorce is Final
That was hard to get out.
How to get it out? By getting it out. Just say it.
The hardest part of any of these things is to do it.
"One foot in front of the other." Best advice I ever got.
I got a Lincoln County divorce. That was actually Ed's idea, once he had the girlfriend and wanted to be quit of me. And I must say divorce by mail is a much nicer option! Never once having to enter a courtroom, not having to do the whole sob story thing in front of strangers who are trying to judge whether I'm telling the truth or not.
Yesterday they emailed to let me know that the judge had signed the papers, and they'd mailed me the copies.
It was necessary. It was long overdue, and it is a relief, but it still felt like a punch in the gut.
Thank God for friends unexpectedly stopping by, which redeemed my day!
There, I said it. And I'm gonna say more, as the fancy leads me.
NOT going to lapse into silence again! Not because there's something too difficult to say. Magna est veritas.
I really love my famous blog that nobody reads.
Oh, a few peeps read it, so I'll go on posting all my lovely, fascinating nonsense.
But first, lemme take a selfie!
That hat is a random good memory.
I was eighteenish and the folks took me to the Abbotsford air show so I could fangirl the helicopters the entire day. Without sunscreen. A guy noticed my face was burning to a crisp, took this cap off his own head and put it on mine.
Thanks!
It's not my style, but I still have it. I've tried many times over the years to declutter it, but random good memories should be kept.
How to get it out? By getting it out. Just say it.
The hardest part of any of these things is to do it.
"One foot in front of the other." Best advice I ever got.
I got a Lincoln County divorce. That was actually Ed's idea, once he had the girlfriend and wanted to be quit of me. And I must say divorce by mail is a much nicer option! Never once having to enter a courtroom, not having to do the whole sob story thing in front of strangers who are trying to judge whether I'm telling the truth or not.
Yesterday they emailed to let me know that the judge had signed the papers, and they'd mailed me the copies.
It was necessary. It was long overdue, and it is a relief, but it still felt like a punch in the gut.
Thank God for friends unexpectedly stopping by, which redeemed my day!
There, I said it. And I'm gonna say more, as the fancy leads me.
NOT going to lapse into silence again! Not because there's something too difficult to say. Magna est veritas.
I really love my famous blog that nobody reads.
Oh, a few peeps read it, so I'll go on posting all my lovely, fascinating nonsense.
But first, lemme take a selfie!
I was eighteenish and the folks took me to the Abbotsford air show so I could fangirl the helicopters the entire day. Without sunscreen. A guy noticed my face was burning to a crisp, took this cap off his own head and put it on mine.
Thanks!
It's not my style, but I still have it. I've tried many times over the years to declutter it, but random good memories should be kept.
Fasting Improves Cooking
Made it five days this time.
I really LIKE fasting, for maybe-weird personal reasons. I like using myself as a guinea pig. I like making changes to see what will happen. I like new sensations.
Cleaning some junk out of the old system is always good.
Fasting sharpens the senses. I notice that fasting upgrades my sense of smell and touch.
I walked by Pizza Hut and the smell was... repulsive. Because of the fake and nasty ingredients they use!
I walked along, pondering this. When we are in a heightened state like this, we can detect the smell of chemicals as being very unattractive. I'll bet if there was a real pizza, with a handmade crust with fresh ingredients and oregano, and the toppings were higher quality, the smell would be nearly irresistible.
And then about a mile later, I walked past the Pizza Time. HOO boy, Lord have mercy.
Fasting improves my cooking skills!
All of a sudden I can think of a hundred different wonderful cheap meal ideas :-)
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This one doesn't look like much, it's just rice cooked in chicken broth, with fried onions and corn, and cheese on top. Boy did it smell good, though.
I wanted some.
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Here's where I surprised myself. Cooked chicken breast then wiped out the pan, cooked corn at the bottom, the sliced chicken breast over that, then some flour and milk mixed together, and a lot of chopped spinach.
I got unsolicited, flowery compliments from all the kids.
Karen said it was "ultra yummy"
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This is homemade custard style honey ice cream. Half and half, blackberry honey, eggs and vanilla.
My nose knows what it's smelling here.
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The kids had some while it was chilling and some more once it was frozen. And wanted more.
I told them I may not be your STANDARD mother, but there's no mother on earth is going to let them have ice cream three times in one day!
Dave told me that was my chance to be a really SPECIAL mother!
Oh, and I was wearing a muumuu :-)
The best part of fasting, I couldn't get to this time. The best part is once the body is totally independent of food, and all of those uncomfortable, obsessive, worried thoughts seem to just float away, and there's just me and life interacting without contamination between.
That part is cool.
I would love to eventually do one of those epic 40 day fasts, in order to experience something I've never experienced before, "true hunger."
I'm really curious about that! A physical sensation I've never felt?
I need to know.
(end of my remarks)
http://www.allaboutfasting.com/safe-fasting-true-hunger.html
http://www.sharecare.com/health/nutrition-diet/what-true-hunger
I really LIKE fasting, for maybe-weird personal reasons. I like using myself as a guinea pig. I like making changes to see what will happen. I like new sensations.
Cleaning some junk out of the old system is always good.
Fasting sharpens the senses. I notice that fasting upgrades my sense of smell and touch.
I walked by Pizza Hut and the smell was... repulsive. Because of the fake and nasty ingredients they use!
I walked along, pondering this. When we are in a heightened state like this, we can detect the smell of chemicals as being very unattractive. I'll bet if there was a real pizza, with a handmade crust with fresh ingredients and oregano, and the toppings were higher quality, the smell would be nearly irresistible.
And then about a mile later, I walked past the Pizza Time. HOO boy, Lord have mercy.
Fasting improves my cooking skills!
All of a sudden I can think of a hundred different wonderful cheap meal ideas :-)
This one doesn't look like much, it's just rice cooked in chicken broth, with fried onions and corn, and cheese on top. Boy did it smell good, though.
I wanted some.
Here's where I surprised myself. Cooked chicken breast then wiped out the pan, cooked corn at the bottom, the sliced chicken breast over that, then some flour and milk mixed together, and a lot of chopped spinach.
I got unsolicited, flowery compliments from all the kids.
Karen said it was "ultra yummy"
My nose knows what it's smelling here.
.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
The kids had some while it was chilling and some more once it was frozen. And wanted more.
I told them I may not be your STANDARD mother, but there's no mother on earth is going to let them have ice cream three times in one day!
Dave told me that was my chance to be a really SPECIAL mother!
Oh, and I was wearing a muumuu :-)
That part is cool.
I would love to eventually do one of those epic 40 day fasts, in order to experience something I've never experienced before, "true hunger."
I'm really curious about that! A physical sensation I've never felt?
I need to know.
(end of my remarks)
http://www.allaboutfasting.com/safe-fasting-true-hunger.html
True hunger is a sensation in the mouth and throat, similar to thirst, and not a gnawing pain in the stomach. The way it will get your attention is that comes after many days of experiencing no hunger. Seemingly out of the blue, you'll have an intense desire for food.
When food is taken at this point, it tastes extraordinarily wonderful, a real sensual treat. And the act of eating itself is fulfilling, creating feelings of contentment and pleasure. This is the experience eating is supposed to be.
Having once experienced this "true hunger", you will no longer confuse it with the emotional desire or physical discomfort we usually associate with hunger. Such physical "hunger pains" felt either in the stomach, or as "hunger headaches", are said to actually be withdrawal and detox symptoms from rich foods, chemicals, and stimulants.
http://www.sharecare.com/health/nutrition-diet/what-true-hunger
Most Americans have not felt true hunger since they were toddlers...
If you only ate when truly hungry, it would be almost impossible to become overweight. True hunger is a signal to eat to maintain your muscle mass.
True hunger is not uncomfortable. It does not involve your stomach fluttering or cramping. When you feel it, you know it is a normal reaction that signals a need for food. It makes food taste much better when you eat, and it makes eating much more pleasurable. People are consistently amazed at how good the simplest foods can taste when they are truly hungry.
True hunger requires no special food to satisfy it. It is satisfied by eating almost anything. You can't crave some particular food and call it hunger. A craving by definition is an addictive drive, not something felt by a person who is not an addict. Remember, almost all Americans are addicted to their toxic habits. A disease-causing diet is addicting. A health-supporting diet is not.
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