my yoko

This is my newest addition to the family. I wandered home with her sometime in May. I could not not bring her home from a box outside Safeway. There were two just like her, and I picked her. The lady said that she and her sister were the only ones in the litter like her, and that they looked "seriously Siamese". She does!! but she is not, it really is the best of both worlds: the looks without the nasty personality! hahah!!She is the sweetest cat...kind of, she does enjoy tormenting our other two cats. But who could resist her?!

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

I just started reading this book, it is for anyone interested in what they are eating, living simply, subsistence farming, choosing to buy locally...etc...

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver is about one author's journey along "a year of food life", the choices her family made and why they did it. I have just started it and really, really like it. I can relate to a ton of things she talks about.

have any of you read it?! what did you think?


oh, if not...you should.

ya gotta check these out!

Over on my buddy Andrew's blog he has posted some videos about the impact of the media on how we see ourselves. You gotta watch his videos! He is right, we have known this for a while, it is just nice to hear someone say it.

christmas music!!!!!

Oh, I love this season...we started playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving even hit. The best way to do it is just plunk in some Christmas tunes and that will hit the spot. I am sure everyone has classics that they remember from childhood, but here are some of my all-time favourites, just in case you want to spice up your Christmas music collection:

Anything by Bing brings Christmas in a hurry...he is pretty much mi ultimate fave...amazing old time goodness! Go for it on White Christmas...the movie is great too!
The Rat Pack with Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. is another one that we just can't get enough of. Good, great and even better classics in style on this Christmas with the Rat Pack
Oh, Brad Paisley...for that good, true sweet country Christmas....Brad Paisley Christmas it doesn't get any warmer than this, unless you start a fire. Christmas is a time to do country, even if you really don't usually like it that much. ( I love country though...so maybe I am wrong about this!)
Light of the Stable, by Emmylou Harris. This woman can sing, and she does so on this album with others who can also do it really well. This one I just bought this year on itunes, and is on our repeat list along with the rest of the goodies.
Okay, I had to add this one. I actually don't own it right now, but this is one that I grew up on. Amy has had some hard times...but who couldn't love her 80's A Christmas Album!? I do. I need to head over to itunes and see what kind of deal they'll give me.

Yes, Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas...she is not my favourite at all, but her voice is amazing and I had never ever noticed it until I heard this album! Even if you seriously never thought you could stand her, try this one (demos, or library....) I am sure you'll be hooked. It is all the talent with none of the gushy, sexy, overdone, stuff....it is pure and incredible.

Voltaire, Letters on England

The Justice seeing this man thee-thouing him, sent him to the Derby madhouse to be whipped. George Fox went, praising God, to the lunatic asylum, where he didn't fail to carry out the Justice's sentence with full rigour. Those who inflicted punishment of whipping on him were amazed when he begged them to give him a few extra strokes of the rod for the good of his soul. These gentlemen needed no persuading, and Fox got his double dose, for which he most heartily thanked them. He began to preach to them. At first they laughed, then they listened and, as religious fervour is a catching disease, many were convinced, and those who had scourged him became his first disciples. (Voltaire, Letters on England, p. 29-30)

He stunned them, he played along and took what pain was necessary in order to grab their minds and shake their understandings of what he preached. He enabled them to see that he would sacrifice himself in order to save them. He gave them the practical and then told him what his message was. Showing them the true impact of practising AND preaching.

When did I become more important or more valuable then my message?
Where did I loose the idea of sacrifice? When did I get too comfortable, and feel the sacrifice was too great, or really just forget that there even is a sacrifice to make? When did the message stop gripping me that way? Who gave up?

recipe for a storm

This is one amazing recipe that when made you want to continue to consume...on and on. It is perfect as we all try to stay indoors and weather this storm right now. I am going to make it for dinner, maybe even get it ready for lunch. I don't have all of the ingredients, but as anyone knows recipes are just a suggestion...you can do what you want with them. I don't have the celery or the mushrooms, I think I'll put in some carrots that need to be used up. I have some Tofurkey Italian sausages that I might chop up and put in here, or they may be better on the side. Anyway, Thanks to SUSAN (my mom-in-law) for sharing this with me!!!You have to try this recipe!

Barley Lentil Soup
1 T. olive oil
2 chopped medium onions
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 C. chopped celery
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 C. pearled barley
1 C. lentils
1 can crushed tomatoes
Italian seasoning to taste
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
10 C. water
1 t. salt
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. dried rosemary
1.5 C. parmesan cheese (to sprinkle on top)

Put in large soup pot- this makes a ton. Cook for 1.5 hours, add more water if necessary. (You know the way, saute the onion and garlic and then continue to add things, and then when everything is in turn down to simmer for 1.5 hours and there you have it!)
YUM,YUM, YUMMY!

I now know why.

why do it, well, here it is:
I know why I blog, at least why it is so nice lately. I blog because in blogging I have found myself surrounded by amazing women and men who are encouraging, not because they always agree, but because they cause me to grow. I have found a place to sort ideas, and thoughts were there is respect and love. In blogging I go into a place where my mind is king, and I have a chance to think on other things than diapers and dirty dishes. I have a chance to put myself out there, and pray that I am strong enough to take what I dish out, and understand when people do not agree and I wish with everything that they did. I put words down and hope they are not offensive, desiring them to be thought provoking and cause other people to grow. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. I stew in my mind over things, such as (well right now) Historical Revisionism, the church, our society, culture, people, art and the world and then try to successfully regurgitate my ideas to you. I write it out at a thunderstorm pace and wonder who really cares...but time after time, you do.

calle de colorines

This is "Calle Colorines"(or Colours Street) I drew it thinking of Italy and the more I worked on it , it became Spain. I love Spain, and here is a pretty colourful version of it. Some coastal areas may look like this, but most of it is not as bright. I guess I was in a cheerful mood. The two pictures just below are the best because they are actually scanned and not just taken on my phone...but the picture is too big to fit onto the scanner...so I broke it in half. The original is both of these together, such as up top or there is another down below.

art...gotta do it.

Last night I had a dream about India, it may be because I am going to India Palace restaurant tonight and am very EXCITED. Anyway, just thought I would post these...why not? I drew the pink one about a year ago, and then inverted the colours and got the blue one. I actually think I like the blue one better, maybe it is because I am not a huge pink fan, or because I have looked at the other way more. hope you enjoy.

veggie/vegan and/or cookbook/recipes

All you veggie lovers out there. Just wondering you would want to share your fave veggie/vegan cookbooks and/or recipes? I have subscribed to almost a million veggie food blogs, which is really nice, but I was just wondering if you guys...the ones of you who even eat veggies will share some of your favourites with me and the blogosphere. You can do so by just a comment, or you could just comment me and put the post on your blog. It seems it would be easiest to do the second, but I have no preference.

Also, do you have products (meatless type) that you consume on a regular basis and are super pumped about?? Share those too. Are there any supa-cool things that your kids really like? Are there any really good ones a your meat-lover guest? I am going to write and share mine soon....because sharing is so very good for everyone, yah??