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November 16, 2008
ripples
waves
we felt the sun through the lyptus leaves
earth beneath our unbent knees
kindle
flames
we felt the glow in our energies
i am you and you are me
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November 8, 2008
I have been continuing my cleaning efforts in my apartment.
I came across a little book. I collect these little books… you know the kind.
The ones that certain people will leave in public restrooms, or perhaps thrust into your hands as you walk by.
“Is Jesus in Your Life?” or “May God Bless You and Have Mercy on Your Soul”
My little book discusses death. Ten in ten people die. Have you followed the Ten Commandments? You are going to hell if you don’t earn your way into heaven. Be sure to not have sex before marriage. Act totally inhuman. (Alright- not that last sentence… I had to make a jab.)
I have a hard time with this invasive technique of spreading “God’s Word”.
With no direct criticism of any particular faith, I will share some beliefs of my own:
- I do not believe in heaven and promises of a spectacular afterlife.
- I do not believe in hell and eternal damnation.
- I do not believe in fear.
- I do not believe in self righteous attitudes.
- I do not believe any single religion holds all of the answers.
- I do not believe in the hypocrisy most religions encourage.
- I do not believe in the all knowing god/gods passing judgment on humanity.
- I believe in kindness, patience, self awareness, mindfulness, sharing, comforting, healing…
- I believe in positive thoughts and actions.
- I believe in the collective human spirit.
- I believe in soul energy.
- I believe in the cleansing energies of the earth and the universe.
- I believe meditation, exercise, eating well, and being present in the moment are paths to living a fulfilling life.
I bring this to an abrupt end, as I am about to embark on the journey of watching Napolean Dynamite for the third time in my life while enjoying a glass of wine with my boyfriend.
I leave you with this to ponder:
You are a spiritual being having a human experience.
~*In love and light my friends*~
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November 7, 2008
I have ten minutes.
I’ve turned 27 since we last spoke. My birthday, October 30th, is also the anniversary of when I began designing kitchens. It’s been five years and I currently have a fantastic kitchen being installed that makes me really feel like I’ve learned and grown so much in my profession. Designing kitchens and seeing them become reality has been a very fulfilling experience. Thoughts on paper suddenly in a person’s home, for what will most likely be a long time. So exciting!
We also have a new President. I try not to be overtly political on my blog, as that is not its destiny. However, I must write, I am a bit nervous about how the change we all desire will come about. I feel so much more confident in Barack Obama than I ever have in our current leader. I see a lot of fear in some people, and on the flip side, a lot of hope in others. We are on the cusp of something… but I can’t tell if it’s good or bad yet. I recognize that we are at that point- the turning point. I am trying to remain fully present in the moment, because nobody knows what the future will bring.
I am going ice skating soon. This will be my second time ever. The first time, I took pride in not falling once. I really hope that I can continue skating in that fashion.
I wanted to write a blog once about how much I despise the style of high waisted pants. So I am just gonna say it here, right now: High waisted pants are hideous and make women look really strange. I will never wear high waisted pants.
Another thought I had recently: Christmas is raped by consumerism and capitalism every single year and I am tired of it. Why can’t people just gather together, share dinner, exchange a small gift or card, and enjoy each other’s presence instead of copious amounts of presents. Wegman’s (grocery store) has a sign up, practically apologizing for the fake Christmas trees and other holiday related junk, blaming it on those who “like to do their shopping early”.
I started taking fish oil supplements for Omega 3 fatty acids. You should too.
Have you ever noticed people picking their noses while they drive? I noticed this one day and wanted to blog about it. I counted about 12 people on my drive home picking their noses. How about really strange faces… or singing to themselves? Doesn’t anyone realize that I can see them through the glass?
My windshield on my car got broken by a stone flying off of a Lopke Construction truck this past August. Their motto is “We rock the Southern Tier” and your windshield. They took care of it quickly and at no charge, so I am cool with them stoning me.
I started cleaning the gargantuan pile of papers cluttering the dining room table. What a mess. It took me hours to sort and file and get things put away. There is no good method to it except willpower and a desire to complete the task at hand.
I suppose rambling on in my blog should come to an end now. What a mish-mash of thoughts.
I really must post about my Spring and Autumn vacations.
Until then, my one or two friends. 
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September 25, 2008
I returned last night from my vacation to California.
I had a wonderful time visiting friends, and I intend to write about my experiences here at some point.
Before anything else, I feel compelled to review the airline I “jetted” with, Jet Blue. Jet Blue created my best flying experience to date. I will outline what I believe are the most important aspects of a flying experience and how Jet Blue excelled in all of these categories. I know any company can have its faults and issues, but… wow, Jet Blue didn’t have any apparent ones on my trip.
- TIME Jet Blue was always on time. My flights were on time or early leaving, and even with thirty minute delays on the ground, on time arrivals! Amazing. To be fair, this also had something to do with the airports I flew in and out of. Syracuse to JFK NYC to Oakland. JFK was the only place where delays occurred and it wasn’t a Jet Blue issue. Let’s contrast this with United. I have been delayed by United for various reasons like, the plane has no cargo net, or, oops, we don’t have a crew for your flight. These kinds of hiccups don’t seem to happen on Jet Blue. They also board passengers starting with the back of the plane first. This helped tremendously with getting passengers on quickly. This sort of common sense is lacking in other airlines.
- PILOTS and CREW Jet Blue has pleasant and informative pilots. I found that they were consistent in being friendly and letting everyone on the flight know what was happening. The cabin crew was terrific on all four flights. No cranky or apathetic people here (ahem, United). At the end of the flight, the pilots would say goodbye to everyone with the cabin crew. I ended up thanking them every time. My life was literally just in their hands.
- FOOD and DRINK Jet Blue serves up free snacks and drinks. Some are organic or more healthful choices. I bring my own food and usually I do not eat in flight snacks. However, I did try the blue chips, and some yummy organic key lime white chocolate cookies. They were junk food treats that I would consider to be not As bad as other possibilities. I have read complaints from people about lack of food on Jet Blue… but who wants to pay more for some nasty boxed lunch thing. Airports have plenty of eats. Get some before flying.
- COMFORT Jet Blue has new planes. They are spacious and as relaxing as planes can be. There are options to buy seats with more leg room. I happened to do this once (last minute change) so I could be in the fifth row and be sure to get off the plane quickly to catch my next flight. It was so great to not have cramped legs after five hours on the plane. Each seat has it’s own little television too. I do not have cable at home, so this was a real treat. They have Direct TV via satellite, three movies to rent, and radio for your entertainment. I was a very happy “Jetter”. The time went by fast and I didn’t feel like I was trapped on a plane with a bunch of strangers (which is actually the case if you think about it). There were three bathrooms, all of which remained pretty clean throughout the duration of the flight. They also have baby changing tables for those with little ones. In contrast, I have been on some United flights where the bathrooms smelled like toilets at an outdoor festival on a hot day. So overall, comfort on Jet Blue meets and exceeds my standards.
- EASE OF USE Jet Blue is easy to use. Buying tickets was a breeze online. I used a payment method called “Bill Me Later“. It is like a credit card service and they had a 90 days, no payments, no interest promotion which is ongoing. I took advantage of that, and was able to use that money while on vacation and I am already slowly paying it off each month. I was also able to change my seats for a couple of my flights online days before traveling, and I experienced no issues with that. I also like to print out my boarding pass before I go to the airport. That was very simple to do and can be completed on their website within 24 hours of your scheduled departure. Oh, and Jet Blue pricing cannot be beat. I paid about $200 less than I would have with United or another airline.
I hope my review is helpful for your future travels. Good service from airlines seems to be hit or miss these days. I think for the most part, you can count on Jet Blue to take you where you want to go in a timely, affordable, reliable, and comfortable manner. Happy Jetting!
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September 14, 2008
Last night, several words sorted themselves in the following fashion:
Do not allow the darkness to surround you.
Instead, embrace the light. Become the light.
and
I recalled a quote I read on my way out of yoga class that I wanted to share with you:
“We are all spiritual beings having a human experience.”
~Namaste~
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September 12, 2008
Over the past several years I have changed the way I eat. I have been eating more vegetables and whole grains. I have also greatly limited the amount of meat and dairy that I consume. I no longer drink milk. I only drink water. I had a discussion with my sister about what we believe people should avoid eating. We have both read a lot about nutrition, however this does not make us, nor my blog, experts on this topic. I encourage you, as usual, to do your own research and draw your own conclusions before modifying any part of your diet.
Limit The Following Five Foods
- SUGAR Sugar is the greatest offender on our list of icky consumables. Sugar has an abundance of calories, spikes your insulin levels, spikes blood sugar levels which then dip dramatically, decreases your energy levels, and it can be highly addictive. (Remember that highly addictive substance, a simple sugar, alcohol.) Sugar is bleached and processed with chemicals before it lands on your table and in your mouth. Sugar intake is linked to several common ailments such as yeast infections, aching muscles, fatigue, moodiness, depression, and allergies. Sugar negatively impacts your immune system, making it easier for infections to overwhelm you. Artificial sweeteners are no better. It is best to try an eliminate sugar from your diet as much as possible. Especially avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup and Aspartame. High fructose corn syrup is found in anything from soft drinks to crackers. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is linked to Many illnesses and is considered to be poison by a growing number of people. I have been avoiding anything sugary for two weeks now, and I do not miss it. I am sure I will indulge once in awhile. For now I am looking at other options that are not so toxic to my body. I found a natural sweetener called Stevia that I think is worth reading about. Try not to cater to that sweet tooth! (For me it is sweet teeth… I love cookies, cakes, and dark chocolate… but eep! Sugar is Poison.)
- PROCESSED FOODS Processed foods rank really high on the list of things you should limit eating. A great number of processed foods contain high levels of trans fat and saturated fat, along with very large amounts of sodium and sugar. The worst offenders in the processed foods category are canned soups, box dinners, frozen meals, snack foods, processed meats, cereals, white bread, pastas made with bleached flour… the list goes on. The nutritional value of the aforementioned foods is worthless to your body. Refined sugar, bleached grains, salt laden everything- it’s definitely worth rethinking your choice to buy that package of hot dogs. Which brings me to my next food to limit.
- MEAT Meat is something I stopped eating while I was away at college because college food is just plain nasty, and the meat was the best example of gross. When I visited home, which was often, I would eat dinner with my family. At that time (about 5-7 years ago), I was still eating chicken, beef, and pork on a regular basis. I slowly drifted away from eating meat and finally stopped when I read an article on Foie Gras, that was very similar to the one I just linked to. I could not handle it. I immediately researched animal cruelty and as a result, also learned about the health benefits of not eating meat. I have decided that instead of writing an epic diatribe, I will insert a website that you can choose to peruse if you so wish. The following website, 49 Good Reasons to be Vegetarian sums it all up for me. If you insist upon eating meat because you are a die-hard fan of killing sentient beings, buy locally, buy free range, and buy farm fed. Commercial meat is the worst choice. The animals are treated very poorly, often standing for days in their own filth, being fed antibiotics which are then passed on to you. You might want to at least consider what the animals eat since whatever they eat will make its way into your body.
- DAIRY Many of the reasons for not eating dairy are the same as why I recommend to not eat meat. Did you know that bovine waste is a top pollutant of America’s waterways? Bovine flatulence is also a huge pollutant. Commercial animal farming creates a lot of waste. One thing that I read a long time ago that has always stuck with me is the following statement: Humans are the only mammals that continue to drink milk after the initial growing period in which a mother’s breast milk is supplied has ended. Not only do humans continue to drink milk, but it is milk of a completely different mammal! I have paraphrased what I have read, but you should get the gist of it. I used to drink a gallon of milk a week. I switched to organic, and then soy milk. I do not drink any milk products now, and I have experienced less nasal congestion and illness. It was a noticeable difference. A large portion Americans are lactose intolerant, and still drink milk. Please check out this website, Milk Sucks for quick factoids about the dairy industry. For more reading, visit Milk, Doing Your Body Good? I think not.
- GLUTEN A large portion of our population suffers from gluten allergies or CeliacDisease, which means people have difficulty digesting foods that contain wheat. Breads, pastas, crackers, anything containing wheat, rye, and oats, can lead to terrible symptoms and reactions. It is best to steer clear of the white bread and pastas in general. Even if you do not have a gluten allergy, you should be aware of over exposure to the same wheat products. This is actually something I am working on myself. I love pasta. I try to eat pastas made from quinoa or bean/grain mixtures. Of course, eating more vegetables for fiber intake, versus whole grain processed products, is always better. I like the idea of a raw food, fruit and veggie based diet, but… I think this is enough for now.
I hope you enjoyed your education, saturated with my experiences and opinions.
~Namaste~
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