Day 51

I had a great weekend canyoneering with friends. Actually, it was the youth group activity I've had to cancel four times due to dangerous weather. My friend KimG posted a fantastic entry about the trip.

In other news the United Kingdom is cracking down on photoshopping. A group of healthy body advocates are pushing for warning labels on all ads that have been retouched, you know, like the warnings on cigarette labels?

Here's the problem, ALL MAGAZINES HAVE BEEN RETOUCHED. EVERY SINGLE PAGE, ADS AND CONTENT!

Perhaps they should put a warning label on the front cover. Warning: This media is hazardous to your health.

I only wish the United States would climb on board. Advertising companies claim that the only reason they retouch photos is to give the reader what they want. They claim that people realize that the images they are looking at are not real and are actually hoping to see a "glamorized" version of reality. I call BS to that crock of crap. Most of the women and girls I speak to in my workshops have no idea the images are digitally manipulated to such an extreme extent. The phrase used to be buyer beware, now it's viewer beware.

Here's a link if you'd like to learn more.

Day 45

The food thing? It's been weird. Lately, I haven't craved much of anything. I went through a whole wheat bread with creamed honey phase for almost all my meals. And I'm so through with strawberries. Blech.

I bought a case of peaches with big plans to make jam. I pulled out all the canning supplies and read through my cookbooks fantasizing about all the possibilities. I made some yummy salsa instead because the tomatoes were getting too ripe. Then TNG brought home a 5 gallon bucket of elderberries, so I made syrup. Then the zucchini threatened to take over the world so I saved you all and made 10 loaves of bread. Then I got tired and was grateful I was born now and not on the frontier when preserving stuff wasn't an option but a life or death requirement.

I still haven't touched the peaches.

I'm forcing everybody to eat them before they go bad. My five year old ate three peaches today, each bigger than her head.

And I haven't even started on the jalapenos. I need jalapeno jelly for recipes. It's a great add in to sauces and such. But I'm starting to lose steam.

TNG keeps reminding me that I don't need to do any of this housewifey stuff. He says I can let the peaches brown and paint a mural of Frida Kahlo waterskiing with pandas if the desire struck. He knows I need to create to live. But I don't feel like doing much but following vague instructions on the inside of the pectin box.

All this listening to myself has stirred my emotional insides into pea green broth. I'm just a brothy pot of  bubbling emotions, emoting all day long. It's good and healthy and stuff. It just makes me tired.

Except for one. I don't laugh much these days. I miss laughing. I miss friends who make me laugh. I miss not being able to breath because I am so filled with laughter there isn't room for air. So if you're reading this, it's likely I'm talking to you, cause you're awesome and if you were here I'd squish your cheeks and give you a hug.

I guess that's what I've been craving, some friend to friend love.

K

Day 40

I just signed on to teach another class next semester. This will be in addition to my Public Speaking courses. I'm super excited about the content but it's a pretty new class on campus so I'm going to need some help from you readers to get it going.

It's Oral Interpretation of Literature.

I guess I just can't stay out of the theatre. I'm pretty excited to sink my teeth back into books and performance. It's been so long, holy cow I have missed it.

Send me any ideas on what you'd like to see in a class like this. We'll cover the oral readings of plays, prose, poetry, maybe even some blogs (!?!) Please send me book and poetry ideas (even yours, it might be a way to get your work read in public at speech competitions.)

I am going to need to assemble a collection. I've only got my private collection at home right now, it's pretty heavy on books but I'm not to crazy about sharing it with twenty plus college students.

What a challenge. Can't wait.

Oh, and BTW, the food thing is getting easier. Since I've let myself eat basically whatever I want whenever I want as long as my body is actually hungry for it, I've found I don't really want that much to eat, mostly bread and fruits and vegetables. Crazy. Who knew my body was so intelligent.

Granted, it's not always easy. The emotions that rush through me when I'm not stuffing them with food can be pretty intense. But I'm dealing, more or less. Some days are better than others.

I've also signed up to try the Bountiful Basket Co-op. I know I'm a little behind on that concept but super excited about it. (Wow, I'm super excited about a lot today.)  I love big baskets of fruits and vegetables and I love trying new foods. So the idea that I can get lots of fresh organic produce every week for $25 dollars is super (that word again, ugh) intriguing.

I pick up my first basket on Saturday. I'll let you know how it goes.

And I haven't forgotten about the instructions I promised to post about converting a table into a cute, cute bench. Just waiting for TNG to send me the pictures. (hint, hint)

Hugs to you all.

K

Day 33

For my husband's birthday I gave him a trip. Basically we'd go anywhere or do anything he wanted to for a long weekend. I had my own ideas on what would be fun. 

This is what he chose:



Whanna see it from a MonkeyCAM? 

Um, that "Monkeycam" is going off a 290 foot rappel! 
Those little, itty, bity, white things are People! 

Yeah, you read that right, nearly 300 freakin' feet of terror!!

I've rappelled a lot since I married the Norse one. Can't say I've ever enjoyed it, (since I am terrified of heights) but it is a great way to practice my faith building skills. 

For example, when I am anchored to a tree and stepping into the abyss my thoughts turn to religion. 

They go something like this:

"Please God, don't let me fall and die. Though. I am willingly throwing myself off a cliff, please be mindful of my children and that they will be orphans if I drop/bounce/slam off the sandstone walls to my death. So yeah, you know, if you're not too busy helping all those people suffering from starvation, war, and cancer don't let me fall, please don't let me fall, please, please, please, please!!!!!"

Wish me luck! 

Gulp.