Tag: my13daychallenge

Challenge: Create

Challenge Update: Create More

my13daychallenge

My challenge has been to create more stuff. I decided to make an all-organic homemade face smoothie as part of my adventures this week. The recipe said it would make all acne go away. The idea of beautiful, porcelain skin filled my imagination with such glee that I happily mashed up all the strawberries, oatmeal, creme and honey. It smelled good, and I knew that after 20 minutes my acne would just melt away.

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The Accountant was laughing about my latest adventure. His laughter made me laugh which made it hard to keep the stuff on my face.

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After several attempts, I was able to cover my entire face with my homemade strawberry-oatmeal face smoothie.

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I sat very still for 20 minutes and waited for my acne to melt away. It didn’t. It just made a big mess in the kitchen.

I’m going to be taking a break from the internet for a few days. It is good to unplug every once in a while and spend time with your own thoughts and feelings. I hope to use this technology fast to be creative. If the world happens to fall apart during that time (and I’m stuck not being able to read about it on CNN), I am confident that someone will call me with the details. Wish me luck! I don’t know if I can really go a whole week without using the Internet, but I’m going to try it and see what creative adventures I can create. Let the great unplugging begin.

Challenge: Create

Little Girls

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Girl on Bike picture

When I was 11, I believed I could fly airplanes

Bake cakes, interview world leaders, write poetry

Wear lipstick and hiking boots for fun

Put boys in their place when they misbehave

I was Joan of Arc, Marie Cure and Mother Teresa

All rolled up into one awesome girl. Me.

Then I turned 12.

Oh, to reclaim 11.

How old were you?  I was 12. I was at my grandma’s house. Heather had come over to play. We were sister mermaids who had the magical ability to transform into humans. During the day, we had jobs as a doctor and a TV reporter. In the evening, we went on dates with our handsome boyfriends. After our dates, the mermaid sisters would swim in the ocean. The large grapefruit tree was the ocean and the ground was the human world. We had played mermaid sisters many times, but on that day we couldn’t get the game to work. We gave up and went inside. I remember standing at the glass sliding door that separated the outside yard from the inside house. I don’t know what Heather was thinking, but I was overcome by the moment.  I looked at the grapefruit tree and whispered. “It is only a tree now. What happened?”

Challenge: Create · Musings

The Truth about Creating

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We sometimes need to create garbage

Before beauty is born

And that is why it is so hard for me to create

I want grandeur the first time.

I’m on day three of my new challenge. My challenge is to create something new every day. I’ve mostly been writing little poems, but there is a sci-fi story in me somewhere. I just have to dig long enough. At least, I hope it is sci-fi.  It is kind of hard, because Sally (a.k.a my inner critic) is on overdrive telling me that the my thoughts and words aren’t good enough.

I went to a Lindsey Stirling concert last night with the Accountant.  Here is a photo of us waiting for the fun to start.  Once the show started,  we were squished people screaming with lots of other fans.  Let me tell you the real story. I was yelling and jumping up and down. Nathan is much more of a philosopher when it comes to concerts. He stood there talking about how the music was too loud and analyzing the contrasts between music at home and music in groups.  I became friends with the woman squished next to me when we realized that we were both crying at the song Take Flight. Music has power.

Concert photo

Music is awesome! New friends are awesome!

 

 

Uncategorized

My Dish Adventure

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I hate washing dishes. I don’t mind vacuuming, doing laundry and a list of other household chores, but dishes are just annoying. This week I took a holiday from doing dishes. It wasn’t an intentional holiday. It just kind of happened. I had a cold and I just didn’t feel like doing the dishes. I’ve also been super busy with the end of the school year. So, the dishes just piled up for 5 days. Today is Day 5 and the pile is pretty high. In fact, there are no clean dishes left. I get some really brilliant ideas when I’m lying on the couch moaning about things. I figured out that I could just get rid of the dishes and start all over with new dishes. Problem Solved. So, that is what I did. I put all the dishes into a large trash bag and hauled them outside to the bin.  The kitchen sink looked great. I was feeling pretty good about my plan. It was brilliant except for one thing.  I’m not rich and I really don’t have the money to buy all new dishes. So, I went back to the bin and reclaimed the mess.

The dishes are now washed, and I’m headed to the store to buy paper plates and bowls. I may not be rich, but I think I can afford a few little luxuries during the last two weeks of school.

Musings

Acupuncture

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Yesterday, I went to a holistic health conference with a friend. Throughout the day, I kept seeing this little sticker.  I wanted one, but that would involve me visiting the acupuncture booth in the vendor hall. My Mom has had Acupuncture, and I have heard about the health benefits of those little needles. I also really wanted that sticker. I knew that my mother had to pay money for Acupuncture, and today it was free. So, I did it. Kinda.

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The relaxation treatment was five needles in the ear lobe. I got three out of five needles. Needle one was fine. I could do this. Relaxation.  Here I come. Needle two really hurt.  It’s worth a little pain for good health, right? Ouch! Needle three made me cry. There were four people watching and waiting for the Naturopathic doctor to finish my acupuncture treatment. They wanted to be relaxed as well. The observers walked away from the booth after they saw me cry.  I do not cry polite Sunday school tears. I wail. I moan. I yell, “Ouch, that hurts. This isn’t worth it. I don’t feel relaxed at all”. The doctor wasn’t very happy. He looked at me and said. “Your pain tolerance is too low for acupuncture”. He took the needles out told me to have a blessed day. I was embarrassed, but at least I got the sticker and wore it the rest of the day. When I got home, I added a new word. ‘Kinda’.

Aren’t vendor halls fun?  I like the free stuff! I went from booth to booth getting all the free things I could get. I came home from the holistic fair having had two chair massages, a foot massage, a bunch of pens, lots of little samples and a large smile. The workshops were educational too.

Musings

Lemons

my13daychallenge

I had a bad day this week. I was grouchy and frustrated about many things. During my grouchy day, a well-meaning, perky friend told me to be more positive with a little saying. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. I was a bit annoyed ,until I realized how fun it was to rewrite the saying.

When life gives you lemons, throw the lemons at the person who is driving you crazy.

When life gives you lemons, chop down the tree because it will keep giving you lemons until you get rid of it and plant something else.

When life gives you lemons, wait a minute…we have lemons.. When did that happen?

When life gives you lemons, sit on your bed and cry. It’s easier than actually doing something about your lemon problem.

Since we are talking about lemons, here is a photo of our  lemon tree. It actually gave us three lemons this year. We made lemonade.

Growing Tree

 

 

Memory Lane · Uncategorized

Memory Lane

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Have you ever done something absolutely crazy, but it felt right and in the end you are glad you did?  Last summer, the Accountant and I went on a road trip to visit his awesome relatives in Vancouver.

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While we were driving through a beautiful forest, when  we saw two young people hiking  with large backpacks and a little hitchhiking sign.  We passed by them.  I tried to ignore the feeling, because I could just imagine the end of our tragic tale. Two bodies found  after picking up kids with backpacks. Nathan said exactly what I was thinking. “We have to go back and pick up those kids. I really don’t want to get murdered, but it feels right to give them a ride”. Continue reading “Memory Lane” →

Musings

Lent

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The idea of Lent has always intrigued me. I remember seeing friends at school give up chocolate for the 40 days before Easter. Last year, I did some research on Lent. It is so much more than just not eating your favorite treat. It is a time to rededicate your life. I have decided to participate in my own Lent this year. Now, before my family gets concerned, let me put them at ease. I am a very happy Mormon girl. I love expressing my Christian faith through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. But like everybody else here on Earth, I’ve got a few weaknesses that would benefit from more self-reflection. I’m looking forward to spending the days before Easter giving up my own favorite things and spending a few more minutes praying and reading scriptures. I thought about giving up chocolate, but we just made these delicious brownies.