Escapism

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others; even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself to others you may become ...vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

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Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your career however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of times. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself, especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the council of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture the strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars: you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should!

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you perceive Him to be; and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul. With all its shams, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Desiderata
Max Ehrmann, 1927

Pinapple Upside Down Cake & David Bowie

Happy New Year..I know I am a little late getting out the gate but the past few weeks have been an readjustment period of sorts. With that came a new home and all the plagues and pleasures that go along with it. I do enjoy however the space around me and the peace and quiet that was impossible to achieve in my retro townhouse. Classes have been reconfigured and I have been focusing my attention on making a home for us here in all its beauty, imperfections and solitude.My husband has been out of town and I am spending yet another night chickin out as I like to call it. Tonight it has involved baking a cake and listening to the Pandora which has been stuck on Art music circa 1980's for the better part of 4 days now, maybe more. During this move I got rid of a lot of stuff, a lot of baggage that I have been carrying around for years and I am in the process of removing more. It feels really good as hard as it was to get in that mode to well simplify. It has been a good few years since I have done this yet this is the first time I have been as proactive about it as I have been in the last few days. I have thought long and hard about the New Year ahead and have a somewhat relaxed approach to what it means, meaning these days I am not apt to find myself trying to figure everything out anymore I just go with the flow. Some days taking it just one day at a time. I have parted the seas and made more room in my life for the good friends I neglect all to often, my studies and spending time with my family and look forward to what I have yet to learn as 2012 gets underway and sharing my journey with you every step of the way....

The World Isn't Likely to End in 2012...

There is a kind of inexplicable joy involved in spending the day void of the pressures of life, to watch your loved ones smile with amazement as they tear wrapping paper and enjoy good cooking..life somehow seems less than demanding on Christmas..it is as if everything stops and worries take a back seat and you find that happiness, that peaceful place we try all year to reach..in reflection and with just the right amount of gratitude I welcome the new year and all that lies ahead...there is nothing quite like resting your head on your pillow at night knowing you are amongst people that love you..the world is hard enough out there and if anything the holidays have made me fully appreciate what it means to be home..

“Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof and instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards, to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives... and to the "good life", whatever it is and wherever it happens to be.”
― Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman

I have my life back!!

Its a funny thing college, sometimes I feel like I am in a time warp. In any case the Fall semester is a wrap and I am back to reading and writing about things that I actually find entertaining as opposed to what can be considered obligatory. Not that I didn't enjoy my classes this semester but given the time of year the holiday madness has a way of taking hold of a person and I felt for a split second there so scattered that I didn't  know which end was up..whew. Christmas is fast approaching and I am glad we got to take some time out and see The Elves & The Shoemaker Play at The Fountain Hills Theatre and see Santa not once but twice..last weekend I baked no less than 8 dozen cookies and this weekend after throwing an epic celebration for my sons 11th birthday I will be doing cupcakes and finishing up the last of the Christmas shopping..Hoping for a smooth next couple of weeks until we move into our new home. Sometimes its just nice to reflect and and realize that when life gets hectic it is good to be busy sometimes, it is in times like these you find the true meaning of going with the flow..now if I can just sit down and watch a movie in its entirety...

Christmas 2k11



Happy Christmas!

School is over this coming up Wednesday

Then I will be back <3

Spooked

The first person to wish me a happy birthday this year was the great Jeremiah Newton it was shortly thereafter that he advised me to get my Ouija bored out of the house. Taking it in jest I found myself up late one night around Halloween watching the real story behind the movie The Exorcist , as it turns out the Ouija bored was to blame ..who knew. Mine is tucked under my TV stand and I have second thoughts about messing around with it anymore. It was just a few weeks back the boys and I were trying to summon our late dog and to think what we may have brought into the house. Speaking of evil spirits I read an article last night about one of the kids who lived in the Amityville home and the proposed hoax behind it all that has hung over his family like a dark cloud since that afternoon they picked up and left that house and all of their belongings behind some 25 years ago, it got me to wonder about the current residents. You would have to either one be a real thrill seeker or two have gotten a pretty good deal to live in that house. I for one wouldn't regardless of the sensationalism surrounding that story something real happened there, just ask the kid he'll tell ya and if all goes right he will be telling everyone else at the Sundance film festival. Maybe we can finally get the real story. Being it was one of the first books I have ever read I would be pretty interested to hear it.

Jeremiah Newton & Candy Darling

Speaking of firsts the year has been full of them and to think that it is drawing to a close brings me into reflective mode. There is no stress associated with the holidays around here, why the Christmas shopping is almost done..almost not quite. The Fall semester is over in just about a month and soon we will be celebrating two more birthdays. I have been immersed in different styles of architecture..always the historian this explains away any future fanatical posts that may come your way. I have also been hugely distracted on my new hobby of couponing and getting things for free.. I know how this sounds and it is in no way due to any outside influence from shows on TV I swear. This is something I have pretty much always have done back and forth through my years raising a family however in the past few months I have kicked it into high gear and it has resulted in quite the stockpile..I find myself longing for an extra room in my home to put shelves in so that I may keep it nicely organized. But for now I have a huge dresser full of various brands of bodywash, lotions, shampoo,makeup, toothpaste, scented candles and you name it.. don't even get me started on the lip gloss my hubs says I could open a store. It is pretty fun actually and I can even keep up with it without leaving the house by snagging some stellar online deals.. I really should share though I doubt anyone comes around here expecting to find a deal.. and besides CentsableShoppin is the go to girl for things like this.. you really should check her out you may just find yourself hitting up 4 stores in one night and coming home with hundreds of dollars in food and product for like 60 bucks.. its true this is what you can find me doing on Tuesday nights.. but enough about that. Tomorrow is Monday and I am really going to try and wake up earlier, fact is I am not much of a morning person anymore...if I can refrain from reading ghost stories tonight I may just be able to..

Outside the Comfort Zone

Most of the time I tend to roll through life thinking anything is possible if you have the will..lately I find myself going with the flow instead of making things happen and I have begun to feel well somewhat lax..Perhaps it is because there has just been so much going on and despite my effort to slow things down a bit the weeks just seem to fly by..another birthday has just passed, as did Halloween and I am going strong in the day to day that is my life...I find myself longing for the Fall semester to end yet lamenting that it means the Spring semester will come before I know it and the closer I get to graduation the harder and more time consuming the classes are...but its alright no need for complaining afterall I am fortunate to just be able to have the opportunity to finish my degree..spending my Sunday taking test however is all that it takes to put me in a funk..especially when there are sick kiddos who are relentless about playing albums all throughout the day..at least my 5 year old goes to the old Warren Zevon or Linda Rondstat.. The days have turned chilly and I volunteered to run the face painting booth at the school carnival last Friday night, something that had me full of anxiety..but it worked out well despite the downpour..at least we got three good hours where it was just windy...Halloween was a blast the boys and I rode on the back of a mini pickup truck around the neighborhood and did some trick or treating and then we did 2 church festivals in 2 days..the amount of candy that remains in my house should be illegal! Tomorrow is a new day and a good nights rest may allow me to catch up with myself..I will get back to my yoga after a 2 day hiatus ( my body aches tell me its time) I will make a few phone calls to friends and family I haven't had time to catch up with this week..I will take care of my sick little man and give him lots of love and make something comforting for dinner..a glimpse of possibility in the next day of my life that lies ahead..time to get under some heavy covers, watch something on tv that I want to see and call it a night.....