Rescued Dreams

Sitting in my over-sized beanbag chair in the middle of my dorm room, I considered my options. My pre-med adviser had just given me permission to change my mind, a prospect that was filling me with anxiety. "Not everyone who gets through this program goes on to become a doctor. And that's not always because they aren't capable," he said. "Medical school is a lot of work, and getting there is only the beginning. If you aren't sure, maybe you should take some time to think about other possibilities."

So that's what I was doing. Flipping through catalogs for graduate programs for teachers, nurses and physicians' assistants, considering an application for Teach for America, imagining myself as something, anything, other than a doctor. This wasn't easy considering I'd been pursuing this singular goal since I was a freshman in high school. Now I found myself wondering what else I might be good at. Wondering if medical school was really where I wanted to go next.

When the time came, and I still hadn't decided what my next step should be, I passed on taking the MCAT and took the GRE instead, just in case graduate school found its way into my future. By graduation, there was still no clear plan laid out before me. While my classmates were preparing for Masters and Doctorate programs or the beginnings of their careers, I was planning to work at a jewelry shop for the summer. Not exactly a solid career choice, but it would pay the bills until I could find something that suited me better.

I wondered every day if I had made a mistake.

It took a while, but eventually that conversation in my adviser's office returned to my memory and I realized I was doing exactly what he had suggested. The fear of having made the wrong choice remained, but it started to mingle with the excitement of opportunity. With no plans, no clear goals, I was free to explore my dreams. I had been rescued from the responsibility of pursuing a goal that no longer fit who I had become. Who would I be from this moment on? What profession would make me happiest? How did I want to be remembered in this world?

I had the opportunity to choose my destiny and I would enjoy the process of making it a reality--whatever it might be.

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This is my response to the prompt, Rescue, at Creativity Corner, a new series of creativity prompts at Write Out Loud. If you'd like to join in, write your own response to the prompt and then head over to Write Out Loud and leave a link in the Rescue comments.

Recipe: A Chipotle Twist on Chili

A little more than a month ago, I ordered Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker to expand my vegetarian dish repertoire and make better use of my slow cooker.

The first recipe I decided to make was Chipotle-Kissed Red Bean and Sweet Potato Chili. It's the only recipe I've tried so far, and I've made it twice--it's THAT good. I could eat this chili everyday for the entire comfort-food season and be totally happy.

I made a few adjustments, because the first time I made it I found it to be more like soup than like chili. I like my chili chunky and thick. Here's the version I created.

Ingredients

1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 TBSP chili powder
1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 15-oz can dark red kidney beans
1 15-oz can white kidney (cannellini) beans (or other favorite bean)
1 1/2 cups water
salt to taste
1 canned chipole chili in adobo sauce (or to taste), finely chopped

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cook for about a minute. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat with spices. (I did this step the night before and then put the "starters" in the refrigerator over night. In the morning I continued with the following step.)

Transfer to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, peas, beans and water. Season with salt, cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Before serving, stir in the chipotle pepper and taste to adjust seasoning. Serve with crackers or corn bread.

Recipe: Bean and Chard Stuffed Acorn Squash

I've been subscribing to Eating Well magazine for almost a year now and I've found at least one awesome recipe in each issue. This one came to my attention at the perfect time: I had a bunch of chard and three acorn squash that needed to be used as soon as possible.

While I loved the flavor of the dish, I cooked it one night and ate it as leftovers for the rest of the week. I have to admit that it would probably have been better immediately out of the oven, because they seemed a little dry the next day. You might want to keep that in mind and make adjustments accordingly.

Ingredients

2 medium acorn squash, halved, seeds removed
1 tsp plus 2 TBSP olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP tomato paste
8 cups chopped chard leaves
1 15-oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/3 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Lay squash halves in a 9x13 microwave-safe baking dish, cut sides up. (If they stand on their own, you can slice a thin piece off the bottom so that they do.) Brush the insides of with 1 tsp oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on High until the squash is fork tender, about 12 minutes.

In the meantime, heat 1 TBSP oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook stirring for another minute. Add water and tomato paste, along with the remaining salt and pepper. Stir in chard, cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the white beans and olives and stir, cooking until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the broiler (I used the oven, 350 degrees).

Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and 1 TBSP oil in a small bowl. Fill each squash half with about a cup of the chard mix. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and broil (or bake) until the breadcrumbs are browned. Grate a little Parmesan on top of each squash and serve.

Polka Dotted Dreams

I pulled the taffeta fabric out a few feet from its bolt and smiled. It was white, with sea-foam green circles of different sizes and shades floating on the fabric like bubbles on the surface of the ocean. "This one," I said to my mother, who was scanning a selection of fabrics a few feet away.

When she looked over, I wasn't sure what she was thinking, but I knew I had found the fabric for my prom dress. "It's polka dotted," she said. I could hear hesitation in her voice as she walked over to take a closer look.

"I know. Isn't it cool?" I lifted a piece of sea-foam green taffeta from a near-by bolt and said, "And this can be the accent fabric for the shoulder pieces and that one layer of the skirt." It matched the polka dots perfectly.

She held up the torn magazine page with the advertisement for the prom dress I was having made and placed it next to the polka-dotted taffeta. The bodice of the dress was fitted and had a slight drop waist. The skirt had three layers, the top two layers rising on the left side to a tastefully sized taffeta flower. The sleeves were off-the-shoulder poufs, reminiscent of swimming wings, but at the time seemed perfectly fashionable.

"I guess it might work. You're sure you want to do the polka dots?" She set the fabric down and started sauntering up and down the aisles again. "Maybe we should look around a little more before you decide. There are lots of colors and patterns here."

She tried to guide me toward something more reasonable. She suggested less bold and obvious choices, fabrics in more muted, solid shades. But I wouldn't have it. My prom fantasies were already floating among sea-foam polka dots. Nothing else would do.

---

This is my response to the prompt, Polka Dots, at Creativity Corner, a new series of creativity prompts at Write Out Loud. If you'd like to join in, write your own response to the prompt and then head over to Write Out Loud and leave a link in the Polka Dots comments.

Help Me Choose My Business Name

I've been tossing around names for my writing and editing business for a while now. You may have seen a few cries for feedback on Twitter over the last couple of months. I've finally narrowed things down to a few favorites and I'd like your help in deciding which one becomes my official moniker.

I'd like my business name to be creative (but not too quirky). I'm looking for a name that doesn't back me into a corner niche-wise, is not a play on words, has a timeless quality that can be carried with me as my business evolves, and lends itself to a variety of tag lines depending on my target audience.

Please vote for the business you might choose to work with if you were looking for professional writing and editing services.

But wait! What's in it for you?

I know your time is valuable, so I'd like to give you something for your time and effort. If you'll take an extra minute or two to do any of the following in addition to answering the survey below, you could win a $20 Starbucks Gift Card.

For a single chance to win, leave a comment on this post with: 1) the business name you chose, 2) your reason for choosing that name, and 3) any feelings or associations the name brings with it.

For a second chance to win, leave a second comment with any feelings or associations the other names bring with them and any specific reasons you may have for not choosing them.

For a third chance to win, Tweet this survey with the #smtwngrlbiz hashtag and leave a third comment indicating you did so along with your Twitter ID.

The survey will close on Friday, November 20th at midnight. A winner will be chosen on Saturday, November 21st by random comment selection using random.org. Remember to make sure your profile allows me to contact you via email or leave your email address in the body of your comments so that I can contact you if you win.

*Voting is now closed.*

The Making of a Diva

A couple of days ago, Jamie at Totally the Bomb created her "Diva list" (inspired by that commercial where Mariah Carey has a long list of demands for her hotel room). After reading Jamie's list, and in an attempt to inspire an increased NaNo word count, I decided to create one of my own. I don't normally consider myself much of a diva, but I suppose if I ever have the opportunity to be one, I should have my list at the ready.

1. Unlimited supply of dark chocolate covered espresso beans, preferably of a gourmet variety, but Trader Joe's brand will do in a pinch.

2. A masseuse at the ready to take care of any kinks, cricks or soreness...or to just relax me after a long day.

3. A personal yoga instructor to make sure I get my butt out of bed to practice poses right every morning.

4. A personal stylist to pick out (or purchase) the perfect outfit each morning and for any special events I might be required at.

5. Fresh flowers in every room. They don't need to be changed every day (that's wasteful), but the dying ones should be removed and replaced regularly.

6. Scented spa products, including bubble bath, shampoo, body wash and lotions, in a variety of fruity and flowery scents.

7. A manicurist and pedicurist at the ready for any nail- or open-toed-shoe/sandal- related emergency.

8. A sound system that I can hook my iPod up to for those impromptu dance party moments.

9. Plane tickets and accommodations so that all my friends and family can join me.

10. A personal hairstylist to be with me at all times to fix and stray hairs, waviness or frizz during unexpected moments of humidity.

I'm having a hard time even thinking like a Diva. Maybe with a little practice...

What would your Diva List look like?

A Horrible First Kiss

I was fourteen (almost fifteen) when I had my first real, and extremely bad, kiss.

My friend Abby* was spending the night and we had two of our guy friends over while my parents were out. There was music playing on the stereo, something totally pop and early ‘90s I’m sure. Abby and Randy were egging Allen on to dance with me, hold my hand, kiss me. Allen had recently become Abby’s ex-boyfriend and was Randy’s close friend. We all hung out together often.

Both Allen and Randy liked Abby and I liked both Allen and Randy, of course.

I can’t remember exactly how it went down, but in my memory Abby and Randy spent the entire evening trying to get Allen and me together. At one point, Allen and I were slow dancing to whatever was on the stereo, the two of us alone in the living room with the lights low. I draped my arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around my waist, his hands on my lower back. A few inches taller than me, he bent his head down a bit so that our foreheads were pressed together as we swayed to the song. He said something that made me look up into his face, and when I did, he kissed me. Not a soft peck on the lips, but an open mouthed, almost violent kiss, his tongue stiff and thrusting in and out of my mouth like a lizard’s. I didn’t know what to do or how I was supposed to respond, so I closed my eyes and let him probe my mouth until he was finished. In the dark room, even with my eyes closed I couldn’t miss the flashes of a camera. We were caught on film for all the world to see. When we stopped kissing, we opened our eyes, smiled at each other and then yelled at Abby for taking our picture.

It didn’t take long before I discovered that Allen only kissed me because he thought it was what Abby wanted. He was trying to get back into her good graces so that she would date him again. I tried with all my might to make him like me the way he seemed to like her, but in the end, that kiss and the few that followed were gladly tossed into the recesses of my memory, replaced by much better kisses and, eventually, much more sincere boys.

*All names were changed to protect the innocent (and guilty).

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This is my response to the prompt, First Kiss, at Creativity Corner, a new series of creativity prompts at Write Out Loud. If you'd like to join in, write your own response to the prompt and then head over to Write Out Loud and leave a link in the First Kiss comments.

NaNoWriMo: I'm Doing it Again

At this time two years ago I was considering taking the leap into the world of NaNoWriMo. Eventually I decided to jump in, and came out the other side frazzled, wondering where November went, but almost 40,000 words closer to my first novel. I'm still working on that story, but this year I again found myself thinking about diving into a month of writing wildly.

I don't have a new novel idea yet, but I'm considering giving it a go anyway. If I can't come up with a fiction plot in the next four days, I might do an unofficial version of NaNo and either dedicate the month to finishing my first NaNovel or to working toward 50,000 words of the memoir I've been playing at for the last three years. Whatever I decide to do, you can be sure I'll keep you posted on my progress here.

Are any of you considering or planning to participate in NaNoWriMo? Do you have a solid plot prepared or are you planning to wing it?

Appreciating Me

It's Day 1 of Week 3 in my Gratitude Journey. The Gratitude Challenge for this week is to be grateful for who I am. As someone who holds herself to the highest standards and rarely feels she's good enough, this week will certainly be an interesting exercise in letting some crap go.

Today I'm supposed to "appreciate and give thanks for [my] unique personality, skills and talents." In some ways that is an easy task. I know what I am good at and I know that I have positive characteristics, that I am unique and talented. At the risk of sounding conceited, I know I'm smart, kind, compassionate and a good writer, among other things. But just writing that stuff down immediately triggers a long list of qualifications: sort of smart, usually kind, generally compassionate, pretty good writer. I start thinking I'm not as good a writer or as smart as so-and-so. I wasn't very compassionate the other day. Those things I thought about that stranger weren't very kind.

It's easy and common to judge myself harshly. It is real work, a rare occurrence, to allow myself to be grateful for all the things I am without worrying about all the things I am not. I'm going to try, though. Today I am going to pay attention to the things I like about myself, the things I can be proud of, the things that make me who I am. I'll leave the judgment and self-deprecation for another day.

What qualities and characteristics make you who you are? What talents and skills can you claim and be proud of--without wishing you were better at or more of something?

If you'd like to take The Gratitude Challenge, you can start any time. Just visit the website and sign your own pledge. You can also read more about what I'm grateful for by following my Gratitude Journey.

My Life Through Rose-Colored Glasses

I'm about half-way through Week 2 of my Gratitude Journey via The Gratitude Challenge, and this week's exercises have been focused on paying attention and staying positive--two things that most American's seem to have problems with. (And when I say most Americans I'm pointing directly at myself.)

While the exercises for the week weren't specifically written ones, I thought I'd take some time here to explore what I've been discovering as I practice being present and positive.

I'm really grateful to have all five of my senses. A few nights ago I was making dinner and I really paid attention to how my senses heightened the experience. There were the sounds: the sizzle of oil and the crackle of onions as I tossed them in; the rhythmic sound of the knife slicing through the vegetables and then hitting the cutting board. The smells were rich and tempting: onions, apple and curry, all earthy and sweet. The feel of the strength in my hands and arms, their repetitive movement as I chopped, stirred and tossed reminded me of all the things I can do because my body is healthy and whole. As I spooned the mixture into a bowl, the slightly varying shades of beige and yellow, shads that would normally blend together and seem dull, were bright and vibrant. And the taste--oh, the taste--how something so simple could combine to make a satisfying and nourishing meal amazed me.

Walks can be meditative, if I let them. Today, I used my lunch break to walk to the post office. It's a gorgeous day here in Maryland and I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the sun. The breeze was the perfect contrast, cooling me before I got too hot. I could smell the blossoms of fall foliage and the decay of early fallen leaves. The sensation of my feet hitting the sidewalk in time to the song I hummed made me smile.

Choosing to be present helps me to be positive. By paying attention to each moment, I'm learning that just as the positive moments pass, so do the negative ones. I don't have to be bogged down by negative feelings or frustrated by less enjoyable moments. Instead, I can experience them and let them pass, knowing that a new moment is already on its way.

It seems this week has me looking at my life through rose-colored glasses. Things won't always be happy or perfect or exciting, but somewhere amidst whatever I'm experiencing I now know that I can find a glimmer of gratitude to keep me going.

What sense experiences make you grateful? How can being more aware of these experiences help you live in a more positive way? If you'd like to take The Gratitude Challenge, you can start any time. Just visit the website and sign your own pledge. You can also read more about what I'm grateful for by following my Gratitude Journey.

In Recognition of My Internet Community

It's the beginning of Week 2 of my Gratitude Journey and today's Gratitude Challenge is to write 5 thank-you notes to people who deserve some recognition. While I'm not going to type out my notes here (I'm still not quite sure which people I'll be recognizing), I thought it might be a good time to write a thank-you note of sorts to my internet community.

The fact that I have been able to "meet" people that I truly connect with without ever seeing them face-to-face, or in most cases even talking to them, never fails to surprise me. And yet, there are at least a dozen wonderful human beings who have become important to me since I began reading blogs, and later, participating on Twitter. These people not only share their lives with me, but they talk to me about things we have in common, are willing to honestly and open-mindedly discuss the things we don't agree on, offer up amazing advice, and gladly accept and provide support whenever it's needed. They may not sit down across a table from me for coffee or chat with me everyday, but I'm proud to call them my internet friends.

I hope that one day I'll meet them all in person. Until then, we'll continue to "tweet" one another, read and comment on each other's blogs and exchange emails or phone calls. If I could have these people around the corner, I'd certainly choose that. But just having them at all is a blessing I'm truly grateful for.

What thing, person, place or moment makes you most grateful today? If you'd like to take The Gratitude Challenge, you can start any time. Just visit the website and sign your own pledge. You can also read more about what I'm grateful for by following my Gratitude Journey.

A Picture of Gratitude

Yesterday's assignment for The Gratitude Challenge was to call someone I hadn't talked to in a while and tell that person how much I appreciated her. It didn't take long for me to decide who I would call and what I would say. I'll keep the details between me and her, but suffice it to say that when she didn't answer and I had to leave a message I was actually happy. Knowing that she would listen to my voice after a harried day trying to run a family and a business, I was almost giddy with joy. My voice and the appreciation I expressed would hopefully be a wonderful ending to a stressful day.

Since the assignment for yesterday didn't really involve writing anything down, I hadn't planned to blog about it at all, but then I saw today's assignment and realized the story was connected to what I've chosen to share today. It's a picture of two things that I'm truly grateful for: my cell phone and my computer.

Without these two objects that I generally take for granted, I would be disconnected from so many of my family and friends. That woman I called yesterday? We're lucky to see each other and talk in person twice a year. But with my cell phone and my computer we can get in touch with one another at a moment's notice. I can reach out to my friends in Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, California, or New York. I can hear my mother's voice every day if I want to. I can send my sister an encouraging email as soon as I hear she's feeling down.

Sure, without my cell phone and computer I'd still have paper and pens and envelopes and stamps, but I would have the tender voices of friends and family when I most need them. I wouldn't have their near-instant emailed (or Tweeted) responses to my questions and concerns. I'd be lost and lonely without those two pieces of technology...and I don't even want to imagine what that would feel like.

What thing, person, place or moment makes you most grateful today? If you'd like to take The Gratitude Challenge, you can start any time. Just visit the website and sign your own pledge. You can also read more about what I'm grateful for by following my Gratitude Journey.

Counting My Blessings

I wouldn't consider myself a negative person. In fact, I tend to be the optimist in the room. I generally try to see the bright side of a situation, almost always give a person the benefit of the doubt. That doesn't mean I don't have negative days or get discouraged when disappointing things happen around me. And while I'm pretty easy on other people, I am almost always VERY hard on myself.

Today's Gratitude Challenge exercise is to count my blessings, to take five minutes and focus on all the wonderful things in my life. I'm doing this stream-of-consciousness style because I believe that one tiny mustard seed of gratitude can build a mountain of thankfulness.

I'm grateful for a mother who has been wonderful to me all my life, for a family who supports me, for friends who surround me with love even from hundreds of miles away.

I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to travel near and far, to see people and places I'd never seen before and experience cultures that were new to me.

I am grateful for my education, both in the classroom and in the world.

I am grateful for the ability and opportunity to read until my heart is content and to learn from the words and stories of others.

I am grateful for my desire to tell my own stories, for my love of words and the ability to weave them into sentences, paragraphs and pages that will eventually (hopefully) convey meaning to others.

I am grateful for a community of writers, both in person and online, that inspires me, encourages me and teaches me every day.

I am grateful for a job that allows me to both pay my bills and do what I love.

I am grateful for opportunities to expand my abilities and skills and to use those abilities and skills to help myself and others grow.

I am grateful for my home and the things in it.

I am grateful for the compassion I feel toward others and my desire and ability to act on it in the best ways I can.

I am grateful for my spiritual development and the life I have.

I am grateful for every breath I have taken and every moment I have lived.

I am grateful for the nature and beauty I am surrounded by.

I am grateful for trees and sun and warmth and cool breezes and freshly cut grass and fallen leaves and the first snowflakes of the season--not only for the experiences of them, but for the memories of them.

I am grateful for life.

What are you grateful for today? If you'd like to take The Gratitude Challenge, you can start any time. Just visit the website and sign your own pledge. You can also read more about what I'm grateful for by following my Gratitude Journey.

Bad Isn't Always Bad

As part of The Gratitude Challenge, today I'm supposed to write a thank-you note for some of the "negative" things in my life. It's not easy to look at the things I consider bad or disappointing or negative and say, "Hey thanks, Universe, I'm really grateful for that crap you've been sending me lately." The more I think about it, though, the more I know there is a positive spin to all that stuff I've been resisting. It may not be obvious and it may not take away all the troubles of the negatives, but it certainly makes them more bearable.

Dear Universe,

Thanks for all the family drama. There's certainly been a lot of it. Of most recent note was that family spat last week that had my stomach tied up in knots. The conflict wasn't exactly a blessing, but in the midst of it I realized how grateful I am to still have a father, to be able to talk to him every week and tell him I love him. I recognized that despite the strain among members of my family and the problems that broken homes can cause, I have love and support almost everywhere I turn. It may not come from the people I expect, and it may not be the result of blood ties, but it is there and it buoys me every day.

Thanks, too, for helping me step out of my comfort zone and walk the spiritual path that is right for me. Having been part of a particular group and then losing that integral connection in my life, I've been carrying around hurt and anger for quite some time. But in a conversation with a friend over the weekend, I also realized that I'm grateful for those broken ties and rejections of the past, as well as for the connections that remain despite what I like to call "the break-up". I'm healing and I'm finding that I'm stronger and more courageous for having lost that community. I wish it hadn't been that way...I wish I hadn't had to let go of that part of my life. But in the end, I was able to hold onto those things that I strongly believe in and let the conflict and doubt dissipate. It's not easy to turn away from something that has been ingrained into my being for so long, but having to defend my position and stand firm in my beliefs has strengthened them (and me) in a way that I never could have imagined possible.

Thanks, Universe, for showing me the way and helping me to see things from new vantage points. Sometimes life is hard, sometimes things suck, but in the end I will find meaning and purpose in all of it--even if it's only a tiny glimmer of hope.

Gratitude ABCs

Today's gratitude assignment, compliments of The Gratitude Challenge, is to make a list of things I'm grateful for using the letters of the alphabet as my prompt.

I am grateful for:

A - Autumn and the apples that come with it, straight from the tree
B - Books of all kinds, ones that make me think, inspire me, or just plain entertain
C - Chocolate of course...the dark creamy kind that melts slowly in your mouth
D - Dreams and the chance to chase them
E - Exciting opportunities and open doors for new experiences
F - Friends that support and love me no matter what idiotic things I do or say
G - Giggles and uncontrollable laughter
H - Hugs at the exact moment when I need them; health and happiness
I - Ice cream on a hot summer day; individuality; independence
J - Just enough of everything I need
K - Kisses that make me weak in the knees
L - Love in all its shapes and forms
M - My Mom, whose love and strength I can only hope to emulate
N - Nature and the chance to spend time enjoying it
O - Organic farmers and the food they produce
P - Pretty things
Q - Quiet time
R - Respect (given and received)
S - Sister that put up with my big-sister-stuff for all those years and still trusts me
T - Travel to places I've never been before, as well as to places I know and love
U - Unexpected blessings
V - Vitamins and vegetables
W - Words and the opportunity to use them, shape them and make them my own
X - X-tended vacations
Y - Yeses
Z - Zest for life

This wasn't easy--especially X, Y and Z. But it was fun and really forced me to consider all the big and little things that I'm grateful for. What are your ABCs of gratitude?

Living a Life of Gratitude

I've decided to start a little project. Learning to practice gratitude has become an important goal for my life and I want to nourish the development of that practice. I have had a hard time in the past doing things like journaling about gratitude regularly, though. So when I recently came across The Gratitude Challenge, sponsored by Tiny Prints, I felt it was a prompt from the Universe to help me practice gratitude more consistently.

As you see, I downloaded the pledge and signed it and I'm ready to give consistent, purposeful gratitude a chance. I believe that cultivating an attitude of gratitude in my life is important for my own well-being, as well as the well-being of those I encounter. I trust that expressing gratitude in all situations, for all things--good and bad, easy and difficult, desired and unexpected--will help me grow and develop, allowing me to live my best, most purposeful life. It may sound hokey, but I honestly feel that gratitude can change the world.

For the next 21 days, I will consciously choose to recognize the things in my life for which I can be grateful--especially when it seems difficult to locate those tiny glimmers of gold hiding among the pebbles. Today, I am grateful for this challenge to change my perspective and make a shift toward a life filled with gratitude.

How do you practice gratitude? If you're not already practicing gratitude in your daily life, are you willing to join me in this journey? I'll be sharing my gratitude experience with you. If you decide to take the challenge, too, I hope you'll come back and let me know how it's going. And if you blog about your gratitude journey, feel free to leave me a link to your blog or posts so that we can all visit and cheer each other on.

Sunday Scribbling: Hungry

It's been quite some time since I've written a Sunday Scribblings post, but the prompts over the last few weeks have been tickling my muse. I've finally got a few minutes and thought I'd dig in and see what she produces when I let her loose.

Prompt #181: Hungry

It starts as a general sense of emptiness. I notice it because it feels like nothing, as if I am only recognizing what was there now that it is gone. I continue on with my task, making my bed and putting away clothes, straightening up my room.

After several minutes, the grumbling begins, occasional and quiet at first, so that only I can hear it. Inside the churning is slight and bearable. As I shake out sheets and tuck in corners, I consider food, what to eat, what my body would like today, now, for this meal.

My stomach persists in its demands and then other body parts join in. We are hungry, my head tells me, aching a bit as I bend over to pick up a pair of shoes. We need to eat, my mouth says, salivating so much I have to swallow before hanging up my shirt. Feed us, my stomach screams, gurgling so loudly my cat lifts her head from the bed and meows.

OK, I relent. I am hungry. My body has spoken. I must feed it now, bless it with nourishment, treat it with respect.

Your Votes in Action

A while back I asked for your advice on which eyeglasses frames I should choose. You promptly voted and I had a clear winner. Unfortunately, I sat on your input for weeks (MONTHS) and when I finally went back to get my glasses, the frames you chose were no where to be found. I did take the pictures of the frames you most liked, though, and used your advice to choose some comparable styles.

Since I waited so long, I got a great deal, where I managed to get two pairs of complete glasses for less than I paid for a single pair the last time I bought new frames (at least three years ago).

Ta-da!

Pair #1:



And pair #2:



(I know, I know. They're very similar. It's very funny how you don't realize these things until you're taking pictures of yourself.)

Thanks for the great advice, dear readers. I should come to you with all my life altering style questions from now on.

CSA Shares - Weeks 10, 11 and 12

For the record -

Week 10

• 2 heads of lettuce
• 2 yellow squash
• 1 zucchini
• 1 cucumber
• small bunch of chard
• 1 tomato
• large bunch of scallions

Week 11

• 2 yellow squash
• 4 small apples
• 2 tomatoes
• possibly something else I'm forgetting, but this week was a pretty small share

Week 12

• 2 yellow squash
• 4 lbs tomatoes
• 2 apples
• 1 bunch chard
• 1 pint yellow pear tomatoes (like cherry tomatoes only yellow and pear shaped)
• 1 pint raspberries
  

Change Is In the Air

I'm having a hard time posting here these days, as you can tell. I'm not sure if it's a lack of time, motivation or content that keeps me from writing. Maybe it's bit of everything.

Since I can't seem to write about much other than the food I bring home and the meals I prepare, I've been thinking about why I started blogging in the first place and where this little old blog is headed. I like connecting with other people through my blogs, and I don't feel like lists of CSA shares and the occasional recipe are building my blogging community. At the same time, fresh food and cooking are things that I'm really enjoying right now. Everything has its season, and maybe Writing: My Life isn't where I'm at anymore. Or maybe this little old space just needs a makeover of sorts.

As I figure out where I'm going, I'll share with you here. In the meantime, I'm writing more at Write Out Loud. I'm taking on more freelance projects. I'm reading a lot and I'm playing around with some personal creative writing projects. You'll also find me on Twitter. I hope you'll keep in touch and keep me in your readers. I'll be back. I promise.