Thwarted

So far my whole plan to have more gratitude and seek the bright points in every day has not been terribly successful.  I had a very hard time coming back from our vacation to Iowa (though I was thankful for the nice weather when we landed) but more recently I've been having back problems that have pretty much hampered my ability to do much but lay around in pain.

Back problems so bad, that my husband had to bathe me and spoon feed me dinner on Saturday.  I went to get an adjustment on Sunday morning with a Chiropractor as it seemed I had some ribs out of place.  I did, and it helped, but it definitely was not the solution to the real problem.  I'm still having significant pain and limited mobility in my shoulders and neck.  I'm going to see a family practice doctor tomorrow.  I'm hoping she can refer me to a Physical Therapist, or a Chiropractor who believes in science and takes insurance. 

A Year of Gratitude

I know it's a little early to start thinking about resolutions for the new year, considering Christmas is still a couple of days away, but tonight something hit me smack in the jaw.  I know that I'm not good about expressing gratitude daily.  Sure, I might have moments MOST days, but I would say I'm much more inclined to let pessimism and negativity grab a hold of me.

Starting in January, I'm going to focus on seeing the good in each day.  I'm going to work hard to smile at rude strangers, to forgive the drivers who honk at me for coming to a complete stop, and I'm going to sit down each night and reflect on the good things that happened.  Obviously, there may be some days when I struggle to find anything good.  That's okay, I'm giving myself permission to have bad days.  I don't want to guilt trip myself, after all.

I'm going to start informally over the holidays.  Why wait, especially when there is so much joy to be celebrated?  Official tracking of my reflections won't begin until after the new year, though

In the end I hope I have a more positive attitude and uplifted spirit, and it seems like a much more attainable (and therefore healthy) resolution.

Winter has arrived (in Iowa)

Even though the season doesn't technically start until tomorrow, I'm thrilled to hear reports of significant amounts of snow from my friends and family back in the Midwest.  I'm hopeful that it stays around long enough (i.e. Christmas day) so that I can enjoy while I'm visiting.  For now I hope everyone stays safe and warm.  I'm wishing all of those in the the impacted areas clear roads and runways and cozy places to rest.  I hope all of the lovey snow brings you some holiday cheer.

On Connecticut

I have been in a daze since word got out that Sandy Hook Elementary School was attacked.  I'm devastated for the students, their families, the community, and for all of us.  We have seen too much gun violence, but this year especially.

Our children deserve better.  We deserve better.  Let's honor those lost and get something done this time.

Imaginary Gifting: Day 1

My family and friends don't really exchange holiday gifts anymore.  Everyone seems to have a tight budget to stick to and honestly, since giving up on gifts, I seem to enjoy the holiday season a lot more.  We still gift on my husband's side of the family, but reducing the number of presents we have to purchase each year has significantly lowered my stress level around the holidays.  Especially since we live so far away from home.

While perusing at the Americana today, I noticed myself daydreaming about gifts I would give my loved ones if I had less limited resources.  I came across this lovely Zodiac bracelet from Anthropologie and immediately wanted to purchase them for two of my best friends.

Image source:http://www.anthropologie.com

While sifting through the stack, I found myself trying to remember what their signs are.  Then I noticed the price tag read $52.  I love my besties, but $52 bracelets for people who I don't normally exchange gifts with are not in my budget.

So here you go ladies!  It's the thought that counts, right?

The Rose Bowl Flea Market

Bright and early on Sunday morning, I headed to Pasadena Flea Market with a good friend in search of housewares.  She was on the lookout for a new (to her) vase, I was hoping to find a great deal on a vintage buffet/sideboard/console table to replace our flimsy tv stand.

The flea market actually takes place in the area directly surrounding the Rose Bowl, with vendors arraigned in a vaguely grid like pattern.  Unfortunately I was not able to find a good deal on furniture, so my ugly tv stand lives to see another day, but I did spot these chairs that matched our old couch. 

So ugly. 

 My husband loved that couch, while I would be lying if I said I was sad we left in Iowa during our 2009 move to Georgia. 

It was fun to search through all of the stands, especially at the old Christmas ornaments and teacups, but after being there for several hours (and not getting through even half of the market) I was exhausted.  I was overwhelmed by all of the stuff, and the people.  Nobody was paying attention to where they were walking, and I like my personal space.  I lost count of how many times someone accidentally grazed my bum.  It turns out walking through crowds for hours to sift through junk to find a few precious items isn't really my favorite. 

Finally we made it through about two thirds of the stands and decided to call it a day.  I was anxious to get away from the crowd, so we decide to go inside the Rose Bowl to sit and chat.

At the end of the day, my friend discovered a few good deals (a vase and some Golden Books), and while I'm not in a rush to go back, I'm glad I checked it out.  Maybe if I get brave I'll return again some day in search of that sideboard.  Or maybe not.

December so far

DreamWorks has an annual Holiday Fair or Bazaar, I'm not sure what they actually call it.  Anyway, my friend convinced me to try to sell some cakes.  I made Yule logs, 12 of them. I only sold three.  Bummer.  On the bright side there was some delicious mulled wine.

The table cloth is a family heirloom.  My Grandmother inherited it from her aunt before giving it to me.  I think it's lovely, especially at Christmas.

I think one of my downfalls was that DW had a lovely spread of appetizers and drinks.  Why pay for a cake when you could get cookies, kabobs, sandwiches, and other snacks for free?  In the long run I was happy they had them, I hadn't eaten a thing all day, aside from testing the flavor of my frosting.  I did manage to sneak away from my booth enough to run up to the hidden room to grab a home brewed beer, an elderflower IPA.  It was delicious!

Setting up the snack table. 

Unfortunately I wasn't able to eat much, because I didn't want to be stuffing food in my face if I happened to get a customer.  Plus, I knew these guys would be waiting for me when I got home!

Creepy, but oh so delicious

My local Whole Foods had a sweet deal on Dungeness Crabs for one day only.  I'm very excited that we can get Dungeness Crab locally.  We loved the fresh, local seafood when we were living in Georgia, but Blue Crab is a pain in the butt to clean, and we hardly ever found it for less than $15 per pound.  Dungeness  is larger, and significantly easier to clean.  Plus at $8 per pound (normally almost $12), it was pretty friendly on the wallet.  I made time in my busy Thursday schedule to make sure we could have some for dinner.  It was exactly what I needed after a long day.

The aftermath