Advice When Cooking...

"Garlic is like underwear;

you shouldn't go without it."

-my darling sister

Philanthropist

When I was still in grade school, I heard of some one called

a philanthropist.

I knew I wanted to be one - so I could help people.

In this pursuit to help people, I decided that I needed a

great job or idea, so I could make loads of cash...

to help people.

Today whilst reading the Reader's Digest, I skimmed through

the 100 Things We Love About America - finding pearls

of wisdom from a 21 year old recent college graduate.

He said, "you don't have to be a billionaire to be

a philanthropist. You just have to ask, 'what can

I do to help?'"

What good insight.

Rainy Day Highlights

Thoughts from the weekend:

I'm sitting here reading e-mails, listening to a thunderstorm, with the front door and all the windows thrown open. I can't tell you how nice the weather is...where I live. Last Friday evening, the room mate, some friends and I walked down the street from our house to pick wild blackberries for smoothies. I've been studying a lot lately and it feels good to do something different.

I hope those of you who enjoy the Earth, have an appreciation for all the workings of God. I mean, just today I was reading about meiosis and thinking about how the body recycles - then I was thinking the Earth recycles all sorts of things - where am I going with this? The elements are so obedient to universal/eternal laws. How can any person study life/science and not believe in God? Astonishing...all things work toward equilibrium or homeostasis, or as you like it!

Love how floral scents cling to humid air, making life smell so good after rain.

Conversation with God

I imagined to myself, the place I existed in before

I came to the Earth. My feelings of excitement to

come to such a beautiful place were also accompanied by hesitance.

My Father in Heaven sat down with me at large,

heavenly dinning room table, like any home, the place were families talk.

I asked Him how I would navigate through life - with all of it's twists and turns. He told me there would be trials, even asking me which trials I might be able to overcome and learn from while I lived upon the Earth. I was promised, with each trial came blessings through my obedience to the predicated laws. Included in those promised blessings were a list of special people who would lend support and encouragement throughout my life - I would in return be a blessing to their lives. I believe that I chose my life-trials, knowing that the Lord would send help and give me access to the light that would guide me safely back into His presence.

Leaving that heavenly dinner table, I was confident in the words of my Father and excited to do His work here on the Earth.

In the short time that I have been on the Earth, I have been given many blessings and made friendships that have brought me comfort and joy. I think about my conversation, as I imagine it, from time to time to remind myself that I chose to come here and I hope to always remember my Eternal heritage as a Child of God.

Favorite Things

In two weeks:

I will set aside one day to

find the perfect book.

The next day I will plan to:

not get out of my pajamas

maybe not wash my hair

and read all day long........

One of my favorite paintings

by Jesse

Wilcox-Smith

Ode to my Pirates

Sometimes life doesn't make any sense;

but that doesn't mean it wont work itself out.

Some days are full of sunshine and butterflies;

Then drama pirates highjack your life -

leaving you

to walk a plank.....

Brave the unknown and take the plunge;

it just may open your eyes to a

new life elsewhere

someday, you may thank the pirates

for changing your life

for the better.

The Duel between Blackbeard the pirate and lieutenant Maynard in Ocracoke Bay - painting by Jean Leon Gérome FERRIS (August 8, 1863 to March 18, 1930).

Never stop learning

This afternoon a doctor told me an interesting story about his

fellowship training; before he started his own medical practice.

He and his classmates were closing a long day in the hospital with

group rounds (where students follow an Attending Doctor or "the boss").

Already over-worked and under slept, the students were eager to leave.

The Attending, Dr. X, liked to make his students feel about 1 inch tall,

by reminding them they were troglodytes in comparison to him, with

his knowledge and experience.

So, it was after a long day, people were hungry/tired and Dr. X was

finishing a long explanation of how particular ventilators worked -

not just in the hospital, but how the ventilators worked in space

(as if, somehow the usage of ventilators in space was common to

the average medical doctor).

Dr. X closed his remarks and a hand shot up from the back of the group.

The students inwardly groaned, as the raised hand spoke up and said,

"Dr. X, you're wrong about the ventilators."

Dr. X, replied, "I didn't hear you correctly, what did you say?"

again the voice said, "you're wrong about the ventilators. I've been

to space and they don't work like you say they do."

The raised hand in the back of the group belonged to a former

Astronaut, who had been to space twice. After the grueling experience

to become an Astronaut, the man decided to go back to school to

become a doctor.

The point of the story was to encourage me to never to stop learning.

I gave up a part of my body to meet her....

Harold was a young American GI, laid up in a British hospital

after having his appendix removed. Not overly bothered by the

R & R from his daily duties in the military, he was feeling sore

in the lower right side of his abdomen. To take his mind of the

pain, Harold went to visit a guy in another ward he happened

to know.

Not knowing his friend had visitors, Harold came upon his

friend talking with two women. His friend had been courting an

English woman and as this woman wanted to visit, she brought

a chaperone. Heaven smiled on Harold and he struck up a

conversation with the chaperone: a beautiful, petite brunette

with bright blue eyes.

At the time Harold had no idea he was looking at

the mother of his future children, let alone the fact that she

was only sixteen years old; but his bold heart eventually

captured her.

After 58 years of marriage, Harold still tells his grandchildren,

"I gave up a part of my body to meet her." His posterity are

so glad that he did and more so that she said yes.

Bearnadettes: A tribute to Beth

My brilliantly creative friend Beth introduced

me to the Bearnadettes when we were little

girls and I recently made a video for her as a

birthday present - Happy Birthday Nawanda!

Warning: video contains story line that may

have been created by

two overly dramatic &

witty little girls

Looking at the Moon

I love to hear my grandparents share stories

from their lives. I must pester them for details

and always find in my diggings, special

memories to treasure.

For instance, my mother's mother told me,

"I used to look up at the moon as a young

girl, wishing for somebody to love me."

To which I replied "and he found you!"

Gramma in turn said, "your Grampa, doesn't

always say it, but I know he loves me

because he shows me in his actions."

This leads into a full blown

Love Story - for another time....

The last few nights, the moon has looked

to me especially beautiful.

The last few nights, past meets present,

as I look to

the same moon

and wish for the same things.

Good Friends..Good Day

I celebrated my birthday

this week

(lei made by friend)

Hooray!

Do you hear the music?

My dearest friend Ann recently shared a story about her love life:

"relationships are like the ice cream truck, you hear him coming

- softly at first - and suddenly he's there." You weren't looking

for an ice cream cone, but now that you see it, you like it.

Like dating, there are many flavors: you decide on the chocolate

dipped cone - with sprinkles - there are two common ways to

ingest: take dainty licks, savoring the creamy taste or one-two gone.

Eventually...the ice cream truck pulls away and the music disappears

Some may be feeling left broken...angry..frustrated..why did the

truck leave? Is HE coming back?! I NEED another cone!!! Why

did I ever get sucked into the cone in the first place?! Darn you,

Darn you, ice cream truck!

Others remember, the ice cream truck will come back -- perhaps

a better truck will come? with cones tasting sweeter than the last.

The music invites those who are listening -

So, Do you hear the music?

Real Love Remembered

Press Play on the video:

Music will play as you read the story...

Early summer 1947: Alice was twenty years old and feeling

tired from summer school. She ate little for dinner and retired

early to her room. Sometime around nine o'clock, Alice's stomach

began to ache for want of food.

Not until she reached the kitchen, did Alice notice all the lights

in the house were off and the gramophone loving produced Debussy.

She slowly stepped into the adjoining room.

Outside the living room window, two people sat side by side.

A petite figure resting it's head against the large shoulder next to it.

Alice quietly crept closer to get a better look.

Her parents, seldom displaying physical affection for one

another, were holding hands and gazing at the moon

on a peaceful summer night.

Claire de Lune danced on the humid air,

along with the rhythmic cicadas,

as longtime lovers enjoyed each others company.

Noiselessly, Alice made her way back through the house.

Eventually finding the way back to her room. Rarely a time passed,

when Alice heard the romantic sounds of Claire de Lune,

did she not think of her parents.

Happy to have a Home.

The photograph pictured above was taken on "The Hill"

The Hill is where the homeless of San Francisco hangout.

With all the hard days that I face going to work, attending class,

and fulfilling my other obligations.......

I remember life is hard for the homeless.

From the safety of my kitchen table I write

In the comfort of my soft bed I dream

Driving in my new car I make exciting plans

I'm always cooking up new meals to consume

I know that people care about me

My desire is to continually encourage others

to always be the best them

My neighbor is over 65

I woke up this morning to the sound of a weed-wacker and a man's voice outside my bedroom window. My response was to roll over and go back to sleep.

About an hour later I pulled myself out of bed and moseyed around the kitchen another hour before I stepped outside onto my font porch - where I found Bill, my neighbor, sweeping up the grass particles he had created while edging my yard.



After beautifying my yard - Bill checked the oil in my car.

I'll be baking him something nice this week.

My first post of goodness....

Three people waiting in line alongside me to donate blood.

I picked up my phone to call Mama, "Mom, where are you? Are you near the hospital? will you come hold my hand?...I'm going to donate blood...ok, ok, see you soon. Thanks Mom" (p.s. I'm almost 30)

In 15 minutes I learned:

Man #1: Lived in Ghana a short while - volunteering in hospitals, Loves the Texas Longhorns and flirting with freckled faced
woman.

Woman #1: Donates blood every 6 months, has two children - one delivered naturally after 14 hours of labor and the second
child cesarean due to the nature of the baby's breech position. She also spent two days in Paris last November.

Woman #2: Just moved here from California and was appalled at the lack of recycling options available in her new home state.
She has always had an interest in composting...to further her efforts in reducing waste - I gave her some tips.


Isn't it nice how easily you can make friends?



Oh yeah, save a life...donate blood!