Snow Day!!!

Today was such an awesome day -- we got around a foot of snow... and we love snow around here! Our two pups, Samson & Pete played around in it throughout the day and Sean & I played video games, I did some knitting, cleaned the loft and made snow cream {a family tradition!}

Here are some pics of the pups enjoying their snow cream:

 

yum yum!

two happy puppies :)

 

samson looooooves this stuff!

all over his face... but cute!

little pete -- he was too busy eating to pose for a picture!

I needed today. A day to relax, veg out and forget about everything that's been stressing me out. I love days spent with my beautiful family... and I hope it keeps snowing and snowing so that the fun can continue!

I hope you got to see a little snow today, too! Here is the recipe I use:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
scant 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
large bowl of snow (about 3 quarts)
Blend milk, sugar and vanilla. Stir in enough snow to make snow cream to an ice cream consistency.

Sometimes I add chocolate syrup for variety... but it's good plain and keeps in the freezer for a few days :)

{Saying Goodbye}

Rest in Peace Desmond -- You are missed already more than you know friend.

I am currently reading a book called The Heart of Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh {huuuuge fan of his btw} and came across a passage that gave me some peace on the idea of death, somthing I have never been good at understanding or dealing with.

The passage is this: "A wave can be recognized by signs - high or low, beginning or ending, beautiful or ugly. But in the world of the water, there are no signs. In the world of relative truth, the wave feels happy as she swells, and she feels sad when she falls. She may think "I am high," or "I am low," and develop a superiority or inferiority complex. But when the wave touches her true nature - which is water - all her complexes will cease, and she will transcend birth and death."

He goes on to say: "If we look deeply, we will know that we have never been born and we will never die. A wave is born and dies, is higher or lower, more or less beautiful. But you cannot apply these notions to water. When we see this, our fear will suddenly vanish."

For some reason those passages give me a sense of peace. Thinking about a dear friend who has passed away and comparing him to a wave rising and falling does not seem scary or sad or confusing. Wherever he is, I hope he is also happy and at peace. We love and miss you dearly, Dez. Rest in peace.

Happy Thursday!

"All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else." {Buddha}

I am new to the blogging world, and I think my inspiration to finally jump on this bandwagon is because I am in desperate need of a creative outlet. A place where I can be myself - free of judgement. Journaling is good for the soul, and with all of the recent changes in my life I feel it is a good idea to get some of this down. I feel that it makes things more real.

I recently began studying Buddhism and have been going to a Sangha a few times a week to meditate. For me this feels right. I have had conflict with my family over this {my mother is a Methodist pastor} but for once in my life I am putting my happiness above pleasing others. I have been a vegetarian for about 5 years now, and feel that I am ready to take things a step further. It is very important to be aware of things that are going into your body. Your soul is a temple and capable of bringing peace to so many people - and it's important to keep yourself healthy in order to do this.

If you haven't already seen the documentary Food Inc I encourage you to do so. It has opened my eyes to so many things and made me realize that I cannot rely on the government or a supermarket to tell me the truth about what is healthy and what is harmful. My husband and I try to eat mostly organic {especially dairy products}, but even some of those products are full of corn byproducts and other fillers that can be harmful. I have recently been inspired to try a Macrobiotic Diet and plan to start in February. This is going to be a drastic change in the way that I eat, and it will more than likely lead me to veganism, but again I feel it is important to keep your body healthy and this is a great way to do it. If you aren't familiar with Macrobiotics, I encourage you to check out this website: http://www.fitnessbegin.com/dieting/zenmacrobioticdiet.html


I will keep you all updated on my challenges and successes of this diet and any advice or meal plans would be greatly appreciated! I hope that blogging becomes a habbit and somthing that I can look forward to every morning. See you tomorrow!