sunshine state of mind

"words can travel thousands of miles. May my words create mutual understanding and love. May they be as beautiful as gems, as lovely as flowers" {Thich Nhat Hanh}

Today I am back at work. I am sitting in this office, without

windows... thinking about the beach.

I love snow days --

but I am starting to miss the sunshine on my skin

and the warm breeze in my hair.

Today I am in a Sunshine state of mind.

I miss you, Sun....

Come out soon so we can play!

Until then, I will continue to live each moment

completley and plant seeds of love and

understanding wherever I go.

No Workie!!!

 

{find this pic here}

I hope that everyone is enjoying their day today -- I love this crazy weather! 

Work is cancelled and I just finished some yummy

vegan pancakes. 

Plans for the day:

Make Vegan Cookies

Snow Cream

Lots of Movies

Knitting

Cuddling with the pups

Spending time with Hubby

<3

Have a lovely Wednesday!

Snow! Snow! Snow!

{Me with 2 of my college roommates a few years ago - Enjoying a snow day!}

I have been constantly checking the weather all week... and I seriously think we are in for a major snow/sleet storm this weekend {I could not be more excited}! It's not that I enjoy cold weather... trust me, there's no place I'd rather be than a sunny beach enjoying the ocean... but I have fell in love with the weather this year -- and it is not somthing we are used to around here! I love spending the day in my PJ's and being with my husband and pups for hours on end with nowhere to go. Sleeping in is also a plus :)

Depending on the weather, after work I am planning on going shopping so that I can really get a jump start on my Macrobiotic diet. Some favorites on my grocery list include: Wakame, Bancha Twig Tea, Nori Seaweed Sheets {for my chip addiction!}, Quinoa, Barley Miso, Dried Beans, Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Buckwheat Noodles & Pancakes, Couscous, Apple Sauce {great egg substitute for cooking!}, Corn, Shittaki Mushroons, Soy Milk & Cheese, Tempeh, Tofu and unrefined white sea salt. I'm not much of a cook, so I am really excited to see what my hubby Sean is able to cook up for us this weekend! Also -- one thing I have noticed in the past two weeks is that chewing your food completely makes you full faster! A lot faster! I love this! :)

Whatever happends this weekend, I am looking forward to spending time with the people I love. If it doesn't snow, I'm going to see Citizen Cope with some of my best friends and my parents will visit on Saturday. There's really no doubt in my mind that either way, this weekend will be spectacular!

Waking up this morning I smile.

Twenty-four brand new hours before me.

I vow to live fully in each moment

and to look at all beings with the eyes of love.

{Thich Nhat Hanh}

Snowwww!

{Pete}

We are supposed to get another big snow storm this weekend... and our household is crossing our fingers for another weekend snowed in together! It is so nice to stay in PJ's all day, watch movies and play outside with my pups Pete & Samson. As you can see -- Pete especially loves the snow! I get so much joy out of watching him play in it... I am so thankful that he has gotten to see so much of it lately!

Of course... this may put a damper on my Macrobiotics shopping spree that I had planned for Friday after work. Luckily, we have a few things in the house already - so I am still going to attempt a few meals. I must admit, I have been very intimidated by this diet because it is so drastic, but luckily every website I look at reccomends a slow transition... which is what I am going to do so that I can {hopefully} make this into a way of life for good. I am very dedicated to changing my lifestyle for the better, so I am confident that this will work out and within a year I will be a *full-on Macrobiotic freak* {as my friends lovingly call it}! Also, the support from The Blissful Chef has been so helpful -- she's awesome, follow her blog!

I am looking forward to going to my Sangha tonight for meditation. It's been wayyy too long - probably 2 weeks due to snow and scheduling conflicts. I meditate at home, but it's not the same as when I am around other Buddhists.... somthing in the atmosphere puts me at peace and every moment there is so precious. I hope that you also have a "safe haven" in your life... somewhere you can go and feel totally yourself and at peace. I supposed this weekends weather will cause services on Sunday to be cancelled - so I am looking forward to making tonights meditation especially meaningful.

Let the Cleansing Begin!

{a gift from a good friend!}

So it's Monday.... and the start of a new month. I am struggling to remain positive today, but determined to do so! I assumed that my work would be cancelled {or at the very least delayed} and spent the evening drinking wine, watching movies & hanging out with my hubby until wayyyyy past my bedtime. To say the least, digging my car out this morning and "sliding" to work was not fun. But I am here, and I will make today a positive one. Besides, this weekend was very special because I was snowed in with Sean & the pups... and we never stay up late on Sunday's so I can't be too angry about the extra time I was able to spend with my husband.

February 1st has come - which means the transition to my new macrobiotic diet is finally about to begin. I am making a trip to Whole Foods this weekend {after I get some $$} and stocking up on all things organic and healthy. I am taking this week to prepare by planning practical meal plans and building a shopping list of basic supplies. This weekend was fun because we got to clean all of the "junk" out of our fridge -- meaning lots and lots of pancakes, frozen pizza, soda & veggie nuggets... mm mm mm! A huge part of Macrobiotics is being aware of what you are putting into your body, and there is a special focus placed on chewing your food properly. For example, when you are eating in your car {if you are anything like me!} you probably stuff your face and swalllow without chewing all of your food - I know... I probably gross a lot of people out when they see me doing this, but who cares. The point is, you should chew your food 30-50 times before swallowing so that the food can be broken down and all of the nutrients can be absorbed by your body. Also, it allows for mealtime to be a form of meditation... since you are focusing on counting rather than watching tv or talking. Macrobiotics is going to be an improved way of life, and I am optimistic and ready for a change.

I have learned a lot so far about Macrobiotics and it continues to facinate me. As a Buddhist, anything that brings about more awareness is awesome. I am excited about being more healthy and developing a new relationship with my body by taking better care of it. Also, I love any chance to build more meditation into my routine - so bring on 3 new meditation sessions a day!

On a lighter note, the photo above is a gift from one of my very good friends. When she gave it to me, I mentioned that in the past I haven't been the best at keeping plants alive. My husband often jokes about how I killed a bamboo plant within a week.... which is supposedly impressive. Not in a good way. I am really proud of myself every time I look at that plant and see how much it continues to grow. Maybe it's my inner Buddha nature coming to surface! Being aware is a good thing, and I welcome you to enjoy every moment of life because in an instant it can all be over.

"Be happy in the moment - that's enough. Each moment is all we need - not more." {Mother Teresa}

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 :)