Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt

"Today I live in the quiet, joyous expectation of good."

~ Ernest Holmen

Funny...these last few days I have found rather challenging. But a good challenge is helpful to put things in perspective. Still, it can be a pain in the rear too. So, today with good intentions of getting it all straight and leaving nothing with a sour taste, I started my very busy day.

Trying to fit all of life in can be difficult. So when I realized that I had forgotten an important pair of shoes for a much needed workout I had scheduled in so carefully to my day, I was pretty down. I had things so tight that I knew I didn't even have time to stop somewhere and fork over the extra $$ it would likely cost to pick up a new pair. Bummer.

Now this may not seem like much of a big deal, but with all of the other areas of my life not quite buttoned up as I like them, the control freak part of me started to peak out from under the darkness and rear its ugly head. I was 3 days behind and have made a commitment to myself that I was falling short of. Balance in my life is vital goal that I strive to create. My family, my work and time for myself are all so important to me that when one veers, they all seem to scream for attention. So...

The universe seems to work wonders. I am finding new meaning in the concept of surrender. Not an easy topic for me personally. My last appt finished early and I was able to hop out and take care of the shoe situation. Now, in reflection, was this a critical issue? I could have pushed things out another day, sure. But my lesson was that I cannot always do it all. I cannot always plan it all and I most certainly cannot always execute on cue. Life happens. So instead of blowing it out of proportion I surrendered internally and was provided with a small gift, the gift of time, to live in the joyous expectation of what in my life for the moment was good. If I did this more often with really important issues, I can now see that these gifts will continue to become reality.

In expectation good! ~j

"Perfection is devastated by failure,

while excellence learns from failure."

~ Denis Waitley

There is always controversy following the topic of milk. I prefer no to drink any form of cows milk. However if it is your choice to do so, raw is a much better way to go.

Here is a great summary from an article Mike Adams, The Health Ranger shared with OCA recently. For the full article, please see link! My only addition is Seasame milk. Made just as simply as Almond milk...it has an amazing natural mineral content that truly nourishes strong bones and a healthy body. Enjoy! ~j

What's Best? Soy Milk, Cow's Milk, Raw Milk and Fermented Milk (Kefir)

Mike's Milk Matrix
Okay, here's the low down on milk products and milk alternatives as I see it:

Soy milk: Not recommended. Too many GMO soybeans, bad environmental impact and some possible undesirable estrogen effects. The isoflavones are good for preventing cancer, however.

Processed cow's milk: It's just gross. Homogenized, pasteurized, milked from unhealthy cows and containing alarmingly high levels of pus, this liquid is nothing less than frightening. Flee it.

Raw cow's milk (organic): This is an acceptable dairy beverage. If it's from healthy cows treated with kindness and good nutrition, this raw beverage is far better than processed cow's milk.

Raw goat's milk (organic): Even better than raw cow's milk, since the goat's milk is easier to digest and more compatible with human nutritional needs.

Fermented milk from cows or goats (organic Kefir): A great choice! It's alive, nutritious and great for digestive health. Make it yourself for best results. If you buy it, avoid the sugared-up kefir products in the store.

Raw almond milk: A top choice for vegans, one of my favorite beverages. Make it yourself with raw almonds, water a nut milk bag and a blender.

Enjoy!

"It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him."

~John Steinbeck

Hi gang! Took a little time off to visit the beautiful state of Oregon. WOW! What another world. We enjoyed a fabulous girls weekend connecting the generations of women in our family...in girls getting dirty style. We 'camped' at a treesort. It was amazing. Out-N-About treesort, check them out online if you are ever in the area. Very fun for all ages. Lots of trees, lots of dirt, lots of fun!

Horseback riding, rafting and zip line trips were all on the agenda. Yikes! Climbing 50 ft to ride the ropes on the way down. Now that was fun!

We packed in some delicious meals and found some wonderful local resources as well, farmers markets, local farmers etc. So....the moral of the story, you can still play hard, have fun and eat healthy no matter where you are. Sometimes you just have to keep your eyes open! And while you are at it...you just might plant the seed for others to enjoy health and vitality along the way.

With such a devestating rise in obesity, cancer and heart disease, you really can't afford not to. Our healthcare system is failing the general population and I don't know about you, but I don't see our politicians getting it done these days. Become empowered and take your health seriously by taking healthy choices into your own hands.

Zipity do it! ~j

“He who pours water hastily into a bottle spills more than goes in”

~ Spanish Proverb quotes
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Okay gang. Water is crucial to health. Now with that said, get rid of the plastic bottles. Invest in Naglene (#7 bio plastic, no plastic leakage) or Stainless Steal container. You can even get them sized for your kids lunchboxes. They aren't just for hikers, backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts. You sports fanatics...fill a few, keep them cool in your vehicle for post workout or event hydration. If you can't always do that, don't feel guilty, drink from the plastic bottle, but make it the exception and not the rule. Being prepared helps you and the environment.

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Keep it simple. ~j

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Below is an excerpt from NYTimes on this topic. Not terribly informative, but more contemplative.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/fashion/12water.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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In the last few months, bottled water — generally considered a benign, even beneficial, product — has been increasingly portrayed as an environmental villain by city leaders, activist groups and the media. The argument centers not on water, but oil. It takes 1.5 million barrels a year just to make the plastic water bottles Americans use, according to the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, plus countless barrels to transport it from as far as Fiji and refrigerate it.

Bottled water has now overtaken coffee and milk in sales nationally, and is catching up with beer. To some, it’s an affordable luxury. To others, a healthy alternative to sugary drinks.

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AND so people who had come to consider bottled water a great convenience, or even a mark of good taste, are now casting guilty glances at their frosty drinks.

Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea,

never regains its original dimensions.

~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Law of Surrender - a little nugget from Dan Millman

Life unfolds as it will, not always according to our wishes or desires. The wisest among us retain our balance while surfing the waves of change. We float without resistance down even the most powerful rivers. Accepting the inevitability of change, applying flexibility and acceptance, we remain centered in the eye of the cyclone.

Raise a fresh juice glass to keeping the balance! ~j

You're only given a little spark of madness.

You mustn't lose it.

~Robin Williams

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Our lives are punctuated by celebrations and ceremonies that help us define and separate our walk through life. When we mark and share the important moments of our lives with others, we give our memories greater significance and weight so that they can echo through time to create our own history made up of stories to share with the generations to come. They help us solidify our identities and our connections. We gain witnesses to our accomplishments and validation for what we’ve achieved, whether it is status or age. By celebrating together, we walk through life together, supporting and encouraging each other as we go. Today, with or without a good reason, you can feel free to celebrate life in its small and large moments and to enjoy those people in your life who make it worth celebrating.

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Celebrate, whatever your occassion. ~j

"Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do.

Where there is love and inspiration,

I don't think you can go wrong."

~Ella Fitzgerald

Have an amazing day! ~j

A politician thinks of the next election,

a statesman, of the next generation.

~James Freeman Clarke (1810 - 1888)

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If you think that your vote doesn't count...please, think again. The time to be informed is now. It's time to pay attention.

This is a small list of articles that I came across while checking in. I am amazed at how this small selection represents so many and the significance of each of them. Take your own browse through they are all linked to the articles.

Forget the Farm Bill: For Now, Local Politics is the Way to Effect Ag-Policy Change
Straight to the Source

Are There Antibiotics in Your Lettuce?

Unsafe Levels of Chemical BPA from Plastic Bottles Leaching into Drinks, U.S. Panel Says

More Bad PR for China with Massive Recall of Kids' Toys Contaminated with Lead Paint

Monsanto Goes GMO-Free - in its Cafeteria

Well, here is a smart option! It just doesn't have to be this hard. There is no reason for all of this craziness. Eat local, as local as you can. Eat fresh seasonal foods, they taste better and are better for you. Kick back and avoid the instanity that is whirling around. Knowlegde is power. Peace of mind regarding your food choices....it's all about the information. To make a change will voice your opinion louder than screaming. Where you put your $$ is heard loud and clear. Good for us!

Fair Trade Certified Food, Beverage Sales Soaring

Going local! ~j

A Reason To Smile

Five Minutes To Happiness

Enjoy a littl om, it is a fabulous day today! ~j

It can be so easy to get caught up in the rigors of modern life that we tend to forget that happiness need not come with stipulations. Happiness becomes something we must schedule and strive for—a hard-won emotion—and then only when we have no worries to occupy our thoughts. In reality, overwhelming joy is not the exclusive province of those with unlimited time and no troubles to speak of. Many of the happiest people on earth are also those coping with the most serious challenges. They have learned to make time for those simple yet superb pleasures that can be enjoyed quickly and easily. Cultivating a happy heart takes no more than five minutes. The resultant delight will be neither complex nor complicated, but it will be profound and will serve as a reminder that there is always a reason to smile.

So much that is ecstasy-inducing can be accomplished in five minutes. Alone, we can enjoy an aromatic cup of our favorite tea, take a stroll through the garden we have created, write about the day's events in a journal, doodle while daydreaming, or breathe deeply while we listen to the silence around us. In the company of a good friend or treasured relative, we can share a few silly jokes, enjoy a waltz around the room, play a fast-paced hand of cards, or reconnect through lighthearted conversation. The key is to first identify what makes us dizzyingly happy. If we do only what we believe should bring us contentment, our five minutes will not be particularly satisfying. When we allow ourselves the freedom to do whatever brings us pleasure, five minutes out of 14 wakeful hours can brighten our lives immeasurably.

It is often when we have the least free time or energy to devote to joy that we need to unwind and enjoy ourselves the most. Making happiness a priority will help you find five minutes every day to indulge in the things that inspire elation within you. Eventually, your happiness breaks will become an established part of your routine. If you start by pursuing activities you already enjoy and then gradually think up new and different ways to fill your daily five minutes of happiness, you will never be without something to smile about.