It's been a year - changing of the seasons

Today was the most amazing day ever!

Today was thick with snow, from the moment we woke up until the time we put the kids down to bed. It snowed so much, all day long. I really do like the snow and had no other plans today except to host a brunch and take down the Christmas decorations.

Brunch was great. Tempting food all around...but I resisted temptation, and had apples with cinnamon and some agave. There's a lot of talk around agave at the moment, but I use it so little hopefully there is no ill effect.

After brunch we got the kids outside and played in the back yard, unearthing some of their toys that had been buried in the snow, then did some shoveling out front and then we went for a walk to find a good hill nearby to do some sledding on our crazy carpets. We had an absolute ball. I haven't seen smiles on my kids faces so big in a long time, not even on Christmas day. It's true that the best thing you can give your kids is your time. I'll be doing a lot more of that in the new year as my daughter is always talking about wanting to be a baby again because I spent more time with her then. Nothing like a mirror being put up in front of you for you to take notice of your actions. That's why a lot of my posts will be in the evening, once the kids go to bed. I would like to spend less time at the computer when they are awake.

We also took a long walk along the river nearby and also walked to the lake and saw it frozen over mostly with some ducks looking for handouts! The snow was coming down in torrents the whole time and it was such a winter wonderland. I am so happy that my toe had healed enough for me to go out and play in the snow today.

I love the changing of the seasons. I told my hubby today that I would miss the seasons if we went to live somewhere tropical. Perhaps not at first, but eventually. I love the west coast of Canada, it has all four seasons and we are experiencing them in such a great way this last while. This past fall was the most mild, sunny fall we've had in ages. This winter has proven to be quite snowy so far! I am sure spring and summer are also going to be great!

Better get myself to bed, time to get back on "work" hour sleep times now.

Snowy dreams to you all...
Where would you like to live? Are you living there now? If not, what can you do to get yourself there soon? Think about that for 15 min. today and take action!

Eat Raw, Live Well,

Melinda

One Year Anniversary...

It will have been one full year tomorrow, that I've been blogging. My goal was to blog at least once a week, and although I have not done one each week, I believe that I've written about 52 entries, so that would average to one a week. This year I'd like to do at least two a week...and learn more about how to manage my blog and make it look great.

The reason I began my blog entry so late tonight was due to the fact that I began my 15 minutes of writing for the book and then it was an hour later all of a sudden. Do you ever get that vacuum of time when you're doing something you love? I experience the vacuum when I'm surfing the net, talking raw and living foods, at certain movies, playing with my kids, etc. I feel like only 15 min. has past and when I check the time over an hour or more has passed.

Blogging has been a great way to make sense of my experiences, and hopefully has helped a few people along the way. I used to be a HUGE journal writer in my pre-teens, and teenage years. Then I moved on to poetry when I attended university. When I began working as a teacher, my writing almost completely stopped, how ironic is that? I wrote the odd poem - The Mystery Gift was an annual poem that I wrote to honour my Grandpa. Each Christmas my Grandpa would purchase an inexpensive item, write a poem that hinted to the wrapped item and we would have to guess what was inside of it. When my Grandpa died, I wanted to continue the tradition but felt that it wouldn't be the same with the family so began this in my classroom. The students love it!

I really lost touch with writing and how it really helped me through some difficult times as a young person and while going through university. Turning to pen and paper (or computer and keyboard) didn't appeal to me much until I found out I was pregnant with my first baby. I wrote the baby a journal during the pregnancy, but stopped once I had her. I also wrote a very cryptic journal - on the computer this time - to my second baby but again, stopped once I had him. It wasn't until I began blogging on January 3rd of last year that writing really became a part of my life again. And now, a book in the works. Usually you don't realize what you've lost until it's gone, but this is different. I didn't realize how much I'd lost until I started it again!

So, what could YOU start doing again that will make your life more fulfilling? Is there something that you have not done in a while that you'd love to start up again? Why not take 15 minutes tomorrow and begin that journey. Remember to use 15 minutes also to work on your goal or resolution as well. Small steps to success, we're on our way!

Until next time,

Eat Raw, Live Well!

Melinda

Small Steps To Success

A shiny, fresh, brand new year. It's awesome that we can start fresh each new year. Being a teacher I get two fresh starts to the year, and am thankful for that. But this calendar year, I have such a feeling of positivity and wonderment about what lies in the year ahead. To some it may seem a little daunting thinking about all that may go on in this next twelve months, to others, they may be overwhelmed, thinking yet again that they will fail with their new year's resolutions. But, I'm going to let you in on a little secret, something I've been working on getting started...Thrive on Live's Small Steps to Success.

Think about it. There's no need to look at the end result just yet. It is great to have a goal in mind but if you are too anxious to take the first step, you will never make it to that goal. Instead, do something each and every day that will lead you in the right direction towards that seemingly elusive goal. If you do something, even if it's just for 15 minutes...you'll get there eventually! You can do anything for 15 minutes, just like my good friend "Flylady" states! So here's to working towards our goals and aspirations, 15 minutes at a time.

I'm working on a book and will be following this 15 minutes at a time rule in order to complete it. For one year I have put off starting it, because the task seemed too big, but if I tell myself that I will write a minimum of 15 minutes per day, then it doesn't seem so scary to start. If I write 15 minutes per day, then I'll have written one hour and forty five minutes each week!

I'm also starting up a group (more details to follow...hopefully I'll have it up and running by January 11th-15 min. at a time) that will help people move in the right direction in their health and vitality and joy in their life experience. It will be a free, internet based group. It's time to give back and in the process help others begin to experience their Most Amazing Days Ever!

M.A.D.E. for YOU!

We'll follow small steps to success, fifteen minutes at a time!

In the meantime, choose one of your goals/resolutions and decide how you'll take that first small step today and then do the same tomorrow and again the next day. Do this 15 minutes each day and see how much you can do in such a short time!

Until next time,

Eat raw, live well.

Melinda

Do you see any happy people?

We were at the mall today, picking up items with our various gift cards from Christmas. We didn't get too far when the kids got hungry and we stopped for something to eat. It is extremely difficult for anyone to find healthy food in a mall food court, but if you search it out, there are some healthy choices. I like to get a fresh salad, with lemons as my dressing, or else you can get a Booster Juice; my favourite is the Green Hornet, with parsley, spinach, celery and carrots. I do find that they put in too many carrots, but it's the greenest offering on the menu other than the wheat grass shots. So usually I have a shot of wheat grass then follow it with a Green Hornet.

While we were sitting there, I smiled, thinking about what most people were ingesting and hoping that one day they too would see what these food choices were doing to them. For example, I asked my husband: Do you see any happy people? Here we are in the middle of the holiday season, and everyone looked angry, sad, disappointed, or indifferent. They were there with their families, the most important people in their lives. They were probably buying stuff they really felt they needed or wanted. They probably just got a bunch of stuff as well, and they think that maybe buying more will help them find the happiness they are searching for.

The only people I heard laughing - rather loudly at that - were two groups of people. One group was a number of people who obviously had mental challenges, yet they were super happy and laughing about something. Even with all their challenges, they were SO happy and showing it. Then there were two girls, walking along laughing really loudly about something one of them just said. EVERYONE else was in some sort of negative emotion. I found that rather sad myself, but feeling so happy and blessed at that moment, let the sad feeling be felt and pass.

While eating raw and living foods, I have never felt so alive, and happy in my entire life. The moment I eat anything that doesn't fall under that category, I begin to see fear, anger and sadness re-enter the picture. If everyone would just eat better, the billions of dollars we spend on shopping therapy, drug therapy and other therapies would slowly decline, I am absolutely sure about it!

Here's to a healthy and happy New Years for you and your family. We'll talk more about resolutions next blog entry...I'm working on a few, to be sure, but this year I am looking at them more as goals, instead of resolutions. I'll explain next entry!

Eat raw, live well (and happy)
Melinda

Christmas Presents

What an amazing holiday season. We are so blessed in our family and our children are certainly spoiled. They are the only grandkids on both sides of the family and they were very fortunate to get some incredible gifts. My personal favourite was a gift that will not clutter the house and that they are super excited about asking each day if we can go...a visit to the Planetarium here in Vancouver. They have never been and outer space is a place they both love and want to see more of.

Anyhow, my husband is always worried about what to get me at Christmas. He knew that I spent my winnings (from an office pool) on a new digital camera, but wasn't sure what HE could get me. He is so worried that I may not like it and be thrilled. This year though, he was super excited about the two gifts that he bought me. He would not stop talking about them! So Christmas morning he was so excited to give me my gifts. Well...one was a pair of boxing gloves. You may not think this is very romantic, but he got them so that we can work out together on his heavy bag. He's always complaining that he has no one to punch the heavy bag with and that he'd love it if we could work out together. Now that's romantic. :) Hey, they are even girlie pink! :)

Then for the drum roll.....the big present he got me was a bar fridge. Now you may ask yourself, why would he get me a bar fridge, well, here's how he explained it. He wanted to be thoughtful and supportive, he wanted me to have my own space for my raw foods. This was his answer. The logistics, as to where we'd put it came later, but we've since found a mutually agreeable place for it in the family room just on the other side of the kitchen wall. SO, now I have a place to put my nuts in their mason jars, somewhere to put my greens, etc. It's actually a great gift, and one I never would have thought to ask for. It was very thoughtful. Thanks hon!

I was somewhat out of commission with a toe nail that I ripped almost all the way off...it was showing signs of infection, but I think with some hydrogen peroxide bathing it's on it's way to recovering just fine. I also laid in bed last night willing it to heal, sending healing vibes that direction. Power of thought!

Even with all of the foot and a half of snow, we still had our family gatherings, it's nice that we all live so close together. We also managed to get to a party on the 26th that was in our neighbourhood. It's amazing how much snow fell again, another foot! It's been 37 years since we had such a snowfall!! I'd love to be able to play in it all, but my toe has kept me mostly indoors and sitting! I have sat outside, watching the kids LOVE and PLAY in the snow!

It's raining today and we have a slushie out there presently...with more snow expected. Blessings to you and your families.

Stay tuned for some things I've been working on...
Melinda

-10 degrees and a foot of snow

It's cold. I'm cold. I've been sleeping more with the cold weather. Some sort of hibernation perhaps? Vancouver can get cold, but not usually for this long, and at these temperatures. The snow is blissful though. I LOVE snow and had an amazing time outside with the family today.

I find it funny that in the summer everyone is out and socializing and having a great time. Neighbours are always on the street talking and such. Then the rainy fall season hits and we all begin our winter hibernation. The only time I really see my neighbours in the winter is if we have a gathering - like our annual Solstice Party - or if they have a gathering at their house...no talking on the street and loitering in the driveways and byways of the neighbourhood.

That is until the snow arrives. In Vancouver we get about two to three snowfalls each winter season. In recent years, these snowfalls have stayed a day or two. Last year there was snow on the ground for most of January - I remember in mid February there was still snow when we had a pony party for my daughter and had to walk on it.

This current snowfall - over a foot of the white stuff...has been piling up for over a week now and it's great. Cold temperatures have kept it from melting and we're going to have our first white Christmas in a very long time. How exciting.

I love the snow for the reason that it gets people out of their hiding places inside and forces them to go and shovel, I see neighbours helping each other with their driveways, sidewalks, getting their cars to move over the huge pile of snow the grater left behind. Having a common goal or need brings us together again. The kids are all out in force, sledding, snowballing, building forts or snowmen or huge snow slides. Smiles are on everyone's faces - well mostly everyone! Spirits are up and it's amazing to be outside again. I believe that the more time spent outdoors in the winter, the less chance you have of catching a virus. Of course eating well and staying away from simple sugars is also extremely helpful. How many times do you go socializing and blame someone else for the "cold they gave you". Think back to how you ate at that event, think about what you drank...possibly if you'd refrained from simple sugars and a bunch of alcohol your body wouldn't be having to work so hard to rid itself of the virus that was also present.

Eating simply in the winter is helpful. Staying away from simple sugars, refined flour products, baked goods and the like can be extremely helpful. Most people won't completely refrain, but limiting it as much as possible is going to help you in the long run. If you do get sick, realize it's your body's way of getting things out of the body that it does not want there and be sure to eat and drink simply and it too shall pass (more quickly).

Now, if only I could get my sick husband to listen to this advice. That is another funny thing. I can talk until I'm blue in the face, but unless he hears it from some reputable source on the internet he's not likely to try it. If I could only get Men's Health Magazine to write about it...there's a challenge.

In white winter wonderland, eating my green goodness (current favourite is anything I can stuff into a nori roll!)

Melinda

Christmas Gifts

As a teacher we sometimes receive gifts for Christmas. I have a lovely stash of candles, mugs, chocolates, etc. Every once in a while you get a gift that really speaks to you, lets you know that the child is taking in what you talk about, knows you well and relays that to his or her parents. Last year it was a gift certificate to Booster Juice, where I can get freshly made juices. This year a family really went out of their way and it was so thoughtful. They were extremely generous in that they gave me a Starbucks gift card (I still get tea there...), a home made bird feeder, and a bath bomb. The part of the gift that really struck me was a home made sprouting jar with a package of seeds in it! Not only have I been talking about the courses I am taking and plans to do this type of thing in my home, but this child is listening and taking it all in as well as talking about it at home. I was really impressed by this as sometimes I wonder if this guy is really listening. Just because they aren't actively listening doesn't mean that they aren't taking it in!

So, I'll keep on talking and who knows what the ripple effect may be.

Here's to making waves.

Eat Raw, Live Well.