Living-Deliberately.com

We’re almost there!!! I did the taxes last night and barring any surprises, we will be debt free in 3 weeks!!!!!!

I’m almost afraid to get too excited until the last check is signed. But if you see me with a slap-happy smile across my face, doing the most mundane of things, and you wonder why…. you’ll know!!!

Now to plan the party. It must be BIG! It must include as many people who helped us along the way with thier encouragement, cheers, comraderie, and listening ears as I went on and on about Total Money Makeovers. It must somehow include a call to Dave Ramsey to scream en masse “the scream” (can’t bring myself to say it just yet…).  So, we’re planning a “Dave and Debt-Freedom” party.  This, my friends, is a LIFE EVENT.

a fellow kindred spirit began her own experiment with a boycot of Walmart and thankfully kept good records! She shared them today:

The figures are in.

I quit shopping at Walmart last August 31st as a protest against several of their policies.

BUT I figured not shopping at Walmart our budget would take a hit. It has proven opposite. It has helped the budget AND I my pantry is full, my freezer is full, PLUS it is so much less stressful to shop the local grocery store or smaller, less busy discount and hardware stores.

In a side by side compaison of Sept. - Dec. 2005 to Sept. - Dec. 2006 I spent $263.14 LESS NOT shopping at Walmart. In 2005 I shopped almost exclusively at Walmart for colthing, groceries & household needs. The 2006 figure even included the extra feed I needed for the extra livestock we now own.

I started not shopping at Walmart in protest. I will continue as it has proven beneficial.

Expenditures for clothing, household, animal feed & groceries
Sept. - Dec. 2005 = 3474.27
Sept. - Dec. 2006 = 3211.13
Savings = 263.14

Rock On Girl! And thanks for letting me share this with everyone, in hopes of encouraging others that shopping at a store we hate doesn’t have to hurt our budgets!

Also, a book recommendation was passed on. Big Box Swindle.  I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it soon…..bbwwwwwwhhaaahaaaaahaaa!

it will never, ever make up for a lack of good care, feeding, and watering. Discipline without nurturing is always abuse.

It’s spring time in more ways that one around here.

Winter is a time of dormancy, of sleeping, of waiting. It’s often a time of pruning so that there is a better health. Interesting thing about the act of pruning: the healthy return sprouts in a new place, not the old. Unlike a starfish….cut it off, grow one back; starfish restore what’s been cut off….pruning means redirecting and ultimately can be a tremendously healthy thing. Life is better off for it, but that old growth will not revisit from whence it came.

And so that is where I am this morning. I’ve been pruned, I’ve pruned, there is a redirected health that is ready to explode forth in glorious color. This morning it is a bright day with a high blue sky and the birds are singing. I swear I hear one of them say at dawn, “put off the old, behold all things are new”…. and so I will.

My list today includes a heavy clothesline, an order for a new batch of chicks, names of plants and maps of where they will go, mopped floors, and a few open windows. I will paint fence posts that now have a bit more time to wait until they need to contain new birds and this is fine, even an improvement over the old plan, because we are no longer rushed and can do the best job in our own time.

If Winter is old and grey, Spring is new and alive, much as I am today. Seasons propel forward, not back, and moving on never felt so good.

I’ve had The Secret on the brain this week; that wretched title that desires to answer the question, “so what’s your secret”, asked of those who are able live purposely and deliberately with fruit to show for it. Anyone has to overcome skepticism over the shiny packaging of this “not new” idea but if they do, they’ll find inspriation and encouragement aplenty.

Titles have been running through my head; I picked up last Sunday’s NYTimes and read it through this afternoon. I think that’s the most “news” I’ve had my hands on in years, having too many tantrums over the tendancy of local papers to act as if there weren’t a bigger picture. I am not going to see the Oscars tonight and am still watching last year’s award winners. Life is not worse because of it ;-).

Speaking of..we watched Monster the other night, specifically for Charlize Theron’s award winning performance. Did the writing win too? It should have, if not. The story was well told. No, I do NOT recommend this movie to the majority of you readers though. We made it through because we were scrutinizing the work; there was plenty offensive stuff to wade through in order to do so. David made us watch 3 episodes of 30 Rock online afterward so we could efficively lighten up!

And speaking of…gotta say again how much we LOVE being able to catch 30 Rock, Survivor, and Ugly Betty on line, any ole time we feel like it. Wish The Office, House, and award shows were available as well, but life is not worse because they’re not.

Wait. I already said that. Sorry.
So our new dog Piper is working out marvelously. Very calm and obedient. A little stubborn on the potty stuff; he’s trained but will usually only go for me. And then when he holds it because he’s out with someone besides me, he later has an accident even though, “I took him out MOM!” Other than that, he plays, he cuddles, he gives kisses. Only the cat is waiting to love him.

Today was Orthodox Sunday. I don’t understand all that it’s about; it included a procession with the icons around the church. It felt very ageless. I’m growing weary of the communion fast that is part of the time a catachumen goes through but the end is in sight. We have godparents selected for four; three have been asked, and one name saint decided. The date for our chrismation is penciled in; with much joy (and a little impatience) we wait with anticipation.

The shed is converted to a barn; posts are set in the ground for a new fence. New chickens, already-laying hens, should be here shortly. We are undecided on goats for this spring or later in the year. The kids’ bedroom has been shifted to allow for the new half to be remodeled; the plastic barrier goes up tomorrow.

Saturday a friend from Jacksonville was here for a visit; “here” being more northerly than Jax and we met for a day in Knoxville sans our children. Four glorious hours in The Tomato Head, tucked away in a corner with wifi and photo management/scrapbook software, another two hours shopping in sweet little boutiques full of breakable items that we were free to wander amid, touch when we wanted to, imagine (or not) a use for them, and a final platter of fried mushrooms with a side of chocolate mousse doused in Kaluha rounded out the day. Much laughter, sharing of proverbial notes on motherhood, marriage, and aging and more fun in a length of time than I’ve had in eons. There is a season for going everywhere with baby spit on one’s shoulder; it was nice for a day to glimpse the other side.

Rowan goes tomorrow for a genetics counsel. The speech eval revealed the delay; they are shuffling who should handle it. I feel unmotivated to push hard. The doctor recommended I prepare myself to medicate him within the year for ADHD; I feel so many things about that I can’t find words. He has learned to say “church” and “Rowie” and “ah-kee”, which means “coffee”. He said his first “sentence” this week: “Mah-MEE! Ow-WEE!” We do much more listening these days than decision making.

Warm, spring wind blew in today. Heavy clouds and the first thunder abound. I’m so ready for it I could dance.

This was positively inspirational today.

Come and see what we had today and what my friend Sarah did about it!

If you’ve ever run a race you know the feeling as you stand at the starting line waiting for the signal to go. It’s been awhile since I did it in the flesh, but in my mind I’ve been there many times. That delicious feeling of nervous anticipation and building energy ready to explode….it courses through the veins and makes surrounding distractions fade.

That is how I feel today. Poised, ready to take off, ready to surge ahead with speed and agility. In some ways it’s just another Monday. Another day with a headache, another day with lots to do. But those are the distractions that fade in the background.

I realized this weekend that we’ve been in the trenches preparing to really live for a long time. We’ve learned, we’ve laid foundations, we’ve birthed children, set processes into thier places. We stand with foot raised, arms out, fingers in a slight claw, ready to take the next step, whatever we find it to be.

Life is good! Let’s say it again…LIFE IS GOOD!!! We are blessed and God is good and the arugments and debates and discouragments can fade into the background. We can see where we want to go and the “how” can take care of itself. “Bring it on”, we say; we at least promise to give it our very best shot. We’re ready for whatever greatness can be ours, even if it seems to others as worthless or humble or a waste. They are OUR dreams we’re ready to think them into reality.

Last night after we’d put Rowan to bed, David and I took a walk around the loop in the hush of gently falling snow. We easily got the 5 inches predicted yesterday afternoon and more fell as we slept; more is still falling today. The evergreens are heavily-laden, the kids come in to switch out for dry gloves, and there is no traffic. Strangely, we are also the only humans we see out as well. Even the children who live across the hill are not out; it’s eerie.

A friend blogged about a movie Oprah highlighted on her show called The Secret. Watching the trailer, I got the impression it was a drama but it hooked our interest every bit as much she described that it could. Very cool it was that it could be bought and watched online! We made it our weekend date movie and settled in with a hot bowl of popcorn.

What is the secret? I won’t post total spoilers but it is amazingly compatible with Living Deliberately, with envisioning and deciding on purpose how to live… one of the quotes I’ve used a lot this year is, “But the dreamers of the day are dangerous people because they think their dreams into reality with eyes wide open.”

If you wonder why some people seems to attract multiples of drama in their life and others seem to sit in a sun ray of blessing, watch it. If you wonder why no matter how hard you try to achieve something, it always seem elusive, watch it. If you wonder why some people seem to be able to decide something and then “make it so”, and you want that, watch it. St. Seraphim’s words are running through my mind today, and this might be a paraphrase: “aquire a spirit of peace and a thousand souls around you shall be saved.” Anyone who wants to make an impact, who wants to change a destructive cycle in thier life into something good, should, in my opinion, give the ideas presented in this “docummercial” some thought.

Not having access to FM radio, an ipod, or TV, I could get behind on what is currently on the airwaves. Or I should say more behind, because a: I’m very far from what’s cutting edge and b: I’m not even really trying to be close. I’ll settle for “this year” rather than “the moment”. Still, where I live it’s perpetually 1979 and I’d like to have a little more of an idea of what is happening in the cultural world elsewhere. Even living a relatively simple life I am still a People magazine junkie, which has the added benefit of music reviews. What I do is make a list of reviews that interest me and head over to rhapsody.com to give them a listen. This way, when I need new music I can find something not stale. When I need shot of Carly Simon or some other blast-from-my-past, I can get a song-by-song fix. And when I leave the land of 1979, I can still speak the language.

Fall Out Boy has a wiki! How handy is that!? The magazine review gave them 3 stars out of 4 so I though I’d give them a try. “Emo” music fits a mood of mine; a play-it-loud-while-alone-in-the-house-cleaning-and-recovering-from-the

-frumpiness-of-my-mid-twenties kind of mood. And indeed, they have strong vocals, good melodies, and mood-appropriate analyzing. But reading the lyrics (I do this for every song I look up), I found myself a bit bored. If someone talks about their lonliness, their suicidal-tendancies in the past, their rejection and rejectability ad nauseum, it gets, well frankly, boring rather than resonating. A song or two and I was ready to move on to more substance.

I didn’t necessarily get it with my next choice. Katherine McPhee, of last season’s American Idol, has her debut album out. And deep? No. But fun? Yes. Melodic and well done? Yes. Catchy and lasting? Probably. She’s world’s better here than she ever was on the show and she seems the heir apparent to big voices like Whitney or Mariah, but with a fresh edge. Another mood for me; not a purchase.

The “Critic’s Choice” in this issue of People was The Good, The Bad & the Queen. They got 3.5 stars in the review and includes member Damon Albarn from Gorillaz, a group that I like quite a bit, albeit in the very, very limited exposure afforded on a Grammy compilation disc from a year or so ago. The name-drop was enough to pique my interest. The recommended download was “Herculean” and I gave a few of them a listen. “Northern Whale” and “Kingdom of Doom” included. Enh? Okay. Not bad. Not as interesting as I’d hoped. Maybe I wasn’t in the right “zone” or something; I put them on the “try again another time” list. Jury’s out.

That led to toodling around Rhapsody for a bit and I found a list of videos from the Brit Awards. And what a find! I’ll save the best for last. But next up is Corrine Bailey Rae. Smooth. A little like Nelly Furtado but a little less catchy so maybe with more staying power. David and I loved the warm, sunshiny video for Put Your Records On; my goodness that will make a sufferer of winter-blah’s desire sunbeams and warm grass! Her kind of music is more than mood music; it’s purchase-and-use-for-afternoons-grilling-food music.

And the best? The best of the day was Lily Allen! She’s infectious fun, with that accent that even makes it through the music. A little edge of jazz, a rhyme and meter like sing-song rapping poetry, she takes us along her observations and makes the listener want to join her for a ride through the paintings of city scapes, outdoor cafes, fun shops, and youth. Dr. H, if you’re reading, head’s up for fun “chick music”. That term doesn’t do her justice of course, but he’ll get the idea. The bright colors, fashion, and lightness put a spring in the step, even when she’s singing of lover-revenge in Smile. Definite purchase-music, I’d have her on while cooking (which would lead to dancing with my wooden spoon I tell ya), while cleaning, while hanging out, while throwing a party. Fun Stuff! And anyone who liked the movie Love Actually, should especially give her a listen.

Movies: Last week we watched Memoirs of Geisha. I won’t spend a lot of time on it or even link to it today. It was ho-hum okay. Pretty? yes. Well cast? yes. But I thought they really, really needed to explain better the mistique and attraction of the Geisha life from the start. The viewer was left asking, “yeah, but why?” especially after the main character had a chance at freedom and chose willingly to return. At least it ended with a bit of resolution; real torture would have been some stupid existential open ended mess. We’d maybe give it a 3 out of 5.

Last night we watched North Country. Charlize Theron stars and tells the story of the first sexual harrassment class action suit. And how. The point, of course was not if women belong in mines, which was the fight the miners apparently were trying to have. That had been decided in a court room. If we’re getting distracted about points, let’s start with the rightness of ravaging the earth through the process of mining and mountain removal, shall we? But no, the point was, once women are in the mine, how should they be treated? And my goodness what a horrific time they had. The character Josie, based on a true story, had already had quite a life which seemed to come to a nearly defining head in her mine experience. The story was well done, well written, well acted. Worth a watch, worth more was the telling, and I was glad it ended the way it did. If you only watch a few movies a year, I’d probably skip it. But if you’re interested, it’s not a waste of time. I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Richest Person in the World Essay Contest:

Author and inspirational speaker, Tim Richardson is sponsoring an essay contest for community minded middle and high school students. The purpose of the contest is to help raise awareness of people who believe that true wealth and richness are measured not by what one has, but by what one gives. The contest will provide students with an opportunity to practice research and writing skills while learning about the joys and benefits of serving others.

In addition, participants may also have their work published in Tim’s annual list of The Richest People in the World (to be released in mid March). Participants could also appear in Tim’s book, in magazines articles, and other publications.

Categories:

1. Rich in Giving – People who give freely to organizations to help make their corner of the world a better place to live. These could either be businesses or groups of people who believe in doing good through their volunteer efforts and charitable fund raising.

2. Rich in Service – These people are known as a service minded contributors. They are people who roll up their sleeves and give sweat equity to organizations that support worthy causes.

3. Rich in Innovation –These nominees would be people who have started foundations, fund raising events or other organizations to respond to a specific community, national or international needs.

Entries will be judged on clarity of writing, interest of story, project helpfulness.

Participants should be students ages 13-18. Though the essays may appear in any format, an ideal format is included below. In the essays, the writer should make a case for their nominee by listing their contributions and impact on the world. Essays that include quotes from others who volunteer with them or know them are strongly encouraged (see below in Tom Tuohy’s story), Contact information is required for each submission (telephone, email and website if applicable).

Essay length 500 – 1000 words

Essays due by March 8, 2007

Note: Stories should have an international focus and not focus on individuals with great wealth who fund philanthropic work.

Examples:

• Kathy Eldon who, after her son was murdered in Bosnia, devoted her life to helping those suffering in war-torn countries with her Creative Visions foundation

• Barbara Gilbert a single mother of four who raised thousands and thousands of dollars to help impoverished families in Jamaica get a home.

• Craig Kielburger, founder of an organization that has built over 500 schools for children all over the world

• Annie Wigall, an eighteen year old college freshmen who makes school bags for children that are sent all over the world.

• While stories of people in the states doing good here are welcome, contest winners will be awarded prizes only if the story has international appeal (another contest for US stories will be held later in 2007).

The top prize winner will receive an MP3 player or $100 Savings Bond and be honored with their families as special guests at our international press release to be held in Atlanta, Georgia in March of 2007 (winner responsible for travel to and from Atlanta).

Tom Tuohy, founder of Dreams For Kids www.DreamsforKids.org

Contact info: Tom@Dreamsforkids.org

Phone: 312-333-1234

In 1989, Tom Tuohy founded Dreams for Kids, a non profit, charitable organization dedicated to elevating the lives of those who suffer from disability. Dreams for Kids has provided relief ranging from scholarships, mentorship, and social activities and parties for children. In 1996, Dreams for Kids was introduced to the world of physical and mental limitations and has since initiated creative and far reaching recreational activities for children with disabilities. Since its inception, Dreams for Kids has impacted the lives of over 25,000 children and has begun a global expansion to work to end the isolation of all children who suffer from all forms of disability. For the first ten years Tom Tuohy personally paid for all the administrative costs or running Dreams for Kids so 100% of the donations would go right to their cause. Today, ninety five percent of the money collected supports their mission.

Tom was mentored by two extraordinary individuals. Father Wally Brennan walked the streets of the forgotten Westside of Chicago for 25 years, in the dark of night, and dispensed hope and assistance to its residents. Dreams for Kids would later initiate the Father Wally Program, in his honor, to reach out to at risk youth.

Jesse White, an African American raised in an Italian ghetto, would rise to become of the most respected public servants in Illinois history. In the process, over a span of 48 years, he initiated educational, social and recreational programs. The Jesse White Tumbling Team and Scholars Program have brought over 12,000 young people from hopeless housing projects and helped them become citizens of the world. Working with Jesse White since his teenage years, Tom would adopt his principles and walk side by side with him for over 30 years.

Sources of funding: Individuals, corporate support, foundation grants, and a host of fundraising events raising awareness and financial assistance.

The Story: On the suggestion of his mother, Tom Tuohy gathered his friends and initiated Dreams for Kids in the fall of 1989. Soon after, Clara Kirk would bring the organization into the desperate world of the homeless. Dreams for Kids would adopt Clara’s House and help Clara to build transitional housing for over 10,000 woman and children and will soon dedicate Clara’s Village, an entire neighborhood of permanent housing for those in need of hope and an opportunity for a secure future.

Along the way, Dreams for Kids initiated scholarship funds for children of single parents and hosts the largest Christmas Party of its kind for homeless and disadvantaged children. Each year, on the Saturday before Christmas, over 1,200 excited children and 150 dedicated volunteers come together from all over Illinois and several states to enjoy a day giving, with clowns, face painters, games, and over 3,000 gifts raised by the United States Marines.

In 1996, a fifteen year old quadriplegic, J.J. O’Connor, now the organizations Vice President, introduced Dreams for Kids to the world of physical and mental disabilities and the organization initiated an expansive recreational and sports program giving thousands of children with physical and mental limitations the social and life changing opportunity to play dozens of sports, such as baseball, basketball, waterskiing, and kayaking.

Tom has seen the impact of reaching out has had for those in need and also for those who have given of themselves. “The true path to personal fulfillment and happiness is to be of service to others.” As for accessibility for those with disabilities, Tom says simply, “If some of us are invited, all of us must be invited”

Attorney, Shawn Wood, long time friend of Tom Tuohy says, “There are few people in the world who have the heart of Tom Tuohy. He’s one of the most generous people I have ever met. He gives countless hours to the youth of the Chicago area. He’s the closest I e ever come to meeting a Saint.”

It’s a snowy one here; all white and wonderland-like. The healthy kiddos have been out playing in it since 8 am and the sick ones are still inside.

To the family: they made you beautiful valentines, which I promise will make it into the mail soon and I apologize didn’t get there in time to arrive today.  Timely post office trips are my failing, I know.

This is easily our biggest snow to date this season. Thick and powdery and still falling; it’s filling in their sled tracks rather than melting beneath them.

Andrew: “I have a pretty interesting life ya know? I do something different every single day!”

Celia: she made a valentine tree with hearts all over it and our family’s names. It went like this…..to Dad the Strong, Mom the Caring, Clara the first to see heaven, Nana the Kind, Papa Sandstrom the Silliest, Gigi the Nicest, Wheaton the wierdest, Auntie the Wisest, Uncle Joel the Funniest, Papa Graham the cutest (also Rowan the cutest LOL), Grandma the Elegant, Ruthie the Beautiful, and Andrew the Bravest.

Wheaton: “oooo! There’s a police man! I better say “sir” if it’s a Sir and “Ma’am” if it’s a Ma’am or I could get arresteded.”

Spending increased energy on some school stuff in the previous weeks, my meal planning fell to the wayside. For a few weeks I just grocery shopped and bought the same things I always did. It meant more staring at the fridge, wondering “what’s for dinner?”, with only a half hour to go before we were supposed to sit down, but it also meant I stretched a little and got creative again. With lent and the honey shortage (the things you learn when you eat from a local supply!) meant I needed to readjust a few things; my budget can not also sustain shopping-on-the-fly. So it’s essentially time to buckle back down a bit and make those meal plans. Some of the fun finds in the last few days though…

• seasoned, baked chicken on a greek salad with feta.
• crepes made with a savory veggie combo (leeks, mushrooms, eggplant) and a tangy sauce (cottage cheese, buttermilk, and parmesean). Recipe in Laurel’s Kitchen, a wonderful vegetarian cookbook very in keeping with Nourishing Traditions principles.
• yeasted banana bread, made into french toast, and topped with toasted pecans and maple syrup
• successful batches of kefir and fantastic smoothies!!
• Lamb Tagine, though we still like Chicken Tagine best.

Hopefully by next week, the sidebar calendar will hold the meal plan for the week again. Also, a benefit of church pot-luck lunches is finding the occassional fantastic recipe. Here’s one of ‘em, posted by Beth, a good-cook-at-church :-).

Wheat Berry Salad with Autumn Dried Fruits
1 C. red wheat berries- pearl barley can be substituted
1/4 t. salt
1/2C diced apple or pear tossed in 1T. lemon juice
2/3C. hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3C. finely diced Gouda cheese (optional)
1/2C. dried cranberried
1/2C coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/2C chopped dried apricots
1/2C minced celery
3T. minced parsley

Red Onion Dressing, whisk together the oil, cranberry juice, respberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar and mustard with a good pinch each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir int the red onion and set aside for 30 minutes to allow the onion to K”pickle” slightly.

1/4C vegetable oil
1/4C cranberry juice
3T. raspberry vinegar
1T. balsamic vinegar
1 1.2t. Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4C minced red onion

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat;
add the wheat berries, reduce the heat to medioum and cook utiltender but still a bit chewy, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add water if needed. Drain the wheat berries well, set aside in a large bowl and let cool.

Add the apple, nuts, cheese, dried fruits, celery, and parsley to the cooked wheat berries. (The recipe can be prepared to this point a day ahead, the salad and dressing refrigerated separatelly. Let both come to room temperature before continuing.) Drizzle about 2.3’s fo the dressing over and toss to mix Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 2-3 hours but not overnight. Toss with the remaining dressing. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.
Makes 6 servings.

** I used almonds because hazlenuts can be strong at times. Left out the cheese due to the fast and recommend you soak the wheat berries overnight.

Also, Richard has good stuff on “Nutrainment“, very much worth a look-see. I think it’s an older article but very worth the boost it may give your meal-planning thoughts.