Wendy93639

I read… a lot. In the past 20+ years I have read hundreds of self-help, business, philosophy, and religious books all in some lame attempt to find my place in the world and make something of myself.

I’m not saying these books are no help, they are, and in fact they help shape my thoughts. However, sometimes we put too much stock into what is said and not in how what is said can be used in our own lives.

I used to believe that if someone did EXACTLY the same things as someone else, mimicked their steps to success, that they too would find successfulness. This simply is not true.

You’ve heard that the universe doesn’t play favorites, that we all have the same opportunities as the next person, blah blah. Of course the universe plays favorites. Sometimes it favors someone because of where they live, sometimes it favors someone because of when they were born, and sometimes it favors someone because of special talents they were born with.

Many years ago I read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. It’s a brilliant book that Mr. Hill wrote after studying hundreds of wealthy, successful men. It was meant to show us how we too can be wealthy and successful if we only do what these men have done. The book is wonderful, actually, and is a great thing to read. Many parts are relevant to us today because they relate to human nature. But if the reader should actually think they will become the next Andrew Carnegie or Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey, the universe has some bad news for you: You are not Andrew Carnegie or Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey… you never will be.

In Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell studied many different types of successful people and he found that the reason they are successful in their genre of business or sport is in no small part due to the fact of when and where they were born. In fact, when and where a person is born in this universe has EVERYTHING to do with how successful they will be at a chosen profession. Bill Gates is the Bill Gates we know because he was born at a time when computer programming was new, he was raised in a part of the United States that helped facilitate his hunger for knowing more about computers, he was born to parents who let him pursue these interests… and so on. These are things that cannot be replicated. Let me say that again for emphasis: These are things that cannot be replicated.

No matter how much you try, you will never be Bill Gates. So what do we do then? If where and when we were born has everything to do with who we are, how do we become successful?

Now no matter how much we try, we will never be Picasso. But within your being are the makings of your own success. The time you were born, the place you were raised, the parents and other influences you have been exposed to are what makes you unlike anyone else. People may have similar knowledge that you do, but combine that knowledge with your experiences and no one…no one is the same as you.

There is something in your life that you love to do. You know there is. What is something you can do that when you do it, at times it feels easy, as if you don’t even need to try and yet when it is a bit difficult, you don’t mind? That’s where your success is. Some call it your passion.

In the world we live in right now (I know there are people all over the world but if you are reading this, you have the ability and technology available to you), there is no reason why anyone cannot be successful. Perhaps you like to knit. You could sell the things you make; you could teach at the local Community College, say a continuing education course; you can start a website which links to where people can purchase knitting supplies and where knitting suppliers will advertise; you can do all these things.

Perhaps you like to read. You could become a book reviewer; start a website where booksellers advertise; write book reviews for a local magazine or newsletter.

Maybe you are very talented artistically, maybe you are a mom, and maybe you love to clean floors. Whatever you love, I guarantee you know more about that thing than the majority of people and lots of them would love learn from you. If you love to clean floors, I know that you will know how to get stains off of linoleum better than some flunky at my local flooring store who only knows what he’s been taught, not what he’s had experience with.

Knowing you are helping others, whether by teaching or sharing or creating is how you will find the most fulfillment in life; being who you were born to be.


side note: There’s one other book that I would recommend reading. The advice in this book will help anyone trying to earn a living doing what they love. In ten or twenty years, or even a hundred years, who knows, perhaps it will be relevant only on some distant level not dissimilar to Napoleon Hill’s book which was published in 1937. Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk gives wonderful, exciting ideas how you can take what you are good at and cash in on it. Success isn’t all about the money. But this book will show you how money will find you. It is relevant for this time in history; how you can do it today.


Photo Credit: pedrosimoes7

I hate goal setting: writing down what I want to happen in my life and then breaking it down into do-able chunks…. I seem to always end up disappointed in myself. My life somehow gets in the way of my goals. Or that’s how I used to feel.

It’s not that I don’t actually set goals. I set them, but not in any traditional way. At the Vernal Equinox when my part of the earth is rebirthed from the death of winter (which is March 20th if you really wanted to know), I too rebirth my thoughts and will write down one or two things that I wish to see manifest in the next year.

This has worked for me the past two years and seldom are the goals not met. However, there are times when I change my course during the year and those goals I set in March don’t seem as important to me in, say, November.

I am learning all the time. One thing I learned from an interview I heard with David Allen, author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, was that we almost never achieve our goals. I’ll say that again for emphasis: We almost never achieve our goals.

Let me explain this train of thought: I create a goal and I start; this is the beginning. By the time I am halfway to my goal, at some time I will stop, pause and say “oh, wait, that over there is really what I wanted” but I couldn’t see it from back where I started. It was only after I started on a path to somewhere that I noticed where I really wanted to be.

In martial arts they teach you that you never want to stand still. You are actually better off to be going in the wrong direction and have to turn around 180 degrees; it takes less energy to turn completely around than it does to get going from a stand still. The point is to start, somewhere. Even if you are going in the wrong direction, it’s less hard to turn around than to begin it in the first place. You must give yourself permission to change your mind.

Most people want to know what to do before they start doing, but the reality is you aren’t going to know what to do until you start doing. I have had to learn this one the hard way, and I still struggle with it all the time. I have to remind myself that perfection doesn't exist and even if it did, the rebel in me would find a way to achieve my goals without being perfect. So I just need to start.

So with the rebirth of Spring, the rebirth of my goal setting, and knowing what I just conveyed to you, I have two suggestions:

1) Instead of setting big goals that you may crash and burn from the best thing to do first is clean up. There is nothing more frustrating than adding new stuff on top of incompletion and residue sitting in your psyche. So sit down and write down all the new and cool things that you have accumulated and what you have completed in the last year. Acknowledge how far you HAVE come. You might actually be surprised at what you’ve accomplished. Ditch the rest from your mind. Think of it as Spring Cleaning.


I find that maybe only one or two will stick, but by November you will know that you are on your way to somewhere you want to be or you can change direction to that place you really wish you were. Either way, you're moving down a path and that always feels good.

Photo Credit:1Happysnapper (photography)

This would be a great thing. I have talked here over the past year or so of purging, getting rid of things in your life that are hindering you from becoming who you want to be.

Sometimes it’s an actual physical event; we must leave a place or remove a habit. But sometimes we must just forgive; molt, if you will, some of the mistakes we have made; our frivolous ideas; errors; useless passions.

It isn’t easy to do. We become accustomed to thinking in certain ways and find ourselves drifting back into the same patterns. Others around us also know us in these terms and will perhaps hinder our attempts to change by only seeing us in those ways.

The best advice I’ve ever heard is to place around you people whom you wish to emulate; people who are already where you want to be. The internet has made it so much easier to do. You can find people who have the qualities or knowledge you wish to possess and befriend them online; talking with them; brainstorming; masterminding; changing.

I have met some wonderful people online. A lot of them I have actually met in person. I credit them with helping me to become who I know I am. And to help me realize when I need to molt some ideas, or habits, or just plain forgive myself for being wrong about myself for so long.

Thank you.

Photo Credit: gemsling

Yesterday I found a short film that is creative, inspiring, smart. It reminds me of how much I love do-overs in life. It is in essence what George Eliot was saying: no matter where we are in life, no matter how we feel about ourselves, no matter how anyone else feels about us we can start from here. We can become what we might have been.

If you've ever thought you were stuck where you are in life, perhaps this will give you reason to think differently.

If you have ever seen people who appear to be stuck, perhaps this will give you reason to offer them hope.



The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph. The Butterfly Circus.

From last week... yes, Clay Perry... it is a lamp.

am•moph•i•lous (adj) sand-loving
from the Greek ámmo(s) sand + -philous having an affinity for



I’m not sure what it is about sand that is so wonderful but nearly every person thinks the same: sand is fun.

When you walk on sand you sink in a little, it’s soft and has a wonderful squishy-ness that is comforting on a primitive level.

No matter that it is a type of earth, sand is most definitely not the same as any other dirt. Dirt, when wet is, well… mud. Sand, when it’s wet is merely wet sand. It’s acceptable to play in wet sand. It’s certainly possible to play in the mud but not nearly as easy to clean up after. Plus mud really tends to upset our mothers. No one really wants to do that.

We don’t have an unappealing word for wet sand because sand is not perceived the same as dirt. Dirt/mud is a nuisance; something we have to clean. Sand is something you brush off. Even wet sand, which may be a bit of a bother say, if it gets in your shorts. But it can, with patience and a bit of sunshine, be brushed away easily in time.

We build sand boxes to play in when we cannot get to areas that sand occurs in nature. We make sand castles and bury ourselves in the sand. We teach our children from a young age to love the stuff. It’s ok to wallow in sand and to throw it in the air. We put it in bottles and take it home.

Perhaps we are ammophilous people because the thought of sand suggests sunshine and warmth; being carefree; our youth.

Perhaps we are ammophilous people because it’s the dead of winter and we miss the summer. Maybe we just like the beach.

No matter. Just that we are ammophilous makes us a better lot to be around.








You're welcome.














Photo credits:
Beach: shazwan
Playing with sand: Raúl A.
Sand's Hearts: pasotraspaso

I love podcasts.

I fell in love with them a couple of years ago, when I was working as a bartender and didn’t get home until the middle of the night. I would download podcasts to watch/listen to after I got home so I didn’t have to turn on the television or the radio and wake everyone up while I unwound from the day. I could get comfy, put headphones on and be entertained, educated or informed.

Podcasts are similar to television shows in that some are better than others and therefore some have longevity, some don’t. But nearly always the remnants of long abandoned podcasts are still available.

You can stick your toe in a topic or genre before you decide if you really wanted to learn about it or dive right in with new and interesting things.

These are all free, by the way, and isn’t it wonderful that we have this thing, the internet,  at our fingertips that offers us so much information?

I have always had the ‘sponge syndrome’. Once I am interested in something I want to learn as much as I can about it. Sometimes it takes an afternoon and I am satisfied with the dabble of knowledge I mentally downloaded. Sometimes it takes months or years. Sometimes I never get enough. That is why I love the internet.

For someone like me, it’s like a kid in a candy store. I could (and do!) sit in front of this screen absorbing all kinds of information. I am getting my counseling certification online (which utilizes podcasts among other things). I read a myriad of blogs, all of which follow some interest of mine. Yet, there are times I can’t sit in front of the computer or that I don’t want to. That’s when I love podcasts the most.

You don’t need to own an iPod to listen to podcasts. If you are reading this, you can download iTunes and listen to them right from your computer. There is a podcast for everything: comedy and entertainment; learning a new language; yoga and exercise; cooking shows; news programs; sports shows.

And you don’t have to make sure you are available when the program airs like the radio. If you like NPR, for instance, you can get nearly every show they broadcast in a podcast. It is available to you when you are ready to listen/watch. Even in the middle of the night.

So my question for you today is this: What do you wish you had time to learn/ listen to/dabble in? What is something you think ‘I wish I knew more about x'?

(disclaimer: no.. I do not get paid by Apple for any of this.)


Photo Credit: dannyc ::2010::

I'd like to say guess what it is and win a prize. I just don't know what prize I'd give. I'm open to suggestions. Must not be illegal or immoral. Still.. let me know what you think it is. Will let you know next Tuesday who wins what.

I started to write a Monday story; I have several biographies that would be interesting to write, but cannot seem to be truly interested in any of them. My mind is elsewhere. I'm just going with it.

When you know what you are doing; where you are going; what you must do because it has rooted itself inside you to do it, the world will bend and conform in ways you cannot begin to comprehend to make it happen.


Whether or not you believe that statement makes no difference, some things are true whether you believe them or not.

There have only been a few times that I knew with earnest conviction what I should do at that moment in my life. I’m not as self-assured as people think I am. I am the same as everyone else, except I probably second guess everything I do more than anyone I know.

I tend to live my life like a chess game; always looking ahead a few moves just to make sure the one I’m making now is the one I want. This only works, of course, if your opponent’s motives are known. I not only didn’t (and don’t) ever know my opponent’s motives, I didn’t know my opponent (the world at large). So I carefully and methodically pick apart any life altering decisions until (not unlike a chess game) I run out of time and nothing is done at all. But, like I said, a few times I can remember that not being the case. It is actually similar to the feeling of knowing you have your opponent’s moves figured out and you know you have the game won.

When this happens, as I’m sure it happens to us all, most everyone around us thinks we are insane. Others do not see life from your p.o.v. They are not you. And yet, they will see your motives and motivation as something irrational and not to be attempted. (Trust me I get this a lot!)

So how do I know? I get supernatural blinders. I don’t know where I get them, but when I know where I am supposed to be, I don’t take my eyes off that place (figuratively or literally) until I’m there. It usually happens quickly, in my life experience. In mere months, I my life can change dramatically.

Knowing this, I am still a big chicken and still second guess most decisions. But on occasion, I will know that I know that I know and no matter what anyone else tells me or tries to convince me otherwise, the universe conforms to my wishes and it happens. Sometimes, there are things lost. There are sacrifices made. I do my best to not hurt people along the way. But if someone loves me, they already know this is how I live.

Writing this, I’m sure over half of the people who read it will think I’m crazy. It’s ok. I know.

Perhaps I will, on occasion, put a Wendy Story on a Monday instead of a biography so you can see where I’ve been, how different I am now and how it didn’t happen all at once but by changes in thought; belief; geography; self.

Washington Irving (who is himself an interesting fellow and one I should do a Monday Story about) said something I will never forget:

There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse; as I have found in travelling in a stagecoach, that it is often a comfort to shift one's position and be bruised in a new place.

Perhaps that is all it is that I am doing, changing positions. But it feels better, so I’m going to do it.

(disclaimer: I am not moving geographically so calm down.  However, I am changing.... my thinking...all the time.)


Photo Credit: Vacacion

I know some of you (I say ‘some’ because I realize not everyone gives a rat’s patootie what I do) are wondering what I’m up to. I realize I’ve been conspicuously absent from being all over the place …like I usually am.

I am studying to get my counseling /coach certification. I know there are several of you who just said out loud “’bout time”. To others who had no clue, now you do.

I also work part time walking dogs. Matt is allergic to pet hair and dander so I get my fill of doggie love by walking other people’s dogs. Plus I get paid, so there’s that.

If you wonder how I find recipes (most of which I modify when I find them) I don’t just Google it I go to FoodBlogSearch.com and put in an ingredient and it will search only those foodie blogs that have registered with the site. It is a custom Google search, specific to foodie blogs. I find this to be so incredibly convenient as there are tons of great food blogs out there.

When I find these recipes I SpringPad them. If you don’t know about Spring Pad, it’s a pretty cool site that gives you the ability to aggregate things you find online into one spot. Similar to bookmarking but better, you can tag your entries and create different folder type options, etc. I really only use it for recipes, but I know other people who use it for wish lists and general bookmarking. Plus you can follow people and re-spring things they sprung, etc. It’s kind of social in that respect.

I did find this recipe for The Greatest Snack Food Stadium Ever Built. If you make it, let me know; and tell your next of kin to let me know how you liked it before you keeled over from arterial blockage.

I mostly use Evernote to remember things. I haven’t been using it long but love how easy it is. You can ‘bookmark’ an entire webpage or I can highlight a part of text and then click the Evernote extension on my browser and voila! only the highlighted text is saved. Plus it has an app so that it syncs to my iPhone. Just brilliant really. I know there is so much more that can be done with it.

Oh, I switched from Firefox to Google Chrome. So far, seriously much better! It transferred all my bookmarks and even the icons on my bookmark toolbar. When you click on a link on a page, it opens a new tab right next to the one you are on not at the end. If you are like me and tend to have several tabs open at once, this is great! Plus page loading is faster and it recognizes the websites you go to most often making them easily accessible. It also has the search in the same box as the URL and will auto finish frequent websites. I have yet to find something bad about it. I’m sure something will turn up, until then I’m happy with it.

What else have I been up to? Hmmm.. I am going to start Monday Stories again, and New Word Thursdays. I think I will throw in Question Wednesday and What-is-it? Tuesday where I will take a picture of something and you tell me what it is. I might figure out some sort of prize or something. Maybe a ‘winner of the week’ thing. I don’t know. For now just see it as fun. I'll be sure to throw a recipe or two in there somewhere.

And for Friday, I will do a recap of some of the things I found during the week that maybe you will find interesting or maybe I just have something to say about it.

I figure if I am consistent with what I do here every day, you can pick what you are interested in and stop by then. If you don’t like Monday Stories, for instance, don’t stop by on Monday. Fair enough.

I try to do a picture every so often over on DailyBooth.com if you were just wanting to see my goofy face. I will try to do some more videos here on occasion when the topic warrants it for you die hard AQWW fans.

Baseball season is anon, and I’m so pleased. It truly makes me happy to watch baseball. My apologies at the outset if you don't like it. My tweets will be filled with baseball and such. There's your fair warning.

Here’s your thought for the weekend:

White bean chicken chili is one of those dishes that is perfect for a winter evening but not overly heavy or thick like a regular chili would be. This is actually pretty low in fat (and if you don't put cheese on it, it's even lower!) and is extremely flavorful if you are conscious (and conscientious) of those things.

 I like to use dried beans for my chili unless, of course, I am in a serious time constraint due to lack of planning, in which case I would use canned beans; not nearly as flavorful or texturally appealing, but they do in a pinch.

 You can make this as hot as you wish by adding extra jalapeño peppers and/or another can of chopped green chilies. I made some that was wonderful with this. The subtle taste of the rice was very complementary to the spiciness of the chili.

We served it with , a white wine that is just acidic enough to cut through the spices.

I'd say it was easy and just about perfect for a quiet Saturday evening in the dead of winter.




White Bean Chicken Chili



Ingredients:
1/3 lb dry white beans (your choice, I used Great Northern beans because that’s what I had on hand but Navy beans or Cannellini beans will work)… (or you can use 2 large cans of beans. It won’t be as tasty but it’ll do.)
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 seeded jalapeño pepper, chopped
1 can (4-ounce) chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 lb ground chicken, cooked and crumbled (or other cooked chicken to make 2 cups meat when cooked, cut into bite-size pieces)
1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese or other white cheese like Monterey Jack

Instructions
1. Sort and rinse beans. Place in a pot with 2 inches of water covering them. Cover and let soak overnight. Alternatively, if you screwed up and forgot (as I tend to do): sort and rinse beans, place in pot with 2 inches of water covering, bring to rolling boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand for 2 hours.
2. Drain beans and cover with fresh water, again 2 inches above top of beans. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook until tender, around 1 ½ hours. Set aside but save liquid enough to barely cover the beans.
3. Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, green chilies, cumin, oregano, cloves and cayenne. Stir and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, cooked chicken and beans with 1 cup of the liquid (bean juice). Bring entire thing to boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will still be a bit soupy.
4. After 20 minutes, if you wish, you may remove 1 cup of chili and mash or puree it and then add back to the chili to create a thicker consistency. I did not do this I liked it not so thick.
5. Serve on bed of hot cooked rice and topped with grated cheese…or however you like to have your chili. ..With tortilla chips and guacamole or cornbread and sour cream... Lots of good ways to finish it.

I wouldn’t say I was brought up in the kitchen. My mother cooked but I don’t remember much about it, only that we ate dinner together at the table and if I fell asleep my father would make me a plate later.

Once we got a microwave, somewhere in the late 1970s, the cooking in our kitchen changed and I didn’t learn squat except how to heat things up. (disclaimer: this may or may not be true.. it is, however, my memory of the thing, so it is *my* truth, even if it’s false)

It wasn’t until I was grown, married and pregnant with the queen that I learned how to cook. Her dad wouldn’t allow a microwave in our house until I learned how to cook and in my life, I had met some people who were excellent cooks and bakers and I knew I wanted to be like that so I didn’t mind so much.

We didn’t have tons of money when my kids were little so it was tight to be able to prepare meals and all. Especially in the South, in my experience, I have found that the junkiest food is cheaper than the healthiest. But I would keep flour and sugar and simple things on hand to make the kids homemade muffins for breakfast or homemade pigs in a blanket (hotdogs wrapped in croissants) for afternoon snacks. I’d make bread and always we’d have some dinner that we all would eat together. I say together loosely; as they got older, it was tougher to plan a specific mealtime as they were all gone to games and competitions and lessons, etc. but I got creative then too and made some one-pot wonder as my brother likes to call them that could be eaten at any time.

It is fun to find new things to try and prepare, putting me out of any sort of cooking comfort zone and attempt to make things that others will appreciate. I seem to have an affinity for baking and Matt’s co-workers are thrilled when I make anything sweet. It is tough to make a dessert or cookies or the like for two and we get tired of them pretty quickly, so off they go to work with Matt where whatever I send is quickly eaten and I am elated to get back an empty dish.

Now, I would live in the kitchen if it were big enough. I just seem to feel comfortable there.

It makes me wonder if our personalities find our place in life and not so much our planning. We each learn some things more easy than other things and at times I think what we try to learn doesn't always fit who we are. We are influenced by what we think we should be learning or doing. I didn’t start out in the kitchen, but I have found my place there now, years later.

Where are you most comfortable? Did you expect it to be where it is? Are you still looking?


Photo Credit: Andrew®

I currently have six windows open of things that are ‘to be read’. I narrowed that down from about 50. Taking a weekend off from life is great, until you come back.

I was lucky enough to be invited along with Matt to Vermont for his company weekend retreat. Several people skied but I have an aversion to falling down on purpose so I refrained from joining them. Several of us remained at the lovely cabin and played some poker. (I came in 4th out of 6. Not bad. Not good.)

It was fun, gorgeous and no I didn’t get nearly enough pictures due to the fact it was pretty damn cold. The rivers were frozen solid in most places and the wind whipped and bit like it was angry with us for getting in its way. I’ll post what pictures I took when I get them uploaded.

Suffice to say the weekend got me thinking about what the hell I’m doing with this blog space and what I want to do with it. A) I’m not happy with it as it is and B)I am not sure what I should do, but I have an idea or two. I know that once I find my groove the blog will write itself.

That’s usually how things happen for me; I make a decision and like downhill skiing, it just goes on its own. All I have to do is avoid falling down or crashing.

I also know that if I change what I write here, or even if I stop writing here and begin again somewhere new, I shall lose some of you as readers. That will be a shame, but is part of life; my life. You know my life is an adventure.

Just remember that I will let you know what I’m doing and where I’m doing it should you like to witness the spectacle. Until then, thanks for stopping by here and I’ll keep feeding you marshmallow fluff… when I have in on hand. Make sure you throw another log on the fire, would ya?

(How cold was it? Highs in the teens. Lows near zero with wind chills lower. The people brave enough to sit in the hot tub outside...their wet hair froze while they were sitting in it! That's pretty damn cold!)

Photo Credit: cwwycoff1

Daily I get angry with this computer. It seems to have a mind of its own and no matter how much I convince myself that it is not self-aware (I wrote a 'New Word Thursday' post on this very thing a year ago here)
and Judgment Day has actually not taken place, I wish I could shoot it.

I named my computer Bruce (that is the name of the mechanical shark in Jaws, I'm sure this tells you much about my thought process and general state of mind), and he tends to cut off when he damn well pleases and now that I recently upgraded my virus protection, I cannot seem to find the correct part of the program to let me upload photos from the same camera I've used since I've had this computer. Bruce truly is a pain.

Frustrating as all this is, I refuse to get angry with this thing. I do, however, at times, wish Bruce were self-aware so when I yelled at him there perhaps would be a glimpse of hope that he might feel guilt.  I'm not sure how satisfying that would be, but I'm sure for the slightest sliver of a second, I could get some sort of comfort knowing the playing field was leveled a bit.

That said, we are off for the weekend to Vermont. Yes I know it's February and yes, I know I don't ski. But I do like warm lodges in the mountains and hot tubs in the snow, so I'm sure I'll be fine. I'll take pictures.

I have many new readers and I thank everyone for stopping by. My 'old' readers (you know who you are, and that I adore you all! ...even if you do keep me on my toes..perhaps because you keep me on my toes) will surely welcome anyone new here. 

I have posted many different things here over the past couple of years. Take a look around; see what you can see. I don't mind.

Here's a few series I've done:

New Word Thursday

A Monday Story

AQWW (Afternoon Quicky With Wendy video)

again, thanks for stopping by and let me know you were here.
Stick around, sometimes I'm entertaining.

disclaimer: no computers were harmed in the making of this post....yet.


photo credit: BigPresh

Writing is a strange thing. Inspiration comes in so many ways and at odd times; words don't watch the clock or care where you are, they just come.

I find myself inspired in the strangest places and wish I had my voice recorder if I don't (even if I sound goofy talking into it in a crowd) or at the very least a pen (paper I can do without, if needed. In a pinch you can use your arm or hand... if you lose that, no need to worry what was written there.) I use the notepad on my phone when I can, but it seems to take me too long to put the thought down, at times, and I lose the inspiration.

There are times when I wish I could just push the pause button on all existence (everyone else's not mine) just so I could capture my thoughts without missing anything else. Then push play and it all begin where it left off.

I find myself inspired every time I venture into New York City. So many artists and so much history; that city oozes the creativeness of spirit. When I go there, there is always something will give me pause to write down a word or two or snap a photo, yet I never seem to have the time to slow down that much. I always have an agenda when I go there. Perhaps I should just be me and let those who are expecting me wait a few moments longer so I can trap the inspiration. Surely they would understand; it's me. I am not that way, however, I always think of the other person and never myself and so I plod along to the place I should be letting the creativeness brush my cheek with the wind as it whips briskly between the skyscrapers.

I am going back into the city today for another thing we were invited to and in addition we have made plans to spend the entire weekend there visiting friends and vacating a bit. I'll try to see what I can trap there and what kind of inspiration I will find.

We will see what comes.

What a strange world we live in right now. Business is changing. The way we live daily is changing. And changing daily. In fact, the way we think is changing. It is nearly unbelievable how these things are unfolding right before our eyes.


Perhaps you aren’t paying attention as closely as I am. That’s ok, I tend to notice the odd things. But one thing that is very apparent to me is the divisions of our society have gotten wider. More and more we are confronted with an ‘us and them’ mentality to everyday situations and beliefs.

Whether or not it is apparent to the viewer of a situation, politics/religion/belief has taken its stand on everyday things and like a huge puff of smoke clouded not only the believer’s eyes, but the non-believer’s eyes also.


No matter what your beliefs are about religion or politics, our society compels us to decide what group everything will fall into: agree with/ disagree with; belief/ disbelief; smart/ foolish; trustworthy/ distrustful. We are ceasing to notice the similarities and judge by the differences; differences we used to embrace because it suggested diversity.



What’s to happen to us when we cannot find the common ground anymore? Will the divisions we are creating for ourselves become so deep that we cannot see where the other person is coming from or worse, that we cannot see where we once were? What if the holes become chasms and we cannot hear anything but our own echos?


Photo Credit: Coljay72 His t-shirt says "I have nothing to declare except my genius" ..that's appropriate too.

There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old things we don't know. ~Ambrose Bierce

The Chicago Reader has a blog with a series called “Bad News from the Past” by Cliff Doerksen. Mr. Doerksen shares with us old newspaper clippings about a myriad of topics that sometimes enlighten us to the ignorance, silliness and forgetfulness of the past (and of the present) but always tell a story.

Today’s post is from a 1906 article in the LA Times that cites abuse of boys by male religious leaders. Mr. Doerksen comments: “Conservative culture warriors sometimes argue that present-day clerical sex abuse is driven by the surrounding conditions of unprecedented sexual license that infect our holy men—who are only human, after all. The argument is rubbish.” Rubbish indeed, considering this article was written in 1906.

It is naïve of us as a society to assume no other generation that has gone before has had to experience the same things we do.

As a society we tend to forget and like it that way. One could argue that it’s our M.O. If you wait long enough, people will forget and then you can resume with your life(-style) which happens to not have changed because no lessons were learned. Being a perpetual student of history, perhaps I notice the trend of forgetfulness more than others.

The only thing new in this world is the history you don’t know. ~Harry Truman

There may have been a time when things could be covered up more easily than they can now. A pregnant teenage girl could be ‘shipped off’ to a relative in another place to return post-delivery, for instance, and pick up her life right where she left off before she got pregnant. Perhaps no one was the wiser or it was all chalked up to mere gossip but with time all would be forgotten, except, perhaps by the girl herself.

It’s also pretty naïve to assume that your parents or grandparents didn’t do drugs or smoke pot or have pre-marital sex or any other reprehensible (read: normal) activities.

Parents who try to fool their children into thinking they were innocent as children only end up looking like fools to their children. But, if neither parent nor child says anything, and leaves the fact neither are innocent as an unspoken understanding, it is easy to see how this nonsense perpetuates itself. Not unlike you and your government.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. ~Albert Einstein

Perhaps your government doesn’t want you to remember your history; that it is doing the very same things it has always done which weren’t really acceptable the previous times but will give similar results, nonetheless.

We have short memories.


You can find more interesting and sometimes oddball articles from old newspapers from The Hope Chest

Photo credit: Thoth, God of Knowledge

I found this article which tells of farmers embracing social media. The dairy farmer interviewed is a businessman and uses Twitter to keep up with what is being said about his business. We can all concede that it’s a smart thing for him to do, in fact thousands of other businesses, large and small, all do the very same thing. However, one sentence caught my eye: “That's important [to keep up with what people are saying about agriculture], he said, because with so much misinformation out there about where food comes from and how it's produced, farmers have a responsibility to speak up and set the record straight.”

This is a brilliant statement which could be altered to suit any number of businesses, what they produce and how they are perceived by the public. It was said by a dairy farmer yet could have been said by a vegan health food store owner who blatantly disagrees with the dairy farmer. That’s what got me.

I respect all people’s beliefs whether I agree with them or not which means I respect the dairy farmer for “using social media because he was frustrated with how certain activist groups were misrepresenting animal agriculture” as well as the activist group for voicing its opinions on the same subject, albeit on the opposite side, telling us of injustices done in animal agriculture.



Both sides, however, must acknowledge that there are just some people whose mind you won’t change (this goes for most subjects, obviously, this one just happens to be the one I chose today); they will believe what they believe whether you throw a truth in their face or not; and if the truth is thrown in a disrespectful way, I guarantee the other side won’t ever see it as a truth, only as the stinging projectile that it was; thus perpetuating the war.

There will never be an answer to disagreements like this, I know. There will always be those who think one side is ‘right’ and the other is ‘wrong’. The real irony is that there are truths on both sides of this issue and ill-will will not garner any respect especially from outsiders/neutrals like me.

I am grateful for the activist who keeps the issues at hand in the spotlight. I am grateful for the businessman who provides his services. I am grateful for the education I get from both.

I am glad both sides have the same right to tell us what they believe and that they use social outlets like Twitter to do it. I only wish they felt the same about each other.



How appropriate images and paintings of Truth show her naked holding a mirror. Can't get more transparent than that.

If you are interested in transparency in business and social media check out ChrisBrogan.com . He has many posts on this subject including Preserve Your Authenticity and Stay Transparent



Bottom painting:Truth Emerging from a Well by Edouard Debat-Ponsan
Top painting: La Vérité by Jules Joseph Lefebvre

Discipline, people, discipline. I have none. I know that you think I have it all together, that I am organized and timely and all… if I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times: I fake it. I figure if I look like I got it all together everyone will think that I do. And it works, for the most part. But I know better.

For instance: when I lived in Seattle, I would work out 4 times a week. I moved here and haven’t worked out in 6 months. Now, that isn’t to say I think I’m fat or that I have ‘let myself go’, on the contrary, I think I look ok…. BECAUSE I FAKE IT. But truth be told, I am completely out of shape and I don’t like it.

I’m not a health nut or exercise fanatic but I do know that I feel better if I eat well and workout with some kind of regularity. So I (also being frugal as hell) found a place that has a no-impact machine (I’d like my knees to be around as long as the rest of me is) I can do a workout on that I don’t have to pay outrageous amounts of money for like a gym (Gyms are a huge scam, imo, in fact, I should open one…).

I love yoga and tai chi and all that; the stretching and consciousness of body placement and the mental clarity is something I'm good at and makes me feel fantastic. However, my heart aches to get some exercise and my pores wish to sweat. (I do sweat when I do yoga. I am not disciplined to do that very often either, but there is something to aerobic exercise that I don't always get from yoga because I'm not coordinated to move quickly enough from my downward dog to warrior pose without keeling over.)

 A dear friend (ok, he’s family but is in no way under any obligation to let me do diddly with his workout machine) has allowed me to enter his home at my convenience to exercise. How cool is that? He has told me I am under no obligation whatsoever to pay for this privilege but you know me, I clean something when I go: the kitchen, the bathroom, whatever. To me, it’s the least I can do since he's single and doesn't clean nearly as well as I do. 

I don’t really go to the beach or even want a ‘beach body’. I’m not that young anymore and it’s so damn superficial which is wrong!… BUT, in October we are going to a wedding in Mexico on the beach. I’d like to look good, superficial as it is. Hell, I have no shame.

So this is a start. It’s not really a New Year’s Resolution as I really hate those and if you’ve been around here any time at all you know that the New Year starts in March anyway. We humans are so goofy.

I also have decided to just post all my questions I ask Matt every day and let you people actually see how incredibly nutty I am. Plus it will, I’m sure, open up some free time for Matt to actually do something productive rather than listen to my ramblings. This, of course, means many more blog posts, so if you aren’t up for it, tough shit. Unsubscribe or whatever from the blog feed, I don’t care. If you don’t want to be here, don’t. There will still be recipes and the occasional poem or story. But brace yourselves; it may be quite a ride.

Welcome to 2010, my friends.

Photo Credits: Old Man Tai Chi courtesy Clip Works
Yoga Pose in Oregon Coast Mountains courtesy of Lululemon Athletica

The New Word Thursday for January 1, 2009 was Love.

The New Word (phrase) Thursday for December 31, 2009 is Blue Moon.

There is a blue moon tonight. A blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. It is something that happens on occasion, but not often and not with any regularity. The phrase ‘once in a blue moon’ has become to mean a rare and random occurrence.

It is at once, amazing and unbelievable what this past year has brought. Huge, giant changes in my life have catapulted me toward unfamiliar places that have shaken my core and soothed my soul.

If I had seen forward 12 months to this place I find myself in now, I would have seen what seems to be a rare and random place. I would see that I found and felt more love than I have ever known, not only from new people in my life but that I have a love of more depth for my children than I ever knew existed in me.

I would have seen I have found a place for myself where the people think of the word ‘family’ the same way I do; with no rules only love.

I would have seen that the walls I had built over years and years that I thought toughened me and made me strong were not the reasons for my strength and, in fact, crumble easily with the love of someone who sees me for who I am.

I would have seen that the friends I thought I had lost are still deeply part of me and remind me who I am and the new friends I found are every bit as deeply part of me as the old.

I would have seen that I am what I always knew I was: an artist, creating a life instead of surviving an existence. What a whirlwind I live in! It is an adventure.

This year started on a Thursday and ends on one. Looking back, I don’t really know how I got here. This was the year of love, to be sure. Once in a blue moon you can find yourself in a rare and random place that is wonderful.

To my friends and family, both old and new: thank you for your love. It is more than I could ever imagine. My cup runneth over.



Blue Moon Photo courtesy of: Paul J. Everett

I love winter cooking. My brother used to say that I was the queen of the one-dish wonder; I can make a meal in one pot whether it be stew, soup or some made up concoction that may not look great, but I guarantee the taste will be satisfactory or better.

I had some leeks leftover from when I purchased some to use in a recipe earlier last week and didn't want them to go bad, so last night I made Potato Leek soup.
If you don't know much about leeks, they are part of the onion/garlic family. They don't grow in a bulb like onions do, however, their layers are long narrow sheaths that grow tall; similar to how a shallot looks but on a giant scale.

The taste is unique and not as strong as an onion or garlic and you must take extra time to wash each sheath as dirt tends to gather in the layers and will make whatever you are preparing gritty. Seriously, take the time to wash them thoroughly, you will find grit if you don't.

This is a simple recipe, only takes 30 minutes or so. I made it just as the recipe called but next time I think I shall add a minced clove of garlic or two just to give it a different twist.
It was delicious and creamy and warm and perfect for the cold winter evenings we are experiencing. I made some crusty whole wheat bread to go with it and we paired it with a red Portuguese wine that was surprisingly wonderful. (One of the best Portuguese reds I've had; and we went to a Portuguese wine tasting in the city back in the summer where I was fortunate to experience many wonderful Portuguese wines.)
The entire meal didn't take me longer than 45 minutes from prep to plating save the bread which didn't need much from me, just rising and resting time, even then I did it all in a couple of hours. On a cold, winter afternoon, nothing is better than making warm, inviting food.

Eat well, my friends.



Potato-Leek Soup

Ingredients:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, season with freshly ground black pepper, and cook until leeks are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add potatoes, salt, and thyme and cook only a few minutes until flavors are melded. Increase heat to high, add vegetable or chicken broth and water and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes just tender, about 10 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, blend soup batches until smooth. Be careful not to overload the blender or food processor; the soup is hot and will spew everywhere if too full. (I blended in small batches and transferred it to a bowl until I had it all blended then I returned it to the pot. I also didn't blend the hell out of it, I like small chunks of potato left in my soup, but you can blend it until smooth if you'd like.)

Return soup to the saucepan over medium heat, stir in cream, season with additional pepper as needed, and cook until heated through.

all photos by me

This morning we awoke to a true winter wonderland complete with our Canadian Geese friends honking us awake. We live next to a river/creek that they seem to have taken over as some sort of haven. I can't say I mind much, when I lived in the North Seattle area, I was constantly lulled to sleep by the barking of the sealions there. I love living next to water. The wildlife is always interesting to observe there no matter what kind of water: ocean, river, lake.




We are having a holiday party with some friends. I always like to prepare a dinner party, you get to start with snacks and dessert. Yesterday I made Heidi Swanson's Buckwheat Cheese Straw recipe, I don't know that mine turned out as lovely, but they sure are yummy. We plan to pair them with some hummus for afternoon snacks.



I made some chocolate cookies this morning to start the day of cooking and baking.

Truly, there is no more inviting aroma than cookies baking. Early morning cookie baking seems to set the tone for the day and nothing that goes wrong afterward really matters. It's a cookie baking attitude that flows on the aroma to your deepest being and you remember what it was like to be a kid again, without a care in the world.

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 (more) ounces semisweet chocolate chunks

I chopped all my own chocolate from huge bars we buy. I love them for baking and snaking.You can buy chocolate chunks, however. They will do just fine.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir every 20 seconds until almost melted. This won't take more than a minute or two. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla at high speed with an electric mixer. Mix until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate. Mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets. Place 2-3 inches apart. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until cookies are shiny and crackly but soft in the center.  (Some of mine turn out not so shiny and crackly, this is from the batter sitting out between baking sheet transfers. No worries, they are awesome no matter what they look like.)

Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes. Then, transfer to racks to cool completely.


Makes about 2 dozen cookies.


Happy Holidays, everyone.