My New Blog

Here is a link to my new blog: http://devotionthrutheages.blogspot.com/

I'm doing it for school, and thus far, am enjoying it immensely! Spirituality and religion has always moved me. Now I get to expand on my knowledge, and share it with the rest of the world! ...or with whoever reads my blog...

Enjoy!

Neiman-Marcus Cookies

My childhood friend,Tani, started a fabulously delicious a page on Facebook called "Exceptional Recipe Action."  The premise is simple: people join the page, and post their favorite recipes! The recipes range from ultra healthy kale-y types, to gluttonous chocolaty desserty types. Meat, ethnic, and everything in between. Truly an inspiring and mouth-watering detour in Facebookland!

Anywho, I was exploring recipe options the other day, when I came upon THIS gem. How often do you get to bake yummy, delicious cookies whilst STICKING IT to the 1%? Sounds good.

My friend Tani personally knows the person who posted this, this is a true story.

Here ya go:

"A little background:

Neiman-Marcus, if you don't know already, is a very expensive boutique
shop (they sell a typical $8.00 T-shirt for $50.00)

My daughter and I had just finished lunch at a Neiman-Marcus Cafe in
Dallas, USA. Because both of us are such biscuit lovers, we decided to
try the 'Neiman-Marcus cookie'. It was so excellent that I asked if they
would give me the recipe. The waitress said with a small frown, 'I'm
afraid not, but you can buy the recipe.'

I asked how much, and she responded; 'Only two fifty - it's a great
deal'

I agreed to that, and told her to add it to my bill.

Thirty days later, I got my Visa statement, and the Neiman-Marcus charge
was $285. I looked at it again, and I remembered I had only spent $9.95
for two sandwiches and about $20 for a scarf. At the bottom of the
statement, it said, 'Cookie Recipe - $250.00'. That was outrageous!

I called Neiman's Accounting Department and told them the waitress had
said it was 'two fifty', which clearly does not mean 'two hundred and
fifty dollars' by any reasonable interpretation of the phrase.
Neiman-Marcus refused to budge. They would not refund my money because
according to them; 'What the waitress told you is not our problem. You
have already seen the recipe.. We absolutely will not refund your money.

I explained to the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes
which govern fraud in the state of Texas. I threatened to report them to
the Better Business Bureau and The Texas Attorney General's office. I
was basically told: Do what you want.. Don't bother thinking of how yo u
can get even, and don't bother trying to get any of your money back'

I said, OK, you've got my $250, and now I'm going to have $250 worth of
fun. I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie lover in
the world with an e-mail account gets a $250 cookie recipe from
Neiman-Marcus for free. She replied, 'I wish you wouldn't do that.' I
said, 'Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you RIPPED
ME OFF!' and slammed down the phone.

So here it is! Please pass it on to everyone you can possibly think of..
I paid $250 for this, and I don't want Neiman-Marcus to EVER make
another penny from this recipe!


NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved as this makes heaps)

2 (500 ml) cups butter
680 g chocolate chips
4 (1000 ml) cups flour
2 (500 ml) cups brown sugar
2 tsp. (10 ml) Bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp.. (5 ml) salt
2 (500 ml) cups sugar
500 g Grated Cadbury chocolate
5 (1250 ml) cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs
2 tsp. (10 ml) baking powder
2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla
3 cups (375 ml) chopped nuts (optional)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the
butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour,
oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Add chocolate
chips, grated Chocolate and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches
apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees (180 C)."

Thankful

In nooo particular order - love, life, being healthy. My husband who loves and cherishes me to the utmost and is very kind and forgiving, and who gives me AMAZING. . . , (and is "tall, dark, 'n handsome" :), a house - I live in one, I'm not homeless, or cold, or addicted, or broke to the point of destitution, I have a family who loves me! I thank God and am thankful for my Mom, Dad, brother, and sister. I thank God for all the beautiful, sweet and loving, humble, kind and good PETS I've had in my life. I thank God for Lulu, our rat. Thank you God, for compassion, mercy, forgiveness. I WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED WITHOUT compassion, mercy, and forgiveness. Thank God for GOOD doctors, modern medicine. Indoor plumbing, central heating, wood fireplaces, outdoor fire-pits, camp fires. The OCEAN! The beach! The waves. Hawaiian food, seafood, hippy food, Indian food, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese food, home cooked meals! Venison. Skiing, snow, mountains, GOOD friends, lifelong friends, comedy, jokes, senses of humor, laughing! Art! Road trips! Trains, Christmas, the month of December, the month of January, fireworks, SEX, foreign countries, travel, New York, good movies, popcorn, BOOZE (but not hangovers!), letters - real written ones, literature, the Ramayana, T'ao Ch'ien, Edgar Allan Poe, good professors, poetry, encouragement, the Bible, Jesus as an example of LOVE and compassion, cross-stitch, words, word play, pens, perseverance, TRUST, LOYALTY, faith, healing, NEW EXPERIENCES, second chances, the Tundra, ALL of the Earth's habitats, Socrates, Algebra, working HARD to accomplish a goal, lofty aspirations, inspiration(s), MUSIC, and the list SHALL continue... HIKING, CAMERAS, swimming, water with ice and lemon, juicers, water with mint, fancy dinners, old architecture, feathers, faux fur, PEARL JAM, eddie vedder (legend), ben harper, live music, festivals, reggae, PUNK rock, good ol' fashioned rock n roll, ac/dc, SLEEP - the restful kind, not the restless kind, good dreams that seem real, SHARKS, all sea life, all animal life, GUNS, cool backpacks, high heels!, slippahs, buttah mochi, poke, sushi, Christmas trees, spam musubi, sleeping pills, contacts and glasses... juicers, digital scales!, Reality Checks!!... packages at you front door with your name on them!, crock-pots, rice cookers! :) did i already say indoor plumbing? warm showers, hot baths, generosity, loose teas, asian tea pots...

Begin Again

Here's to letting go, my friends! Here's to letting go. I'm excited and relieved that 2012 is here, and grateful that 2011 was a year of lessons learned. It was... not a great year, in many ways. But ultimately, the end was positive.

Both my husband and I were faced with betrayal and disappointment on many levels, but the growth we experienced as sentient human beings was so valuable, that I'm glad we endured the hardships. We have truly become stronger and wiser people, and our professional and personal directions are solid!

Just as I've literally gotten rid of a lot of clutter in preparation for our big move this June (we have a huge "garage sale" pile!), I've decided to rid myself of a bunch of emotional garbage as well. No time like the present, and the dawn of a new year is always inspiring - with it being a clean slate and all!

Every "thing" I'm getting rid of (or have already) is like a weight around the neck, or maybe like a power sink - extremely draining of my energy!

OK, here goes. I'm getting rid of...

1. Unhealthy attachments to people. There are some people (even family members) who we feel we "should" like or love, for whatever reason. Maybe that person has influence or some kind of social or political power, maybe our only bond is that our friends are friends, or maybe we are just holding on to a relationship that has morphed and changed so much, that it has become unhealthy.

This is a hard one, but to live a genuine life full of meaning, one must trim the fat. Why put energy into a relationship that hurts you? For example, it's one thing to argue or debate (once you really get to know someone, who doesn't?), but to put yourself in a situation where you are constantly judging and not LOVING each other is bad.

I've always felt that true friends could debate or argue, have opposing views, and even irritate the shit out of each other! But at the end of the day, week, month, year, they come back together and love each other even MORE than before. Isn't that the mark of a true friend - that they see your imperfections and flaws, and yet continue to love you? I have quite a few friends (and family members) like this.

Unfortunately, there are attributes that I can't abide in any relationship, and no one should. People who lie to you are bastards, and should be cut off. People who disrespect you or try to dominate you - done. People you can't trust, or who don't have your back - DONE. It's always disappointing to find that you've been betrayed by a friend or family member, but it's EMPOWERING to cut the cord and move on!...Next!

2. Unforgiveness, I'm getting rid of it - to the extent that I can. (Haha! See that qualifier in there?) But really, with the people in my life whom I love, I will be more forgiving.

I've always said that I can hold a nasty grudge - and I can. But really, it's pointless, isn't it? Sure there are things that hurt me when I remember them, but... I know that I've hurt people, too. Who hasn't? And isn't receiving forgiveness such a relief? It is a truly good feeling to be forgiven.

So, I aim to forgive - and move forward in a loving manner. It's one thing to forgive superficially, with words alone. It's quite another to forgive, and move forward with with warmth for that person, and to show them immense love.

3. I aim to be less negative, more compassionate, more understanding. I aim to look for and see the positive in life, situations, and people. I aim to be less critical of MYSELF (that's a big one) and of others.

4. I aim to make my bed every day, and floss daily. :)

5. I will let go of disappointment and hurt feelings, and move forward as a stronger, happier, more confident, and therefore more beautiful woman! I will be INSPIRED by my family and friends, and there is a lot to be inspired by!! I aim to live life to the fullest!

WELCOME 2012!

Yes

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

This is what life is all about. If ever I need the inspiration to get off the couch, get out of the house, and LIVE, all I have to do is watch this video.

I want to see some magic...and paddling in a canoe with a friend when it happens?...would be pretty wonderful in itself. That spontaneous laughter, shared between close friends...no judgement, only shared experiences, knowledge, and love... that's just as magical and life affirming, as witnessing a murmuration.

More Heroes

Average people, doing the right thing.

Rata Domestica

Lulu on Channing's shoulder, eating a blueberry treat. She loves to eat! She was kind of scrawny when we first got her, but she looks much healthier now! She's quite filled out since this picture was taken.

This is our dumbo rat, Lulu, and she has single handedly (pawly?) changed our perception of her entire species! She is such a good little ambassador.

Rats get such a bad rap, and I am of the opinion that they are probably the most misunderstood and unjustly reviled species on earth. When people think of rats, they imagine rabid, dirty, flea bitten, disease spreading, disgusting animals - animals who scarsely deserve to live. This perception is wrong, and so undeserved! Ms. Lulu has shown us that rats are sweet, affectionate, sensitive, funny little creatures - and unlike other pets, such as hamsters, they don't bite! People think that rats want to bite them, or get them sick... that they'll rabidly eat their flesh or something! No, believe me, rats have no interest in any of that zombie-like behavior! Lulu would much rather cuddle with you in the crook of your warm neck or shoulder, or fall asleep on your lap or in your arms, much like a lap dog. She is the most affectionate little thing, and is very peaceful. If she's feeling especially close to you, she may start to groom you, with little tiny nibbles around your ears or on your arm, but it doesn't hurt at all. It's quite sweet, actually.

I could go on and on about how sweet and misunderstood rats are, and how much we love Lulu, and are blessed to have her in our lives. But for now let me just encourage you to set aside your fear of rats, and with an open heart, maybe get to know one! You won't regret it :)

Lulu peeking out of her hutch. I put a part of an old pareo (sarong) in her cage. She uses it as a mattress :)