Ever since I was a kid I have always enjoyed Halloween and it has been one of my favorite holidays of the year, besides Christmas. When I was 4 or 5 my mom started a tradition that would last until the day she died in 2007. Every Halloween, Birthday/Valentines Day ( Since I was born on that day), Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, 4th of July and even St. Patty’s Day she would always decorate the house, and make some type of goodies. Although the two biggest holidays she decorated the most for was Christmas and Halloween. She would always make lots of treats for both holidays and made our home a scary haunted place for Halloween or a Winter wonderland for Christmas. I love Christmas, but Halloween was always my favorite time of the year, because it was the start of fall with the temps staying mildly warm in the day and crisp and cool at night. Plus the start of getting to go to the fairs, carnivals,the haunted houses, trails, woods, etc. Most importantly was that time of year, where I could dress up like anything from being spiderman to being a vampire as a kid. I always tend to dress up as sci-fi characters or scary creatures than dressing up as what normal little girls dressed up as ( princesses, cheerleaders, fairies, etc.).
Another favorite memory of Halloween was having our house transformed into a haunted house. Every year my parents decorated our house to be super scary. We were featured a couple of years in the local paper and news stations. Plus the halloween parties we use to have were really to “die for” my mom always made the best unique treats from her “Vampire Lady fingers to Ice eyeballs to her Snake and Mummy sandwiches to her dripping blood ( not real just colored corn syrup. ) off of the punch cups.
After my parents death in 2007 Halloween has never been the same. I’ve tried to decorated my house and even use the same decorations, but their spirit of the season is gone, but not forgotten. Since their deaths I’ve had to come up with my own traditions to make Halloween as fun as it once was.
Here is a slide show of just some of the treats and decorations my parents did for Halloween every year, some of the characters I was for Halloween growing up and how I still use my parents decorations for halloween.
After sending these up to flickr, I thought it was neat that someone featured them on their website.
I’ve been a huge Environmentalist for a long time. It all started when I joined my high school environmental club in my freshman year. Ever since then I’ve been a member of local and national groups as well as taking part in events like Earth Day, and Earth Hour. I’m a huge recycler, carpool or use alt transportation( walk, skate, or bike) when I can, use green products, using CFLs, conserving water and electricity, composting, and many other things as well.
I love the fact that since living in the country we’re near a convenience& recycle center, which allows me to recycle about almost all of our garbage ( paper, glass, cans, plastic,cardboard, etc). Most of all the food ( left overs, peelings, etc. ) goes into our composter than in the garbage can. Plus it reduces the chances of never having a smelly garbage can again too. I also try to continue on with the idea that Earth Hour is by turning off all electronics,lights, etc. every night for the rest of the evening usually after dinner. I usually tend to use my laptop on battery to work and watch a dvd instead of watching tv. Most think I’m crazy, but I really enjoy working in the dark or using natural light than having to use artificial lighting anyhow.
Wow, it seems like I’ve been working non-stop these days and pulling all niters too. I have had a lot of projects coming in and that’s a good thing too.
I really enjoy my work and getting to work with different types of clients too. I have one big project I’m hoping will come my way. Would love the opportunity to work with this one group. I really enjoy giving back to the community. I always feel privileged when I get to work with a group that is doing amazing things for the community or supporting a cause I really care about.
Other than work I have had a lot going on in my life too. Like finally getting another car, since my truck was totaled from the wreck. Since getting the car, it’s been a joy to be able to get out and about again. Other than the car, I have had a lot of good things happening in my life, which is wonderful. I’ve started back doing Yoga regularly, which is something I loved, but got out of doing it because with everything that happened. I’m still trying to get and about to ride my bike, hike, and walk every chance I get too. I’m also still eating an all vegetarian diet, which has been a year and half now. I have to say that I’m really sticking to my goals and it’s really paying off too.
I’m truly blessed to have all the great and positive things that are happening in my life right now, after all the negative things that has happened in the past two years. Plus I’m so grateful for great friends that have become my extended family. It’s just truly amazing…..
Does it mean you toss out your belongings and head to the woods to live deliberately?
No. (Though you could do worse!)
Does it mean that money is bad, and you can get self-righteous about wealth?
Nope. (This is often just a convenient way to ignore your own money issues.)
To Live Simple is to be empowered and present. It means you honor the massive power of yourattention by making clear choices and creating a life you love – free from clutter of all kinds.
Here’s how to start living simple right now…
Eat Simple
Instead of complicated recipes, get local organic produce at tailgate markets. A tray of sliced raw vegetables dipped in hummus or vinaigrette is a great dinner. Or lightly steamed greens with rice. These are easy to prepare and easy to digest. The fewer foods you combine in a single meal, the easier it is for your body to use the energy.
Shop Simple
My favorite thing to carry with me when I shop is this mantra: “If it’s not an Absolute Yes, it’s a No.”
Heal Simple
The Western approach to health is often about adding stuff to fix symptoms of imbalance. This typically involves more pills – which cause more side effects.
Here’s a better way: Allow the body to heal itself. This means removing the excess – excess toxins, fats, sugar, meds. Healing – while sometimes challenging – can be a simple, lovingprocess when we let our body express its inner wisdom.
Carry Simple
Do you hoist around a giant purse crammed full of stuff?
Bring only the basics. Say, lipstick and a credit card. It’s a great feeling to ditch the purse!
Or, try this: Take all of your membership numbers (AAA, Priority Club, etc), type them onto a small piece of paper, and laminate it. You’ll cut your wallet size in half!
Store Simple
Just because you have storage space doesn’t mean you have to fill it. See your storage areas as a metaphor for your life and your body. Clear out the old stuff that you don’t use. Stop clutching to the, “Oh! But I might need that one day!” excuse. Trust the Universe to provide what you need when you need it.
Feel Simple
Honor your emotions, and learn how to talk about them simply. Emotions aren’t as complicated as we make them. It’s the stories we attach to them that make them feel so complicated.
Nurture Simple
In my Uplevel Your Life Mastery Program, participants often discover that they don’t really love sugar, junk food, or hours of television. They only use these things as substitutes for what theyreally want. (Which is often a nap!)
Junk food and television are often fake comforts. Authentic nurturing is usually laughter, sleep, or a great meal.
Grab Simple
Do you grab that free tube of “acne cleansing lavender toner” the mall employee is handing out even though you haven’t had a pimple in years? In other words, if it’s “free,” do you automatically grab?
Start looking at your space and your energy as more valuable than the dollar. Our culture has it all wrong when it sees money at the top of the value chain. Free stuff isn’t free. Take your power back, and place a high value on your time and space!
Drink Simple
Get a Sigg Bottle and make filtered water your drink of choice.
Join Simple
Remove yourself from membership programs, catalog subscription lists, churches, clubs and/or associations about which you don’t feel passionate.
Intend Simple
When we have too many goals and intentions occupying our minds and spirits then we never get to feel the power of completion. We’re always “catching up.” Honor your deepest intentions right now, and let the hundreds of other possibilities go.
Speak Simple
Listen more. Talk less. Give up the complaining habit. Cease all gossip. Take a moment tobreathe before you answer a question. Recognize that listening doesn’t mean waiting for your turn to talk.
Love Simple
Here’s how I love someone best:
I am really with them when we’re together. I watch their facial expressions and truly listen to them without trying to fix or critique their choices. I delight in them.
For me, this is love at its most simple. It has nothing to do with greeting cards, gifts, or “proving my love.” Loving simple is the easiest of all of these things. That’s why I saved it for last.
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Some say I’m a hippie or have hippie ways about me. Never knew why what would be, because I’m just me. Although I could see where someone would think that. For years now I’ve cared about the environment and different causes. I’m a huge recycler, love nature, eating healthy/organic foods and many other things too. Yea the style of music I like is different genres, but do love reggae, dub, a long with artists like Jack johnson, G. love, Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffet, Ben harper, Grateful Dead, Phish, etc.
So I guess in way, I could be a hippie, but I don’t live for labels, I’m just who I am.
It’s already Tuesday and the week is flying by so far. I’ve been busy with a couple of projects and dealing with some other stuff too. In the end it’s always the best things that comes out of a difficult problem or a busy day. Always I have to keep thinking positive and the best will also come.
I had hoped to update the blog in a few weeks to say I would be moving into my new home, and start my new job but unfortunately with land issues, and this declining economy that dream came to an end in march. Everything was looking great until I got a call from the realtor to say you don’t want to build here, and I was like why. She said the land was in a flood zone and others had complained about their foundation was moving due to really bad erosion. So after I found that out, then I found out that my potential job offer was no more as well too. Plus I knew it was going to be hard to sell a home too, so I put off everything for now and kept looking toward the future. A lot has happened since march, good and bad. I have to look at it this way, Doors closes for a reason, but better opportunities or doors will open up at the right time.
Yes this year marks my 10th year of living on my own. I was just in my early 20s at the time and decided to finally leave my parents home. I still called their home “home” because my stuff was still there, but I was gone. I started in the middle of 99 staying off and on with a few friends, going to school(college), working, etc. and going “home” to visit for a couple of days. It was not until around early 2000 when I moved out for good. Meaning My stuff, and I were gone from my parents home for good. Then I would only go back “home” to be an overnight guest, go for dinner, or to just stop by to visit.
Wow, lot has changed since those 10 years has passed too. Just feels like yesterday actually. Time flies by so quick sometimes.
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