Saturday, May 31, 2014

Coaching stuff

I have befriended an Eritrean grandmother from church.  She lives with her family down the street from us.  Yesterday I learned my friend is offering childcare and household help.  Maybe I can accept these and offer her the life coaching she needs to establish herself as an exchange.  I would need to propose the idea of course.

I missed an appointment with a long term coaching client last week when the client elected to send me an online message to book the session as opposed to a phone call or text message.  She'd already made plans on the other side of town by the time I checked those messages.  Oh well!

I can look to this long term client, my Lenormand client in The United Kingdom and my client in Canada for testimonials.  I may still have emails from satisfied clients from a few years ago if I search for them.


Thursday, May 29, 2014

Wedding

A friend's wedding album has me thinking about my own wedding.  I want a dress, a ceremony, a reception and pictures.  Why settle for just any guy?  Why have a courthouse wedding without cake or guests?  I know there is a big hole in my life where parents and siblings should be.  While I made friends through school, I haven't done very well making real friends outside of school.  I haven't worked a traditional job, nor have I joined any clubs or taken any classes.  I am at a disadvantage in regards supporters and wedding guests.  I am estranged from my godparents too.  A wedding will be interesting!  I best find community now if I want this.

Wayward cat

Krishna got out twice today.  He quietly stepped out when we did this morning.  I found him peeking at me through the back door as soon as we came back a few hours later.  I hadn't even noticed him missing because we weren't home.  I quickly picked him up and put him back inside.

He got out again a couple hours later.

Belle screamed and cried when she watched Krishna scale a fence and disappear behind it.  I eventually found him in our overgrown backyard.  I secured Belle in a cloth wrap on my back, walked through weeds and lured Krishna back in with a sardine.  I grabbed him by the neck, pulled him up and wrapped my arms around him.

I must have been a sight to see:  flower petals in my afro, disheveled by thorn bushes, cat squealing in my arms, toddler eating a scone on my back and a sardine on a plate in one hand.  Belle seemed pleased to have her furry friend back home...until she started throwing toys in her attempt to process it.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Cheerleader

As a young child I wanted to be a cheerleader for Dallas Cowboys. Twenty-seven years later, and with an English/Creative Writing degree and some experience working as an actor, model and makeup artist, I became the youngest student in a life coach training course. The instructor pointed out the link between my childhood admiration of cheerleaders and my life coaching career track as an adult. I completed the course, enrolled in my hypnotherapy certification course, did very well and then learned of the suicide of a long term lover on the morning before the marketing class for the hypnotherapy course. Shell shocked from this and many other deaths, especially the murder/suicide of my parents as a five year old, I moved house 400 some miles away a year later and tried other things that ultimately weren't for me. Now some eight years later, I want to be that motivator I have always dreamed of.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

We crashed a Frozen party in the park!

Belle and I crashed a child's birthday party in the park last Sunday.  We had no other choice.  Belle had witnessed two older girls pour water into the sandbox to make sandcastles.  She quickly dumped our water bottle out too.  Unfortunately, we were seated directly in the sun because the sandbox had no cover.  We were soon very thirsty without any relief.  The water fountain didn't bubble high enough to refill our bottle, and I didn't dare chance drinking water from the sink of a unisex public restroom.  With Belle crying for water, and no water to give her, I had to humbly ask the mother of the birthday girl for anything she could spare for Belle.  Luckily, they had a cooler full of organic juice pouches for kids and bottles of organic lemonade for older kids and adults.  While we missed out on hamburgers and hot dogs, we had a dizzying mix of berries, chocolate cupcakes and sides.  We were even handed a goodie bag of "Frozen" and "Princess" theme items.  Sadly, we lost Belle's paper birthday crown.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

What's ahead for me?

What's ahead for me?


Mountain
Children, Book, Rider
Lady

I am highly educated and intelligent.  I am also guarded and reserved.  Sometimes I feel the weight of the world.  Belle makes life interesting, albeit challenging.  Good news and movement are favored.  Delays are ending.  I will get some news from a woman, possibly about a book, education, writing, or a discovery.

Slow food Saturday

Belle and I ate fruit all Saturday morning:  bananas, dried figs, grapefruit and oranges.  I finally had the luxury of making myself some coffee after many, many days, only to discover that the little bit left in the bag was the last.  We shared a bath, during which I awkwardly, albeit successfully, washed my hair.  Later we walked to a park we rarely venture out to.  Belle fell asleep in the push chair en route and woke up about as soon as we started heading home.  She never saw the park behind her, nor did she smell the barbecue being made in the farthest corner.  I smelled every rose on the walk home and talked to strangers.

I warmed a late lunch comprised of leftovers at home:  broiled salmon, fried potatoes, garlic sauteed kale and an asparagus, carrot, mushroom and onion saute.  Belle threw a massive fit and threatened to feed the salmon to the floor.  I quickly scrubbed the smallest sweet potato and baked it as Belle cried.  She calmed down, ate most of the sweet potato and ignored the rest.  A low key afternoon allowed Belle to turn in by early evening.  She woke up briefly a few hours later and ate the last of the honey roasted peanuts.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Lenormand layout



Crown 2
Look Out For 3, Central Card 1, What's Ahead 4
Base of Matter 5

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Juice junkie

I lost complete control of the day when someone handed Belle a juice pouch.  Belle came home and drank two more juice pouches.  She also drank an Italian soda.  Granted we'd both survived a days long heat wave and needed to replace lost nutrients.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the space or the time to hide the juice pouches, nor could I hide the berry turnovers or the giant cookie.  I stuffed my face with sweets too just to get them out of the house.  Belle ate warm pita bread and sauteed potatoes with fresh dill later on.  She refused beef and bok choy soup, madras lentils and sardines in oil.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Fruit juice junkie

I poured Belle's grape juice down the drain.  She hasn't matured enough to handle the limits I set on fruit juice consumption.  I am switching her to vegetable juices to save our sanity and her health.  Diluting fruit juice with water didn't work for us.  Belle knows the taste of juice right out of the bottle and prefers that.  She will pour watered down juice down onto the floor in protest.  I would rather not deal with that mess on a continuum.  

I made a one pot pasta dish for last night's dinner:  large onion, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, star shape pasta, freshly picked oregano, basil and eggs poached on top.  Belle opted for a pack of madras lentils she found in the pantry instead.  Of course she didn't eat the lentils, nor did she eat the salad she pulled from the fridge.  In fact, Belle threw the salad on the floor.  She ended up drinking chocolate milk for dinner.  

I may give up on bread.  I already prefer flat breads like naan and pita and corn tortillas over American or European breads.  While I love warm bread and butter, running a toaster or a toaster oven isn't reality with a toddler.  Yesterday I observed Belle carrying a crumpled bag of sandwich bread around the kitchen, dining and living room, wasting more than eating it.  I had to throw that bread out, along with a chicken salad Belle transferred into a baggie for some obnoxious reason.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Mother's Day

We stocked the kitchen full of food this weekend.  I spent Mother's Day wrestling ready made wrap sandwiches and yogurt out of Belle's hands to keep her from wasting food.  Belle often requests a second helping of food only to wash her face, hair and hands with it before spilling or throwing it to the floor.  I spent much of today trying to save my floors, my laundry and my refrigerator.  We eventually made it out for a late lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, during which Belle ate a significant amount of food.  Belle pulled a yogurt from the refrigerator as soon as we came home and ate it all.




Thursday, May 8, 2014

Pantry raid

Belle had two insanely picky food weeks.  She ate all her cheese and yogurt within days. Then she drained every drop of juice from a sizable supply I'd had on hand.  I didn't even bother making Belle her own plate after a while because I knew she would refuse it or throw it.  Now she can raid the pantry and bring me back a can or package of food to open.  Today we had chicken chili with beans over cheese filled tortellini.  Belle happily ate her lunch with warm bread.  Later she ate a tangerine she brought into the bath.  I am pleased she is eating a balanced diet again.

I recently gave away fifteen boxes of breakfast cereal.  Today a friend passed along quick cooking oats and white rice, along with pears and tangerines.  That's more healthful than cereal with milk.  Boxed cereal looks like cat food and treats.  Coincidentally, dry cat food is called cereal in some circles.  Today I passed up whole salami because it looked like cat poop encrusted with litter.  Maybe I might have taken it with a different presentation.

Last night I attempted to make the rhubarb dessert included in our CSA box.  I sauteed the fresh rhubarb with sugar and water and mashed it to a pulp.  I had intended to substitute the heavy cream whipped into peaks the recipe called for with coconut cream.  Belle licked the sugar sweetened rhubarb off the potato masher and fell in love before I could add the cream.  I split the rhubarb between two bowls and served it for dinner.  I later ate a can of minced mackerel with vegetables we found at the Bosnian market with garlic mashed carrots and potatoes and a beet.  Belle didn't eat any of that, although she'd eaten beets the previous day.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Seven Alameda Years

Yesterday I commemorated seven years in Alameda with a margarita and a beer at Otaez.  Belle repeatedly reached for my margarita and spilled my beer.  This caught the attention of two men seated at a nearby table.  Both men were fathers around my age with children much older than Belle.  I had a lively conversation with the heavily tattooed divorced dad of the two.  He brought beers over later after Belle had gone to sleep.  What a pleasant evening!

Monday, May 5, 2014

Happy memories

Yesterday my former classmates celebrated our twenty year high school reunion (I missed the reunion.  The actual anniversary of graduation is June eighth.).

Today marks seven years since I moved away from the duplex in Los Angeles (I spent my last night in L.A. in a hotel near Union Station.).  

Tuesday marks seven years since I moved from Los Angeles to Alameda by train.

Thursday marks sixteen years since I earned my B.A. in English (Creative Writing) from University of Southern California.

I must own my accomplishments and feel proud of myself.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

We have CSA!

Belle and I made our usual food run on Thursday.  We got oranges, pears, bananas, celery, potatoes, an artichoke, mozzarella cheese, a pound of ready made chicken, cane sugar, jasmine rice, high quality dried oregano, plenty of fresh bread, chocolate cupcakes, oatmeal cookies and a flourless chocolate cake.

We received our first CSA box yesterday.  We ate the strawberries for breakfast and put the rest away.  We got berries, an avocado, two apples, two oranges, two rhubarb ribs, carrots, broccoli, radishes, potatoes, lettuce, bok choy...  We did not get celery, garlic or onions.  Those items might come in a box meant for double our family size.  I might look into it if I like the quality of the produce we already have.

We will make our first Saturday run in the morning.  I am looking forward to adding to the pantry some bow tie pasta.  Belle might like that shape and texture for dinner.  She seems to enjoy pasta.  I made pasta with white sauce twice this week.  I also made mac and cheese from an organic boxed mix.  I used clarified butter and kefir cheese instead of milk.  We really liked that!



Friday, May 2, 2014

Send me a space cake.

Belle climbs almost every shelf in the pantry and uses a chair to access food in the refrigerator.  Food storage is very difficult.  Yesterday we brought home a six pack of our favorite rolls.  Belle helped herself to two rolls and threw the rest outside.  I rescued what I could and gorged myself on discarded bread instead of a real dinner.  Where are those space age food pills we were all promised?