Sunday, June 29, 2014

Salon soiree

Belle and I attended a grand opening party at a hair salon last night.  I took a risk by going because the salon owner doesn't know me.  We have only waved at each other in passing over the past few months since the salon opened.  I found the event on Facebook.

We were having fun until I knocked over a drink somebody left on a table.  The salon owner and her mom overreacted and then ignored me.  The drink (white wine) fell out of a plastic cup onto a vinyl floor and wiped clean.  No permanent damage was caused by me spilling this drink, unlike the stain left on both my dress and Belle's after Belle smeared my henna tattoo.  I digress.

It wasn't about the spilled drink or the paper towels I knocked into the toilet in haste (Seriously, the same little girl ALWAYS banged on the door needing to pee each time I checked into the tiny toilet.).  Maybe seeing a liquid spilled triggered something in the women.  Who knows?  Their reaction echoed years of me being made to feel small and changed the way I saw myself.

I stopped having fun after that.  Someone even came after me as we were leaving to make sure we were okay.  Really, I had to disconnect from drunks and egos.  I spent all day nursing a hang over and a bruised ego.  Then I realized it wasn't that big of a deal.  If someone holds a grudge because I enjoyed myself at their party, where I helped celebrate their abundance, screw them!

Friday, June 27, 2014

Crush

Yesterday a friend admitted his feelings for me.  He said these feelings are impacting his eating and sleeping habits.  He says he is overeating, gaining and losing weight and under sleeping because he is so focused on me.  I had absolutely no words for him.  This man hasn't had a girlfriend in forty years.  Forty years is longer than I have been alive.  I must use caution in my response.

A mutual friend let it slip that I have a yard in need of care.  She has encouraged this man to come help me with my yard.  Good thing I haven't let him in.  He'll still know where we live even if I plan to have another person around helping with the yard.  I don't know this man well enough to know if he can process his feelings (and my rejection of these feelings) in an appropriate way.  I don't tolerate unexpected visitors.


Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Spilled salt and spilled beans.

Belle spilled all my iodized sea salt.  Hours later, I caught her refilling the empty salt shaker with non-iodized sea salt and soil from our yard.  I knew I needed to venture out for more salt, and I knew I would meet someone or something along the way.  I met three women friends, one in the street and two in the market.  The two I met in the market sure spilled the truth about some friends I had been unsure of without me asking.  Sometimes a little annoyance like spilled salt leads to better things, you know?

Sal Bahia

Belle dumped all my Sal Bahia Iodized Sea Salt onto the floor.  I don't care if I bought this for less than a dollar at Discount City.  I had intended to use it to the last sprnkle without being wasteful.  I pray it wasn't a close out.  These are the hazards of a walk in pantry.

Outsourcing housework

I tried to outsource cleaning my kitchen last Monday.  It's difficult for me to give the kitchen the scrubbing it needs while Belle is awake and clingy or curious.  A dirty kitchen makes it difficult to cook.  Cooking is challenging enough with a picky toddler still on the tit, but with a dishelved kitchen?

My friend agreed to help me because it is Summer and light in the evenings.  Unfortunately, my sticky countertops overwhelmed her.  She believes in bleach and water for cleaning when I believe in vinegar and water or gentle, organic cleansers, like Method and Mrs. Meyers, especially now that I have a child and two cats.

My unwitting kitchen helper acted like a drama queen.  I had to show her how to use spray cleanser, which she over used.  I had my head down washing dishes by hand with Belle secured on my hip with a cloth wrap (And obnoxiously eating grapes, I might add!).  I didn't notice the entire bottle of cleanser being wasted on one counter.

She wants to come back "whenever" and bring her bucket of nasty bleach.  No thank you.  I used that momentum and found some time to clean without help.  I did what I could realistically do with Belle running in circles around me and Krishna crying at the backdoor.  I will finish this!




Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Kea Hypnosis

I have launched both my website and a fundraising campaign.

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Friday, June 20, 2014

The Box

Someone nearby periodically leaves a box of canned "First 5" or food bank foods in a box up against a street lamp post.  I always just stumble upon the box.  Sometimes the box has already been picked through.  Today the box just sat there, whispering to me to cross the street and grab it.  That wasn't easy while carrying a glass of water in one hand and holding Belle's hand with the other.  Belle even had the handle of her bobby car in her other hand.  I abandoned the car and the water, grabbed a squirming Belle in my arms and crossed the street not knowing what the box might hold.  I lucked out!  I filled our pantry with sixteen cans of fish, fruit, ravioli, soup and vegetables.  I later found Belle balancing a can of ravioli, a can opener and a bowl as she walked upstairs to find me.  I did not, however, find the bowl of ravioli she'd rejected at dinner.

Indoor/Outdoor Cat

Krishna is a happier cat when allowed his own outdoor life.  He got out through the open backdoor when Belle handed me a dandelion.  I left him alone for several hours until I heard him coughing under a window.  Of course he ran from me when I approached him and stayed gone a couple more hours.  Krishna asked to be let in with a strong meow at nightfall.  Polly appeared to greet or scold him and Belle screamed and chased him.  I doused him with an herbal flea powder and let him be.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Kindergarten

This week I signed a petition to help a charter middle school expand to include kindergarten and elementary school.  Tonight we toured the school and watched a presentation on their proposed curriculum.  I am strongly considering breaking tradition by sending Belle to a charter or public school, and not Catholic school.  Belle won't start kindergarten until late Summer 2017 (Her December birthday complicates matters.  She will be five years and eight months when she starts, and will quickly turn six within months of becoming a kindergartner.).  Now to consider preschool.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Kitty vacay

Krishna got out and stayed gone for about five hours.  I was spooning hot rice into a bowl when the doorbell rang.  It was a solicitor selling internet service to the previous tenant who hasn't lived here in seven years.  When the solicitor learned I was the home owner, he tried to sell me internet service.  Unfortunately, I had a naked toddler on my hip, rice cooling on the stove and a schedule to keep (Tonight was a rare night meeting for La Leche League, and we still had to eat an early dinner, get dressed and commute across town by bus.).  Krishna chose that moment to dart through the half open door and into the garden.  Needless to say, we missed the solicitor's presentation and the meeting.  Dinner became rice and sardines, reserving one to lure Krishna back in with.  I eventually found Krishna curled up on the back porch and ready to come inside.  Here's hoping we fare better for tomorrow night's meeting at the school.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Baby doll

Belle made a new friend in the park yesterday, a little girl turning three soon.  The little girl shared her baby doll and shopping cart with Belle.  The girls took turns handing each other the doll.  Belle even held the doll like a real baby.  She hasn't played with her own dolls though.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Lots of mixed fruit

We skipped Thursday's food run so we could handle other business.  A friend came by the house to check on us because we don't normally miss Thursdays.  We made Saturday's food run though.  We also shopped the farmer's market and received our CSA box.  We are eating lots of nectarines and peaches now.  Belle took one bite of a plum and spit it out.  She also tried to feed fruit to the cats.

No bread or dessert this week unless I make it.  Twice last week I made Johnny cake with mixed fruit.  I am tempted to bake gingerbread with mixed fruit.  Belle might love that.  It's a great way to encourage Belle to eat more fruit.  Next comes vegetables.  Belle could stand to eat more vegetables.  She did eat beef ravioli in tomato sauce earlier, but a tomato is a savory fruit.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Money spread, Mythic tarot

Financial foundation:  Ace of Cups
Money coming in soon:  2 of Pentacles
Money opportunities I may want to consider more closely:  Death
Who/what will bring in new money:  The World
Result:  Hermit

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Site builder

I am designing my website with Weebly.  I am offering hypnotherapy, intuitive coaching and spiritual mentoring.  I have published the site well before I have finished adding content.  While I have updated social media with this new web address, I will not promote the site until I polish it.

I still haven't booked any time with my long-term client.  We haven't agreed on compensation.  This is frustrating because I would like to do the work to keep up momentum.  I have continued to work with my client living overseas instead.


Saturday, June 7, 2014

2 1/2!!!

Belle is two and a half today.  We celebrated her "half birthday" with a cinnamon sugar coffee cake.  I would have rather celebrated with fresh strawberries and a modest serving of cake, saving leftovers, but I guess we needed to gobble it all.  Belle turns three in exactly six months.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Childhood passions

I felt passionate about cheer-leading as a child.  I thought Dallas Cowboys' cheerleaders wore the best costumes.  I also loved watching cheer-leading competitions on ESPN.  I became a life coach as an adult, which is a cheerleader of sorts.
 
I also felt passionate about the ministry.  I would arrange my grandmother's religious statues in a row and then have "church" by walking us through them.  I became an ordained minister as an adult.

Grief therapy after my parents died included hypnotherapy.  I became a certified clinical hypnotherapist as an adult.

A more sedentary lifestyle with my grandmothers encouraged a childhood love of reading and writing.  I earned a Creative Writing degree as a young adult.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Raise the bar

Sunday began with live streaming of my cousin's wedding from Greece.  I had anticipated watching this from bed until Belle started using toys as step ladders.  We ended up watching the wedding at the dining room table while I choked down the hard peaches and ripe bananas Belle wouldn't stop touching.  I also drank the last of the cinnamon tea.

Belle noticed our neighbor's garage door open about as soon as it became impossible for me to focus on the post-wedding live stream.  She practically flew out the front door with excitement.  Guests were arriving for the birthday party for the little girl Belle sometimes plays with.  We were not invited to the party, but could have pulled it together at the last minute if asked.  We ended up walking to the park instead.

We met various neighbors and their dogs in the park.  I vocalized the differences I notice between the side we live on and the side my friends with the dogs live on.  Belle and I live on the quiet, less social side of our community.  People tend to go their own way here.  The other side is more friendly, especially for families with young children.  My neighbor suggested I move there when my lease is up here.  I don't have a lease.  I must accept I bought a home on the sleepy side.  Maybe I can raise the bar?