Editing, Publishing, and the Lovely Aunt Erma.

"I say, good sir, a pinky in the air adds a touch of class, don't you think?"

*laughing* That's my silly parrot, Rufio, in the photo. He's always doing the weirdest things, but he's so cute! I luffs him. :)

Today was a good day. I have been told by my Reiki teacher that Reiki will begin to affect other areas of my life - not just my physical body - so I am awaiting good things. I think they are already starting because I spoke with my business professor today about getting into editing. She (ironically?) had worked in editing and publishing for several years, and was able to give me first-hand advice on creating my resume. She explained to me that because my work background has nothing to do with editing, I am going to want to play this down as much as possible, something I had never heard before. Instead, she explained that I will want to emphasize my schooling since I have always concentrated on English, writing, and editing in school. I should also get involved in volunteer editing or something similar so that I can get experience in the field. She inspired me to take a walk over to my university's writing center. I spoke with someone who worked there about volunteering, but she explained that all the people there were paid. She did encourage me to submit an application for a job. She said they would be hiring in August and I seemed like I might be right for the job. That's the second time someone from the writing center has asked me to apply for a job, so I think I will this time!

I also convinced my boss to let me edit our company's website. I told him I would do it for free if he would let me put it on my resume as "freelance editing" and give me a good review. He agreed! :D There is so much work to be done on the website. I have been working on it for several hours tonight, and I am still only on the surface-level pages. I still need to go into the sub-pages. He insisted there wouldn't be too many errors, but for some reason he has a habit of capitalizing random words that have no business being capitalized. So, while they are small errors, they take a long time to find and correct because there are so many of them. Never underestimate the power of small errors in large numbers!!! Most of the mistakes on the website could have been prevented by first running the text through a spell checker. I have told him before that I am an English major and want to go into editing. I explained that I would gladly edit anything he wanted me to, just for the experience. Use me, dang it! -lol- But he never has. I am glad to finally have this opportunity. Hopefully, I will get some sort of connection at the writing center as well, and will be able to pull together a good resume by the end of the year.

I am having a visit from Aunt Erma this week (see: metaphors for having your period). In a way, I am glad of it because my body naturally wants to fast when I have the painters in (see: more metaphors for having your period). No food ever sounds good when it's 'that time of the month' and I'm always thirsty. For some strange reason, my body also decides to ALWAYS expel any-and-every-thing that might be sitting in my body the day before I go on the rag. I know, I know, it's gross! I'm sorry! And I have to actually experience it! But, this is the first time I've ever been involved in the fasting/feasting/cleansing community while being on my period so this time around I am recognizing it for the gift that it is. I am irritable, and my boyfriend hates it (what guy doesn't?) but he understands why. I'll only feel crummy for the next three days. Then I'll be back to my normal self. :) I will just be patient and meditative (and thankful for my natural cleanse) until then.

I'm going to continue to use Reiki meditations before bed to try to bring more good energy to myself. It is time I got into things that I WANT to do instead of things it is CONVENIENT to do. I want this shift in my life, and I am ready to receive help from the universe to get 'r done. -lol-

Also, if anyone has anything they need edited - no matter how big or small - please, let me know. I need to start getting some "freelance editing" onto my resume.

Namaste, guys!

Yay! More plants are on the way!

I am so happy tonight. My boyfriend and I decided to go out to eat together for the first time in at least a month. We've had to be so frugal about our spending for the last two or three months because we just moved. This is the first paycheck where we feel like we're in a comfort zone again, so we spent $20 and had a night on the town. Ok, so it wasn't that extravagant. But I did have a really good tofu, beans, and rice burrito. :) And of course, the time spent with him was wonderful. My school loan and scholarship has finally gone through for this semester. Yesterday I owed my school $400. As of today ... I owe them nothing!!! So, I took $20 of that money and ordered some plants online. I'm so excited about them. Here's what I got:

1. A "Dwarf Musa Banana Plant" - mini banana tree! It'll grow to 5 or 6 feet tall, which is perfect for sitting on my sunny patio. If all goes according to plan, I'll be harvesting fruit within 2 years.

2. A "Red Azalea" plant - pretty red flowers! Pretty simple care: morning sun and shade in the afternoons, water infrequently, don't hurt their tiny roots, and that's about it. This is actually the first flowering plant that I've ever really liked. Normally I just like the big, leafy stuff, so we'll see how well I do with this...


3. Spinach seeds. Supposedly they're easy to start, and they can be harvested pretty soon after planting. We eat spinach like it's going out of style here, so I thought this might be a good place to start for my vegetable "garden."

The company is also sending me (for free) a basic plant care guide, a packet of huckleberry seeds, and a packet of ground cherry tomato seeds. The ground cherry tomatoes aren't supposed to do well in my growing zone, but they seem really cool so I guess I'll give them a shot. They're free afterall! The company that I went through is this one: http://www.eburgess.com/index.asp
They were recommended to me, and I highly recommend them to everyone else. I'll definitely let you guys know when the plants get here. Imagine how surprised the office ladies are going to be when a banana plant shows up at the door with my name on it! Hopefully they won't mind when I bring them fresh bananas from it in a few years. -lol-

I'm so thankful for just about everything today. It was a cheerful, happy and productive day - and you should always be thankful for those. I hope everyone else had just as much joy today as I did. :)

Photo sources: all over google.

Starting Kiwi!

Kiwi Explosion
Originally uploaded by OddBall7

Last night I saved the seeds from a kiwi and I've decided to try my hand at sprouting them.I've read that it doesn't always work out well in my area, but some people have great luck with them. So, I figured it was better to try than to not try. -lol- I took pictures along the way of course!


I decided to start the seeds in an old recycled egg carton. This way, when it is time to re-plant them, I can just stick the entire carton into the ground or pot, and it will decompose naturally. I don't risk killing the sprouts this way, since they don't usually take to being uprooted very well.

Then I added some basic, all-purpose potting soil - just a little. I put the seeds into the carton (4-6 in each cup) and covered them with more soil.

I then needed to put the carton into a plastic bag to trap humidity near the seeds. Since the carton wouldn't fit long-ways, I cut it down the middle. This would have been easier to do at the beginning, so if you try it, make that your first step. -lol-

This morning I realized that the top of the carton also needs to come off to allow the seeds to get sunlight. So, I cut that off too! The bag is sitting on a south-east facing window (where I get the most sun) and will be misted every day to every other day, depending on how much moisture is there. I'll be checking it daily for mold, and moving it away from the window sill and closer to the snakes so the seeds can stay warm during the night. Then, in the morning, they'll go back out again.

Kiwi will usually take something close to a month before they begin to sprout. Once they have been established, it will take 2-3 years before the male and female flowers develop. At that point, I need to make sure I have both males and females. If I do, I'll keep them together, and I should have fruit in about 7 years. Yes, 7 years. -lol- Kiwis are a very long-lived plant. If they are well taken care of, they can live to be 50 years old. So when you really think about it, have kids at the age of 7 is still pretty early! -lol-

Anyway, I don't mind the wait. The kiwi plant itself is very pretty, and I can continue to buy kiwi at the market. Then, 7-10 years from now, all the hard work will have paid off and I can enjoy my own kiwi. :)

This is a picture of an adult kiwi plant in bloom:


Kiwi plants, if not pruned regularly, can grow up to 60 feet tall! They are more like a vine than anything, and can be trained to climb a trellis, tree, fence, the roof of your house! The possibilities are endless. What about a living gazebo? Ooh, that would be so nice. Yay! I'm happy thinking about it. Maybe I'll Reiki the little seeds for a while tonight. Want to give them happy thoughts to know it's ok to come out into this world! -lol-

Tomorrow's smoothie

I know everyone around here loves a good smoothie mix, so here's one I just made for lunch tomorrow (though I can't help but steal some sips tonight!)

Ingredients:

2 peaches
3 clementines
1/4 cup coconut milk (mylk?;)
Enough water to cover most of the fruit

Directions: Smoothify!

It's very orange, and very sweet. It makes me want to swing on a front porch somewhere out in the country and watch the dragonflies buzz by while they carry away the hours with them.

Photo source: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/knowhow/glossary/clementine/image.jpg

You are not a consumer; you are a human being!

Isn't it amazing how many different kinds of seeds and grains there are in this world? I love grains. I'm like a little kid who wants to touch everything when it comes to grains. I love the texture of them, and I like to feel them run through my hands. :) Tonight I made a sweet quinoa dish: http://www.danispies.com/archives/breakfast/quickquinoa_breakfast.php



That entire website is lovely, though not everything is vegan (or even vegetarian). It's worth a look at any rate. (http://www.danispies.com/)

This morning I woke up with a very strong conviction to not consume. I took this to mean that one of my guides - internal or otherwise - sent me a message during the night. I interpreted this as all consumption: food, drink, items, etc. I made no purchases today, and only drank water or tea ("plant-flavored water" as some like to call it). I brought along a little "tea kit" which I put together this morning since I didn't have to make my usual lunch. I also put together this 110% recycled booklet to keep thoughts in during the day since I wouldn't be using my electronics.

I didn't do the cover drawing until later on in the day, though. ^_^ I doodled when classes got dull. The book's cover is 100% recycled brown paper, and the white pages inside are simply the back of old, printed reports that I had lying around from school. So every tiny bit of it (except the two staples) is recycled. I wanted to use ribbon for the binding, but I didn't have a hole punch or enough time.

Anyway, the "tea kit" contained a liter of filtered drinking water, three varieties of tea (red strawberry, white peach, and a flowering herbal tea), a small jar of local, organic honey, and a teaspoon. I borrowed microwaves on campus to heat the water in a little travel mug that I had with me. I was gone for more than 12 hours (that's the norm on Thursdays) so I had to plan ahead.

I didn't even listen to the radio this morning because I didn't want to "consume" the advertisements, cultural stereotypes, and negative info they would be "selling."

I had hunger pains all day long, and frequently got cravings, but I knew it was important that I do this. I kept telling my stomach that we were not eating today, and it would just have to make due with (and be thankful for) what it already had. -lol-

***After meditating a short while when I got home, I concluded that it was ok for me to eat a whole grain and some fruit. That's why I made the quinoa; but I made sure to make enough for tomorrow, too.***

My literature class was canceled today, but no one got the e-mail. When it was announced, most of the students started in with a chorus of, "aww, man! I could have slept in!" They moaned, groaned, and complained all the way out the door, and I just thought how sad it was that they were dwelling on all the things they could have done, instead of focusing on how they could now make the best use of their free time. Instead of leaving, I stayed in class and got two days worth of reading done for another class. Then I flipped through my deck of "52 ways to make a difference" that my friend gave me for my birthday, and found one that relates to consumerism:

"Shop less - Keep track of (or just notice) all the things you consume in a day. There was a lot for me. Every five minutes I wanted to go do something else or buy something else or eat something else. It was never-ending! Did you really need all of them? No, I usually didn't. What needs were you trying to fill through your purchases that perhaps could be met in another way? Take inventory of what you already have. How much of it is essential and how much is just clutter? Have a yard sale, or donate the clutter. Use the time you would be shopping or earning money to afford new things to do something you really enjoy. Get simple and lighten your load so you can remember that you are not a consumer; you are a human being."

The deck is this one (though it does not originally come from Amazon):
http://www.amazon.com/52-Ways-Make-Difference/dp/0811812995

I spent lunch time at Barnes and Noble, since I needed to keep my mind off of food. This was the lunch menu:

Appetizer ~
A healthy serving of curiosity

Entree' ~
2 hours of learning and knowledge

Dessert ~
A small bowl of relaxation topped with goodwill towards others.

They didn't have the particular book I was interested in, which I've been turned on to by another blogger (http://healingtheriftbook.com/) so the woman offered to order it for me but I had to decline. I'd rather not pay B&N mark-up. I'll try to get it online somewhere. In fact, if anyone has the book and is interested in doing a book-swap with me so that I can read it and you can read one of mine, just let me know... So, instead of reading that book, I went into the gardening section. I found a great book on composting which gave me a few more ideas for my own compost bin. (I've been wanting to start one for the longest time.) The only problem is that I don't have worms. *laughs* How often is not having worms a problem?! :) I'll probably be ordering some online soon. I also did a quick Reiki session on myself in the car, and took a cat nap with the windows down.

My boyfriend let me practise my chair Reiki on him last night. At first he said he didn't feel anything, but then said he started to feel "good." After a few minutes he started crying. I asked him what was wrong, but he couldn't explain why he was crying. I guess it has to do with the emotional healing that comes along with Reiki, and when I explained this to him he felt better. To my surprise, he actually asked me (rather embarrassed) tonight if I would do it again. That's very nice for me to hear. I was so pleased that he asked! So, more Reiki practice again tonight, and probably another session on my angel fish. ***Please send her some Reiki if you haven't already. She's very much in need of it.***

Today's motto: "Just for today, do not consume." I was quiet for most of the day, and it opened my eyes to a few things I'd never really paid attention to. I highly recommend that everyone give it a go.

All the best everyone! My heart is filled with much joy and love right now, so I extend it all to you. <3

Angelfish and Reiki

Angel Fish
Originally uploaded by Jeff Kubina

This will be a quick post since I have some homework to finish.

Today was the end of my cleanse. I have to admit that it wasn't a very satisfying cleanse. I cheated a few times because of various issues. I wasn't always someplace where I could get cleanse-approved food. I even stooped to pizza one night because my roommates and I were all at the old apartment, cleaning it up for the walk-through, and I had worked 9 hours that day and was starving. They all wanted pizza, and I just couldn't resist. :( So, all in all, this cleanse did next to nothing for me since most of it was how I eat anyway. I'll try again some time in the future when I am more in the mind frame of cleansing.

I had my first official Reiki class today. I was there from 10am to 3pm. Quite a long time to sit in any one place, but most of it was meditation and Reiki so the time went by quickly. I learned how to self-Reiki and to do a quick Reiki on others, as well as pets. I learned many other things too, but those were the most substantial. I go back next Wednesday to complete the course and receive my certificate. I'm pretty excited about it. :)

I put the Reiki to use already tonight. I have an angel fish that is having swim bladder issues. The poor girl will still motor to the top to eat out of my hand like always, but when she's done eating she gets tired and just floats to the bottom. She spends 99% of her time lying down. I decided to try Reiking the tank to see if it would help her, and it seems like it did. She kinda "fishy-crawled" over to the corner where I was sitting and settled on the bottom. I sat there for maybe 15 minutes or so, Reiking. When I was done she got fidgety again. Poor girl. I wish I had the time to Reiki her 24/7.

I am humbly asking that anyone who can distance-Reiki, please send out some healing energy to my Angel fish. We're in S. Florida if that helps direct the energy. She's been through a lot with me and I'm going to be so sad to see her go. She's about 6 years old, and has moved three times with me. She and her mate gave me three clutches of babies before he passed away. She's been without him for a year or two, so in a way its nice that she'll be with him again in spirit. But I'm going to miss the ole girl. I'll just have one little long-finned tetra when she goes. I'm reluctant to get him some friends because I told myself that after these guys passed, I'd stop keeping fish for a little while. What does everyone else think? Should I get more fish friends? Donate the one little guy to my friend who has an entire tank of similar fish? Or just let him live by himself in the 30 gal?

Anyway, happy late inauguration day to all! (And what a splendid day it was!)

Today I am very thankful for my Reiki lessons
All 3 of my warm jackets that kept me cozy during the day (yes, it takes 3 of them!)
My car for its ability to take me places
(and its nice warm heater)
My hot, herbal tea which is very soothing on such a cold night
and my boyfriend, who made tonight wonderful. :)

There are always more things to be thankful for. Those are just the top of the list right now. Good night world, peace be with you.

Iron and Chlorophyll

I've gotten into a discussion with my friend about iron and how important it is to the body. She insists that because I am a vegetarian and do not eat meat, that I cannot be getting enough iron. She also insists that I should take a supplement to give myself more iron. So, I did a little research. This is what I discovered:

- Iron transports oxygen from the lungs to the cells.

- How much iron do we need? (And please note that these are approximations)
infants: 11 milligrams per day,
children: 10,
males: 8-11,
females: 8-18

- There are two forms of iron in the diet: heme and nonheme. Heme comes from meat sources,
nonheme comes from plants, dairy, etc. It is easier to absorb heme iron than nonheme.

Now, here's where the argument begins. Because heme iron comes from meat, and heme is easier to digest, people tend to say that vegetarians cannot be absorbing enough iron. However, this is not true!

It is possible to absorb enough iron even if it is entirely nonheme. How is it done? Vegetarian diets are high in vitamin C, and research shows that when you consume vitamin C along with nonheme iron, the body is able to absorb it.

So, at the end of the day, meat-eaters and vegetarians may both have iron deficiencies, but for different reasons.

I found this website during my search, which was very helpful: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We were also discussing the details and health benefit of chlorophyll. I explained to her that it is molecularly similar to human blood, and she then figured I might be able to consume chlorophyll in order to get my iron up. This is not the case.

Chlorophyll, as most of you probably know, is the green pigment in plants. It is pretty much the "blood" of plants. The difference between human blood and plant "blood" is, well, not much. The central atom in chlorophyll is magnesium. The central atom in blood is iron. That's it; that's the difference. (So far as we know, anyway.) So, to those that have ever wondered if chlorophyll gives your body iron: no, it doesn't. It doesn't even contain iron.

However, that's not to say that it isn't beneficial. Click here for some benefits of chlorophyll and some more information: http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com/chlorophyll-benefits.html

I also picked up some acidophilus - beneficial bacteria to help with digestion. Here's a link to that, too, since I'm in a link-giving mood. :) http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-acidophilus.htm

In keeping with my cleanse, dinner tonight was tofu and brown rice. Nothing fancy. I did make lunch for tomorrow, though. I'll post it now because I probably won't have time tomorrow.

Juice of 3 peaches, 2 plums, and 2 tangerines.
Juice of 2 green apples and 1 large bunch of parsley, added 1 tablespoon of liquid chlorophyll.
Salad consisting of romaine lettuce, tomato, and a sunflower-oil based dressing.
2 bananas.
Left-over brown rice and tofu.
Lots of water.

I may get hungry even after all that, but luckily there's a publix nearby and I can just run and grab some more produce. Oy, I'm so tired and tomorrow will be a very long day. I'm going to head off to bed.

Goodnight world! :)
(The image is my own.)

Day one of cleanse and running!

No time for a pretty picture right now. :( I'm just "checking in" before going to work.

I got up this morning at 9 am and immediately got dressed and went for a run. 15 minutes of 4 min walking : 1 min running. My hips and ankles are hurting so I might not go again tonight. I didn't have time to meditate this morning anyway, so I can use tonight for meditation.

I am sticking to the cleanse so far.

Breakfast:
I drink HALF a watermelon! -lol- Don't tell anyone I'm a glutton. It was so juicy!
I also had a glass of water.

Lunch:
approx. 1 cup steamed broccoli
1/2 cup corn on the cob (left over from the night before)
apple juice: juice of 1 Rome apple and 1 Jona Gold apple
smoothie: watermelon, kiwi, strawberries, water, blend!

I believe that's it so far. Oh, I also had a BIG cup of hot, herbal tea with a teaspoon of honey. I've been on a honey kick the last three days. It's better than craving refined, processed sugar, so I'm letting myself have the honey.

Ok, I gotta run! Peace and blessings to everyone - may your day be filled with joy and gratitude!

I am so excited!

A friend of mine has just agreed to try a natural cleanse with me and we're going to be doing mostly fresh, raw juices. This isn't that much different from how I eat on a regular basis, but it will help me focus more specifically on the good things in my diet, and to push out the bad. She has never done this before, so she's pretty excited too. We're going to make a trip to Whole Foods and get some superfoods and some supplements (I know we don't NEED them, but sometimes it's nice to have that little personal dietary back-up) and I'm looking forward to trying liquid chlorophyll. I've heard such great things about it. I had a wheatgrass shot today. I always feel so insanely energized when I have a wheatgrass shot. My friend hates it. She can't justify paying $2 to juice grass, and she thinks it tastes disgusting. I don't like the initial taste, but the after taste is almost sweet. And, I know how good it is for me so I like it even more!

I have been wanting to go running lately. I did once before, and I did again tonight. I'm setting myself on a slow schedule so that I can gradually work up to where I want to be. Tonight I was out for a total of 15 minutes. I walked for 4 minutes, and then ran for 1 minute. Then repeated. This is exactly where I need to be right now because my ankles hurt me badly if I go longer than this. I know it is because I need to build up the joints there, and my muscle. I also need to get my heart used to working harder. Normally I will do strength exercises using my body weight - things such as push ups, sit ups, etc. I rarely do anything that gets my heart rate going, so this is new territory for me. I am excited about it. Hopefully, with this cleanse I will continue to keep my energy level up, and continue to be excited about it. :)

Image source: http://underagethinking.deviantart.com/

Reiki

Today was my first experience with Reiki. :) I went for a "consultation" with a Reiki teacher today, to get an idea of what it is like and plan on taking lessons. I've never felt Reiki before, only read about it, so it was really cool to get to feel it hands-on. No pun intended. -lol- The teacher/instructor/sensei? had me sit in a wooden-backed chair, and try out a few meditation techniques that he taught me to help channel (I guess "channel" is the right word) the "ki" (universal energy). While I was meditating, he did a kind of blessing, and did some Reiki over me. I immediately felt what seemed like hot water dripping or running through my body, starting at the top of my head. It was so hot at first that I literally jumped back from him. After a minute, though, it became warm and soothing. I left feeling very relaxed, calm, and very ok with everything. It was a nice feeling. I'm going to start working on the meditations tonight, and trying to open myself up to the flow of universal energy.

I've also been watching Pres. Bush's last press conference. I am not a fan of Mr. Bush for many different reasons. But it's nice to see him speak to the press as a person instead of The President of the United States. I may still disagree with a lot of what he has to say, but I also respect him as a person, and do agree very much with certain other ideas that he has. He really doesn't seem that bad when he's not Commander in Chief. -lol-

I hope everyone is having a nice day. Take the time to reflect on some things you're thankful for. It always makes life seem much nicer when you stop and appreciate what you have.

Image credit: http://shadowgirl.deviantart.com/

FRUSTRATION!

Oh my goodness, that photo pretty much demonstrates how I feel about the medicine the doctors are telling me to take. It all looks the same, it all does the same thing, and it's all very overwhelming and not very helpful. I tried to get in to see some specialists today, but none of them would see me because I've been having trouble for so long. They all insisted that I needed to go to the E.R. So, I gave in and went to the hospital. I was there for FOUR HOURS and came out knowing no more than when I went in. I absolutely hated it. They took more x-rays and prescribed more medication and that was it. When we left the hospital and were waiting in line at the pharmacy to fill the prescription, I started having a panic attack. I left the line and ran out to the car and just started sobbing. I couldn't breathe, I had "pins and needles" all over my body, I was dizzy, and just so frustrated with everything. I am very much done with doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, pills and prescriptions. I am just going to be very gentle on my stomach - only liquid foods: juices, broth, etc. and wait until my body decides it is ready to get over whatever is going on. I cannot spend another minute in another doctor's office. I'm over it. So, in the mean time I will probably be miserable but I will take each day as it comes, move slowly, and try to focus on other things such as school work. I'm going to try going to some health food stores and see if I can get pure aloe gel to mix in some water or something. I've heard it can help with constipation and other such issues. :/

Photo credit: http://detail66.deviantart.com/

Strange, but wonderful

I understand that not everyone believes in this kind of stuff. Sometimes I don't believe it myself. But, it was an odd coincidence so I wanted to share it.

I had my rescued ball python, Raven, out on my lap while reading some threads online. I was just reading this thread: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...threadid=82464 when Raven tried to climb up onto the keyboard. I moved him off three or four times before finally giving in and letting him crawl on. He put his head on the mouse pad and started moving the cursor. I thought it was funny, so I took my hand off to see if he'd actually be able to click anything - not believing he would; just for shiz and gigs. He moved the cursor over this sentence:

Quote:

SO happy and relieved! Bear with me, I'm a little long winded when I tell a story, but this beautiful snake deserves her story told. I wish I had pics of her, but I promise I will soon...

He then somehow managed to highlight the following words, in the following order:

Quote:

SO happy and relieved! Bear with me, I'm a little long winded when I tell a story, but this beautiful snake deserves her story told. I wish I had pics of her, but I promise I will soon...

Quote:

SO happy and relieved! Bear with me, I'm a little long winded when I tell a story, but this beautiful snake deserves her story told. I wish I had pics of her, but I promise I will soon...

...

Raven is a small ball python that I rescued from some really bad conditions. Since he's been with me, he's grown in length and almost doubled in weight. He's eating better than ever, gotten a much better personality, and is now living in conditions suitable for a ball python. He had a horrible infestation of parasites which seems to be all cleared now. So it was so, so, SO strange that out of everything on that page ... A SNAKE could manage to use a laptop mouse and highlight THOSE words in THAT order. It really did give me chills. Laugh at me if you want. I'm laughing at me too. But, I've had so many things like that happen to me throughout life that I've come to appreciate them. Even when they seem ludicrous.

And, it's a neat story nonetheless.

The photo is of the lovely Raven, and taken by me.

That's my new fish tank! It was a combined Christmas present from just about everybody. I've been wanting something bigger than my tiny 10 gallon tank for so long, so I decided to put pretty much all of my Christmas money towards this brand new 30 gallon. The two fish in the upper corners are the only ones living there, except for a catfish who works the night shift as clean-up crew. *giggle* The angel fish is a female. I lost the male some time ago to a quick and fatal episode of bloat. I did everything I could to save him - Epsom salts, warmer water, medication, the works. But, in the end, he passed on. I tried several other fish as companions for the female, but no matter what kind of fish I put in there, she would terrorize it. I tried just leaving her by herself but she would just sit on the bottom of the tank. It was pitiful. Finally, I brought home that little red fish, and for whatever reason she decided he was ok. They've been friends ever since. I'm afraid of upsetting their friendship, so they are going to be able to live out the rest of their happy little lives in that big tank all to themselves. :)

I got another Christmas gift today. One that's been a long time in coming... my custom-built snake cages! Yes, you heard me: snake cages. I'm so excited. My dad built them to my specifications and they have been "under construction" since ... oh, around September. They are not quite finished yet - I still need to add linoleum tiles to the inside and lower portion of the walls. But, they still look great!


The snake in the photo above is the size of a yearling. These cages will hold my two juvenile ball pythons from now until adulthood. I'm so happy with them. Thanks, dad! :D

I spent the majority of the day relaxing on the couch, watching Planet Earth and working on homework. I love the series Planet Earth. Well, technically I think it's a documentary but they always show it in pieces so I think of it as a mini-series. I'm lucky enough to have a high-definition TV, so it is truly a breath-taking thing to watch. So many amazing places and creatures, all working and living in harmony.

Tomorrow I go to a specialist for my stomach issues. I still have not been able to pass the toxins that are just sitting inside me. I'm becoming bloated more and more each day. I get nauseous if I do anything physical for too long. I tried to do some very simple yoga last night, but even that made my stomach hurt. I'm tired of feeling like this, and I've missed three days of work now. I need to get this fixed, though I'm not looking forward to the process.

Anyone who reads this, please wish me luck and send me good vibes. It's very much appreciated.

Doctor visit - results

I was visited by a cat today. A surprisingly friendly, spotted calico. I had to go to the pharmacy to pick up my medicine (more on that in a bit) and when I opened the door, he or she was right there. Practically on my door step, waiting for me. -lol- I expected her to run away, but I said, "hi kitty," and he or she came right over to me, purring. I brought it a saucer of organic milk, but it didn't want any. I thought all cats liked milk? In moderation, of course. :)

Anyway, I looked up what the cat meant as an animal guide - y'know, how certain animals can "bring" certain messages? I'm not sure how far I read into all of it, but I do know that certain animals have been brought into my life at uncanny times. I no longer just ignore them. Apparently, the energy field of a cat rotates in the opposite direction of humans. Because of this, it is said that a cat's energy rotation can balance out a human's energy rotation, and if you're feeling sick or bad in any way, petting a cat can help heal that. Strangely enough, after having sat with the cat and petted it for a short while, I got a hunger craving. I'd had no appetite at all today, so that was a surprise. I generally felt a little better overall. Supposedly, a cat will guide me into a world of self-discovery and transformation. I can only hope... *giggle*

Now then, for the doctor's visit ... *dun dun dun*
I did go to the doctor today, since my dad convinced me that I needed to go and get things taken care of sooner rather than later. X-rays revealed that most of the left side of my digestive system has somehow gotten blocked. I have a large ... clump? mass? ... blockage that is keeping me from digesting properly. The doctor couldn't explain why it was only on the left side, she couldn't really explain what it was, and she definitely couldn't explain why I am having trouble since my diet is as good as anyone's. When she asked what I ate and I explained that I was a vegetarian, mostly raw but I'd eat the occasional bowl of pasta or cereal and such, well... she was stumped. Baffled, really. She just looked at me very confused and said, slowly, "I honestly have no idea why you'd be having trouble then..." It's kind of frightening when your doctor doesn't even understand what's going on. But, she gave me a prescription laxative (which I've already taken) and said that if it clears out the blockage then that's great: problem solved. If not, or if I continue to have problems within the next few days, she said it could be serious enough to warrant a trip to the E.R. *shudders* No thank you... So, I've been drinking lots of water and not really eating much, but I'm drinking green smoothies frequently. Cross your fingers for me, won't you?

Also, I made friends with the neighbor, Bob, this evening. I have seen him around and wanted to talk to him, but I'm very shy. He was playing with his dog tonight so it was an ice breaker for me. He is originally from the mountain area in New York, but moved here about 7 years ago. His wife (never caught her name) has been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. He'd like to move back to the mountains but she is too sick to move her. His dog's name is "Tough Guy" and he's a full-blooded black lab, and has been with Bob since he was a tiny puppy. Bob's wife stays home most of the time because of the cancer. I told him that if he ever needed anything to let me know. I offered to do his grocery shopping along with mine if he'd like. I hope he lets me lend a hand here and there. I like doing things to make others happy. I may drop off some flowers for his wife one day or something. If I can find out what kinds of hobbies she has, I may just have to invite her over here (or myself over there) for a craft day or something. That would be nice. Oh well, all in due time, right? First things first: I need to rid my body of this horrid, toxic clump that's stuck in me. It's making me so, so tired...

Best wishes to everyone on such a lovely evening. :)

Photo credit goes 100% to: http://sunilk2020.deviantart.com/
I, regrettably, did not take that wonderful photo. ^_^

Digestion Problems!

I have been having such horrible stomach problems lately. Today is day 5, and I feel miserable. It seems as if my body has stopped digesting things. I am living with a constant stomach ache, some days I can't go to the bathroom for the life of me, and other days ... well, I don't think I ever leave the bathroom. Not to go into all the hairy details, but there is a surprising amount of stuff coming out of me looking just like it did when it went in. I don't know what to make of it. Especially since my diet is good. For the past 4 or 5 days I havent had anything out of the ordinary. It's mostly been raw, organic fruits and veggies. I had a wheat grass shot (1oz) a few days ago, and I've been drinking green smoothies a little more than usual. But, that shouldn't be affecting me this way. I've been sleeping with the heating pad on my stomach the last several nights. It helps, but when I wake up and have to get moving I just feel like crud again. I'm constantly tired. I went to bed at 8pm last night and slept a total of 13 hours! I feel like I could use 6 more...

I may have to go to the doctor if this doesn't fix itself by tomorrow. I hate going to the doctor. I need to find one that uses herbal treatments instead of drugs. Doctors make me so nervous. I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack when I go there. I'd rather sit at home and deal with the symptoms most of the time, but this time people keep telling me it could be this or that ... and all of it has been really bad stuff. So now I'm scared for my life. Thanks guys... -lol-

I thought the image was appropriate. ^_^
Taken from here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/evauviedo/2578417993/

An update

I have been without internet for quite a while now, so it's weird getting on here to blog. -lol- I've been finding myself not reaching for a computer or the television remote, but rather, wanting to read, or clean, or spend time with my animals or boyfriend. It's been a nice change. The reason for this change is that we've moved. Moving is so exciting! You get to sort through everything you own and cull the bad or useless stuff, and keep and re-appreciate all the good. :) I tend to do this periodically anyway because I hate clutter, but to be able to go through the ENTIRE house, right down to the silverware was pretty cool. Our new apartment is so much bigger than the old. We're living on our own now - no roommates, and have a second bedroom which we turned into an "animal room" for all the pets I have. It's worked out so well - the animals are really happy, and so are we. The cockatiels haven't sung so much since ... I don't even know when! We have a screened-in patio, and I have a big junglegym for the birds so I set them out there every morning for sunshine, fresh air, and the sound of my windchimes. The windchimes were a house-warming gift from my dad and I LOVE them. They are very much like the traditional Tibetan singing bowls and I adore them when they chime. So pretty. :) I have a cd with Tibentan singing bowls on it, so if I put that on and open all the windows, the higher pitch of the chimes compliments the deep tones of the cd. It's like I'm composing the music in my own living room! Today has been VERY windy so there's tons of fresh air moving through the house, and the chimes have been singing like crazy. I'm definitely very thankful to be alive in this moment.

- I just recalled a funny story. My dad gave me that cd as a birthday gift last year. My aunt was visiting from Ohio at the time so she came to my party. When I opened it up and got excited, she asked to see it. She then read it aloud as, "Tibetan singing bowels" We all just looked at her and started laughing so hysterically. She didn't realize she'd made the mistake, so we had to explain to her the difference between "bowls" and "bowels." It was priceless. -

My best friend came over yesterday after class and we went to the gym. I don't have a membership there as she goes to the big corporation of gyms and its very expensive. But, they do offer a guest pass so I was hoping to get in on hers just for one day. That didn't happen, and they gave me a bunch of hassle at the counter. I ended up having to pay $15 just to work out for ONE day, and they kept trying to sell me all their plans, no matter how much I explained I just wanted a guest pass. But I didn't let it get to me, and we worked out for about an hour. I learned that I can go ten minutes on a cycle machine (dont know the real name of it) and I can lift 40 pounds with my triceps, and almost 50 with ... some other unknown part of my body. -lol- I don't know the names of all the muscles and truthfully I've never really been to a gym before so it was a new experience for me. I don't think I'd like to go back, though. Everyone there was so insanely muscular and VERY gung-ho about exercising. Some of the stuff they were trying was just silly. Why push yourself that hard? What's wrong with just being strong and healthy naturally instead of pushing around HUGE weights? I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of my being able to lift 50 pounds over my head without ever having been to a gym. My friend was trying SO hard to lift 80 lbs, but she was straining herself and I kept suggesting that she lift a little less, while she kept insisting that she was fine. Personally, I may have looked "wimpy" compared to everyone else there, but I was pretty proud of myself. :) I'm going to look into a membership at the gym my apartment community has. It's small, but hopefully the atmosphere will be better.

Image credit goes to: http://foureyes.deviantart.com/