Help - to aid, assist, improve

That's my one word for 2011. I feel like it was just handed to me - literally popped in my head. Funny. I had been thinking on this idea since hearing of this at the beginning of the year. Instead of creating these New Year's resolutions that almost always fail, this idea is to have a guiding word for the year. http://myoneword.org/ You can find out more on the web site. I thought and thought on this and even got down to a "short list" of three words. Help wasn't even on the short list. Then just as I was going to put a stake in the ground and record my one word officially - help popped into thought. I pondered it briefly, referred to Dictionary.com and new instantly that it was my 2011 word. I love how simple it is. I love how I can use it as a lens to examine what I do at home, at work, with friends and in the community.

I'm really not "that girl"; not the first to say - How can I help? Admittedly, I avoid asking that question and opt instead to offer up something I wouldn't mind doing, something that limits my getting too involved in situations where it is obvious that help is needed. What am I afraid of? This is going to seriously stretch my comfort zone, open up new opportunities to develop deeper relationships, and benefit others. I have friends and life is pretty comfortable in my little corner of the world, but the person I want to become is helpful. Imagine if that is the first thing that came to mind when someone thought of you. ...Oh yes, I know her; she's so helpful. I'm stoked!

A Woman Is Always In Her Thirties

A woman (at any age) is always a woman in their 30's. A famous designer said this recently when discussing his clothing line. He started out by showing us how to put this particular outfit with a pair of these suede flats and that bag and ...oh my - this would look so great on a woman in her 30's - can't you just see it? He then quickly threw in ...well every woman is really a woman in her 30's, right? It was as if our 30's is the period where we women most identify with, where we were most confident, where our true spirit sort of settles in. Is that right? In our souls do we always feel like we are 30 - ish?



As a woman closing in fast on the mid-century birthday, I certainly don't identify with being 50. I wouldn't even know how to describe what 50 feels like. I'm still trying to keep my figure and my sense of style as I did in my 30's. Wait - scratch that - I may be more in tune with maintaining my figure, my health, and my sense of style than I ever was in my 30's. When I was in my 30's I was consumed with obligations and fun activities as was any other woman raising a family while maintaining a full time career. Looking at those faded photos now, I'm sometimes surprised at how frumpy I looked in those vacation photos with the kids, wearing my pleat front khaki's and fanny pack. I can't believe I let that secret out! Ha!



In this survey out of the UK (news.softpedia.com) I found results that indicate women feel most beautiful in their 30's - particularly as they peak 40. Apparently we've had enough life experiences by that time to gain confidence and be in a very happy state. I suppose that's a good place in the lifetime of a woman for our spirits to settle and I find no reason to dress less impressively as I hit the big 50 - I mean this is no time to begin wearing Hillary Clinton pantsuits for goodness sakes!



Maybe Isaac has it right!

Little Cabin in the Woods...

It reminds me of a little tune about Little Bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest, which I used to sing with the kids when they were small. I'm sure you know it too. Well a little cabin in the woods is now something more near and dear to my heart as hubby and I wrestle with the idea of a vacation home. Is now the time to buy given all the foreclosures and really low prices? Is it too much of a stretch for us? The youngest is almost through with college and we have been doing the pay-as-you-go so as hubby likes to say - when the boy gets done with school we get a pay raise. LOL!

Life has been rolling along clickity- clack since the holidays. Work has been busy and the new year seems to indicate more of the same for which I am grateful. There is some fear of creating this new obligation but I'm one to jump right to fear - it's in my DNA - so I have to be sure I'm not being unreasonably fearful. Hubby is a Steady Eddy; he can see his way through things and doesn't operate out of fear. We're a good team that way. So this is what we are thinking on this January. The photo's are of a little place on 1.5 fairly private acres about 30 mins. from Kirkwood ski resort in CA. It needs a whole new deck and it's time for a roof but has so much character and charm.
Let's just say - if things progress I'll write more. After all - think of the decorating projects!

Me and Isaac...

Hi, my name is Karen and I admit I watch QVC. Whew! OK - I'm outed now and I feel better for it. GRIN. Mainly it is part of my morning ritual to have it on while I get ready for work. There are other times, too where it is just comforting to have it on in the background while I am crafting, sewing, cooking, etc. I feel like some of these hosts are friends of mine since I've watched them for so many years. Oops, this confession is probably best saved for the therapists couch! Most importantly - I'm not one of those kooky compulsive buyers so it's not a financial problem for me to watch.

One day recently I got a note on Facebook saying Isaac Mizrahi would be doing a show and there was an opportunity to submit a fashion question - Isaac would pick one and answer it on air. Well, don't you know I submitted a question but then forgot to watch the darn show - probably went to work. Ha! He selected my question and then apparently gave his answer from a drawing table on-air, sketching as he explained. A few days later QVC contacted me and told me they would like to send me the drawing he made and signed. Fun, fun, fun!

On Kitchens And Husbands

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen these days. Yes, I do have that full time job taking up the better part of my day but since Hubby and I have committed ourselves to 'the healthy life' I'm in the kitchen lots cooking fresh food. I have to say it's not bad. I like being in the kitchen creating delicious and nutritious things to eat. The current obsession of my Hubs is to demolish, renovate, remodel, redesign, update, etc., our kitchen. I don't have a fancy kitchen and I don't seem to require one since I'm turning out some pretty decent fare despite the lack of chic design or fancy & feature rich new-ish appliances. Having recently downsized to this house a year ago it wasn't in the cards to find a less expensive home with a better kitchen than what I was leaving behind. We ended up finding a great house in an excellent location that had what we thought was a crappy kitchen. That didn't deter us - we bought it anyway - making wise-cracks about the kitchen cabinets resembling those you'd find in an RV saying ... That there is an RV, Clark or I can't believe this is a trailer. Ha ha ha! We felt it was crappy, yet serviceable, and not anything that needed immediate repair. The house had other more urgent repairs / updates needed simply to enable us to move in and those took priority. A diamond in the rough - that's how I like to think of it!




Stay tuned for more on the kitchen and our remodeling plans. Hubby has his creative juices flowing (yes he fixates on things!) and is doing all kinds of research finding very interesting appliances, cabinets, islands and such. I think it's so funny that a guy who spends almost no time in the kitchen cooking is excited about designing and building the new and improved kitchen. I love his energy and drive to collect and organize the data; and I also know he wants me to have a nice kitchen. He loves me and he never stops showing it. How lucky am I?

So enjoy these functional and dated before pictures - I have no time line for the after pictures.

Somewhere in Texas There Is A Blueberry Farm With My Name On It!

Okay - maybe Arkansas. Ha! Don't look so surprised. Yesterday was the mid-term elections here in my home state of California and the results have sunk me low today. I would never wish for my employer to discover this blog because I have devoted far more time to that dream and this post than I have to my real job today. Well, what's a fiscally conservative Cali girl to do in these politically divided times? Back in the day I'd just move on. I'd stew a bit over my morning tea and then get back at it and do my J O B. But now we are expected to do our job amid depressing election results and a SF Giant's World Series victory parade, available to view live on-line - grin. Generally speaking we have the world at our fingertips via the Internet to carry us away from our woes. Yep, chalk this day up as lost somewhere near Mountain Home, AK on a 24 acre berry farm that is, of all things - For Sale.

15 Things I Learned on a 15 Day Cleanse

WE DID IT!!!

And when I say WE I mean the hubby and me. Yesterday we concluded our 15 day cleanse mainly brought to us by Arbonne. No, I don't sell Arbonne but I do think their products are A+. I have some nutritional education behind me and I investigated with a sceptical mind before we embarked. I mean, I was looking for an excuse not to do this - you know how it goes. Ha! So if you don't have time to read further but are interested in getting your system back on track and your eating under control, email me and I'll give you all the details and contact info.

Now what did I learn during this process?

1. Chocolate is better than vanilla
2. My hubby is still crazy about me!
3. The man I married is still my best friend :-)
4. We adapt to our situation and get creative within those limits
5. This is a perfect activity for restless or apathetic empty-nester couples
6. Broccolini, raspberries and vanilla shake mix - yuck! Broccolini, orange and vanilla - Yum!
7. I'm competitive
8. We're not cheaters!
9. I finish things (man, do I love that feeling!)
10. We like doing things together, we just didn't remember that
11. You save a lot of money by not eating out
12. Yes, you can invite people to a delicious dinner while on this cleanse
13. Yes, you can go to social events and have fun - even without alcohol
14. Water is life and the solution to pollution is dilution!
15. Hey, I'm a HOT 40-something grandma married to one HOT grandpa!!

Where do we go from here? Hubby feels so good about the program and got such great results that he is continuing with 2 protein shakes with fiber boost twice a day (breakfast & lunch) for ongoing weight loss goals. I am cautiously returning to chewing all my meals but with a new level of control on quantity and content. I don't want to lose the benefits of the last 15 days. I'll stick with ...eat food, not too much, mostly plants (as Michael Pollan says).

What have you got to lose ...might as well jump!