jump start

It's been quite some time since my last blog post.  Ridiculously long.  I'm getting a jump start on my new years reso and dusting the cobwebs off my blogging.  Reading through my old blogs is like opening up an old journal. So much has happened since my last post and things have changed so much.  For the good.  It's amazing how much we change.  And so, I want to continue to savor the change, the moment, and my life by take the time to "blog" and taste all the flavors of this wild and crazy life.

Let's begin again, shall we?

It's About Time You Love Your Body

I'm human.  And I'm a woman.  And I live in a society obsessed with attaining the unattainable when it comes to our bodies. This is a trifecta that ferments any bud of self-acceptance that is trying to blossom into the mentality of most women.  
In the back of our minds we know all the magazines have been photo-shopped and retouched.  But we still think it's reality and we are less than if we don't look a certain way. We all obsess over clothing sizes, flat bellies, and back fat.  We agonize over out thighs fitting in to our "skinny jeans" and sigh, if not cuss out, the scale when it doesn't rest at the poundage we think we should have.
And we don't.  Because we can't. 
And so we obsess. 
We agonize. 
We compare ruthlessly, diet endlessly, negative self-talk unknowingly. 
I am sick of it.  I don't want to be distracted or tainted by this any more.  And moreover, I do not want my daughter feeling anything less than perfect and healthy.  Because she is. God help us that we continue this vicious cycle for any more generations. 

I recently got hooked on this website www.thedailylove.com .  Today that had a wonderful article by a guest blogger that inspired me.  I hope you all take a chance to read this article:  http://thedailylove.com/fall-in-love-with-your-body-now/ .
And then follow the link to this http://www.bodyheart.org/ website for an uplifting, positive body image, video montage. 
Let's do this, ladies!!!!

forever and yesterday

My dad.  It's been six months since he passed.  One moment I think about him, and his life, and it seems like just yesterday since I held his hand as he passed on in to the light.  Then, the next moment I think about him, and his life. and it feels like a lifetime ago.  Like oil and water, these two time frames don't combine.  Six months later and they still rest uneasy in my spirit.  And, as it turns out, of the subsequent feelings that come along with loosing a parent don't mix either. Sadness sinks and faith rises to the top. But if you whisk it, beat it, emulsify it-it becomes somewhat cohesive.  And it's called the emotions of loosing a parent: sadness, relief, pain, love, peace, un-resolve...you get the picture.
In this moment I feel like the oil.  Sadness sinking, clinging to my breath, the bitterness of our relationship pulling me down.  Not so much that I feel the bitterness any more, but for the loss of a father I had and for the father I needed. Again, like oil and water.  What I needed and who he was did not mix well.  And, for that, I am sad.  Our relationship never cohesive.  Separated.  Did not mix well.

I have this tiny picture on my dresser, yellowed with age.  It is of him and his two brothers on a beach somewhere, my grandpa walking in the background of the picture.  It is pure, simple, black and white, wallet size, washed with light.  I love this picture.  I love how happy all three look, even though they had a very abusive childhood.  It's this perplexing dichotomy of pain and joy, knowing the history of their painful childhood but seeing such joy in their smiles.  I love how dapper my grandpa looks in his fedora, gazing at his children. Even though he suffered the heartache of loosing all 5 of his 6 children-my dad being the only survivor to live beyond him-the love he had in his heart for them was palpable in this picture.  Today when I was dusting off my dresser and stared at this picture I thought to myself, "wow-they are all in heaven together right now, living the dream of  pure happiness and joy, peace and light".

And peace came, like warm oil, atoning my spirit.  Love is the emulsifier-moreover, the stabilizer-that makes love and bitterness, pain and joy, forever and yesterday, cohesive.

And so I accept this sadness, accept that time is warped when it comes to human emotion, and accept that life does not always give us what we need because sometimes that is exactly what we need.  But I know that peace calms sadness, and so I search for that tonight.  I catalog through my memory the good memories I had of and with my dad and let it soften the surface of my pain.

i miss you dad, and i love you very much.

Get Gorgeous, from the inside out!!!

 I recently devoured this book, "You Are What You Eat".  It basically echoed everything I believe about nutrition and eating, but it also had some amazing scientific facts and nutritional guidelines that have helped me understand further how to obtain and sustain my optimal health.  I HIGHLY recommend purchasing a copy for yourself, as it is both a wonderful reference guide and read!  My brother in law and I are huge fans of the book "Eat to Live", but I feel like this book is a bit easier to digest and offers daily food guidelines that are easier to digest long term.  While "Eat to Live" is pretty extreme, this book "You Are What You Eat" is a "living foods" diet plan, is inspirational and motivational!!!

You can also check out Dr.McKeith's website here http://www.youarewhatyoueat.com/  but I HIGHLY recommend purchasing a copy for yourself and really use it as a reference and guideline.  It has great lists inside to help you get started.  I PROMISE you, if you detox and follow this nutrition plan you will find yourself more healthy, more energetic, and feeling better than ever from the inside out!

The Flu Fighter

The Flu.  I thought I escaped it's nasty grip this year.  But alas, yesterday it hit me.  Out of no where, crept in and knocked me off my feet.  No matter how many times I verbally affirmed my health and wellness, "I am strong.  I am healthy. I am not going to get sick."-over and over again, I found myself bed ridden with a fever, aches, and chills, the whole 9 yards-the mac daddy of flu symptoms..
Being the homeopathic proactive person I am, in the middle of the night when I could muster up enough strength to get out of my bed, I chopped up a clove of raw garlic and threw it in a cup of Gypsy Cold Care Herbal Tea.  I also stuck a clove of straight-up raw garlic in my mouth and intermittently chewed down on it to release it's medicinal benefits.  Crazy? Yes.  Spicy? Definitely.  Pungent? Most certainly.  But it works.
I'm not 100% today, but I do think that the garlic works wonders.  Every time.  I believe in it.  And so that is why I'm sharing this flu fighter with you.

My medicine cabinet:

green onion

 garlic

 ginger

 white miso paste

 Broth of Wellness:
3 c water
2 Tbs White Miso Paste
2 stalks of green onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 stem of raw ginger

It's definitely spicy and you will inevitably sweat.  But it's a power house of natural anti-septic for your body.  And it doesn't leave you all cracked out feeling like Nyquil or some of that other junk does.
Hope this helps you in the future if the flu decided to pay your body a little visit.

Be Happy BeHealthy

Birthday Week Bliss

I turn 30 this week.  And I'm stoked about it.  

I love getting older. I'm not claiming to know it all and certainly don't have it all figured out by any stretch of the imagination.  But, there is a freedom in feeling comfortable in your own skin and realizing trying to please everyone is a never-ending battle.  

So, this week, I'm going to take the time to celebrate the things about me that make me me.  I am going to surround myself with the people I love most, and if they don't live close, I'll write them a good old-fashioned letter or give them a call.  I am going to find those peaceful moments in solitude that ground my spirit. I am going to pursue my passions, find those moments that bring me joy, embrace the good and the bad and the change that comes from it.   I am going to set my intentions to celebrate this life God's blessed me with.

One thing I tell my daughter as we reflect on our day or plan for the next, is "make every day the best day ever".  

And that's what I intend to do.  

Life is short.

Celebrate every day.

Music I've been LOVING: The Civil Wars

~harmonic heaven and acoustic bliss, enchanting arrangements, lyrical genius~ 

Pinterest Picks

(you can check out my board  here http://pinterest.com/missmollyjoy/) 

I love these pictures.  All are very different, but they each brought different emotions:

Laughter 

Peace

 Everything.  (There are no words)

I remember watching this day on the news.  I followed this story the entire time.  It was gut-wrenching.  Her daughter is the same age as my daughter-I could not imagine going through what she went through, but at the same time, I could totally identify her will to live, to thrive, and to see her daughter again.  The look on her face says a million words.  And her sister, in the background (the amazing, Lisa Ling).  I could completely identify with her every emotion as well.  What a beautiful, inspiring story.

Alright, bloggers and readers.  Go celebrate your life.  Make today the best day ever!

Thoughts for Thursday:

Some wise and inspiring words for all of us. . . 

Believe.  

And Believe in Love. 

Because when it all comes down, Love is the most important thing that ever was and ever will be.