greetings from the sick house

for the second time in as many months, we've got a four-pack of infected ears and a two-pack of streppy throats. why, oh why are my kids always sick during our brokest time of year?

i'd like to take a moment with the nice ladies at the YMCA who are so in need of a workout that that continually bring their strep-infested kids into the child care room: you are evil, and it doesn't matter if you're fit when your soul's so ugly.

it's funny that i feel like i'm generating good Wyrd by keeping my kids out of the Y's child care room when they're sick. surely the gods'll grant my kids with a strep immunity due to the fact that i've been so thoughtful of other innocent kids, right? if not, i'm bound to inspect every kid in the room with my strep-flashlight before leaving my kids in there and i can imagine some Claire's getting their panties in a wad about that...

(by the way, a 'Claire' is a type-A suburban supermom)

in other news, i'm getting pretty pumped about my yoga/meditation routine. i've done yoga on and off for 3 years now, but i've finally had a breakthrough.

growing up, my dad was quite the yoga guru. 3 or 4 nights a week he would do at least an hour of yoga and he was good. he could do asanas that i don't even aspire to try. he would listen to Santana, the Moody Blues, or Mahavishnu (yes, you read that right!) and he could totally tune out the outside world and do his thing.

so, i've been using DVD's all this time in my practice. lately i've been reading more books about developing your own practice and this week i discovered this: http://www.wardruna.com/home/index.html
and things have fallen into place. my balance is better, my asanas are deeper, and my focus is sharp.

at this rate, i should be enlightened by next week.
:}

vitamin B6 vs. the world

here is the first news article i've seen today:
http://http//www.naturalnews.com/025606.html

it seems the ever-vigilant FDA, those guys who are determined to keep Americans the picture of fitness and health has determined that vitamin B6 is a drug. and therefore illegal.

not just a drug, mind you, but a 'new' drug. oh, really.

B6 is used by the body to help regulate the release of glucose and glycogen, it also helps the body assimilate amino acids. pretty sinister stuff.

if you have a deficiency your skin will will look like crap at best, and your brain will mess up at worst.

i've heard rumors that they're planning to put soy (protein) products on the food pyramid. soy has never seemed so scary.

bunch of jackasses. evil jackasses.

in other news, i had sworn off gardening...until i decided to dig up a quarter of my backyard for a garden.

we're planting onions, cabbage, bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatillos, green beans, tomatoes, asparagus, and strawberries.

as soon as the weather stops dripping i think i'll do some photo journalism on our little project.

;}

Hexenmistress!

Hooray! it's my very first hex! it's almost as though the art were designed with me in mind...all the compasses, protractors, and rulers! using a compass to bisect an arc just really does it for me. in my past life (you know, my working incarnation ;) i was a draftsman. i've never been able to draw but i'm quite proficient at geometry so imagine my pleasant surprise when i discovered that drafting uses geometry to make anyone draw! Symmetry is an obsession of mine, i really think i've found my niche. it's an excellent meditation for me.

this one was just for practice, when i get good they'll be done on wooden discs and painted instead of watercolor-penciled. i've yet to determine where one procures 12 to 18 inch wooden discs though. the book says to use a particular saw on plywood...which isn't happening. i'm fully saw-phobic.

anyway, tomorrow is Daylon's first soccer practice this season so my break from chauffeuring is officially over. which is fine, i guess.

pardon me while i burst into flames...

i have a neighbor who i'm friendly with.

she's about my age, has a baby, she's a stay-at-home mom, and she's a christian. she's the type of christian who doesn't really know much about their faith, never really reads the bible or does anything that you think of christians doing...she just is one and jesus is soooooo important in her life. sigh.

i was not raised in a christian home and when i had my fist kid i really studied the bible and christianity very intensely for about 3 years. i went to a pentecostal church (religiously!) and tried to get with the program...however, the more i studied the bible and history, the less i could believe any of it. as a result, i'm well aware of what i believe and what i don't believe.

she knows that my family is 'not-christian' and i've been very forthcoming about information about our religion any time she asks. she never tries to witness to me or convert me because she knows i know biblical scripture better than she does, and this probably is the 'saving grace' of our relationship.

apparently, she still frets for my soul, though.

around Yule, her church (that she very rarely attends) was bringing in a snow machine for the kids. she invited me and was sooo excited about us all going to sunday school together that morning!

um. you can't force me to send my kids to sunday school. so no thanks.

so, yesterday afternoon she stops by and asks me if i want to borrow this movie that she rented. she tells me that she and her husband watched it the previous evening and they were both so moved by this movie...they had a big boo-hoo fest over it and she thinks it may have saved their marriage.

she tells me the movie is somewhat christian-based, but the principles are good for anyone and it will make you re-evaluate your relationship and see what it's worth to you.

she really seemed like she really wanted me to watch it, so i told her that i would. she gives me the movie and calls an hour later to see if i watched it...i mean, the kids were still up and everything! we never watch movies before the kids go to bed but it was obvious that she was really concerned with us watching it.

the movie is called 'Fireproof" and it stars the illustrious Kirk Cameron.

here's the long and short of it: the acting was atrocious. Kirk Cameron is a firefighter married to a medical assistant and they have no children. they have a 'terrible' argument in the beginning of the movie that show them both to be shallow, disrespectful children (this is my take, i think they were supposed to be arguing like every 'normal' couple would.) so the wife decides she wants a divorce. the husband is angry and resigned to the situation until he talks to his father. his dad says to wait 40 days before signing divorce papers and in the meantime he needs to follow the daily advice in this little 'love dare' book. the father's marriage had been saved by this little book coupled by the work that god did in his life.

so, ole Kirk Cameron starts doing the things in the book. they're really deep concepts (ahem) like, 'don't say anything negative to your partner today' and 'let your partner know that you're thinking of them' and even 'do work around the house without being asked'. halfway through the program he realizes that he didn't really love his wife properly because he didn't understand the love that jesus had for him. so he says the sinner's prayer and it's all good. he wins his wife back and they say the sinner's prayer together and then re-consecrate their marriage because NOW they are truly married because they have jesus in their life.

so. this morning i'm waiting on the edge of my seat for my neighbor to call and get my review of the movie.

i'm a little worried i'm going to offend her, but i can't be dishonest about it. the movie was INSULTING. the overwhelming moral of the story was that you cannot have a successful, loving marriage without being a christian. in fact, the only way to make your marriage 'Fireproof' is through jesus.

i beg to differ. my marriage is based on respect, communication, and like minds reaching for a like goal. there are no petty, selfish, self-indulgent, disrespectful, childish fights. and we've done it all without HIM.

so i'm wishing i could just hand her the movie and thank her and leave it at that, but she's going to want to discuss it. she really thought that this was going to make us 'see our need for christ' (to use her words).

ugh.

anyway, if your neighbors show up trying to save your marriage with this movie it's probably not your marriage that they're really worried about. just say no. i wish i had.

the strange place between eclipses

my mind is on fire. i can't stop it, even my dreams are more interesting lately. i am obviously in the throes of an awesome celestial alignment and my thirst for knowledge and thought is insatiable.

school has went very well this week; Galilee has made good progress in reading and is getting really good at her basic addition facts, Asher volunteered to tell me what 6 + 3 equals without figuring and he's actually participated in penmanship the past couple of days, and Daylon has whined much less about doing math. ah yes, the momentary bliss of a rewarding week.

however, i haven't cleaned house all week.

i've worked out everyday at the Y after school, and as of this week's weigh-in i've lost 21 pounds. woohoo!

back to the lack of house cleaning...i'm reading 4 books right now. i usually can't find time to read one book, somehow time has made itself lately.

i'm reading:

this is such a cool book. i love historical fiction and this one is really a bit of a stand alone in the genre. it takes place in the 1340's in a small German village in the Black Forest called Oberhochwald, which later becomes known as Eifelheim after it's disappearance. so far, an alien spacecraft has landed in the woods and some of the people in the village set up communication with the aliens. it's really interesting that the people never really consider that these 'people' are from outer space despite the fact that they have voice translators and 3d picture screens and things that people of the 14th century could have never dreamed of. i guess theoretically China was as far away as Jupiter in their mindset.

i'm also reading:

i've read this one before, but it's a real challenge and i missed alot the first time. it takes place in the distant future of England. there has been a nuclear holocaust and language and society have broken down. it's written in the broken language that the people use by one of the few people who is able to read and write, Riddley Walker. Russel Hoban is a true genius; not only because of the use of language, but the way he takes events of the past and weaves a mythology (complete with folk songs) of the remnant society is amazing and thought provoking.

i've been waiting on this one from amazon for two weeks!

my grandmother used to always tell me that we were English, German, and Pennsylvania Dutch. i thought this was my claim to Scandinavian blood until i was 30 and found out that it was just more German...ah well, that's fine with me. but i really, really want to be crafty and i'm so not. well, not only is hexwork in my blood, it's really alot like drafting! woohoo! hopefully next week i can get some supplies and get started. if i get good, yall can expect some custom hexes for Yule!

and last but not least:

now this book is real new-agey and pretty touchy-feely, but i've got a bit inspired by it. i believe in the chakra system and i've been toying around with the idea of incorporating chakra meditation with the runes. first i have to really decide what runes correspond with which chakra (and possibly ask advice of those more seasoned than myself), but i like the idea of healing the chakras with runic energy. any thoughts?

juicing the aloe

for Deb, i've decided to enlighten the masses as to the untold virtues of the Aloe Vera plant. everyone knows it's good for burns, lacerations, and sunburns; but the true value of the plant is neglected if it's only used externally. when i started my low-carb-athon in January i wanted it to be more than a diet; i wanted to detox from all the alcohol and sugar of the Yuletide celebration so i added some things to a typical low-carb diet. Aloe juice was the first thing on the list because i'd been interested in trying it for a long time. by the fourth day of my diet i was having some strange side effects; i'd wake up in the morning and my teeth and mouth felt so clean. it may sound silly, but it was so noticeable that i was shocked by it.

benefit #1: oral health. aloe juice balances the pH of the mouth. it is also an anti-microbial and anti-fungal, not to mention the massive benefits to your gums. anyone who has ulcers or gingivitis should really try it.

so, in noticing how different my mouth felt, i couldn't help but think of how by digestive track must be benefiting...which leads us to the exit function. anyone who has tried a diet that suddenly changes a big part of what is eaten everyday gets constipated. not with aloe juice.

benefit #2: natural colon cleansing, as well as diuretic properties. anyone who has tried a colon cleanse may be scared of this part, but it's actually very normal. nothing explosive or gut wrenching about it. energy levels are increased and weight becomes more manageable when the digestive system is clean and in good working order.

now that we've covered the in's and out's, let's talk about what it actually does in your body. most people realize that it's really hard to get a day's vitamins and minerals what with soil depletion, vitamin supplements with sketchy countries of manufacture, and the good ole FDA.

benefit #3: up to 200% improved vitamin uptake from food and supplements.

if you work out, and you're old (ish) like myself, you may overdo it from time to time.

benefit #4: aloe fights inflammation in the body.

and there are many miscellaneous benefits: increased immune response, better skin health, and aloe contains 19 of 20 amino acids.

it's good stuff. really a natural miracle plant. but you are going to get what you pay for! if you get a gallon for under 10 dollars, you're looking at some pretty low grade stuff. my favorite brand is http://www.lilyofthedesert.com/index.html. considering i drink 2oz twice a day, i'm spending under 10 dollars a week. it's well worth it!