Turn to Face the Strange

I need to change my life.

Maybe the weather is the inspiration behind this feeling...it's been glorious outside. Warm and sunny, not much rain, and that delicious springtime scent drifting peacefully through the windows. Mmmm. It's inspiring. Plus...



How can you not be happy when this is going on? I planted these!! My wonderful mother-in-law and my children helped me dig the holes and plant tulip bulbs last October. The bulbs were promptly dug up by bastard squirrels. I replanted them, bitterly, and gave my family haircuts so that I could mix the hair clippings with soil to keep the squirrels away. I didn't think I was going to get any flowers, but here they are! I'm still awaiting the blooms of other bulbs...they're on their way.



But I digress.

As I was saying, I need to change my life. I am not the person that I want to be. Who is, right? But I have to keep striving. I have to make conscious decisions if I want to like who I am. So I turn myself to face me...

I want to lose 12 pounds. -Ish. More importantly, I want to be HEALTHY. Because I'm simply not. I drink too much soda and Starbucks. I rarely eat fruits or vegetables. I overindulge in chocolates and fast food. I'm lazy as hell. I have to view my body differently. I must think of it as the precious vessel of my soul. That sounds incredibly cheesy, I realize, but it's true! This is my one and only body, and I am going nowhere without it.

I also need to cut reality TV out of my life. So much easier said than done. Watching these terrible shows and these terrible people makes me feel better about myself. But how can that be? Sitting on my ass watching losers on TV makes me somehow superior to them?

No, I must cut that crap out and focus on being a better mother, a better humanitarian, and a better writer. Right now I usually write to fulfill assignments, which is ridiculous if I plan to pursue this activity as a career.

Someone......needs a nap.

So now's the time when I sign off on this post and go do what I said I'm going to do. I'm going to come back often to share ideas and results, and whatever other nonsense that might be floating through my mind.

I will leave you with a recipe for homemade frappuccinos. Delicious, and so much better for you (and much cheaper) than Starbucks:

Monkey's Iced Mochas:
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp chocolate syrup
1 cup skim milk
3/4 cup espresso, frozen into cubes (you can use regular brewed coffee)
light whipped cream

Dissolve sugar into brewed espresso while still hot (sugar won't dissolve well in cold liquids). Freeze coffee into cubes (just pour into ice cube trays). Once frozen, combine espresso, milk, and syrup in blender until smooth. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate.