Hey, where did the week go?

Sorry for not being around lately, I have been quite busy. Life and school have taken over my time and the last thing I ever get to is my blog.

My photography classes are going great! I am learning so much! The above work is mine! It is my "pop art". I did it in Photoshop and I can't tell you how fun it is to learn Photoshop and all it has to offer! I've learned what a palette is and a filter and a Photoshop Bridge and a magic wand and so much more. I am also learning how to take photos better like which settings are best for different situations and all about cameras and famous photographers. I have not been this excited about learning since my early days at UCSD!

I just wanted to make contact with my blog and let my readers know I have not dropped off the face of the earth. Although I have been thinking that I may change my blog a little and not focus just on being green but my life instead. I will always try to be green but I don't always have something to write so nothing gets posted.

Anyway, I am feeling a little sick today so I may just head to bed for a while.

Be Green.

Two Photo Classes and My Camera

Last Christmas my husband bought me a fancy, schmancy camera that I thought for sure I would eventually drop and break. Well, I still have that camera after one whole year but still have no clue to what most of the controls do. I read the manual and followed blogs, like Pioneer Woman, and I still have no clue. So I decided to take a class to teach me. I found a local community college that offers a great photography course of study and I can take the class online. So here I am taking a photography class online. What do you care? Well, I may not be around my blog as much. Did I mention I am also taking a digital photography class with emphasis on Photoshop CS4. I am completely and totally excited about these courses!

Let's break this down. One husband, two kids, a dog, a house, a job search (yes, maybe gonna work this year), a green goal, a life, friends, sleep (sometime), scouts, sports, gym, crochet, facebook, email AND 2 classes and my camera. I know there are people out there more busy than me and frankly if you are out there please comment below and tell me your secret to not becoming a sleep deprived, cranky monster to the people around you.

I'll be around, especially in spring when the green blogs just burst with excitement for their gardens and local foods. And as always I love reading blogs that I have there in my right margin. I love all my green reads, you have become my green rocks. (Hey, that's a great name for a blog!)

Oh, who am I kidding, I won't be able to not blog. I love it. See you tomorrow!

New Year Promises

(Local field in the winter with Mt. Diablo in the background.)

Everyone else does them so I will too. This will be the first time in my life, really, that I have New Year's resolutions. I guess in the past I thought I was perfect and now, in my later 30's, I have finally realized that my thighs really are chubby and I do need to work on being greener. Wow! I have flaws. Ha ha. I think I was always avoiding goals. If I don't have goals I can't be let down. Well, let's see how I do.

2009 Promises to myself:

1. Lose weight. (This is my first time pledging this for a new year, really.)
2. Use less plastic.
3. Prepare for winter by preparing more local foods in the summer.
4. Eat the local frozen foods I prepared.
5. Ride my bike or walk more.
6. Get a job.
7. Be less cranky with my husband. (I can be a real b*tch at times-monthly. lol)

There they are. I may need someone to ride a bit in these throughout the year because I can get pretty distracted.

Be Green '09!

Paper

What? A Saturday post? Yes, I am so unpredictable these days. Ha ha!

As if I don't have enough going on in my life I decided I am going to try and make my own recycled paper. Yesterday I was looking around Etsy and I noticed recycled notecards and I thought, "Hey! How do you make homemade paper?" I watched some videos here. And now I am on a mission to make homemade paper tags for my Christmas gifts. And I want to find all my "tools" used, like a blender and picture frames, at a thrift store. (Hey, maybe while I am there I will look for yarn!) This seems like a fun and easy craft I can do with my kids so I thought I would give it a try.

My crocheting is coming along. I crochet everyday, but usually end up taking apart the project because I don't like what I've done. I also crochet samples of stiches and yarns for future reference. Below is what started out as a double stitch sample and ended up a scarf for my daughter in her school colors.

I want to make scarves for my kids' teachers this year. So yesterday I started on a simple black scarf for my son's teacher and I have already taken it apart 4 times. Once or twice because I didn't like the stitches and a few more times because the stitches were uneven and off count. Here is what I have so far but I am going to unravel this one also.

Have a green weekend.

Snapshot of Me

This is my desk. My life. My day and night. My world. My family. My junk. ME.

If you want to know who I am and how I tick, it is all here...

Look in the top left corner. There are pictures of family in Yosemite. And under my desk mat are more. Mostly candid pix of my kids but me, my husband and the dog are there also.

My computer, where I communicate, work, and have fun.

My photography notebook where I take basic notes like what a ISO. (I tried to take this picture without a flash but the details would be missing.)

The pizza I ate and the soda I drank. (Not so green everyday.)

My yarn for my crochet projects.

My scouting clip boards where I stay up-to-date with my Cub Scout den and Girl Scout troop.

Even my coffee warming pad ( AKA a candle warmer) is empty at night but in the morning will have a cup of Jo with soy creamer in my favorite clear mug.

The box in the top right holds all those pesky bills. I hide those until the first of every month.

Under the pizza plate is even my son's Narnia book and his rough drafts of his book report due earlier today.

The phone that I never answer-I hate phones.

This is my life, all on my desk. It represents me. It tells you a little about my days and my nights.

It's Friday, Take It Down A Notch

I LOVE Friday. I take it down a notch on Friday. I sit down a little more and try not to think very hard. I mean even on simple subjects like what is for dinner. (Am I spoiled or what?)

I finished my first scarf and it is my design; not from a pattern. I used a basic single stitch for the body of the scarf and then a combo of single stitch and treble for the fringe.



Tomorrow is Scouting for Food. As I was walking around the neighborhhood yesterday distibuting the door hangers I felt a little guilty for killing trees to spread the word for this event. But it is one of those catch 22's where you think that it is for a great cause, to feed the hungry. My guilt deminished just a little. And then tomorrow we pick up the food left on the front porches. This food will most likely placed in plastic bags. I hate plastic bags, as much as I hate polluting. But, again, FEEDING THE HUNGRY. The door hanger does say "place food in recycled bag." I thought about that. "Recycled bag"? Don't they mean "recyclable"? Anyway, I will go about my merry way tomorrow with my scouts and know that we are helping to feed a person or family down on their luck.

Have a great weekend. Be Green.

Mari

(Photo stolen from Cocktail Party Physics.)

I think I am finally finding Allison. I feel I have found a place in me where my heart and mind agree. I know what I want for me.

Yes, I know I am a wife and mother. I do those relatively well. I would never give up those roles I hold most dear. But for years I didn't know what I was inside. I mean what I truly love in life. I have always known I love nature and children but I never knew how to harness that love into something concrete. Are you following me here?

I always envied those people who knew, "I am a writer or policeman or attorney or whatever" and I loved to hear stories of people blossoming a talent or love like a sewing or cake decorating business. They had a PASSION and followed it.

I never had that. I was once going to be a biologist, then an anthropologist, then a writer, then a clerk, then a librarian, then a park ranger, then a real estate agent. I enjoyed studying and pursuing all these fields but never had that passion. If for the exception of park ranger. I would still pursue that life goal if my age didn't get in the way.

I never had a concrete hobby. I volunteer for scouts, parents club, ski, hike, go the gym, write my blog, go to the movies, cook, bake, garden etc. But nothing was satisfying enough to feel I needed it in my life. I do love hiking, camping and scouts (park ranger ring a bell?) but that really revolves around my children and when they someday leave the house I probably won't be involved like I am now.

Now in my mid-30's I think I have found what a need in my life. I love photography. I feel it. I have come full circle. I almost need it. I feel the need to take my camera on some days and take 300 pictures of one tree or my children or birds or my cooking. It feels natural to me. I don't need to pursue it; it came to me.

I feel this way about crocheting also. It sounds so weird! My mom taught me as a little girl how to crochet and didn't pick it up again until just a few weeks ago. And now I can't stop. The beautiful and intricate designs created are so fun to make.

I have the luxury of being able to pursue and explore my passions because of my husband. He has worked very hard since we married and had children to make it possible for me to have a great life at home. He has given his time and patience so I can find myself. He made it feasible for me to stay home with the kids and care for our household and nurture me. He has always been encouraging if I stayed home or decided to work outside the home. He always gives me time. We manage, in Northern California, to have one income. He has made it possible for me to find Allison.

My dad always had a nickname for me: Mari. (Roll the "r"). I never questioned him until about a year ago. "Why do you call me Mari?" I asked. He very simple stated, "Because I like it, it is short for mariposa." Mariposa is Spanish for butterfly. That is what I am today, a butterfly. Finally coming out of my Chrysalis to be ME.

Crochet and Funny Kitties

I apologize for my absence lately. Hell, I haven't been around at all. If you were my spouse you would threaten divorce by now. Well, I have a good excuse. Umm, I am busy. My kids, those life sucking creatures that live with me that I love dearly, have been keeping me on my toes. And when they are not I have taken up crocheting. Yes, that great folk art form used to make great scarves, beanies and the infamous afghan blanket. When I finish a project worth showing I will post it. But so far I have been making little blankets for my daughter's stuffed animals to practice my stitches. And you know, crocheting can be green. I heard that people go to thrift stores and pick up blankets, unravel them and then rework the yarn into a new project.

I am still pursuing photography, it's just that the weather has been too gloomy to go out and practice my photo taking.

I did, however, have time to sit with my kids and watch some really funny cat videos that had us laughing Friday night. If you need a simple laugh just watch these:

My Week with Busy

I know there are times I am sporadic in writting posts but this week has been my worst so far. Since last Friday I have not had a chance to breathe let alone get on my computer to do anything.

Last Friday I started to feel sick. In true me nature I fought it. Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I woke up with headache and sore body. This morning nothing! Just tired from my busy schedule. I won! If I just pump myself with lots of veggies and fruits, a multivitamin, some green tea and don't stress over things I make it through.

This has been the busiest week I can remember in my recent history.

• Sunday- football and cheer game about 70 miles away, then it was my daughter's birthday so we took her to buy a bike and lunch. Did I mention the game started at 9 AM and we are required to get my son there 2 hours early and we live 1 1/2 hours away from the football field (we travel a bit for this league). You do the math on what time I woke up that morning. Hint: it was still VERY dark outside.
• Monday- Plan for special Girl Scout meeting that happens on Tuesday. I wanted to dress like a mad scientist and have my house be a lab. Upload all 192 photos I took at football game and send to 50 parents (still not complete). Prep clothes and items to give to Salvation Army, which means I have to clean out my kids bedrooms of old toys and clothing. And football and cheer practice that night.
• Tuesday- The Halloween Girl Scout meeting at my house. Had to go buy a pretend lab coat and some decor. Set up my house like a lab with bottles of fake bugs and a human hand and darken the house. The girls loved it! We did experiments with static electricity and vinegar and baking soda (don't ever mix those while your cleaning). Football and cheer practice that night.
• Wednesdays- Right now I am tired. And hopefully not sick. BUT my right eye has been tearing since I woke up, pink eye? I have never had it. But can't stop now! I have to finish what I started at the beginning of the week. At 11 am I am suppose to help my friend at the kids' school with Jump Rope for Heart. My daughter has a school musical tonight and cheer practice that she will be late to. And I need to do laundry, I have no pants to wear.
• Thursday- Oh, the fun does not stop today. I have to plan a Halloween haunted house for our Cub Scout meeting tonight. I do have the props for the Girl Scout meeting so I am mostly there. And my son has football practice tonight.
• Friday- normally I veg today. But, no, my daughter has a birthday party to go to at the movie theatre. High School Musical 3! I will be staying home with my son. Hopefully I can sit down but I know the house will be a mess and dinner will need to be made. Oh, I forgot I help with math now in my son's classroom on Friday mornings.
• Saturday- Don't let the fun stop now. Football game in the morning. Then Girl Scout overnighter that night at the mall. Rollin' in the fun times and no sleep.
• Sunday- Cheer competition. Yes, no sleep the night before for me or my daughter and she has competition. Actually, at her age, 8, they don't compete but they perform and they like to have us there bright and early. You ask why I did a sleep over the night before? Well, I didn't plan it that way. Originally the cheer competition was Saturday and we would have gone to the overnighter after. But the league changed to the date on us.

I don't normally stay this busy year round. This time of year everything converges-football, cheer, scouts, birthdays, and holidays. And you still need to make sure great wholesome meals are on the table, the house is clean and everyone washes their hands a lot to avoid getting sick. And I need to shave my legs! All you working moms, I applaud you for getting through busy days and weeks.

I am not looking for sympathy. I just wanted you to know where I have been and why.

So I apologize for no posts this week. See you on the other end...

San Francisco

(Diego Rivera "Vendedor de Flores", SFMOMA)

Yesterday my Green Saving Green post was never accomplished. Instead I took a sporadic trip with my daughter to San Francisco. My husband took my son fishing so I wanted to take advantage of the time alone with my daughter and make it a "chick" day. We took BART into "The City" (in the Bay Area you call SF "The City") to enjoy some free tourism. On the first Tuesday of every month certain museums offer free admission so we went to the Museum of Cartoon Art and the SF Museum of Modern Art. I thought my almost 8 year old daughter would be bored but she loved the museums! We looked at originals drawings of Casper, Snow White and Richie Rich. Then at the SFMOMA we "discussed" how the art made us feel and whether or not we could paint like that. She thought it was funny when I called the pigeons there "city pigeons" and how they were tougher than our pigeons at home. (We live about 50 miles east of SF in a more rural community with some farming but mostly comprised of families that have mom or dad commute.) We really enjoyed ourselves.

(City pigeon)

I will write my entry for Green Saves Green and it will appear later today.

You know, I have been thinking, next month I am going to change up my blog just a little. I am going to start blogging a little more about my life, not just my green life. I seem to have hit a plateau with green writing and doing. I can go more extreme green and I constantly work on that but it seems to be a slow process, too slow for blogging. So I may start writing about other things because I am not just striving to be greener I have other hopes and dreams too. And I would love to share them with my blog friends.

P.S. My kids are on a fall break for 2 weeks.

Job Venting

I haven't really been thinking green lately. I have been thinking about how I can use my brain and get paid for it, i.e a job.

This happens to me every year since my son started 1st grade- 4 years ago. My kids go off to school for about 6 hours and I think, "I want a job. Something to use my brain." Before children I went to UCSD and got a bachelor's in Anthropology, I was going to be a CA state park ranger. Before I could make it to the program, and I was getting close, I got pregnant with my son. I have not looked back, I have been a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) ever since. Yah, I did the bookkeeping for my husband's business but "quit" because he never brought me the receipts and I would get angry with him. Last year I worked as a secretary for a real estate broker and it was the most boring job ever. In there somewhere I was the treasurer for the parents club at my kids' school, scout leader and community volunteer. I have kept myself busy.

But now, I really want to use my brain like I intended to 10 years ago. I feel stuck. But here is the catch, I don't want to work weekends or nights. Well, I can work those hours at home.

So I am stuck wanting a job but I am picky about it.

How do I do this? I have almost no job experience. I don't want to commute. I do have a degree but in a very limited field. I am no spring chicken. At 36 you look at the situation and think, "who would hire me?" Starbuck's? Trader Joe's? Well, those would be fun but I need more. I also live really far from any big corporations or companies. Like a 1-2 hour commute. I refuse to do that.

By no means am I saying I don't like being a SAHM but I need to feel like I accomplished something with my brain at a higher level. I have loved being home. Running the house, having breakfast with my buddies and having my own schedule. My problem is that I am spoiled.

I wonder what my options are. Writer? Do I have the knack for it? Can I do that? Real estate agent? In this market? And they work nights and weekends. Sales? No. Web Design? I can't go to school anymore.

My husband wants me to look into some real estate investing that we can dabble in. That sounds promising and I love being around the real estate field, I grew up with my parents flipping houses.

Help!!! What do you do to make money? I am willing to put in the time and money, I just need to know what is out there and how to get there.

Been Busy

Since my kids went back to school I feel like I need to get things done. (And have breakfast with friends, hee hee.) So if I am not up to date with my posts this is why:

I have all my bills lined up to pay for next month, I am never early. We don't actually have a lot of bills personally but my husband owns his own biz and we have more bills coming from that direction.

I went shopping without them for a food processor. I finally broke down and bought one to help process all the zucchini that I have. And help with just cooking in general. I debated buying it used or looking on freecycle but I got the heeby jeebies thinking about whether someone else cleaned it correctly. So I bought it new.

I answered everyone's comments they left. If I didn't give me shout out and I will get to you. Don't feel like your pushing me or being annoying, just do it. I try to answer everyone. Thanks for stopping by.

I am a girl scout leader and still have not turned in my financial report. OUCH!!! It was due a month ago. If anyone out there is familiar with Girl Scouts you would know that I am in deep doggy doo doo! I think we get punished and not get to sell cookies or something. I am so scared to turn in the report and get yelled at by our area treasurer. Anyone have some good excuses?

I needed to catch up on my episodes of "Jamie at Home" on Food Network. I especially liked the one with him making Zucchini Carbonara. It looks so good. I think he is so cute. He cooks great dishes straight from his garden while in his garden.

My "office" (our 4th bedroom) needs to be cleaned desperately! I will try to do that after posting.

I need to get my scouting butt in order. I love my scouts, girls and boys, but there is a lot of planning involved if you want an enriched program. So if you don't see me at times on the blog-o-sphere I am scouting.

My kids start football and cheer leading Friday. And it is intense for 3 months. Many practices, and games starting in September. It is so fun to watch them and I get very proud of their accomplishments but, wow, it takes a lot of your time.

I will get back to posting my green thinks soon. I recently bought Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv and I am enjoying it so much. I'll give you an update soon. Or if you read it leave me some feedback but please no spoilers.

And lastly, I need to catch up with friends. They are my rocks. Morning get together are a must!

And did I mention maybe seeing if my husband is still around after my whirlwind love affair with keeping busy? We have our time at night and watch The Mole and Mad Men together. If you watch The Mole I think the mole is Nicole. We made bets at the beginning of the season who the mole was going to be and I guessed Nicole. My husband guessed Paul. Too bad Doug, you lose.

Thanks for putting up with my long-winded catch session. I gotta run.

Be Green.

Green & Clean Thinks I'm Keen

If you could have seen me this morning I was doing a little dance to celebrate making Green and Clean Mom's Top 100 list. I am #8!!! She likes me. And it feels so good. It makes me feels that my blog is doing it's job: a way for me to communicate my green journey to readers and make green bloggy friends along the way. Thank you G&C! You can see the post here. And here.

And here.

Ane here too.

Be Green (and Clean)

100 Things You Should Know About Me

It is tradition to post 100 things about yourself on your 100th post. So here is the list:

1. My name is Allison

2. I am an Aquarius

3. I was born in January (you can't know the year)

4. I love the outdoors

5. I am trying to be as green as can be with a family

6. I was raised Catholic

7. I went to Catholic private school until I was a sophomore in college

8. I have a Bachelors degree in Anthropology

9. I wanted to be a CA park ranger (but had kids instead)

10. I am a stay at home mom

11. I have been married for 13 years

12. I have a great husband

13. I have 2 great children- 9 yo boy and 7 yo girl

14. I live in California

15. I love whales

16. I am an optimist

17. I love my solitude

18. I really don't like the beach, its too sticky on your skin and sand sticks to peanut butter

19. I am terrified of heights

20. I hate roller coasters (heights)

21. I love Yosemite

22. I drink coffee with soy vanilla creamer

23. My favorite drink at Starbucks is Grande Mocha Non Fat Iced No Whip

24. I love Baskin Robbins Rocky Road ice cream

25. I value my friends but you wouldn't know it because I never call them

26. I want to learn to Scuba dive

27. I have gone zip lining

28. I like photography but still haven't learned how to use my camera's functions

29. I am 5'6"

30. I could stand to lose a couple of pounds

31. I sneak food into the movie theatre

32. I love Star Wars

33. National Lampoon's Vacation is my favorite movie

34. I have been watching One Life To Live for 21 years

35. I love reading but I am a slow reader

-----Whoo, this is getting harder.----

36. I like Diet Pepsi

37. Lunch is my favorite meal

38. My favorite color is red

39. I grew up as the only Caucasian in a predominantly Mexican private school near Los Angeles

40. I have one younger brother

41. I Love Disneyland

42. I love being a Californian

43. I have scene Phantom of the Opera 3 times, once with the original cast

44. I drive a small SUV but I am a truck girl at heart

45. I hate when my feet are dirty

46. I love to blog and read other blogs

47. I had a crush on Chad Lowe as a teenager

48. I played softball as a kid

49. I want to learn to play the piano

50. I love being a mom

---Half way there----

51. My favorite book is The Giving Tree

52. I love hamburgers

53. I eloped with my husband to Vegas and we got married

54. If I could find the right tattoo I would get one but I haven't

55. I had my tongue pierced for 10 years (it's closed now)

56. I graduated from UCSD

57. I love eating cereal

58. I am a leader of a cub scout den

59. I am a leader of a girl scout troop

60. I learned to waterski at 19

61. Someday I want to see the Northern Lights

62. I am a member of the Sierra Club

63. I love Ben and Jerry's Fudge Brownie

64. I don't paint my nails

65. I can't remember my real hair color

66. I believe in God

67. I believe in Jesus

68. I believe in the Holy Spirit

69. I didn't realize that I put all the religious snuff near that sexual number. Hee Hee. (That is still about me, it shows my state of mind.)

70. I had post par tum depression after my son was born

71. I like car racing

72. I like margaritas

73. I don't like cooking

74. I have never seen a real tornado or hurricane

75. But I have experienced small earthquakes

----ALMOST THERE!----

76. I have never been on a cruise

77. I have voted both Republican and Democrat

78. I have never skinny dipped but would like to with my husband

79. I love river rafting

80. I have seen the sun set at the beach but never rise at the beach

81. I like to bake (that's not cooking, right?)

82. I don't like talking on the phone but if you call me I can talk for hours

83. I am very frugal

84. I love car trips

85. The only international place I have been is Mexico

86. I have horrible allergies in the spring

87. I am a bad judge of character, I guess I trust everyone

88. I was born in the year of the Boar

89. My second favorite movie is It's a Wonderful Life

90. I pay bills late

91. I am a procrastinator

92. I wouldn't want to be rich, just my credit cards gone

93. I have never been arrested

94. I have had one speeding ticket when I was 18

95. I love Taco Bell

96. I hope my kids have a cleaner earth than I did

97. I am proud to be an American

98. I respect my flag

99. My family is everything to me

100. I love life



I did it! Actually I can go for another 100. Maybe for my 200th post.

Here I Go Again...My My...

Don't blog me now, I'm at the movies watching Mama Mia! Sneaking in popcorn and maybe sangria. Woo Hoo!

Click here to reduce 1 pound of carbon. Care2