How Well Balanced Is Your Life?

Kathleen reminded me of an exercise I do at the beginning of each year with my friends.

I don't write resolutions (too easy to break them and then you feel bad), but I do like reflecting on the past year and deliberately creating the new year.

I don't know who originally developed this Life Balance Circle, but whoever you are, THANK YOU!

It's a great way to reflect on the past year and to deliberately create the new year.

It's easy. Think about each major category of your life (such as health). Make a dot on the circle in that category to show how satisfied you are (such as, 80% satisfied). After you've rated each category, connect the dots.

The more rounded the shape, the more satisfied you are with your life.

The more spikes and dips, the more areas you might improve or enhance.

Here's mine:

There are no judgments here. It's all up to you and your perception.

And it's your life. You decide how satisfied you are with your life.

Let me know how you do. Any insights?

May revelations surround you,


Catherine
==> Sorry. i've tried and tried and tried. We can't attach files in Blogger (for security reasons) and the instructions on Squibd don't match the Blogger screens so I can't attach the file. If you'd like me to send it to you, email me at BeautifullyBetter@gmail.com with a subject of "Send Me Life Balance Circle, Pretty Please".  

The Japanese Skincare Revolution by Chizu Saeki (book)

I FOUND THIS BOOK AT KINOKUNIYA (THE JAPANESE BOOKSTORE ACROSS THE parking lot from Mitsuwa Marketplace) and asked Alexis to get it for me for Christmas.

LOVE IT!

Japanese women are reknown for their beautiful skin. I don't know of any other book in English that reveals the secrets of the Japanese beauty routine.

Chizu Saeki has been in the beauty business for 45 years and didn't write her first book until she was 60. Look at her. She looks amazing!

She worked at Dior for years and is Japan's most revered beauty advisor. And since she worked in San Francisco, she appreciates and is aware of American brands (nice, there are even photos of products she recommends in brands we're familiar with).

I've learned sooo much from this book. I'll share a little with you now and then.

I did a few things last night and this morning for the first time.

Bachan was staring at me today.

ME:  What's going on? 

BACHAN:  You face. It look so wunnifuh. I never see before. What the hell you doing?

ME:  Uh, I did a few things I learned from this book.

BACHAN:  I think something wrong with my eye. But, no, it you skin.


Get the Most of Your Skincare Products. Instead of applying lotion directly to your skin, squirt a few drops onto a wet cotton square (such as, Miss Webril 100% Cotton Skin Care Pads available in the U.S., separated into individual layers) and put the cotton on your face to make a lotion mask (she tells you how).

If you avoid facial scrubs because they're too abrasive, make them milder and twice as effective by combining it with equal parts of facial soap and warm water.

Use your palms and fingers to warm the skincare product in your hands to help it penetrate your skin better and double or even triple its effectiveness (she tells you how). Wrap your hands around your face, the cosmetic and your heat will act like a steam iron, making your skin remarkably smooth. Use your fingers to apply pressure, to push particles through pores to deliver them deep into your skin and to improve circulation, or to massage your face and smooth out creases (she tells you how).

Put your heart into every drop of your skincare products (she shows you which ones and they're available from the drugstore or department store) you choose.


Take In Beauty With All Your Senses. Experience new and beautiful things (flowers, colors, museums), they may affect your cells and you will feel more beautiful.


Make the Mirror Your Ally. Really take a good look in the mirror to see what it needs.


Book Time for Yourself, Not Beauty Salons. You can have beautiful skin without spending a lot of time or money. And you don't need to go to a salon. Start by taking five minutes each day to care for your skin.


Gear Down in Times of Trouble. Sometimes, you need to cut back. Excessive care can damage your skin. Go on a skin fast by not wearing any cosmetics one day a week. Spend less money on products and more time caring for your skin.


Learn From a Linen Handkerchief. You can erase brown spots with vitamin C serum, smooth lines by hydrating and stretching them, and brighten your skin by washing it with scrub. "If you want your skin to stay beautiful forever, care for it just as you would your cherished possessions."


Don't Overfeed Your Skin. Look at your skin and touch it before putting anything on it. Take a good look at your skin in the mirror and carefully pick out and use only the products you really need.


Food and Water Will Transform the Skin in Three Months. Your body is made up of the food and drink you take in. The cells of your body are renewed every three months so it is your daily meals that create your future body. Eat vitamin- and mineral-rich fruits and vegetables, some proteins, and lots of fiber. Drink plenty of pure water. Eat balanced meals. Give thanks to the plants and animals you are about to consume for the sake of your physical well-being. Gratitude is very important for achieving beauty. Thank your skin every day during your skincare routine and your skin will respond with increased beauty.


In The Japanese Skincare Revolution, you'll learn tips and techniques to perfect your skin with your own hands--no special equipment, all easily done at home, and just as effective as the treatements at a salon. All you'll need are a few supplies, such as cotton squares, plastic wrap, ice, and basic cosmetics.

I'm lovin' this book!


What are some of your beauty secrets?

May beauty surround you,


Catherine

Japanese Stores

BACHAN ASKED ME TO TAKE HER AND ASAKO TO SAN JOSE TO STOCK UP ON Japanese food. We have our fav stores. You're probably not familiar with them. They'd be a fun day trip for you and your fam.


I-280 Freeway, De Anza Blvd Exit

--  Marina Foods, 10122 De Anza Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014. This is a Chinese grocery (you can always tell because it smells when you walk in), but it has a large selection of Asian food at a cheap price. They also sell hot food at the left side of the store. If you're not Asian, watch where people line up and and what they do and then get in there. Someone shorter than you will probably get served before you, but eventually you'll be allowed to buy something, like roast duck or cha sui (Chinese bbq pork). I rarely buy anything because I don't trust the quality of the food or the labeling, but Bachan and her friends love it because it's so cheap. If anything, it's entertaining to walk down every aisle. You've never seen so many different kinds of rice and tea!


I-280 Freeway, Wolfe Rd Exit

--  Marukai, 19750 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino CA 95014. This small Japanese grocery has a good selection of food at a reasonable price.

--  Shhh! This is our secret source of kawai (cute) gifts. Don't tell anyone. Daiso (next door to Marukai), 19750 Stevens Creek Blvd. Cupertino CA 95014. The U.S. has the $1 Store and Japan has the $1.50 Store. Girls LOVE the kawai staitionery, pens, stickers, etc. I LOVE the bento (lunch) boxes, cute toothpicks, shaped sandwich cutters, etc. And there are other items that are sooo Japanese, like this:

 

--  Beard Papa (about two stores from Marukai) makes yummy cream puffs. Try the dulce de lech (vanilla custard with a squirt of caramel) or hold out for strawberry available in the summer. They also feature a weekly flavor, like Green Tea. Somehow they're only 220 calories each so you can enjoy one guilt-free. We buy boxes for friends and neighbors.

--  Yogurtland is several doors down from Beard Papa. It's one of those serve-yourself-and-put-anything-you-want-on-top-of-your-frozen-yogurt places. We like it 'cause it has unusual toppings like mochi (squishy rice cake).


I-280 Freeway, Saratoga Ave Exit

--  Mitsuwa Marketplace, 675 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA, 95129. This is THE Japanese supermarket. It's clean (no smell when you walk in) and carries authentic Japanese products, including bakery goods shipped from Japan, kitchenware, tableware, video rentals, etc.

--  Kinokuniya Bookstore. Across the parking lot from Mitsuwa is a large Japanese bookstore. Great place for J fashion mags, books, kawai stationery (including Hello Kitty and all the other kawai critters).

Abraham-Hicks Calendar Quote:  "The statement, 'What's been bothering me?' is a powerful statement that will help you to uncover your resistance. If you've got a pattern of resistance relative to something so that you are not allowing the stream--out of habit, but not consciously knowing you're doing it--then that's why it feels like diseases creep up on you. Things that are unfair or unjust are happening to you. Because it feels normal in most cases. Most of you feel resistance and think it's normal. And we want you to know it's not. It's abormal. It is not anything like who you are.

What is normal to you is enthusiasm. What is normal to you is laughing a lot. Many, many times a day. Feeling strong and secure. Feeling so much self-confidence, so sure about who you are, that when you look at others, you're always in a position to uplift them. What's normal for you is to have so much energy that at the end of the day you are still looking for things to do. Having such a passion for life that you're eager to get together with other people to hear about what they're doing, to see if it's anything you might want to turn a little of your attention to. To have so much energy at the end of the day, that you're already eagerly planning tomorrow. Feeling disappointed that the sun goes down and enthusiastic that the sun comes up. What is normal is a zest for life beyond anything that most of you, over eight years of age, have remembered or felt in a long, long time. That's what's normal.

It is our anticipation that 30 days of talking the resistance down, to feel a little better, and writing on the Universe's side of the Place Mat what you'd like the Universe to work on--will put most of you in a position 30 days from today of feeling an enthusiasm for life unlike anything that you've felt for a lontg time. Give that six months and people won't even recognize you as the same person, truly."

What have you gotten so used to that you now consider normal?

May insights surround you,


Catherine

The 3-Day Cleanse (book)

I LOVE WATCHING MOTHER WAKE...BLUE-EYE SKY BLINKING OPEN, A SOFT BREEZE her yawn. 

REALIZATION.  Up at 5:30 this morning to take Johnny to the airport. I realize how much I've missed my morning commute and my time of focused creating.

THE 3-DAY CLEANSE BY ZOE SAKOUTIS & ERICA HUSS. This is one of my fav books. There are lots of books on cleanses out there. I like this one because every juice I've tried is wunnerful! I'm crazy about the Grapefruit-Strawberry-Mint. 

This book is not about denial. It's about enjoying the pleasures of good food.

I also like it because it's one of the few juice fast books that recommends making a nut milk and drinking that as your last drink for the day. It fills you up and makes you less hungry in the morning. 

I've done this fast several times in the past. I've never felt hungry.

And, strangely, I've never had any low blood sugar dizziness during the day, even though I haven't eaten any protein.

It's a bit easier to do the fast during the summer when fresh fruit abounds, but with a little creativity, you can do it in the winter, as well.



There's also a quiz so you can identify whether you should start at Level 1, 2 or 3.

I usually start at Level 2 (Level 1 means your fav vegetable is French fries; Level 2 means you belong to a gym, but you just don't go; and Level 3 means you chase your organic cocktail with a shot of wheat grass).

Here's the menu for Day One:

1.  Greens with Apple.

2.  Pineapple-Mint.

3.  Spinach-Blueberry-Apple-Lemon.

4.  Watermelon. 

5.  Greens with Apple. 

6.  Easy Cashew Milk.  

I started juicing a little late so this is everything I ate today: 

--  Greens with Apple Juice at 10:30 am.

--  Popcorn at the movies (oopsie!).

--  Pineapple-Mint Juice around 4:00 pm.

--  I skipped the other 3 juices since I started so late in the day and I'm not hungry and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the popcorn.

--  Cashew Milk (I made it myself; it's easy and the recipe is in the book) at 7:00 pm.

My brother, James, and Baba had ribs and macaroni salad for dindin.

I'm glad I'm fasting. My body feels happier already. It needed a break from all that holigrazing and sweets.

Oh. Wondering why anyone would cleanse in the first place? There are lots of reasons. I like to every now and then (with a goal to do a short cleanse every month) to give my digestive system, liver, kidney and skin a break, in a beautiful way. No water-only fast for this girl (they're dangerous).

What do you do to get back on track after the holidays?

May health surround you,

Catherine



The Recipe for Eternal Joy

D ROVE HOME LATE LAST NIGHT AND GOT IN AROUND MIDNIGHT. JAMES AND Baba (her name is Barbara, but Bachan is always yelling "Baba") had driven up from down south earlier. Finding nobody home, they got a hotel. Oopsie! Guess they didn't remember that we'd be home really late.

Ahhh! Sleeping in my own bed, my own sheets, my own room. Heaven!

Slept in this morning...listened to two Abraham-Hicks meditations (yippee!)...got cleaned up...James and Baba at the door...all went out for breakfast.

Coffee...lots and lots of coffee.

Hung around the house...talked...shopped...visited friends...went out for Chinese food.

It's good to be home.

And, oh, how I missed blogging.

I'm realizing how much I enjoy my little routines...reading something uplifting in the morning...meditating...writing. I'm back into my routine.

Well, maybe not exactly since James and Baba are here.

After all those holiday meals, I'm thinking of going on a juice fast.

Alexis is thinking of going vegetarian for a month.

Bachan wanted to know if she should cook a ham so James and Baba can make ham an eggu, hamu fly lice, (you know the drill). I said, sure, James loves ham (hee hee hee).

Johnny leaves tomorrow. It may have less to do with his plane ticket and more to do with avoiding the damn ham.

What food do you despise during the holidays?

Abraham-Hicks Calendar Quote (see Abraham-Hicks.com > Products > Calendars > Planning Calendar/Workbook): 

"TEN GOOD IDEAS (The Recipe for Eternal Joy)

--  Seek joy--first and foremost.
--  Seek reasons to laugh.
--  Seek reasons to offer words of praise--to self and others.
--  Seek beauty in nature, beasts, and other humans.
--  Seek reasons to love. In every segment of every day--look for something that brings forth within you a feeling of love and appreciation.
--  Seek that which uplifts you.
--  Seek opportunity to offer that which uplifts another.
--  Seek a feeling of Well-being.
--  Know that your value can only be measured in terms of joy.
--  Acknoweldge your absolute freedom to do any of theese things or to not do any of these things--for it is, without exception, your choice in every moment of every day.

That is the recipe for eternal joy. And it will provide a format for a lift of dramatic, magnificent creating, also. That feels like the "bottom line" to you:  "How much success, or how much acclaim..how much value can I offer here and now?"  And what we are wanting you to understand is that your value can only be measured in terms of joy.

Once you get upon that path where you are seeking and finding--you are abundant with joy. You see, the nice thing about this offering is that you cannot seek something without finding it. It cannot be. For that which you are asking for is always that which is coming to you."

May joy surround you,


Catherine

Family Holiday Traditions

Sunday, December 26, 2010

ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALWAYS DO AS A FAM IS SEE A MOVIE ON A HOLIDAY. Now that Ambergini is older, we see racier movies. We saw The Tourist, starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. Although I had seen it before, I enjoyed it just as much the second time.

We also always go to a bookstore. The nicest one near my brother Randy in Sac is a Barnes & Noble. We spend hours there, each of us grabbing a stack of books from our fav section and then spreading them out on the floor in the cookbook section to decide which one we'll buy.

What holiday traditions does your family enjoy?

Abraham-Hicks Calendar Quote (see Abraham-Hicks.com > Store > Calendars > Planning Calendar/Workbook). 

"WE MUST BE WILLING TO ALLOW THEM THEIR CHOICES. We must be willing to allow every other being the freedom to think and create and be as they choose through the power of their thoughts. As we understand that it is not a personal affront when another does not agree with us, but that it is their expression of their own life, then perhaps we can more easily allow the difference.

See yourselves, not overwhelmed by the decisions that are before you, but exhilarated by their potential for satisfaction and contentment. Begin now by making more decisions, in every day, about what you want, and enjoy the exhilaration that comes as you allow those deicions to manifest into physical creation."

May exhilaration surround you,


Catherine

Christmas

Saturday, December 25, 2010

M ERRY CHRISTMAS! PATTI HAS A VINTAGE FLOCKED TREE SHE INHERITED from her parents. She decorates it with handblown glass ornaments and has a weakness for pine cones.

There were 10 of us, including the dog. The girls started opening presents at 8:05 am, everyone takes turns, we took a short break for breakfast, continued unwrapping gifts and finshed up at 11:00 am.

I wish I had a good picture of Gracie, the dog. She opens the gifts in her stocking first so she'll be quiet while the girls open theirs. The problem is that she gets deeply depressed when there are no more presents to unwrap.

And here's my little girl in one of her gifts:

May the laughter of family surround you,


Catherine

Holigrazing

Friday, December 24, 2010

ABRAHAM CALENDAR QUOTE (see Abraham-Hicks.com > Store > Calendars > Planning Calendar/Workbook).  "Our work is not to convince anyone of anything, but to offer that which we know, through the power of our words. By being who we are, and through the clarity of our being, we will stimulate the thoughts of those who are wanting something similiar.

Do not assume the responsibility of convincing anyone of anything. Instead, make your decisions about what you want, and set out to create the life experience that you choose--and allow all others to do the same.

Each of us have intended, through our life experiences, physical and Non-physical, to gain a clearer perspective of who we are and to express it, and, perhaps, to influence others through the power of our example."  Abraham

Drove up to Sac to be with fam. Seems our day and activities are arranged around one meal moving to the next. 

Saw a cookbook chapter that perfectly describes what we do at all get togethers:



What does your fam do when you get together?

May abundance surround you,

Catherine

I'm In Love

Oh, boy! Oh, boy! Oh, boy!

Johnny got me a new phone for Christmas. He wanted to make sure I got unlimited internet since some carriers are starting to charge for that.

It's beautiful. It's lovely. It's a Droid X.

He said it got the #1 rating for a phone.

I chose it over another one because it has Google vs. Bing (I really do not enjoy Bing at all).

And I switched to Verizon so I get free calls to Alexis and Johnny. Verizon is rated much better than T-Mobile.

And I can take lots of pix for my blog.

And I can check my email from my new phone when I have a few minutes during the day vs. late at night.

And it's going to make my life so much easier.

[shake...shake...rattle]

Uh...how do I open the box?

May presents, lots of presents, surround you,


Catherine

An Honest Friend

WHITE DISK MOON IN AN INKY SKY...DARK PINE MONSTERS LOOMING IN THE MIST.

Traffic slowed to a crawl through the mountains this morning. Yay! More time to deliberately create.

Today's quote from Abraham's calendar (see Abraham-Hicks.com > Store > Calendars > Planning Calendar/Workbook):  "A CRITICAL SOCIETY. You live in a society where much criticism abounds. Through your television and radio and newspapers there is much more searching for disharmony than there is searching for harmony. There is much more criticism than praise. But you need not participate within that attitude, and in fact, you must not, because you are seeking harmony.

The negative emotion that you feel as you listen to those broadcasts, or even as you listen to the negativity of a friend, is a very powerful signal to you from your Inner Being letting you know that, in that moment, you are miscreating.

As you learn to move through your day, seeking joyous emotion, and you begin to recognize, at the early stages, whenever you are experiencing a negative emotion, and then you deliberately change your thought, which will change the emotion--you will then be upon the path of continuous deliberate creation."

This is my third year through the calendar. And this quote was one of the biggest Aha's I've had. In the past, I thought when I was upset about someone, it was because they obviously did something that was bad, wrong or rude. And then I realized it was not about their behavior, it was about me focusing on something I did not want...and that anger/frustration/annoyance was Me saying to me:  Hey! Stop that! You're looking at something you don't want and that's going to bring more of what you don't want. Look at what you do want.

And that changed everything...in my life...what comes to me...how I feel in the moment...and also how I feel about others.

Now I see others as people helping me clarify what I want so more of those good things come into my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

BILL:  Blah, blah, blah...AND DON'T PUT THAT IN YOUR BLOG.

ME:  [silence]

BILL:  Blah, blah, yakkity yak, blah, blah...AND DON'T PUT THAT IN YOUR BLOG.

ME:  [smiling]

BILL:  Blah, blah, blah, yak, blah, yak...AND DON'T PUT THAT IN YOUR BLOG.

ME:  [OMG. What have I done?]

Have you ever done something that resulted in someone adjusting their behavior and it makes you cringe a little knowing you contributed to it? 

May honesty surround you,


Catherine

Huffy Missy

TODAY'S QUOTE FROM THE ABRAHAM-HICKS PLANNING CALENDAR (see Abraham-Hicks.com > Store > Calendars > Planning Calendar/Workbook)..."When you understand and trust the Law of Attraction, and when you are effectively making strong, clear statements of what you want, you will find yourself surrounded by those beings who enhance that wanting.

If you will trust that you will experience only that which enhances what you want, then you will not be so likely to look for flaws within those individuals that surround you. Then you will expect the relationship to be one of enhancement, and you will allow it to be that way."

INSPIRATION. Whenever I read a new concept I want to remember, I find ways to repeat it over and over again in a short period of time. It helps embed it into my being.

I like the idea that everything is here to enhance my experience. So as I drove, I practiced that thought. [driver in a white Toyota] you enhance my experience...[driver in a black truck] you enhance my experience...[driver in a silver CRV] you enhance my experience...[three birds flying] you enhance my experience...[and a partridge in a pear tree].

Overhead, a swath of baby blue cuts across diaper white clouds. A rainbow played peek-a-boo in the sky.

Rainbows remind me of abundance. Something good must be coming to me.

I am in awe of Kim. She spent 2 days baking 3 kinds of Christmas cookies for everyone. Bill brought them to work and I got 2 bags (yippee!). Shh! Don't tell anyone. This is just between you and me. [whisper]...come closer...closer... I ate 9 cookies in 10 minutes. But It's OK. They were tiny. Hmm. I think there are a few more left. [tip toe toward table]

Yesterday's Chinese fortune:  Remember this day. Three months from now something wonderful will happen to you.

Today's Chinese fortune:  The coming month shall bring you much happiness.

I was talking to Bill, who mentioned his nephew was in college and shared a room with friends. Since they don't have much money, they live on rice. Plain rice. Growing up poor, I know ways to extend a meal with rice. There's Spam and rice, hash and rice, soup and rice... 

BILL:  You were never poor...

ME:  YES I WAS! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW POOR WE WERE AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO GROW UP WITH AN INSANE FATHER AND DON'T TELL ME WHAT I WAS OR WAS NOT...

BILL:  [shock...silence...then mad laughter as he runs to grab his iPhone] Wow! I've never seen you mad before. I've got to get this on a video.

After slamming the door in Bill's face, he searched the internet to find an Abraham-Hicks quote as a peace offering:  "So, if something has hurt you and you're working to forgive it, you are activating it. Forgiveness is almost exactly the same, [Wow! Bill is really good at making this stuff up!] in fact we would say it IS exactly the same as saying, "I'm going to deactivate this thing that's hurt me." And we would say, the reason that it doesn't go very far and the reason that people struggle so hard with the idea of forgiveness is because they keep digging up the stuff that they don't want and keeping it active in their vibration so that they have a stream of people they have to forgive. [Wait a minute. This is a real Abraham-Hicks quote]. So we would give forgiveness a new definition. We would say, the ultimate way of forgiving is really forgetting; and the ultimate way of forgetting, really is by remembering something you want to remember."

As I was leaving for the day, Bill makes me pinky promise we are OK.

Pinky promise.

How can you stay mad at someone like that?

NOTE TO SELF:  If you had not cut Bill off, he would have said, "You were never poor because you had a loving mother and brothers to support you."

Hmm. I rarely have a hissy fit. I need more sleep and less shopping.

Who makes you laugh, even when you don't want to?

May laughter surround you,


Catherine

Nice Everyone Else

THE TREES WERE ESPECIALLY BEAUTIFUL THIS morning...dark green leaves against a curtain of gray mist.

I know some people don't care for the rain, but I figure Mother knows what she's doing.

                                                .:*~*:._.:*~*:.

PRESENTS! Presents! I brought presents to work today! About 15 of them for friends, workers, and people who've helped me throughout the year. Fun stuff!

                                                .:*~*:._.:*~*:.

Bill's email Xmas card to me today:

To my friend and year long gift from God ..... Catherine.
Thanks for being such a great friend and confidant.
Thanks for your hours of listening and kind words.
Thanks for sharing your life and journey with me.
Thanks for your patience.
Thanks for all the laughs, smiles and polite nods.
I'm truly looking forward to the years ahead and
a continued long and very special friendship.  
Merry Christmas!

Love,

Bill

I was suspicious at the third "thanks."
What surprised you today?

May laughter surround you,


Catherine

The Gift Challenge

Sunday, December 19, 2010

UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN AGAIN [whimper]. THIS TIME TO TAKE EVERYONE TO COSTCO...fluorescent tubes for a bunch of house lights...a gift for brother James since I pulled his name this year...dishes for Seth...Bachan is eyeing the ham...God help me...I hang out at the books.

Drive everyone home...drop off the stuff...take Bachan to Safeway (most likely to fondle ham), CVS Drugstore, Nob Hill, Zinnia's Gift Shop, sit Bachan next to the fireplace and eat lunch at Jack In The Box, Scotts Valley Market for organic salads and such, Walgreen's, and I think there was a store or two in there somewhere, oh yeah, K Mart, the $1 Store, a venti Chai Eggnog Latte with a shot of espresso for Johnny, and maybe some place else, I don't remember, it's all beginning to blur together.

Home...I pass out for two hours...exhausted...up to order Shawnda's Bday/Xmas gift.

She's thinking about making sourdough bread using her Grandmother's bowl, but hasn't a clue on where to start. Oh, boy! A gift challenge. That's the best kind.

After searching the web for hours, I find three websites I like:

--  TheWilbourneGroup.com for the starter and instructions and "unlimited tech support". Hmm. Making sourdough must be tougher than I imagined. 

--  Breadtopia.com for the starter jar, whisk and lame (pronounced lahm) to make those neat cuts in the dough.

--  SassafrasStore.com for the Superstone La Cloche Brick Oven Roaster for a light crumb inside and a crunchy brown outside.

Later, I'll make a card and tell her about JoeJaworski.com/bread/bread2.tm, who has the best instructions with photos.

Whew! That was a lot of digging, but it was fun.

I love knowing she'll get three different boxes on her doorstep before Christmas.

Hmm. Maybe Bill will want to kick in a few dollars. He won't have to run around shopping and he'll get the credit for being a creative gift giver. Sounds like a deal.

What present did you enjoy shopping for this year?

May gifts surround you,


Catherine

It's Starting to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

Saturday, December 18, 2010

UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN TO GO SHOPPING WITH ALEXIS IN SAN JOSE. Santana Row...H&M for cute clothes...Anthropologie to get gift cards for two nieces...LOVED browsing Sweetie Pies by Patti Pinner, a postal worker sharing colorful stories and recipes, while I waited for Alexis...lunch at our secret noodle house...grocery shopping at Mitsuwa...fashion mags from the Jay bookstore...Oh, God! we still have to go to Lowe's for three outdoor lights, a hall light, one hall chandelier, two 8' lengths of 1/2" quarter round wood thingie, and other stuff. 12 hours of shopping.

It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas.

[whimper]

Catherine

Damn Ham!

Friday, December 17, 2010

WE ARE STILL CELEBRATING ALEXIS' BDAY. THINGS HAVEN'T CHANGED MUCH since she was a kid. As an only child with two extended families, it seemed her bday went on for weeks.

She has always loved The Nutcracker ballet. Not one of my fave's, but hey, it's her day so we climb into the car and drive to Santa Cruz. She has even coerced Bachan to join us.

On the drive over, someone asks why I haven't baked for a while. I'VE BEEN TOO BUSY with holiday shopping, dropping off gifts, the bathroom remodel, resume writing. I usually bake on Sundays and then take the goodies to work. Ever since Alexis was little, we would rate whatever I baked (at the age of 5 she had a hard time making decisions so I thought this little game would help her). A recipe has to have 4-5 stars if I'm ever to bake it again. 1-3 star recipes are torn up, trashed and cursed.

Then Bachan starts talking about ham. God! The damn ham! We have these convos about ham night and day as the holiday nears. I do not exaggerate. It's all Safeway's fault (another reason I don't shop there). They sell it so cheap, Bachan can't resist it. It's like crack to a heroin addict. She can't stop buying hams. I swear, I think we have 4 hams in the house somewhere...in the fridge, in the garage, maybe even one under her bed. She asked me to drop her off at Safeway this morning and she came out with another damn ham. OMG!  I'm an enabler!

Who can eat that much ham? We keep telling her we don't want ham, we don't like ham, and please don't buy ham.

We had another heated discussion in the car on the way to the ballet.

BACHAN:  I buy hamu today.

CHORUS OF ME, ALEXIS AND JOHNNY:  No more ham! No damn ham!

BACHAN:  Hamu good. Ebbery buddy lu-voo hamu.

CHORUS:  No we don't! Nobody likes ham!

BACHAN:  Spilo [spiral] bad. Whole hamu good.

ME:  Enough with the ham!

BACHAN:  Ebbery buddy eat hamu.

CHORUS:  We hate ham!

BACHAN:  I gib Malli hamu.

ME:  Is she Jewish?

BACHAN:  I take hamu Saclamento.

ME:  They don't want ham.

BACHAN:  Day like ham.

ME:  No they don't.

BACHAN:  Landy like hamu sanduwich.

ME:  He has a heart problem. He's not supposed to eat ham.

BACHAN:  Jenny like hamu.

ME:  For God's sake! She's a vegetarian.

BACHAN:  Hamu good.

ME:  It's good once a year; not five whole hams in a week.

BACHAN:  You make fly ham. Ham fly lice. Hamu an eggu. Hamu soup.

ME:  God! You're a black, Japanese Bubba [from the movie, Forrest Gump]: "You got your fried shrimp, your lemon shrimp, sweet and sour shrimp..."

BACHAN:  You make-u gleen bean saladah wit hamu.

JOHN:  Man, I haven't had that in years.

ME:  Don't encourage her!

BACHAN:  Hamu slice...

ME:  [groan]


Finally, we get to the auditorium. Bachan has never seen a ballet. We're in the second row. She puts her wet umbrella, bottle of water (she tends to cough and choke to the point of dry heaves in crowded public places which then set off a series of loud, uncovered sneezes), knitted shawl and purse on the seat in front of her.

I explain the story to her while the orchestra tunes up.

The lights dim.

Children and teens in tights and tutus jump through the air, doing pirouettes and flying leaps.

The orchestra plays one rousing Tchaikovsky song after another:  Nutcracker Overture, Russian Dance, Waltz of Flowers. They build to a roushing crescendo and then quiet.

The auditorium gently brightens.

Bachan grabs her umbrella, bottle of water, puts on her shawl and picks up her purse.

ME:  Whatcha doin', Bachan?

BACHAN:  I go.

ME:  Uh. It's only half over. This is intermission.

BACHAN:  You kidding me?

ME:  No. I not kidding you [seamlessly slipping into broken English]. It's only half over. What do you think of it so far?

BACHAN:  I gib it one hamu, spilo [spiral].

ME:  (sigh)

What little obsession does your Mom or Dad have? Care to share?

May miles of smiles (and no ham) surround you,


Catherine

On the Wings of Eagles

Friday, December 17, 2010

OBSERVATION. AS I DROVE TO WORK THIS MORNING, I SAW A POT HOLE IN THE road. I kept looking at that pot hole and thinking "don't hit the pot hole" and I kept my eye on that pot hole and kept thinking "stay away from that pot hole" and what did I do? Ran right over that darn pot hole.

NOTE TO SELF:  If you want a smoother ride in life, focus on the road, not the pot holes.

CONSIDERATION. A group of birds wheeled through the air above me. I love to look up!

I remember when my ex-father-in-law was robust and active. He'd bike all over town and would proudly proclaim, "I've found $37.28 on the ground so far!"

I wonder how many sunsets he missed?

INSPIRATION. I was chattering away at Bill and bubbling over about something when he said, "You remind me of a bible quote:  You will soar on the wings of eagles."

Yes! That's how it feels. I feel like I'm soaring and lifted by Spirit. I can see forever and everything looks so beautiful from up here.

I catch sight of something interesting and my head turns slightly to better focus on it. This tiny gesture adjusts my direction toward what I am wanting. So easy. So effortless. So fun!

REALIZATION. I was talking to my brother the other day and I saw him wince. I know his neck and upper back is hurting him since he slept wrong on the plane coming out here. At that moment, I felt a pain shoot through my upper back and neck and thought, "Uh oh. I better see Julia [my non-force chiropractor]."

The next morning, I was in severe pain. Luckily, Julia had an opening around noon. Sometimes I suspect she might skip lunch to see me. I love that woman.

She checked my body and asked it questions. Sure enough, she found the pain was related to Johnny and was tied to my childhood and seven issues, things like obligation, duty, etc. She worked on clearing that and on my body for a long time. When she finished, I felt mucho better.

ME:  So, how can I stop picking up other people's pain?

JULIA:  See people and the solution to their problem right in front of them, within easy reach. And see them reaching out for the solution.

ME:  Uh. You mean, without my help?

Guess I have some residual I-Am-The-General-Manager-Of-The-Universe-And-I-Will-Single-Handedly-Save-The-Entire-World Syndrome. [sigh]

What about you? What do you think you have to do that maybe you don't need to anymore?

May clarity surround you,


Catherine

I Applied For A Job

W ELL, I DID IT. I FILLED OUT AN ON-LINE APPLICATION TONIGHT FOR THE company I intend to work for.

I attached my resume, pasted in my cover letter, and filled out a survey and a form.

I wasn't able to include my collage or work samples. Maybe I can show them during an interview.

Wish me luck!

Warmly,


Catherine

My Wish List

OH BOY! OH, BOY! OH, BOY! CHRISTMAS IS COMING AND THAT MEANS LOTS AND lots of presents...to give.

I LOVE GIVING PRESENTS! It's my favorite hobby! Sometimes I spend hourzzz thinking about just the right gift to just the right friend. Uh, maybe I should stop thinking and start buying presents. I haven't bought one yet this year. YIKES!

And oh, if I have time, wrapping it playfully is just as much fun as picking it out.

Well, here's my wish list. No! No! Not for you to run out and buy me anything, but to introduce you to places and products you may not know about:

§  IsabellaCatalog.com
     --  Personal salt crystal lamp with USB port so you can breathe in all those lovely negative ions while working on your computer.
     --  E-cloth Kitchen Pack to clean clean clean in a gentle (not mean) way.
     --  Everlasting Organic Vanilla. Yuh know I love to bake and to make my on vanilla...[swoon].
     --  Original Spaghetti Scrub--Gentle & Original Spaghetti Scrub--Coarse to really wash pots and pans, instead of just spreading all that mold around that's in the sponge...YUCK! 
     --  Seven Year Pen--Red that last, uh, seven years, so you don't fill the landfill; plus it's red...oooo...pretty.

§  Way of Life (health food store & gift shop) on 41^st Avenue, Capitola, CA
     --  Lavera Mango Milk Shampoo & Conditioner. I've heard rave review where even hair stylists are asking, "What ARE you putting in your hair?" because the results are so lovely.

§  Widu.com
     --  Round wooden bristle styling brush. It's so good for your hair that your scalp will smile and your hair will shine. 

§  Amazon.com
     --  The Invitation – Boxed Set by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. I've got to know more about the woman who penned The Invitation poem I sent you earlier.

     --  Autobiography of Mark Twain Vol. 1 by Mark Twain, published 11/15/10. I always hated when clever people asked me, "What person, dead or alive, would you most like to have dinner with?" I never had an answer. I mean if they're alive and I want to have dinner with them, I call them up. And if they're dead, how are we going to kvetch over bouillabaisse? But I've heard about Mark Twain's new autobiography, which he wrote himself (hence the "auto") and stipulated that it could not be published until 100 years after his death. Well, the 100 years are up and his book is out. I have one of his quotes on my wall at work:  If you have to swallow a frog, don't look at it too long. Can't wait to read an entire book written by him.

     --  A book by Sue Monk Kidd. I read a blurb about one of her books and she sounds like a thoughtful author I'd like to read.

     --  And Winter Came CD by Enya. LOVE her dreamy music.

What are you hoping Santa will leave you under the tree this year?

May abundance surround you today.

Warmly,

Catherine

Splish, Splash, I Was Taking a Bath

BILL TOOK A DAY OF VACATION YESTERDAY AND IT WAS AWFULLY QUIET AT work without him. I'm going to miss him when I'm gone. Oops! That didn't feel good. Bad feelings are a warning that I'm focusing on something I don't want and therefore creating something I don't want and making something I don't want come to me. Quick! What's the opposite? I love talking to Bill every single day. I have lots of friends I enjoy interacting with every day. We laugh and have fun every day. [Whew! That was a close one and almost snuck by me.]

INSPIRATION. There I was, driving the windy mountain roads of Hiway 17, minding my own business (OK...OK...and also minding the traffic), when I get an idea about drawing a cartoon cat. She's really cute. I can see what she looks like, the color of her eyes, and I give her a name. I imagine developing a cartoon strip around here.

I've always said my life would make a great sit com and that I had plenty of material for a script writer. I sure know a lot of characters. Amazing! One day ago, drawing a cartoon was not even in my consciousness and today it seems so possible. The more you imagine, the more imaginative things come to you.

FUN STUFF. We had our annual White Elephant Gift Exchange today. We hold it at a nearby Mexican restaurant and have been doing it for yearzzz. With a $5 gift limit, most of us wind up digging through our garage looking for a "gift."

There are different versions of the game. Here's ours:  You pull three numbers so you get three chances to switch-and-grab a gift from the table or from someone else. When you run out of numbers, you keep the last gift.

I've noticed that my dear friends are a lot like crows:  drawn to all things bright, colorful and sparkly.

Trick 1.  Wrap your present outrageously and creatively on the outside to hide the junk inside.

Trick 2.  Watch Bill like a hawk to see what he brings and then avoid it like the plague.

Here's the gift everyone was fighting over:  Santa taking a bubble bath, scrubbing his back with a towel, kicking his legs and singing "Splish, Splash, I Was Taking a Bath." I held Santa in a loving embrace for two minutes before he was ripped from my death grip by a greedy and vicious co-worker who shall remain unnamed.

What made you laugh today?

May smiles surround you.

Warmly,


Catherine

Beautiful

I START MY MORNING BEAUTY ROUTINE WITH "I AM BEAUTIFUL" FACIAL SKIN

REGENERATIVE SERUM. This deeply nourishing, oxygenated oil that regenerates skin is from one of my fav companies, Ascended Health (see AscendedHealth.com > Products > Skin Regeneration). 

I keep thinking about how beautiful Angelina Jolie looked in "The Tourist." Not just her, but her gorgeous wardrobe, exquisite jewelry, fabulous bedroom, and magical city of Venice. All beautiful. Makes me smile just thinking about it.

And my blog, Beautifully Better. Looks like beauty is everywhere.

ME:  I love writing about beautiful things, wonderful things, inspiring things. This blog is so much fun!

BILLY BOB:  Yeah. Sometimes your blog really moves me. I read it every morning on the toilet.

ME:  [silence]

What is beautiful (or...ah hemmm...not so beautiful) in your world?

May beauty surround you.

Warmly,


Catherine

The Tourist **** (movie)

M ANY MOONS AGO, WHEN THE EARTH WAS STILL COOLING AND I WAS YOUNG AND commuting, working overtime, raising a child, taking classes at USF, and doing homework every night (ARGGHHH!), I decided that Fridays were my one night off. I'd see a movie to relax, escape, and gobble a large buttered popcorn all by myself in the dark without anyone telling me it was too many calories, too many carbs, and too much fat.

I have since cut back to a small, dry popcorn [sigh], but I still see my Friday night movie. And if I don't, I get a little cranky.

My schedule has been a little wonky lately with the bathroom remodel and working on my resume. So I made the ultimate sacrifice and saw a movie on Saturday instead.

The Tourist, starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. I give it ****.

A beautiful couple takes a fun romp through beautiful surroundings.

There's chemistry between Johnny and Angelina and they look good together.

I don't know when I've seen Angelina look more beautiful, regal, stunning. She would glide into a room and the sea of people would silently part to let her pass.

Angelina embodied the most beautiful women of the world. One moment, she was reminiscent of Jackie O. Another, Sophia Loren.

And she is the only woman that can wear long suede gloves during the day and pull it off.

If you have a little cash, buy stock in that glove company. We're going to see more of them soon.

See the movie and smile.

Warmly,


Catherine