THANKFUL FRIDAYS

I am thankful for sympathetic ears. I am thankful for people in my life who know I'm smart and inquisitive, who know I'm worth more than how I'm being treated. I am thankful that, as a woman in science, I've never had to be like her to be where I am today. I've never had to be heartless. I've never had to choose between my family and my career. I'm thankful that I never believed it to be about money, but the satisfaction of a job well done. I am thankful that this is temporary. I am thankful for my crazy whack-a-doodle family. I am thankful for my brother and sister-in-law who bought us dinner last night. And I'm thankful, so thankful, that this time next week, I'll some place other then here. Have a wonderful weekend!

LOVE THURSDAY

I love both of these women. I know I've featured Misti in a Love Thursday already, but I do love her. Really though, today is dedicated to Talaura. She's going to say "Awe Shucks" and that all the following is undeserving, but she can suck it.

Talaura was not my favorite person when we were all in school together. I always felt out of place around her and had the feeling that she was just barely tolerating my presence. Now I don't care if she's just tolerating me because she is a person that I just want to be around, to hang with and...so there.

But seriously. She is one of the bravest, strongest, most resilient person I know. She's kind; kind enough to even let me stay with her next week while I attend BlogHer and show me around her city. I can not wait to see New York through her eyes. I am so proud of her and proud to know her. I know she gets discouraged and frustrated (who doesn't), but she always picks herself up and moves on with so much grace, you would never have known that she had ever stumbled.

Thank you Talaura for letting me stay with you, but more importantly for being my friend. And making me laugh. Happy Love Thursday!

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY TUESDAYS

The weekends are become more and more like precious gem stones to me. This year is flying by. I notice it when ever I upload a photo for the 365 day project. I want to just say "Whoa Nelly!". So much happy last week and weekend, that I'm sure I didn't get it all written down on the list.

• The guys in the lab bringing me back lunch even though I had (angrily) told them not too
• Teaching
• The baby cantaloupe in the garden
• Watching Hooper try to get the squirrel
• Chris fixing the tail light on the car
• Getting a HUGE list of things to do during lab meeting and finishing it all by the end of the week
• My BlogHer badge arriving in the mail
• Skinny dipping
• Using a really good knife to slice veggies
• Seeing old friends I haven't seen in years
• The laughing. Good God. The laughing
• Pistachio salad
• Getting all the groceries bought at one place
• Chrome coming '10!
• The business cards Chris and I made for BlogHer
• Floating
• Smores made with cherries and almonds and dark chocolate

Holding on to it all with white knuckles.

BLISS

As the weekend winds down, I can't help but want to hold on to the edges of it with all of might in hopes that it just won't end. This weekend, Chris and I did so much, yet so very little. We grocery shopped, got all the laundry done and put away, we ate really good food, lounged in the pool, lounged outside the pool, made smores, watched TV, did some other very important things, and lounged some more.

For the first time ever, I went skinny dipping. Chris was shocked that I had never done that before. And as I dived into the pool and felt the water move over my bare skin, I too was shocked that it was something I had never done before. It was luxurious. It was decadent. It was wonderful.

Things I learned this weekend? Chris is made of catnip, because Robin's cat was his best friend all weekend. A good grill is worth everything. Grilled avocados are a very good idea. My new swimsuit is not the one that will make me cross #24 off the Life List. And most importantly, I am blessed to have generous friends in my life. Oh...and camera remotes are not water proof.

THANKFUL FRIDAYS

Thankful. I am so thankful. For many, many, many things. My mantra this morning was "I am thankful for this moment". Every day seems to be full of rush and routine. I get up, shower, every other morning teach a yoga class. Go to work and rush around trying to get things done so that I can leave on time to go teach another yoga class. Get home, make dinner, feed the dog, post a picture, and go to bed. Every day is the same. And though there are some aspects of the routine that I hate, there are moments in the day that bring me pure joy. I have to remember to stop and be grateful for those small simple moments because are the things that get me through each day. Last night, I found myself riding behind a young couple on an old scooter. I watched them zipping along, she was clinging to his back with one hand while her head bobbed around this way and that taking photos with a small camera. We ended up stopped at a stop light together and when he noticed me in his side mirror, she turned around, said "Hi!" and snapped my picture. There are so many times in my life during the day when I wish I could just snap a photo and capture that one moment, to be the girl on the back of the scooter for a change. But I am the girl on the scooter and until I get some sort of contraption to hold the camera on the scooter so that I can take pictures of the things I see as I drive by, I must be grateful just to be able to see, to be able to have that moment.

Of course I am also thankful that its Friday and that Chris and I have planned to break in to friends house for the weekend and lounge by/in their pool, use their fabulous outdoor grill and fireplace, and feel free to run around naked. Have a great day!

LOVE THURDAYS AND GARDEN DIARIES

This may seem sort of lazy of me, mixing two blog entries into one, but I love my garden. Every time I go out there to water or spray for bugs, I find myself completely surprised by what had popped up.

The tomatoes and the beans are gearing up to produce a second round of fruit. I've pulled two cucumbers from one of the cucumber plants this week, along with two handfuls of red chili peppers. There is even a teeny tiny cantaloup growing up out there.

I just love our little veggie garden. I love all of the surprises it brings, something new every day. When we started this project, I had no idea just how much joy it would bring to my life. I feel like I can draw a double line through "Grow my own vegetables" on my Life List.

Happy Love Thursday!

MRS. SWAN AND THE THAI LANGUAGE CLASSES

I've been saying for some time that I needed to write up something about Thai Language classes, but then the heat of summer really kicked in and I kind of feel like a languid Southern belle that can't do more than swing on a front porch with a mint julep. So, bare with me here. This may ramble a bit. It's been a long time since I've done a Mrs. Swan story. Since changing up the blog to be more positive, I really couldn't do an entry about the mother-in-law. If you can't say something nice......blah, blah, blah. But recently things have shifted a bit. I think it's because I'm going to Thai language classes. Earlier in the summer, the grand-kids (our niece and nephew) started class at the Thai temple. I said that I wanted to go too, but at the time they were only taking little kids. I guess there was enough interest though because they got a teacher for adults. So, every Sunday from 1:00-3:00 PM, I go to the temple where I sit with another guy and our teacher, learning the Thai words for fruits and veggies. I don't know really how much I'm learning because I'm not very diligent on studying. But I can say "mango" in Thai. I can also say "good afternoon", "good morning", and "thank you". Some of that has got to be useful. And it puts me in the good graces of Mrs. Swan. Since I've shown an interest in her language she has been nicer to me, cooking meals for us for no reason, and even helping every now and then with pronunciation. We just yell ma muang (mango) back and forth until she decides that I've gotten the tone and inflection right.

She still gets on my nerves, like bringing that heavy God-awful kitchen table back into the new kitchen (I should have set the thing on fire when I had the chance). But most of the time she makes me laugh. Like when I came home Monday and found her mowing the yard. She was wearing this plaid flannel long-sleeved shirt and one of those pointed Asian-styled straw hats. It looked like we had hired some immigrant to do our yard work. Also, she pulled out a box of our books that we had set aside for donation and then put them all up on her bookshelf. After the kitchen remodel, she put everything back into the kitchen and suddenly had this spare bookcase. Instead of getting rid of it, she filled it. I'm almost tempted to tell her that she can only keep the books if she reads them. She calls the books "her books" now and gets frantic when she notices that one is missing. I see an episode of Hoarders in our future.

Sawatdee ka.

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

I better get this up now, or it probably won't happen today. Monday's lab meeting left me collapsing under the new list of things that must be accomplished this week. The happy list is going to save my bacon this week.

• Being ahead of schedule
• Getting my spine all put back in order
• Huevos Rancheros (Why is this so good and easy!)
• Talking about food
• Getting to eat cake two times in one day
• The veggie sandwiches I made for my lunches
• When Chris brings me coffee from Coffee Slingers
• Watching a really silly documentary on PBS about breakfast places. (There's a couple of places we missed in Portland)
• A day all to myself
• Riding the scooter all the way to Robin's house in Edmond
• Hanging with the Jen's
• Lazy Sunday
• The veggie stand outside of Cheevers
• The cucumber I picked from the garden (it's going in my tabbouleh).
• The baby cantaloupe I noticed last night growing in the garden along with all the red peppers I picked.

OK. I'm off to start a Western and prepare for a visiting Post-Doc and another awkward lab lunch. Yippee!

THANKFUL FRIDAYS

As always, I'm thankful for the usual things in my life (Chris, Hooper, family, friends, roof over my  head, etc). In fact I listed these in my head this morning as my mantra during meditation. But this week I am thankful for the random things. Yesterday, as I scootered out to the north side to teach my class, I was witness to a number of odd (?) things. First, I saw a guy on a bicycle, which doesn't seem all that strange. Except the bicycle had a small front tire with a long axial (?) bar leading to the handle bars. Almost a reverse of one of these. Plus the guy was wearing a Fedora. I must find a way to safely carry and use a camera while riding the scooter. Then, after two narrow escapes - that area around Penn and Northwest Expressway is crazy!-, I heard what sounded like a lawn mower, but looked like a bicycle. It was a guy on a moped! And boy was that thing loud. I am thankful that I have the vision (not just physically) to see the things around me and to be actively present. Those two cars that tried to move over into my lane and run me down yesterday both contained drivers with cell phones attached to their ears. They had no idea they had just about killed someone. The girl in front of us at Chipotle placed her order while she was in conversation with someone on her cell. She could barely even express what she wanted . "Just give me a bowl" she said. Actually, if I had been working there, I would have just handed her an empty bowl. I am thankful that I don't feel the need to be so unconnected from world outside of technology. That even when I am alone, I can be alone.

Last, but not least, I am thankful for Misti introducing me to her friend Kizz. Kizz is going to be my partner in crime at the Blogher conference. She thinks she's going to hide to behind me, but really it's the other way around. Yesterday we were emailing plans back and forth and I got so excited/nervous/giddy/crazy my body almost separated from its skin and I did something really rash and hilarious. I noticed that Chookoolonks (be sure to wish her a happy birthday today!) was online through my mail chat and I opened a chat with her to ask her about business cards 'cause I was spazzing out. She was very nice and cool (of course she was, she's CHOOKOOLONKS). I am thankful I had the courage/whatever to approach her and I'm thankful she was so nice about it.  Though I am thankful for the world around me, I realize that balance is everything. So I am thankful for the online community of friends and people that I have accumulated.

Hope every one has a great weekend and a very Thankful Friday!

LOVE THURSDAY

OK. So I know I've done an entry or two about how much I love my scooter. Some may be a little tired of hearing about it, but too bad. You're going to hear it any way.

The weather here lately has not been good for riding the scooter. Tropical depression after tropical depression has settled in over our state and they don't just drop a drizzly kind of rain. They've dumped buckets of rain and caused flash floods all across the city. I didn't ride at all last week. And you know what? Last week SUCKED!

Riding home this evening, I was reminded of just how happy the scooter makes me. My mood began to lift the moment I buckled on my helmet. I couldn't help but grin as I rode down the street and laugh out loud as I hit my favorite bump on 4th. People waved as they passed and I waved back. It was so ideal and perfect. It was almost like being on parade.

Simple. Pure. Joy. Happy Love Thursday!

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY TUESDAYS

Last week was a pretty good week, if you subtract the eight hours a day spent at work. Actually, I think it's best to just separate myself from all of that. Be a zombie during the working day and save up my energy for the things in my life that really make me happy. I think this new strategy can work.

• Getting rid of (by rid, I mean completely pay off) one huge debt/bill
• making Grand Plans
• Leaving the keys on the roof of the car, driving almost out of the neighborhood before realizing keys were on roof, stopping car and finding that the keys are still there.
• One month until Blogher!
• Picking fresh Christmas beans from the garden
• Completing the list of tasks given to me for the week and still having time on Friday to prepare my presentation for lab meeting
• Making an appointment for a chiropractic visit followed by and hour and half massage
• Visiting Amy in Duncan
• The Duncan Goodwill
• The new blouse and skirt I bought for Blogher that cost me a whole $2
• Thai language class ( I really should write up a proper entry about this soon)
• Life Planning with Chris
• The new sparkly pink lipstick I bought. It doesn't come off.
• Making beads from magazine paper and a bracelet. (unfortunately, the bracelet didn't survive the trip home from Duncan; paper beads all over the car)
• The chickpea spread I made for my sandwiches this week
• Eating the Christmas beans from the garden. They turn purple when you cook them and taste like woodsy butter-beans.
• Working in my garden

Actually...I feel like this week is going to be better. I have things I'm looking forward to each day as apposed to things I'm dreading each day. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

GARDEN DIARIES

It seems like it's been weeks since I've done a proper Garden Diaries entry. I went out this evening to plant a new pepper plant, trim up some things and fertilize. I had also planned to take some pictures, but as I was finishing up and dark rain cloud moved over and I lost all the good lighting. The rain and flash flooding seems to be our new tornado.

Every thing is green. I mean everything. We have green tomatoes, green bell peppers, green chili peppers, green Thai chili peppers, and green lettuce. Earlier in the week a big green tomato fell off the stem and into my hands. I placed it on the kitchen windowsill. It's finally starting to turn red. I'm thinking of picking off the other green tomatoes and making a sort of green tomato pickle relish. It will be good practice for when my cucumbers are ready. I have the beginnings of them now.

The best news? Christmas beans! We have enough to cook up for dinner this week. I can't wait to see how they taste.

THANKFUL FRIDAYS

I really hate to do this, but OH MY GOD I AM SO THANKFUL IT IS FRIDAY! Really, short weeks shouldn't be this hard or this long or this challenging. So, yeah, for once I'm playing the "Thankful it's Friday" card. I am thankful that I've been able to wrap up all the tasks that were given to me at the beginning of the week. I am thankful that I have time to today to compile all of that work into a comprehensible presentation for Monday's lab meeting. I am thankful for the time we will spend visiting our friend Amy this weekend. Actually, I'm just thankful for all of my friends. You guys are awesome. Let's see...what else can I add? This morning I pulled a handful of beans from the garden along with some bell peppers. We have enough beans to top a salad. Ooh! What if we had taco salad with those beans? What if? I think I've reached the point of rambling. So I'll end with that.

Wait! I am thankful for the piece of bubble wrap John just gave me. POP!

LOVE THURSDAY

This has been a very trying week. The whole lab is weighed down in a funk. My saving grace has been the ability to chat with Chris online through out the day. He has been head cheer leader this week.

He has been working hard on dwindling down our debt. This week, when I've gotten so surrounded by the black goo of the lab, he has been there to remind me of the Grand Plan. And when that doesn't work, I just look at this.

Happy Love Thursday!

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

Is it Tuesday already? What is happening to the time? Any hoo. Even though I only managed to write down three things on the list this week, there were many things that made me happy last week.

• Chris's mom digging out all of our books set aside for donation to fill up her bookshelf and then referring to them as her books.
• Relatively peaceful work week
• Slicing parafin blocks
• My morning walks
• Impromptu visit in Tulsa with the folks
• Mom's new patio
• The Pie Hole for pizza!
• The retro antic shop we visited (even if they were a bit over priced)
• Whole Foods!
• The grocery store near Mom and Dad's. They have a shocking amount of organics.
• Listening to all the fireworks being exploded in the neighborhood
• Taking mom to see Toy Story Three
• Getting caught up on True Blood
• Misti time!

It was a really good week. Let's keep it up people!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

What to be thankful for this Friday? Well, we are about to celebrate the 234th year of Americas declaration of independence. And despite, our constant grumbles about this that and the other, I am proud and thankful to be an American and the many opportunities this has brought me. I am thankful that Chris and I will be able to celebrate the 4th of July in our usual way by camping out at our favorite secluded campground. Since we won't be around this weekend, I thought I'd also tag on the Garden Diary to this post. The garden is something I am thankful for. It is supplying us with many bell peppers and lots of lettuce. This morning I went out to spray for bugs and clip some things back ( did I mention we have a lot of lettuce?). It was a very pleasant morning of pruning and spraying and noticing what's new in the garden. I have a teeny tiny cucumber and some very green chillies and tomatoes. And I was thankful this time. I was thankful for that simple moment of calm.

I am hoping that everyone can find there moment of simple calm today. Have a wonderful Holiday and a Thankful Friday.

LOVE THURSDAY

Last year, Chris and I finally made it to the Gay Pride Parade (something I had been trying to get us to for years) and then we wondered why none of our gay friends were there to enjoy the show with us.

This year we made The Jens drive up for it. We had the perfect shady tree, some water, chairs and blanket and The Jens. I took way too many pictures, but who cares. We had a great time.

There's no big explanation needed to link a Love Thursday post to the Gay Pride Parade. I love The Jens and they are my family. It's that simple. I'm proud to know them and I'm proud of them. I also had several yoga students in the parade who would holler out to me as they passed. It was a place to be loved and supported.

You can see all the pictures of the parade here. Happy Love Thursday!

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY TUESDAYS

I was really considering taking a blogging hiatus after this weekend. So much, so full and tons of pictures to be sorted and edited. But then I realized that today's entry is practically written, so it would just be lazy of me not to post.

• Getting told that my priority is the microscopy (not the Western Blots)
• Seeing heads turn as I scooter past
• Fixing my shoes with Gorilla Glue
• Subbing a yoga class for new people where I can just share my practice
• Peanut butter and banana sandwiches for breakfast
• Spending all day  and night with the Jens
• Thai language class
• Setting up the tent to air out so we can use it this weekend
• Pina coladas at Taruhumara's
• Avocado enchiladas
• Gay Pride Parade!

Pictures are coming eventually from the parade. Garden Diaries has been postponed. I have tomatoes. They are green. We are eating bell peppers. That's about it on the garden front. Have a great day!

THANKFUL FRIDAYS

I've been reading Eat, Pray, Love and recently got to a part about being grateful for what you do have. I'm not ready to write any thoughts about the book yet. That's a whole other entry. But today in meditation I decided to switch things up a bit, in pondering the grateful for what I do have. Instead of 24 rounds of a mantra, I listed 24 things that I am thankful for. It started out with the usual things like Chris, family and friends, but I also included some simple things like the ability to just get out of bed this morning. It's so easy to be grateful (and even take for granted) the big things in life like loved ones and friends. I think it's more difficult to remember to be thankful for the simple things. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that are keeping me together. The simple act of riding the scooter, teaching a really good yoga class, making pizza from scratch with veggies from our garden, all of these are reasons enough for me to get up each day. The loved ones and friends are the sprinkles on top of the ice cream.

Have a wonderful weekend and thankful Friday.

LOVE THURSDAY

These people are my family and they were troopers last Saturday. I had decided to take Dad to the Pawnee Bill Wild West Show for Father's Day and when I mentioned the plan, the rest of the family willingly joined in. And I love them.

They sat through hours of sun, heat, dust and copious amounts of snow-cones while we watched chariot races, Indian dances, rope tricks, trick riding and even belly dancers. But it was all in good fun and Dad really had a good time. I think we all had a pretty good time.

You can see all the pictures here. Happy, happy, Love Thursday.