Cleanse.

It is Day 3 of our 3-5 day cleanse.  We are having some withdrawal symptoms, but dealing fairly well with them.  I have a headache that comes and goes.  Neither of us feels great yet, so we are going to stick it out for the full 5 days and hope for improvement.

Because of the cleanse, there is a lot more food prep going on in our house than usual, and that takes up quite a bit of time.  I can't just grab a protein bar on the run, or make a big pot of coffee to drink from all morning.  It is all fresh fruits and veggies, very limited grains, nothing processed.  We have managed to have some fun being creative with what IS allowed on this diet.

These whole foods were chopped and blended to create the "smoothie" shown in the next photo.

I will not go to the trouble of making this ever again. ;P   It looked pretty, though!

We tried quinoa for the first time.  Very bland, but I liked the texture and it was enjoyable with some cinnamon, flax seed, and finely diced apple (for me) and sliced banana (for him).

This was my favorite experiment so far. On the left: 1 hard boiled egg, 1/4 of an avocado, dash of yellow mustard, fresh ground pepper.  On the right:  Steamed kale, lemon juice, red pepper flakes.  I ended up combining the two, and it was delish!

[Disclaimer for the rest of this post:  I really don't want this to be an online diary or therapy session.  My ultimate intent is for this blog to be informative, inspirational, and entertaining.  Right now, though, I am still working on getting myself back into a creative energy groove after such a long hiatus.  So I apologize for the excessive "I"s and "me"s being used. And for the lack of a clear topic.  But there is some jumbled junk blocking my thoughts, and until I get that out and onto "paper", I can't focus on the good stuff. I am hoping that this will improve as I continue to practice, practice, practice.  If you are reading this, Thank You for being my writing practice guinea pig.]

I had a rough start this morning.  And by "rough start" I mean I was feeling sorry for myself.  And when I feel sorry for myself, I get mad at - you guessed it: myself - for being such a wuss.  I have been frustrated and disappointed.  I am stuck in a rut, un-motivated, scared, distracted, foggy-brained.

I am hoping the cleanse will help with some of the brain fog.  I have read and heard first hand from varied sources that acupuncture can be very helpful for this, as well as many other health concerns.  So, as I often do when I need information fast, I put a post on Facebook asking my friends for recommendations for an acupuncturist.  I got some really great leads, and will be contacting the suggested practitioners to find the right fit for our family.  

While I was working full time I would daydream about having time to be with my family, write, and work on creative projects.  I wondered what the heck I had done with my days before I had a full time job.  I made a solemn vow that if I got that free time back I would NEVER waste it again.  Sadly, I have broken that vow.  I need to get my motivation rolling, and practice writing and creating every day, as if it is my job.  Breaking the ice and getting into a habit is difficult for me.  And I tend to procrastinate.  A lot.  Even though I know how much better it is to just jump into something.  Even though I know I perform better when I am busy (with a reasonable amount of down time to re-charge, of course).

So, (after a heart to heart talk with my sweet husband and an hour long hike with my puppy - both of which always make me feel much better) in an attempt to introduce some direction and discipline, and I made a list of what I want to accomplish today :

• Transfer photos from my cell phone to my laptop so that I can use them in blog posts. (Done, hence the photos in this posting.)
• Write this post. (Almost done.)
• Wash at least 2 loads of laundry.  (Half way there.)
• Sweep / vacuum all floors in the house. (This will have to get moved to tomorrow's list, as the photos and writing took a helluva lot longer than I expected. Plus, you know, I am easily distracted. Ha.)
• Practice drawing stuff. (This is going to have to wait until later / tomorrow, too, because now it is time to get ready for the next item of business.)
• Get ready to go to calling hours for my mother's cousin who has passed away. :(

Enjoying a peaceful moment on our new favorite hiking trail.

Instafamous

I have an addiction to Instagram.  Like, I'm completely obsessed.



I love capturing moments in time: a running, truncated, artistic commentary on my life, and the lives of the family, friends, and artists that I follow.

Inspiration Incorporated!

I quit my job in June. 

I worked full time for two and a half years in a customer service / quasi-project manager role. I was grateful to find a job when I needed one, and at a sketchy time in our nation's economy.  I worked hard at that job and took pride in doing my best.  I worked with some really great people. I made friends that I will keep for life.  I learned a lot about the business world and even more about myself.

One of the things that I learned about myself is that I will never love the telecom business, no matter how hard I try.  And, believe me, I tried.  I was presented with opportunities to learn more and move up in the company.  It was very flattering, but instead of being excited about these opportunities, I became increasingly desperate to escape that world.  I yearned to have more time to be creative.  I spent many lunch breaks jotting down ideas for art, home decorating, and writing projects of all sorts.  In every room of the house there are notebooks and loose pieces of paper which have story ideas, drawings, and lists of projects scribbled in them.

I agonized, deliberated, prayed about the decision.  I asked friends and relatives for their honest opinion.  I worried about what people would think.  I worried about losing the income for our family.  I kept asking my husband, "Are you sure it's okay?" Almost every day I asked him the same questions, seeking reassurance, giving him the chance to change his mind.

Because *what if* I suck at writing and art and make a fool of myself?  Publicly.  *shudder*

My last day at my J.O.B. was 2 days before the end of school for my daughter.  This summer I have been focused mostly on enjoying my daughter and my husband, getting back into exercising, hiking with my dog... 

 

It has been a lot of fun, and I am ever so grateful to have the chance to do it! However, this whole time, in the back of my mind (sometimes the middle, and occasionally the front), has been the need to spend some time alone to carve away some of the residue which has clogged my brain.

Back in May (before I quit my job) I signed up for a workshop (see below), along with the lovely and talented Mary Ann Lana.  (PLEASE, for your own sake, check her out.  She is not only gorgeous and brilliant, but she is an inspired photographer, and fricken hilarious!)  I have a lot of ambitious ideas for this fall, including attending this event in a few weeks!      

 

I have been somewhat obsessively following artists that I find inspirational, and need to take action in the direction of creating my own art and writing.  I am trying to get myself organized and motivated, and doing as much as I can think of in order to get that ball rolling. 

On Monday I am going to start a detox / clean eating week which will include some of this Hay House cleansing beverage, and some of Lauren Kelly's clean eating menu.  I have caffeine and sugar addictions that need tempering.  I feel foggy and am lacking focus.  I have done clean eating before, and felt amazing after the cravings subsided, but had difficulties sticking to it.  So, this time, I convinced my sweet husband to do the cleanse with me.  Safety in numbers?  Let's hope.  

I will keep you posted.

Anyone out there struggling with motivation, clarity, and instilling healthy habits?  Suggestions, thoughts, commiserations, concerns?