Hello All

It's been a while, yet again. Well between bronchitis, two rounds of stomach bugs and a bit of traveling in between, my brain has not been interesting in giving me things to write. Well the house is beginning to regain order and a state of health and I am over my writer's block and there are posts in the work.

With all the resents coughs, aches and ickies I have been inspired to do a series on at home, non drug, ways to fix or atleast manage some of the common health complanets. I hope to have the first installment tomrrow.

Hope all is well with you. And I leave you with this photo from a recent trip to Conneticut to visit my family.

Blessings,
~Kate

New Year, New Week, New Post

In years past I have made New Year's Resolutions; they were broad and vague and usually forgotten by the end of January. But this year is different, this year I vow to make no New Year's Resolutions. I vow to take life month by month, week by week and day by day. I have places where I would like to be in a year and in five years. But as life so frequently needs us to be, I will be flexible and reevaluate my time frames and check lists. My hope is that in being a little bit more Organic in how I style my life, my lifestyle will follow suit. And that with some meditation, a little bit of prayer, and a lot of work, I will be able to meet my goals for this year.This was supposed to be ready for the first Monday of the year; but it was still percolating. See, I'm taking this year week by week.

photo credit: Me at the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show, take by R (my loving husband)

Good Heavens...

Has it really been over a month since I last posted? Well, I apologies. Life here has been both hectic and dull. I had a little set back in my health, but am doing better. I have come to the point were I need to add a little structure to my life.

I am thinking of choosing a day of the week to focus on a special topic. Is there something special you want to read or learn more about? Maybe health issues, or green cleaning tips, reciepes or prodjects. I would love to hear your opinions.

Also I think I am going to choose a day to write about daily life. Like I said I need a bit more structure, and a little motivation; and I think this blog, and you Dear Reader, can help with that.

What's Up, What's Down

It's been a while, hasn't it. Things have been quite and busy all at the same time. My health has been poor, still. But it will be doing better. We have answers and we have plans to fix them. However in the mean time this blog will be taking a bit of different turn. Don't worry it's not for the worse.

Actually it may be for the better... The Better Health of All. This summer Healthy Living will be a major focus of this blog. I'm not yet sure if I will be doing any series or not, I guess we will figure that out as I do my research.

Also I will be posting some yummi new receipts, as I experiment with new healthy foods. Actually I have two receipts involving Venison that I need to type up and post for you all :)

So until then, I hope all is well in your worlds and that it continues to be.

Please Excuse this Interruption...

of you regularly scheduled programing. I have day 2 photos and will post them with todays in a double duty WIFD post.

But at the moment I wanted to share with You, dear reader, a little bit of what is going on behind the blog. As many of you know I have had long term chronic health issues. Well in the past weeks these issues are getting worse. Extreme pain and muscle weakness are the main complaints. But I have exhaustion, and my mental clarity and fine motor skills are also effected. My husband and I are in a position that calls for me to work 30+ hours per week, out of the home. This causes complications because I have a 45 min. commute and don't get home until nearly 8pm. By the end of my work day I have done nothing for my home or my husband.

It deeply bothers me that Ro has to do the work of both the Husband and the Wife. And not just for a short time, while I recuperate from the flue or a fall. Oh no... when I have a “flair-up” I get a ton of new or revisiting symptoms and when my flair up is over some of them stay. This leaves me sicker than when I started.

I believe I have a place in this world, and that my illness may seem like road block it really isn't. But right now this road block is keeping me from going anywhere. And I'm running out of gas!

Falure to Frugal-ize

I took most of last week off from work as a preemptive strike; more long hours are coming at work and I was still having some residual infection issues and the diet of doom was a disaster. By Friday I was feeling better and to make my week complete Saturday I was surprised with a trip to the day spa. My indulgent and frugal husband found two special offers at the day spa in town; and I got to have a day of guilt free pampering. I had my hair cut and and a lemon grass manicure/pedicure combo. It's been nearly a year since I had either. I felt so refreshed and relaxed. And after a nap he took out for Sashimi, yum. And a little shopping (the only non essential was some terracotta pots). I love my Hubs!

All of this luxury has me thinking. There are two very distinct sides of me. A) the barefoot, organ gardening, save the planet side and B) the Coach shoe/handbag , pearl wearing gourmet food eating side. And I know that somewhere there is a balance between these two halves of a whole, but there is one large wedge between them. Frugality! In many ways both of these things can lend themselves to saving money, and to each other. Turn your lights off when not in the room saves energy and money; buying one high quality purse and using it for 2 or more season is better than buying more than 2 purses and sing them for less than one season. But sill you have to have the money to by the one high quality purse to being with. I'd say you even need the money to keep the lights on, but we are at least safe from that.

My spending habits have improved a lot over the past year and a half. But still, most days I don't think I'm doing enough, and then not long after I think about how I miss seeing the J Crew and Lord and Taylor bags sitting on the floor, after a triumphant day of shopping. Is it possible to ever stop wanting? Seeing that many can't even live of a “six figure” income, I'm not so sure.