I have no idea what blogspot is doing

and don't have the desire or energy to figure it out.

Enjoy the picture of the cute kid anyway.

Happy Halloween

I'm not alright, you're not alright

I struggle with self image like nearly every American, I'd guess. Those of us plugged into the media in the forms of TV, movies, magazines, newspapers, and/or radio have all got the message: Thin is Good. Thin is moral. Thin is the priority. Thin is healthy. Thin is the only form of beauty.

Thin is ever increasingly hard to obtain in our sedentary, high fructose corn syrup laden, fast food abundant, speed of light world. It makes me think of the Rubenesque beauties that were heralded for their voluptuousness perhaps because high calorie food was difficult to obtain and having extra flesh was a sign of wealth and prosperity (and I'm sure a nice way to stay warm in those drafty homes of the 16th century).

In celebrities we've got a few awesome men and women with some curves and rolls that show one can be chubby and healthy. One such celebrity that passes for fat is America Ferrera.



She's a lovely woman with beautiful skin, a warm smile, and a healthy and curvy body.

And here is the lovely Ms. Ferrera in a magazine shoot



What? Where are the lines on her neck? What happened to her cute freckles? Her soft arms? And did she get a breast enhancement?

Clearly not. She's been altered by the infamous air brushing that is rampant in every fashion magazine.

No wonder no one feels beautiful enough, good enough.

While strides are being made I still struggle with accepting who I am and what I look like. I don't expect to look like the magazines models (because I know they are fake) but it can be hard to get the logical side of my brain to link up with the emotional side. I know that beauty doesn't make a human being a quality person but the constant battering of thin imagery takes a conscientious decision to overcome. I'm still working on it each and every day and I know that I will for a long time to come. I hope that my daughters and son grow up stronger and more self assured than I am. The best I can do is try my best not to expose my children to this type of media until they are older and can process it better as well to not let them know about my unhealthy self image.

Neighbors

Currently in the rain and thunder the man across the street is mowing his lawn. This isn't actually odd behavior for him. He seems to spend the majority of his time out of his home. I'm not sure if he just likes being outside or if the teens are getting to him. They clearly have teenagers though I couldn't say how many. There are always teens coming in and out of the house, sneaking around to the side to make out, and walking up and down the road. They aren't obnoxious but they are always there. Maybe the man is simply forced out by lack of space. He seems to spend hours a day putting things in and taking things out of his truck. He also mows the neighbors' yard on one side of him. At first I thought it was nice as she appeared to be a single mom but now I'm thinking that it's another excuse to keep out of his own home. Perhaps I should strike up a friendship and see how much lawn work I can get...

It's time...

Tea time




















Shawn and I have been having an affair since the Autumn weather has us feeling so cold. Even though we are devout coffee drinkers one cannot carry on with that much caffeine all day. To get past the evening (or morning, or afternoon) chill we've been consuming a lot of tea.

Pictured above is Organic Masala Chai in those wonderful triangular silk bags. This is some good tea. You can see the herbs and tea leaves in the bag not just some random fine dust. I know it's not a high end tea but it's delicious with a great aroma to boot.

The chai isn't our only dalliance, or at least not mine, I also adore the vanilla rooibos and peach and blueberry and a nice mint green tea to soothe an upset stomach (I just hope I can keep the Smooth Move boxed up).

Our new love has been encouraged in no small part by a new toy. We all know toys can spice things up but this one has not only made things more exciting but easier too.

His name is Capresso. A svelt Italian fellow that I couldn't recommend more. Capresso brings us boiling water in no time and has many uses. I flip the switch for my French press, for water to thin sauces, for oatmeal, and of course our several times daily tea. I've wanted this for a long time and am so glad that we finally brought it home.