Autumn has Fallen

I love how the air starts to feel in October. Even in Santa Barbara, where it's often sunny & seventy degrees, the Autumnal equinox can surely be felt. There's a cool breeze, clouds promising rain, and an overall feeling that change is imminent.

Transitions have always felt refreshing to me. It's a chance to begin anew, try on new thoughts or do something differently than I have before. I am ready for more of that. Bring it on, I say.

When I reflect on what changes I want to make in my life, I immediately think of my kitchen. I have a huge clutter pile there, right next to my stove. I don't know why I use this particular spot to store all my ambiguous junk, but it is home for most of it. My other spot is on the coffee table. I have various unread books and copies of our local free paper, the Independent, strewn about haphazardly. Then I "organize" this pile by stacking all of it together. But I never really find a proper place for it. I even started putting my bills there. At least I have finally begun to pay them on time. This is progress. The big kitchen pile is smack dab in the middle of my prosperity corner. This is not a good sign, according to the feng shui book I have stashed there.

So, what's a single puppy mama to do? When I get home from hanging with teenagers all day, Benji needs a walk or some kind of undivided attention for at least an hour. Then I have that part time job over at Taffy's Pizza, or an AA meeting so I can even have a home in the first place. When I return home, I am ready to plop down in bed and snooze. Then there's the weekend. Don't even get me started. I barely have time for meetings and friends, let alone get to know some new people in my life. So, the pile remains. It even grows with time.

I've heard what I need to do in this type of situation. I need to set aside 15 minutes (or more if I can spare) to focus on clearing this clutter pile. Then, I need to find permanent homes for everything, and make a concerted effort to keep them in their place. After that, I can relax and enjoy a prosperous, clean home with potential for visitors (some of them potential mates, perhaps).

Now that I've written this, I can't back out of it. I have made a commitment. I vow to clear my clutter pile and live free. Yay me!

This is my first raspberry of the season, & the first one grown by me! I ought to say it WAS the first, since I ate it already. It was delicious. Raspberries are my favorite fruit. And now, thanks to Chuy at our local farmer's market, I will have them all the time. He was kind enough to offer me a plant of my own last year for a small donation. I am ever so grateful. Yum.

Space Travel

That's how I feel...like I am on a journey through space. Lately I've been wiggling my toes & pushing my feet down. My head is in the clouds, but my feet are definitely planted on the ground. At least they were the last time I checked. I liken my recent internal shift to being on a new planet, since I keep feeling like I've never been "here" before. I am in uncharted territory, & this is the first time it feels really good. I am not afraid. I am so excited about my adventure! Every day, I completely abandon myself to a power greater than myself to guide me on this journey. I am ready to allow life to open its doors & I am jumping in! Woo hoo!!!

What I've been Up to Lately...

I've been cooking a LOT of soup. In the last 2 weeks, I've made 17 bean soup with a tomato broth base (sorta the consistency of chili), spicy chicken and white bean with potato soup, and a vegetarian Asian style soup with Thai spices (including some coconut milk). I made the last 2 soups in 2 days. I had to fight for room in the fridge, and get really creative with containers. Now I want to cook soup every week. Someone here in SB began a business I now wish I had thought of sooner. She calls it "Souperwoman". As some of you may know, I am Rockinsupergirl. I use this name for my email and all sorts of other places online, and it has gotten quite catchy. Now I like making soup. But I am not so sure about actually selling it. I really enjoy giving it away. I love watching the expression on the recipient's face as they savor each slurp. So I guess I am ok with sharing the name. I hope she is, 'cause this month, I am the real Souperwoman.

Avatar...

is AWEsome! This is me with my dear friends, awaiting our 3D Avatar experience. I see you. :)

Here is my Benji, the cutest, most wonderful doggie ever. When I took this photo, he was just 4 months old & living at a shelter called DAWG. He came home that day, which was March 29th, 2009; so we decided to make his birthday November 29th. He had a traumatic beginning, found on the side of the road in Lompoc with his sister & mother. They all got adopted. He has had a happy ending in a loving home in Santa Barbara.

There are many more sweet canine companions still waiting for a home. DAWG is open to the public on the weekends, or you can call for an appointment. The volunteers are so dedicated to helping the dogs adjust & stay comfortable. If you are not in a position to adopt, there are lots of opportunities to volunteer or foster a dog. For more info, please visit: http://www.sbdawg.org/

I Get What I Ask For

I recently renewed my interest in photography. In fact, I'm rather obsessed with taking pictures of just about everything. About 2 weeks ago, I made an intention, "I make good money taking photos." Well...Just 2 days later, I found high quality photo paper on the side of the road only a block from my house! This is the fastest manifestation I have ever experienced.

This led me to take more action. I chatted with the photography teacher on our campus (I work at a high school). We got to talking about 32 mm cameras, since I have yet to get my much coveted digital SLR, but have an old school version. I asked her where I could find some film, since it's no longer readily available. She said it's now really expensive, but she gets it cheap so she offered to sell me some.

I took photography in high school. Back then we had actual dark rooms. I learned how to manipulate light & speed. I also appear to have already had the knack for good composition. Thus, I create masterpieces on film. Even when I currently use an outdated digital point & shoot, I can capture Nature's beauty & life happening. Although I am absolutely drooling over a camera like the Canon Eos digital SLR with 10.1 megapixels, I can handle kickin it old school for a bit longer. This is how I roll. Lol.

I'll post my wondrous works soon.

A Novel Idea

Why don't I just tell you who I really am? Maybe I didn't know before. Perhaps that was the problem. Or I am just too prone to perfectionism to just let this ride. I have plenty of creative writing to share, & some of my old posts are noteworthy. Yet, I get the sense that I was hiding behind all those words. So many words. Most of my blogs were several paragraphs long. Truth is, I realize that none of you really care about all that. What most folks enjoy is hearing about the real deal.

It's late & it's raining. I am ready to cozy up in my bed. I love sleeping. I often recall my dreams. I write them down, & gain insight about my waking life. Sometimes I have prophetic dreams, where I predict future events. Other times I hope to God they aren't prophetic, since some really weird crap can go down inside my noggin at times. Anyway, it's time to go there & find out what's really going on. Good night all.