The Perfect Starting Point

Flannery ran around my dad's house, a couple weeks ago, snapping pics with my camera, and this was one of them. I was so glad she took this picture. It was September 11th, the day after my doctor's appointment regarding my bloodwork. It was my first day of vitamins, fish oil, low sugar and a focus on healthy fats and exercise. I remember that I didn't have cake, even though it was beth's birthday party. I chose not to.

I'm holding my little nephew Phoenix, my sister Beth is in the background, and I do not look healthy. I am saving this picture as a reminder of who I no longer want to be.

...and that double (or is it triple?) chin!

3 rolls...Oh Lord...my breasts just look like another roll.

I had my plain hot oatmeal this morning with fresh raspberries. I enjoy being healthy. And it's not about my size...my focus is on the good things I put in my body and the energy I expell. I feel so alive...finally. I finally feel there might be a future for me.

Stuff I Like Around the House

"Dee! Dee!" Cannon yells and runs to the window. Yep. Deer like to visit and they are less and less afraid of us...mainly Cannon, who bangs on the window and yells at the top of his lungs.

Christina brought this to me from Copenhagen. I love it. I dream of visiting Denmark in a few years. I adore Christina!

My new favorite Salt City Candle (for the moment) Bamboo. Lovely.

One of the many spectacular antique lamps Chris has found at antique stores. This one is glass, with hand painted stripes in gold and green.

We gained a lot of glass fruit from the house in Moclips. I love the detail and color.

Len and Betsy (Chris' dad & wife) came to visit and he gave me a pair of binoculars he got at Goodwill for just $12. They work great! We use them daily to spot whales, porpoises, sealion and pelicans. So much fun. What a great gift!

We found these cuties at Fred Meyer for 50% off. They match the majority of his wardrobe. He is such a doll in them, clomping around and making foot noises!

Chris bought this for me last Christmas. It is SOOOOO me! I love gawdy stuff like this, and the colors, peach and orange, are so pretty! Anyway, it holds a votive, though I've never used it for anything but inspiration.

My grandparents created this together. My grandpa Bauer is a carpenter and he cut out the shapes that my grandma had sketched on his jigsaw...then she painted each piece. From what I recall, in the 60s, there were plaques like this one sold at JC Penny's, and my grandma loved them, but they were so expensive! So she decided they would make their own. This is the middle piece, there are two other pieces which are smaller and sit on either side. They were above their fireplace for as long as I can remember as a child and I have always fancied them. She gave them to me a few years ago and I am so grateful because they are so ME!

Kelly's son, Josiah, spotted this at Big Lots one day while they were shopping and said, "We should get this for Auntie Erin." So, Kelly got it for me. I love it!

This quote is just one of many funny quotes that fill this flip book called, "You Say I'm a Bitch Like it's a Bad Thing." Kathi Wiley Gladson, Joshua Griffith's mom, bought it for me for Christmas 2 years ago and I have so much fun choosing a different quote for my mood! Some quotes I can't have out, due to a daughter who reads very well now, but they make me laugh. "I used to care, but now I take a pill for that." - "Be nice to your children...they'll choose your nursing home."
The tin next to it is another one of Chris' finds...I love it.

Stuff and Things

I think I'm going to start looking for these owls at thrift stores. I see them all the time...but I can paint them pumpkin and teal and make a neat wall of owls. These are Elsie's. Her blog makes me get excited about creating.

I don't practice yoga, persay, but I spend a lot of time staring into the ocean, breathing deply and worshiping God with my thoughts.

Found this amazing print with perfect wordage at FreyaArt. I was thinking it reminded me of Chris and I and is so appropiate to where we've ended up together. I love it!

This last thing is from Post Secret. Post Secret is intense and moving and funny and sad all at the same time. Poeple send in post cards with truths on them that they wouldn't tell anyone else. Sometimes it's disturbing but gives a glimpse into the human condition. I love this. I hope one day I can make it truth for myself.

A Pipe Dream

My beautiful friend, Courtney Roser, told me that the pipe I blogged about and photographed so curiously, is just a water intake pipe that leads to the aquarium. Well, locals don't know everything.

Another Long Walk

Chris stayed home with Cannon while Flannery was at school yesterday and I went for a 3 mile walk along the ocean. I usually stay on the promenade or in town, but I hadn't been on the sand at all since we moved here, and I felt drawn to it.

I walked, talked to God, cried some, sang and walked fast at times until I was breathing hard and getting my heart pumping good. I stomped in the water and splashed like a child. I thanked God for my husband...probably 10 or more times. He was just on my mind and heart. He is such a good man. He takes care of me and encourages me to be healthy and strong and silly. I needed a break from home and this was so nice to just walk...alone.

I, of course, took my camera...

2 seagulls were barking at eachother and stealing this from one another. I thought originally it was a crab shell...nope. It was a cup in crabshell colors. So funny the things we fight about that don't matter at all.

The clouds began to part as I walked along the ocean.

Thousands of fish were dead and scattered in a line, having been dumped there the day before by the high tide.

I spoke to a local who was walking her dog and she had heard 2 stories. One, that a fisherman lost his net...and the other was that it was the end of their life span. I would think the earlier of the ideas was true. SO many fish.

I wore my "flip flops" so I could walk in the waves.

Glad I had my shoes on...an 8" Jelly Fish came into view.

Then...a 3" mini-jelly...

I love the birds as they do their own "clam digging." They get so many clams. I always see empty razor clam shells...razor clams are my favorite!!!

Look! It's our house!

As I walked north, I saw a large object...prople were gathering to see what it could be.

Well, it was a HUGE old pipe! It was as high as my chest, and didn't budge when I pushed on it. Pretty though...

That green is almost "Hillary" by Bazzill...(scrappers know what I'm talking about.)

It must have been a sprayer of some sort...Might have to look it up online or something.

Here's the only whole-ish sanddollar I found. Dang Oregon coast.

On my way back, I found a nice place to sit and let my pant cuffs dry out a little. Everywhere I look, it's an amazing view.

I have no complaints about my life. I love it!

Sugar Rush...

Dr. Oz has his own show now...(Thank you Oprah!) The only time I watched Oprah lately was when Dr. Oz was on. I have learned a lot about my health and wellness because of him. Today he spoke to a guy with HORRIBLE numbers...hemoglobin, waist size, weight, blood sugar...this guy BBQs ribeye steaks and as they were grilling, he smeared butter all over them. Well, Dr. Oz put him on a 28 day vegan diet.

He also has a 28 day plan to get off of sugar. I have been slowly eliminating the bad sugars and excess sugar from my diet. Not sure I want to do a full detox, but I like the idea of it. The plan is on his site and it's a 4 week, simple plan.
Click here to see it!

Healthy Me?

Lowering my LDL cholesterol, raising my HDL cholesterol, and omitting most carbs, unless they are complex carbs. My diet consists of 100% whole grain bread, 100% whole grain oats, fresh fruit, brown rice, black beans, veggies, low fat turkey (for wraps in 100% whole grain wraps), fresh spinach (in the wraps and withered in egg whites) and lots of water. I still drink coffee, with powdered plain creamer or fat free half and half.

My meds/vitamins are Celexa (depression), B-Complex, Fish Oil, Claritin (allergies), and 81 mg. asprin daily. I have a click in my heart, and we're going to check my valves with an ultrasound when I come back in.

I am getting healthy per my doc's advice...I'm 35 and have been overweight for 17 years. When I got my car, I got addicted to sitting around and driving through anywhere for food. I'm tried of feeling like crap. Time to get my shit together.

Pen...

I have been asked to help a friend in the writing of a book. I won't be actually writing, but recalling events and creating a timeline complete with names and stories. I am so excited...and it's even a paying gig!

Not sure on the confidentially of it all, so more to come when I know more.

Funny, cause just this morning, I was talking to Flannery about my writing and that I want to write more consistently when Cannon goes into preschool. Then, I get this call. So cool!

Cannon Beach Conference Center 2009

Our annual Cannon Beach trip with the Collins' family went off without a hitch - minus a handful of sermons that ripped out my heart. Matt Hannan, the pastor of Vancouver's New Heights Church, taught on ANGER. Talk about a tough teaching. I was a wreck almost the entire time. I had to work through a bunch of stuff and it made me feel miserable. The worship time was enriching and wonderful. Rescue, the accapella group, performed and though I am not a true fan of that style of music, the lyrics were powerful. I have to say that the music and teaching time trumps any other time I've experienced at CBCC in the past.

Our newest edition is Elsie Ammiel Goodenough, a 4 week old precious little girlie that we all had to joy of holding and cuddling. Cannon made progress in the nursery...cried when he arrived but quit quickly after we left. Yay!

One of Matt's phrases was "LET IT GO." He joked that we should get tattooed with that phrase...so as he talked, I drew it on my arm with wings.

Next year, we're switching our CBCC stay to Memorial Day weekend so Jenny and Leon can attend X-Fest, a festival at the old TOM Fest grounds in Stevenson, WA. X-Fest takes place every Labor Day weekend and Leon wants a chance to minister there the entire time. I am so happy for them, and all of us had no problem in switching dates for our annual family trip!

Here's some pics from the weekend...out group gets larger every year!

The Collins Family

2 days ago, Len and Betsy Collins (Chris' dad and his wife) came for a visit. It was great. I feel so comfortable with them. I'm not afraid to be myself. Betsy and Flannery really connect. They both love adventure and nature and together they literally 'blazed' a trail from our backyard down the bluff to the ocean. Len gave me a belated birthday gift...BINOCULARS! They are so cool! We've been sitting near the window passing them back and forth watching whales, surfers, sea lions, puffins and herons. It's revolutionized our ocean-watching! Did you know that a group of sea lions is called a "raft?" True.

Yesterday, Chris picked up Susan and Wayne Guinn (Chris' mom and her husband)from PDX - they flew in from Tennessee for our annual Cannon Beach Conference Center Collins' Family Retreat! Last night we played a couple games of Sorry, and then Chris made his signature Caramel Popcorn for everyone and we watched Journey to the Center of the Earth. (The one with Brendan Fraser.) If you have a family movie night, rent it. It's adventure, drama and humor all in one...Flannery LOVES it.

I had my first appointment with my new primary care doc...she's chubby and happy and dresses neat and hip and says "crap" sometimes, which made me really like her. ;) Her office is in Astoria, which gives me time to "take a breather" from being mom for a bit. (I listened to ENATION's album. Heard them at TOM Fest this year and was blown away...Sounds a bit like U2, Coldplay and Radiohead-ish with God at the forefront. I am smitten with this CD!) My doc gave me a complete blood work up, she took my history, Rx history and her first question was, "What do you need me to do for you first off?" I loved that...it was, of course, "perscription refills!" - nothing great, people...just some celexa, albuterol and ativan. Gotta stay sane.

I'm back on Weigh Down...or at least eating when I'm hungry and stopping short of full. I feel great just after 4 days. Today, we had planned to take Wayne and Susan to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and so I planned, hunger-wise, for it. I knew I would want cheese samples and then an ice cream cone...in a waffle cone, of course...and so I had one slice of toast with some turkey on it...then I found out that, well, Chris didn't want to take 2 cars (us, Wayne and Susan, the kids, etc) and so I decided to stay home with Cannon. In the meantime, I've had a small cup of Doritos and some coffee. They're bringing home dinner soon, and I am beginning to feel hungry again.

Yay hunger!

Flannery Maeve