Attention all family — Devin and Izzy had their first playdate yesterday! Extreme cuteness ensued!!!
More Pictures
It is so much fun watching this next generation grow, and now bond! Dena and I used to play together when we were this age (with papa as our chaperone), so to see Izzy with Devin together has this very touching cycle/circle of life feel to it… And watching Devin around other babies is way cool!
AND getting treated to homecooking a la Auntie Citas? Funnest day Ever!
Attention all family — Devin and Izzy had their first playdate yesterday! Extreme cuteness ensued!!!
More Pictures
It is so much fun watching this next generation grow, and now bond! Dena and I used to play together when we were this age (with papa as our chaperone), so to see Izzy with Devin together has this very touching cycle/circle of life feel to it… And watching Devin around other babies is way cool!
AND getting treated to homecooking a la Auntie Citas? Funnest day Ever!
I have to apologize to my loyal readers (Hi Leish! lol) for the lack of updates and general MIA-ness. Truth be told, with the retrograde and impending Eclipses, I’ve been a bit of an emotional basketcase. Not really in a bad way — I’ve been experiencing just as many good/happy emotions as bad ones. It’s just that I’ve been feeling everything so intensely, all the time, and it’s been all over the map – up, down, up again, down again. When overstimulated and cranky, I tend towards hibernation. I can hardly stand to be around myself much less subject other people to it, lol.
Of course this is all compounded by the fact that the only person I feel like being around at all (besides Devin), is on a boat, in the middle of an ocean, somewhere on the other side of the world. Yup, I sure know how to pick’em, LOL. It is high, it is low, and all I can do is flow…
Anyway, just wanted to write something to let ya’ll know that yes, I’m still alive. Still dreaming, still writing. Still trying to figure out how I can help make the world a better place… Making progress on all of those fronts too, but that’s another blog 🙂
PS: Uploaded some more pics onto Flickr. (mostly of my handsome pimp of a nephew). The next generation is so beautiful and I can’t wait to add my own kids to this awesome posse of cousins 🙂
I’m sorry to have to report that another Mercury Retrograde is upon us. I know, I know, it feels like Mercury was just retrograde, lol. And technically, it was. Unfortunately for us, Mercury goes Retrograde once every three months, for about three weeks. This one is set to last through March 7th. Things will probably be a bit hectic and frustrating for the next three weeks. Just take a deep breath and blame it on the Retrograde…
Those of you that know what I’m talking about, know what I’m talking about. Mercury retrograde tends to cause malfunctions and miscommunications of epic proportions. All things that fall under Mercury’s rule (communication, transportation, travel, technology/electronics) start to short-circuit and break down. Computers crash, car trouble, we lose things, miss our plane/train/bus, have terrible arguments with our loved ones — feel free to blame it all on Mercury Retrograde. Don’t make any major decisions or purchases while Mercury is Retro — when it goes direct, chances are you will second-guess your decision. Information is just too garbled right now. They say the amount of time Mercury spends in retrograde motion corresponds to the amount of time human beings spend asleep. Mercury Retro FORCES us to slow down, even though we’re socialized to “go go go, faster faster.” The best use of a retrograde period is to sync up with the energies… Draw inward, engage in introspection. This is not the time to barrel forward with new initiations, but rather to Review, Reflect, Refine, Reorganize, Reevaluate, etc. In general, anything with a “re” at the beginning of it is a suitable Retrograde activity.
I started feeling this one the second it hit (it’s been ugly!), and most everyone I’ve talked to is experiencing some kind of mercury-related breakdown. Remember to breathe people-we’ll get through it. Patience (with yourself, and others) is key.
Awesome, just awesome. Those of you who’ve been reading the blog for awhile know I’m a card-carying Dixie Chicks fan and supporter. So I felt especially vindicated when I heard they not only SWEPT the Grammys by winning every category they were nominated in, but also took home THREE all-genre awards AND Country Album of the Year!
Chicks were winners in the following categories:
Album of the Year
Record of the Year
Song of the Year (Not Ready to Make Nice)
Best Country Album
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group
It’s delicious irony that the Chicks won “Best Country Album” since country music has pretty much disowned them and failed to support this album at all (only a handful of stations even play the Chicks music anymore). Natalie said it best when she quoted a popular Simpsons character – “Ha ha…” Note to Country Radio: The Chicks don’t need your stupid support to go double platinum and win an armful of Grammys *sticks tongue out*
This is a triumphant day for the Dixie Chicks and all Dixie Chick fans. When music and politics collided in a particularly ugly way, with three outspoken women at the center facing off against our infallible President (that’s sarcasm ya’ll), they stood their ground, championed free speech, refused to compromise their artistic integrity, and spit in the face of everyone who urged them to just “Shut Up and Sing.” And yesterday, their artistry was acknowledged and affirmed in a major way. It is about freakin’ time.
So so incredibly proud. You Go Girls!!!
Shortly after New Years, I decided to do my first Detox and Colon Cleanse. One of my best friends (along with her fiancee) decided to do it, and after hearing her rave reviews, I was convinced that a colon cleanse was exactly what I needed to usher in this next phase of my life. A phase focused on getting healthy and staying healthy. It is high time I made amends for the stuff I put my body through in my 20’s.
I’ve been a smoker for half my life (scary!), though I have actively been trying to quit for the past couple of years. Thanks to the chain-smoking Poet, the road trip brought on a relapse, but I’m ready to be done with this already. I’m also ready to pay more attention to things like diet and nutrition, along with committing to a regular exercise routine. If there’s one thing you realize as you get “older,” it’s that no matter how young you may be at heart, we are all mortal with bodies that age. I want to slow that process down as much as possible.
So back to the colon cleanse. A bit of physiology — the colon is the organ responsible for eliminating toxins and waste from the body. When our colons are clogged, our body is not able to absorb nutrients efficiently, and the waste stored in our bowels is allowed to pollute the rest of our bodies and organs. Apparently, most human beings carry around between 10 and 20 pounds of impacted fecal matter in their colons! Can you believe that?!?! Ever wonder what causes beer bellies and unsightly pooches on women? Now you know! It’s backed-up waste!
According to the folks at Dr. Natura:
Research clearly proves that our bodies are not capable of eliminating all the different toxins and chemicals we inhale and ingest every day. They simply accumulate in our cells (especially fat cells), tissues, blood, organs (such as the colon, liver and brain) and remain stored for an indefinite length of time causing all kinds of health problems.
Cleansing your colon is basically like pouring Drano into your large intestine — the purpose is to clear out all the gunk and build-up that’s accumulated over the years so your body can operate at peak performance. I have to tell you, I was amazed, amazed at the stuff that came out of my body during this cleanse… All I can say is — thank god it’s not inside of me anymore!
The all-natural cleansing and detoxification program available from Dr. Natura is a gentle, gradual cleanse that is very easy to fit in to even the most hectic lifestyle. All it requires is a scoop of fiber powder in the morning, tea at night, some vitamins and probiotics throughout the day, and eight 8 oz glasses of water a day (which we should all be drinking anyway). I did a 30-day cleanse and I can totally feel the difference!!! I have more energy and I’ve lost twelve pounds. My stomach is flatter and my skin is clearer than it’s ever been. I’ve completely lost the urge to drink alcohol. I don’t crave sweets (as much). And I’m much more mindful of what I put into my body, on all levels. I find I’m much more sensitive to things that are not good for me, and tend to avoid them. Overall, I think I feel healthier than I have in years, and the physical changes seem to be impacting me in a positive way emotionally as well. I really cannot say enough good things about this cleanse — I plan to make it an annual event and I strongly encourage everyone to look into doing a cleanse of their own. Proactive and preventative approaches to healthcare could make a big difference down the line 🙂
Please check out Dr. Natura for more fascinating information and testimonials about this awesome cleanse! It has my highest endorsement as one very satisfied customer!!!
I tend to avoid getting hooked on “new” television shows because every show I come to love ends up getting cancelled, lol, but with all the critical acclaim Heroes on NBC has been getting, i decided it was safe to check it out and see what all the hype is about.
Okay, I am SO addicted to this show. Absolutely riveted. The premise is totally deep and clever. Across the globe, a random assortment of totally normal and unextraordinary individuals come to discover they have developed “superpowers”. One can time travel, while another can paint the future. A couple of brothers can fly, one guy can read minds, and of course there’s our delightfully invincible cheerleader played by the gorgeous Hayden Panettiere (on whom I’ve developed a mildly inappropriate girl-crush, lol). Oh, and the cutest little mixed boy (Noah Gray-Cabey) I’ve ever seen on television. Hiro Nakamura, the hyper-enthusiastic Japanese teleporter (and Golden Globe nominee), is convinced that all of these “Heroes” are destined to band together and save the world. And the way they all come together is truly fascinating. Twists, turns, jaw-dropping “Oh my God!” moments. I love this stuff!
Of course there are also forces of evil at work are struggling to thwart our Heroes. The villian comes in the form of a shape-shifting serial killer named Sylar, and an important-looking suit who somehow ends up everywhere and knows everything (think “Smoking Man” from the X-Files).
Like LOST, the plot of this show is fantastically layered, the writing excellent, and the ensemble cast comprised of talented and likeable television newcomers. This is great, great television, and although at moments it is too violent for my taste, I love the premise behind it, of people tapping into their destinies and rallying towards a cause that is greater than themselves.
NBC has the first 11 episodes of Heroes available for viewing online (which is how I’m catching up), and it returns with an all-new episode on Monday, January 22. If you have the time, I highly recommend checking it out!
If he were still alive, Martin Luther King Jr. would have turned 78 years old today.
Unlike the members of my parent’s generation, I did not live through ‘Separate but Equal’ era. I have to admit, in the predominantly-white middle class California suburb I grew up in, everything seemed pretty equal, all things considered. I don’t think I had a true grasp of what race relations in this country had been like until I got to college. But there, during courses like “The Civil Rights Movement” and “The African-American Experience,” I was able to catch my first unsanitized glimpse of our nation’s ugly history. It wasn’t all about independence from England and providing a safe harbor for immigrants and other victims of persecution, as High School textbooks would have us believe. The term “land of the free” was only true for some. For others, it was a demoralizing life of second-class citizenship.
I’ll never forget the pride and horror I felt watching documentaries on the 1960’s such as Eyes on the Prize. My generation is so out of touch with it’s history; we take so much for granted. People gave their lives so I could vote, own a home, go to college. I am eternally indebted to people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for everything I have come to achieve in my life thus far. I owe it to those who died for my freedoms to make sure my life means something…
(Click here to watch historic footage of MLK’s “I have a dream” speech on YouTube.)
It saddens me that there don’t seem to be any contemporary leaders with the spirit and vision of Dr. King. Or perhaps we, as a society, have become so selfish, compartmentalized, and complacent that we are too lazy to be mobilized en masse. Middle class apathy is as deadly as any disease people.
Lately I’ve been on a spiritual kick, reading Deepak Chopra, Pema Chodron, and Thich Nhat Hanh. Like these international peace activists, Dr. King stands out in history because of his commitment to using nonviolent methods to achieve social change. Choosing to love in the face of hate and shower forgiveness upon your enemies is not something that comes easily for most of us. Locating acts of true compassion these days is rare, but we all have the capacity to lend our energy towards positive change. Most of us just need a little guidance…
Today, in reflecting on the legacy Martin Luther King Jr. left us, I stand solid in my commitment to be a proponent of peace and love, and resist the urge to harbor, broadcast, or reproduce negativity. I also pledge to cultivate more compassion as I go about my business in this cold and sometimes cruel world. I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Thank you Dr. King, for continuing to be an inspiration almost 20 years after your passing.
So I finally got to see Dreamgirls yesterday… All I can say is – Wow. Now RENT will always be my all-time favorite musical-turned-movie, but Dreamgirls did not disappoint. In fact, thanks to Jennifer Hudson, it blew my greatest expectations completely out of the water.
There was a lot of talent packed into this movie. Eddie Murphy, Jaime Fox, Danny Glover, that hot guy that plays Effie’s brother (hello crush!). Every single actor in this film nailed their performance, and virtually every scene was a joy to watch. But Jennifer Hudson was the Star. She was incredible, just incredible. I swear to God, every time she opened her mouth, tears formed in my eyes. Her performance of “And I am telling you” is, in my opinion, the best musical performance in a film ever. EVER. Outstanding, simply outstanding. (It bears repeating). 
If I had been watching this movie on TiVo, I would have backed that scene up over and over again; it was so powerful I actually cried. The woman did not just steal a scene — she stole the whole damn movie…
I do not understand how the role of Hudson’s Effie White could be billed as “supporting,” considering how much the movie revolved around her. When she wasn’t in the scene, I found myself anxiously awaiting her return. 
It confuses me that Beyonce is being promoted as the “lead” actress. Most of her stuff must have ended up on the cutting room floor, cause I wasn’t feeling her presence the way it was being hyped. Don’t get me wrong, Beyonce wasn’t bad–she was perfectly cast as Deena Jones, and is an exceptionally beautiful woman. But the clear star of the show is Miss Jennifer Hudson…
J-Hud’s being nominated left and right for her performance (she already took home the New York Film Critics “Best Supporting Actress” award), and I hope she makes a clean sweep of all the awards shows. She absolutely deserves it. It is so satisfying to see a talent who was done so wrong on American Idol (“America” voted her off early for being ‘heavy’ and having ‘attitude’ when she was singing circles around those kids) rise to the top in a story that nicely parallels that of Effie White. You know me, always rooting for the underdog 🙂
Great movie!! Four stars!!!!
Hey folks… Very excited to be starting my 31st year 🙂 If it’s anything like year thirty, I’ve got lots and lots to look forward to…
About to head down to LA to celebrate my birthday with my SoCal peoples. Lots of wonderful activities on the itinerary and lots of Steph pampering! I’ve been looking forward to this (especially Saturday! 😉 all week.
Thanks in advance for all the birthday wishes. It’s funny, I’ve been receiving phone calls, texts, presents and myspace wishes ever since the 3rd, lol. I officially dub this my birthday week!
Love you all!