Sunday Feelings

Welcome to Sunday.
Sunday is the day I get work done.
Saturday is my rest day.
Sunday I drink coffee and grade.
Sunday I bring my cup to church.
Sunday I rest while doing work.

I used to try and take a rest day on Sunday.
You know, a Sabbath?
That didn't work.
I ended up working all Sunday and stressing on Saturday.

The Bible says that a rest day is a gift.
So, to take advantage of my gift I take it on Saturday.
Anyways.
That.

Sunday is the day to see family.
And get work done.
Grade the papers that have been avoided.
Clean the apartment that blew up.
Go shopping for the groceries that may be needed.

Sunday is the day to rest.
While working.
I like Sundays.
They make my happy.

There's my feelings on Sunday.
Peace.

Pumpkin

I carved a pumpkin this year. It's the first one in a bit of time, as it's a bit nasty and sticky. BUT we had a lovely time (a group of friends and me). A very practically sustainable evening. I made soup (chicken and rice), my dear friend Lindsay and I went to the library to get movies (we ended up watching Megamind), and we carved pumpkins. Look at my lovely pumpkin! Now I can encourage recycling through a pumpkin!

Also, Lindsay saved all the seeds so she can cook them. How practical! I'm glad I have classy friends like that.

Anyways, here's my cool pumpkin. I should probably do work now.

Peace.

Biking, Books, and Bears (No, Pears)

There's this super grand pear tree near my apartment. It's at a childcare center. When the pears start falling down, I like to grab them. You see, I'm far too short to get them from the tree. I can't reach them. Sometimes my friends can, but I don't like to take advantage of my friends.

But. I went biking today. It was BEAUTIFUL outside. Just simply lovely. I had a big bag of books that I needed to take the Little Free Library five blocks from my apartment. So, what to do?

Grab the bike. Grab the backpack. Grab the books. Run into the wall. Head out.

Short Skirt, Long Jacket by Cake just came on. I'm so happy.

I biked to the little library. Dropped off my 12 books. Then I found five for my classroom! What joy. I'll honestly probably read them as bedtime stories and then bring to school.

OH MY GOSH. I forgot. I almost got hit by car. I was turning left and didn't have a stop sign. I signaled and the car started to drive. Maybe they didn't see me? Maybe they did. Maybe I failed at wearing my helmet.

Maybe then I contemplated wearing helmets while biking. And when driving. And then in everyday life. Basically, life's tough. Wear a helmet.

On my ride back, I found the pear tree and was thankful that the weather was cool enough that the bees decided to stay home and not eat dinner. On all the fruit. I took it. And now I will dehydrate.

Just another day in paradise.

Peace.

Shoes?

I walked out of my apartment today. Locked the door. Looked down. Noticed something odd.

I had forgotten my shoes.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

Oh yes. An excuse not to wear shoes.

You see, despite what all humans think, shoes are not essential to existence. Unless you step on something that could hurt you.

That would be bad.

Anyways, there's this thing called grounding that talks about connecting you to the earth and the electricity of the earth. Here's some information about it.  I'm not really sure how I feel about it, besides the fact that it gives me an excuse to wear no shoes outside.

Anyways, I wore no shoes tonight to hang out with my friend Kristin. I planned lessons barefoot. Ate tofu barefoot. Took over the world barefoot. And graded tests barefoot.

Basically, best day ever.

Also, I would like to write you a letter. Please let me know if you'd like to receive a letter.

Peace.

Homemade All Purpose Healing Salve

I found another recipe that kind of goes over most others. Therefore, I shall post it.

All purpose salve. You know, because I constantly burn and hurt myself on accident and end up with all sorts of hurts. So, here's a way to help heal.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup beeswax
1/3 cup calendula flowers
25 drops tea tree oil
25 drops lavender oil

1. Put coconut oil and olive oil in double boiler. Or just have a glass bowl with water around it! Melt coconut oil.
2. Add calendula flower petals and simmer on low for TWO hours. Stir a couple times while this happens. If wanted, you can take this mixture and put it in the crockpot for three hours (on low).
3. Strain mixture through cheesecloth.
4. Add calendula oil back to saucepan and add beeswax. Melt beeswax.
5. Remove from heat. Let cool 15 minutes.
6. Add essential oils and stir.
7. Pour into glass jar and keep up to a year!

*makes one cup

Source.

Peace.

Homemade Mouthwash

I like to brush my teeth. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to take cool pictures like this smiling.

So, I use a bamboo toothbrush, I make my own toothpaste, I use floss that I get for free, but mouthwash. I haven't had that in quite a long time.

I found a recipe today for homemade mouthwash! Again, I haven't made it. But I'm going to post it here so that I can find it later.

1 cup distilled water
1 tsp baking soda
5 drops peppermint oil
1 drop lemon oil
3 drops thieves oil

Anyways. Steps.

1. Mix together water and making soda. Shake vigorously until soda is dissolved.
2. Carefully add oils.
3. Adjust to taste.
4. Use so your teeth are the best.

And that's it! This is what I'm going to be doing tomorrow and putting in my old apple cider vinegar bottle.

Peace.

Here's my source.

I found another recipe!

12 oz. purified water
2 Tbs 3% hydrogen peroxide
2-3 drops peppermint oil
Optional: small pinch of pure stevia

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Shake.
3. Use.

Source.

*I made the first recipe today (9/24). It. Is. Awesome. I would highly recommend it. Please do that. You can be cool like me.

Homemade Cough Drops

*cough* *cough* *cough* OH NO. It's that time of year again. The time when we're all sick because the weather is unpredictable because Kansas.

I've wanted to try and make my own cough drops. Chances are, I'll probably fail. Anyways, here's the recipe I have. 

1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 to 1/4 ground cloves
powdered sugar/cornstarch for coating
parchment paper

JOYFUL TODAY. I found the lemons, sugar, ginger, and cloves at the Asian Market today. That's my favorite place in town. It brings joy to my heart. I got a piece of parchment paper from a dear friend today, so that was lovely, too, as I didn't need to go to the store for it.

Why honey? It's a natural cough suppressant. And lemon adds Vitamin C. Ginger is anti-inflammatory. As well, ginger keeps to immune system strong. The oil of cloves helps fight germs and loosen phlegm.

1. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Combine all ingredients (NOT powdered sugar) in a pot. Cook until "hard stage", 300 degrees. This may take 15 to 20 minutes. How to test? Drop some in a bowl of ice water. Does it crack? It's ready. 
3. Don't let it burn. That's terrible.
4. Let mixture cool. Drop on making sheet in drops. Like raindrops! Dust with powdered sugar/cornstarch. This helps them not stick together. 
5. Store in airtight container, as anything that lets moisture in will cause them to stick together.

Here's my source. 

Homemade Deodorant

I'm going to be trying to make lots of homemade things. Instead of leaving up like 17 tabs, I think I'll just consolidate all of them onto this here blog. And then I'll tell you how they all worked out!

The first task: homemade deodorant.

I have discovered three different recipes. I don't know which ones work. But here are the recipes! 

Recipe 1
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 Tbs baking soda (use less if sensitive skin)
1/3 arrow root powder
10-15 drops of essential oils
small mixing bowl/spoon
small container to contain

1. Mix coconut oil, soda, and arrow root in bowl. Make into a cream-like mixture.
2. Mix in essential oils. 
3. Put mixture in container.
4. Put on your pits so you don't stink.

Recipe 2
2 1/2 Tbs coconut oil
2 1/2 Tbs shea butter
1/4 cup arrow root powder
2 Tbs baking soda
6 drops lavender essential oil
6 drops grapefruit essential oil
2 drops tea tree essential oil (optional - some are sensitive) (tea tree helps fight bacteria, therefore that's why it's included)

1. Put coconut oil/shea butter in glass bowl and put in a saucepan.
2. Fill saucepan with water (to surround bowl) and bring water to a boil.
3. Make sure to stir shea/coconut as it begins to be heated. Until it all melts.
4. Once all melted, add arrow root powder, baking soda, and essential oils.
5. Place all in jar and let cool until reaches solid state.
6. Cover and use (to use, wet underarms, scoop out pea-sized amount, apply once a day [or more, if needed]).

Recipe 3
3 Tbs baking soda
5 Tbs arrowroot powder
6 Tbs shea butter
30-50 drops essential oil (tea tree, frankincense, lavender, patchouli are good options)

1. In big bowl, mix soda and arrow root. 
2. Using hands or fork, work in shea butter. It'll look like crumbly dough. 
3. Add in essential oils and work together using hand mixer.
4. Transfer to clean jar. Use (a little goes a long way).

French Press

I have a french press at school. And a water heater. Y'all. This is super smart and super grand. I'm able to make my zero waste coffee in the morning (you know, because no coffee filter) and then I have it throughout the day. Between you and me: I think french press tastes better than drip coffee. And pour over tastes better than french press. Anyways.

So, that. I think it's so lovely to be able to make myself coffee that doesn't hurt the environment. Yet another way to be sustainable! 

Peace

No WiFi

So, I've been without WiFi for about the past month. It. Is. Fantastic. I'm getting so much done and I feel like my mind is so much more clear. How odd is that?! I would just like to tell you the benefits of this, so maybe you can do it, too!

1. I've had so much more time to spend doing practical things...like cooking. And cleaning. And decluttering. 
2. I've had so much more time to spend with friends! It's amazing. I feel like my relationships are more intentional because I don't have the distraction of the Internet. 
3. Time. So much more time. I can't believe it. 
4. Blue light - let's talk about that. I'm sleeping much better because I'm not having the blue light intake before I sleep. Here, you can read about it here.
5. I think this has also been helpful in making sure that I use my time well. Intentional friendships, friends. Those are the real deal. Invest in those.
6. It's been amazing to see how much other places I can access Internet other than my apartment. My friends have been kind to offer, as well as I've been spending time in other places. There's more than enough places for me to access Internet, therefore I would rather spend my time building community somewhere else rather than staying at home. 
7. Sometimes, though afraid of doing them, it's good to do things that make you nervous. They turn into the biggest blessings!

This made me smile so much after the entire
conversation.

So, those are some of the benefits. My Internet service, as it was starting back up on the 12th, has been terminated, as of this night. I got to talk to James B, which I referred to as James Bond. Above, or maybe to the side, is a screenshot of our conversation.

Anyways, before I did this, I was really nervous that going without WiFi would be really difficult and make life really complicated. It definitely didn't. If anything, it did the opposite. It made me get out and do new things! Spend time with more people and be more intentional with my time. 

I'm thankful, to say the least. I encourage you to do something that you're nervous about. It can make all the change.

Peace.

*note - though I know the correct term is Internet service, I almost exclusively call it WiFi. So I have gotten rid of the Internet service. That includes WiFi.
*double note - a big gift of this, also, has been that I haven't had the opportunity to go online and buy things. Sounds silly. It's not. If I'm given the time to think about purchasing something, I tend to make a better decision. Then I don't waste money.
*triple note - another benefit would be that I'm not paying for WiFi. Or Internet service. That's a perk.

Here, Life Update

Let me just tell you about how God is provider. 

Finances are hard and I'm not a fan of not knowing where rent is going to come from. That's a thing.

I was praying A LOT about how to pay for finances. By A LOT I mean just that: a lot. For a job, for free food, for help. For love and joy and all the happy things. And I know God is good. I believe He provides. He takes care of His children. 

So, here's my life. 

1. I got a full time sub position at a school that I absolutely love. I didn't know I would love it - but I do. The community is fiercely beautiful and people came to my room to meet me. Just to meet me. To say, "Hey!"
2. I had gotten rid of most of my teaching things...because I was planning to move. When I got this job this past Friday, I had nothing. Nothing to organize a classroom. A lack of materials. Nothing to decorate. What was I to do? I asked. For help. I asked my local Buy Nothing group. I talked to my friends. And everything that I needed was provided: classroom snacks, organizational bins, classroom supplies. Basically, everything. I'm so thankful.
3. I've been budgeting super mega lot. I'll write about that. I've had multiple people provide meals for/buy me meals/I love tacos.
4. My dear friends, David and Kristin, invited me over tonight. They provided me coffee and free WiFi.
5. I got rid of my WiFi because I thought I wouldn't have the funds for it. Looking back, now, I see that was a very wise decision. It was just what I was supposed to do. I think I may get rid of it forever. 
6. I was praying that if Jesus wanted me to stay at this school for longer (or consider it) that He would make it very clear. Well, He did. The other option that was on the table fell through. Therefore, that was Jesus answering so clearly. Anyways, you can pray about that with me. 
7. I've had such peace about this transition. It's so...gentle. And kind. And I see God's hand in ALL of it. It's where I'm supposed to be. 

Anyways, there's my life update, also, if you're wanting to know. I only have 20 things on my to-do list now.

Peace.

Ask

I think I've talked about asking people for help before. In fact, I'm pretty sure of that. I haven't talked much about asking God for help. 

That's usually because that's intentional 1:1 conversation and not from a blog. But, alas, it's Thursday.

Maybe I should write a post every Thursday.

Anyways, tonight I came face-to-face with...myself. My broken side. The side that people don't like to acknowledge is part of them because it hurts. 

But it's part of us, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. 


So, my brokenness was pointed out. Kindly, gently, humbly, and fiercely.

It's amazing how Jesus uses people to point out the areas that we need to work on. He uses broken people to help broken people. Broken people are used by Jesus to change the world.

Anyways, I was driving, after that conversation. And praying. Praying and driving. Asking Jesus why. Asking Jesus for someone to talk to, but it's like 10:20 at night and I couldn't just call someone up because...sleeping.

He told me to go to the grocery store. I asked why. He said to just go. I thought maybe I'd run into someone I know to talk to. Or meet someone. Or maybe just because I love the grocery store. 

So, I went to the store. Walked around. Found apples. Invested in bananas. Bought plantains. 

Wandered for about 20 minutes. Calmed down. Prayed quite a bit.

Checked out. 

Still wondered why I was at the grocery store. I didn't feel better. I didn't really understand why. 

But I walked out the door and looked down - and found a penny. Joy. Small joy. I then stand up and head towards the door and see a dear friend. 

I walked out, met her, and walked back in the store with her. I needed to live life alongside someone. To tell my life and not be okay. You see - it's okay to not be okay. 

We checked out, went outside, talked, and she prayed for me. 

Y'all. I asked Jesus for help. He answered in such a mighty way. I took my time walking around the store, grabbing a penny, and saw the answer. 

All this to say: I serve a God who answers prayer. And I'd like to introduce Him to you.

Peace.

Walk. Joy. Tea.

Oh, I just love walks. They make my heart sing and I love the heat in Kansas right now. I don't know if I'm supposed to admit that. I will, though. It's a lovely time. 

Anyways, I went on the most magical walk the other day. I started off at Hy-Vee, but then decided it wasn't a wise move to walk to the library from there (it's like five blocks) and then walk to Aggieville (that's like nine more blocks). It was quite toasty outside and I didn't want to be stranded. 

Looking back, I totally should have walked from Hy-Vee.

Anyways, I went on the most lovely walk. I sent a book that sold in the mail (that was Hy-Vee!), returned a book to the library (that's where I parked second time around), went to Bluestem to get a lovely cup of black tea.

And this is my sustainability moment! They asked what size of tea that I wanted while reaching for the plastic cups. Oh, how my heart saddened as I thought I would be leaving the store because of the plastic and lack of cups. BUT CELEBRATE. I asked if I could use a real cup and the Mr. Sir Coffee Shop Man had eyes that lit up! He said yes! 

And then he commended me on my love for the environment, saying, "Every bit counts!" And then he quoted something from the 90's and I can't remember, but if I do, I'll come back and write it. 

Then I got my tea, sat on the back patio, drank the tea, and worked on my study. What a productive, lovely, and beautiful day!

That is all.

Go save the world.

Peace.

Crackers and Smoothies

Almost every single morning, I eat (drink?) a smoothie for breakfast. This morning was no exception! I have been able to use the mangoes I made an investment in (you know, grocery store purchases) and a bit of berries. Super wonderful. Keeps me going, gives me a bit of protein (I put hemp, chia, and flax seeds in the smoothies!). It's a lovely time.

Anyways, I wanted to share that. But more importantly, I made crackers this morning!

The little paper picture is the recipe. But I'll attempt to write it because I know my handwriting looks like an explosion.

Ingredients:
1 cup oats
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp chia seeds
3 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp kosher salt
4 tsp oil (it says vegetable oil...no go, go for something else)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
3/4 cup water

That is all the ingredients! I added some flax seeds because...why not? They're lovely and we should all share the love of flax.

Instructions:
1. Mix all the ingredients together
2. Let sit 10 minutes (this lets some of the seeds thicken/expand so they're all full size)
3. Make into a ball (like, all the mixture)
4. Have a pan lined with parchment paper (I don't own this...I just used spray) and put the ball on the baking sheet
5. Spread out the "ball" on the pan until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick
6. Bake 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees
7. Take out of the oven, flip the parchment paper/cracker over, then cook 15-20 more minutes
8. Eat the crackers with joy and know that it won't be a normal cracker and that is okay

Now, I didn't have parchment paper and I wasn't willing to go to the store because I'm simply not. So, I spread out the mixture to 1/8 inch on sprayed pan, and put in the oven. I didn't set a timer because I like to just go check every so often. When I noticed the edges were getting brown, I turned down the heat to 325 and then kept watching it. I'd say, in total, it took 30 minutes, but I'm not really sure.

Anyways, this is a great way to get your protein, live your gluten free life (woo hoo...no, but really, if you're not gluten intolerant, don't do that), and use what you have. 

Peace.

Mistakes Happen

So, this is silly. Really silly. But I feel bad.

About a straw.

I think, just because I wanted to help out the turtles and the environment and use my own cup and straw and help the world. 

I used my own cup and lid today when I went to a coffee shop. I have to finish a really big Bible assessment, so I...wanted a cup of coffee. I had even brought my own straw!

I ordered an almond milk latte, iced (minimal ice because teeth). I was so excited because it was in my own cup and my cup is simply adorable.

Alas, tragedy struck. A straw. Came to my table with my lovely mason jar.

Oh well.

The turtles will live. 

There's no point in me making a fuss.

Peace.

Bulletproof Coffee

Hi.

I've been drinking coffee lately.

Look at my lovely coffee.
Come drink a cup with me.

Someone just shot off some intense fireworks outside.

It's almost the 4th.

Anyways, I've been drinking a version of Bulletproof Coffee. Since I'm trying out veganism, I'm avoiding animal products. Therefore, although most Bulletproof Coffee has butter in it, I haven't been including it. So, to start, who do you make it?

Make a cup of coffee. Good coffee. None of the most terrible coffee that is weak, as no one likes weak coffee. The stronger, the better. Unless it's like syrup - that's a problem.

Anyways, to make Bulletproof Coffee you put two parts butter, one part coconut oil (I say these are tablespoons because I don't measure). One cup of coffee. Then you put it all together and blend it! And then it's done. 

That's it. 

Oh, wait. You drink it. And feel happy.

What are the benefits of this? It keeps you full and gives you energy! Because of the fat in the drink, you stay full for longer. AND depending on the type of fat you eat, it's good for your body. Research that. Be wise. Hate on sugar, not on fat. 

Anyways, I'll sit here and be full and have my energy. Here's more information if you want it. 

Have a lovely day.

Peace.

Here's a good article my mom sent me! 

Choose Intentionality

I'll be all sentimental and jazz for a second - I've been writing a blog for about a year AND this is my 100th post. There has been a lot of changes throughout writing this and I'm really thankful that I can continually go back to the changes I've made. 

So, here's some changes I'm proud of -->
- reusable shopping bags
- reusable produce bags
- homemade toothpaste
- lessening the amount of things I have
- Buy Nothing on the book of faces
- using what I have
- selling things I don't need
- asking for help
- being me

What a wonderful responsibility to take care of our world!

You see, I think by embracing sustainability and finding joy in it, I've been able to be more passionate about it. I care for the earth. Really, quite a bit, I do. I do think it's our responsibility to take care of it. Not only that! To take care of each other. To take care of animals. We have a job. And I'm thankful that I can look back on it. 

So, here's my tidbit to encourage you: make one intentional change. I do believe one person can make a difference. I truly believe it. Maybe just a small difference, but that's still a difference. Make a small change. Refuse the bag at the grocery store. Reuse your "single-use" water bottles. Make your own toothpaste. Speak up if someone asks for help and offer to help.

Be the change. 

Peace.

Here's a baby giraffe. For your joy.

One More Box

So, I'm continually checking over my apartment to get rid of more and more things. Well, to find homes for more and more things. I don't prefer to live with anything that I don't find beautiful or useful. Let me tell you: I'm to the layer of my jazzy jazz (also known as stuff) where it's sentimental. It's useful. It's...a lot. Like, less than I've had in the past, but still much more than one needs to live.

Today, I look through my boxes again. Specifically, I looked through my knitting box and art box. Maybe I have more than one art box. Maybe not. I don't need to tell you how many I have. 

Three. I have three art boxes. One for paint, one for randoms, and one as a giant paint box. BUT. That's three less than I had. 

That's right. I had six. Yikes. That's a lot of art supplies.

Now, yes, I know...I know. If I were to use all of those, they wouldn't be wasteful. They would be taking up space. But, alas, they did! They took up meaningless space that could be meaningful. Anyways, I looked through my art box again.

And I found lots of things to get rid of! I pulled out each item and thought to myself, "Have I used this/will I be using this?" If the answer is no, the next question occurs, "Does this bring me joy?"

Let's just saw I just have half a box of random art supplies left. That doesn't take away paint - paint is in a different category because that is useful. I will use it. I may have used some just a week ago.

Anyways, there's my long post about searching through one more box.

OH. Yes, and I looked through my knitting box today. I found that I had five things of yarn. Will I use that? No. I found two that I know I will use. Everything else? A new home will be found.

All the happy things. Thanks for reading. For your time, here's a picture of me with honeycomb from my pop.

Peace.

Bulk Shopping

Bulk shopping is the best. I don't know if I wrote about this. I probably did. Whatever. I did write a post - I just went looking. It's here. But, I went shopping again today and it was lovely. Here are some more of my zero waste journey points. 

- I use my produce bags to put the bulk foods in when I'm at the store. The scale won't zero out if I use a jar. Then I transfer when I get home. The picture here is a picture of after the transfer. Isn't it lovely?

- I have stopped putting the stickers that I print off with the price sticker on my container. I don't want it. I did try putting them on my arm tonight...that was a bad idea. I learned that putting stickers on your arm is a good way to get a free arm wax. I lost a lot of hair. More than that, I lost pride.

- I store my bulk in jars. I think this keeps everything more fresh.

- I keep my jars in the cabinet! The less sunlight, the more fresh. Maybe. I don't really know. Maybe that's about clothes in clothing stores...oh, they keep the color. Whatever. I'm not rewriting this bullet. It's a line. Meh.

- When buying bulk, I only buy things that I know I'll be able to use. So, today, I bought goji berries, almonds, sliced almonds, pepitas, poppy seeds, dates, and sunflower seeds. I'm planning on making crackers! I also (since, you know, vegan jazz) need more protein, therefore more seeds! I love seeds! It's simply the best life.

- Not all produce bags weigh the same amount! The scale must be zeroed at all the times.

- The simply most wonderful produce bags are the little sheer ones! With the small tie at the top. Oh, no, string pull thing. Is that called a tie?

Anyways, y'all, shop in bulk. It creates less waste. It makes you shop more intentionally. It brings joy to your heart. Oh, wait, that may just be mine.

I must sleep. This is getting ridiculous.

Peace.

This simply isn't centering. How frustrating.
Well, well, well...
It centered after I captioned it. 

                              

Cherry Picking

Oh, happy...

Hello, hello, hello! Yesterday was Father's Day. More than that, as a family, we spent time cherry picking! I could have taken a picture in the moment of picking, but no. That would have been a waste of good family time. 

But we picked cherries as a family, cut off the dead branches (so the tree can thrive), and made a cherry crisp. Oh, and we pitted the cherries. That was an adventure in itself. If you find me on instagram (sidannwest), you can watch that video. I'm not really sure how to put a video on here. Oh well, there's my life for you.

But I was so excited! My sister and I, the night before Father's Day, sat out by the cherry tree, after picking lots of cherries, and had a chit chat for hours. Oh, it was so lovely. I love my sister so much and I find so much joy in our conversations. Anyways, intentional conversation and cherries make for joyful day.

...breakfast.

Oh, also, I picked lemon balm leaves because I thought it was mint leaves. It wasn't. That was an odd things to experience.

But, anyways, on Father's Day, we picked the rest of the cherries! We then took them inside, pitted them with my pop's cherry pitter, and made a cherry crisp. What a lovely family time to spend together.

Anyways, I have continual encouragement for you to spend time finding a local fruit tree where you can get local (and sometimes free!) fruit. Then you can help the tree by taking its fruit AND you can help sustain yourself by having fruit. Plus, if you have a lovely human to pick things with, then you can sustain that relationship.

All the happy, wonderful things.

Peace.

Protein

For the majority of me living my 'adult life', I have struggled to eat protein. I don't like to cook meat and beans weren't something we really ate growing up...and even when did, I picked them out of my food. I'm not a picky eater, just a sophisticated eater. =]. 

Anyways, for the next couple of months, I'm trying out veganism. My only real thing to hold me back was protein, but I don't really eat meat or eggs, so there's two sources that I don't have as is. I really eat a ton of fruit and veggies, and I've been wanting (okay, not really...maybe need?) to cut of dairy to test if I'm sensitive. 

But I found this lovely chart! So join me in finding joy in it. I made lentils last night (they're fantastic). I find loads of happiness in seeds. And in tofu.

Also, find joy in this - there is protein in lots and lots of vegetables. Google it. Then watch Forks Over Knives and let's have a conversation about it.

Peace.

Collapsible Cup?

My. Cup. Collapses.

Here's my bomb cup.

And I'm really fond of it! Weekly, I bring my own cup to church (to cut down on disposable use and by classy as all get out). When my family went over to Ireland this past week, I wish I had a cup so I didn't use disposables during all the happy coffee times.

Alas, no cup. I made lots of coffee cup trash.

When I came back, I talked about making one purchase. This cup! Well, not this exactly. Just something like it so I can keep it in my bag and forget about it and then remember I have it and save the world.

Anyways, check my super cool cup out.

I used it at the coffee shop today and the lady thought it was the neatest thing ever! She was scared that pouring coffee into it would cause it to melt. Nope. This jazzy jazz is made of silicon. That's sand. I think. I googled it on the google at one time. And then my adorable cup of coffee came to hang out with me while I read my Bible.

Here's an Ireland photo.

Also, other life notes. My basil plant and mint plant have been growing lots and lots over the past couple of weeks and I'm quite the excited to add mint to tea. Maybe I'll make homemade pesto. Maybe I'll be the best chef ever.

Hmm. Also, I'm trying out veganism for the next while because it sounds fun. I realize that I probably need more hobbies because that sounds so fun. But I've tried new foods! Jicama, amaranth, fennel, portabella mushroom, hmmm...probably other things, but whatever. I like all the new foods. 

I enjoy my cup.

Life is lovely.

Peace.