30 day challenge question 16 and some ramblings

"your views on main stream music"

Ha! Hubs and I were JUST talking about this! When we got married (8 years ago) I listened to Garth Brooks (and that's about it).

Now
My favorites are:
Lady gaga
Black eyed peas
Bruno mars
Danny gokey
Michael Jackson
Celtic woman
And so many more

They're all pretty main stream but they all have a good beat and make me smile - I really don't and won't listen to music that makes me angry... I don't get it! So I guess I like main stream music...

So in other places (aka my life) I kind of feel like I'm in this really odd space. I'm sort of numb but at the same time hyper sensitive. Like I can't think about my body (but anyone with ed or body image issues knows I also can't get it off my mind) because I hate it so much. And I want to fix my thinking but I'm not really DOING anything to make that happen...

I'm again really afraid of people and am re going back to the woods for my daily walks. I skipped therapy last week and tried this week and got a big old no get in here... And what's weird is my therapist mentioned he thought I was doing poorly and then the next day my psychiatrist says she thinks I'm doing so much better and I'm like...

And today I am supposed to be going to see my niece compete and it's already starting (the panic) so I'm like well if you go you can use behaviors... Are you kidding me? When does this stop?

Speaking of stopping I'd better before I scare away the two readers I have :-)

+++who do you listen to? And who makes you change the radio station?+++

30 day challenge question 15

"your favorite tumblrs"

I am pretty sure they mean tumblr the blogging website but seeing as I've never been there I am showing you my niece a gymnast who is very muchly my favorite tumbler!!!

She is really good, and tomorrow I am going to watch her in another competition :-) she has been doing very well... Often landing on top of the podium!

+++so tell me, do you have a favorite tumbler or tumblr??? And should I be checking out tumblr?+++

30 day challenge question 14

"your earliest memory"

I have to admit I was really excited for this one! Not because my memory is all that exciting or even that early but simply because it is a testament to a life long friend.

As a child I had seizures as a result I have very few memories of my childhood (often when people friend me on facebook I ask my friend Kerri how I know them) so I thought back to my childhood and I came up with two memories. I sent them to her with the request of how old was I when xxx and she replied... This amazed me! No "why?" no commentary at all just the answer! A great part of old friends they know the the stories will be theirs in the long run anyway!

So we decided that my oldest memory is a fight Kerri and I got in (well not the fight the making up) and that I was sick of being mad at each other so when the ice cream truck came I said "I'll buy you an ice cream if you'll be my best friend"

Must've worked she's still my dear friend all these years later!!!

+++did you have a "get out of jail" card with friends?+++

30 day challenge question 13

"somewhere you'd like to move or visit"
(okay I know the photo isn't the 30 day challenge poster but you can look down one post for that if you'd like to see it AGAIN!)

I feel like this is 2 different questions!

I would like and will happily move anywhere that these two guys go! They say home is where your heart is and mine lies with my boys!!!

As for where I want to visit I have a list (who doesn't?)
Tuscany! This is my dream - always has been always will be
Disney (again) it's my happy place
The redwoods (I love to hike imagine how cool it'd be amongst those trees)
Prince Edward island (it's where my nana was born)
Iceland (my parents lived there)
grand canyon
Austria (for my favorite breed of horse)
And
A private island for just the three of us to explore and enjoy!

+++what about you? Where do you want to go+++

30 day challenge question 12

"bullet your day"

I'm bulleting yesterday because how will I post this if I'm doing it?

-up at 4:00 sick to my stomach
-up again at 7:15 for the day
-moisturize and brush teeth
-get out the door to the dentist
-arrive at dentist, sit in waiting room playing words with friends
-get 19 X-rays
-meet with dentist (who I think is planning her next vacation with my mouth)
-meet financial lady who tells me I need $5500 worth of work... (thank you years of purging)
-laugh and make an appointment for a cleaning ($130)
-drive home wondering how I'll look toothless
-meet the stager for the house (yup decided to put the house on the market)
-find out we have to paint every room (throw up in my mouth a little for the second time)
-start cleaning out stuff that we won't be keeping
-get the worst headache
-take a bath
-take a nap
-get up, stress purge (sorry tmi but being honest)
-take pupster out for a walk (with the damn headache)
-get gas (omg)
-drive for some stress relief and then realize we can't afford that with gas $4 a gallon
-go home say hey to hubs and fall asleep ~8:00 (thinking the move might stress me to actual death)
-wake up take meds go back to bed

+++what was the best part of your day?+++

30 day challenge question 11

"put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up"

This one was hard! I never use my ipod anymore (thank you pandora) so i had to find it and charge it! But here you go (as a side note I often listen to the mj station on pandora)

Explain it to my heart
Remember the time (Michael Jackson)
I'm already there (lonestar) (this particular version is the soldier version where family members of deployed soldiers send them wishes - I cry like a baby every time)
From the bottom of my heart (wall flowers)
The girl is mine (Michael Jackson)
Where in the world (rockapella) (I love this and when I'm running this pushes me faster)
Mr right (Garth Brooks)
Hero (Paris Bennett)
Land of confusion (genesis) (blame Jim)
Save the last dance for me (Michael buble')

30 day challenge question 11

"put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up"

This one was hard! I never use my ipod anymore (thank you pandora) so i had to find it and charge it! But here you go (as a side note I often listen to the mj station on pandora)

Explain it to my heart
Remember the time (Michael Jackson)
I'm already there (lonestar) (this particular version is the soldier version where family members of deployed soldiers send them wishes - I cry like a baby every time)
From the bottom of my heart (wall flowers)
The girl is mine (Michael Jackson)
Where in the world (rockapella) (I love this and when I'm running this pushes me faster)
Mr right (Garth Brooks)
Hero (Paris Bennett)
Land of confusion (genesis) (blame Jim)
Save the last dance for me (Michael buble')

30 day challenge question 10

"discuss your first love and first kiss"

Love! Love is strange to me and is it REALLY what they're asking for? Or do they mean my first crush?

I'm going with crush! And although I always say it was hubster I am actually not sure if it was him or if it was ...Freddy miller... Freddy was either mentally retarded or down syndrome (pretty sure he was retarded but anyone who'd remember has gone to the big party in the sky) and he was in my mother's class and every day after school I'd go wait for her to finish teaching so she could drive me home! And I fell in "love" with Freddy miller! He brought out the child in me (I was a very sad and introverted 8 or 9 year old) we'd play, we'd laugh and for 25 minutes each day I was the most appropriately named person on the face of the earth!

Freddy didn't just bring this out in me, he brought it out in all the lives he so gently touched! When he got moved to the high school (before me) kids from main stream classes would flock to him! He was... Our angel! When I aged up to high school he was no longer my love but still my dear friend!

As classes graduated many would stop by on college visits to say hello to a favored teacher and probably bring a little toy to Freddy!

I was a junior the year Freddy died (I lost my bff that year too) his funeral was PACKED! But each of us knew that our Freddy knew we loved him and he loved us back! He was as my mom called him love on legs :-)

He was a beautiful soul - and many of my town's girls first "love"!

For my first kiss? I don't even remember so I'm going with it was from some boy not worth remembering and it sucked!!

+++so tell me who was your first crush?+++

30 day challenge question 9

"how do you hope your future will be like"

Can I answer all sunshine puppy dogs and rainbows?

Yeah probably not and no doubt I'd get bored with that anyway!

I'd like a future where I am working towards goals. Where I have a direction (right now I flutter between a ton of things that I want to do with my life), where I am mostly happy but can deal with disappointment. Where I can travel (can't now because of money restraints and fear), where I can trust and love (other than just pupster), and where I'm proud to be me!

How's that for my dreaming answer?

+++what's your wish for the future?+++

30 day challenge question 8

"a moment you felt most satisfied with your life"

There are many moments I've felt satisfied with my life.

Riding my old horse in a parade at the big E and being asked to carry the American flag.

Walking in the woods with pup and seeing him bound back to me.

Finishing the Jimmy fund marathon walk.

The first time I made a pearl necklace with knotted silk.

Each of those moments has made me feel satisfied, as though my life were important... They each give me "warm fuzzies" in a different way...

+++what about you what makes you satisfied with your life and how can you incorporate more of it into your life?+++

30 day challenge question 7

"your zodiac sign and if it fits your personality"

I am a Gemini

They say the twins have 2 very distinct personalities.

For me I'd agree, I'm very black or white... I'm either extremely happy or angry/sad/whatever beyond words. I'm either incredibly flighty (my add kicking in) or so focused that the world could fall down around me. So I think that is how I embody the twins!

A funny story I met a friend for the first time at a horse show - we chatted for about two minutes and he was like "you're a Gemini right?" I was incredibly freaked and agreed he laughed and told me it came from every pore of my being :-)

+++so what about you (cheesy pick up line coming) what's your sign??+++

30 day challenge question 6

"write 30 interesting facts about me"

Well I'm touched that you think that there could be 30 interesting things about me! Here goes nothing...

1. I love the heat and live for it
2. My house burned down when I was 19
3. I was an exchange student to costa rica
4. I don't like vacations (I prefer my own house)
5. I married my first crush
6. I'm obsessed with my dog (they never said they had to be unknown facts)
7. The woman I call my godmom isn't "technically" my godmother (because she already had 7 kids and my mother thought 1 more was a burden - ha! Dumb logic if you ask me)
8. I got kicked out of high school and sent to an alternative school (where I was the only student to have not done time)
9. I've never done an illegal drug
10. 2008 was the worst year of my life
11. My body thinks it's about 100 most days!
12. I prefer my husband's 23 year old car to my 5 year old car and the only benefit to having been so sick lately is he's let me take it over
13. I make lots of jewelry (lots)
14. I've fractured my back TWICE
15. And yet the accident I've had that scared me most was falling off my bike and scoffing my elbow and knee
16. I love going to the post office
17. More than anything I want to sell my house and move with hubs and pup to a cute little house I've named the cardboard box
18. I buy hubs a balloon every month
19. I can't wait to learn about honey bees (hopefully Saturday)
20. I'm afraid of the dark
21. I get insanely proud of myself when I'm doing a new/hard craft and I make whomever I'm with look every few minutes
22. I think acupuncture is a gift from heaven
23. I love my nieces and nephews literally more than life!
24. I like to walk in the woods and around the city! I think you're pretty much invisible both places
25. I ski - I love it and I'm terrified of it!
26. I rarely cry
27. Intolerance makes me crazy!
28. I love massages but hate being touched
29. I don't have a "best" friend (unless you include hubster) but I have great friends!
30. I collect snow globes (but have for so long that now I'm super picky)

+++what are 3 (or 30 if you're brave) interesting facts about you?+++

30 day challenge question 5

"a time you thought about ending your own life"

Wow! What an uncheery topic first thing in the morning!

I guess when I most thought about ending my own life (and when I tried) was when I was 12. You know how those are some of the hardest years of your life?

Well I just didn't deal with them
As well as many people do.
Both of my grandfathers (whom I adored equally and differently) were ill and dying (one died that year the other the next) and the thought of so many changes in my life and living without them was more than I could handle.

Fortunately I failed, and was put (kicking and screaming) into a hospital but it worked for me and I think I'm a little more compassionate for having gone through the experience!

+++have you ever thought of ending your life+++

30 day challenge question 4

"your views on religion"

I am one of 4 daughters - my father was Methodist, my mother was episcopalian until she moved to where we live and there was no episcopal church so she became a congregationalist, my god-mom? She's catholic! And my sisters as they all got married they became their own religions...

Me? I'm nothing! I want to believe there is a higher power so I do! I want to believe there is a heaven so I do! I want to believe there is someone/something to be accountable to at the end of the road (not in a tally sort of way but just in a knowing way) so I do! You know what? I also believe in the Easter bunny and Santa claus... And if that's not your thing I'm okay with it! And if you're super religious and believe that I'm going to hell for not going to church or reading the bible? Well then pray for my soul because we can all use all the help we can get!

And those are my views on religion!

+++what are yours?+++

30 day challenge question 3

"your views on drugs and alcohol"

Well IN THEORY I am pretty liberal about them... I choose not to use them but... As long as people don't abuse them but in my life's experience people do!

So I guess what I am saying is I don't care how you get your pleasure as long as it doesn't impede my pleasure...

+++do you think certain drugs (ie marijuana) should be legalized+++

30 day challenge question 2

"where you'd like to be in 10 years"

Wow! I have a ton of answers to this one!

I'd like to be recovered. I'd like to be living a fairly simple life - seeing friends and some family pretty often. I'd like for pupster to be old manster right by my side! I'm still happily married to hubster! We've been to Italy (my dream vacation)!

I will have a couple of certifications - I am thinking yoga teacher ;-) (of course since my own body can't do it right now that doesn't feel plausible but it will be)

And I'd like to be helping make the world better in some small way... I think it'll be through therapy dogs but maybe by then there will be something else that I feel drawn to do to make it better.... But I'm big on helping others.

+++how do you make the world a better place+++

30 day challenge question 1

"your current relationship"

Well.... Currently (and for the last 8 years) I'm married to hubster. He is laying beside me STILL sleeping, we definitely have opposite sleep and wake schedules (probably why we still like each other HA).

Hubster and I don't have human kids (we have approximately 10,000,000 nieces and nephews for when we need a kid fix!) but we have the cutest pupster - who has been acting a little off lately (even for him) so we are checking it out with the vet and the trainer! Yup I'm the nervous Nellie momma!

We live north of Boston where it appears that spring may actually be coming. We own a home but are talking to a realtor to either downsize a little or move into a townhouse just so we can be mortgage free (mortgages, car loans, etc kind of freak me out)

Well I guess that was a pretty long answer to relationship...

DC - the final frontier (okay the last post)

So I'm behind (what else is new?) but here is the last of the DC posts!

And coming up a wedding and life!
And maybe a series???

Here's a video of all the highlights of DC!

(I'm not sure why the music isn't coming through - I will keep working)

The Orchid Exhibit

source

So a little known fact about me is that I am a florist - it is what I actually went to school for. So when I saw that the orchid exhibit was open at the Smithsonian I knew I had to go.

And honestly, I had expected sights like this...


And yeah even this:
(nope not pregnant - sunburned and tired NOT glowing)

But what I wasn't prepared for was how much I was going to learn about Orchids.

Did you know that the vanilla bean comes from and Orchid Plant



Source
Though vanilla is a well-known scent and baking ingredient, it is not well known that the familiar vanilla pods come from an orchid plant. The vanilla orchid is one of the many orchid plants that are easy to grow indoors. This orchid plant has an interesting history. The pods from this orchid are used for the well-known vanilla flavor and vanilla scent.

Most of the vanilla flavor and scents we are familiar with come from artificial production. True natural vanilla comes from a seedpod from the vanilla orchid. Vanilla planifolia is the species that is grown for commercial vanilla flavor and scent. This orchid will climb like a vine, often up a tree trunk that provides the partial shade it prefers. The vanilla orchid plant’s flowers are large and can be white, greenish yellow, green, or cream in color. Each vanilla orchid bloom opens in the morning and closes in the evening, never to open again. If an orchid flower is not pollinated (from stingless bees, hummingbirds, or by hand), it will be quickly shed.

Though a vanilla plant may be high maintenance outdoors, bringing this orchid plant indoors will make the job of growing a vanilla orchid plant easier. Getting actual vanilla pods from this would prove more difficult. Indoors, the vanilla orchid rarely flowers or produces fruit. One of the main hindrances growing this orchid plant indoors is the lack of high humidity. Considering this orchid plant has the potential to reach a height of 300 feet (in a tropical environment), if you are successful in providing an indoor environment that your vanilla orchid plant will thrive in, this orchid plant may become more than you can handle indoors! With a little care you can grow a vanilla orchid indoors for the foliage. With a lot of care and environment management you can get it to bloom and produce the beautiful orchid blooms and fragrant vanilla pods.

The history of the vanilla orchid dates back to its discovery in Mexico where the Totonaco people first cultivated the plant. The legend is that the blood of two fallen lovers marked the spot where the vine grew and the vanilla scent is aroma of true love and beauty. In the early 1700’s the vanilla orchid plant was introduced to English gardens and grew in popularity. During the 1800’s the vanilla orchid was actually smuggled out of Mexico and Central America. As orchids became popular and rare in the 1900’s, they brought high bids at auctions.

Vanilla is a popular flavor and scent that all started with the discovery of the vanilla orchid centuries ago. Though many foods contain artificial vanilla flavor and your favorite vanilla scented candle may have synthetic vanilla scent added, you can still find real vanilla from the beautiful vanilla orchid plant with a little searching. There is nothing like seeing the familiar brown specs in each delicious spoonful of vanilla ice cream made with real vanilla and eating it in a room with natural vanilla scented candle burning.

Or how it can and has been used in Chinese medicine


Orchid Medicine

Orchids, particularly the species Dendrobium officinale, have been used as medicinal herbs for centuries. New research has discovered many new applications of the different orchid species, and today there are at least 50 orchid species used especially in traditional Chinese medicine formulas.

The use for dried orchids ranges from immune system build-up, to cancer treatment, eye-sight improvement, regaining strength after healing (for healers) and quick recovery after sex.

The parts of the orchids used most frequently are the stems and bulbs, as they are designed to keep the plant alive during dry season, and hence are rich in nutritive substances.

It really is quite amazing to me that these beautiful "decorations" also have so much value in health and healthy living!

Did you enjoy this informative type of blog post? Would you like it if I checked out more museums on occasion and let you know what I learned?

I think I have one more quick DC post and then I am on to THIS week! Not bad only exactly a week late - but hey this has been a pretty stressful week with some difficult personal decisions and some health issues (both I am planning on talking about in upcoming posts) and wakes funerals and a wedding!

Have a great weekend, and really would you like more posts like this or was it a bore?