tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68103203986801880572024-02-18T21:31:00.174-08:00ArohaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-60926526883055528212014-02-04T17:29:00.000-08:002014-02-04T17:29:22.017-08:00New Beginnings.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love this blog.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Like, a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has seen me through some really formative years.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes I think you outgrow good things though. You reach a point where you're ready for a new beginning...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.tagsandfeathers.blogspot.com/">www.tagsandfeathers.blogspot.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Aroha</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-13004146347962867842014-01-21T12:01:00.003-08:002014-01-21T12:01:54.810-08:00Week three: Creativity<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">For this last week, the energy I decided to focus on in myself was <b>creativity</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I have always had some artistic skill-practical application of that skill sometimes is a bit harder for me. But you know what? The universe gave me a talent, I better start using it, huh? I tried to be creative in multiple ways instead of just drawing a picture every day, I even was creative in cooking (I didn't use a recipe or anything one night)! Instead of telling you about it, I documented my experiences. Everyone has to start somewhere!!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-68890670280877216372014-01-14T10:30:00.000-08:002014-01-14T10:30:11.967-08:00Inspiration.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My heart is aching for nature. Winter just doesn't have the same place in my heart as summer...</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-50595006446315520202014-01-13T13:58:00.000-08:002014-01-13T13:58:25.007-08:00Week 2: Understanding<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two weeks in a row of resolution keeping is probably a new record for me. Let's all take a moment to appreciate this moment....</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alright, so calm energy was a pretty great week. I felt a shift in myself and I even had someone comment on Ollie being better behaved. *Disclaimer-that is not to be taken as he is <b>well </b>behaved, just <b>better </b>behaved.* The next area of focus for me?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Understanding.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This wasn't something that I thought I had an issue with, I was fairly confident that I was the most understanding person on Earth, duh. Then this issue started coming up across the board with people around me. Things started getting wild in my life, and as I was making decisions that I knew in my gut to the be the right ones for me, people around me were having a hard time accepting them. My instant reaction? To take offence...every...single...time. I have been getting my knickers all up in a twist lately about people judging and not giving my choices and the people involved in them the benefit of the doubt. If these people <i>really </i>love me and think that I have my head on straight, they should just trust me, right?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then it dawned on me, I am <i>constantly</i> judging people and you can't be understanding of others if you're critiquing their lives. I don't think that it comes from a bitchy place inside, more of a social one. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a super private person. Lately though, this whole "open book" philosophy has kind of bitten me in the ass. Along with being so open with my life, comes welcoming the backlash of people's opinions. Why is this suddenly an issue twenty-four years in? </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I haven't ever been in a relationship with someone that I see a long term (lifetime?) commitment with. I've had such limited relationships with people previously that any "history" with those people haven't really mattered. I've just always shared everything about those flings with my people.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, in hind sight, I wish that I wouldn't have been so open about things with the boyfriend. But who knew that this guy had staying power? That on top of the fact that <i>a lot </i>of intense shit went down within the first six months has just been a recipe for disaster. Do I wish that I would have handled the situation differently? Yes. If I had the chance to do it all again, I would keep my private life more <b>private </b>(there's a new concept), but you know what? That had never been a real issue for me before. Lesson learned. As far as I'm concerned, I've moved on.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, good for me, but that doesn't change the fact that people in my circle have already formed their own opinions. I have spent <i>countless </i>hours stressing about changing their minds about my life and where I'm aiming it. I want everyone to be as ok as I am with my choices. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It hasn't been working. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turns out I can't will them to comply. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, the way I see it, I can either keep on obsessing about having their whole hearted (and not completely fake) blessings, or I can just chalk it up to a lesson learned and change <i>myself </i>so that it isn't a wasted opportunity. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm a major contributing factor in this entire mess that I'm sat in the middle of. Clearly, I don't want to stay here. I can't do any more damage control than I have already done, so I'm moving on. I don't ever want someone who has confided in me about an issue in their life to feel like I'm not supportive of them. It's not necessarily a feeling that I'm crazy about myself. I also don't want people to stop telling me things because they're afraid that I won't be able to <i>not </i>be judgmental. So I have to be <b>understanding</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">. </i>The whole "walk a mile in their shoes" thing all of a sudden hits really close to home. We are all doing the very best that we can on our own journeys, the last thing any of us need is to be beaten down by those close to us.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the goal for this week/I feel like I should make this one a lifetime thing, is to work on simply not "catch up" about others with third parties. The basics are just fine, but anything that is remotely personal is off of the discussion table. Is this going to change the dynamic of some regular lunch dates in my life? Yeah it is, I'm going to have to Google some random conversation topics or something, but I know deep down that this is going to be a change for the better for me, and really, I want to be freakin awesome, not just mediocre.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Word.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-63567752982818118452014-01-03T10:25:00.002-08:002014-01-03T10:25:35.095-08:00New Year. New Air. New Me?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know that what I'm about to say sounds <i>so typical</i> this time of year, but I'm going to say it anyways. I decided that this year I'm going to work on becoming a better me. That involves mentally progressing as well as physically. There was once a time when my good friends Jade and Jamie and I all used to go to the gym <b>all of the time</b> and I was getting into pretty great shape. Then I just stopped. That's what happens when you start dating someone I guess, it's all about nights in with pizza and beer, also known as a healthy lifestyle killer. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm paying for it now. I'm in probably the worst shape that I've ever been in my whole life. I'm not loving it. I'm actually hating it. I didn't want to lay out some complicated game plan for myself that I was never going to follow and then feel bad about it tomorrow when I eat some chocolate. So I'm taking a new approach, and I'm not going to lie, I'm <i>terrified</i> by it. I took "before" pictures yesterday afternoon. I have <b>never </b>done that before. I'm giving myself until my birthday and then I'm going to post my "after" pictures on here. Shit just got real. I'm telling the world online so that I'm held accountable. Oh geez....</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I decided that a good place to start would be a nice hike with Ollie and Zachary on the 1st. It was fantastic, we actually made it all the way to Elephant Rock IN THE SNOW. Neither of us had ever realized that people still go outside in the winter? It's a new concept, but I'm liking it so far. One of the best things that we realized on the hike? Our lungs didn't hurt. We were <i>above </i>all of this crappy air that we've been inhaling for weeks now. Going out was easily the best decision I've made all year. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORzgFYmrb51Zi-28ZSizBxI-vreW8n7-K5A6-4QOSfq7SVeYLX8u_uf7RgW2N2l4jdxdamnl8_H4AK05dBwu9FD1l8LLJPm9taTNZiKuHEXXRdboHtGlsrv-Yd-FeDuTkvLXMePDl3vxU/s1600/1549313_10152137451899288_852658459_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORzgFYmrb51Zi-28ZSizBxI-vreW8n7-K5A6-4QOSfq7SVeYLX8u_uf7RgW2N2l4jdxdamnl8_H4AK05dBwu9FD1l8LLJPm9taTNZiKuHEXXRdboHtGlsrv-Yd-FeDuTkvLXMePDl3vxU/s320/1549313_10152137451899288_852658459_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We learned that my dog is a model. He posed for TONS of pictures perfectly.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekT6r1CyC6nEUCD89z60VhmJo5ad3oc5cvAnPY0kjOVkbZCwFeiNpOv_SYj8NHTjOQ_Hp82HfYPV-aHEHqjgC3egi15NZBWBA0i6Rlk14Vzk5pf_YYimV0wXXlUUOUMZtKnIEcC2L3k0S/s1600/GetAttachment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekT6r1CyC6nEUCD89z60VhmJo5ad3oc5cvAnPY0kjOVkbZCwFeiNpOv_SYj8NHTjOQ_Hp82HfYPV-aHEHqjgC3egi15NZBWBA0i6Rlk14Vzk5pf_YYimV0wXXlUUOUMZtKnIEcC2L3k0S/s200/GetAttachment.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We reached the top!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hevlu_rKe6yLKISQI1OfP9rDZN6wJMoLPdx2jJt_K-GxeeFKA-H0Z6m-kcf98vG9rjXcuke-CQCa9sswHpIMw60OnlEa92hNfSF8A1XAqx-r7mu2nLZwmMKs73EDRDGP04sZk-4-cPV2/s1600/photo+1+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hevlu_rKe6yLKISQI1OfP9rDZN6wJMoLPdx2jJt_K-GxeeFKA-H0Z6m-kcf98vG9rjXcuke-CQCa9sswHpIMw60OnlEa92hNfSF8A1XAqx-r7mu2nLZwmMKs73EDRDGP04sZk-4-cPV2/s320/photo+1+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you see that gunk cloud that is hanging over the valley? Ew.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-50729444641046455642013-12-30T19:39:00.003-08:002013-12-31T10:14:31.204-08:00Week 1: Calm Energy<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, this New Years, my resolution is to get my energy back under control. That doesn't mean that I'm trying to calm down. I'm talking about my <i>whole </i>energy. My aura if you will. Because when I started thinking about the last year, I can't help but admit that the mood I have carried with me for the majority of the year has been chaotic. (I apologize to all those poor people that I was closely associated with, that shit really rubs off on others.) I don't want to be <i>that </i>girl. I want to be the <i>other </i>girl, you know, the one who is always super happy and just radiates sunshine out of her ass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I've come up with a game plan. For the next year (or as long as resolutions usually last...) I'm going to focus on cultivating different energy in myself. I'm going to change it up every week as well, because no one wants to have the same energy all of the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first energy that I'm working on? Calm energy. I'm not going to lie, I picked this one first for Ollie as much as myself. That dog just <b>soaks up</b> however I'm feeling. If I'm agitated, he's agitated. If I'm relaxed he is too (unless there's a tennis ball around, then not so much). I end up getting frustrated with him and he reads that and becomes upset as well and then we are just a right old mess.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, that's the case no more! From now on (or the next week at the very least) we are going to be the epitome of peace and serenity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Namaste Olympus.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrh532hyphenhyphensO0_Kgg3TY58LUg2n3AblkZ7tUEHKFmSCQS6VuKlhCpgMYS8zBjhdZ_3ftmQJy2lGSy1-P77SWFKUe2x9xCzCX8uxmruyZCcIxpAdAEr3zYk2zYLVkO3bPJ5y-vcNFE8shUnN/s1600/1512801_10152122823954288_1483398426_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrh532hyphenhyphensO0_Kgg3TY58LUg2n3AblkZ7tUEHKFmSCQS6VuKlhCpgMYS8zBjhdZ_3ftmQJy2lGSy1-P77SWFKUe2x9xCzCX8uxmruyZCcIxpAdAEr3zYk2zYLVkO3bPJ5y-vcNFE8shUnN/s320/1512801_10152122823954288_1483398426_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We truly are twins.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-91015376955744731892013-12-19T20:09:00.000-08:002013-12-19T20:09:01.866-08:00Links, links, links...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Shut up guys, remember <a href="http://jamierachellegraham.blogspot.com/2012/02/getting-involved.html">this post</a> from February 2012? (You probably don't, and even though it wasn't an epic blog post, it was something that I was very passionate about.) It was clearly a premonition on my part. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(The following is a brief inner workings of my mind tour.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yesterday I was feeling really blah. I'm over waiting for things to happen. Waiting for Christmas. Waiting for Florida. Waiting for <i>everything </i>*said in an overly dramatic tone*. Then my sister brought the moon water inside from the night before. (<a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Moon-Water">Moon water 101 link</a>) which got me started thinking about how out of balance I am right now. That thought process led me to remember when I was little and discovered <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_WntssQI1A">this guy</a> on Reading Rainbow. It was then that I knew <a href="http://jamierachellegraham.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-past-life.html">I had a past life</a>. That thought process led me to discover <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Medicine-Wheel-Earth-Astrology/dp/0671764209">this book</a> that I have been reading/taking to heart. It talks about how we all need to live in harmony with nature and our environment in order to grow and be at peace in life. Then I watched a documentary called <u>Kingdom of the Blue Whale</u> tonight on National Geographic Wild and that brought me back to my post from almost two years ago. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At the time that I wrote that post, I would take the book Oceana to work at the bank and leave it open on the counter next to me so that I could read it in between clients-I was obsessed. I wanted so badly to hop on the "ocean conservation" bandwagon and move to the coast to make a difference. The major problem that I ran into at the time was that I was living in Utah. Utah just happens to be a landlocked state...b<i>ut now I am going to be living right on the coast. </i>Granted it isn't the coast that I was hoping for, I was thinking more along the lines of California, but it's the <b>coast</b> of the <b>ocean.</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://oceana.org/en/about-us/what-we-do"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oceana website and video</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">^This^ is the organization that sparked my interest in ocean conservation. (I saw Ted Danson talk about this on the Ellen show, so really I have Ellen to thank for all good things in my life, that's why I think that she should be our next president..side note.) Before I read this book I found the ocean completely terrifying. I was <i>that </i>girl that didn't live anywhere near the ocean but had legitimate nightmares when she was younger about sharks. I just don't really love the fact that there are parts (ok, most) of the ocean that I can't see from my vantage point on the surface. There is <b>no way </b>to know what is stalking you from down there. No bueno. Then I read this book and had an "a ha" moment realizing that there is a bit more to the ocean ecosystem than sharks and whales. There's actually quite a bit going on down there. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Skip ahead a year and a half and I found myself a guy whose family pretty much lives on the ocean in Florida. I don't mean that they sometimes visit the beach and splash around. I mean that he works on boats at the marina where they fish for things-not lake things like in Utah-but ocean things, like rays and stuff when they have down time. I mean that for fun outings they go out in a boat <i>shark fishing</i>, who does that? The people that I'm going to be spending a lot of time with for the next little while is who. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's funny how the universe sets us on paths that we don't understand at the time, but prepare us for the future isn't it? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To wrap this entire post up, I am <i>so </i>excited to be able to spend more time getting to know the ocean and all of the crazy a*% stuff that's floating around down there!! I'm about to take the term "animal lover" to a whole new extreme. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(The bf already told me that we could not in fact keep the small shark that he caught the other day in our bathtub. We'll see how long he can hold his ground...) </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcTBP8QnwNOmvc2ajtw6KseOJHdhkvcTZrT5nGacAE1RugGl9HI86iLXOiRYQedHJMERYe8-ul1Cv_JDPBXh0U5x0pIq88jbBQN3HoJS1sb3iFA06fiD4UwFfiEPZEBJ5ljREy7dBI-t4/s1600/73c591353e98fd478a2f5c836f130d43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcTBP8QnwNOmvc2ajtw6KseOJHdhkvcTZrT5nGacAE1RugGl9HI86iLXOiRYQedHJMERYe8-ul1Cv_JDPBXh0U5x0pIq88jbBQN3HoJS1sb3iFA06fiD4UwFfiEPZEBJ5ljREy7dBI-t4/s320/73c591353e98fd478a2f5c836f130d43.jpg" width="219" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">I imagine that this is a routine sight when you live on the coast.<br />Those dolphins better not disappoint.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-28079811993821407062013-12-16T22:28:00.000-08:002013-12-16T22:28:38.009-08:00A Very Merry Christmas...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This entire last year has been one of complete chaos. It's been absolute madness. Since January 1st, it just hasn't seemed to stop or slow down enough to even appreciate all of the good things that have been happening in among the insanity. Everything has been in such disarray across the board with my people! There have been new boyfriends/girlfriends, new babies, breakups, houses, sicknesses, new jobs, you name it, it's happened in 2013.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeing how everything else this year has been flying past, I was concerned that this holiday season was going to fly by without my being able to enjoy it. It <i>has </i>flown by really quickly, but by some Christmas miracle, it's also been one of the most fantastic holiday seasons that I can remember. I don't know whether it's the knowledge that this may be the last Christmas for a while that the whole family is together or what, but I've had more moments of calm and love in the last month than I have in the entire year combined. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had just these moments where time seems to slow down and I can just take in the moment-I can't think of a time that I've needed that more. It started with a brilliant Thanksgiving filled with good people, good food and good wine. It truly topped my "best Thanksgiving ever" list. It's carried over to a December full of my nearest and dearest people, which has been the thing that I have wanted the very most since deciding that January would be the month of the big cross country move. I've been very blessed that everything has sort of fallen into place, giving me the opportunity to have the most time possible with those that I hold dearest before there are many miles between us (with the exception of one very special person, but I figure he's the reason that I'm going to be missing everyone back here-he can give me one month of enjoying everyone else!). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the things that I've found the most calming is that from twenty four years worth of forming relationships with people in this area, the ones that I have naturally been spending all of my time with for the last month are the ones that are closest to my heart (those people from a few weeks ago, <a href="http://jamierachellegraham.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-past-life.html">my soul mates</a>). That's not to say that there aren't a whole bunch of people that I will miss at different times, but I've really enjoyed being a homebody and sticking close to my core people. I haven't been going out to big parties, or getting dressed up for dinners in the city-I've been bundled up at home as the snow has been flying, or venturing out for sodas at Arby's while wearing sweats. It's been phenomenal.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's given me time to come to terms with things that I will be leaving behind (the mountains, Cafe Rio dressing, In-n-Out grilled cheese sandwiches, the view from the back door, even the snow), and to really enjoy them while I still can. I can't even tell you how many times I've caught myself daydreaming as I enjoy the beauty that Utah has to offer. It's also reminded me how nice being calm and peaceful is. New things are exciting, and I do love a good adventure, but I am so excited to get back to some sense of normality once I get to Florida. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in the meantime, there is nowhere that I would rather be than here in this winter wonderland that I will <i>always</i> call home, surrounded by my most treasured friends and family. I hope that everyone is having a very <i>very </i>merry Christmas like I am.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-20431671168195412112013-12-08T16:44:00.000-08:002013-12-08T16:44:02.124-08:00Ok Now He Was Close, Tried To Domesticate You...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...but what about when that really happens, when you <i>become </i>domestic?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've recently discovered that I'm in love with Sex and the City (guys, it's totally fine that I'm a solid decade behind being "hip"). For those of you who aren't super familiar with the show's concept, Carrie is a columnist for a newspaper and she writes about sex and relationships. There is a quote from that show that I have loved for years, and that I considered my dating mantra if you will:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed, maybe they were meant to run free until they find someone to run free with them."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It worked for me. I was <i>awesome </i>at not committing and "running wild."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The problem with all of that is that I found guys that were really good at that as well. We were perfect for each other at the time, just "keeping it casual" and "nothing serious." Those relationships were fun, and they produced some great memories, but they didn't have any staying power. I thought I was ok with that, probably because I just didn't know any better at the time. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, a cocky marine came up to me at a bar on a girls night...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd love to say that the rest is history and that it's been a happy ending ever since...but that's not how it has gone at all. It's been crazy, insane, right out of a Hollywood blockbuster to be honest with you. But there has just been <i>something </i>about us that's been bizarre (in a totally good way) and just really familiar. We met at probably the worst possible time in his life-there was a hell of a lot going on there that needed to be taken care of, but when you care about someone I've found out that you're willing to forgive and to wait for them to get to the place that they want to be for you.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess this is my way of telling the world that my game plan is to move to Florida here in the next couple of months. Is it controversial to those who know me? Yeah. Is everyone in my circle super happy about the idea? No. Are they doing their best to be respectful and supportive? They're trying. I think Eleanor Roosevelt put it nicely when she said, "Do what you feel in your heart to be right-for you'll be criticized anyways." When it comes down to it, for the first time in my life my heart and my gut are both on the same page. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Along with this move comes the realization that my life is about to become a whole lot more "domestic" than it has ever been. This took me a minute or two to become comfortable with, but now I'm really excited. I'm excited to be that girl that cooks dinners at night, and who decorates her house for the seasons. I'm over the idea of going to bars and meeting random guys who just bring a whole lot of drama to the table. For the first time in my life, I have a <i>better option, </i>one that I really love.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I've adopted a new mantra for my life, because that's what growing up is, it's adjusting to what works for you at different points in your life,</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1t2PRnIphLj_KHzUYQyLKzxXKM1K_thd7UQzxQ5ubCiBXtOBS2-teoBlvG-LdoggcoPi3TT53GuRsu8Gxfdr2c8nW4UrWkEDr6X5UobWBP3AGDd8NQtKtcZSqS9UKLuZ2v_uGscEdKEAW/s1600/fda290c1ee019b78e2817d23363af262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1t2PRnIphLj_KHzUYQyLKzxXKM1K_thd7UQzxQ5ubCiBXtOBS2-teoBlvG-LdoggcoPi3TT53GuRsu8Gxfdr2c8nW4UrWkEDr6X5UobWBP3AGDd8NQtKtcZSqS9UKLuZ2v_uGscEdKEAW/s320/fda290c1ee019b78e2817d23363af262.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzV1TgTfZUg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzV1TgTfZUg</a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AROHA</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-45721651080355195962013-12-03T19:29:00.004-08:002013-12-03T19:29:58.915-08:00My Past Life...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So, I'm pretty much convinced that I was a Native American in a past life. I mean, let's look at the facts here:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-I'm in my element in nature, seriously, there's nowhere else I'd rather be than on some mountain camping or at some lake fishing (but not catching fish of course, the universe knows that I couldn't handle that).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-I really want to just save the whole planet. Not the <i>people </i>on the planet, just literally Earth, I feel a connection to her that's weird for an American in the 21st century, like Pocahontas feels when she's singing Colors Of The Wind or talking to grandmother Willow.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-Speaking of Pocahontas, when I'm chasing my dogs through the forest because they saw a bunny, I definitely feel like I <b>am </b>her, leaping over boulders and ducking under branches and such...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">...thinking about it now, maybe I WAS Pocahontas! Clearly that must be it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Seriously though, the more that I think about the concept of having lived previous lives, the more it just makes sense in my head. I don't prescribe to organized religion and I haven't ever had any real beliefs about a life before or after this one, but the idea that my soul keeps doing this in different ways over and over is oddly comforting to me. (Next bullet point list, go!)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-I am very selective and in turn passionate about "my people," I truly believe that this isn't our first rodeo together. There's just no logical reason that some of those people and I should be together, and feel that connection, in this life which leads me to believe that we've done some epic shit together in the past.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-There are just some people that I don't feel like I'm meant to be with in this life, but there's a weird familiarity to them that I attribute to great love at some other point in our existences. I've never believed in all of that "the one" nonsense. This does not mean that I don't love my significant other with my whole heart, really, I adore the guy. It just means that in this life, at this time we're meant to continue our saga (I can tell you right now that we have absolutely got more of a past than we can't remember specifically, I would bet on it).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-Those little things that I'm weird about, or that I love or feel a draw to, that haven't been a big part of my life are things that I think I've been around in another life. Like pirates for example, I love them. (I was either around pirates at some point in a past life, or my love for Jack Sparrow is just insanely out of control...) No but seriously, like Spirit Animals, ancient Egypt (I was probably Cleopatra...), and native religions (shamans and herbal medicine and such). Then there are other things that I feel <i>no </i>connection to (like Asian countries, as hard as I try, I really just don't have a passion to travel there), that I just put down to the fact that I haven't had any interactions with those things in the past-that's not to say that I won't in the future, just not now.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">All of this came up again recently in my life after a good friend of mine wrote a paper about a past life, and it made me consider the fact that I might not be the only person in the world who believes this stuff. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Then I re-watched Cloud Atlas (one of my favorite movies) and the deal was sealed. I need to look into these ideas more....</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlf3Ttfd95h2lSaVc1qG1pIRxTE-fxtyel2vslyNoY83Ync8OP6N-MmYY9nENjaqDzDweZgCLNHXkBTTiNXGhjlZIOKrNKJQndCBQx5Q_OoUQDMQ5HqenBk4eibJvr1-V9u6hYP8JErbt/s1600/49c76f4d357ce56f35841518e958cd32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlf3Ttfd95h2lSaVc1qG1pIRxTE-fxtyel2vslyNoY83Ync8OP6N-MmYY9nENjaqDzDweZgCLNHXkBTTiNXGhjlZIOKrNKJQndCBQx5Q_OoUQDMQ5HqenBk4eibJvr1-V9u6hYP8JErbt/s320/49c76f4d357ce56f35841518e958cd32.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't think "soul mate" is a term just for the person<br />that you commit to, I have lots of "soul mates."</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-75187686616939414162013-11-20T12:18:00.001-08:002013-11-20T12:18:56.430-08:00On Growing Up...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...sounds like it's going to be a noble post, right?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's not.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mostly it's going to be complaining.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Growing up is <b>hard. </b>There are responsibilities and stuff that come along with it. People expect you to <i>act </i>grownup as well as just <i>being </i>grownup. Society thinks that I have the capacity to make life altering decisions. <b>When did this happen? </b>I started screaming when the Spice Girls reunited at the Olympic ceremonies last year, enough said. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Adults use the bullet point system to organize thoughts. Watch this.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-Relationships of all shapes and sizes get more complicated. Those friends that you pinky promised with that you would never grow apart from? Yeah, the most interaction you have with them anymore is Facebook stalking and the occasional, "We should do lunch" text. Since when did we get old enough to "do lunch?" That was for old ladies in pantsuits not all that long ago. Plus making new friends at this age is odd, there's no such thing as "hanging out," there's planned out double dates, or play dates (I'm attending my very first one of those this week, solo. Not sure how I feel about this....) and other grown up appropriate activities.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-When you're in high school, the most drama you get in a relationship is, "Oh. My. God. Did you really talk to Suzie last period? Are you <i>trying</i> to ruin my life?" Then you get to this stage in life and you have long term education and career plans, previous relationships, kids, etc. to deal with. And that's all on top of your own issues (I don't have any of course, but I've heard that other people do) to take into account when you're deciding who you want to gamble on. There's also the fact that relationships now <i>go places</i>, as in they get serious. The commitment-phobe in me dies a little even writing that. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-There seems to be a time table of having your life figured out that we're all supposed to be on, like buying a house and having a baby-I'm sitting here at 24 (and 1/2) and I'm still wandering. Don't get me wrong, I'm <i>owning </i>being aimless, but it gets old explaining to people that I'm very happy following my heart, thankyouverymuch. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-To top it all off there's the fact that you find a conscious, and who really wants one of those anyways? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*steps off of soap box*</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's the kicker, even with all of the previously addressed topics, growing up is kind of awesome. Those relationships that are super hard, are also really amazing. As scary as long term commitments can be with your significant other, the payoff is absolutely worth it, you'll love them more than you imagined was possible. (Turns out that stud from third period math was <b>not </b>in fact the only man you would ever love...I was just so sure!) Connections that are made with people go deeper than you could ever have imagined they could. Hanging out with your best friend's kids is the most fun you have on any given day. Double (or even triple) dates are a blast, because you're surrounded by the people that you care about, and in turn with the ones that they care about. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The possible roads you can take in life are so many that it's almost overwhelming. That is so so cool though. Because as much as having my parents take care of all of my bills was nice, and being required to attend high school (as loosely as I used that <i>required </i>word at the time) gave a sense of security-being in control of life is pretty awesome. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Terrifying, but awesome. </span><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11EeN4QBZ_GM7PIsQwBBjGo2ja86D2w0UZyhgvrJiUnpav6KPOUa-5vCPY2s2irfWMeLQU0feYmaUhgkmcWIRtzDnkmbAmrG_uh15w9xjGUdOc5nFyVHZroS0mzs7qSouPtb-Ye1o4QkA/s1600/cfa61ada293b3b96aaf0c2c0628fe7a6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11EeN4QBZ_GM7PIsQwBBjGo2ja86D2w0UZyhgvrJiUnpav6KPOUa-5vCPY2s2irfWMeLQU0feYmaUhgkmcWIRtzDnkmbAmrG_uh15w9xjGUdOc5nFyVHZroS0mzs7qSouPtb-Ye1o4QkA/s400/cfa61ada293b3b96aaf0c2c0628fe7a6.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a helpful hint to remember as you "grow up."</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-79109646793857116602013-11-14T14:33:00.000-08:002013-11-14T14:33:12.683-08:00The Universe Sure Is Hilarious...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">...sometimes hilariously so. I got a good laugh out of rereading the last post on here from a year ago. All I wanted in that post was to feel something-the universe sure knows how to deliver. The last year has been one of the most emotion filled of my life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My whole "thing" in that post from a year ago was the concern about how <b>I </b>was in a rut, and how <b>I </b>was going to break out of it, and where <b>I</b> was going, and how <b>I </b>wanted to feel something. The universe decided to step right on in and show me that there are bigger things than just <b>me </b>on my own. I wanted emotion, and feeling in my life, and I wanted it to be real and intense-turns out that you only get the real shit when you care for someone else more than yourself. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Turns out that when you throw someone in the mix that you think is really cute, and kinda funny, your world sort of starts to turn a little bit differently. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You've never liked the idea of "forever" with someone before, but now "for a long time" doesn't seem so scary. You've never liked being labeled, but now "girlfriend" has a nice ring to it. You've never liked being left out of the latest get together on the town, but now sweats and a movie is the highlight of your week. You've never even thought to look on Pinterest at the Weddings, Kids or Recipes boards, but now they're your most visited.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, once you're hooked, something happens and it's going to make or break this thing with this really cute person. The rose colored glasses come off and all of a sudden, all of their demons and really dark places are right there, staring you down. How much are you willing to gamble at that moment? How much are you willing to put on the line? How much faith do you have in them?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I just want to publicly tell the universe that when I asked to feel something last year <b>I meant that I wanted to have a little crush on someone, or find some new cause to get involved in. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Universe, you sure dropped the ball on this one...</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHD6FqPx_S644FzzKTWtkrizG-Eb09ghVH361IPLyvcQMiDZvZCryGwYTraSSpAmah-orQPIbrY4UamsNzZ6mgSUMnaOn_x-isTz_UbRso2Ek2_mvZh3MKNJ0RnBFKUR03wLrlXU7gnq6/s1600/35b44f905aa98bdf4c7a12eada94d018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHD6FqPx_S644FzzKTWtkrizG-Eb09ghVH361IPLyvcQMiDZvZCryGwYTraSSpAmah-orQPIbrY4UamsNzZ6mgSUMnaOn_x-isTz_UbRso2Ek2_mvZh3MKNJ0RnBFKUR03wLrlXU7gnq6/s320/35b44f905aa98bdf4c7a12eada94d018.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There might be something to it....</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-52736009013445428352012-11-04T23:25:00.000-08:002012-11-04T23:25:09.625-08:00Commitments...<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I probably still haven't snapped out of my rut. This is taking forever. </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was talking to a good friend of mine the other day and explaining that with my personality, I've never experienced <em>real </em>depression. I know that it can be crippling, and I know that I have never been <strong>that</strong> bad off (thank the universe). But what I'm going through now is as close as I seem to get. He pointed out the fact that I seem to feel things very intensely when I do feel them. Right now I just don't.<br />I'm just majorly <em>blah</em>. </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hate being blah.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been trying to break out of this by switching up my music, my wardrobe, my routine; I've been making conscious efforts to meet new people and go new places; I accepted a promotion at work and am going to training for that. Hell, I've even tried revisiting the people that helped put me <em>in </em>this rut. </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NOTHING has worked so far.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extreme times=extreme measures.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New game plan: Until the end of the year I will </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<em>create </em>something every day. I know that I am letting my talents sit idly by as I watch trash TV. No more.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-not eat out. Unless it's a family dining experience or a date situation (ew, dates...)</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and </span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-study one new subject every week. I don't care what the subject is, whatever I'm feeling at the time.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's hoping that this has some effect....</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AROHA y'all</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVg7z8m4YN3sOzqLHT_hIFqMvi9CYp2WknDEgX-6vyfA9HK8vJC25bWvyI8ExswZDEQmQurB5OThRWS-55DNvSnJJ_KhnhezeKHhyZM0YimmhgC7pt3LcRBKZkfWI76somtovYvOJtAR3-/s1600/212795151113427556_OES9iy0J_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVg7z8m4YN3sOzqLHT_hIFqMvi9CYp2WknDEgX-6vyfA9HK8vJC25bWvyI8ExswZDEQmQurB5OThRWS-55DNvSnJJ_KhnhezeKHhyZM0YimmhgC7pt3LcRBKZkfWI76somtovYvOJtAR3-/s400/212795151113427556_OES9iy0J_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I will try and keep this in mind.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-6764643081379952222012-10-26T12:56:00.003-07:002012-10-26T12:56:46.576-07:00Buddha<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkLIrUx21NbFYdA6jGFZXhPcCGG2iTSakcVP6Gwqf5oZ6vZ4IHyft9gyosCoM9TCFzRSaMCJo_FWxjquycXBhwvGqWi4sBDqpDNodXG5az1wBcurGX0L9wYDwAG3Y1CWUvW34bxiV9fzO/s1600/c44250e210f911e28ad722000a1fc2ab_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkLIrUx21NbFYdA6jGFZXhPcCGG2iTSakcVP6Gwqf5oZ6vZ4IHyft9gyosCoM9TCFzRSaMCJo_FWxjquycXBhwvGqWi4sBDqpDNodXG5az1wBcurGX0L9wYDwAG3Y1CWUvW34bxiV9fzO/s400/c44250e210f911e28ad722000a1fc2ab_6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Amen Buddha.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Aroha</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-52482151809291319292012-10-26T12:50:00.000-07:002012-10-26T12:57:38.423-07:00PLATEAU<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Sometimes life just seems like this:</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf2PfPnwWXZqEDmFE8f4qi7Uuuz_SIa-12lfJHhl4VOO7_bcamNvNjQ1Ux9bkFikOFcVtKAW_Oqf33Z_242EHbZ_tk1yWTN1EsgM3GAo9De0v8N4kvDu42p3JcIkDE0ijU4TtJckNqRm7/s1600/23992_380435919287_535499287_3594342_581324_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf2PfPnwWXZqEDmFE8f4qi7Uuuz_SIa-12lfJHhl4VOO7_bcamNvNjQ1Ux9bkFikOFcVtKAW_Oqf33Z_242EHbZ_tk1yWTN1EsgM3GAo9De0v8N4kvDu42p3JcIkDE0ijU4TtJckNqRm7/s320/23992_380435919287_535499287_3594342_581324_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I think that they call this a plateau. (Actually, I think that they call it being in a funk, but I don't like that saying at all really.) We've all been in this place, where nothing is working out.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I know that it passes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I just sure wish it would <em>hurry</em>!</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">AROHA</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-5250842113639845962012-10-01T11:23:00.003-07:002012-10-01T11:23:54.384-07:00Cranes Dancing...<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I find that my life tends to be on the same cycle as the seasons.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the summer I'm eager to experience life and completely immerse myself in relationships and everything that is happening <em>in that moment</em>. It's fantastic really. But summer only lasts for so long, as does my "live in <strong>this </strong>moment and don't worry about <strong>anything</strong>" mentality. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't get me wrong, I like to try and live my life in the present moment all of the time. But summer is for no schedules, late nights, bon fires and beer, not for worrying about the future, taking care of your spirit and rejuvenating your soul.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then fall hits.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the last remnants of summer slipped away a few weeks ago, I took a step back to evaluate where I am in my life; I came to the conclusion that I am <em>completely </em>out of balance. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have not meditated <strong>once</strong> this summer. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I haven't thought about cultivating <strong>any </strong>sort of spirituality in the last 6 months.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I haven't cleaned out my space <strong>at all </strong>since spring cleaning. (If you know me, you know that I don't keep things around for memory sake, I toss <em>anything </em>that I don't need or that I don't find beautiful.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's clearly time to re-center.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fact that it's the first day of October is a happy coincidence. </span><br />
<br /><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next 31 days of my life will be dedicated to putting myself back on a path of inner acceptance and tranquility, because I fully believe that the chaos that I'm experiencing in my life is a direct result of not taking care of my spirit and letting my ego take over for the last 6 months.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like to think that I'm starting the month off on the right foot by visiting the Dancing Crane with my sister and one of my very closest friends today. In case you've never been to the Crane, <em>GO! </em>It's my go to stop to stock up on everything soul enriching, spirit awakening, or third eye opening. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">October is going to be awesome.</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aroha</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGeqSk8Q_Ufktae0EkJcIPKtDM8lTi8xDVOGPyDFh6ei4GWDkYyuuJdHNJgEZyvgj72peBdr4JF9uIdWdL231EJILPQCXdppgreiwpiVA-PD9Fs3AbnDS3IsaI8FLtHiTbDQhpAUHkKH5/s1600/424752_10151178169399288_1025842117_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGeqSk8Q_Ufktae0EkJcIPKtDM8lTi8xDVOGPyDFh6ei4GWDkYyuuJdHNJgEZyvgj72peBdr4JF9uIdWdL231EJILPQCXdppgreiwpiVA-PD9Fs3AbnDS3IsaI8FLtHiTbDQhpAUHkKH5/s320/424752_10151178169399288_1025842117_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-76630329610603741812012-03-27T00:27:00.000-07:002012-03-27T00:27:27.962-07:00Summer...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAIVq6IdpV-XgCIIdzV3GpiykCEVHe1KM7r6QC8zHK4rS5fQnB8AM57nPB7W1jVlF16fEkqUenMyUt-Dmpfa8fDYZhzQ0uGn3kYls5MQPcBZNm4ZVGFxMcZzQNAQK5czujx0LuxAFDXYx/s1600/12877548904085616_fUsqh62j_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAIVq6IdpV-XgCIIdzV3GpiykCEVHe1KM7r6QC8zHK4rS5fQnB8AM57nPB7W1jVlF16fEkqUenMyUt-Dmpfa8fDYZhzQ0uGn3kYls5MQPcBZNm4ZVGFxMcZzQNAQK5czujx0LuxAFDXYx/s320/12877548904085616_fUsqh62j_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"But summer had a way of making her smile and feel happier. It was sort of amazing how for those months of summer she always believed in herself and all that she could be."</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Courier New;">-Unknown-</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-10547135507525365082012-03-27T00:21:00.000-07:002012-03-27T00:21:53.348-07:00Eureka!!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx1_HWxOIWW5N5qz13fVczYMBQTmvb8zLYP5wp-0rNn1IQ75UBd5ZGoHwypast93a0CeQyuczNCWyUwlBZ3VcQAzHoCW6L6hoGX4oeXV32fQMvDe_pJSbk9QA7EauAsutSn0V-UlcLX3p/s1600/252764597806242566_p1ORl6uS_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx1_HWxOIWW5N5qz13fVczYMBQTmvb8zLYP5wp-0rNn1IQ75UBd5ZGoHwypast93a0CeQyuczNCWyUwlBZ3VcQAzHoCW6L6hoGX4oeXV32fQMvDe_pJSbk9QA7EauAsutSn0V-UlcLX3p/s320/252764597806242566_p1ORl6uS_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This time of year suddenly makes such perfect sense...</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">AROHA</span></div><div align="center"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-1618652466504501862012-03-07T20:47:00.000-08:002012-03-07T20:47:36.498-08:00Be Heard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRm93KUoIS_zH5TuIuI48KEueQdHrE_HbWAL782tmEUcpWSPvMkNiLvhAy69jAIY-jlU_2Z3zqEXZ-l7JmqhH5e0xmmr2clQ653kN0mHgoQ1L3ZHURELAWTWnecJnSmLggPlJD5wQX892A/s1600/kony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRm93KUoIS_zH5TuIuI48KEueQdHrE_HbWAL782tmEUcpWSPvMkNiLvhAy69jAIY-jlU_2Z3zqEXZ-l7JmqhH5e0xmmr2clQ653kN0mHgoQ1L3ZHURELAWTWnecJnSmLggPlJD5wQX892A/s400/kony.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #e69138;">I'm fully aware of the fact that there are people out there who criticize this group and the movement that they're creating.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Get over it.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #38761d;">These people are doing more for human rights than any of us have in our lifetime. I say we step up and help out. Whether you believe in the <em>actual </em>organization or not. Stop thinking of yourself and finding fault with everyone, get out and let your voice</span> <strong>be heard. </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">After all, we are just one big family. We have a responsibility to look out for each other.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">AROHA </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">(See you all April 20, 2012-8 pm at the Utah state capitol. Bring your fliers!)</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-993517313662665252012-03-03T17:24:00.000-08:002012-03-03T17:24:22.772-08:00Heaven On Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9NSQRbfpl5rAye4xG4o-G6Nch9VjmKDq7yuZn7RwlErvIhobvGNnI4DSqkH_YURI5NeFx5I5XtORwbLRhP2yP1P7U1-v4nw6wImFvFJSYkEaRnTQvBDeDfpuN6TXsu_iuEhf4TXkrGNW/s1600/Already+Got+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9NSQRbfpl5rAye4xG4o-G6Nch9VjmKDq7yuZn7RwlErvIhobvGNnI4DSqkH_YURI5NeFx5I5XtORwbLRhP2yP1P7U1-v4nw6wImFvFJSYkEaRnTQvBDeDfpuN6TXsu_iuEhf4TXkrGNW/s320/Already+Got+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Henry David Thoreau</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-24875569302323099032012-02-25T14:02:00.000-08:002012-02-25T14:02:45.508-08:00Animals<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERc93jhbnp-Uy9klKR1rVhUf4wa9wQHjVMlS5Tvse2bbpHk0pA6BHgE3f4pU0VydzUNd0gbi9UbVaHp8e7UWpHbpXri5qgiRnFI2HRuHQHfIUeRXuJENTkRLZLWOWr3FqNMN-YG5MLuEh/s1600/Jan+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERc93jhbnp-Uy9klKR1rVhUf4wa9wQHjVMlS5Tvse2bbpHk0pA6BHgE3f4pU0VydzUNd0gbi9UbVaHp8e7UWpHbpXri5qgiRnFI2HRuHQHfIUeRXuJENTkRLZLWOWr3FqNMN-YG5MLuEh/s320/Jan+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">They <em>still </em>love you even if you forget to fill up their water for a minute or two...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">"Until one has loved an animal, a part of ones soul remains unawakened."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Anatole France</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-49425346263078045462012-02-15T20:08:00.000-08:002012-02-15T20:08:48.527-08:00Getting Involved<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8VmlTJqdTjXebs2zd3t1ZRtTZHrsTBHAw9LUEZ4j7eKYz_CkGYWAKi3j7kmZu-wAF_7sP2Lch_Wd4vXqIQ4C51nzKJgKzNopMePQp4B64hx-O8tOmDHPEM7b3ec4IfLYg8Hi0HIZbxQk/s1600/ted-danson-ocean-book-21club-md.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8VmlTJqdTjXebs2zd3t1ZRtTZHrsTBHAw9LUEZ4j7eKYz_CkGYWAKi3j7kmZu-wAF_7sP2Lch_Wd4vXqIQ4C51nzKJgKzNopMePQp4B64hx-O8tOmDHPEM7b3ec4IfLYg8Hi0HIZbxQk/s200/ted-danson-ocean-book-21club-md.jpg" width="153" yda="true" /></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I had one of those "life changing" experiences recently. It all started with Ellen. (Seriously though.) On my lunch break at work I was watching her show in the break room and she had Ted Danson on as a guest. Now, I've never been a Cheers fan really, so I zoned out slightly, lucky for me I zoned back in at the perfect moment!! Ted apparently has been an ocean activist for the last 30 years or something and he recently wrote a book called <em>Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do To Save Them. </em>I was intrigued-then he mentioned that he recently went vegan and I was captivated.</span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I went to Barnes and Nobel that very night to find the book and purchase it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Best. Investment. Ever. Truly, I've never spent $32.50 more wisely in my entire life. </span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I had <em>no</em> idea what is going on in our oceans!! That's probably due partially to the fact that I live in Utah. We're not super close to the coast here. This book is fantastic in multiple ways: first, there are pictures all over the place-it's a very reader friendly book, second at the end of the "chapters" there are suggestions of ways that you can help and third, even complex issues (like the molecular breakdown of oil vs water) is put in a way that even a blond girl in her early 20's can understand. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKK1gb2dMHbktrow4TPPfepPTWfV0RJYkwgTsKA2mVLBD5J8ZYK4syHLxOh_fr9HqGf9lKLD8Dc255V7gWRzzD2In17iABrDoaad-bQk5r9P_0RCQdGnqDGkT24jKYZD_GBiJfVEH8E-2/s1600/seal-nets_1734840i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKK1gb2dMHbktrow4TPPfepPTWfV0RJYkwgTsKA2mVLBD5J8ZYK4syHLxOh_fr9HqGf9lKLD8Dc255V7gWRzzD2In17iABrDoaad-bQk5r9P_0RCQdGnqDGkT24jKYZD_GBiJfVEH8E-2/s200/seal-nets_1734840i.jpg" width="200" yda="true" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Bravo Ted Danson.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">As I was reading I discovered a series of articles in the Los Angeles Times from 2006 by Kenneth Weiss called <em>Altered Oceans</em>. Of course, I had to google them. It turns out that the articles spawned an awesome website which I just happened to have linked to my blog here -----> </span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-oceans-series,0,7783938.special"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-oceans-series,0,7783938.special</span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">As I've been discovering all of this new information and all of these very real problems facing us on a daily basis I began defaulting to signing online petitions to my senators, joining Greenpeace online and studying as much as I could. But I still wasn't feeling very active in making the world a better place. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZ5C1uIAZova6qDV2t5K_2ucjpyK3OIg2InOZAk22DIHegiQsRvifOJ78kBf2y8cHAXwRxa0lshyphenhyphenEbj6ZHPZYELkm-TkZ9trQ0Tiaoin2wGx8ulFKkDMlSsekM5T61YH7aFjVxLeYGOvV/s1600/deadcoral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZ5C1uIAZova6qDV2t5K_2ucjpyK3OIg2InOZAk22DIHegiQsRvifOJ78kBf2y8cHAXwRxa0lshyphenhyphenEbj6ZHPZYELkm-TkZ9trQ0Tiaoin2wGx8ulFKkDMlSsekM5T61YH7aFjVxLeYGOvV/s200/deadcoral.jpg" width="200" yda="true" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Dead sea floor.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Now-I did consider up and moving to the coast somewhere so I could hop right on board with ocean conservation agencies-believe me, that was considered. However, with my ripe old age comes knowledge and wisdom and the understanding that an undertaking of that magnitude takes some planning. So instead I signed up to start volunteering at an elementary school in SL this month and to start helping refugee families settle here in Utah next month. I figure at the very least, it's a step in the right direction!</span></span> <br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">If you do anything because of this blog just go to this website </span><a href="http://act.oceana.org/cms/letter/l-turtles-comprehensiveprotections/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">http://act.oceana.org/cms/letter/l-turtles-comprehensiveprotections/</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> and sign your name. Sea turtles are my favorites.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Here are some other interesting websites if you're interested</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.oceana.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">http://www.oceana.org/</span></a><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="http://www.savethehighseas.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">http://www.savethehighseas.org/</span></a><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="http://www.mcbi.org/shining_sea/s2ss_globe.htm"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">http://www.mcbi.org/shining_sea/s2ss_globe.htm</span></a><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">AROHA</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-85145012044454871262012-02-07T21:39:00.000-08:002012-02-07T21:39:01.871-08:00Improve or Enjoy?<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">E. B. White</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes I feel like this. Actually, quite a bit I feel like this. Maybe I should be focusing on finding a way to do both...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Aroha</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLbGqElaHD1vydide4pf_L3mBXZGrBOFA700kxg4n0Y0jPSxhpaI1ShiFrVNyNZl53ApBtnjI7vuNNhX_TsigxOGIGsqxoPQtJ4P5Ee7C2ym34zbzy6nV9qzTXii4DDUmKDuKpnBZ2sVP/s1600/wallpaper-462484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLbGqElaHD1vydide4pf_L3mBXZGrBOFA700kxg4n0Y0jPSxhpaI1ShiFrVNyNZl53ApBtnjI7vuNNhX_TsigxOGIGsqxoPQtJ4P5Ee7C2ym34zbzy6nV9qzTXii4DDUmKDuKpnBZ2sVP/s320/wallpaper-462484.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-86049768458923527422012-02-02T20:38:00.000-08:002012-02-02T20:38:35.743-08:00...<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in a distortions. We patronize them for the incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; the are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth."</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> <span style="color: #f1c232;">Henry Beston 1928</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This is my new dream. I'm adding it to my 30 before 30 list as we speak.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevsqa4A3s8ZljLjIeD6H9l-HaywGaLoEBorF4CUo9QZiw26Pii3iIhbltD1XbJy1dt3ph6nIttBcqC0NdE-_FgIS4Z9DEVfz3NT8rRvtdQGL7fMzyt5kAUv5vPuvkbX_81_JpRhtUwzGT/s1600/whales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevsqa4A3s8ZljLjIeD6H9l-HaywGaLoEBorF4CUo9QZiw26Pii3iIhbltD1XbJy1dt3ph6nIttBcqC0NdE-_FgIS4Z9DEVfz3NT8rRvtdQGL7fMzyt5kAUv5vPuvkbX_81_JpRhtUwzGT/s320/whales.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Diving with humpback whales.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Hell yeah.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">AROHA</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6810320398680188057.post-18039110193105993552012-01-15T10:43:00.000-08:002012-01-15T10:43:56.377-08:00Here's to Friends...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tLEhZnVpJOb0WYJwSHA6WgCquVj1prcnWfqZTuoXxwBo5kpgEPdS41803cqlMuvnhSX_Fk9gEaLmOzTo3qs8zhLJ0a-RMHrlOosA4Nq_aXgwomx_C_oceU3zZ9ngyn6xg7TT00sbV2A8/s1600/friends.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tLEhZnVpJOb0WYJwSHA6WgCquVj1prcnWfqZTuoXxwBo5kpgEPdS41803cqlMuvnhSX_Fk9gEaLmOzTo3qs8zhLJ0a-RMHrlOosA4Nq_aXgwomx_C_oceU3zZ9ngyn6xg7TT00sbV2A8/s1600/friends.bmp" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's to watching Friends on a Saturday night in sweats and eating ice cream.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">You know you're friends forever when this is bliss.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0