I haven’t been blogged in about 16 months and one of my last blogs was “MIA: Yep that’s me!” At that time, and in the days, weeks, and months that followed, I was buried in my school work. On June 11, 2011, in the unusual cold and rain of June in Southern California, I walked across the platform at California State University, Los Angeles and received my diploma. What a day.

The pursuit of my bachelor’s degree began in 2004. Lizzy was a junior in high school and Steph was away at college. My goal at that time was to prove to myself that I was capable of succeeding academically. For various reasons, I just went through the motions in high school and in the years that followed never had much belief in my intelligence because of the grades that showed on my high school transcript. In 2004, I wasn’t even thinking about ever graduating because the road seemed long and the task daunting. So, I enjoyed the journey. I took classes that were interesting: literature and critical thinking in addition to psychology courses. I also took classes that weren’t so interesting – math!!! I was terrible in math in high school but actually loved the challenge of algebra and became a huge fan of statistics. My journey through Citrus Community College took five years mainly because I had so many math classes to complete to transfer but also because while I was there, I was still being active mom and volunteer, serving on several non-profit boards and traveling to San Diego to be at all of Lizzy’s college soccer games. I finally completed my Associates Degree in February of 2009.

September of that year I began my studies at CSULA. Since it had taken me so long to get through Citrus, I never really considered getting finished at the university any sooner than 3 years so I was shocked when I realized that June 2011 would be my graduation. The accomplishment of my “later life” graduation has taken awhile to settle in, but with the encouragement and the perspective of so many important people in my life, I think I finally get it.

Seven years is a long time to stick with it but I have enjoyed the process of learning. The only problem is that the more I learn the more I realize there is more to learn!!! My young friend Matthew Collins who is 14 and entering his freshmen year in high school informed me that I started school when he was only 7 – I was in school for half of his life. Now that is perspective! I have learned so much about myself that I might have missed had I not chosen the journey: I love being in the classroom meeting fellow students and professors; I am capable – I graduated with the 3.85 GPA, on the Dean’s List, Phi Kappa Phi, and other academic honors; I have a heart for those with mental illness and substance abuse problems; and, at 46 years old, I have acquired wisdom that comes from life’s experiences (not from the classroom).

Finally found the fam in the sea of spectators

So, on June 11, as I walked into the stadium at CSULA, when I looked up into the stands and saw my husband, my daughters, my mom and mother-in-law cheering for me, I felt something that not everyone gets to experience. My whole family sacrificed to help me achieve a dream that I once believed was not possible. That evening, about 5o of my friends and family gathered at our house to celebrate ME. While it was a little awkward to be celebrated in that way (I am usually planning the celebration of other people), it was so incredibly meaningful and once again I realized how blessed I am to have not just a wonderful family, but such an amazing community of friends who support and encourage me in so many ways.

What now? As much as I would love to continue my education, a break is in order. I am looking forward to some ministry opportunities, some trips and some time gardening and doing things around my house. I am excited for the possibility that my education has prepared me for something I have not even dreamed – I know that God works in that way.

First, this weekend. Buddy is 11 years old (which is really old for a lab) and we aren’t in denial that the end of his life will come one day (hopefully not too soon). We keep talking about having another dog so that Buddy will have a friend and so that the inevitable loss of him will be softened. Last year, we drove to Orange County to a lab rescue to meet a “girl”. She was sweet and our hopes were high that she would be the one for Buddy. I am not so familiar with “normal” dog behavior so we were given encouragements as Buddy and this girl did things right (like sniffing each other’s butts, hmmm). Both dogs were on leashes and Buddy began to growl a bit and eventually snapped at the girl – a little “love bite” perhaps. The rescue lady was not happy and proceeded to tell us that we needed to be the boss of our dog and that he needed to eat when we tell him to eat, sit when we tell him to sit and wait when we tell him to wait. And, we should probably pick up a book to educate ourselves on having a well-behaved dog. Well, I was sufficiently humiliated!

Evidently, she didn’t know that Richard was raised on a farm where dogs just showed up and were fed and, coincidentally, they all had the same name (they lost track of them and at one time had two that were named Buster and most subsequent dogs were either Buster or Brownie-I know, unique. I wonder what color they were.) Well, my dog experience was definitely not as the “alpha dog” because I was the one tormented by all dogs no matter how big or small (our family dauschand kept me on the back of the couch for the better part of most days because I was so scared-I was 8). My girls both were petrified of dogs growing up (actually petrified doesn’t quite cover it but you get the point). Obviously, what I considered maturity in my dog handling was severely inadequate.

On a whim, I stopped at the Pasadena Humane Society last Friday morning, and saw the most beautiful female yellow lab named Sierra. She had been surrendered by her owner’s because they had found that they didn’t have the time to devote to her. After meeting with an adoption counselor, we were told that we needed to bring Buddy back to meet her. The counselor seemed fairly optimistic that she could oversee the “meeting” and, while most dogs don’t like being introduced to a new one, they adapt, especially Labs. She also talked about the mental state of the handlers and how it affects the mental state of the dogs (I guess there are doggie psychology classes or something – but it did sound logical to me). Oh, and I needed to take Buddy for a nice long walk to wear him out before coming to the “meeting” to get rid of any excess energy.

Both Steph and Lizzy had talks with Buddy before we went to the meeting. Steph wasn’t allowed to go because we had decided that she was not in the right mental state (she was worried that Buddy would be sad if there was another dog; that he might be jealous). Lizzy sat down with Buddy before we left for the meeting and explained to him that getting a new dog was a playmate for him and that we would still love him. Seriously.

Well, the meeting…long story short, Buddy is a one-dog, one-family kind of dog. The “butt sniffing” went well and then he gave her a friendly chomp. She wasn’t happy and neither were the handlers, who said “Thanks for coming but I don’t think this will work.” Well, at least they didn’t shame me.

So, after four years in our home, I am the alpha dog (my family will disagree but I know the truth). I decided to let Buddy sleep inside the house, inside our bedroom, on the chair inside our bedroom. I decided to let him hang out in the house while we are gone, with ESPN on in two rooms, on my bed. I decided that it would be better to have the garden hose hooked up to the hot water of the bathroom sink for Buddy’s baths. I decided that he would be happier to be at home, with a dog-sitter who follows all of my rules when we go out of town (a kennel is out of the question). So, you see, I AM the alpha dog.

But seriously, Buddy is a big part of our family (literally, he weighs at least 110). He is a very smart (manipulative) and sweet (unless you are John May or Cory Marquez) companion. He follows me EVERYWHERE and now I understand having a “loyal companion” protecting me (often to a fault). He enjoys his Saturday lunch rides to Taco Bell with Richard and his morning walks with me. He only occasionally eats all of the Hershey kisses from the candy dish, the whole package of dinner rolls for tonight’s dinner or the entire platter of Christmas cookies and, he only ate one chihuahua from the neighborhood (OK, not really, he just bit it, and just one).  We have finally gotten him to fetch (I know, what “retriever” doesn’t retrieve?) but we don’t use the flavored tennis balls anymore (he LOVED the peanut butter ones) because he would fetch and never bring it back, he just ate it – shocking, I know. He has never been a jumper or a licker, both seem are desirable unless you are Richard. He has finally succeeded in getting Buddy to jump up on him but, try as he might, Richard cannot get him to lick him (why he wants that I don’t know). He also loves ice cubes – he thinks they are his treats (we found out that one of the girls -the older one- was worried that he might feel lonely when he was home alone so she was teaching him the value of comfort food…with substantial weight gain we had to put a stop to that).

So, maybe we have gone over the edge, to the dark side, perhaps, of the world where dogs are human…maybe not that far, but we do love our dog and can’t imagine how we went so many years without one. We love our Buddy and often find ourselves laughing out loud at his silly antics (not human, hmmm). For now, we’ll just give all the attention to him. Happy Birthday Buddy! Here’s to many more to come

My kids and my husband have accused me of being: obsessed with A’s – I have gotten a few B’s-so that’s not the case. I do admit to being a bit “Type A” but I don’t think that’s the case either. Conscientious, perhaps, ok, definitely…but, at this point in my schooling, I could not see the point in not attempting to understand what I am studying – it all seems to be relevant.

I do believe that the difference in a quarter as opposed to a semester (10 weeks – 16 weeks) has an effect on work load. Also, the expectation that as an “upper level” student, course content is not spoon-fed to me (yep, I actually have to read the book and understand the concepts in addition to taking notes in class).

All that to say that I am swamped right now and literally MIA. I feel like my only adventures are trips to the grocery store, the dry cleaners and an occasional dinner out. I feel a little guilty complaining about it because 1.) I think that people are facing real problems right now and this doesn’t even compare and 2.) I actually feel very fortunate to even have the chance to finish my education, and 3.) if I can manage to get it all done, I really don’t mind it – I LOVE what I am studying right now (Inferential Statistics, Sociology of Gender, History & Systems of Psychology)…yep, I’m a real, live geek.

So, Tuesday was a mid-term, tomorrow is a test, Tuesday next week a term paper, Wednesday, a test…the good news is that I just found out that I can actually put a projected graduation date on my paperwork! June 2o11!!!! It has always felt so far away (I started in 2004) and last week when I registered for the Spring quarter, I realized that the finish line is in sight! That is exciting!

I know that the time will actually fly by, but in the meantime, my apologies if I sound like a broken record  and for not being involved in, well, in anything! (I’m having a bit of a struggle with that!)

FYI: Spring Break plans for March – San Francisco, Napa Valley and MLB Spring Training in AZ (Go Angels!)…something to look forward to

The logical division for teams: yep, Muffin Topz vs. Double Chinz! Each team had two members on reserve so it was 4 v. 4, opposite foot kicking, two strikes/fouls and three outs. Highlights: Richard whiffing his first “pitch” (see the picture below and notice where he is and where the ball is), Sean so delicately (not so much) dribbling his first pitch foul, Christopher diving defensively and striking out offensively…hmmm, they are all on the Double Chinz-I guess I’m a little biased. The Muffin Topz had their outstanding moments too (maybe too many to mention): Ippy and Steph are really good and Cory and I are amusing to watch…we’ll leave it at that.

We made it six innings…final score 9-6 Double Chinz. BUT, not to be outdone, after our first week, the Muffin Topz are leading in the Biggest Loser competition-down 1.51% (Double Chinz-down 1.21%). Now, in all fairness, it is only the first week and, while everyone seemed to have an “overabundance” of clothes on while weighing in last week, there was substantially less clothes at the weigh-in this week. I believe that next week will be a better indication of the standings…don’t get over-confident Muffin Topz! Keep working!

Edame: I have had them from several different places and was not pleased with any until I came across them at Costco. They are in the deli section for $3.99 and are so delicious.

Cheese and crackers: I am not one to eat tofu and those crazy “health” foods but I have found that I actually like Soy Cheddar Cheese Slices (Trader Joe’s) with Water Crackers. Just a few seem to give me a little boost (I’m not a fan of string cheese, which is supposed to be a great snack so this is my substitute).

Blueberries: I really didn’t think they were in season right now but they are super sweet (again, a Costco purchase)

Yogurt Heaven (my own personal creation): Dannon Light ‘n Fit Yogurt (4 oz.), homemade granola (I make my own) and blueberries. Soooo, yummy!

Fresh fruit: right now oranges are so sweet; Fuji apples are a year-round go-to; and, right now Cuties are pretty good.

On the vegetable side: anything tastes good with hummus! My favorites are carrots and celery with a little bit of hummus.

The trick for me is to be prepared. If I have good food with me to eat then I don’t need to settle for what I can get from a vending machine or a drive-thru. I would rather “snack” my way through the day than eat a meal so I guess it’s best to snack on good stuff.

Just a side note: if you have not seen it, check out the “Cooking With Trader Joe’s” Cookbook. Simple, tasty, quick and easy meals, appetizers, snacks and even drinks. We have made several things from it and everything has exceeded our expectations.

When the NFL season started, we got Direct TV Sunday Ticket so that our 20-something crowd could watch ALL of the games. It has become the highlight of the week for all of us. Most weeks there are at least 15 of us filling the family room and surrounding a TV on the patio. Discussions began a few weeks ago about what we were going to do when football season was over. Of all the things that were discussed, I never thought that the result would be YOGA (I will explain).

Yesterday my nephew, Chris, suggested that we start a “Biggest Loser” competition-surprisingly it everyone was really excited about it (it is competition, intriguing to everyone). After much discussion about the rules (over chocolate chip cookies, of course), here’s the deal:

Two teams: Muffin Topz and Double Chinz drawn at random (coincidentally, husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends did not end up on the same team). Everyone weighed in (we had to go buy a new scale and the girls came home with the actual “Biggest Loser” scale-seriously, they sell it at Target) and established personal goals. Weigh-in’s are on Sunday’s and the competition goes until Easter (April 4). The prize for the winner’s is……well, we haven’t decided yet. So after we got the  teams in place, guidelines established, and weights recorded we ate an amazing shrimp appetizer (dripping with butter sauce), steak and potatoes – the competition starts today

Oh, about the yoga…we have P90X and there is an intense yoga workout that we (the girls anyway) are going to do on Sunday afternoon (at least this week-we’ll see who survives to do it again). There is something to be said for working out together, accountability and all that…I went to the gym with Lizzy and Karissa on Saturday and it was so much more fun that going alone, so I’m looking forward to that.

Here is my tip for the week: drink your green tea – 3 cups a day! It helps with your metabolism. I have found that Starbuck’s “Zen” green tea is better than most (sold in most grocery stores and at Target). If you need some sweetener, we are liking Trader Joe’s Organic Blue Agave Sweetener (Richard always tells us that blue agave is in tequila-whatever).

So, here’s to Muffin Topz (Cory, Ipp, Stephanie, Marissa and me)…let’s get moving and losing! I will keep you posted.

My Plan B was my “TV Workout.” There are way more television shows that air than I have the time to watch in an evening, so I use my workout time to catch up on the shows I have on DVR. Today was “White Collar,” chest, back, abs, some legs and 3-4-5 (the levels of progression through the 30 minute workout) eliptical.

I have to admit, it was my commitment (aka accountability to anyone who might follow my blog) that motivated me to eat a high protein turkey sandwich for lunch (lunch is not my favorite meal and I often opt for high-cal PBJ) and then put down my homework to work out. Thanks! We also tried a new chili recipe for dinner “Three Bean Vegetarian Chili” from Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine..OMG it was delicious! I will share the recipe at a later date.

Tomorrow is a “cardio only” day, which will most likely be another jaunt on the eliptical.

I know that I feel better when I work out regularly but I also know that I can get bored with it,  I can easily get stuck in a rut, I can get obsessive and I am amazing at making excuses for not doing it. Blogging will help me to maintain balance…if I believe that someone is reading this (a fact that I will never truly know), it will keep me in check.

Exercise and “right eating” go hand-in-hand. I don’t eat horribly, and, although I know what I should be eating, I get lazy and stressed and sometimes even depressed and my “go to” foods are very sugary, gooey, yummy stuff.  I try to have “good” things on hand that I can reach for in a hurry, and I actually have some great recipes and some very satisfying foods and even a few tricks that I will share – and I would be happy to hear about any of your secrets.

So, tomorrow is the “tomorrow” I have been telling myself about. I am hoping that this creative pursuit of my fitness goals will be entertaining, informative and inspiring for you and for me.

Plan for tomorrow (it’s important to think through your day and to actually schedule a workout time):

• Gym: 8:30 a.m. Treadmill (10 minutes), chest and back, abs, stationary bike (30 minutes).

2180 Lincoln Avenue
Altadena, CA 91001-5456
(626) 296-8700 24 hourfitness.com‎

I was born in the small town of Hays, Kansas and moved to Arizona when I was nine years old. Before moving, we (my 3 siblings and I) had the benefit of living near my grandparents and getting to know all of the cousins and aunts and uncles who came home to visit. I have very vivid memories of my Aunt Eleanor reading fun books to me when I was very young and only recently realized that it was only on her visits from Arizona that she spent that time with me. She was also with me after I had my tonsils out at 8 years old and allowed me to play baseball in the backyard with my brother (coincidentally ending up back in the hospital) the day after my surgery only after my begging and pleading. Again, this was on a trip “home” to visit that she chose to stay with us while my parents were working.

The book “Tiki Tiki Tembo” was one of my favorites as a child, which in turn, I have bought for my own girls and my nieces was one the she introduced to me. Another was a book of poems by A.A. Milne (of Winnie the Pooh fame) given to me on my sixth birthday with the final poem in the book called, “Now We Are Six,” which I STILL (almost 40 years later) remember every word AND, I have given that as sixth birthday gifts to little girls in my life.

Aunt Eleanor was a high school history teacher (finishing her teaching years at our rival high school, which she rubbed in on a regular basis) and had a love for the history of the state of Arizona and of her home state of Kansas. As a young girl, she would send me gifts from places of historical significance-the one I remember the best, that I kept for many, many years was a Native American woman sitting at a weaving loom. When my father-in-law passed away a few years ago and was buried in a cemetery for migrant workers on the west side of Phoenix, she took a “field trip” and went to see this small piece of Arizona history that was significant to me.

When Elizabeth traveled to Sweden to play soccer, she followed her online, very, very interested in her travels (I doubt she really liked soccer but for that week, she did because Elizabeth was playing in another country).

There were many years that she was absent in our lives and with her passing, I regret that in that time I didn’t get to experience her enthusiasm and her knowledge about so many things in the world and things that, only recently I have found out that we have in common.

At her funeral, many friends and colleagues spoke about their relationship with her and in that time, I realized that, like me, she:

• Had a heart for troubled young people as testified to by a man whose son-in-law credits her with changing his life.
• Supported Young Life, sending a young lady to Africa with ASU College Young Life
• Enjoyed sewing: she was a quilter-that I will attempt some day
• Finished her education later in life and then was passionate about what she did with it
• Had a deep devotion to her faith

From this journey through her passing, I have realized that we have the opportunity to create our own legacy. What is mine? How does my life speak to those around me? How will my life make a difference in the lives of others? What about other attributes like humor (my aunt had a very dry sense of humor) and spirituality and compassion? There is a book called “Let Your Life Speak”…don’t recall the author and, honestly, I haven’t read it but it was recommended to me by a respectable person in my life. I think the title is very poignant and convicting.

Here’s to Aunt ‘Or…

A small group at our church started a ministry to the homeless in Pasadena last year called “Because You Matter” where they go to Central Park in Pasadena and feed whoever shows up on the last Saturday of every month. They have started collecting clothing so that these people can “go shopping” at that time also. They are doing a coat drive because that is a big need right now (yes, it does get cold in CA) so I have asked all of my local FB friends to donate at least ONE coat (that would be 300 if everyone donated 1!). As I was going through my winter stuff I came across some fleece scarves that I made last year and thought that would be a great addition to the coats for the homeless.

Believe it or not, the whole project only took us about 2 hours! So, I am sharing this with you so if you are local you can add to our numbers or if you are out of the area, you can make some and take them to a homeless shelter. Here are your step-by-step instructions:

1. Purchase fleece at fabric store or WalMart. We bought about 20 yards at JoAnn’s on sale for $4.50/yard. WalMart has fleece for about the same price. The fabric is 45″ wide (if you can get 60″ like at the Garment District that is even better and most likely even cheaper).

2. Leave the fabric folded and cut strips 6-9″ wide.

3. Cut “fringe” on the side opposite the fold about 1/4″ wide and maybe 3″ long (no exact measurement necessary-just eyeball it).

4. Fold…We folded ours, tied with ribbon and added a little angel ornament that I had made.

5. Find a place to donate!

Seriously the easiest project ever and so warm and cozy! Let me know if you do it. Oh, and if you are not so much a crafty person, you can use the money you may have spent on fabric and buy gloves…they sell two pairs for $1-2.00 at WalMart, Target and KMart. Make a difference!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!