It's been over a year...!

So I had always heard it was hard to "stay on top" of blogs. I got in the habit of posting when I first started, eventually dropping off. My bad!!!

Well here we are, August of 2014, and I've been living in New Zealand for the past 4 months. It's beautiful here (even though it's winter!) We came here for a bit of isolation, rest, and relaxation. It's exactly what we got! It has been amazing, and New Zealand definitely has a place in my heart.

When I arrived here I knew something was off with my body. I had this weird pain in my mid back when I drank coffee. What was that? I had no idea. Through my friendship with Gillian B (gillianb.com) I discovered that my mid back pain was probably my adrenals, and that I could be experiencing burnout. This was not a surprise to me as I have always been a quite stressed out person. I take on way too many projects and never ask for help. Our discussion of this subject actually lead to us writing an ebook together about it, which is very exciting! Hopefully coming soon.

So when we were living in the states, I was a Whole Foods shopping 2-3 times a week kind of girl. Vegan, of course, and lots of fresh food. Arriving in New Zealand put a limit on these things that I never could have expected. I assumed there would be organic food everywhere, farmers markets, etc, everywhere. Not true. Even though New Zealand doesn't grow GMO's, they still import them in products, and the organic section at the grocery store was TINY. Everything else was generic brand, pesticide laden, conventional. Depressing.

The grocery store also lacks many vegan foods in general, and this left me with no motivation to shop there really. It didn't help that it was about 40 minutes away, so a long round trip, including a ferry ride! I would shop once every two weeks and stock up on everything we needed, pretty easy to do for Matt since he can actually eat bread and he isn't strictly vegan. What happened to me is that I stopped eating enough calories without realizing it, was drained all the time, light headed, and overall just not well. I quit caffeine and coffee so my mid back pain was gone, and I had been doing plenty of relaxing, but now it seemed like feeling unwell was just my current state. I did a candida "spit" test, revealing overgrowth (which I've experienced before unfortunately), probably from eating so many packaged foods, so I decided to go on an anti candida diet.

Here were my symptoms for candidiasis:

• headaches
• brain fog
• bad memory / poor concentration
• light headedness
• itchy, crawly skin
• fatigue
• extreme pain in my hips - like crazy bad
• some problems/pain "down there"

Lots of people have rashes and skin problems but I never had any. I've hardly ever even had acne or any kind of skin problems ever in my life though, so my body must not purge toxins through the skin. If you think you have candida overgrowth, look into the symptoms and seek a health care provider that specializes in treating it. I saw an amazing one in Dallas during my first round of candida, but this recent bout makes me wonder if it ever fully went away - or if I've just continued to have ups and downs. 

For the past 2 weeks I have been struggling with this "anti candida" diet. There isn't a sound one written for vegans so I've been piecing together what I can and can't eat on my own. Overall it is no sugar of any kind, including fruit. Terror for me. Not fun. Counter intuitive to say the least. I love veggies and grains, but just felt so deprived. I wasn't getting enough calories. Other people have had success with it, so I felt like a failure. Why wasn't it working?

I had a borderline migraine headache the entirety of these two weeks. Eventually I began to desperately SCOUR the internet for answers. I came across multiple blogs and videos on youtube of people claiming that they healing their candida by eating ONLY fruit. This is the opposite of what I had learned about candida, so I was hesitant to say the least. But I just kept finding video after video, blog after blog, even a forum dedicated to healing candida with this diet. The diet is known as 801010. 80% carbohydrates from fruits, 10% fats, and 10% protein. I didn't really trust the idea until I found a girl on youtube that healed from candida following 801010, after being on the anti candida diet for 2 years with no success. She literally described exactly how I was feeling, and she also had adrenal burnout. She was HEALED within 3 freaking days (THREE DAYS!!), and looked amazing. So basically I am so excited and pumped! This blog is going to be the perfect place for me to log my food diary.

DAY ONE 801010 (Mostly) Raw Vegan:
(Raw Till 4...I will be eating cooked carbs (root vegetables & occasionally rice, gluten free pasta) and greens in the evenings).

Friday August 22, 2014

Exercise: 30 minute walk & 20 minutes of Yoga + 30 minute afternoon hike

Breakfast Smoothie:
8 bananas
3 apples
2 cups blueberries
blended with water
= 1,072 Calories

Basically I felt AMAZING after I drank this smoothie.

(pictured is 1/2, I had to make two jars :)

Snack:
6 oranges
= 411 Calories

SO freaking delicious, how did I not know how much I loved oranges??

(only 3 oranges pictured, I consumed 3 while peeling the rest :)

PS. I went and sat in the SUN to enjoy this amazing snack. Vitamin D :)

Lunch Smoothie:
1 Banana
3 Apples
2 Pears
Vanilla Drops
= 591 Calories

This smoothie was absolutely dreamy.

(I think it was around a tsp or less of vanilla. Decided to let it charge up on one of our crystal grids before consuming :)

Dinner:
Red Potatoes (Baked, no oil, no seasoning. I drizzled them with lemon & lime juice!)
Cos (Lettuce)
Spinach
= 962 Calories

(I used a bit of chili sauce for dipping :)

24 grams of protein in potatoes! I seriously had no idea! 

YUM! I am also drinking around 4 liters of water each day :)


I am tracking calories, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc with cronometer.com:

I obviously will have some kinks to work out with the diet/lifestyle but for the most part I'm super impressed with how much protein you can get from fruits, and how many of my vitamins and minerals are met by such simple food! I am hoping to get more active, more energy - part of why I started this lifestyle, and then I will increase the amount of calories to suit my needs. Also keeping fat as low as possible 5% or lower, until candida is gone. Just look at those results! almost 50grams of protein, ALL fruit and veggies! I used to always think I needed tons of beans and legumes, grains, protein powders, etc. All you need is plants! 82% Vitamins & Minerals met...pretty damn good for day one. I will easily be able to tweak that as I learn more and more about the foods and this lifestyle to bring everything up to my nutritional goals! Speaking of goals...

Goals with this diet/lifestyle:

• Not Weight Loss. I do not need to lose weight, and I will be watching my ass (literally) to make sure it doesn't shrink. (& I probably won't be the only one, lol, Matt has been clear that my booty is not allowed to disappear). 
• MORE ENERGY! In my dream world I want to do 2-3 hours of yoga a day. I usually can keep up with 1 hour a day, but in my low calorie days I was hardly able to take on even 30 minutes. I just wanted to curl up on the couch.
• No. More. Headaches. I seriously want to be done with headaches for the rest of my life. I have been headache prone since I was 7. It "runs in the family." Well I'm sick of it. I spent high school with a constant headache on a somewhat healthy standard American diet, monthly headaches when I first became vegetarian (usually around THAT time of the month), & I've had a few months go by here and there with no headaches while vegan, but still about every 3 months. It seems like my low caloric intake & higher processed foods (even supplements!) during these months in NZ have caused my daily headaches lately. Sometimes, I just barely have a headache, but more often than not, it turns full blown migraine and I have to go to bed or puke. Not fun. I'm tired of it!!!
• Simplicity. Smoothie for breakfast, smoothie for lunch, grab some fruit for snack, and salad and root veggies for dinner? I always sucked at planning. I love cooking so I'm sure I'll get creative with my cooked carbs but the back up plan for no plan is beyond SOLID! 
• Health is Wealth. I already rarely go to the doctor, but I would like to go never. I do get well woman exams yes, but sparingly (every 2-3 years) since I'm not switching up my partner - happily married! Hoping this candida goes BYE BYE - then I will definitely have no reason to go back! 
• I love my body! I love animals. I love the planet. I love nature. I love the children of the future. Eating a non vegan diet will not ever be an option for me ethically and that comes with the perks of less environmental destruction, my health, prosperity for the children of the future (hopefully, if more people become vegans), and not contributing to animal suffering - the best part <3 

So if you've heard about this diet and think it seems extreme or crazy, I will guinea pig for you! Day 1 was fabulous, no headaches, hoping to have my full energy back and no fatigue by Monday! I'm so excited about this lifestyle and I have felt called to it for quite a while now, so it is time. So happy. 

Namaste,

Mary

Jai Guru Deva Om ॐ

Jai guru deva Om जय गुरुदेव ॐ
Glory to the shining remover of darkness, Victory to God divine.

Where is the world heading?

Where are we going?

Sometimes I feel intense worry for the world. I see everything going on and I wonder, how can everything be so backwards? We work all day "now" and spend time with our families later. We work if there's an incentive for money, not just to help someone else out. Things were made to be used, and people were made to be loved. But instead, we live in a world where things are loved, and people are used. How can we even begin to reverse this paradigm, how can we shift for the good of all people?

My husband Matt & I just read the book Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander. In Dr. Alexander's experience, he journeys to the afterlife. He meets God, whom he calls "OM." While in the afterlife, he hears the beautiful chanting, songs, and horns of the archangels, communicates with Om, and receives a very important message. What is this message that he receives? 

You are love.

You are cherished.

There's nothing you have to fear, & there's nothing you can do wrong.

This wasn't our first encounter with stories of near death experiences, but it was incredibly amazing and got us hooked on the subject the past few weeks. You would find us on evenings frequenting the website near-death.com. There is a plethora of information on the site, tons of accounts of NDE's and human connections with spirits. There is one that we were both incredibly intrigued with, and it's a very long story, so I'll do my best to sum it up. (If you have the time, please read it!). The story is of the man Howard Storm. Howard was an atheist who became very ill and was dying in the hospital. It is here that he dies and goes to hell. While in hell, he is being tormented, beaten, and eaten by other beings. After a while, he hears the song "Jesus loves me this I know..." in his head and he decides to pray. Of course, his prayers are answered, and he is swept out of hell by Jesus himself. 

When he meets God, he is so embarrassed and ashamed that he didn't believe in him that he asks to be put back in hell. God of course refuses and instead he undergoes a life review (the famous life-flashing-before-the-eyes). In his life review, every moment that Howard was proud of, the angels skipped over. They only slowed down to highlight moments when Howard helped others--which was very little. He became overwhelmingly embarrassed, but the angels and God filled him with love so that he would feel better. At the end of his review they allowed him to ask them questions, and he asks many, but the one that is the most amazing is when he asks what the future will be like.

Howard asks about the future, and he is told that we are on the brink of doing too much harm to the planet, not just the people, but the trees, the birds, animals, insects, everything. The angels tell Howard that they want everyone to love everyone else more than they love themselves. If someone, some place hurts, than we should hurt as well and be compelled to help them. The direction the collective behavior of humans will lead to a world wide depression, but if we can change our behavior, then the future would be different. 

Howard, feeling helpless, asks how we can change the behavior of all the people on the planet. The angels answer him by saying that in order for the world to change, only one person has to change. One will become two, and two will become three, and so on. That's the only way. Howard asks what the future would look like if humans could change, what it would look like with an optimistic outlook. Expecting to see a futuristic world like Star Wars filled with technology, Howard is astonished by the images he is shown:

"What everybody, absolutely everybody, in this euphoric future spent most of their time doing was raising children. The chief concern of people was children, and everybody considered children to be the most precious commodity in the world. And when a person became an adult, there was no sense of anxiety, nor hatred, nor competition. There was this enormous sense of trust and mutual respect.

If a person, in this view of the future, became disturbed, then the community of people all cared about the disturbed person falling away from the harmony of the group. Spiritually, through prayer and love, the others would elevate the afflicted person.

What people did with the rest of their time was that they gardened, with almost no physical effort. They showed me that plants, with prayer, would produce huge fruits and vegetables. People, in unison, could control the climate of the planet through prayer. Everybody would work with mutual trust and the people would call the rain, when needed, and the sun to shine. Animals lived with people, in harmony.

People, in this best of all worlds, weren't interested in knowledge; they were interested in wisdom. This was because they were in a position where anything they needed to know, in the knowledge category, they could receive simply through prayer. Everything, to them, was solvable. 

They could do anything they wanted to do."

 Howard was sent back to share this message. This world is real and attainable. I have seen this world in my dreams. Have you? It starts one person at a time. The future lies in the choices we make right now.

"The quickest way to change the world is to be of service to others. Show that your love can make a difference in the lives of people and thereby someone else's love can make a difference in your life. By each of us doing that and working together we change the world one person at a time." - Dannion Brinkley I'm feeling the call, there is a flame in my heart. I strongly believe that I, along with many others, are here on Earth right now to help push humanity in this direction. God loves the world an indescribable amount. In order to have heaven on earth, we have to Love each other how God loves us. Are you up for the challenge? Can you regard the life of another as more important as your own? Namaste, Mary

Happy New Year! Hello 2013 :)

Happy New Year!!!

Every new year, people set resolutions or goals to fulfill. Some people want to lose weight, workout more, talk to family more, save money, etc. Here is a list of 10 great ideas for New Years resolutions!

1. Drink More Water.
Challenge yourself to drink at least one full glass of water right when you wake up in the morning. If this is easy for you, drink TWO! Throughout the day, drink 6-8 more glasses of water. anywhere from 32-64 ounces is a good goal to shoot for. Add a squeeze of lemon to a glass in the morning to help aid in digestion. 

2. Start Dry Brushing your Skin!
You can get a dry brush at health food stores, pharmacies or beauty stores. Brush the surface of your skin every time before you shower, this naturally detoxes your entire body! This is extremely important. There are chemicals in the dye used for clothing, chemicals in laundry detergent, and in the air. Dry brushing the skin is a very inexpensive way to feel better!

3. Start an Herb Garden!
Growing herbs indoors is so easy! All you need is some pots or a planter box. Make sure to use healthy soil and maybe add some vegan fertilizer (Grow Veganic is a great brand) to the mix. Pick 4-8 of your favorite herbs and grow them yourself! You will taste the difference when you cook with it. It is also very satisfying to eat something you have loved and cared for. Fresh herbs are great for you and will love you right back :)

4. Clean Out the House!
Are you holding onto things that you don't use? Is your closet full of clothes that you don't wear? There are hundreds of people in your local community that could use some extra help. Donate your gently used items to a Salvation Army or Goodwill nearby. Your house will be lighter and so will you! It feels great to empty out the house and help out families that need it.

5. Become an Ingredient Checker!
Do you read the labels of the foods you eat? Sometimes processed foods have an insanely long list of ingredients...ingredients that are not necessary! Choose whole, unprocessed foods. If you are eating something that comes out of a box, the food inside probably has preservatives and additives in it that can cause adverse affects over time. 

Don't Eat Crap!

6. Find Your Fitness Bliss!

For some people, like me, it's yoga. For others, it's running. Try a new fitness class (like a Zumba class or Step class) at your gym or try out a yoga studio by your home or work. Maybe Pilates, dance, or the Bar method is your bliss. You won't know until you try! If you get that euphoric feeling afterward, chances are, you will enjoy the class again! Make a point to attend an exercise class or go for a run at least 3 times a week.

7. Eat Organic!

Eating organic food supports local organic farms. Also, besides being delicious, fruits, vegetables and nuts are so good for you! Try your best to go organic. If you can't afford to go ALL organic, at the very least buy all potatoes, sweet potatoes, and apples organic. Conventional farms use the most amount of pesticides on these three. Try to avoid nuts that come in a can covered in salt. Get your nuts from the Bulk aisle at the grocery store and store them in a glass jar in the fridge for maximum freshness. 

8. Drink Tea!

Are you a coffee drinker? Try switching over to tea a couple of days a week instead. Hot tea aids in digestion and relieves stress. Drink green or chai tea (organic of course) in the morning, and if you need another cup in the evening, choose something without caffeine like chamomile. 

9. Be Yourself!

Be the person that you want to be. Don't be anyone else. We've all spent time trying to live our lives to make someone else happy: maybe our parents or a boyfriend or girlfriend. This will never work! You won't enjoy your life if you are doing it for someone else. It bottles up anger and spite in the heart. Keep your heart open, full of love for yourself!

10. Spread the Love!

Once you learn to love yourself for who you are, spread the love to others! There is nothing greater than loving and being loved. When I talk about Love, I don't just mean romantic Love, I mean Love all together, Love as presence, Love as your core being. When you talk to someone, give them all of your attention and be completely present with them. When helping another that is going through a tough time, show them Love. The power of Love breaks all barriers. Love is the universal language that we all share. If you know how to Love, you can become friends with anyone <3

Namaste,

Mary

Easy Vegan Pancakes! + a peek at my pantry

Since September 8 I have been in Yoga teacher training every weekend on Saturdays & Sundays. Before training started, I made vegan french toast regularly on the weekends. Now that I have my weekends back, I wanted to kick off our free weekends with a great new recipe for pancakes. Matt loves pancakes and I think I've finally found a recipe that he loves! 

Easy Vegan Pancakes (Gluten Free)
1.5 cups Almond Milk
1 tbs. Sugar
2 tbs Oil (I used coconut // you can also completely omit the oil)
1 cup Garbanzo Flour
1/3 cup All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Extract (Maple, Orange, or Vanilla)
1-2 tbs water to thin the batter
You can substitute the Garbanzo flour with Spelt flour and the gluten free flour for all purpose flour. You can also use only all purpose flour for the flours in the recipe if that's all you have around, you just may need to use more water because regular flour will absorb more than Spelt or Garbanzo flour. 
Add the almond milk to your blender. Add the remaining ingredients except for the water and blend until combined. Scrape down any dry flour from the sides of the blender and blend again. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin down the batter. (You can also put the lid on the blender and store the batter up to one day in the fridge).  Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Pour the batter directly into the center of the ungreased heated pan. When the pancake starts forming bubbles on one side it is ready to flip.

Serve with maple syrup, Earth Balance vegan butter, fruits or jelly. On Saturday I served them with maple syrup and kiwi & banana. When I made them on Sunday I thew in some blueberries.

DELICIOUS!!! :)

Pantry Peek

So who wants to see my pantry!? Every single meal my husband and I eat is handmade by me. My pantry is stocked with various things I might need! Being vegan is fun and challenging! It takes a lot of creativity and sometimes you mess up and your dinner is gross! :P  Well I've been working on my vegan cooking for 4 years now, and I think I have finally got the hang of it! Bless my sweet husband for eating all of my concoctions.

I need a bigger pantry! Haha! 

Top shelf I have all the things I need when I'm cooking the stove. 

Olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, canola oil, liquid aminoes, tamari sauce, miso, agave nectar, sesame seeds, balsmaic vinegar, white cooking wine, & mirin rice wine.

I keep canned black beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans & quinoa pasta handy. Lately we have been getting Boulder chips because they are gluten free and some are vegan, we pack chips for our lunch at work. 

Top shelf: Big tub of oats with oat flour on top. In front of that I have almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, wild rice & pecans. Next to that we have dried green lentils, suconat, sun dried tomatoes, dried cranberries, & raisins. To the Right of that: white basamati rice, brown rice, black lentils, dried black beans. 

Bottom shelf: Brown rice flour, white sugar, ground flax, garbanzo flour, corn starch, chia seeds, & tapioca flour.

On the left, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, gluten free biscuit mix, vital wheat gluten (bought before I knew about my allergy, hence why it's full lol) 

In the middle in that bag is actually all purpose gluten free flour made from white rice flour, I like it but I can't find it in a large quantity so I'm always running out. 

Right Side, all purpose gluten free flour made with garbanzo flour, baking flour, and whole wheat flour. The baking flour and whole wheat flour is actually Matt's. He likes to make himself calzones every once in a while (he's the pizza king :) I don't use it if I'm cooking which is 98% of the time).

Well there you have it. We'll have to go over my spices, etc, some other time. Also going over my fridge, lol. It's just jam packed with fruits and veggies. I'll do a post about both eventually!

I hope you enjoyed checking out my pantry, and I hope you love the pancake recipe as much as we do! 
Happy December!

Namaste

Vegan Lunch Ideas!

I've been having bread issues lately. My bread label says "Gluten Free" "No Soy" AND "No Dairy" but of course it has eggs. Even the good guys can be deceiving :( big sigh. I'm on a hunt for a new kind of bread, it's just tricky. I don't mind finding new bread though, because Udi's is honestly kind of rubbery...Matt's bread is vegan and DELICIOUS but it has gluten and gives me a headache if I eat it. Another big sigh. If anyone has ideas/suggestions/brands, please let me know. I need vegan, gluten free, soy free bread. Anyways....

*Update: I found a rice/almond bread that is vegan and gluten free but for the most part I just stopped eating bread lol! I just put everything I would put on a sandwich on top of a spinach salad, or bring leftovers. 


Here are some ideas for your vegan lunch at work:

The classic sandwich! 

Toasted bread, pesto spread on one side, miso mayo on the other. Tomato slices with avocado slices, topped with vegan Daiya cheese. I've been eating this sandwich for 4+ years and it never gets old. It's quick and easy to make and perfect for when you are packing for two. We also bring chips and sometimes cookies or some other chocolate goodness.

I love this Raw Vegan Pesto Recipe from www.asimplyrawlife.blogspot.com/

Vegan Sundried Tomato Spinach Basil Pesto Spread

1 cup sundried tomatoes

3/4 cup pine nuts

1 cup spinach

1 cup basil

2 table spoons olive oil

3 teaspoons nutritional yeast

1 clove garlic

1 lime, juice of

1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor and blended well.  Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Delicious!

Salads:

Spinach, tomato, avocado, garbanzo beans, chopped almonds and sunflower seeds. Unfortunately I took this picture before I piled on the quinoa! An excellent addition. I use Bragg's Healthy vinaigrette on everything! It is just apple cider vinegar + olive oil. 

I pack this salad for lunch 2-3 times a week, even more if I'm out of gluten free bread.

This is a spinach, tomato, avocado, cucumber salad with rice and black beans on top. Apples on the side! & yes, that is a "spill" plate underneath my salad plate, lol. I tend to make a mess. 

I like salads that have rice, black beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans, quinoa, or lentils, etc on top. Adds protein & starch! It's best to have starchy carbs at lunch time because it helps give you energy for the rest of the day.

Add chopped dates, pears, or apples to salads for some extra flavor!

Rice & Beans:

Every Saturday morning I make a hefty amount of either rice & beans, rice & lentils, + I add some kind of steamed veggie to the mix. That way I have a large supply around to throw on top of salads, have as a side with a sandwich, or for an afternoon snack if I need a pick me up. The best thing about it is, you can eat it cold! Or if you want you can heat it up. I like it cold, on top of salads.

This is white rice with black lentils. Steamed some kale, chopped it up in the processor, and added it all together.

Very similar variation, this time with black beans and brown rice with chopped steamed kale added in. And of course salt & pepper to taste! I put it in this giant pyrex bowl that I have a lid for and stick it in the fridge to be waiting for me at my convenience.

Start with white or brown or wild rice, about 1-2 cups depending on how much you want to make.

Add either:

Black beans

Black lentils, red lentils, yellow lentils, white, green etc.

Garbanzo beans

Navy beans

Kidney beans

Rice+beans=protein.

I make everything in a rice cooker/food steamer. I start the rice, then add the veggie that I'm steaming and keep my eye on it to make sure it doesn't over steam. If I'm cooking lentils, I stick them right in there to cook with the rice at the same time. Add beans afterward if they are from a can, or if soaked over night, you can add them to cook with the rice if that is your preference.

Then add steamed vegetable(s) of your choice:

Kale

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Carrots

Nuts or Sprouted grains/beans

Sunflower seeds

Mung beans

Sprouts

(Whatever you like!)

You can even add a sauce of your choice. Just make sure that it doesn't make the mixture soggy and that it won't ferment and start to taste weird! Be careful with jarred/canned sauces as well. They could have preservatives and that is a strait ticket to migraine land for someone like me. I make a homemade sauce if I want it, but usually salt and pepper is enough. It's best to add oil and/or sauce to it when you transfer some of it to a bowl or onto a salad. 

Other lunch ideas: Leftovers!

Sometimes I bring a random assortment of food for lunch. Like today, I brought leftover vegan mac n cheese with zucchini, a half almond butter sandwich, a banana, an avocado, and a kind bar. Random I know, but I'm out of tomatoes so I couldn't make my yummy sandwich. Also, I don't want my avocado to go bad, so I brought it to eat whole since I didn't make the sandwich. I like to eat left overs within 2-3 days and I made this vegan mac on Monday night, so it only makes sense to eat it today! I have even put a similar vegan mac leftovers on top of a salad or on top of rice and beans. I love mixing food, so it doesn't bother me, but if your picky keep it separate :) 

I like to stock my fridge with foods on the weekends so that I have plenty to eat during the week. I have so many food allergies that eating out simply isn't an option for me. Being "forced" to cook my own food and be conscious of what goes into my body is seriously a blessing in disguise. For years I was plagued with headaches, migraines, and nausea and had no idea what was causing it. When I learned about my allergies, food seemed like my enemy. But then I discovered that food could be my medicine, and my entire whole world flipped upside down. I LOVE being able to give my body nutritious, healthy, delicious food. Lately I've been cooking a lot, and I'm starting to get curious about raw food, just because here and there, I still get a headache or I feel groggy, and I know that it has to have been something I ate. So maybe soon I'll experiment with raw "cooking" and post it on here! I'm excited to give it a shot, but also pretty intimidated. I'll let you know how it goes!

Mural update!

The Mural is finished and installed at Klyde Warren Park in between uptown and downtown Dallas!

Here are some pics from our install:

the crew rolling it onto the wall, stapling as we go

(that is a keep off the grass sign by the way, IN THE PARK lol)

view from the other side

the bubble wall, kids playing in bubbles

this is a cool lil collage that Amy made with the walls meeting and the bottom picture is the park.

<3 I need to get more pictures. These don't even show how long it is! It is 300 feet!

The Egg by Andy Weir

Here is a story I like :)

The Egg

By: Andy Weir

You were on your way home when you died.

It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.

And that’s when you met me.

“What… what happened?” You asked. “Where am I?”

“You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.

“There was a… a truck and it was skidding…”

“Yup,” I said.

“I… I died?”

“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,” I said.

You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?” You asked. “Is this the afterlife?”

“More or less,” I said.

“Are you god?” You asked.

“Yup,” I replied. “I’m God.”

“My kids… my wife,” you said.

“What about them?”

“Will they be all right?”

“That’s what I like to see,” I said. “You just died and your main concern is for your family. That’s good stuff right there.”

You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didn’t look like God. I just looked like some man. Or possibly a woman. Some vague authority figure, maybe. More of a grammar school teacher than the almighty.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “They’ll be fine. Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way. They didn’t have time to grow contempt for you. Your wife will cry on the outside, but will be secretly relieved. To be fair, your marriage was falling apart. If it’s any consolation, she’ll feel very guilty for feeling relieved.”

“Oh,” you said. “So what happens now? Do I go to heaven or hell or something?”

“Neither,” I said. “You’ll be reincarnated.”

“Ah,” you said. “So the Hindus were right,”

“All religions are right in their own way,” I said. “Walk with me.”

You followed along as we strode through the void. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere in particular,” I said. “It’s just nice to walk while we talk.”

“So what’s the point, then?” You asked. “When I get reborn, I’ll just be a blank slate, right? A baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life won’t matter.”

“Not so!” I said. “You have within you all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives. You just don’t remember them right now.”

I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.

“You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. If we hung out here for long enough, you’d start remembering everything. But there’s no point to doing that between each life.”

“How many times have I been reincarnated, then?”

“Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”

“Wait, what?” You stammered. “You’re sending me back in time?”

“Well, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from.”

“Where you come from?” You said.

“Oh sure,” I explained “I come from somewhere. Somewhere else. And there are others like me. I know you’ll want to know what it’s like there, but honestly you wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh,” you said, a little let down. “But wait. If I get reincarnated to other places in time, I could have interacted with myself at some point.”

“Sure. Happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan you don’t even know it’s happening.”

“So what’s the point of it all?”

“Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You’re asking me for the meaning of life? Isn’t that a little stereotypical?”

“Well it’s a reasonable question,” you persisted.

I looked you in the eye. “The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.”

“You mean mankind? You want us to mature?”

“No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.”

“Just me? What about everyone else?”

“There is no one else,” I said. “In this universe, there’s just you and me.”

You stared blankly at me. “But all the people on earth…”

“All you. Different incarnations of you.”

“Wait. I’m everyone!?”

“Now you’re getting it,” I said, with a congratulatory slap on the back.

“I’m every human being who ever lived?”

“Or who will ever live, yes.”

“I’m Abraham Lincoln?”

“And you’re John Wilkes Booth, too,” I added.

“I’m Hitler?” You said, appalled.

“And you’re the millions he killed.”

“I’m Jesus?”

“And you’re everyone who followed him.”

You fell silent.

“Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.”

You thought for a long time.

“Why?” You asked me. “Why do all this?”

“Because someday, you will become like me. Because that’s what you are. You’re one of my kind. You’re my child.”

“Whoa,” you said, incredulous. “You mean I’m a god?”

“No. Not yet. You’re a fetus. You’re still growing. Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.”

“So the whole universe,” you said, “it’s just…”

“An egg.” I answered. “Now it’s time for you to move on to your next life.”

And I sent you on your way.

<3