I must begin by explaining that my need to try the raw food 'diet' is educational and a necessary experiential process. About 75% of what I have read and studied over the past two or three years has been related to nutrition. It is a widely varied subject, with hundreds of acclaimed authors claiming to have the best idea of it. In fact, I find that the more that one reads, the more confused one can become. Though, I have found as well that if I stick to my instincts, and to a handful of ideals, that I can find a balance and an understanding that is relative. I am no scholar, but I find the teachings of Andrew Weil, and also the teachings of Ayurvedic medicine to be the most helpful. Like I said, nutrition is a vast and varied subject. What it all comes down to, no matter how many books you read, speakers you hear, or websites you scour, it all comes down to what works for you.
So, I had read many a webpage and even a couple of books on raw foods, and the detox process. What I notice about the raw or living foods diet is that of the majority of people willing to try it, most did so in an effort to escape debilitating diseases, morbid obesity, and life threatening illness. When I read their stories and did the research, I saw that this was an ideal based on healing. It's a way of life that, without a doubt, drastically increases health and wellness. I was sure of one thing. I wanted to attempt the detoxing process to see just what happened. It was more than I imagined. Three days of headache and miserable intensifying of symptoms which drove me to try it in the first place. In the midst of the process, I was crying mercy and beginning to wonder if I had done something seriously wrong. Then came days four and five. Clarity. Energy. NO pain. Happiness.
The days since my initial three day juice fast (very short in terms of cleansing diets) have been ever clearer and better than ever. At no point have I felt deprived of anything.
I have continued on with the raw food, making sure that most (over 90%) of what I eat is raw fruits, vegetables or nuts. I have had no hip pain* or back pain since my 3 day juice fast. Other wonderful things have happened too. My skin has become clearer. My night vision (which is terrible) has notably improved! I drove home last night from the store in awe at the fact I could see quite well. Any digestive issues I had are far better. I have far more energy than I have ever had. I am able to concentrate without the thoughts slipping from my mind. My knees don't hurt. My sinuses have been clear. No throbbing kidney/liver issues. Over all, I am in the best shape! And all of this in ten days time!
Think for a moment about the fact that I'm 28. Of course you feel great, you're 28 years old. You should feel great. Exactly! For years (about 16 long ones) I have suffered from miserable hip pain. Absolutely miserable. Nearly constant pain, keeping me up at night, and basically have just been living off of Aleve for years. Taking 2-4 a day. No wonder my liver is so very weak.** I went to see a doctor when I was 12 and had x-rays done. He said there was nothing wrong with me. Probably just growth pain he said. (It never ceases to amaze me the daunting gap between conventional medicine and nutrition.) I also have had on and off throbbing pains in my kidney/liver area for several years (about 3). I was having debilitating migraines 1-2 times a month (severe pain lasting 12-24 hours), allergy problems at least every 3 months, and monthly breast pain, but had managed to control that by cutting out caffeine, most of the sugar I eat, and refined flour. All of those symptoms return when I go back to any of those things.
My hip pain was greatly decreased as well, but still haunted me, which led me to the detox and to try the raw food diet.
So, you see, I'm no 'fad' dieter. I am not working for a slimmer figure (though that would be a wonderful side effect!) but for an energetic and pain free life! I shouldn't be in such pain at my age, and I have been for years! This is great. Every symptom I have had that I have talked to my doctor about has fixed itself, except one***. Doctors have basically said "It's nothing serious, I can't see anything that is causing it, would you like a pain prescription?" to which I answer no, because I am quite anti-prescription 'medicines'.
What to do now? Well, I am going to continue on, doing about 80% raw (fruits, veggies, nuts, etc.). I do like cooked food, and in fact, I think you just aren't living life if you can't have something special now and again (for instance, a barbecue pulled pork sandwich). And I do love to cook and enjoy a wide variety of cultural dishes. However, my research is not done on myself. I still have many things to figure out, and will further research the living food phenomenon for the remainder of the year at least. Thus far, overall, this has been a wonderful experience, and no amount of reading and studying could replace this real life experience.
*My hip pain returned once, after eating whole wheat noodles.
**If I drink 8 oz. of wine, it takes my body about 12-16 hours and sometimes even longer to process it. This has been a noticeable change over the last 4 years.
***I have an odd lump in my right armpit. It has been checked and doesn't seem to be anything serious, but still is concerning for me, since it was never there before and has developed over the past year and a half. I'm looking for it to shrink or go away.
Some related links:
http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/before_after/index.html
http://www.nov55.com/hea/food.html
http://www.detoxyourworld.com/acatalog/raw_food_diet.html
http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/index.html
http://www.holheal.com/
Monday, October 29, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
8 Days Raw...mostly
Okay. Today I begin my eighth day raw. I have had two meals in the past week that were not fully raw, though, so I can't say they've been eight days all raw. However, I really have noticed that after eating a cooked meal I do not feel immediate energy from it. When eating raw, I am filled and refueled instantly.
What I ate yesterday:
a green smoothie
an apple
a handful of almonds
dried goji berries
a pomegranate smoothie
celery sticks
carrot sticks
This morning I have enjoyed a red grapefruit. :) One of my favorite foods! And a banana.
It's a busy day though, I have to pack me a snack. The girls go to H.O.P.E. today. That's a program they do on Fridays that is publicly funded. I am headed to the Whale of a Used Book Sale at the Jefferson Co. Fairgrounds. Yipee! Books!
What I ate yesterday:
a green smoothie
an apple
a handful of almonds
dried goji berries
a pomegranate smoothie
celery sticks
carrot sticks
This morning I have enjoyed a red grapefruit. :) One of my favorite foods! And a banana.
It's a busy day though, I have to pack me a snack. The girls go to H.O.P.E. today. That's a program they do on Fridays that is publicly funded. I am headed to the Whale of a Used Book Sale at the Jefferson Co. Fairgrounds. Yipee! Books!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Blind Mind
Twelve years ago this week, Shannon Hoon died at the age of 28, my age today.
When I think of the things that have molded me into 'me', Blind Melon plays a large part in it. In a time that I was immersed in grunge and depressive music, Blind Melon was a light to me. Warmth and happiness. Knowing it was alright to be me. It was okay to be goofy. It was okay to be happy, even when it didn't make sense. Even if it wasn't 'cool'. Even if my life wasn't. I love Blind Melon, and Shannon Hoon most of all. I could dance and smile, I could let life slip past dazily. I could be myself and be unafraid. All these things I learned partially because of them. I immersed myself in the lyrics that expressed regret, shame, anger, and in the next breath, satisfaction and happiness in my adversity. When I think of words to sum up portions of my life, Blind Melon's lyrics come to mind.
Of being an abusive alcoholic's daughter:
"One of these days this will die. So will me and so will you." ~ Mouthful of Cavitities
"My eyes are dry and my hands are clean, and I can't believe all the things I've seen." ~ Dear Ol' Dad
"And the sand blew in my eyes....as I stood on the edge and looked out to sea, the light of a new life shining upon me." ~ Deserted (I related to having the thought of living with my dad at the beach)
Of the act of religion:
"Holyman, you don't understand. The cuts on me they run much deeper." ~ Holyman
"Holyman I tell you man you gotta Believe in what you see, 'Cause its you that corrupt us man and deep throat philosophy. I don't need your spells or the little games you try to pull on me Come to think of it I don't need your religion." ~ Holyman
"And I'm oh so tired of you pushing that thorny crown Down onto my head so hard, my knees are two inches in the ground." ~ The Pusher
On being different:
"Nobody here really understands me, and so I'll wave goodbye, I'm fine. I'm fine." ~ Tones of Home
"All my friends patronize me, they say 'Hey Boy! Have you found what your looking for?' You see they don't really know me....it's here. It's what they can't see." ~ Tones of Home
"Instead of sittin' here not seein' clear, just sitting here not fittin' here...." ~ Toes Across the Floor
"But I'm not appalled or afraid verbal pocket play is as discreet as I can muster up to be. Because the Cadillac that's sittin' in the backIt isn't me, Oh, no, no, no it isn't me. I'm more at home in my Galaxie." ~Galaxie
On my life:
"My mind is a mind that I have come to know, and my eyes can't conceive what cannot grow." ~ Paper Scratcher
"Life ain't so shitty." ~LASS
"I find myself singing the same songs everyday. Ones that make me feel good when things behind the smile ain't okay." ~ Walk
"And I can't believe that I have to bang my head against this wall again. But the blows they have just a little more space in-between them. Gonna take a breath and try, try again." ~Walk
I was in high school when Shannon Hoon died, and I wore black for two weeks straight. The year before he died, Kurt Cobain died. I was never too much of a Nirvana fan. I liked them, but thought that Kurt Cobain was a whiner that should get over his problems. He should have taken a few lessons from Shannon Hoon, he should let go a bit, and not take everything quite so seriously. When I mourned the death of Shannon Hoon, hardly anyone knew who he was. I did.
I still mourn him, it's true. His death taught me that good things don't always last, and that sacred things can be stolen from you in a breath. He taught me with his words, that 'you have to have an eye to see what's wrong with the world, and a mind to change it.'
I am still sad that there aren't more songs. I'm sad that there are other artists with less talent that still breathe. There are other artists with less to say with their music. Shannon Hoon was onto something. I cherish every song that they ever released, they are still so dear to me, even now. All other bands have faded, but Blind Melon is in my fabric. Perhaps that partly explains my fruitiness. :)
Earlier this year, a tribute album was produced. You can check out the website.
This song has often times been the motto of my life.
I don't feel the suns comin' out today
It's staying in, it's gonna find another way.
As I sit here in this misery, I don't think
I'll ever (no Lord) see the sun from here.
And oh as I fade away,
They'll all look at me and say, and they'll say,
Hey look at him!
I'll never live that way.
But that's okay, they're just afraid to change.
And when you feel life ain't worth living
You've got to stand up and
Take a look around you look up way to the sky.
And when your deepest thoughts are broken,
Keep on dreaming boy, cause when you stop dreamin' it's time to die.
And as we all play parts of tomorrow, some ways will work and other ways we'll play.
But I know we can't all stay here forever,
So I want to write my words on the face of today.
And then they'll paint it.
And oh as I fade away,
They'll all look at me and say, they'll say,
Hey look at him and where he is these days.
When life is hard, you have to change.
When I think of the things that have molded me into 'me', Blind Melon plays a large part in it. In a time that I was immersed in grunge and depressive music, Blind Melon was a light to me. Warmth and happiness. Knowing it was alright to be me. It was okay to be goofy. It was okay to be happy, even when it didn't make sense. Even if it wasn't 'cool'. Even if my life wasn't. I love Blind Melon, and Shannon Hoon most of all. I could dance and smile, I could let life slip past dazily. I could be myself and be unafraid. All these things I learned partially because of them. I immersed myself in the lyrics that expressed regret, shame, anger, and in the next breath, satisfaction and happiness in my adversity. When I think of words to sum up portions of my life, Blind Melon's lyrics come to mind.
Of being an abusive alcoholic's daughter:
"One of these days this will die. So will me and so will you." ~ Mouthful of Cavitities
"My eyes are dry and my hands are clean, and I can't believe all the things I've seen." ~ Dear Ol' Dad
"And the sand blew in my eyes....as I stood on the edge and looked out to sea, the light of a new life shining upon me." ~ Deserted (I related to having the thought of living with my dad at the beach)
Of the act of religion:
"Holyman, you don't understand. The cuts on me they run much deeper." ~ Holyman
"Holyman I tell you man you gotta Believe in what you see, 'Cause its you that corrupt us man and deep throat philosophy. I don't need your spells or the little games you try to pull on me Come to think of it I don't need your religion." ~ Holyman
"And I'm oh so tired of you pushing that thorny crown Down onto my head so hard, my knees are two inches in the ground." ~ The Pusher
On being different:
"Nobody here really understands me, and so I'll wave goodbye, I'm fine. I'm fine." ~ Tones of Home
"All my friends patronize me, they say 'Hey Boy! Have you found what your looking for?' You see they don't really know me....it's here. It's what they can't see." ~ Tones of Home
"Instead of sittin' here not seein' clear, just sitting here not fittin' here...." ~ Toes Across the Floor
"But I'm not appalled or afraid verbal pocket play is as discreet as I can muster up to be. Because the Cadillac that's sittin' in the backIt isn't me, Oh, no, no, no it isn't me. I'm more at home in my Galaxie." ~Galaxie
On my life:
"My mind is a mind that I have come to know, and my eyes can't conceive what cannot grow." ~ Paper Scratcher
"Life ain't so shitty." ~LASS
"I find myself singing the same songs everyday. Ones that make me feel good when things behind the smile ain't okay." ~ Walk
"And I can't believe that I have to bang my head against this wall again. But the blows they have just a little more space in-between them. Gonna take a breath and try, try again." ~Walk
I was in high school when Shannon Hoon died, and I wore black for two weeks straight. The year before he died, Kurt Cobain died. I was never too much of a Nirvana fan. I liked them, but thought that Kurt Cobain was a whiner that should get over his problems. He should have taken a few lessons from Shannon Hoon, he should let go a bit, and not take everything quite so seriously. When I mourned the death of Shannon Hoon, hardly anyone knew who he was. I did.
I still mourn him, it's true. His death taught me that good things don't always last, and that sacred things can be stolen from you in a breath. He taught me with his words, that 'you have to have an eye to see what's wrong with the world, and a mind to change it.'
I am still sad that there aren't more songs. I'm sad that there are other artists with less talent that still breathe. There are other artists with less to say with their music. Shannon Hoon was onto something. I cherish every song that they ever released, they are still so dear to me, even now. All other bands have faded, but Blind Melon is in my fabric. Perhaps that partly explains my fruitiness. :)
Earlier this year, a tribute album was produced. You can check out the website.
This song has often times been the motto of my life.
Blind Melon
"Change"
I don't feel the suns comin' out today
It's staying in, it's gonna find another way.
As I sit here in this misery, I don't think
I'll ever (no Lord) see the sun from here.
And oh as I fade away,
They'll all look at me and say, and they'll say,
Hey look at him!
I'll never live that way.
But that's okay, they're just afraid to change.
And when you feel life ain't worth living
You've got to stand up and
Take a look around you look up way to the sky.
And when your deepest thoughts are broken,
Keep on dreaming boy, cause when you stop dreamin' it's time to die.
And as we all play parts of tomorrow, some ways will work and other ways we'll play.
But I know we can't all stay here forever,
So I want to write my words on the face of today.
And then they'll paint it.
And oh as I fade away,
They'll all look at me and say, they'll say,
Hey look at him and where he is these days.
When life is hard, you have to change.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Day 4~Raw Foods, save one.
I just wanted to post at the end of Day 4 on my Raw Foods excursion that I feel good. The lower back pain has ceased! Yay! I have plenty of energy right now, and no need for any extra food. No cravings. Nothing. I feel pretty good. My mental energy is good, though I'm getting a bit tired at this hour. (Fogey I am.)
I did have one non-raw food at dinner. A salmon patty. Felt the need for Omega 3s, and since I haven't figured out the maze of raw nutrients, I settled for salmon.
Tomorrow I'll try to post my reasons/goals/inspirations/purpose/etc.
Nighty night.
I did have one non-raw food at dinner. A salmon patty. Felt the need for Omega 3s, and since I haven't figured out the maze of raw nutrients, I settled for salmon.
Tomorrow I'll try to post my reasons/goals/inspirations/purpose/etc.
Nighty night.
Day 2 and 3
Days two and three of my juice fast/detox were no fun! The headache I mentioned on day one? It lasted fifty-six hours, and compounded with each passing hour. Saturday night (day tw0) all of the symptoms worsened, my aching hips and lower back (from a detoxifying colon) were the worst inflamatory pain I've ever experienced. When I hit the pillow I was nauseated, weak, exhausted, shaking and losing hope. I could not sleep, could hardly sit, and it hurt to move. Pain, pain, pain. Odd, isn't it? A juice fast shouldn't cause such symptoms...should it?? Ahh...but the detoxing. Yes. I was not hungry, and on Sunday (day three) actually found myself quite full most the day, though I did have some solid food. I had some canteloupe for breakfast, an avocado at lunch time, and Sunday evening I rewarded myself with brown rice and a sweet potato. They were cooked, but I ate very little of it and it did raise my energy levels considerably. The headache finally puttered out around noon, while we were out in the fresh air enjoying some grade A sledding weather. 9 inches of snow fell around us on Sunday!
We enjoyed a calm day together as a family, as we usually do on Sundays. Its a great life with no cable television!
Sunday night, as I lay down to sleep, the pain in my lower back had really become sharp, and I slept with a heating pad on my lower back most the night. It was misery. When I woke this morning, it had dulled considerably. Today my mental clarity is very good, much better than usual. I am surprised that after a few days of doing a juice fast and eating minimally, that my mind is actually clearer than usual. The remains of my congestion are seeming to clear. Though I have developed some really bad breath, most likely part of the detox process as well. I'm trying to drink my gallon of water a day, and am falling behind a bit.
For now, I have kids to teach! Mondays are Story of the World, and we always enjoy those lessons. We are continuing on in our ancient Egypt studies.
We enjoyed a calm day together as a family, as we usually do on Sundays. Its a great life with no cable television!
Sunday night, as I lay down to sleep, the pain in my lower back had really become sharp, and I slept with a heating pad on my lower back most the night. It was misery. When I woke this morning, it had dulled considerably. Today my mental clarity is very good, much better than usual. I am surprised that after a few days of doing a juice fast and eating minimally, that my mind is actually clearer than usual. The remains of my congestion are seeming to clear. Though I have developed some really bad breath, most likely part of the detox process as well. I'm trying to drink my gallon of water a day, and am falling behind a bit.
For now, I have kids to teach! Mondays are Story of the World, and we always enjoy those lessons. We are continuing on in our ancient Egypt studies.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Juice Fast~Day One
After some research here and there, I have decided to try out a raw foods diet. I'm not quite sure how it will work, but one thing's for sure, I know it will be good for me.
Having a 'Living Foods' Diet means this: Everything I eat is alive. Which, by default, makes me a vegan. Never thought about being a vegan. Never really wanted to. But if I am to have a living foods diet, I have to be. The girls are trying it too, though I can't speak for David.
So I am starting out with a two to three day juice fast to detoxify myself. Yesterday was technically my first day. I felt good, and was not terribly hungry. I did have some of a pomegranate, though, so I had some solid food.
This morning I feel terrible! I was warned that detoxing can be a miserable process, and wow is it misery this morning. I woke in the night sick to my stomach when David came home from work, then I woke this morning with a sneezing fit like I've never had. Now I have the strangest dull headache. It's a deep seated headache, not sharp and restricted to one area, like a migraine. When I have a migraine I know exactly where the pain is coming from (usually throbbing from behind the eyes, around my sinus cavities) but this is a dull steady deep seated ache. Like a hangover. Another odd sensation is a feeling in my lower back, a burning feeling. Most likely, (and I hate to be gross) but that is likely my body (liver, kidneys etc.) releasing toxins into my digestive tract. I have a feeling this will all get much worse before it is over. As for my energy, my mental energy is excellent, while my body feels like I have the flu.
I am going to continue the fast into Sunday, then begin my raw foods diet. Over the next few weeks, my body will continue this detoxifying process.
All of this began with me having an allergy attack for the first time in over a year.
A few websites:
Living and Raw Foods Community
Raw Denver
We Like It Raw
Having a 'Living Foods' Diet means this: Everything I eat is alive. Which, by default, makes me a vegan. Never thought about being a vegan. Never really wanted to. But if I am to have a living foods diet, I have to be. The girls are trying it too, though I can't speak for David.
So I am starting out with a two to three day juice fast to detoxify myself. Yesterday was technically my first day. I felt good, and was not terribly hungry. I did have some of a pomegranate, though, so I had some solid food.
This morning I feel terrible! I was warned that detoxing can be a miserable process, and wow is it misery this morning. I woke in the night sick to my stomach when David came home from work, then I woke this morning with a sneezing fit like I've never had. Now I have the strangest dull headache. It's a deep seated headache, not sharp and restricted to one area, like a migraine. When I have a migraine I know exactly where the pain is coming from (usually throbbing from behind the eyes, around my sinus cavities) but this is a dull steady deep seated ache. Like a hangover. Another odd sensation is a feeling in my lower back, a burning feeling. Most likely, (and I hate to be gross) but that is likely my body (liver, kidneys etc.) releasing toxins into my digestive tract. I have a feeling this will all get much worse before it is over. As for my energy, my mental energy is excellent, while my body feels like I have the flu.
I am going to continue the fast into Sunday, then begin my raw foods diet. Over the next few weeks, my body will continue this detoxifying process.
All of this began with me having an allergy attack for the first time in over a year.
A few websites:
Living and Raw Foods Community
Raw Denver
We Like It Raw
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
David's New Company
I am very proud of David. For the first time, he has taken a job not because of the pay or the benefits, but because he believes in the company. As you all probably know (because he's probably told you once or twice what you should or should not eat) David is very nutritionally aware. I admit, I'm partially to blame, but I had no idea just how far he would take it, though I do know how driven he is.
He went to a job fair a month ago, even though he really wasn't looking, he always has his ears pricked to whats out there. He met a guy there from a company called United Natural Foods, which he had heard of. They were only looking for two drivers, and David knew he was 'in' after talking to this man, the Logistics Manager. With David's experience and his outgoing nature of course, he beat out all the other applicants.
The pay was lower than Sysco, but not union, so the possibility for more hours was there. He did some studying, and liked what he learned. So he decided to go for it.
He put in his notice to his boss at Sysco, who has made certain promises to him about pay, and not kept a single one in the year that he has worked for him. He called him in the morning, and got an angry response from him. His boss received many phone calls from the sales reps. that work on his route. They had earned bonuses this year because of David, their sales had gone up 60% since he took the route. He also received phone calls from customers insisting that he make it right with David so that he would stay. (David leaves such a trail anytime he goes to another company. He has excellent people skills!) Immediately his boss offered him more money (a $4 raise!), and back payed him for the two weeks that had past. So, David was torn. On the one hand, he could work for a company that represented all that he believed in. For years, he's delivered junk food to senior centers and elementary schools, bags of MSG (and worse) to restaraunts, not to mention five years at Coca-Cola. He liked the idea of working for a company that is commited to providing healthy organic food. On the other hand, finally getting the pay he had been waiting for was hard to ignore.
So, he decided to stay. I felt some form of relief, because he was eligible for a vacation next year, the first payed one in two years, and better pay sounds really nice.
However, at the seeming last minute, the day before he would have started his job at United Natural Foods, he changed his mind, and called me at home to ask for the number off of the UNF business card.
He got ahold of Howard, the man who he had spoken with at the job fair. Howard said he could make no promises on pay, but he could guarantee that David would be happy with the family owned company. He guaranteed that the benefits would be great, and that he would have a far better chance of a better career. Howard had worked previously for USFoods (Sysco's competitor), and was miserable. The pay was the only thing that kept him there. He took a paycut to work at UNF and has never once regretted it.
Before I knew it (and, naturally, after I'd already called my mom about him staying at Sysco), he said he was going with UNF. He was starting tomorrow. That tomorrow was yesterday. Yesterday he came home inexplicably happy.
He'd made the right choice for himself. Turns out the company does a lot of things we believe in and want to support.
They have a strict organic standard. They use alternative fuels for their trucks. They use wind energy when they can. They have inexpensive health insurance that covers liscensed alternative health practitioners. They offer 401K, something we have not been able to have since Coca-Cola. They are growing like wildfire, and will continue to, as people learn more and more about health and nutrition. Best of all, (I think!) we will be able to buy health food at %15 off the base price that Whole Foods pays for their food.
Affording organic groceries that are healthier for us and the planet,
Being true to ourselves,
Having affordable insurance that covers alternative medicines,
Working with a company that has morals and isn't afraid to adhere to them.
All of these things are what David foresaw, and he went after it. I'm so proud!
Happy is the man that has made the right choice, regardless of what others say or offer.
"To thine own self be true!" ~Shakespeare's Hamlet
~Jenn
He went to a job fair a month ago, even though he really wasn't looking, he always has his ears pricked to whats out there. He met a guy there from a company called United Natural Foods, which he had heard of. They were only looking for two drivers, and David knew he was 'in' after talking to this man, the Logistics Manager. With David's experience and his outgoing nature of course, he beat out all the other applicants.
The pay was lower than Sysco, but not union, so the possibility for more hours was there. He did some studying, and liked what he learned. So he decided to go for it.
He put in his notice to his boss at Sysco, who has made certain promises to him about pay, and not kept a single one in the year that he has worked for him. He called him in the morning, and got an angry response from him. His boss received many phone calls from the sales reps. that work on his route. They had earned bonuses this year because of David, their sales had gone up 60% since he took the route. He also received phone calls from customers insisting that he make it right with David so that he would stay. (David leaves such a trail anytime he goes to another company. He has excellent people skills!) Immediately his boss offered him more money (a $4 raise!), and back payed him for the two weeks that had past. So, David was torn. On the one hand, he could work for a company that represented all that he believed in. For years, he's delivered junk food to senior centers and elementary schools, bags of MSG (and worse) to restaraunts, not to mention five years at Coca-Cola. He liked the idea of working for a company that is commited to providing healthy organic food. On the other hand, finally getting the pay he had been waiting for was hard to ignore.
So, he decided to stay. I felt some form of relief, because he was eligible for a vacation next year, the first payed one in two years, and better pay sounds really nice.
However, at the seeming last minute, the day before he would have started his job at United Natural Foods, he changed his mind, and called me at home to ask for the number off of the UNF business card.
He got ahold of Howard, the man who he had spoken with at the job fair. Howard said he could make no promises on pay, but he could guarantee that David would be happy with the family owned company. He guaranteed that the benefits would be great, and that he would have a far better chance of a better career. Howard had worked previously for USFoods (Sysco's competitor), and was miserable. The pay was the only thing that kept him there. He took a paycut to work at UNF and has never once regretted it.
Before I knew it (and, naturally, after I'd already called my mom about him staying at Sysco), he said he was going with UNF. He was starting tomorrow. That tomorrow was yesterday. Yesterday he came home inexplicably happy.
He'd made the right choice for himself. Turns out the company does a lot of things we believe in and want to support.
They have a strict organic standard. They use alternative fuels for their trucks. They use wind energy when they can. They have inexpensive health insurance that covers liscensed alternative health practitioners. They offer 401K, something we have not been able to have since Coca-Cola. They are growing like wildfire, and will continue to, as people learn more and more about health and nutrition. Best of all, (I think!) we will be able to buy health food at %15 off the base price that Whole Foods pays for their food.
Affording organic groceries that are healthier for us and the planet,
Being true to ourselves,
Having affordable insurance that covers alternative medicines,
Working with a company that has morals and isn't afraid to adhere to them.
All of these things are what David foresaw, and he went after it. I'm so proud!
Happy is the man that has made the right choice, regardless of what others say or offer.
"To thine own self be true!" ~Shakespeare's Hamlet
~Jenn
Monday, October 15, 2007
American Radioworks: Put to the Test
American Radioworks: Put to the Test
This is why we homeschool. Above ALL reasons, THIS is it.
What kind of person is the government trying to produce from such an educational system? The whole point of school is to teach children to pass tests. The most disturbing part of this program is when a high schooler is reading a simplified version of Romeo and Juliet! A high schooler should be MORE than capable of reading Shakespearean language. Language of equal complication can be found in the music they listen to, streaming from their iPods. Why are we doing this to our children? One hundred years ago, a fourth grader could read such language and understand. In today's society, why are we allowing such atrocities? Of course our children are lacking drive and 'flunking'. Who wants to learn in an environment like that? It is appalling and I thank God that I am free to homeschool my children. My SEVEN year old, who only mastered reading this past summer, is memorizing, and UNDERSTANDING a poem by Robert Frost. We are reading and learning things that, if we were waiting for a public school system, she wouldn't learn about until around sixth grade! From the moment children are capable of reading, they are capable of learning nearly anything.
I am frustrated, at times, with our finances. For us, homeschooling is a true selfless sacrifice. My husband isn't wealthy or highly educated. It is his income that provides for the family. The fact that we homeschool means that we drive old cars, we have a tight grocery budget, and that we usually have to settle for homespun fun over trips, fairs, etc. Much of our 'fun' money is used up for simple things like clothing and food, and what we do have, we use towards providing more educational tools for the girls, (trips to the museum, extra papers, books, etc). We live frugally though, utilizing our library very often, and taking advantage of free days at the various museums and conservatories. Though I do worry, I am comforted when I listen to this! Yes, I could send them to school and get a job so that we can afford the 'American' lifestyle, but I am doing them the better favor by providing them with a solid ground to stand on, an education where they are not simply taught what is on the test. In fact, we don't even take tests.
We are educating our children in what is called the Classical Education, following the Trivium, as instructed by The Well Trained Mind. I admit, this has only been our first year with such a system, but I do not doubt that they are getting the best education for them. There's no better tool than their own drive for knowledge, and no better medium than language.
I firmly believe that anyone with a child should read Dumbing Us Down before making any decisions on his/her education. Don't settle for mediocre, reach for excellence.
This is why we homeschool. Above ALL reasons, THIS is it.
What kind of person is the government trying to produce from such an educational system? The whole point of school is to teach children to pass tests. The most disturbing part of this program is when a high schooler is reading a simplified version of Romeo and Juliet! A high schooler should be MORE than capable of reading Shakespearean language. Language of equal complication can be found in the music they listen to, streaming from their iPods. Why are we doing this to our children? One hundred years ago, a fourth grader could read such language and understand. In today's society, why are we allowing such atrocities? Of course our children are lacking drive and 'flunking'. Who wants to learn in an environment like that? It is appalling and I thank God that I am free to homeschool my children. My SEVEN year old, who only mastered reading this past summer, is memorizing, and UNDERSTANDING a poem by Robert Frost. We are reading and learning things that, if we were waiting for a public school system, she wouldn't learn about until around sixth grade! From the moment children are capable of reading, they are capable of learning nearly anything.
I am frustrated, at times, with our finances. For us, homeschooling is a true selfless sacrifice. My husband isn't wealthy or highly educated. It is his income that provides for the family. The fact that we homeschool means that we drive old cars, we have a tight grocery budget, and that we usually have to settle for homespun fun over trips, fairs, etc. Much of our 'fun' money is used up for simple things like clothing and food, and what we do have, we use towards providing more educational tools for the girls, (trips to the museum, extra papers, books, etc). We live frugally though, utilizing our library very often, and taking advantage of free days at the various museums and conservatories. Though I do worry, I am comforted when I listen to this! Yes, I could send them to school and get a job so that we can afford the 'American' lifestyle, but I am doing them the better favor by providing them with a solid ground to stand on, an education where they are not simply taught what is on the test. In fact, we don't even take tests.
We are educating our children in what is called the Classical Education, following the Trivium, as instructed by The Well Trained Mind. I admit, this has only been our first year with such a system, but I do not doubt that they are getting the best education for them. There's no better tool than their own drive for knowledge, and no better medium than language.
I firmly believe that anyone with a child should read Dumbing Us Down before making any decisions on his/her education. Don't settle for mediocre, reach for excellence.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Beginning my Surrogacy Journey
Today, my surrogacy packet is complete. This is the first step towards surrogacy.
A profile of 'me' is being compiled. While at first I thought that all I really had to offer was an ability to give birth, I began to think about it and realized that there is much more there. Certainly, it requires far more than being able to give birth. It is being able to give from your heart, it is an illustration of perfect understanding. I am to be a vassal for some one's dream, and how wondrous is that? Do I trust myself with such a thing? Because that is what you have to ask yourself. Are you mentally and spiritually trustworthy? Without a doubt. My feelings, my passions, they only grow wilder. A seed planted blossoms and flourishes, but never mutates. I am steadfast in my emotional and mental drive. So, am I able and worthy of carrying the dreams of another? The answer is without doubt. Absolutely. When I think of my own children, the impact they have made on my psyche, in my life, in my perspective on practically every issue, I realize the importance of the journey of parenthood. My children were born to me at a time in my life when I had no direction, no ground at my feet, no thoughts truly my own. I was a leashed person, partially from a system of education and a 'school' of thought, and it was partially self inflicted from years of self irreverence, self criticism, and perhaps even self hate. I know without a doubt, that without my children in my life, I would still be lost in those thoughts. They forced me to look past all of those things. They forced me to see hope, whether I wanted to or not. They forced me to have a true passion, to see the light in a world that I had once been blind to. They have grown with me, and alongside me. I revel in the idea that the person I have grown into will give them a much higher base to stand on than I ever had. They will have things I never did, not material things, but priceless things! An open mind, a vibrant heart, a self esteem!
Knowing these things, really knowing what it is to be blessed with a child, I am enlightened in my surrogacy journey. I know what it is that the parents long for, and I feel a deep sympathy for it. My daughters came to me easily and unexpectedly in a torrential time in my life, yet still I was changed! The parents that should find me, they have a longing for a child, perhaps a truly bitter longing, filled with heartbreak. This journey will be a glory road for them! Their hearts will soar with each new development! But even now, within themselves, they can not truly know just what a child will bring out of them. They will begin to have an idea, though, when newly born bright eyes, with a love more pure than a mountain spring, find them.
I smile when I think about their happiness. I am proud of myself for being so selfless, and it is a demonstration that what once was a sparse and meager heart, is now a warm and giving one. What once was a blind girl, is now a wise woman.
A profile of 'me' is being compiled. While at first I thought that all I really had to offer was an ability to give birth, I began to think about it and realized that there is much more there. Certainly, it requires far more than being able to give birth. It is being able to give from your heart, it is an illustration of perfect understanding. I am to be a vassal for some one's dream, and how wondrous is that? Do I trust myself with such a thing? Because that is what you have to ask yourself. Are you mentally and spiritually trustworthy? Without a doubt. My feelings, my passions, they only grow wilder. A seed planted blossoms and flourishes, but never mutates. I am steadfast in my emotional and mental drive. So, am I able and worthy of carrying the dreams of another? The answer is without doubt. Absolutely. When I think of my own children, the impact they have made on my psyche, in my life, in my perspective on practically every issue, I realize the importance of the journey of parenthood. My children were born to me at a time in my life when I had no direction, no ground at my feet, no thoughts truly my own. I was a leashed person, partially from a system of education and a 'school' of thought, and it was partially self inflicted from years of self irreverence, self criticism, and perhaps even self hate. I know without a doubt, that without my children in my life, I would still be lost in those thoughts. They forced me to look past all of those things. They forced me to see hope, whether I wanted to or not. They forced me to have a true passion, to see the light in a world that I had once been blind to. They have grown with me, and alongside me. I revel in the idea that the person I have grown into will give them a much higher base to stand on than I ever had. They will have things I never did, not material things, but priceless things! An open mind, a vibrant heart, a self esteem!
Knowing these things, really knowing what it is to be blessed with a child, I am enlightened in my surrogacy journey. I know what it is that the parents long for, and I feel a deep sympathy for it. My daughters came to me easily and unexpectedly in a torrential time in my life, yet still I was changed! The parents that should find me, they have a longing for a child, perhaps a truly bitter longing, filled with heartbreak. This journey will be a glory road for them! Their hearts will soar with each new development! But even now, within themselves, they can not truly know just what a child will bring out of them. They will begin to have an idea, though, when newly born bright eyes, with a love more pure than a mountain spring, find them.
I smile when I think about their happiness. I am proud of myself for being so selfless, and it is a demonstration that what once was a sparse and meager heart, is now a warm and giving one. What once was a blind girl, is now a wise woman.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Sea of Clouds
A view of Denver. Well, it is under there somewhere. From our house, all we can see is the sea of clouds that are blanketing the city.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)