..same happy life...journal #6-2/21-27/2011

On My Mind...8 inches of new fallen snow...beautiful...love the gentleness of my dog training method, which is very similar to how we trained our youngest children...I call it umbilical training...we us no force, no pinch or choke collars, no hitting, no yelling, and no puppy treats...I spend nearly every moment the dog is not in her kennel with the her on leash attached to a ribbon around my waist. This way I can watch for signals and divert poor behavior before it begins. No we didn't tie our children to us, but we did spend all our time with them, watching, playing, talking, and attempting to divert poor behavior before it started (in the case of a dog, we use a bell or clicker to break the train of thought). When I want to teach Guchi a trick, we do it off leash in a confined area. Right now we are learning fetch and drop with her toys. I shut all the doors in along the hall way and use it as sort of a runway. She cannot get out except by getting by me. It works wonderfully. In a few weeks, she will know how to potty outside, fetch, drop, come, stay, and not to bark at everyone who comes to the door.

Celebration...a weekend with my sweetheart...

Praying For...Gayle, 1st child of daughter #2 and Emily, daughter #3...

Deliciousness...harvesting my own greens again...smoothies with fresh buckwheat greens need very little fruit...8 oz. Greens, 1 orange, 1/2 banana, 1 T. Flax seed, 1 c. Distilled water...experimenting with a cracker recipe similar to Mary's Gone Crackers...sprouted rice, quinoa, flax, sesame, and veggie flavoring like garlic and onion, marinara, and salsa...they are dehydrated so still retain their enzymes...mmmm, love um...

Movement... Loving the improvement to my quality of life from T-Tapp...walking miles each day with little Guchi...finally got a new scale, which put to rest my fears of gaining weight...holding...

Commitment to Loveliness...Environment...organized pantry/kitchen shelves...Had to get rid of the rest of the wheat products...really enjoy removing food items from packaging and putting everything in my jars...a beautiful sight that inspires serenity in me...

Commitment to Modesty...Appearance...I found the perfect shade of cotton knit at Joannes for my dress project...sale starts next Friday...the dress will only set me back $7...

Scripture Meditations..."And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in Me." Moroni 7:33 over and over I see this truth manifest in my life...

Towards a Real Education...Re-reading Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare and Shakespeare's Complete Works in the evenings...studying and loving it...nearly finished with my new homeschool resource, which includes The New Pantry Principle...writing thesis and preparing lectures...

Sound of Music...I have never enjoyed playing my violin more...since I began learning hymns to glorify God, then sound coming out of my old violin has never been more mellow and rich. It feels like pure spirit...learning Abide With Me for March...my singing and piano playing are marginal as usual but still loving it anyway...

Natural World...February must have felt cheated to have so many warm days. so she dumped the last of her winter powers in a great snow storm last night...I love the sight of snow clinging to every branch and twig...

Simple Pleasure...dinner out with my sweetheart at our favorite Thai place...

Garden Gate...didn't get leeks started last week, but this week tomatoes and leeks go into the flats...no excuses...hope to order my Clarington spade and fork soon...I've got to double dig and set up my hoop house for my Mediterranean veggies and beans to go in the ground by the end of April...the sooner I get it ready the longer it has to warm up the soil...

Bee Buzz...it's almost certain that hive 1 didn't make it through the winter...it was our swarm hive and we took no honey from it...it just was not strong enough...

Cottage Dispensary...the lids are pink in the dispensary and pantry....8)

What's Coming...more of the same happy life...or whatever God has in store for me now...