Simple Pleasures

I’ve had Migraines and any other type of headaches one can get for over 30 years. I DO NOT take my pain-free days for granted.  I enjoy the simple things in life a good meal, my friends and family. Being able to just get through my day with a smile on my face instead of trying to hide the pain.

I change the things I can, accept the things I can’t and deal with the rest as it comes.  I think that’s all anyone can do really. I don’t like hearing whining from people who haven’t done all they can to change their circumstances and yes it is a slow process. I work, go to school and have a daughter. Once in while I can even go out…and I do it all with blinding headaches. Enjoy life, it could always be worse.

~Bright Blessings

Caraway bread

Here is a picture of my last baking frenzy. This recipe is a light rye with caraway seeds, delicious and aromatic. I didn’t have enough caraway seeds to make a another batch so I sprinkled them on top. This didn’t work out as well as I had hoped. They didn’t bake into the dough. Next time I’ll add the extra into the dough. The seeds are expensive I think I paid about $4 for the small bottle. Waste not want not….The loaf pan is glass, I prefer it to the non-stick one only because of the shape. The glass pan is smaller over all which forces the dough to rise more.

Food should be about basic sustainance, but also a bonding ritual with friends and family. For thousands of years people have bonded over a meal. Now preparing food for loved ones seems to have gone the way of the Dodo bird. Well, I have to admit cooking is not one of my favorite things to do in my busy day. But I do love to eat a good wholesome meal. So I’m trying to find a happy medium. I”m always on the lookout for meals that take 30 minutes or less to prepare. I also love one pot recipies so if you have any please share!

I can see the light…

I’ve one regular test left, then my final and that’s it. I can’t wait to have a little bit of my life and days off back. At least for the summer months, by August, I’ll be thoroughly sick of the heat and ready to get back into my studies.

I was in bed with a headache most of the day yesterday. The little bastards’ hit me a the worst times. I would have liked to get some more studing done, but sitting in front of my computer would have just made it worse. It is what it is… We all have to accept and work around our issues with as much grace as we can muster. Somedays I have the proverbial bull by the horns other days those horns are a hair’s breath from my ass.

My gravatar

The picture used for my gravatar is of a necklace I made, one of the first actually. The piece is called Earth Mother, the pendant measures about an inch long. it’s lime green aventurine is the shape of a primitive goddess figure. The beads are multi-colored Fancy Jasper. Their colors range from an opaque white to purple.

I use Picasa to edit my pictures. The program is a free download, easy to use and allows me to put a watermark on all my pictures.

My other blog

I have another blog that I use for my jewelry site. Since I haven’t sold any pieces on my Artfire site and I don’t have the time needed to maintain and promote it I’m taking it down. I am going to incorporate some of those posts into this blog.

Jewelry making is still a hobby I enjoy, but right now I have other things like school, work and family (I could go on awhile) that take precedence over my jewelry making. I’m not Wonder Woman and that’s alright. I would rather do a few things well than fail at many.

As always thank you for visiting The Fireside Journal. I’ve gotten great responses from the people reading this blog. I use this phrase to capture my jewelry designs and sign my posts it speaks volumes in three simple words.

Dare to be…

Bright Blessings

Thank you to all who have visited my blog. More insanity will be forth coming. I have and enjoy my own personal brand.

Independence

Being independent means different things to different people. For me it means having little or no debt; this gives me options on how much I want to work. I enjoy my job ( Can you say the same?) and the people I work with. However, (yes here it comes) I have been in the same line of work for more than 15 years and it’s time to move on. Which is why I also attend college.

The sad truth is I am among a growing number of adult children who for economic reasons have had to move back in with parents. Even if I worked full-time it would still not be  enough. So with my parents blessing and encouragement I’ve started back to school (again.) I’m finishing my last semester at a two-year college. I’m in the process of transferring to a university for the fall term.

I also want to show my daughter that if one wants something bad enough they will find a way to accomplish it. No matter what obstacles they may have to over come. I have Migraines and get other types of headaches. I figure at this point (I’m 35) I have a headache about 60% of the time. This is a big improvement from when I was younger. I live by the motto: Where there is a will there is a way.

In some ways this seems like a step backward, but I feel the sacrifices I make now will be worth it in the end. I also feel the universe puts us right where we belong when we need to be there.  I had to take my mom into the ER last month. If hadn’t been here she could very well have had a massive heart attack. That thought makes me grateful beyond measure that I was here.

The Invitation

The Invitation, written by Oriah is a beautiful poetic work of art. This book is full of life, love, laughter and grief. Sometimes its perfectly honest to tell a confidant no I’m not ok, but I will be. The biggest evil in life is when we lie to ourselves. No one else may realize it, but we do and this knowing will drag us down like a ball and chain. I know this well I’m 3 years divorced. The day I stoped lying to myself was the day I left. It was no picnic, but it was what I needed.  In order to have a begining something must end. Then for a time we’re lost at the four corners of our life wondering which way do I go? My mistake was rushing it and picking a wrong path. It’s a good thing the people in my life are patient. Healing has no time frame, the process takes a long as it will.  In the end I’ve found my calm, my balance and the path I’m suppose to be on.

Note to self have more patience…

Balance

It’s been about 2 weeks since I’ve had time to posted anything. I’m reflecting on what I was so busy with durring that time.  I did the usual work, school and spent time with my family.  I rarely watch T.V,  so it wasn’t the idiot box that had my attention. Sometimes I just need to be…and that’s ok. No need to feel guilty that I wasn’t being productive with my time. I’m not comparing my productivity or the lack of it against anyone else’s. However, I don’t want to let the things like this blog or my jewelry blog go by the wayside either. That’s where finding balance comes in. I realized I need to keep better track of my time and prioritize. Family, school and work obviously come before hobbies, often times I can do both. While family members are doing the things they enjoy I can write something that I enjoy, then everyone is happy. I’m going to make a concerted effort to post at least once a week. I may have to write it down in my datebook as a reminder, but then I can decide if it fits into my priorities that week or not.

Bread

Yesterday, I had one of those infrequent days when I didn’t have to work or go to school. I made bread for the first time using a book, 200 Fast and Easy Artisan Breads No-Knead, One Bowl by Judith Fertig. I found this book at my local library. The recipe was very simple. Which was great for me as I’m short on time and bread making skills. For a very quick overview I made a large batch of dough then made a round loaf with lots of batter left over. I just bake what I need over 9 days. Then toss the leftover dough (like there would be any) and start over.  Great for a beginer like me simple and delicious. As I get more confident in my new skill I’m making different reciepies. I thought the easiest way would to just bake my way through the book. The results have been delicious.

It seems to me that people want bigger and better everything. Or is that just what our society has degraded into? Popular media wants to shove the newest latest and greatest whatever down our throats. Did any one see The Lorax? I did! I took flour, salt, yeast and water and made a delicious bread. More is not better its just more.