Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video

Time to vote!!!

My Daughter - The Poet

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Back in November my 9 year old daughter's class was visited by California Poets in the Schools . She, along with the rest of her 4th grade class, wrote many poems and had a great experience. These poet teachers visit schools all over California grades K-8. Cut to now. Today we received word that one of her poems was chosen to be considered for submission into the statewide anthology for this year. I was very surprised to hear of this but even more surprised by the poem she wrote.

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Moods - By: Faith Couchot

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Deer go over a lake.

They move so gently

when they jump.

They look like ballerinas

dancing over the lake

in the night.
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Moon rose over a pond

It looks so beautiful

looking at the pond.

While crickets are singing

in the night.

While the moon rose over the pond.

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Looking out on the ocean

it is so pretty

while the water moves

so gently

and not a sound is there

except the water moving.

Everything is so

silent.

I can't hear a thing.

Until a bird comes

and lifts me up into the air.

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(For use by permission of Faith Couchot only.)

Parisian-like Sanctuary

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Just thought I'd share. Domino Magazine's decorating contest winner.

Catherine from Mill Valley, CA!
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As a single mother she waited 17 years to convert two small bedrooms into a large master bedroom. She did all the demo and hired handymen to install the closets, doorways and white floor. Then painted, stenciled, embossed, and/or glazed every inch of wall space and built the gas fireplace surround herself. She reinvented a 1960s Hollywood vanity, nightstands, small chandeliers and French chair with paint, decoupage and silver leaf and made and painted silk organza curtains. Her goal was to create a Parisian-like sanctuary to enjoy after a long working day.
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When can I move in??!!
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Where are you going?

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. "Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to go?" was his response. "I don't know," Alice answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."
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- Lewis Carroll
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I could talk philosophy and literature all day and my husband could talk history and politics. Kind of a strange mix at times but 20 years ago we both chose to take the same road together. I wasn't one of those girls who was thrilled at the idea of marriage and was not the easiest person to figure out but my husband bravely stepped up and took me on. I loved the idea of children and home but dreaded the idea of compromise and the intertwining of two families and daily lives. I was wrong. Being married and "intertwined" has made me a much better person. I did have to compromise and I'm all the wiser for it. While it hasn't always been easy - I am truly blessed by those hard times and have been humbled by the power of what is most important in this world. _
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Happy Anniversary Mark!! XOXO

Desk Supplies

I love these desk supplies from See Jane Work! I dream of my own private writing desk with fresh flowers waiting for me each day. My desk/computer is in the kitchen, facing two windows (my command post) next to the cat bowls, jammed in amongst files and bills and Girl Scout things I need to attend to (heavy sigh). This is where I do all my writing among the hustle and bustle of things swirling around and the distant sound of the clothes dryer buzzer calling me to come fold the clothes. One of my resolutions this year to is re-organize my desk and make it more efficient with a bit more style.

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7 Things

(Artwork by the talented Jen Corace)

I was tagged by another blogger and so here are "7 Things About Me". If you are reading this consider yourself tagged as well.

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7 Things About Me

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1. I love room service!!! It's one of the first things I start thinking about the minute I check in to a hotel. It's like having your own personal chef - which I've always dreamed of.

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2. I can fly a plane - well sort of - even though I've had no formal lessons I know the basics. I learned from a family friend.

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3. I was in the Army Reserves for 3 years and can shoot various weapons - drive a deuce in a half - and throw a grenade with a pretty good measure of skill.

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4. I love being a stay at home mom and have never for one minute felt belittled by it or less of a contributor in our families lives.

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5. When I was 12 years old I caught a baby rattle snake and put it in a mayonnaise jar - much to parents horror.

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6. My childhood nickname is "Beanie". There are a few variations - my mom calls me Sabeanie, my two nieces call me Auntie Beanie and my dad sometimes just calls me Bean.

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7. Gestures of kindness mean the world to me!!

Breakfast Cookies

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My daughter and I whipped these up Wednesday evening - in no time flat - for breakfast the next morning. I found the recipe on the show Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger on the Food Network . The next morning my kids were thrilled to get cookies for breakfast - wink, wink. They did not know they were eating so many good ingredients all rolled into one tasty treat._
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Healthy Breakfast Cookies
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3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped
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Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
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Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute.
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Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds.
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Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds.
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Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough.
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Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
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Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter (an ice cream scoop full), form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick.
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Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Calories 190
Total fat 9g
Saturated fat 2g
Monounsaturated fat 3.5g
Polyunsaturated fat 3g
Protein 3g
Carbohydrates 23g
Fiber 2g
Cholesterol 25mg
Sodium 120mg

Mikhail Baryshnikov & Alice Waters

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"It explores the intersection where two great talents meet and where creativity comes alive."
____Robert Redford ~
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The Sundance Channel has this wonderful show called Iconoclasts .
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Even though this show has apparently been around for three seasons - I just found it. The episode I watched was the pairing of Mikhail Baryshnikov - be still my heart -and Alice Waters - author of The Art of Simple Cooking and owner of Chez Panisse. I have always admired Alice Waters. She is credited with single-handedly creating a culinary revolution in the U.S. with her fresh and sustainable style of cooking. And what women hasn't enjoyed the many talents of Mikhail Baryshinikov. The Soviet-born Russian American dancer, choreographer, and actor. He was even under the tutelage of the legendary George Balanchine for a time. Two completely different artists merging in conversation creating an opportunity for a unique and interesting dialogue. I am looking forward to more of these shows!
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* Note - if you don't have the Sundance Channel you can buy entire seasons via iTunes for $9.99 or single episodes for $1.99.
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Click on links below to see segments of the Alice-Mikhail episode .
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Video #1 _

Video #2 _

Video # 3
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Video # 4

My Favorite Yoga Pose

Each morning I have a small yoga routine (just a few poses) I do right after I wake up. Nothing too involved it's just a great way to start the day and stretch a bit. This is my favorite pose is Viparita Karani. Afterwards, I do a small silent meditation. It makes me feel awake, centered and ready for the day.
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Restorative Yoga focuses on relaxing the body in restful postures. Note that 'rest' is different than sleep. Rest provides the body an opportunity to renew and heal. Countless studies have proven the physical and emotional benefits of this.
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(Photo courtesy of Ann Pizer)
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Legs Up the Wall - Viparita Karani
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Benefits: This is a restorative pose and achieves many of the benefits of inversions in a supported, gentle pose.
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Instructions: _
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1. Come to sit next to a wall with the side of your body on the wall and your knees bent into the chest.
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2. Bring the lower back onto the floor while bringing the legs up the wall. Keep the upper body supported with the elbows on the floor.
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3. Slowly release the elbows and lower the whole back down to the floor.
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4. Stay here several minutes if you are comfortable.
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5. To come out, bring the knees into your chest and roll to your side.
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You may wish to support the low back with a bolster or several folded blankets placed right at the wall and parallel to the wall. This also increases the angle of inversion.

Top Five Omega - 3 Rich Foods

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I have been trying to studying up on Omega - 3 foods and it's benefits in my quest to eat healthier and help my family eat better. I just bought a book by Susan Allport called "The Queen of Fats" -Why Omega-3s Were Removed from the Western Diet and What We Can Do to Replace Them.

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Below is an excerpt from an article I recently read online. I found this information particularly helpful as a quick reference.

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What are Omega-3 Fats?

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Omega-3 fats are polyunsaturated fats that have been shown to provide enormous health benefits including protection against heart disease, anti-inflammatory properties and attention and behavioural improvements in children. Unfortunately, most North Americans are chronically deficient in these “good” fats. While the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is approximately 1:1, most of us have an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 20:1 or 30:1. Omega-3 fats are called essential fats because they cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from the diet.

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The top five food sources rich in omega-3 fats include:

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Cold-Water Fish – Cold-water fish sources such as salmon and tuna are a wonderful source of omega-3, protein, selenium and vitamin D. In order to reap the omega-3 benefits from eating cold-water fish and to keep toxicity levels low, choose lower mercury canned tuna instead of higher mercury white tuna and purchase Wild Atlantic salmon instead of farmed salmon. Other “safer” fish also include pollock, halibut, tilapia and shrimp. Eat a maximum of 12 ounces of fish sources per week (two meals). Stay away from shark, swordfish, ling mackerel or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.

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Ground Flaxseeds or Flaxseed Oil - Ground flaxseeds stay fresh and safe to eat for 90 days. Flaxseed oil can be used in salad dressings and stays fresh in the fridge for three months.

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Omega-3 Eggs - Omega-3 eggs are similar in look, taste, storage qualities and cooking versatility as normal eggs. The only difference between omega-3 eggs and normal eggs is that omega-3 eggs are produced by chickens that have been fed with alfalfa, corn, soybean and flaxseeds. As mentioned above, flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fats which has been shown to be beneficial to human health. In fact, an average-sized omega-3 egg contains approximately 320 mg of omega-3 while a regular egg contains approximately 63 mg of omega-3.

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Nuts – Almonds, walnuts, cashews and pecans are wonderful crunchy additions to salads, yogurts, stir-fry or are delicious and nutritious on their own. Walnuts are especially high in precious omega-3 fats. In fact, ¼ cup of walnuts contains 2.3 grams of omega-3 fats, approximately 91% of the daily value needed for omega-3 essential fats. Walnuts are also a rich source of monounsaturated fat, an important fat necessary in improving cardiovascular health.

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Fish Oils – Although not technically a food, fish oil is one of the best ways to ensure you are getting a sufficient amount of omega-3 into your daily diet. Fish oils are especially beneficial as supplements considering dietary restrictions and recommendations of 12 ounces of fish per week. Even by including all the above omega-3 rich foods into the diet, it is still difficult to reach the necessary two to three grams of omega-3 daily requirements. When purchasing fish oils, make sure they are distilled and enteric-coated for maximum absorption and low-level toxicity.

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(This article was written by - Dr. Joey Shulman)