God can save all... Korn band member redeems his life.

http://www.cbn.com/media/index.aspx?s=/vod/SW92_Uncut

Rose Lane at BG Norfolk.

botanical gardens..

My perspective.

I took this photo downtown, to me the perspective of the line in and out is blurred...very industrial.

City of Norfolk.

Welcome to waterside..... sideways. :P

Our Litter.

It seems that almost 80 percent of what I use on a weekly basis can be recycled. Almost everything we buy is boxed, canned, bagged. I think that our litter issue in American and around the world is absurd. I hope that we can wake up and clean up for our very own children and their children's future. Litter is litter..... and I believe that it is now the time to realize we can undo what we have done.

Nature meets man.

What nature was and what is sadly becomes....

(single leaf on side of concrete road).

Christle

marriage

To the one that I love and the one I adore. Today I celebrate the love that I have been given, and will honor each day that passes to be as if it were the last.

grapes

Seems that life is like this branch. Sometimes we do not know if we are coming or going, but one thing stands true.... we are becoming.

Macro, macro-my passion-o

Some of my friends, especially "E" have been asking me to post some of my photos. Anyone who knows me and knows me well they know that photos are my one passion. I have had the honor of having a SLR and today I own a really super nice Casio, I am in love with photos. I have another 4 gig of photos that I have yet to even upload! I pray that I will always find time to do my photography.

Lisa, this will give you a taste of what I like to shoot. I am all macro and abstract. If I shoot people, I tend to want to tell a story of their actions. I find that in your photos as well, you want to tell a story with your photos. Maybe one day we can both run a small photography site :)

Thank you to Aries for always supporting my passions. Thank you to Aries for breaking his credit card to buy me my first SLR :) I love you Aries.

The ropes of life are tough, but hold on!

Waterfront in downtown Norfolk is art in the making. I find myself snapping shots of the most unlikely art, but to me real art is the photo that you have to say, "wow, that is a nice photo of such a simple object." I could say, had I not married and had a son, I would be over in Kenya or Iraq photographing real art, the art of life and loss.

Dobo at 3 months and one week.

Look he has a new sweater. I got it off of Ebay!

He is doing great, and is fully house trained! That is right, he is trained, and we work full time! He uses paper when we are away...what a great pup!

Korean Yum

Aries and I got a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of our daily lives when I was on vacation. That was around 3 weeks ago. So anyhow, we drove to eat Korean. Now this day we had Bagolgi but this meat was more of a stew than a grilled. At any rate it was a super nice time to spend some alone time with my hubby. As you can see from the picture (take with my iPhone), it was a bit of pigging out :P

Day one at new job.

Ok so first day jitters is all done with now. Today I embarked on a new job and really do feel I have made the best decision to join this company. I enjoyed my first day and look forward to many many more. I wanted to post quickly before prepping for bed so my family could know that I am doing well and adjusting. I am thankful to all of you for your continued support. I will be sure to post desk pics soon, as I plan to take my office items in the morning to my new job... yeah!

Goodbye to D*&%^io* (my old job)

Today blog readers my life has a new page added. I am all packed and ready to move on to my next job. It has been a nice five years at my current job, but I look forward to see God's great plan for my life and my family's life. I personally want to say I love you to all those that I have worked with in the past five years, you are like my second family and I will miss you dearly. I will keep names silent, but you know who you are.

Final Farewell....

My new favorite song....

My prayers are with the families of Cali.

Today as I watch the news, knowing very little about Cali and its landmark locations, I pray that my family is out of harm's way. I hear that the fires are in So Cal. I pray that all that the fire touches is able to be safe. I know that fires can be destroyed by rain, so I pray that buckets of rain fall to keep the fires at bay.

For all those that battle the fires everyday, you hold a special place in my heart. So Cal can sleep at night a bit easier knowing that someone else is out there fighting the massive blazes. I pray that NO one takes that for granted, even for a second.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7491835.stm

Brominated Vegetable Oil- Better known as Powerade?

Ok so I know that most of you probably think I am a health food nut, and to part I am...but I started discovering a few things that we have in our house and had to research what the crap was in them. First off for my list is Powerade, by Coke. Um, ok one ingredient that sticks out is Brominated Vegetable Oil. At first glance it is a binder, something that makes the drink have the consistency of water, however after further looking I found this on http://en.wikipedia.org/.

Long after consumption of BVO in test animals, traces remain in the body fat.[citation needed] Bromine is a halogen and displaces iodine, which may depress thyroid function. Evidence for this has been extrapolated from pre-1975 cases where bromine-containing sedatives resulted in emergency room visits[1] and incorrect diagnoses of psychosis and brain damage due to side effects such as depression, memory loss, hallucinations, violent tendencies, seizures, cerebral atrophy, acute irritability, tremors, ataxia, confusion, loss of peripheral vision, slurred speech, stupor, tendon reflex changes, photophobia due to enlarged pupils, and extensor plantar responses.[2] In one case, a man who drank eight liters of Ruby Red Squirt daily had a reaction that caused his skin color to turn red and produced lesions diagnosed as bromoderma. The excessive quantities together with the fact that the man had a higher than normal sensitivity to bromine, made this an unusual case.[3] A similar case reported that a man who consumed two to four liters of a cola containing BVO on a daily basis experienced memory loss, tremors, fatigue, loss of muscle coordination, headache, ptosis of the right eyelid as well as elevated serum chloride.[4] In the two months it took to correctly diagnose the problem the patient also lost the ability to walk. Luckily bromism was finally diagnosed and hemodialysis was prescribed which resulted in a reversal of the disorder.[1] A Pepsi product website notes that BVO has been used by the soft drink industry since 1931.[5]
In test animals, BVO consumption has caused damage to the heart and kidneys in addition to increasing fat deposits in these organs. In extreme cases BVO has caused testicular damage, stunted growth and produced lethargy and fatigue.[6]

Source--(2008, Obtained July 8th from http://en.wikipedia.org/).

This explains the rumor in highschool that Moutain Dew can affect your sperm count :P

C

Gas continues to creep but I continue to reap the rewards.

I am posting this picture in hopes of one day getting "A" a hybrid! Its insane that gas is up to 4.00 a gallon! Never in a million years would I have thought it would cost me like 38 bucks to fill a small Honda tank! But this morning it cost me 38.60 to fill my tank up and it was not on slot empty when I stopped by the gas station, (close tho).

Check it out guys, 53.1 MPG!!!!!

Si-A-NaR-Rah To Cannon s5

Ok so this camera has been a joy, but it was offically stolen by my hubby. I have since then invested in my NEW CASIO Z. I adore this Casio, it has all the right scene modes and I can trample after Graeson at the park without packing a full SLR. I will post pictures of the camera later.

Adobo Snuggly.

How cute right???

Eating my bran.

Ok so I tried a all bran english muffin and it was not half bad. DO not get me wrong, I like bran, but sometimes it can be as dry as a sahara. The muffin was organic and I added some vegetable oil butter. Nice touch!

Adobo and his new bone!

Ok so since I work and my pup has to remain home all day alone :( I decided he needed something to chew and play with. I got him some bones, look he loves them!! So far life with him in the house just seems complete. He is adapting really well, and he LOVES to please. Grae and him get along so well also. He is just a cutie. He has been using his paper all day when I am at work, so he is zero stress.

Leave it to Japan!!!!- Water Car.

Ok, It has been a few days since my last post. I am still in the process of getting better. I read an article today on the launch of a first mass produced car from Japan that runs strictly on water! I had to post this. Now this car looks tiny, but the concept I hope can be heard around the world with all other automakers. I sure hope that we can get our hands on the Clarity by Honda on the East Coast come 2009. We will see. I am posting the video for the interested parties.

My Plan-The Shelf.

France has it all in the bag.
I am amazed that the US does not see this as the perfect green. I am going to make my first project a wall shelf/headboard for my son's bed. I will be sure to document the process, I am not good with strategics, or reading blue prints, so Aries can help me on that part. Design wise I have it all in my head.

More pics to come... Lisa and Hazel!

I will try to make some furniture from what? Cardboard?

Yep it has been on my mind for three months now, how to build a sectional from cardboard, wood, material, and some huge pillows. I think I will dive into the research and see what I can find. I found this video on youtube that I enjoyed.

My strife, my calling.

Ever heard that saying, "I am going to pay my 'haters' bills today? Well I try to live by that saying. There are a lot of haters that will prevent you from becoming what your true calling is. They may tell you that you are not good enough, or maybe that you are not smart enough. Reality is that we all have talents. Sometimes we have to fall flat to find them, but trust me, they are there. I have found in my life that I have worked tons of dead end jobs and was not sure what I was meant to do with my life. I have questioned my purpose a million times. I have come to learn that questioning gives arise to future ideas and that can then arise to future moves. So with today passing as I sit at the job that I constantly question, I will just think positive thoughts and pay my haters bill today.

Hazel, should you read this, you are strong and so forth with what you strive to be, a lawyer. Test and test until your hand falls off. Lisa, pray hard to find what you want to do once you have both of your girls settled, you are still young and have tons of time to take out with them and take the time to think things through. Aries, do not worry about cruises and times away, we will love you even more once you return. Do not worry that you have to deal with low morale and inequality standards, as you are there to pass time. Once you retire you can do anything your heart desires. And for myself, I am going to keep pushing. I am going to apply for Grad school and I will succeed. I will no longer be in the IT industry where I feel overwhelmed and under appreciated. Today marks a change for all of us.

Love,
C

Day 3 of sickness....going good!

Ok so I was sick, not just a cold. I got the opportunity to go to the Dr. office yesterday after work and he gave me some antibiotics. I am feeling much better today, and hope by Friday I will be back to new. I will be sure to post some new pictures this weekend. I think I am going to have Grae potty trained soon. I can just feel it. I tried a new trick my nanny told me, she told me "turn him around backwards." She is now proactive in helping me accomplish the training. I plan to post the pictures of my preschool search and will have my family vote LOL.

We sent our F-Day cards off yesterday--
Uncle Andy, Dominic, Jessie :)

Could this be my cause of the icklings???

Today while driving home, I was astonished to see an interstate sign off of highway 264 East that read that all drivers must make alternate driving decisions due to high level code orange ozone warning! I felt proud that I was driving a hybrid, but what about changing the laws that only low ozone emissions vehicles are allowed on highways? Why not do something a bit more than posting a sign only when the level escalates? Just does not make much sense to me. If you drive to work, and it is fine, then the temp peaks at like 102 and it is no longer ok, why in the world would someone just not drive home? It defeats the sole purpose, if you ask me. I sure hope the election in 2008 brings some serious talk about going Green!

The Icklings....

Well today is Sunday, June 8th and today I have pretty much been derailed from life. I am sinus sick and just feeling horrible. My husband Aries has taken such good care of me. I am so thankful that he has this Sunday off. He took care of Graeson all day and I got to get some much needed rest. He brought me empanada and strawberry jello Yum... I wanted to snap a pic of the food but could not really function LOL.

I decided that I needed man's intervention so I took some MucinexD sinus/congestion meds and hope that it will clear my head up and my ears up. It came from no where, I felt a bit of a sinus pressure yesterday at the BBQ but just thought it was the heat. I will mark today as the first offical day of treatment and if a no go with the OTC meds I will go and set up a Dr. Appointment. After all I have free insurance through the Navy, why not use it??

Here is to the next 24 hours of treatment.

My quest for a new vitamin.

Ok, so the other day I was in Target picking up a few things with my husband and son. I remembered that I needed to get Grae some vitamins. As a toddler he does not eat anywhere near what he should eat as far as full nutrition. If you consider his diet, he needs a miracle vitamin. So anyways, as I round the corner to the vitamin isle I am stopped in my tracks! How in the world can one store carry so many vitamins? Thank the Lord I was there for his vitamins and not on a quest for a vitamin for myself, because I would have fainted of pure exhaustion from the search. There are over 200 vitamins that our body requires on a monthly basis. I know as well as most, I do not get all the vitamins I need. Being that I was providing my son with his simple (chewy vitamins with iron), I decided that I may need to find me a vitamin as well so I tried these chewy creatures that I give my son, and I have to say... they are not half bad. 

I do wonder though, why give us so much vitamin C if we intend to just pee it all out? And why do they never give us Vitamin D, if these are for kiddos why not give them what they may be missing and not all the other stuff that even I cannot pronounce? You will have to search high and low to find a kiddy vitamin with Iron or Vitamin D, which according to my pedi, are CRUCIAL to toddlers. 

GNC here I come...???

Is it concentrate or not people???

As a mom I have to guess on everything I place into my son's diet, why is that? When something on a box or container says 100 percent, why do we find in small print somewhere "from concentrate?" I just do not get it. Is it a 100 % or not people? Why not just say, this is not 100 % juice it does contain a concentrate. Well we all know that answer right? It is basically advertising. We are prone to strong numbers such as 100% because it sounds almost bullet proof. I think it is quite amusing how we are forced to believe that we are getting 100% and even though it is 1/2 concentrate, in the end we see the big 100, just blows my mind. 

The Miracles of Boiling Water.

I would like to take a moment and thank the man, woman, master mind that invented pasta. I have to say that pasta is my all time favorite American food. I like it all ways. Tonight was a relaxing meal night at I prepped simplicity in a pan. I know that everyone that

enjoys a good pasta enjoys this route. Taking something so simple and so dry only to have the ability to make something so wonderful and tasty. I always deck mine out my favorite seasoning (Ms. Dash Garlic and Ms. Dash Italian Seasoning). Yum..Yum.

My Simple Taco Salad.

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Yum Garlic Fried Hotdogs with Cherry Tomato and White Rice-Steal a girls heart why don't you?

Need I say more??? Who would not eat this up? My favorite tomato would be the small cherry ones (the ones that squish right into the sides of my cheeks) OR the vine grown ones which are perfect for stews and soups. The smaller ones have a sweater taste that goes very nice with the rice and fried hot dog. I like to buy Ms. Dash (Garlic and Herb) seasoning and sprinkle just a touch as I fry them in my Green Pan. Yep green pan, non toxic and environmentally safe! Makes the food just taste different too! 

Day One- June 4, 2008

Some call it poor man's food, I call it the PI diet. 

Foto number 1-

In my house, we have a 4-cup rice cooker that is cooking all day, every day. It is kind of funny because I am white but have not really grown up eating American food. When I was around eight, I remember I was over visiting a friend that was Thai. That sleep over changed my entire diet. I found that American food was not all it was cracked up to be after all. Being I was raised in the hollar (short for sticks, the county, boon docks), I only knew fried southern food up until I was eight. After that it was noodles, rice, pork, spring rolls, and more. Long and behold I do not marry American either, LOL, so my taste in food has been and always will be NON American. That is not to say that I do not eat or cook American, just it is not the top of my food chain choice.