Music Monday

Just Cuz

It's been a pretty darn good weekend so far.

I  enjoy running errands, grocery shopping, cleaning, and organizing. Always have. It just feels so good to get things in order. And when a trip to Trader Joe's is involved, it actually becomes exciting! I found some fun new eats including edamame hummus and spicy lentil chips.

We've also been having so much fun with our new kitty Boomer. His parkour skills have been improving quite significantly.

Apparently while the Princess and I are gone, hubby has fun with the kitty as well. I don't think Boomer enjoyed it as much though.

What's on his head? Oh, that's just my apple cozy my friend Emily got me. Oy vey.

The Princess and I have been having fun taking jumping shots, too. These are just too fun to do. My dad has a ton of "jump shots" of Trinity. I think he should email me some. *hint hint*

Below is a pic from our vacation to the Great Wolf Lodge 2 years ago. She was jumping from bed to bed.

So there's this ABC survey floatin' round on some blogs and I figured I'd join in just cuz. It's been super fun reading the ABCs on other blogs.
Age-old enough to have to do the math to remember how old I am :(
Bed-Queen sized sleigh bed in storage in another state. Currently borrowing one.
Chore you hate-putting laundry away
Dogs-one old senile border collie
Essential start to your day-caffeine
Favorite Color-purple
Gold or silver-silver or white gold, although i rarely wear jewelry besides my nose ring.
Height-short. technically 5'3"
Instrument you play(ed)-tried violin. hated it. I'm not musically inclined whatsoever.
Job title-nanny
Kids-7 yr old and 20 yr old 
Live-nomad
Mom's Name-Donna
Nickname-when I was a kid it was Mess. I wore what I ate. Still do.
Overnight hospital stays-after giving birth and staying with daughter when she had the flu
Pet Peeve-just one? Laziness.
Quote from a Movie:
I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. Righty or lefty? righty
Siblings-ONLY child.
Time you wake up-6 am. no alarm clock needed.
Underwear-no comment
Vegetable you hate-i honestly don't think i hate any....
What makes you run late? playing on the computer
XRAys? TONS of dental x rays, several ankle xrays, a couple chest xrays...
Yummy food you make-roasted veggies
Zoo-favorite animal-otters

Legacy Journals

Inspired by my Grandma Genevieve, I decided to start a daily journal for my daughter when she was about 15 months old. My grandma did this for me for only a short period of time when I was a toddler, but looking at the entries in the journal was really fun and intriguing.

Anyway-I have accumulated MANY legacy journals, since the Princess is now 7 years old. There are about 2 or 3 journals not pictured, but as I wrote in this post about 2 years ago, I have not missed a day of daily entries.

On the left is my current journal and on the right is the new one I picked up today, since I only have a few pages left in the old one.

It's so fun to look back and see the funny things she said, who came to visit, or where we went.

We've both had the past 2 days off of work and school, respectively. Yesterday's post includes our activities, goings-on, thoughts and sentiments:

February 21, 2011: we were very busy and it snowed on and off all day

1-We went to the bank

2-We went to the mall and got your hair cut. You chatted up the hairdresser about Pokemon and started listing them. (thank goodness you didn't name all 649!)

3-We went to the toy store and you got a new Pokemon toy with the money Meemaw sent you

4-We went grocery shopping

5-We came home to have lunch and went to Daddy's work to see him for a little bit

6-You lamented about how you wish Pokemon were real.

7-We saw 2 people riding a tandem bike and the man wasn't wearing a shirt and had on shorts. It was only about 38 degrees outside.  

8-Mommy worked out to an exercise video and you joined in.

*Mommy did lots of household chores,  and we watched home videos in the evening until Daddy got home.*

It can be semi-mundane stuff at times, but when you look back on certain entries it totally brings back the day in a vivid way. 

There's been a lot of kitty shenanigans as well. She left her coat on the floor and he decided to explore the sleeve.

We have off again today and hit up the library. I got The Engine 2 Diet. I've read this before, but it's been so long, and I needed a refresher and some new dinner ideas.

Trinity got some books, too. Can you guess what they're about?

 Yup. Pokemon.

 The Pokemon theme has been going strong for 4 years now. I foresee future employment involving Pokemon.

Maybe she can use my journal entries and my blog as references on her resume when she inevitably applies for a job with Nintendo. She'll have had decades worth of experience! 

 There are so many outlets now to document daily life.

Daily photos. Ever seen on youtube how a person will take a photo everyday of him/herself for several years?

Daily blogposts.

Daily videos or VLOGS.

Daily journal entries.

My Grandpa Max had about 20 cassette tapes of us singing, playing games, and having conversations at breakfast.

Do YOU do any daily documentation of your life or someone else's life aside from blogging?

Music Monday

I don't know what it is guys, but the past 4 months I have been encountering some seriously incredible music. It's like the world of interesting music has finally penetrated the airwaves and made a beeline right for my ears.

I think it started with hearing Mumford and Sons
for the first time last September, then Florence and the Machine.

The musical volcano has continued to erupt and the euphonious landmass it's producing is growing bigger and bigger.

The latest "eruption" to help form this island of musical paradise include

Broken Bells

The Black Keys

Francesca Battistelli

Ray LaMontagne 
Muse

I know, I KNOW....these artists have been making music for YEARS. I get it. I'm behind the times.
I'm actually quite picky about what music I allow to influence my soul, which is basically the reason for not stepping out of my musical comfort zone often. But now that I've found some intriguing and thought-provoking sounds, the zone has been widened.
That being said, it was REALLY hard to choose which artist to feature for today's Music Monday.
But, I ended up choosing Broken Bells

Maybe I should just head to Bonnaroo and my fix of "new" music in one shot.

Wanna come with??

100 Things Thursday

Yup, it's Thursday once again. Time for 10 things from the list of 100 that the experts say we should know how to do. I realized from the get-go that this is geared toward a "westernized" society and in no way reflects what those in remote parts of the world should know how to do. I mean, really, do you think the remote indigenous peoples of Brazil really need to know how to Buy a Diamond or Decorate a Christmas Tree?!

But, in the interest of listing all 100 things, 10 at a time, we continue on with the list.

1-Do Push Ups and Sit Ups by Kathy Smith (pretty much)

2-Brew Coffee by Cecile Hudson (cold water, right ratio of water to grounds. got it)

3-Shave by Murian Zaoui and Eric Malka (yeah)

4-Make an Educated Guess by Stanley H. Kaplan (um...i think so?)

5-Tell a Story by Ira Glass (terrible at this. i get so caught up in insignificant details and lose my train of thought)

6-Prepare for a Disaster by Marsha J. Evans (depends on the disaster. now that we're in seattle, i should learn what to do in case of an earthquake)

7-Swing a Golf Club by Jim McLean (nope. don't even care)

8-Buy a Diamond by Ronald Winston (nope. care even less)

9-House train a Puppy by Andrea Arden (no. not a dog person)

10-Decorate a Christmas Tree by Tony Burroughs (well yeah)

Ok guys. What do YOU think everyone should know how to do?

I think everyone should know how to control their tongue and keep their mouth shut when necessary :) Sometimes I think people talk too much and don't really say anything.

Music Monday

I love multi-purpose love songs. By multi-purpose, I mean the song can be attributed to a romantic companion, a child, or even God. I remember the first time I heard White Flag by Dido, my thoughts immediately focused on my daughter. Granted, it was about 2 weeks after she was born, and I was saturated in post-partem hormones that made me cry just looking at her.
A similar thing happened when I first heard "No One" by Alicia Keyes. My thoughts immediately focused on God and my relationship with Him.
Listen, can you do the same with this song?

A raw gluten free vegan cupcake?

 I recently discovered a little cafe here in Seattle that has food in it I can eat called THRIVE.  

Every.Single.Item of food in that cafe, I can consume without fear of gastrointestinal distress.

I checked out their menu online and it seemed everything was gluten free, as well as free of eggs and dairy, but it seemed too good to be true.

So when I walked in and asked the guy if everything was indeed gluten free and vegan, he assured me it was.

I may or may not have almost hugged him.

 I was a bit overwhelmed with all the options and oddly, not that hungry. So, I opted for a sweet treat, to go.

 Behold, the Chai Chocolate cupcake

What exactly is in a raw gluten free vegan cupcake?

This delectable treat is made of:

 cashews, chai tea, almonds, agave, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, coconut oil, dates, cacao powder, and almond milk.

 I offered Bruce a bite, but I think everything about it scared him. Oh well, more for me! Trust me, there is NOTHING scary about it.

Clean Comedy

Clean Comedy is the best comedy, because everyone (who "gets" it) can enjoy together and because crass comedy is just so...boring and predictable.

Seriously. I think truly funny, clean, relevant, situational comedy requires much more intelligence and is far more memorable and interesting.

Brian Regan is one of my all time fave comics. He takes real life situations and experiences and puts a comedic perspective on it.

For example, ironing boards.

Epically Frugal Meal

 Yesterday I made something so hearty, tasty, easy, and cheap that I even surprised myself.

I can't take 100 % credit for the recipe, since there are tons of variations of this kind of dish floating around the internet. 

But, check out the frugality of it! I was amazed when I realized how little this dish cost, especially considering it will be 2 to 3 meals for me. It would probably be about 5-6 for the average person, but when it comes to consuming veggies and beans....I'm anything but average :D

I bought a 10 lb bag of potatoes for $1.80.

With an average of 25 potatoes per bag, it comes to about 8 cents per potato. I used 5, so 40 cents for potatoes.

$1.50 for bag of black beans. I used 1/4of bag, so 37 cents for beans

$2 for huge bag of frozen broccoli. I used 1/8th of bag, so 25 cents for broccoli

$1.50 for jar of salsa. I used about 1 cup, so 37 cents for salsa

The avocado was $1. I used 3/4 of it, so 75 cents for avocado

When it was finished baking, I sprinkled it with nutritional yeast. It was $1.22 for 8 oz., and  I used 2 oz., so 30 cents of nutritional yeast.

Altogether $2.44 for about 2 to 3 meals. How awesome is that?
How to make this cheap delicious meal, you ask?
First, I prepped the dried black beans according to the directions on the bag.
So that part takes some pre-planning and you'll wanna get on it ASAP. Then again, you can always just use canned beans. Not as cheap, but work just as well.

The rest is easy peasy.
Into my pan went the following. You can ALWAYS customize this and use different veggies, types of beans and alter the size of the recipe)
5 cleaned and chopped potatoes
2 cups black beans
2 cups of broccoli
1 cup salsa
I baked it at 420 degrees for 45 minutes. I must admit one of my favorite parts was the baked broccoli.
Once it's done baking ready to eat, you can top it with some avocado and nutritional yeast, or even more salsa
Enjoy.

100 Things Thursday

Here we are at Thursday again. How's everyone's week going?

Hopefully it's been productive, enlightening, and note-worthy.

So, here are 10 more things the "experts" think we should know how to do.

1-Wash your hands by Julie Gerberding (yes, i do. i've worked in health care and i have a 7 year old who reminds me to sing the ABCs while i do. that's about how long you should be washing)

2-Care for your skin by Sidra Shaukrat (i could be better at this for sure)

3-Shovel Snow by Mayor Anthony Masiello (growing up in Wisconsin you learn at birth. strangely enough i've met people who DON'T know how)

4-Ask for a Raise or promotion (eh.....not really)

5-Make a martini by Dale DeGruff (nope)

6-Change your oil by Ryan Newman (i could if i had to-i think)

7-Use chopsticks by Rick Federico (sort of)

8-Hold a baby by Bill Sears (i'm a nanny and a mom. it's kind of a prerequisite)

9-Fly a flag by Whitney Smith (i know the basics)

10-Read Aloud by Corey Booker (yup)

So, what do YOU think everyone should know how to do?
This week I think everyone should know how to make someone smile

Avocado Peanut Flour spread

So I've had this super ripe avocado sittin' around that I had planned on using for some kind of dip to take the Superbowl get together we were supposed to go to.

Well, the Princess got sick, so she and I stayed home and I was therefore uninspired to do anything with this superfruit. Yes, the avocado is a fruit. OH! AND, it's avocado week. Who knew?

Yesterday I finally got an idea on how to use it with the peanut flour I picked up on Sunday.

 I decided to make pancakes and use the avocado and peanut flour as a topping.

Pancake and topping ingredients

First I mixed all the pancake ingredients together

(makes one giant pancake or several small ones)

*1/4 cup Gluten Free All Purpose flour

*2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

*1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 Tbsp cinnamon

*2 packets of Stevia

*3/4 cup almond milk

Then, I mashed the avocado in with the peanut flour, Stevia, a pinch of salt, and some water. I would have preferred to use agave instead of Stevia to improve the viscosity of the topping, but I didn't have any on hand. Next time :)

Avocado Peanut Spread

*1/4 cup peanut flour

*1/4 of an avocado

*4 packets of stevia or Agave to taste

*2 Tbsp water

It would probably turn out better if it were mixed in a food processor or blender, but I just mashed and mixed, mixed and mashed.

After all that mixing and mashing, I made the pancake and topped it with the avocado peanut flour mix. What would you call it? sauce? spread? 

I'm going with spread. 

This big ole pancake totally hit the spot. Next time I'm definitely going to use some agave nectar, but this was still good.
So, what to do with the remaining 3/4 of the avocado? It's a huge avocado, so there's quite a bit left.
There are many tasty options
1-as a topping on baked potatoes (along with black beans, salsa, and nutritional yeast)
2-a small serving of chilled avocado soup
3-pureed and used as a butter or oil replacement in a muffin recipe
4-chocolate avocado pudding
5-guacamole, of course


What would you use it for?

Frugality for a Cause. Coolest. Ever.

I initially posted this last year and was just in awe of the creativity of this project. While she honestly had more than one dress (I think she had 5), she still proves how you can do nearly infinite things with one style and accompanying accessories, and never suffer from fashion boredom or irrelevance.

This video is a perfect example of how being frugal and creative can raise money for a good cause.

NEVER AGAIN will I complain that I have nothing to wear. She, and Kristy Powell, who just started her own ONE DRESS PROTEST just may have inspired me to do something similar someday.
Although both projects are completely different in their motivation, both are incredibly intriguing and note worthy. Check out Kristy's site. She's very brave in sharing her unique and God-given motivation.

Uniform Project Picture Book from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.

Music Monday in honor of black history month

I love "soul" music....it's in my blood :)

 Otis Redding is one of my all time favorite singers. But, today King Curtis and his awesome song "Memphis Soul Stew" is featured on Music Monday.

I remember the first time I heard this as I was driving around and flipping through the radio stations. I was in awe. Entranced. I wanted more. It just moved me.

Packer Backer

It's Friday and that means it's almost time for the Superbowl!

Generally, I would not care about such an event, except this year the Green Bay Packers are playing!

I was born and raised in Wisconsin and lived there a total of 30 years. The Packers have always been a football fave no matter where I've lived. The team just has a super cool laid back vibe about them. They remind me of the humble, hard-workin',good ole boy in town that everybody knows and likes, who holds the door open for a lady, plays fair, and treats people with respect.

Everybody have their game day menu ready?

I'm keeping my menu uber simple, so I'm thinking of roasting some yellow and green bell peppers, broccoli,  brussel sprouts, asparagus, yellow squash and served with hummus and mustard.

Also, check out this savory pancake sandwich from SPA BETTIE.

 I can't do eggs or cheese, but I could DEFINITELY slather on some hummus or mustard and call it a day!

Interesting facts about the Green Bay Packer football organization:
1-The G on their logo does NOT stand for Green Bay. It stands for GREATNESS. How very appropriate.
2-They won the first Superbowl EVER.
3-The Packers are the only community-owned non-profit organization in the NFL.

An Email from my Dad

I've only been a parent for about 7 years now, but one thing I've known for a long time is that the urgency and desire to protect your child is not something that dissipates with age/time.

Don't think that the Princess won't have GPS on her phone, on her car, implanted in her backpack, in her shoes, as well as mobile watchdog on her phone. Just wait. You'll see.

Even though I'm 35 years old, my dad is compelled, and always will be, to inform, protect, and guide me.

This is the email I received from him yesterday. 

Hi Heather

I think this is something you and your blog friends should read.

I love you

   DAD

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :

The elbow is the strongest point

on your body.

If you are close enough to use it, do! 
2.. Learned this from a tourist guide.

If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,

DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.

Toss it away from you....

Chances are that he is more interested

in your wallet and/or purse than you,

and he will go for the wallet/purse.

RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,

kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole

and start waving like crazy..

The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.

This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars

after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit

(doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.

DON'T DO THIS!)

The predator will be watching you, and this

is the perfect opportunity for him to get in

on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,

and tell you where to go.

AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR ,

LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.. 
If someone is in the car

with a gun to your head

DO NOT DRIVE OFF,

Repeat:

DO NOT DRIVE OFF!

Instead gun the engine and

speed into anything, wrecking the car.

Your Air Bag will save you.

If the person is in the back seat

they will get the worst of it.

As soon as the car crashes

bail out and run.

It is better than having them find your body

in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting

into your car in a parking lot,

or parking garage:

A.) Be aware:

look around you,

look into your car,

at the passenger side floor ,

and in the back seat.

B.) If you are parked next to a big van,

enter your car from the passenger door.

Most serial killers attack their victims

by pulling them into their vans while the women

are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car

parked on the driver's side of your vehicle,

and the passenger side.. If a male is sitting alone

in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back

into the mall, or work, and get a

guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator

instead of the stairs.

Stairwells are horrible places to be alone

and the perfect crime spot.

This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun

and you are not under his control,

ALWAYS RUN!

The predator will only hit you (a running target)

4 in 100 times; and even then,

it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.

RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying

to be sympathetic:

STOP

It may get you raped, or killed.

Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking,

well educated man, who ALWAYS played

on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.

He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often

asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle,

which is when he abducted 
his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point:

Someone just told me that her friend heard

a crying baby on her porch the night before last,

and she called the police because it was late

and she thought it was weird.. The police told her

'Whatever you do, DO NOT

open the door..'

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby

had crawled near a window, and she was worried

that it would crawl to the street and get run over.

The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,

whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'

He told her that they think a serial killer

has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax

women out of their homes thinking that someone

dropped off a baby.. He said they have not verified it,

but have had several calls by women saying that

they hear baby's cries outside their doors

when they're home alone at night.

10. Water scam!

If you wake up in the middle
of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a
burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your
outside taps full blast so that you will go out to investigate and
then attack.
Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors!

Please pass this on

This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because

the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on

America 's Most Wanted when they profiled

the serial killer in  Louisiana  
I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know.

It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle..

100 Things Thursday

Continuing with my new found tradition of 100 Things Thursday, I will list 10 more things from the book

"The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do."

1-Sleep (duh. of course I know how. This expert's advice is actually relevant in knowing how to sleep sounder and longer)

2-Jog (I know how. I hate it. not a fan. at all.)

3-Drive a Stick Shift (yup. thanks to my friend Tara and my dad)

4-Manage your Time (I'm pretty good at this. Could be better. But, not bad)

5-Remember names (I'm actually very good at this. Recognizing people is another story!)

6-Balance Your Checkbook (yup. my dad had me doing this for him when I was about 13)

7-Understand Your Pet ( I guess. Either they're hungry, in pain, want to play, pee, or poop. kind of like babies)

8-Wash A Car (for the most part)

9-Change a diaper (I have a child and I'm a nanny. I know how to change a diaper)

10-Learn a Foreign Language ( I know minimal Spanish and would like to learn Japanese)

Alright friends. 1-What can you do? 2-What do you think everyone should know how to do?

I think everyone should know how to forgive. Knowing how much God has forgiven me has been a huge catalyst and motivator in forgiving others.

Can't go back

There are experiences in life that change you forever. You didn't expect them, they just happened, and now you're "ruined." You can never go back to they way things were.

For example:

Salt. Yes, salt. Once you've experienced the full-bodied honest to goodness flavor of SEA SALT, regular ole iodized table is like a chemical laden taste explosion of nastiness.

Then there is the tomato. A perfectly ripe, juicy, homegrown with love and care tomato will always beat out a store-bought, mealy, tough, and tasteless tomato. 

Next is peanut butter. Yeah, if you think "peanut butter is peanut butter"  you are SERIOUSLY mistaken my friend. I've found that most "peanut butters" now have labels that deem them "peanut spread" and are not actual peanut butters at all. They are but a sad conglomeration of peanuts, sugar, oils, molasses, and diglycerides.

No thanks. I'll take my peanut butter straight up, thank you. Peanuts and salt.The taste is so pure and real. Smucker's all natural is forever a favorite.

Coffee. Oh, I survived on gas station coffee for years while "on the go" thinking it was pretty good. I was wrong in thinking "coffee is coffee" and people only drink the expensive stuff for status and prestige.

Nope. You get what you pay for guys!

After experiencing the world-wide phenomenon known as Starbucks, I'm completely ruined. I recently had a coffee from 711 and could barely drink it. Even with sugar and those little dairy free creamers it tasted like what the cat's litter box smells like after he goes pee pee. No joke.
My friend Bobbie half-jokes that Starbucks must put crack in their coffee. It's hard to be frugal when you've experienced Starbucks crack coffee.

Next we have YOGURE. Yes, I'm lactose intolerant, BUT, since yogurt has bacteria in it that eats lactose and casein, I'm good to go. I try to limit my yogurt intake because the good stuff is pricey and I try not to do too much dairy.
Plain non-flavored yogurt is not bad, but it's not great. You can "dress it up" pretty well and you don't really notice its mediocrity.

Then, you experience FAGE, or another high quality Greek yogurt and it's all over. Thick tasty pure yogurt. That's it. No flavors or cornstarch or other weird crap in it. Just yogurt. Now, regular yogurt tastes like watered-down, tasteless, thicker skim milk. Doesn't cut it my friends.

Something non-food related that is VERY relevant right now that I could never go back to.

EXTREME TEMPS AND PRECIPITATION.

After college the main reason I left Wisconsin was because of the extreme temperatures. The winter before I left it was NEGATIVE 30 with windchill. The day I left in July it was 100 degrees.
Right now my Wisconsin family and friends are experiencing record-breaking blizzard conditions.
This is a picture of my friend's husband. They own a towing and repair service in Wisconsin and have been swamped with calls!

 He has been out rescuing people from the frigid cold and snow. Look at that. Seriously people. If it's this nasty out, STAY HOME!!

Something else I could never return to: WEARING MAKEUP

It's been about 2 years since I quit wearing it on a daily basis and right now I can't even remember the last time I wore it. I don't even own any.
It was such a pain. Why? Let me count the ways:

1-Eyeliner and mascara flaking off and getting in my eyes.

2-Trying to find the right shade of foundation.

3-Eyeshadow clumping up in the crease of my eyelids.

4-Blush making me look like a clown.

5-Lipstick ending up on my teeth and only lasting about 15 minutes anyway.

6-Being afraid to touch my face in case I smear something.

See?! I am NOT meant to wear makeup! Waste of time, energy, and money for me.

Also, I could never go back to NOT wearing sunglasses. I think Nicole Ritchie would agree :) If there is even a hint of sun shining, my eyes scream for shade. It's like they've become addicted to the darkening effect of the sunglasses.

Lastly, I could never ever ever go back to living without a complete trust and faith in God through Christ. He has become my meaning, my reason for being, the forgiver of my sins, the lover of my soul, and the ONLY one who can make me right with God.
When I have cares, worries, issues, and problems-HE'S the first person I turn to and He's never let me down yet. When I'm happy, excited, experience any good thing, He's the first person I thank.

Ok friends-what have you experienced that has forever changed you? What can you never go back to doing, eating, wearing, using, etc.?