Gratitude for the closing year.

I am full of gratitude for all I have been blessed with in the past year.

My wonderful neighbors who have been a great comfort to me when I need to ask a question and receive wonderful advice.

I am full of gratitude for Bear, our old black Labrador mix dog, who passed away this Year, for his loving protection and service to our family.

We are grateful for Landon, Our German Shepherd, our new protector and guardian in training.

We are grateful for Koka, our Black Labrador-Blue Healer mix dog, we love her energy and happy smile when chasing a ball. (Please do call before you come over so we can keep Koka from kissing you and Landon from trying to play fight with you.)

I am grateful for my husband who loves me and our children whom we love dearly.

I am grateful for Dorothy (Sister Fidler) being on her mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints in Spokane, Washington.

I am grateful for the return of Joseph (Elder Fidler) from his Mission Spanish Speaking in Los Angeles, California in August and the old neighbor and friend who let him use a phone to call me to tell me I was running late......

I am very grateful to a humble young mentor who has challenged me to read more. Through that reading I pray there has been a noticeable change in my heart towards others, Especially my husband.

I am thankful for the progress in my health and the small steps that are compounding over time into big changes. Which I hope will be inspiring, because I am focusing on the good days.

I strive for everyday to be a good day, even when my body is in open revolt.

I fully hope and pray your new year is one of great personal growth.

May Heavenly Father bless and grant all of your worthy and righteous desires this coming year.

Drawing to Dream

Since the beginning of October I have been going through lessons in The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards and the companion exercise workbook. Why am I reading and actively doing these exercises?

 I am doing these to bring back my imagination. Why? because I need imagination to be able to DREAM! I have found that over time in being in the adult world I have lost my ability to dream and imagine actively. I have not read many fairy tales, since childhood. I seem to have become very serious. This may because I had to grow up fast and accept many things that in my youth that others my own age seemed oblivious to. 

I love to read and read alot. The Work and the Glory by Lund, Harry Potter Series, Twilight Series, and currently The Divergent Series. These books are whenI need a break from all of the other serious (Scriptures, Complimentary health care modalities-herbs, Essential oils, energy work, Nutrition, Fitness, people skills,  Medscape CME articles, finance, leadership, farming, gardening, sewing, and learning new skills all over in general) books, but they are dystopian society (Society is at the fork int he road and has to choose freedom or Force Shift) type books. But I hit periods Where I can read 20 books in a month but then the next I will only read 5. Why? I get overwhelmed with life and my responsibilities in life. This is why I am so deadly serious at times. That is why I may not smile a lot. I appreciate those who say you need to smile because. In all truth I am happier than I have ever been . But that message obviously has not reached my face. Our move to the country has given me back the simple pleasures in life. We do not have cable or Sateleite TV. Netflix is DVDs on demand. We have the internet, yes we can acces those silly cat videos on you tube. We listen to a lot of audio subscription material (in the background) that I have downloaded to my iPod-This is our radio. We have chosen this over the radio itself, not because we do not like music. But because we want to be in control of what the input to is to our thinking i. What does this have to do with drawing?

My thinking has has everything to do with drawing. If I can draw what I see in my minds eye; If I can draw what I dream about each night...then I can make that dream come true. My dreams have to be so real I can feel, see, taste, smell, and hear it all right down to the most minute detail.

I will add some of my initlal drawings so you can see my progress. ***

The inspiration came to re-start the drawing journey to begin vividly visualizing the future and knowing that I must continue to learn. I loved to draw as a child. I still do. I use most of my drawing as a Personal Trainer to illustrate exercises, but you know what stick figures are ok, but not as good as muscle flexing movement in pictures. I use pictures to decipher and understand concepts that are not clear. The most recent one was "3 x 3 x 3 and you are free", became vividly clear as I drew it on the white board. Yes, we have white boards, I use them to draw out many things like our gardens. This allows me to play with it-taking in watering, lighting, etc. It allows me to take abstract ideas and make picture that my mind can understand. Because I want to be able to literally draw out what I see in my mind. I want to write my story in vivid detail with pictures from the beginning of time through all Eternity. Will you 'draw' your story with me?

 

*** I will add these later....

Cheesy Veggie Pizza( Gluten-free, corn-free, potato-free) December 7, 2014

Tonight's dinner ....

This prepared freezer crust has allowed me to enjoy pizza again. It has tapioca starch, milk, eggs, canola oil ( I do not use canola oil and corn oil in my normal cooking, I use olive oil, 100% butter or other oils) cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese ** contains milk products and eggs

This crust is enough for one meal and a midnight snack.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I stick my pan in the oven to preheat too.

Take the crust on card board out of the wrapper saving the label above for cooking directions.

Take a can of Kirkland signature tomato paste and spread on crust.

Now take and dress with the amount of veggies you want. 

I used mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Take a cheese block and grate as much or as little as you like.

Now take the pizza and cardboard, slide the pizza onto the pan. 

Keep the cardboard for after it finishes cooking to cut the pizza on.

Cook 10-15 mins, until cheese is melted and crust is brown.

Remove from oven by sliding into card board with a spatula.

Place the pizza on the counter cut and enjoy!