Whole Wheat Goodness

This doughnut is whole wheat perfection. My hubster adores these doughnuts. If we didn't tell you that they were made from whole wheat, you wouldn't have figured it out.

Sharp

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 Yesterday, a kiddo wanted to share his shark tooth necklace. It was an unplanned impromptu share, but I'm always up for it if there's time. There was a smidge of time at the end of the day. At the end of his sharing, he took some questions and comments. Here's one conversation: 

O: Do you know if the shark that the tooth is from is still alive? If it is alive, do you know how they got the tooth? 
L: I think it's dead. 
O: Oh. 

Remember, these kiddos are only in first grade. I thought the questions were pretty clever. L's response is blunt but honest. My hubster was surprised that L even knew that the shark could be dead.

Beyond Measure

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure,
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,
and fabulous--
Actually, who are you not to be?


You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people
Won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone,
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
Give other people permission to do the same. 


- Marianne Williamson from The Art of Possibility

Foodlust: The Meatball Shop

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I'm not a fan of sausages or hot dogs. However, I am totally smitten when it comes to meatballs. Maybe, it's the spherical shape and the lack of casing that makes me less skeptical. Whenever we go back to NYC, I must go to The Meatball Shop.

From Nic

Same Hill, Three Seasons

This post was inspired by Paul Octavious' Same Hill, Different Day Project.

Throwback Tuesday: Honey (Bad Boy Remix) - Mariah Carey

As my friend Mark said, "Back when I was your age, Mariah Carey was queen, not Lady Gaga." Aren't my friends clever?

Snow Hunting

We went snow hunting over the weekend. It was lots of fun for my hubster. He's been a bit snow deprived. Poor guy. My hubster used to go snowboarding all the time when he lived in the bay area. Unfortunately, we haven't made time to go to the slopes because I'm not a huge fan of snow sports. I like to look at snow, walk around in the snow and make a snowman. One day, he'll get me on the slopes.  

He Loves Snow

Got the Gimmes: E.B. White

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"A Woman Who Cuts Her Hair Is About To Change Her Life."

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As part of our v-day celebration, we watched Coco Before Chanel. The landscapes and the shots are gorgeous. The vast picturesque shots remind me of Pride and Prejudice (the version with Kiera Knightly). The characters are interesting but not too complicated. I've adored Audrey Tautou ever since Amelie and He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. I've even watched A Very Long Engagement. It's always refreshing to watch a movie about a woman who is a strong willed, free thinker. More than ever, I'm jonesing for my blue striped French fisherman's shirt.

Why Do I Love: Traveling Part 2

I love traveling because in each place I find a new piece of myself. Through my travels, I'm piecing together the person I want to become, the person I know I can become.

Unoriginal

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Throwback Tuesday: Ray of Light - Madonna

Happy Anna Howard Shaw Day!

We had a very foodie Valentine's celebration this weekend. We started our day by dessert shopping. After perusing a few bakeries, we finally settled on a mocha roll and raspberry shortcake delight. Next, wandered around our favorite garden store, waiting for it to officially be lunch time. Then, we had the most delightful Greek lunch. At the end of lunch my hubster said, "I guess we have to go to Greece."

p.s.

Cool points if you know where the Anna Howard Shaw Day reference comes from. 

Ambition

"When ambition is your God, the office is your temple, employee handbook your holy book. The sacred drink, coffee, is imbibed five times a day. When you worship Ambition, there is no Sabbath, no day of rest. Every day, you rise early and kneel before the God Ambition, facing in the direction of your PC. You pray alone, always alone, even though others may be present. Ambition is a vengeful God. The God Ambition is a false God and always has been." 

- from The Geography of Bliss


This resonates a little too much at this moment. Time to reorganize a few things.

First

Dear Phoenix from Beebs on Vimeo.

This is my first travel video. I got my Kodak Zi8 last year, but I haven't really put it to good use. Then, my friend Mark shared his videos, so I thought I would give it a try.  As I get more practice in, I know that I may blush a bit when I watch this first effort. For now, it's a good start. 

This is a video of our day trip to Phoenix. I'm still used to using my Senor Snappy instead of Kodak. Most of the footage is of us driving around and about. We drove our 400 miles that weekend. 

"Our Dreams, They Feel Real When We're In Them Right?"

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We finally watched Inception at home. My hubster had been eagerly waiting to watch it. My thoughts? The plot was interesting. The graphics were engaging. I think the shortfall comes with the characters. I couldn't find myself investing any emotion in any them. Usually, we're emotionally invested in characters enough to carry us through a movie or a book. Perhaps, they just weren't my kind of characters. With that said, trying to figure out the ending is definitely worth watching the movie.

Inspired By: NeSpoon

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Out of Commission

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I finally caught one of the gnarly bugs that have been floating from classroom to classroom. Funny thing is I don't feel sick. Hardly any body aches. No fever. Why can't I just fake being okay with the kiddos? Well, I've completely lost my voice. It sounds like I've been smoking for 20 years. No work for me. No jog-a-thon assembly. No Big Buddies. No being entertained by the 100th day posters. I'm so bummed! 

You may be wondering if there is a silver lining? Documentary marathon in between numerous naps. I'm starting with Just for Kicks.

Throwback Tuesday: Fill Me In - Craig David

A to Z: Phoenix

After exploring Tucson, we made our way up to Phoenix. It's easy to forget you're in the middle of the desert when you're in Phoenix. We decided to have an early lunch at Los Reyes de la Torta. Yes, it's another Adam pit stop. The torta was more delicious than I had imagined. The steak was tender and flavorful. It had the perfect amount of veggies and avocado.

With our bellies full, we headed to the Heard Museum. It's a beautiful museum that seeks to capture the essence of modern Native American art. I've never seen modern Native American art before. It was really interesting to see the interpretations of pop art. My favorite part of the museum was the exhibit detailing the education of Native Americans. Children were torn from their families and told that their culture was worthless. All in the name of assimilation.

We got a bit more education about Native Americans when we visited the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park. In the archaeological park, we saw a mound that the Hohokam tribe used for special ceremonies. We even got to see an ancient ball park. It was a small site, very flat, few detailed structures, and totally tan. It's hard to compete since we've seen the Forum.

Before we headed home, we stopped by Old Town Scottsdale. It's a bit more kitschy than Old Town San Diego. It's something to stroll through when you're on vacation, but no need to stay more than hour.