...And Away We Go!

If you don't know, I am turning 30 on Sunday. Many people have asked me "if I am ready" or how I feel about it". The truth is, I am glad. My 20's were ridiculous (especially the 1st half!), and I am glad they are coming to an end.

I do acknowledge, however, that this is my 1st BIG birthday in the grand scheme of things. So, I wanted to do something a little bigger than I normally would. I decided, since I am on a bit of a spiritual quest as of late, that we would go to Sedona.

Sedona, if you don't know, is a small town in Arizona that has a strong reputation for natural beauty and spirituality. We are leaving this morning, after we drop the dogs off at camp. It is about a 5 hour drive. Thankfully Mark and I get along well enough to survive these things. We will drive back Sunday (my birthday).

Unlike my normal self, I have not planned out every detail of the trip. It's part of my transformation to be less strict and less controlling. I do want to get to Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village. I am not a huge crafts person, but it looks like a really cool place. Also, I have scheduled a holistic pedicure. You can read more about that here. I am, also, planning a 1 hour meditation session near one of the famed vortexes. Lastly, I am on the lookout for a kyanite pendant or ring.

Have a wonderful weekend, and thank you for all my birthday wishes!!!

Where Were You?

Here is MY 9/11 experience...

My grandparents were getting ready to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on 9/9/01. I was living in Portland, OR at the time and Kathy had called and asked if I could come home for the occasion. Of course I said yes. I was going to be a surprise.

My trip was supposed to be from the 8th to the 12th. Just a long weekend. My roommate dropped me off at the airport on the morning of the 8th. It was a typical gray drizzly Portland morning. I remember this VERY clearly because while we were getting my bags out of the trunk there was a man running (literally) around and people were sort of stopped in the area waiting to see where he was going or what he was doing. He ended up running out of sight and I found my curbside check in and got in line with my bags.

A few minutes later I got shoved forward and into the person in front of me. I was instantly pissed off and whipped around. It was that same guy that had been running around moments earlier. The guy I got shoved into told him to watch it and the guy, of Middle Eastern descent, didn't seem to understand.

When I got to the front of the line, the man checking me in asked if we were travelling together (meaning the guy behind me who had shoved me). I explained that I didn't know who he was or why he was standing so close, but that we were definitely NOT travelling together. the man checking me in then yelled at the guy to back up and give people some space. I checked in and I was on my way to the gate.

I boarded, got to my seat, and we took off for Boston. You know after the plane takes off and then goes from facing skyward to being level again? Well, at that exact moment the shover from earlier stands up a few rows in front of me and on the opposite side!!!! OMG. The guy was acting so weird prior to this, and now he's heading to the bathrooms and he's all sweaty. I swear on my soul...this is a direct quote from that exact moment..."God, if this guy is going to hijack my plane please let him do it on the way back to Portland so I can see my family one last time." And then I said Hail Marys for the next 7 hours until we landed in Boston.

I will remind you, this happened to me on the 8th! We went about the weekend and my grandparents' anniversary. Then, it happened. I was sleeping in on the morning of the 11th, and my grandmother came into my old bedroom. I was still half asleep, but I will never forget her words. "Jessica! You need to get up! We are at war!" I got up at went into the living room where she was watching TV. She was crying and had her hand over her mouth...just shaking her head in disbelief. She kept saying "Who would do this to us?" And, the day went on and got worse and worse.

Like most of us, I can't really say what I was feeling then. Anger and sadness, of course...fear, vulnerable...patriotic. But, most of all, I do remember feeling so grateful that God had answered my prayer on the plane a few days earlier. He got me home safely so I could see my family. And, there was no place else on Earth I would rather have been at those moments in history.

Mrs. K's Creamy Fruit Salad

You know those teeny tiny fruit and walnut salads at McDonald's?

I love them.

BUT, they are super tiny and a little pricey for what you actually get. And, just an FYI on that teeny tiny "snack size" fruit salad...210 calories and 8 grams of fat. YIKES!

So...I made my own. Its fresher, healthier, and organic.

Here is the recipe.

Mix:

1 cup of walnuts (candied or plain)

1 cup of grapes

1 apple, diced

1 cup of vanilla yogurt

It is so delish!!!

Grapefruits Are Greeeeat!

I recently bought a holistic healing book. I like the way it's laid out...you look up what's wrong with you and it tells you what to use.

So here are 10 things grapefruits can do for you:

1.) Grapefruits are excellent cleanser for the digestive and urinary systems as well as rich in potassium and vitamin C.

2.) A regular consumption of grapefruits will also promote healthy skin. They are frequently used in the treatment of acne.

3.) For those who would like to reduce their weight, grapefruit is good because it reduces appetite

4.) Grapefruits will balances the nervous systems, relieves flu and will help the respiratory system

5. ) Grapefruits could help in treating osteoarthritis.

6.) The juices is also an excellent source of iron.

7.) Grapefruit essential oil is very popular for massaging because of the energizing and uplifting scent.

8.) The rich pink and red colors of grapefruit are due to lycopene. Lycopene appears to have anti-tumor activity.

9.) Both blond and red grapefruit can reduce blood levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol, and red grapefruit lowers triglycerides as well.

10.) Want to reduce your risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones? Drink grapefruit juice. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that when women drank ½ to 1 liter of grapefruit, apple or orange juice daily, their urinary pH value and citric acid excretion increased, significantly dropping their risk of forming calcium oxalate stones.