Today is a special day – only happens once every four years. For me, it helps me to put February to bed and get ready for an amazing March. This last week has been good for me. I have seen someone come back from the brinks of death, to the compassion of strangers, to having some amazing friends in my life that show me everyday how awesome the human spirit can be. I am a firm believer that we each have our own path to walk in life and that we are given obstacles and fears to overcome to test our strength and spirit. There are times when I know most of us question the reason behind things, at least I know I do. There was a reason I dealt with all I did in February, and there is a reason why I can now leave it behind and open up my arms and heart to the rest of this crazy awesome year. Because as you know, 2012 – this is my year!
Since I wasn’t able to run in a 5K last month, I am going to run in 3 this month to make up for it. The first one is this Saturday and is for Ryan House, which is a palliative and respite care facility staffed by medical professionals. Families with terminally ill children are invited to book a weekend there together to get away from their daily grind to a place which has the capacity to give great medical care if needed, or even just reserve a day for their medically fragile child to spend in a festive, caring environment while his or her caregivers take a few precious hours to themselves. My friends Cass & Chris Byrd with Byrds For a Cure, have awesome great twins with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), the same as Ryan from Ryan’s House. There are just two palliative care facilities like this in the US, and Phoenix is lucky to house one of them adjacent to St. Joe’s. I don’t ask for donations often, but today I am. Donate to our team as we run for those that can’t run for themselves! Donate here.
I haven’t ran since The Color Run, so this should prove interesting!! I am excited though to get back into my exercise routine again. I have made great strides in eating again and even have made some amazing dishes lately. Check out my Gluten-Free Lasagna, which was seriously the best lasagna I have ever eaten. Oh, and it’s soy-free too!
My friend Reagan, aka Captain America, was in a coma for 7 days and battled to live. He has a broken back, bullet holes, and other physical ailments, but I know the prayers and healing thoughts that my friends and readers sent him meant a lot to him. I just want to say Thank You for taking time out of your busy life to think about someone you probably don’t know and might never meet. I received many emails, phone calls, and people asking me everyday how he was doing, and for that, I will always be grateful. I am also indebted to those of you who checked in on my this last month. It’s not easy admitting when you need help and when you are not at your best, but my friends and online community really showed me that I was not alone, and that I was deeply cared for.
To not wake up by an alarm. I want to wake up in peace.
My intention for last week was Get Back Into A Routine. I actually was able to do this for the most part. I wasn’t able to get fitness back in there, but I am optimistic that this week I will. One step at a time. I have been working hard on client projects and getting back on track for the goals I have for my life and my business for 2012. I’m excited to March to start and to hit the ground running again. My business coach @CoachLynda is keeping me on track and not allowing me to fail – thank you for that.
My intention for this week is Run Like The Wind. It’s time to get fitness back, and running is part of my 2012 goal. I’m excited for this weekend’s 5K as it will be kind of like starting over. I have a triathlete friend now in town @RedHeadRNTris and am looking forward to her finishing the 5K and doubling back to get me! I am the type that is motivated hearing what my friends are doing, and there is no way I can hear someone working out daily without feeling a tad competitive. Time to run, hike, and get back into yoga – I’m ready!
Bring 2 quarts water to boil. Add rice pasta and 1 Tbsp sea salt to the boiling water. Keep heat on for 2 minutes. Turn off heat, keep lid on and allow pasta to cook in the water for 20 minutes.
Cheese Mixture
Add fresh chopped basil (I used Genovese and Purple Basil), parsley, and half of the oregano to a mixing bowl. Add in all the cheeses – cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar, Chevre, and the sour cream. Mix well with the herbs.
Pasta Sauce
In a saucepan, heat up the pasta sauce. Add in the tomatoes, oregano, garlic salt, onion powder, Italian seasonings, and any veggies that you might like, including mushrooms, bell peppers, or spinach. Add in the ground turkey and heat for about 10 minutes.
Putting It All Together
In a 9×13 casserole dish, lay out a row of the lasagna pasta noodles. Spoon the pasta mixture on top of the noodles until it coats it evenly. The cheese mixture is not easy to just spread out. Either put it in a pastry bag or a sandwich bag and cut out a corner, or do what I did, and just plop gobs of cheese everywhere. Add another layer of noodles, sauce, cheese. Repeat until you have no more noodles or space in the dish. I always end with a layer of sauce on the top. Then spread the shaved Parmesan cheese and a little Cheddar cheese on top. In a preheated 400F oven, put in the uncovered lasagna and bake for 25 minutes.
My picture might not be the best, but this was by far the best tasting lasagna I have ever made. I served it at a networking event and it was a major hit.
Sometimes in life, we get so far inside our own mind that it is hard to pull ourselves out. February 2012 was a month of a lot of self-reflection for me on my beliefs, how I react to certain situations, and who I am as a woman. Some of the reflection was positive, and others, not so much. We each have things we don’t like about ourselves, but I am one that really tries to fix whatever that is and move on from it. Sometimes I am successful, and other times, oy vey, not so much. One thing that I have learned about me is my capacity for unconditional love. What does that really mean though? For me, it means loving someone through all their faults, past hurts, and recognizing their inner soul and who they are as a person. I mean, really seeing someone for who they are and who they are meant to be.
I think a lot of times we judge people without knowing their story. I don’t know about you, but I see this judging behavior starting very young. We judge people on the way they dress, how much they weigh, who their friends are, what their occupation is, and so forth. I don’t see a lot of people just accepting people for who they are, with no strings attached. When was the last time you sincerely looked at someone and didn’t judge them for a past behavior or action, and instead just accepted it happened, and moved on? There is real power in learning not to judge others, for you never know why someone does something, whether it was for good or they made a poor decision. I personally try very hard not to judge others, there are times when I fail at this, but I try each and every time. Until I have walked in their shoes, I don’t know how many times they had to stop to remove a pebble or retie their laces.
One thing I rarely do is ask for help. Nor do I ever talk about religion, spirituality, or any of those concepts, except with very close personal friends. Today though, I am going to do something out of the norm. I have a dear friend @ThatGuyReagan who is in the US Army and was severely wounded in Afghanistan on Saturday and is currently in ICU. I’m asking for your prayers and healing thoughts and energy to be sent to him and his family during this time. I personally want to thank all of our soldiers in our armed forces for fighting for our freedom, because freedom is certainly not free.
To not wake up by an alarm. I want to wake up in peace.
My intention for last week was Take One Day At A Time. I did do this. Every day, I concentrated on that moment and what needed to get done. Sometimes, the action didn’t get completed in the time I allotted, but I worked on it anyway. Things that normally took me one hour, were taking five. But I finished them. I feel myself able to work again, be creative, meet with clients, and generally get back to living again. One thing I learned, you definitely don’t operate at your regular pace when you are dealing with death and dying for weeks on end. And that’s ok, I’m human, I can’t be Super Woman ALL the time.
My intention for this week is Get Back Into A Routine. I like having a routine. I get up, stretch, meditate, then get ready for work. Whether I’m working from my home office, the local coffee shop, or meeting with clients. I tend to put in a 10-12 hour day. Then work out and make a healthy dinner. My couch likes to see me next. Rinse and repeat.
One thing I value about myself and this blog is that when I sit down to write, I do it from my heart and with complete honesty with myself. I don’t want to stop doing that this week. I lost 7 pounds this week, but honestly 10 pounds in 10 days. I didn’t eat any better, I didn’t exercise, I didn’t do any of the things I have been doing where I didn’t lose a pound. During the last 2 weeks I have been under extreme stress and emotional turmoil which led to a pretty big bout of depression. I know we are taught to think depression is something that only the weak suffer from or whatever negative connotation society has placed on it. Whatever you think of it, whether you think less of me, or you understand the pain behind admitting those words, this blog talks about it.
I’m not going to go into the issues of why the depression set in except to say that I had two funerals in a week, and some personal challenges in my life. What happened though created a state where I couldn’t eat, sleep wasn’t my friend, and I withdrew within myself. I don’t think for two days I actually said a word out loud. I might have typed it, tweeted my thoughts, or posted on Facebook, but I didn’t actually use my voice. This experience taught me a great deal of who I am, my insecurities, my fallacies, and who I am as an emotional person. Yep, I am. I feel with my whole heart, I love with my whole being, and I experience love and life to the fullest. I have very high walls of protection, but when you break through them, there is a person who is willing to show you their world.
Today I woke up wanting to be ok. The song Be Ok by Ingrid Michaelson was the first song of the day. Perfect timing. So today, I start taking care of myself again. I need to eat, go for a walk, accept myself for my faults, and honor the inner strength that wants to shine through. I will Be Ok.
Loss: 7 pounds
What I Did Right This Week:
Drank a lot of water
Went on a 3-mile hike
What I Did Wrong This Week:
Everything.
Had a couple Pepsis.
Didn’t eat for a few days – that has never happened in my life
This week wasn’t really about right or wrong, I was just trying to survive.
To not wake up by an alarm. I want to wake up in peace.
My intention for last week was Move Forward. You can tell that did not happen. I didn’t move, I was stagnant. And you know what, that is ok. I’m letting the past go. Today I am stepping out fresh. If I get knocked down again, I just have to get back up and put one foot in front of the other and try again.
My intention for this week is Take One Day At A Time. I have a lot of work to get accomplished, which is very good for me. So no big goals this week, just taking life day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.
I am a Social Media Specialist and Editor based in Phoenix, AZ. I absolutely love everything about organic gardening, decadent food, and my all time love, yummy wine. ~ Read More
Welcome to my lifestyle blog! I'm single with a passion for life and love good food and wine while trying to eat healthy. Here is an overview what you will find on my Blog:
Manic Mondays, Tech Tuesdays, Weigh-In Wednesdays, Green Thumb Thursdays, and Foodie Friday
On Orange Dragonfly Blog, I am available to review a variety of products and services. If interested in sponsoring a review, giveaway, advertising, or sponsorship, please contact me at Kristi@OrangeDragonfly.com. Read More
I am a 
Welcome to my lifestyle blog! I'm single with a passion for life and love good food and wine while trying to eat healthy. Here is an overview what you will find on my Blog:
