I’ve never been terribly good at math. In part, I think it’s because at an early age I was labeled a good reader and that side of my education was nurtured. Also, I’m damn lazy when it comes to numbers. I’m lucky if I get the right amount of air pressure in my bike tires, have any clue what kind of gas mileage my car gets, and have yet to find a time in public health when x/y= anything. Sorry Mrs. Theile, while you were a lovely pre-calculus teacher, I couldn’t care less today than I did in 11th grade about equations — with the lone exception being me + free time = happiness.

This lack of mathematical prowess does bite me in the ass every so often. Knitting, for example, can take a bit of math patience that I don’t seem to have — especially if you are altering a pattern. Overdraft fees? Yep. They suck and yet I cannot for the life of me seem to keep enough cash in my checking account. I once had a teller explain to me that a debit card isn’t actually a credit card just because it has the Visa symbol on it. I nearly clocked her, but the fine would have cost too much. Do they take debit in jail?

Times, they are a changing. While they may have said there would be no math, they lied. My checkbook is proof pudding. I’m cutting back, making thriftiness tres chic in my house and dreaming of a Clinton economy when we were so flush and happy, no one noticed the Beret floozie gallivanting in and out of the oval office.

Money can be scary. Having it, not having it, knowing what to do with it. I had a long series of conversations with my parents this weekend about my desire to buy a house. When it comes right down to it, my dad finally said what no one else was willing to say — I want too much. I work in a field where the profit margin is low and the fulfillment is high. I’ve made that choice and it doesn’t necessarily come with a giant back yard and a garden and doggie door. I’m not giving up on my dream of having a bit more space, but I am taking a new look at my environment and appreciating what I own.

I’m also saving as much as I can and stopped by the bank this week to pick up a new check register. I’ve decided I’m going to record every penny spent in October and then take a closer look at my discretionary spending. I imagine this little experiment will provide me with enough shock to be truly horrific come Halloween. Care to join me in this walk toward budgetary accountability? I might just learn how to do some math in the process.

In the meantime, I’m officially celebrating all things creatively cheap — like buying books at the library for $1, hitting the dollar store for produce (bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, carrots, etc. All fresh. All $1.), recycling magazines and music with my girlfriends, cleaning out my closets and donating all stuff unused to Goodwill (space is luxurious), walking and riding my bike more, using my coffee cup for the refill price, and most importantly — loving what I have. Getting out of the materialistic mindset is long process, but I love how freeing each step seems to be.

I’m going to have that house, dog and garden — even if it takes a few pickle jars worth of coins to change my savings habits.

~K

“If you do a good job for others, you heal yourself at the same time,
because a dose of joy is a spiritual cure. It transcends all barriers.”
– Ed Sullivan

Three new vision journals for Madison, Katie and Maria — girlfriends who are working toward big goals in life. (Junior high! High school cheer!! Citizenship!) Making these last night felt as good as a long, hard run after a week of no exercise. I’ve got to make more time to be creative, even when busy. I’m not honoring myself otherwise. Sharing the vision journal idea has been so satisfying. I’m so glad so many of you have received yours in the mail or created one on your own! Luke 11:9-12 gives me extra skip in my step when doing this kind of internal housekeeping.

Cheers,
Kelli

Prickly Pear Jelly is a success. That said? Canning is a much smarter hobby to take up during the WINTER.

Ingredients:
8 - 10 prickly pears, washed and sliced crosswise
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lime juice
1 package fruit pectin
5 cups sugar
Zest of 1 lime

Directions:
Place the fruit in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

Mash the fruit and pour mixture into a cheesecloth or jelly bag. Allow juice to stand for at least 1 hour until sediment settles to the bottom. Discard the pulp, pour off the clear liquid and reserve, and discard the cloudy sediment.

Combine the prickly pear liquid, lime juice, and pectin in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add the sugar and lime zest. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly for 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, skim, pour into sterilized jars, and seal.

Source: Martha Stewart, via my friend Diane.

~K

The vision journal idea created so many encouraging comments I’ve decided to share the idea. Tell me what inspires you, what you envision in the next year, in a comment. I’m going to make 10 journals this weekend and will select comments at random to win.

I envision returning to Africa to work and live, getting married and having a little flock of happy hippie babies, growing a fabulous garden and growing in faith.

~K

I am loving having my African house guests. It is so fun to come home and have hungry men to cook for. I know that sounds nuts, but it is a treat for anyone who loves to cook and is normally alone. There is only so much joy I get from feeding myself. But these two guys? Last night I introduced them to chicken fajitas and black beans. They were thrilled and I couldn’t stop smiling.

We also ate quinoa for the first time and I can’t rant and rave enough about how amazing this grain is. (Even better than that barley kick I was on a while back.) I followed the directions on the bag and first toasted 1 cup of quinoa in a dry skillet. Then I added it to my rice steamer with 1 cup of water and 1 chicken bouillon cube for 30 minutes. The result was nutty, savory and delicious. I immediately started over and made another cup to eat in my lunches for the rest of the week.

I’ve never liked something so much that I was willing to immediately start over to cook more, but the process was so simple and results so divine, I couldn’t help it. So — my recommendation for the week — swing through your local hippie market and pick up a bag of quinoa. It should cost about $2. Go wild. You’ll thank me later. It’s high in protein and fabulous.

While things were cooking and I had the house to myself, I worked on that vision journal and a few of my other goals for the week:

And to wrap things up a bit from the Palin comments yesterday — to be clear: my point was the national discussion should not be about her daughter but about the candidate. Regardless of what you think of her nomination, it is certainly an exciting time in American politics and I am incredibly blessed to be able to vote and be a part of it!

~K

This week’s goals:

~Frog current knitting project
~Try new recipe
~Make plans to see the Weston show this weekend
~Make plans to see Chihuly public display in Glendale
~Swim 6000M
~Cycle 50 miles
~Run 15 miles
~Work on vision journal
~Start new book, blog about recent reads
~Get friends to burn me new music. Specifically I want some of the Stars. Have you heard them? Love.
~Harvest prickly pear for next jars of renewal project
~Research Mexico bikinis; 6 weeks and I’m on vacation with the Ya Yas. Option A. B. C., and I just bought D.

Man, we are going to have so much fun.

~And, finally, I need to speak up about this nonsense. Since when is “Women having too much on their plate to be also good in business” and new twist? Give me a break. I’m not a (grandma) Palin supporter, but no one is questioning her husband and if he is able to keep up with his career with their five kids. Stop trying to keep women tethered by an apron; we can kick ass in the oval office and bake a mean lasagna. Don’t be frightened by our mad multi-tasking abilities, you fools. And save your newsprint for something worthwhile, like how these candidates are going to change global warming, do something about starvation in Africa, help slow the HIV epidemic, improve education in the US, etc. I do not care that a 17 year old in Alaska didn’t use a condom. How can this possibly be a topic of conversation when discussing the leadership of this country? Are you kidding me?
(If you really want to pick on Palin, let’s start with the fact she’s still got PTA president on her resume and is a gun-toting nut. I’m fine with that criticism. But her kid is not fair game.)

Geez. Bikinis and a NRA tirade. Never know what you’re gonna get around here. Huh?
~K

What inspires you? Is it a color? A scent? Scene, food, person, artist, material? Depending on my mood, I am often inspired, or in spirit, thanks to a combination of these.
This week, it’s been the weather, for one. Evening storms have been bombing the Valley floor, snapping tree branches, blowing over power lines, lighting the night sky with an electric show Pink Floyd would stop to admire. Olive and I have spent a fair amount of time cruising around Tempe during the heat of the day this week too. Leaving the iPod behind, I’ve enjoyed listening to the birds, feeling the wind on my face and this morning, watching a young school boy vivaciously play his oboe down the sidewalk on his way to school. Once he noticed my admiration, he stepped it up and it took everything I had not to laugh and cheer him along. By the way he cradled his baby, I could tell that instrument meant the world to him. I won’t soon forget this morning’s show.

Ms. Frida is another inspiration. It isn’t her beauty or art but her story that really grabs me. I can’t adequately explain the connection; Dale Chihuly’s glass exhibits give me the same overjoyed feeling. I am jolted when in the presence of their work, pushed to be creative, to find my voice, color and medium.

This long weekend, I’m reconnecting with spirit. A few years ago I created a vision board with images of my future. It was on the back of my bedroom door until the edges started to wear. I took a look at it this week and was pleasantly startled by how many of the visions have come to pass. Instead of creating another board, I’m going to transform a notebook into vision journal and spend some time thinking of new dreams, nakazora, sisu.
Have you heard of this Buddhist term nakazora? “The space between sky and earth, the place where birds, etc. fly. Empty air. Mid-air. An internal hollow. Vague. Hollow. Around the center of the sky. Or, emptiness. A state when the feet do not touch the ground. Inattentiveness. The inability to decide between two things. Midway. The center of the sky (the zenith).”

I’ve got 223 pages of Novel #1 to read and spell check, house guests to feed and entertain, a desert to hike and photograph, and two books of the Bible to brush up on before church Sunday. Spending some time between sky and earth. Yes, that sounds lovely too.

~K

I’ve got about a dozen posts running around upstairs. To wrap up a few loose ends from the last couple of weeks:

Timely and fantastic health care-package from Ms. Colleen.

~My meeting with the nutritionist was fantastic. She is accepting new clients and if you want her contact info, shoot me an email. Basically we just spent an hour talking about food and my eating habits. She recommended a series of books, including: Intuitive Eating, Appetites, Mindless Eating, Moving Away from Diets and What is Normal Eating. Again, I did not meet with her because I think I need to lose dramatic amounts of weight or have an eating disorder. I have a few silly habits I’m trying to change. I plan on reading a couple of these, meeting with her again, and going forward a healthier woman.

Shwag bag of Vancouver Olympic goodies from Rachael. LOVE these. I am such an Olympaholic. I miss the summer games already.

~ TDH is NOT the African house guest I am expecting this weekend. Holy moly, no. He is actually starting Stanford medical school this week and while I think he does look a bit like a bald Michael Phelps, he is not on the romance radar. I am rooting for him in this latest amazing academic adventure. The guests are coming from Malawi. I stayed with them on the tea estate; they have some business in Phoenix. I hope to return the hospitality favor, although I’m certain it can’t compare.

Wine cork trivet from Diane — love the reduce, reuse, repour factor.

~ I finished editing my novel this week, again. I’m sending it off after one final read to the man I hope will be my literary agent. If he doesn’t want to represent me, it is back to the drawing board. I am very excited to move on to a new cast of characters for novel dos. If you have any contacts in publishing, or know of an author who has successfully navigated these waters, I’d love the help. A mentor in publishing would be a wish come true. In the meantime, I think I am going to celebrate with a great bottle of Malbec this weekend.

~ My new job involves refugees. I am planning a series of posts discussing refugees in America. What is a refugee? What is an evacuee? Immigrant? Illegal immigrant? Where do refugees come from? Many public health + refugee living posts to come.

~ Podcasts I am currently loving:
The Splendid Table, This American Life, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, Joel Osteen, Speaking of Faith

~ Do you have your jars for the next Jars for Renewal project yet? I’m telling you — this one is finger licking good. Another cherished family recipe I can’t wait to share.

~Did you know Finny is having a big, milestone birthday this week? Go send her some love.

~Kelli

Call me a sucker, but lookie what I just bought:

May I present, Ms. Olive Oil. Aptly named because she is a mean, green, healthy machine. We’ll just call her Olive for short.
Holy guacamole! Isn’t she lovely? Granted, she’s not a Townie and I’m no longer an Electra wannabe. Alas, I rode the Townie and the fit wasn’t right for my height. For $500, you better get a darn perfect ride. I was about to leave REI empty handed — with my Blackberry ringing off the hook with comments reading, “Buy it!” and me laughing, thinking, “I’m trying!” when the cycling stars aligned.

With complete resolve I wasn’t going to make a foolish purchase, I was headed out the door when out of no where, my Kryptonite entered the picture. A beautiful man appeared, chatted with me about bikes, triathlons and if I’d considered a commuter bike instead? He had gorgeous eyes and I became exceptionally self-conscious all of a sudden that I was standing there in yoga pants and a sweaty t-shirt. Didn’t seem to matter though. The Novarta was really nice. Had I ridden it? Would I like to?
Yes please.
Nearly two hours and a lot of eye lash batting later, Ms. Olive Oil and I were riding home. Oy vey I should have looked at the price tag. Thank goodness he wasn’t selling cars. I’d be driving home in something I really couldn’t afford. Regardless, I’m thrilled with the purchase. She’s perfect for what I need. I’ll be giving her a fair shot tomorrow for the first time — riding to the gym, to work, to a few appointments and then to a dinner date with friends. I’m bound to be sweaty (it’s still August in Phoenix) but most happy hippies are. It’s a title I’m loving more and more these days.
Thanks for your encouragement!

~K

I’m working all weekend at a leadership retreat and spent much of the last week preparing for this event. With a dozen other young leaders from Tempe, we’ll spend the next two days focused on how to best work together to improve the well-being of Arizona’s refugee community. And of course, we’ll eat. My mom’s arroz con pollo recipe beat out the week’s plan of cooking ginger-stuffed chicken breasts. I did, however, bake the vegan chocolate cake as planned. I’d show you a photograph, but then you’d see the missing corner. Not sure where that corner went but I’m thinking it may be in my belly.

The icing on the cake of this weekend, so to speak, is my dad will be here for dinner on Sunday. It has been so long since I’ve seen my papi and I cannot wait to sit down for dinner with him and catch up. Yay!

~K

* Recipe:
Karel’s Arroz con Pollo:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken, skinned
1/2 cup drained Italian canned tomatoes
3 ounces uncooked long grain rice
1/3 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
1 1/2 tablespoons capers
1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro
2 chicken bullion cubes
2 cups of water
1/4 tablespoon oregano
Pepper to taste
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt

Directions:
Combine vinegar, garlic, oregano and pepper in a small measuring cup. Brush mixture over chicken and place in a sealed container in the fridge for at least one hour. Over night is even better.

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat, add chicken and cook turning occasionally until brown (6-8 minutes). Remove chicken and set aside on a place. To same pan, add tomatoes, onion and bell pepper. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until onions are softened (5-7 minutes). Add water, rice, olives, capers, cilantro, broth mixture, salt and 1/4 tablespoon of pepper. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and return chicken to pan. Cover and let simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (25-30 minutes). Makes 2 services, or if you use 1 cup of rice, 4 servings.)