I Lava Revolutions

Tomorrow is June 1st, marking the middle of the year.  For the last few years I've used this as a time to re-evaluate how I'm doing and where I stand.  You know, the whole "What am I doing to reach my goals- omigod, can I even identify my goals?" kind of thing. 

If at the new year we make resolutions, I try make these mid year check-ins revolutions- something I unwittingly wrote one new years eve in junior high in my diary.  

From where I'm sitting right now things look pretty incredible. I have dealt with depression for the last several months but as I'm searching for the reason I'm having a hard time articulating it.  I'm just so happy these days that all of the shit that I've put up with is not even computing.  Thank God.  Bury that crap.

In January I listed a bunch of frivolity that was making me happy and I was using that as a good jumping off point for what I had hoped would lead to happiness.  But really, all the fancy makeup in the world can't cover up the real problems.  Since January I've ended my marriage, had an intense and impossible roommate, made new and beautiful friends and learned the importance of the old standby BFF's who put up with everything and still dole out the love.  I've moved back into the house I love, started working at a job that is everything I've ever wanted from a workplace and started learning to separate the people from my life who are polluting the rest of the things around me.  I've taken control of my diet and am eating things that make me feel good, and not in just an in-the-moment-in-mah-mouf sort of way.  The way i'm eating is giving me a clear conscience.  Going vegan is atoning for my sins in a way.  

I'm still a big slob and a mess but I'm doing better about it, I'm taking more time to read with my kids and play dress up.  

I am feeling so creative and so full of love for everything and everyone around me that I can't help but believe that the second half of this year is going to more than make up for the pain and sadness of the first half. 

I have a few projects that combine my love for Fresno and my hobby of crochet dancing around in my brain- hopefully I can get those going this summer.  I'm ready to start skating again.  

I've been trying to include meditation in my day to find my center.

Things are good and they're only getting better.  

Viva Lava Revolution!

I Lava LavLem

What the heck?!  

Two favorites in one.  This is what happens when worlds collide.  No, not Powerman 5000.

Rather a major major Yumgasm.

When I was in LA a few weeks ago Aurora took me to Native Foods, this fantastic vegan spot that has burgers that are totally burgery and amazing but more importantly, they have lavender lemonade.  Right?  I think my words were "Shut up!"

Well, as everyone on Earth knows I am one broke-ass-bitch.  So craving a treat I was racking my brain to figure out what I could make with a can of beans, some sweet n low packets, frozen okra and peanut butter.  As I was starting to get mopey about my major sweet tooth failure I remembered the lemonade and thought "HOLY CRAP!  I have lemons!  I have lavender! MAGIC!"

A Google search led me to this recipe and I was ready to roll.

I managed to scrape up enough sugar between two open sugar bags in the wayyyy back of my pantry and several sugar packets obtained from a Starbucks (shhh!) and set to work on my lavender simple syrup. 

Simple is right.   I am so making this all the time to use with everything.  You know, once I legitimately obtain sugar after payday.

Lemons picked, I realized I have exactly 3 ice cubes.  I called my grandma because she's always prepared and asked if I could snag some ice.  As the lavender steeped in the syrup I walked down the street to fetch the things that make lemonade truly a summer treat. (How gross would it be lukewarm? Yuck!)

Simple syrup tasted a bit like honey- a treat I haven't had in a few months since the big ol vegan switch.  Already stoked. Mmmm.

So I whipped everything else together- added extra lemon though because I like my lemonade to set my teeth on edge, and took a sip.

Beverage game changer.  

If anyone has a pool party, BBQ, orgy... whatever this summer just expect this to be my contribution. 

Enough bloggin', I'm gonna kick back and listen to my new dream-BFF Lindi Ortega and freakin' love the way life looks from my front porch.

I Lava Lav

Lavender, that is.

Today I've picked some to dry, plucked some for oil and popped some in a vase by my bed.

I never really gave a crap about lavender before I was pregnant with Mollie but during that time I craved the scent like crazy.  It was way worse than my iceberg lettuce fascination with Cary.  Even more intense than than first trimester need for double-fistin'-alternate-bites of buffalo wings and blackberry cobbler.  It's been with me ever since.  I have 3 gigantic lavender bushes now, and I'll probably be putting more in before too long.  

Its just so good.  Clean. Fresh.

Way fresher than buffalo wings, anyway.

Anyway, what am I doing indoors?  I have lavender to love up on!

I Lava Making My BFF's My Spirit Animals.

This came from Aurora's blog.  She's fantastic.  Read.

I typed out this loooong tell-all blog about the man who refuses to date me and how hard he is to shake even though he's totally never ever ever gonna like me enough to actually want me as a *gasp* girlfriend no matter how amazingly hot and smart and funny I am but decided against it.  Even this run on sentence is crossing the whiny line.

Instead I changed my Facebook photo to one of myself with my Aurora.  Talk about a spirit animal. This lady is ridiculously strong . She sees what she wants and goes for it, identifies the things that are holding her back and cuts them out and sets boundaries and keeps them.  Plus she's gorgeous.  Its nice to see her shining face when I look at my Facebook.  (Or in this case, ferocious!  Fierce!)

Thinking about it, all of my girlfriends are my spirit animals.  For a while I thought it was Isaac Hanson or Tim Lincecum (who doesn't want Timmy as their spirit animal?!  Freak!) and they worked to get me through most things, but damn.  The women in my life are all so strong and amazing, I could do well to draw from their strengths and channel them when I start to lose track of my own strengths.

Which happens- Aurora asked me last week to list 5 things I was good at and all I could come up with was Making an Ass of Myself at Karaoke.

That was it.

So here's to my best friends and their strengths that I can learn from. I love you ladies.

<3jenn <3criswell <3steph  <3nicole <3cho <3yvonne <3jennilam <3sylvia  <3sabrina  <3aurora <3katie