flowers and birds and vitamins, please.

I'm not feeling 100% today... I've been battling some sort of illness. the throat is sort and whatnot. it's not awful, it's just not fun. and gargling salt water is yuck *screws up face*. weird, this is the second time I think I've gotten sick this year, which isn't normal for me. I'm pretty healthy. the husband says I'm overworking and not taking good care of myself. I'm going to go out on a limb and concede that he may have a point. work-aholism tends to run in my family a bit... which isn't a very good excuse, I know, but I only offer that tidbit to prove that I come by my habits honestly.

It's hard to complain about the work part... when you're self-employed, you have to work as it comes to you while attempting to maintain SOME boundaries that still need to be flexible or not as the occasion demands. Thankfully for our plumbing bill, our debt-snowball, and our psyches, work's been flowing in a steady stream the past few weeks. However, I'll be the first to say that I'm terribly undisciplined when it comes to routinely caring for my body and spirit. Work ethic I have in spades. The habit of stretching and challenging my body, feeding it well, fortifying it with vitamins and water, and giving it ample sleep I could greatly improve upon. I could also stand some practice at not allowing stress and worry to etch itself into my spirit and face.

I don't have the foggiest clue how to develop better self-care, other than to express my desire and try to do a little bit better today. I've just finished writing two episodes that are actually due Sunday... Sunday is our first anniversary, and since we've got other commitments this weekend I wanted to get these out of the way. I'm waiting to hear from a client that may or may not have a script for me to record this afternoon, and if she doesn't I think I might head to Magic Nails on Shepard for some eyebrow pruning and foot rubbing action while I sit in the chair and play with the massage remote control. maybe. or maybe I'll just go back to bed for a bit. we've got a finance team meeting at the church later, and husband has vowed to make me chicken-something for dinner. and then, hello weekend!

here are a few photos I took at the church yesterday... we helped with the Hospitality Apartments dinner, and I really enjoyed it. it was getting overcast outside and all of these colors were so vibrant.







p.s. I've enjoyed so much drinking my coffee from this birdy cup today... I got a set of four from my YaYa:



happy Friday, my fine-feathered friends.

**** addendum: last night I had cake left over from the Hospitality Apartment dinner... I'm trying out different ways of making homemade icing, and had baked both a chocolate and yellow cake (they were mixes, don't trip). I came home with some of the yellow, and decided to save one piece for husband and offer the rest to the men upstairs. I left it at the top of the stairs with a note that said "Men... please enjoy this cake!" and here's what I just discovered when I went to check the mail:



:)

happy tax day?

an article I really liked on CNN today:


Commentary: Ticket to freedom is a line on your tax form
By Peter Bregman
Special to CNN

Editor's note: Peter Bregman is chief executive of Bregman Partners Inc., a global management consulting firm, and the author of "Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change". He writes a weekly column, How We Work, for HarvardBusiness.org.


Peter Bregman says doing your taxes is a chance to look at your spending and saving habits.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- In the Academy Award-winning short film "The Accountant," the O'Dell brothers call an accountant to save them from losing their family farm.

As he's being introduced to one of the brothers, he interrupts, saying "I'll know all about him soon enough." Which he does by going through a stack of his receipts.

"Just facts and figures." That's all he's interested in, because people can make themselves look good by how they dress or where they live or the car they drive.

But facts and figures tell it like it is.

It's that time of year again: April 15, the day of reckoning. The day our lives are represented by facts and figures, by the receipts that tell us how we've spent our past year.

However frustrating and stress inducing it might be to prepare your taxes, it would be a mistake to quickly get them done and move on, like taking a test just to pass. The real value is in learning the material.

And the material of your tax forms is your life. Most people look at their taxes as a picture of their past. But even more interesting than your past is your future. And your tax return speaks volumes about your future.

"Tell me," writes Mary Oliver in her poem, The Summer Day, "what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" That's the real question of April 15.

Money is not about living in a bigger house. The average American house has already more than doubled, to 2,414 square feet, since the 1950s. It's not about bigger TV's, nicer restaurants or more stuff.

Money is about freedom: The freedom to do challenging work you enjoy. The freedom to spend time with the people you love and who love you. And the freedom from worry about how you're going to feed your family. The most unproductive thing you can do with your money is spend it on things that don't help you achieve those goals.

That freedom can be found on line 8 in your Form 1040 tax return (or line 2 on Form 1040 EZ). Line 8 is our ticket to, if not life, then at least liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

It represents your income from interest on your savings. And when it exceeds your living expenses, you'll be financially independent. Completely and securely free.

In all likelihood, line 8 will show a pretty small number. In recent years in the United States, as we spent more than we earned, our savings rate dipped below zero. The last time that happened was the Great Depression.

But isn't this the wrong time to write a column about saving? If we save instead of spend, won't that hurt our economy further? And anyway, many of us don't have the money for basic necessities; how can we save when we need our money to put food on the table?

Saving might make the downturn worse. But what choice do we have? An economy based on spending more and more, even incurring debt to keep spending, is unsustainable. That's what got us here in the first place. Eventually it would all have to collapse. Eventually is now. Our economy had to get smaller.

And even in the midst of financial hardship, people are finding all sorts of ways to save. Everything from commuting by bike to selling belongings and moving into a smaller home to renting an extra room to boarders.

The good news is that we've already begun to change. This economic downturn has given us a reality check. We no longer expect the rising value of our homes and investments to fund our lifestyles.

Now we're reducing debt, spending less and saving more. The third quarter of 2008 was the first time U.S. household debt declined since the Federal Reserve began tracking it in 1952. For the first time in 17 years, U.S. consumer spending growth declined. And by the fourth quarter of 2008, our savings rate was more than 3 percent and as of February 2009 it was up to 6 percent.

You might be living in a beautiful mansion, but if you have a million-dollar mortgage and only $1,000 of interest income, you're at risk. Even if you have good income from your job. Because if you lose your job, you'll lose your lifestyle. And there are a lot of people living with that fear right now.

But if you have a smaller house, fewer expenses, and the interest income to pay for those expenses, your lifestyle is secure. And that gives you something more valuable than any possession ever could -- peace of mind.

If you had started doing this 10 years ago, wouldn't you be better off today? Interest rates will only go up from here and if you keep investing, a little bit with each paycheck, reinvesting the interest until you need it, your interest income will grow fast. If you're able to save even a little now, given the power of compounding and assuming you're under 50, you can accumulate a lot by the time you retire.

There's one more gift April 15 might bring. A tax refund. Many of us will receive one. Whatever you do, don't spend it. Instead, either pay down debt or invest it in an interest-bearing account. Start to pave your path to a free life.

The facts and figures of April 15 could serve as your own private stimulus package, stimulating you to create financial independence by growing the number in line 8 of your 1040. So you are free to answer Mary Oliver's question without constraint.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peter Bregman.



I don't know how I feel about these Tea Party demonstrations. I'm all about legal protests, for sure... if you don't like it, by all means get out there and say it! I just don't know about the motivations and effectiveness of these. I'll tell you, it makes me suspicious that, while doing a cursory search last night to learn what's going on, I saw Fox News everywhere. I'm open to hearing people's veiwpoints about it. I do know that if I, in all my self-employed glory, were to show up at the post office with my sign and then go in to file my extension, I'm pretty sure it would read more 'undisciplined, unorganized contractor who hasn't prioritized to get her stuff together on time' than patriotic tax protester. but whatever. we've already filed. I don't like it much, but I suppose I do buy into the whole 'rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar's'... even if Caesar chooses to burn through the funds, I assume it doesn't negate my legal obligation to fork it over. unless, as my husband mentioned last night, you feel so strongly about unfair taxation and government spending that you straight up refuse to pay your taxes. that's a strong protest with very real consequences. for now, I suppose I'll grumble and continue to pay what I think is a ridiculous and incredibly wrong 12% into social security every year. I might even have to keep voting libertarian.

-m.y.

all work and no play makes yoshimi go crazy... or not.

I've been jonesing for a day off... and it has yet to materialize. BUT, I've gotta say, when you're looking down the barrel of a gigantic plumbing bill, work being heaped about your shoulders feels an awful lot like God saying 'it's okay, baby girl, I gotcha covered. AND you'll get out of debt in a crazy way! BAM!' except He's maybe not so Emeril Lagasse about it.

but He is very very Great. and Faithful. and that's the teary, wonderful truth.

know what else is wonderful? having a husband to do the negotiating with plumbers. I'm not kidding.



I knocked out writing an entire episode today and celebrated by throwing on my shoes and heading for the park to walk around in the sunshine for awhile...






so beautiful out today. and so appreciated after sitting in front of a computer all day.

then I came home and used one pound of ground turkey to make both a turkey helper and turkey vegetable soup... I love doing that, getting multiple meals out of something like ground turkey or beef. Now we're good for dinner and lunches tomorrow...



we had the Bells over for Easter dinner, and at the risk of tooting our own horn I have to say it was pretty tasty:




I really can't take any credit for the food... M was the point person on all of the edibles. but the tablecloth, the flowers, the vacuuming and such that preceded the meal, oh yeah, that was all me.



in other news, my sister-in-law was apparently taking the trash out or something and my 2 year old niece LOCKED HER OUT OF THE HOUSE. she locked the DEADBOLT. help us all. if you're reading this, LC, grab that little girl and squeeze her for Lulu, would you please? then squeeze yourself. :)


'member when I said I was knitting in the recording booth? behold the proof:



my first homemade scarf is way longer now. WAY.


-m.y.

holy update, batman!

It's pretty much been a wild and wooly time the past week and a half or so. I've just finished writing one of two episodes that are due this weekend, so I thought I'd indulge in a little blogger time...

I was in Dallas most of last week, and pulled 40 recording hours in four days. I got a lot of knitting done on my scarf in the booth up there! shhh, don't tell that I'm knitting while working. Then I got to come home, work a bit last Saturday, and go with the hubby to sign off on taxes (we OVERPAID by $55. I know.). We celebrated the culmination of Taxes 08 with tasty treats from one of my favorite places to eat:



I forget what else happened this day, but I do remember that I was awfully grumpy. This will be the first mention of my husband's sweetness to me over the past couple of weeks, just being gracious and loving even when I'm emotionally thunderclouding. it won't be the last time it comes up.

Sunday, the FPU class stayed after church through the afternoon to hit two lessons in one, so we could skip a week due to people's schedules. They were all troopers and the class went really well, plus we did a potluck so M and I totally got to bring home some of S.L.'s broccoli rice casserole. I think we caught up with some DVR-ings that night, and I packed to head to Lubbock.

I was at Tech the last few days, speaking in three non-major classes and giving a Master Class for theatre folk. This trip went really well - my hotel was wonderful, the classes went well, everyone was super-nice, I ate reeeely good food, and best of all I got to reconnect with an old friend of mine from college who's a professor in the Theatre Department:



Getting to spend time with her was definitely the best part of the whole trip, and she's responsible for my getting to go there and do my thing. I also got to see a sweet, talented lady whose future I'm very interested in hearing about... our moms go way back and there's lots of history there, and it was so good to get to spend time with her.



here's me giving her some sample dialogue to read:



and me trying to be informative in general:




It should be said that while I was at the airport on my way to Lubbock, I got these scripts to write... so when I had time I was plunking away on my computer at the hotel. While there, we also found out from our renters that our house is having plumbing issues, which are apparently major and involve getting under the foundation. I didn't sleep super well that night.

I flew home last night, and husband fixed a flipping yummy late-night dinner for us after dealing with plumbers and whatnot by himself. Mention of his awesomeness deux. I slept like a baby last night, and woke up to go meet some friends for a much-needed lady-time breakfast.



I ran around town getting work done, then came home to write my fingers to the bone... because I have to appear at an anime convention this weekend, and time for writing is dwindling. However, when I let the dog out I noticed this bird:




I thought maybe he'd fallen out of a nest or something. He let me get so close. Apparently, these two other birds were trying to teach him to fly... I watched them for awhile, just because it was so cool (you can see the little bird made it to the table)




there was also this random kitten that I was in love with for 2 minutes, who was thankfully unaware of all the bird activity:



I cut some flowers and branches off the tree and bushes outside and came in to work.






which made work a lot nicer, really. p.s. during the course of the day I also got a speeding ticket. I realize I was technically breaking the law, but speed traps and cops lying in wait to catch hordes of people made me feel mad and dumb. anyhoo, I wrote all afternoon and evening until husband came home, hugged me tight, and made dinner (he's great, I tell ya):



and then it was over. and he cleaned the kitchen. what can I say.




I finished writing my first episode, told you all about it, and ended this post to go take a much needed bath.
and we're all caught up.

-m.y.

I love reading other people's blogs. I do.

A couple of thoughts while reading some today...

from Fabulously Frugalicious:

"I think the single most important trait of frugal living is the ability to feel content. Do you agree? Think about it. When we are content with what we have, we don't feel the need to "keep up with the Joneses". In today's times, that is more important than ever. Contentment will keep you from feeling like things are going under or from feeling "poor"."

I've been learning this lesson more and more lately. Our Dave Ramsey class is going really well - it's so fun to see people excited about taking a fresh look at their finances and choosing new ways of thinking about money and stewardship. As we keep striving toward the debt-free mark, I feel so grateful for lessons learned so far, and for the peace that's come with being on the same page as M and choosing together where we want to spend and give our money. God's money. note: according to the bounty displayed at my last couple of garage sales, I'm an easy 'accumulator' and I think I can safely say that most of it found it's way to my home because I was bored and went shopping. Or saw something and thought I really needed it in three colors. heh. Really, truly, I 'Need' very little, it seems...

In the spirit of attempting to be fab frugal, I've learned that you really can get a discount on almost anything online. When I booked my hotel for work this week (Super 8, baby, 10 minutes from the studio, with extended cable, wifi, refrigerator & microwave, and free breakfast), I got the general room discount for x number of days, plus a $10 Barnes & Noble Gift Card, plus a rebate I found online that'll send me $20 after my stay. Not to mention the fact that this stay will put me over the 10 nights needed to earn my hotel reward points, so next trip I get a night free. :)

I also thought I got a pretty good deal on a raincoat, which is an item I've been scouting for awhile now. I used to have a black one that I LOVED from Ann Taylor Loft, and I lost it a couple of years ago. So, I've been hunting one similar... semi-lightweight but still semi-structured, with a substantial hood, some sort of waist definition, not too long or short. I found this one online at Land's End and really liked it, but didn't like the idea of paying full price. Happily, I did a search and found a 20% off coupon, and it's just come in the mail to me today! It's a little roomy, because they didn't have this one in a petite size, but in general I'm happy about it and the always-good navy color. Although, I will say I've spent more than a few moments thinking about the environmental issues involved in shipping... why isn't there a Lands' End in Texas??

Godgrown has another thought-provoking entry up today. Here's one paragraph that jumped out at me:

"Evangelicals have squandered their massive influence on America, with refusing to creatively engage the culture and instead creating a Christian sub-culture (with radio stations, bookstores and the like) and when Christians DO engage their surrounding world, its sort of reminds me of little the little kid that would throw a snowball at a passing car, only to return to his little group of cronies to talk about brave he was."

I've had a lot swimming around in my head lately about churches, especially my own... it's purpose, our purpose in it, my purpose in it. And our/my purpose in this world. I think that should be a post for another time. I do, however, tend to agree with Godgrown's sentiments about many evangelicals separating themselves from the world in these 'outer' ways... I think I remember reading that there was even a program called 'Jazzercise for Jesus' or something like it, as though Christians need even our workouts to be tailored to Contemporary Christianity. As though we can't just go to 24 hr fitness and work out alongside everyone else.

Coming from a workplace and past life mostly made up of creative types, unbelievers, and many different faith backgrounds, I find myself on middle ground most of the time. I want my words to be full of grace, seasoned with salt - I want to communicate my dependence on Christ, my respect for the Word, my love of people, my lack of having everything together. I find, though, that I'm doing most of my communicating what's important to me through relationships over time, as my actions and behavior tell their own story. When topics do come up in conversation that allow me to share my thoughts, I want to do it in such a way as to be heard through all of the religiosity, through all the preconceptions. I want to be sure that I come from a place of what I've experienced, first, because that's what I really know. And from a place of listening to where others are. Sometimes I feel like I have two languages... that of my private life and church life, and the language of Out There... Out There being anywhere Christian isn't necessarily fluently spoken. Where Christian-ese is a red-flag and a dollop of cheese in the ears of a listener. I understand it, because even I fight an eye-roll at some of the more touchy-feely contemporary Christian-speak. I need to grow up and get over such things, but underneath it's simply because it's not my spiritual language or experiential language. This blog is actually a good example of my double-speak, as it were... my name is, in theory, not to be found here yet, because I wanted a space to be able to speak more freely about myself and my faith than I feel I do in my daily life at present.

*edit* upon leaving for awhile and thinking about this, I want to clarify: 'doublespeak' is generally regarded as a bad thing, as in saying one thing but doing another. in trying to 'become all things to all people', though, that's where I think we have the freedom to chose our words to communicate best with those around us. For example, talking about 'the kingdom of God' is fairly common church-language, but can sound totally culty and weird to someone who doesn't claim a faith. Which is one of the reasons I'm glad for church, small group, and family time... these places are where we should feel the free-est to express our faith, alongside other practitioners. Not that I walk around suppressed or anything, but I am understandably more cautious when I'm out and about and unsure of my audience.

Speaking of semantics and such, I took part in a group survey study recently and one of the questions put to us was something like: 'Where do you see the inbreaking of the kindgom in your congregation?'. Though most of us assumed the idea to mean, simply, 'Where do you see God working where you are?', we were initially a little puzzled and had to hear the question again. And we're church people.

If you have any thoughts about any of the above, I'd love to hear them.

Now, I have to go to the studio for a bit, then pack my bags for 4 fun-filled days of blowing wind into a microphone. Thank you, Lord, for work! Thank you thank you, you've been so good to us. I'm going to make a pit stop on the way home and see if I can find a bargain yoga dvd to play on the computer in my hotel room... I'm missing it. Oh, and I'm also taking my knitting! I managed to get myself out of my first major mess-up without outside help, and feel confident that this scarf will actually be completed someday. :)

Have a great week, everyone.

-m.y.

mixer is a-go-go.

for our first experiment, I tackled bread:



preparing to flip the switch... I'm still not sure the dough hook should have been used at this juncture, but it all turned out alright. I'll go ahead and admit I still need to read more of the manual.



about 2-2.5 hrs later...



25 minutes in the oven and voila:




notice how clean the mixer is in the above photo. I love the newlywed phase with gadgets, when you're still all 'oh, it's been dirty for 5 minutes! quick, grab a sponge!'.

since husby was leaving to go work in New Orleans for a few days, I made him dinner of sauteed asparagus, tasty veggie soup, and braided herb bread with butter. the bread came out pretty well - the consistency is good, I think, though I feel it needs a touch of sweetener. maybe next time I'll try adding honey or something. I'll tell you this, though, it's fantastic toasted and smeared with Rondele pub cheese. breakfast of champions!



and just because, here's my sweet boy nestling in the leaves outside:

shots of shenanigans...

happy birthday, mrs. K!







pedi time with mom and lbell:





family dinner Friday night:




Saturday garage sale:







plus, these are my new favorite shoes I got at Tuesday Morning for $8:




I think the sun I got while garage sale-ing shorted a few brain circuits, because I did *not* get any photos of lovely dinner with whitney and the McDees, nor any at the concert we all attended Saturday night. Andrew Bird was great... he definitely has the stink of eccentric musical genius, and it's always such a treat to watch a musician make excellence look effortless and super-fun. bummer that I have no shots of it, but if a picture says a thousand words, my aching back and creaky legs, sore from STANDING FOR AN ENTIRE ROCK SHOW, might be whispering that I'm getting older. and that I might need more support than my flip flops provide.

I just wanna be cool. sniff.

anyway, it was so great to hang out with these guys... I loved sitting around our table and hearing stories!

church Sunday was good, and I really enjoyed our small group, 242, that night at S&C's. just a good, lovely, thoughtful, laid-back time with tasty food and sweet people. it was a wonderful way to start the week.

nighty-night, comrades.

-m.y.