Summer Living in Minnesota

Just found these pictures of my parents farm, Forest Glen Farm, and I thought I would share them with you.  My parents live in Northern Minnesota and they have the most gorgeous place and I cannot wait to spend 2 weeks there in July.  I LOVE summer in Minnesota!

Here's to getting off the comfort couch and living life ~ Lisa

Yummy Vegetarian Recipes

I am sharing with you all two recipes that I have tried lately that are not only delicious, but very healthy.   One recipe came from a friend (thanks Shawn), and the other came from someone who attended the Vegan potluck at the yoga studio a couple of weeks ago.  Both are easy to make and my girls loved the pie! 


Vegan Peanut Butter Pie

• 16 oz. soft silken tofu
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (make sure the natural peanut butter firms well when refrigerated, so as to help form)
• 3/4 sugar (one part brown sugar and one part sugar)
• 2 tbsp soy milk (I used rice milk and it worked out fine)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pre-made vegan pie crust baked (I used regular pie crust)
• 1/2 cup peanuts

Mix tofu, peanut butter, sugars, soy milk, and vanilla in a food processor or a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer.


Spoon contents into baked pie shell.  Place in refrigerator and cool for at least 2 hours then enjoy!


For chocolate topping:


In a small deep pan, pour 1/2 cup soy milk and place 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in a pan on low to medium heat.  Stir slowly until all the chips have melted.  Sprinkle chocolate topping and peanuts on top of pie.   If you don't want to add the chocolate and/or nuts, the pie tastes great without this topping.




Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

• 2 tsp grated lime zest
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup quinoa (found in rice section of grocery store)
• 1 (14-15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced (you can use fresh or canned)
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I used 1/2 cup, because I love cilantro)

Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.


Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time.


Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling salt water (1 tbsp for every 2 quarts water), uncovered, until almost tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain in sieve, then set sieve in same pot with 1 inch of simmering water (water should not touch the bottom of sieve).  Cover quinoa with a folded kitchen towel, then cover sieve with a lid (don't worry if lid doesn't fit tightly) and steam over medium heat until tender, fluffy, and dry about 10 minutes.  Remove pot from heat and remove lid.  Let stand, still covered with towel for 5 minutes.


Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and peper to taste.

Here's to getting off the comfort couch and living life ~ Lisa

Farewell to Friends

Today we said farewell to a classmate from high school.  This makes the second death of someone I have known since grade school within the past year.  As I think about Steve and Linda (and all the other classmates who have passed), I remind myself that our time here on Planet Earth is short, very short.  We must make the most of each and every day.


Steve and Linda were wonderful people whom had a love for life and a love for family.  Even though I haven't seen either one since graduation, which was almost 30 years ago, I remember the good times we all shared as we made our way from grade school to high school graduation.   Because our last names were close, Steve was always not too far away.   Steve always kept me laughing through school, and he had a larger than life personality.  He never took life too seriously, and he was a great guy.  Linda was the same way.  Both lived their lives fully and  they both had a lot of love to go around.  They were the sunshine on a cloudy day.


So as I pray for all of our classmates who are no longer with us, I also pray for those that are still with us today.  I pray that they are safe, happy, and that they find blessings each and every day.


So Steve, I am certain that you will be welcomed with open arms into the Kingdom of Heaven by those that have preceeded you in death.  I know that Butch and Linda have already found you and have welcomed you.  And knowing Butch and Linda, they are already having a celebration for you.


And to the rest of still remaining here on Earth, may we remember what is important in life.  It is not the cars, the houses, or the fat bank account (although that might be nice) that is what is important.  What we need to be thankful for is our family and friends that help get us through the bad times and rejoice in the good times.  Family love is so important. 


So Steve, you will be missed, and remember to save a spot for each and every one of us when our time comes.  Life is so important and we must not take it for granted.  We never know when God will call us or our family members to His house.   Life is a gift and we must treat it at such.


May God bless your family through this difficult time.

Top 10 Signs You Might be Dating a Professional Liar/Cheater

So I got a call from a friend a couple of weeks ago and as we were catching up on what was going on in our lives, I asked her if she was still seeing "Bob."  She said, "No, and I will never see that scumbag again."  Turns out "Bob" just got married, has a baby on the way, and has been lying to her for months. When she confronted him with this new information, he said it was all true, but they were married on paper only, and that he would still like to see her.  Are you kidding me????  She has not seen or talked to him since.

Having had some "interesting" dating experiences, and for my friends out there who are having serious doubts about their man, I have compiled a top 10 list for professional liars/serial daters. 

What I am about to share with you came from one person, yes one person.  When you read one of his many online dating profiles, he appears to be a great guy.  But, with this particular person, the answer would be to run away quickly before he sucks you in.  He is not who he appears and his online profile reads that he places high value on the following:

• Faith (Catholic and has not been to church regularly since July 2010).
• Honesty and communication (you can judge that one for yourself once you have read the list).
• Family (Four children living 250 miles away and he saw them twice in 2010 and less than five times in 2011).  He makes plenty of money and has tons of vacation time, so neither one of those is a valid excuse.

This goes to show you that everything you read on dating profiles is not as it appears. 

He might be a professional liar/cheater if.....

1. He has an active or hidden online dating profile (listen to your girlfriends when they think they saw his profile on Match or POF and check it out for yourself).
2. He hides his friends and wall posts on Facebook.  He will add you as a friend but will tell you not to post any messages or pictures on his page. (Well, when you are married and haven't told the GF this information, it makes perfect sense).
3. You find numerous hotel room receipts that were rented locally, while you were dating, and you were not there (he claims they were for work).
4. He is packing shorts, flip flops, warm weather attire when going to visit a cold weather state in November (turns out he was spending time in Tampa.  He would never tell me who, but it was an old GF I am certain).
5. You find a book on sexual addiction in the trunk of his car (he never did explain that one and denied it was his).
6. You suspect that he has a drinking problem.  This person has two DUIs - summer 2009 and fall of 2010.  (He didn't think I needed to know about the first one, and the second one he had to tell me because he had not one else to call to get him out of jail).
7. He does not answer your calls/text messages for hours and/or days on end.  When someone is usually where they should not be, they will be unavailable or will send very short, sporadic text replies.
8. He says "married" then changes his answer to "single" while he is applying for a loan and you are sitting right next to him.
9. He is extremely secretive with his phone.   When someone is a serial cheater they are usually very careful with their phone.  That is because they do not want you to see contacts, pictures, and text messages.  Now if you have an account together, easy to go online and look up history.  If you don't have an account together, still easy, just takes a little creativity. 
10. He will not look you in the eye when you are confronting him about something or he will answer your question with a question.  This type of person has a story for everything you will throw at them.  Trust me, I have heard it all.

So for those of you out there dating, hang in there.  I know that it is rough trying to find that someone special.

I am just saying that if he seems to good to be true, he probably is.  Listen to your intuition and to the advice of your family and friends.  Time is too precious to waste with someone who has serious issues.

Here's to getting off the comfort couch and living life ~ Lisa

Forgiveness is Love

 

No matter what your goals, you cannot move forward until you forgive your loved ones, friends, yourself or even strangers who harmed and wronged you, whether deliberately or unintentionally.

When you feel forgiveness in your heart, it is easier to be happy, healthy, accomplish your goals and be at peace with yourself.  You see, forgiving another is really less about other people and more about being true, kind and respectful of ourselves.  Not forgiving someone else and not repenting for the wrongs you've committed can:

• Keep you trapped in anger and resentment
• Make you feel helpless, stuck and frustrated
• Harm you physically or emotionally
• Stop you from enjoying relationships or reveling in your accomplishments

On the other hand, forgiving others or asking for forgiveness can:

• Free, heal, nurture and release you
• Fill you with lightness, compassion and good will
• Empower and enliven you
• Bring you closer to God or goodness
• Refresh, reward and renew you

The following seven steps are important when a person needs to forgive someone else, or forgive themselves:

Face reality:  Own up to the reality that you need to forgive another person or yourself. If you don't accept that you're stuck in a bitter, unforgiving, intolerant quicksand, you'll never get out of your rut to live a sweet, fulfilling, and enriching life.

Out with the anger:   Even if you feel that the other person's offenses are real and your anger is justified, you should resolve to shed your resentment and anger.   Anger kept inside will just fester and will give you grey hair and wrinkles!

Remember that we are not perfect:   No one is perfect, and I think that we need to take a good look into our own thoughts and lives to see if we need to seek forgiveness from anyone. 

Give the benefit of the doubt:   Realize that, in most instances, the person(s) who harmed you was probably being either selfish or self-involved and was not out to hurt you. But if she or he had underlying, callous, unkind thoughts, then shower that person with pity, kindness and empathy. Looking at these "sinners"-or even yourself-with this kind of compassion and understanding can help to release you.

Imagine what forgiveness feels like:  Now visualize yourself breaking free with forgiveness. Pray to God for forgiveness, too.  Through Him all things are possible.

Value the experience:   Realize that forgiveness can be powerful and effective-perhaps as important as eating nourishing foods, exercising and believing in you. Acknowledge that letting go of anger and resentment can totally transform and improve your life.   I have seen this in my own life.

Embrace forgiveness:   Approaching another to apologize completes your 7-step process and helps you to achieve a joyous, merciful frame of mind. (If the person is no longer on this earth, imagine yourself humbly asking forgiveness and the other person pardoning you.)

I am one of those people that have difficulty with forgiving, but this past week I was able to forgive someone who hurt me dearly over the past couple of years.  Now, I didn’t say I forgot about his wrong doings (I am working on that one), but I have found it in my heart to forgive him.   I will spare you all the sordid details, but let me just say that what was done to me was hurtful, disrespectful, and outright deceitful.   Why did I stay with this person???  That is another subject for another day people.


The act of forgiveness is something that we should teach our children early on.  Along with teaching the act of forgiveness we should also be teaching them that is okay to admit that we did something wrong and apologize.  This goes along with taking responsibility for our own actions.  Nothing drives me crazier than to know someone who blames their mistakes on everyone else. 


Forgiveness is uplifting, gives us a clean state of mind, and allows us to move forward with our life. 

“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.”

 ~ Robert Muller

Here’s to getting off the comfort couch and living life ~ Lisa

Complacency is the Devil

Before I get into how to turn dreams into a reality, I must share my weekend successes and to let you all know that…

Change is good and change is underway…..in a big way!!

First, I booked a trip to St. Louis over spring break with my girls.  I have never taken them on a trip alone except to Minnesota to see family, so this is the first (of many) trip on our own.  We will be taking the train from KC to St. Louis, spending the night in a “fancy” hotel, taking in some of the sights of St. Louis then returning home on the train.  I am a little nervous because it is just me taking them, but it is going to be a great adventure and the girls are super excited.  This is totally taking me out of my comfort zone and it feels GREAT!

Second, I took the girls to yoga class this morning.  It was at Maya Yoga, downtown KC and it was an Introduction to Ashtanga class.  Saturday night we reviewed the proper way to breath (they thought it was silly), painted our toenails (class is barefoot so our toes need to look good), and talked about how important yoga is to our life.   They said they were excited to go, but I was not convinced.  Well, it went great!   They completed the entire class, kept up with the class (for the most part), and got a little sweaty.  And they got a nice complement from a gentleman in the class and Cate was just beaming.  Best part was that they both said they want to go again and attend the meditation class that follows the yoga class.  On the drive home my Cate, who is a self-proclaimed fashionista, announced that she now needed yoga clothes and a new yoga mat.  Done deal I told her.  These are the benefits of leaving the comfort zone and putting family first.

As a mother and a big influence in the lives of my children, I feel it is important to expose my girls to as many things as possible.  They both have a zest for life and I cannot wait to plan more activities with them.  I love being a mom!!

Now back to turning your dreams into reality.

Here are some tips to taking all your dreams and turning those dreams into reality.  Here are three ways to move towards the realization of our goals.

Total Clarity:  Before we do anything else, we need to clearly define exactly what our goal is.  This is not the time for generalities; we need to be very specific.  One of the best ways for you to get really clear is to write down a detailed description of what you want to accomplish.

Writing things down requires that we get a well-defined mental image first. The very process of putting our thoughts into words creates clarity.  This clarity will help you to form a vivid mental image that you can carry around with you 24 hours a day.  Most of the time your personal reference to your new goal will be that mental image, but you will also be able to refer back to the written description to help you maintain clarity.

One of the most powerful things you can include when writing down your goals and dreams is how they make you feel.  The feelings you attach to the things you intend to accomplish are your greatest source of motivation and energy.  So, be sure to include your feelings in your written description.  Think carefully about each aspect of this future reality.  How does it make you feel? What emotional anchors resonate with each detail?  Write them down.

As you read back through your written description, allow yourself to experience those feelings and get emotionally involved in the picture.  When you conjure up this mental image of how your life is going to be, fully experience it on an emotional level.  This is the true power of having clearly defined goals, and identifying your emotional attachments to them.

Take Action:  Now that you can see and feel your goal with clarity, it is time to begin moving towards it.  What steps do you need to take to move you closer to realizing this dream?  What sequence do those steps need to be in to produce your intended result?  What action can you take each and every day to keep you moving in the right direction?  Writing these things down will produce clarity.  It is much easier to take action when you know what actions need to be taken.

Reaching your goals means that you need to take the proper actions at the right time.  There is a natural sequence that will produce your intended result. Following the right sequence allows events to unfold in a very productive way.  Always take time to create an action plan. Not only will it keep you moving in the right direction, but it will also allow you to anticipate what comes next.

Of course, we can’t anticipate everything, and we need to be willing to make adjustments along the way. That’s the beauty of having an action plan, it allows us to be flexible without getting too far off course.  So, even though we will need to make minor adjustments, a plan keeps us heading in the right direction until we reach our goal.

Attract your dream to you:  Now that you know exactly where you are going, how you feel about it, and how you are going to get there, what is next?  When we started out there was distance between you and the goal you are working toward.  You have been actively closing that distance by moving toward your vision for the future.  Now it is time to draw your dream towards you.

How can you do that?  It is really just a matter of perspective.  Up until now, you have been projecting yourself into this vision that exists in the future, but let’s reverse that.  Instead of projecting yourself into a future reality, allow yourself to receive that reality in the present tense.

See yourself as stationary and your goal as something that moves toward you, and then surrounds and engulfs you.  Wrap yourself up in it like a giant blanket.  Feel the joy of receiving that vision.  Imagine how wonderful it feels to have the reality of that vision totally permeate your life right now.  Feel it in the here and now.

Become Unstoppable

Changing your reality to fit your dreams is no simple task.  Because reality is a ruthless tormentor, there will be few opportunities to take command. But if you take advantage of the few that exist and bar reality from within and without, there will be no stopping you.

 “When you set goals, something inside of you starts saying, "Let's go, let's go," and ceilings start to move up." ~ Zig Ziglar

Here’s to getting off the comfort couch and living life ~ Lisa

There is a Difference Between Jelly and Jam

Life is about having fun, learning along the way, and throwing yourself out there once in a while.  Well, I REALLY threw myself out there yesterday making a video for my students on how to make the perfect PB&J sandwich. 

The video is instructional, funny, and shows my quirky (according to my paras) personality.  But, the bottom line is that my students loved it and they used that visual information to make great sandwiches.  That was the entire point of the video.  Goal accomplished.

So, here is the video.  I know, I look like a dork, but it was really fun to make.



I am adding a cooking class to my schedule every Friday afternoon.  This will provide my students (2nd/3rd grade) practice following a recipe, learning to set a table, and working on their manners.  All of these are important skills in the game of life.

I was searching the internet looking for easy non-cooking recipes and there was not that much out there that I could use with my lifeskills class.  This got me thinking about a possible book to write.  A visual cookbook for non-readers.  Hmmm, this would definitely get me off the comfort couch and trying something new.

I would love to hear your ideas of what things you do to throw yourself out there.   I would love to get a comment from you.

Here’s to getting off the comfort couch and living life ~ Lisa

What the Heck is a Snooker Table?

I had dinner last night with a good friend and we had the most splendid time. The thing I enjoyed most about our time together was our great conversation. Topics of conversation for the evening were as follows:

 

• Gang bangers in the 8th grade in KCK (yes, they do start young)
• Dating in the year 2012 (lots of “interesting” people out there)
• My soul food luncheon at work (and it was YUMMY!)
• Our friends and family
• Snooker Tables (I had no idea what Snooker was…do you know?)

All in all, there was great discussion, good Merlot, and good company. Although if you go to Outback Steakhouse, the Wood-Fire Grilled Tuscan Ribeye rub is really salty so I would recommend you order something different unless you want to drink 5 gallons of water when you get home, which means you will be in the bathroom all night. Not a good thing.

 

What I noticed about the dinner talk was that the conversation evolved around us and what is happening in both of our worlds instead of talking about people we have never even met. We did not talk about the Kardashians, the 8 best free-agent quarterbacks, or the asking price for Michael Jordan’s home. We talked about what mattered to us.

 

I think too many people focus on the lives of people they will never meet. I have a friend who does not know that much about her neighbors or co-workers, but she can tell you everything about the reality stars on The Housewives of Beverly Hills. I am sure you all know someone who can tell you the batting average of every player on the Royals roster or the stats of every football player that ever lived. But think about it, does it really matter?? How much of that time could be spent doing something really important and significant to better out lives and those closest to you?

 

Today on MSN, the news headlines were:

 

Snooki is pregnant (why is this important I must ask?).
Justin Bieber turns 18 (he still looks like he is 12).
Rush Limbaugh calls college student a “slut.”

 

For me personally, I am on a media cleansing diet. I am cutting back on the useless information that I take into my brain. My brain is small and can only handle so much information, so I might as well make it useful information.

 

I am not saying that we need to completely disengage about what is going on in the world, maybe just be a little more selective about what we take in.

 

I have turned into a media/electronic junkie, so cutting back on information intake might make me a little crazy for a while, but I feel it a worthwhile endeavor to take more ownership of my time.

 

So for me, I am turning off the TV Monday-Thursday. Not that I watch a lot anyway, but I am going to turn it off and do something productive (the gym perhaps). I am also going to turn my phone off more often. Since becoming a cell phone user umpteen years ago, I have not once gotten a call that is a life/death situation and requires immediate response….not once.

 

Now, about that Snooker Table…

 

Here’s to getting off the comfort couch and living life ~ Lisa

Success Versus Significance

Before I get into my thoughts on where to begin, I want to take a look at success versus significance. Is there a difference in these two words and why does it matter?

Success versus Significance

To me, I think of success as money and having enough of it to buy and to have lots of nice stuff (most of it unnecessary I might add). To drive a luxury car (my Taurus, aka the Tortoise, does not exactly scream success), the ability to take nice vacations (I love to travel), and being able to take my girls to the Legends shopping any darn time I want to, not just around pay day. Success is an individual thing, but in my mind it centers on money. Success can be a very selfish thing if you are not careful. I believe that if I have a lot of money, people will view me as successful. I do consider myself somewhat successful even though I live on a meager teacher’s salary, but that is not enough for me. I want to matter in this world, to make a difference, and to leave a legacy. And that my friend is where significance comes into play.

Significance means making a difference and adding value in the lives of others.

The CD I was listening to this morning on my commute to work (while driving the speed limit I might add) talked about significance and what would be said at your eulogy. Just for clarification, a eulogy is a speech in praise of a person who has died. Who would come to your funeral, and what people would remember about you? It was a little on the depressing side to say the least, but it got me to thinking. What would be said in that eulogy???? Would anyone even bother showing up at my funeral? After much reflection (remember teachers are great at reflection) the word that comes to mind is family. I want to be known as a great mom, sister, auntie and daughter. The question I ask myself is how is that coming along? My response, not very well but I am working on putting those relationships back to a priority status. My whole “funk” and skewed priorities have affected my relationship with those people, the people that mean the most to me.


John C. Maxwell would say the five differences between success and significance are as follows:


Motives: With success, my motives may be selfish; with significance, my motives cannot be selfish. Significance and selfishness are incompatible.

Influence: With success, my influence is limited; with significance, my influence is unlimited.

Time: Success can last a lifetime; significance can last several lifetimes.

Focus: Success asks, “How can I add value to myself?” Significance asks, “How can I add value to others?”

Reward: If I pursue success, my joy is the result of my success; if I pursue significance, my joy is the result of others’ success.

This gives me a lot to think about in terms of how I view my life and how I am living my life. My mom died when I was 18, two days before my 19th birthday. When I think about the life that I am living, I always wonder, would she be proud of whom I have become? In a lot of ways, I would have to say no. Family was the most important thing in her life and it showed in everything she did from the canning she would do to the clothes she would sew for the family. Ahhh, that brings back memories of the snowmobile suits she sewed for everyone in the family for one year. Purple and green, most lovely. She put the needs of her family before her own needs. She was the most unselfish person I have ever known. I strive to be more like her and right now I am falling desperately short.

Remember that life is a journey that takes time. It takes commitment, practice, and reflection to become the best person you can be.

Pursuing significance takes us out of our comfort zone. Ahhh, this is where getting off my comfort couch comes into play.

Maybe I need to take a look at my Living Life List and see if all of these things align with my wanting to live a life of significance. My bet is that I am going to need to make some changes to that list….and that is okay!

How do you view success and significance? What would said in your eulogy?

“Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

Here’s to getting off the comfort couch and living life ~ Lisa