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All Good Things Must Come to an End

My sabbatical has come to an end. What a wonderful experience! How fortunate to be granted a sabbatical. It seems only yesterday that my sabbatical began in the heat of September. Now it is rainy and cold and I must return to the saltmines! I am glad I had the opportunity to learn new skills, implement new ideas, and become an expert on fashion plates!

I am especially happy that I now have an exercise program in place, a beginning yoga practice, and increased spiritual awareness.

It was great to take a pause in life, ponder where I am, and where I want to be. I now have an idea of what retirement could be!

Nameste!

Thanksgiving Week

I have a great book to recommend, Fumbling by Kerry Egan. The subtitle says it all: A Pilgrimage Tale of Love, Grief, and Spiritual Renewal on the Camino de Santiago. After reading this book when we were at the coast, I have decided that my sabbatical is like a pilgrimage. I have broaded my mind, strengthened my body, and tried new endeavors such as yoga and chakra class. I was just saying to my sister that I wanted to do the pilgrimage for my 50th birthday and she was interested in the idea. Then, I come across this book in a bookstore! Marianna is very jazzed about this. I plan to walk but also take trains/bus to make this easier. Marianna will be 15 when she does this which I think is a good age. We have 2 1/2 years to plan this journey.

I have completed my fashion plate Content DM portion of my sabbatical. It is uploaded, need to be proofed, and then awaits Tammy's approval before making public. I am addding lots to IM. After the Thanksgiving week, I will create my online exhibit and in house exhibit. This precious time is moving way too quickly!

We are having 2 Thanksgivings this year. Our mother/daugher ethnic cooking club is having a Danish Thanksgiving. I am bringing the appetizer of gravlax served on pumpernickel break w/ a honey mustard sauce. I am bringing the aquavit which is what Danes traditionally drink w/ Gravlax. I will use the vodka shot glasses my sister gave me for Christmas last year. We are going to freeze the aquavit in a water and flower ice block so it should look very festive. While at the coast, I found some good wine that will go w/ the main course of goose. Our article proposal to Gourmet on our club was rejected as "too educational" but I have sent the proposal off to Working Mother. We are having a slumber party on Thanksgiving and then will prepare the traditional meal the next day using all my organic produce from TD Willey Farms. I will be making a shallot and cranberry relish, sweet potatoe fluff, green bean casserole, and teaching the girls how to make a real apple pie w/ real piecrust.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 8

I have spent the week adding sites to Infomine and also working w/ Content DM. I have changed the template to reflect the fields that are important to the Fashion Plate Collection. I am deleting the ones that aren't very helpful. All of the images are uploaded and I will be entering data. I am meeting w/ Tammy on Monday am to get feedback before I proceed further. I have begun my online web exhibit on the fashion plates using Dreamweaver, but this has taken a backseat to CDM and IM.

Santiago and my sabbatical

Santiago spent from October 13th through 23rd at Dr. Hills being treated for the aftereffects of his operation for his fibrosarcoma. He came home Sunday night and was happy and purring but in the morning hid under the bed. He threw up so I brought him back to the vet. I told Dr. hill I was running out of financial and emotional resources and she is keeping him this week gratis. What a saint! He will come home, hopefully get well, and then will have to have the new growth taken out of his head. We are hoping it is a simple cyst and not more of the cancer. I visited Santi daily, hand feeding him and keeping him company. I was only able to work on my sabbatical in bits and pieces but it seems to have come together today.

On a lighter note, my sister and niece visited this past weekend. We had lunch at Oaxaca (which I highly recommend). She had chicken mole negro and I had pork mole colarado. The highlight was the rows and rows of calaveras for Day of the Dead. We had them made with all of our names. Claire has already eaten hers but we are saving ours. We also purchased small ones for all of Marianna's soccer teammates. She wants to give them out at the Halloween tournament. I was also able to pick up a candle of the Virgen de Juqila http://www.johntoddjr.com/09%20Juquila/juquilaharvey.html. Too bad we didn't know of this shrine when we were in Oaxaca. However, she keeps me company when I am working on my computer. Another find was the Shinzen Japanese Garden in Woodpark. I can't believe I've never been there--what at oasis!http://www.shinzenjapanesegarden.org/

Hard Week

My cat, Santiago, had surgery on Thursday to remove a growth between his shoulder blades. A fibrosarcoma was removed by Dr. Hill. This is one of the worst cancers that an animal or person could get. The growth has tentacles and Santi's had gone down around his spine. It was removed but the biopsy showed a low to intermediate fibrosarcoma w/ a 22% chance of recurrence. If it recurred, it would probably be in the spine, etc...We brought Santi home Saturday and I thought being at home would be the best for him. However, it didn't seem to do much and I brought him back Sunday am. He is being forced fed, has an iv for fluids etc, etc, etc...I will go and visit him tomorrow as I have done since he was hospitalized.

This coming week, I plan to focus on learning Content DM so I can input the fashion plates and their data and get this part over w/ I also plan to continue entering sites into Infomine.

I attended a new yoga class tonight: Restoration Yoga. Basically, you use a bolster and a blanket and hold poses for 5-7 minutes. Very relaxing--great way to end the weekend/begin the week.

I had my numbers run at GEMS and I have lost 4 fat pounds and transformed them into muscle pounds. Apparently this is quite good for one month. I have lost bust/waist size but nothing at hips/thighs! Must continue to work at it!I plan to increase yoga from 2x/week to 3/week and GEMS from 3x/5x week.

Quote for the week: Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Confucius.

Healthy Eating

I am adding to my repetoire of recipes while on sabbatical. I am trying new recipes w/ soy or are lowfat. Try the following

Chicken Parmesan from WW Simply Delicious Cookbook. This is one of Marianna's new faves.
Serves 4/7 points per serving

4 (1/2 lb) skinless chicken breasts. I substitute chicken tenders
1/2 t salt
2 T reduced mayo
1/2 C italian bread crumbs
1 sliced tomato (I used romas as they fit better on the tenders)
1 T olive oil
1/2 C shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 T grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat over to 425. Spray baking sheet w/ nonstick spray.
2. Sprinkle chicken w/ salt, the brush both sides w/ mayo. Place the crumbs in ziploc bag. Shake pieces 1-2 at a time in bread crumbs.
3. Place chick on baking sheet. Top with tomatoe slices; sprink with the oil and mozzarella cheese. Bake until cooked thru, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle w/ parmesan.

This is the best broccoli soup ever. From The Okinawa Diet Plan Cookbook.
Healthis Cream of Broccoli Soup
Serves 4/1 (yes 1) pt/serving

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C thinly sliced onion
3 C broccoli florets
1/2 C chopped celery (I add red pepper too!)
1 1/2 C veggie broth (I used Trader Joes brand)
1 1/2 C soymilk, plain
1/4 C flour

Spray bottom of stockpot w/ canola oil and heat over med heat. Cook garlic and onion for 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and 1/2 transparent. Add the broccoli and celery, stiff, and add beggie broth. Cover and cook for 8 minutes or until all veggies are tender. Transfer to the blender and process until pureed. Return the soup to the stockpot and add the soymilk. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Do not boil.

In the meantime, combine the flour and 1/3 c water and mix until smooth. Add this to the soup and stir. Simmer for additiona 1-2 minutes, or until soup has thickened.

Also good as a leftover. Enjoy!