It has not been a good year for mittens, hats and scarves at the Garrett residence. Sadly, many have chosen to run away rather than live with the constant stress of keeping my extremities warm. It's been tough. I personally have been enjoying the bitter winds, many inches of snow and the incessant face-biting of each winter storm, but they have been worked to the core and after demandig a raise which I could not in good conscience grant, they have moved on to bigger and better pastures. Or gutters. I don't really know.
My most devastating loss was indeed the red hat, purchased on a whim and delighted in for it's fashionable and modern twist on keeping the head warm. But by far the most baffling disappearance was that of a true staple piece, the acrylic woven black hat, last seen as it was being thrown off the end of the bed in the moments before I drifted off to sleep some few nights ago.
The next morning I went to grab it from the floor and it was not there. I assumed it made it's way under the bed and chose not to worry, grabbed a more fashionable, less sensible piece for the morning commute. My ears were cold that day, but I looked good. The next day, reason again overtook me and I set out to discover the wearabouts of the aforementioned 'staple' piece and to my surprise, I could not find it. I even got a flashlight to assist in the search. After more time than I had went by, I dug through the reserves and pulled out a matching hat and scarf set that I have long-since loathed, manifested detachment and left the house.
Now for the first time all winter am I finally joining the ranks of "I wish it was over already" but my reasons are...unique. All I can figure is that the Hat Monster took my baby away. I thought he didn't exist....but, sigh, I guess that he does.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Amendment
I would like to make an amendment to a former post in light of recent strong evidence to the power of the written word and the power of my thoughts on my own life and existence. I would like to resoundingly state, inasmuch as one can resoundingly state anything, that there is MORE THAN ENOUGH TO GO AROUND OF EVERY GOOD AND WONDERFUL THING WE WANT FOR OURSELVES. Specifically that there are plenty and numerous of those wonderful and amazing men out there for all of us who so desire to have one. It is just a matter of me picking the best one....and I'm terribly picky, especially with SO MANY OPTIONS.
there. it's out there. now universe, do your work.
if you have questions, please see post "Have I been that into me?" then respond.
there. it's out there. now universe, do your work.
if you have questions, please see post "Have I been that into me?" then respond.
Friday, February 15, 2008
MUSTARD!
I love mustard.
But I do not like dijon mustard.
I also do not like restaurants that only carry dijon mustard. (snobs, I say)
My current project at work has got me researching condiments and I came across the Plochmans web page. Guess what? The Bahai Faith is mentioned on their website. Interesting, huh? I will cut and paste some of that interesting for you below:
Which country is the world’s largest producer of mustard seed?
Answer: Canada. You can find Canadian mustard seed used in mustard factories in France and Germany as well as in North America.
How long have people been using mustard for seasoning?
Answer: For recorded history, and probably, therefore, for a long time before that.
Here are some dates that we found mentioned:
Abraham is said to have served tongue with mustard.
The Egyptians are said to have eaten mustard seeds by chewing them along with meat.
6th century BC: Pythagoras mentioned mustard as a cure for scorpion bites. (Okay, that’s not a seasoning, but it is interesting. It appears that Pythagoras had theories about more things than right triangles.)
6th Century BC: The story of Buddha, the lady, and the mustard seed.
500 BC: Aristophanes wrote of mustard-spiced stews.
200 BC: The Roman playwright, Plautus, in Pseudolus, has the cook saying: "It is rubbed with criminal mustard, which burns the eyes of those who grate it."
1st Century AD: Pliny the Elder claimed that mustard would improve lazy housewives.
9th Century AD: During Charlemagne’s reign, mustard was cultivated on imperial lands and in the monasteries in Paris.
1758: We have found unconfirmed references that Benjamin Franklin was responsible for bringing mustard to the United States.
What are the origins of the term "Mustard?"
Answer: There are several theories, one that dates back to Roman times based on the use of "Must" or unfermented wine to make mustard. Two other theories come from the town motto of the town of Dijon France.
Originally mustard was called Sinapis. Some students claim that during Roman times the word Sinapis started to be replaced by words such as Mustum, Mustarum, and Mustardum as new wine, or "Must" was mixed with mustard seeds to make a paste.
More recent theories come from France. In one, the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold, gave the town of Dijon a coat of arms in 1382 with the motto "MOULT ME TARDE" (based on Multum Ardeo – I ardently desire). As the story goes, the motto was adopted by the town’s many mustard-makers, who eventually shortened it into Moul-tarde (to burn much).
Similarly, another story has it that the motto was given the citizens of Dijon by King Charles VI. In this version, the motto "MOULT ME TARDE" meant "Off to Battle." A humorous side note on this story was that some opponents of the Dijon army saw the motto but missed the "ME," in the middle, and came to believe they were dealing with an army of mustard-makers.
What religious writings include references to mustard?
Answer: Many of the world’s largest religions. We have found references from Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Bahai, Judaism, and Hinduism.
From the Persian Bayan of Sayyid `Ali Muhammad Shirazi:
"There is no-one but that, should he mention the letter of paradise,the spirits of the angels connected to them shall at that moment, gaze upon him and bless him on behalf of God. But when someone mentions the letters of hell, should he do so out of love for them, the spirits of the Satans of hell shall gaze upon him. If he does not seek refuge with God, they shall bring upon him whatever they are capable of, even if it be only a perturbation of the heart. But if he should seek refuge with God, and invoke his anger against them, they shall be unable to find any faith into him, nor shall they be able to have his faith even to the extent of nine ninths of ten tenths of a grain of mustard-seed."
From the writings of Bahá'u'lláh:
"Be vigilant, that ye may not do injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this, verily, is the straight path . . . Decide justly between men, and be ye the emblems of justice amongst them . . . Beware not to deal unjustly with any one that appealeth to you, and entereth beneath your shadow . . . "
What famous conqueror sent his opponent a sack of mustard seeds for intimidation?
Answer: Alexander the Great.
Darius, King of Persia, sent Alexander a bag of sesame seeds, meant to suggest the number of Darius’ troops. Alexander, in return, sent Darius a bag of mustard seeds, not only more numerous because of their smaller size, but also more potent and fiery than sesame.
How is mustard heat different from pepper heat?
The sensation of heat from mustard comes from a volatile oil released when mustard seed is mixed with water. In very hot mustards the "heat" travels up the nose, even making your eyes water. It then dissipates, which we think is a favorable feature of mustard. Pepper heat, on the other hand, is concentrated in the mouth. It does not dissipate quickly, and it can be cumulative.
But I do not like dijon mustard.
I also do not like restaurants that only carry dijon mustard. (snobs, I say)
My current project at work has got me researching condiments and I came across the Plochmans web page. Guess what? The Bahai Faith is mentioned on their website. Interesting, huh? I will cut and paste some of that interesting for you below:
Which country is the world’s largest producer of mustard seed?
Answer: Canada. You can find Canadian mustard seed used in mustard factories in France and Germany as well as in North America.
How long have people been using mustard for seasoning?
Answer: For recorded history, and probably, therefore, for a long time before that.
Here are some dates that we found mentioned:
Abraham is said to have served tongue with mustard.
The Egyptians are said to have eaten mustard seeds by chewing them along with meat.
6th century BC: Pythagoras mentioned mustard as a cure for scorpion bites. (Okay, that’s not a seasoning, but it is interesting. It appears that Pythagoras had theories about more things than right triangles.)
6th Century BC: The story of Buddha, the lady, and the mustard seed.
500 BC: Aristophanes wrote of mustard-spiced stews.
200 BC: The Roman playwright, Plautus, in Pseudolus, has the cook saying: "It is rubbed with criminal mustard, which burns the eyes of those who grate it."
1st Century AD: Pliny the Elder claimed that mustard would improve lazy housewives.
9th Century AD: During Charlemagne’s reign, mustard was cultivated on imperial lands and in the monasteries in Paris.
1758: We have found unconfirmed references that Benjamin Franklin was responsible for bringing mustard to the United States.
What are the origins of the term "Mustard?"
Answer: There are several theories, one that dates back to Roman times based on the use of "Must" or unfermented wine to make mustard. Two other theories come from the town motto of the town of Dijon France.
Originally mustard was called Sinapis. Some students claim that during Roman times the word Sinapis started to be replaced by words such as Mustum, Mustarum, and Mustardum as new wine, or "Must" was mixed with mustard seeds to make a paste.
More recent theories come from France. In one, the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold, gave the town of Dijon a coat of arms in 1382 with the motto "MOULT ME TARDE" (based on Multum Ardeo – I ardently desire). As the story goes, the motto was adopted by the town’s many mustard-makers, who eventually shortened it into Moul-tarde (to burn much).
Similarly, another story has it that the motto was given the citizens of Dijon by King Charles VI. In this version, the motto "MOULT ME TARDE" meant "Off to Battle." A humorous side note on this story was that some opponents of the Dijon army saw the motto but missed the "ME," in the middle, and came to believe they were dealing with an army of mustard-makers.
What religious writings include references to mustard?
Answer: Many of the world’s largest religions. We have found references from Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Bahai, Judaism, and Hinduism.
From the Persian Bayan of Sayyid `Ali Muhammad Shirazi:
"There is no-one but that, should he mention the letter of paradise,the spirits of the angels connected to them shall at that moment, gaze upon him and bless him on behalf of God. But when someone mentions the letters of hell, should he do so out of love for them, the spirits of the Satans of hell shall gaze upon him. If he does not seek refuge with God, they shall bring upon him whatever they are capable of, even if it be only a perturbation of the heart. But if he should seek refuge with God, and invoke his anger against them, they shall be unable to find any faith into him, nor shall they be able to have his faith even to the extent of nine ninths of ten tenths of a grain of mustard-seed."
From the writings of Bahá'u'lláh:
"Be vigilant, that ye may not do injustice to anyone, be it to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. Tread ye the path of justice, for this, verily, is the straight path . . . Decide justly between men, and be ye the emblems of justice amongst them . . . Beware not to deal unjustly with any one that appealeth to you, and entereth beneath your shadow . . . "
What famous conqueror sent his opponent a sack of mustard seeds for intimidation?
Answer: Alexander the Great.
Darius, King of Persia, sent Alexander a bag of sesame seeds, meant to suggest the number of Darius’ troops. Alexander, in return, sent Darius a bag of mustard seeds, not only more numerous because of their smaller size, but also more potent and fiery than sesame.
How is mustard heat different from pepper heat?
The sensation of heat from mustard comes from a volatile oil released when mustard seed is mixed with water. In very hot mustards the "heat" travels up the nose, even making your eyes water. It then dissipates, which we think is a favorable feature of mustard. Pepper heat, on the other hand, is concentrated in the mouth. It does not dissipate quickly, and it can be cumulative.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Why?
Last year I received a refund of more than $700. This year I apparently owe $151. My net income is only greater by a few hundred dollars than last year. I did not check a different box on my W4. Not much changed in my way of finances, due to some extenuating circumstances I figured I would get a smaller refund. I did NOT think I would owe money. I am looking into the matter.
I will be pleased with that apparent $600 refund that is apparently coming in May. I know some people who are not pleased and since anything more I would say on the matter would be ill-hearted of me, let me just emphasize again, I am very much looking forward to that check.
I will be pleased with that apparent $600 refund that is apparently coming in May. I know some people who are not pleased and since anything more I would say on the matter would be ill-hearted of me, let me just emphasize again, I am very much looking forward to that check.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
It's my anniversary
(tune: The Jets, Make it Real)
Tonight, it's been a year
We met each other here
In my heart, I'll pretend
That you are here again
Hear me crying out to yooooou!
You said never never
would I leave
Here's a tear from me to you!
(tune: Tony! Toni! Tone! It's our Anniversary)
Tomorrow will come and girl I can't wait
It's our anniversary
our anniversary
(fast forward to the chorus)
It's our anniversaryyyyyy!
And it is folks. One year ago today I smoked my last cigarette.
I tried before and I tried again but I think this time's the winner.
I'm thrrough.
And I'm happy!
Tonight, it's been a year
We met each other here
In my heart, I'll pretend
That you are here again
Hear me crying out to yooooou!
You said never never
would I leave
Here's a tear from me to you!
(tune: Tony! Toni! Tone! It's our Anniversary)
Tomorrow will come and girl I can't wait
It's our anniversary
our anniversary
(fast forward to the chorus)
It's our anniversaryyyyyy!
And it is folks. One year ago today I smoked my last cigarette.
I tried before and I tried again but I think this time's the winner.
I'm thrrough.
And I'm happy!
Friday, February 01, 2008
Have I been that into me?
As time passes (weird how it does that), more and more of my single female friends are experiencing similar crises of acceptance, myself included, and it's left us all in a bit of a pickle.
Recently I finished reading the book, "He's just not that into you" and while it served it's purpose with me, giving me a satisfied renewed sense of self and a further jolt of patience, it did not eliminate one of the biggest fears that I live with today.
The book revolves around a disgustingly simple concept-which no woman I know actually disagrees with: the idea that a man would rather lose a body part than tell a woman that she's not the one. So instead he is eternally busy, or not able to commit to anyone at the moment, or does not want to ruin the friendship....so on and so forth. But of course, really, he is just not that into her. Makes sense to me.
But in my race to share the wonder with my all of my girls I was getting push back. "But I KNOW this guy was really into me, he just wasn't good at relationships with anyone, not even his own parents" and so on and so forth. I heard this from a few of my friends, And with a smile I remind my fill-in-the-blank, genius, wonderful, beautiful and wise friend whom I love dearly, that this too, was mentioned in the book. And that while indeed there are some truly valid cases where this sort of thing may be true, that 99.99 percent of the time, it's an excuse given to avoid the fact that the guy just doesn't think you are THE ONE. And that in the case where said- excuse MIGHT ACTUALLY BE TRUE, and this relationship is an exception to the rule, the book asks us that rather than think of ourselves as exceptions to the rule, we ought to think of ourselves as the rule. Why? Because, who really wants to date a guy who is bad at loving you anyway? Right?
But I get a lot of buts. And I try to entice them to read the book and truth is, some will, some won't and some already did but chose to deny the contents because, (and I am interjecting here, all me) the truth and alternative is just damn scary. If you're in my same boat, you will have seen this coming from about 3o miles away, but what it boils down to is if all the book says is right, than the reality is that there are not enough of the type of men we deserve/need to go around. (and to answer your question, Ingrid, I think it is both cultural and epidemic.)
And how does one live in a world where this is true? Especially if she wants to have children or familal close companionship into her 60s and 70s? All this is mentioned in the book of course, along with reallly supportive banter that makes you smile and feel hopeful.
But the truth is I am facing the fact that I may remain single the total of my life. And I am not really sure I can be content with that. I currently live in a state resigned acceptance-I experience happiness in bouts and sadness in bouts and I try to tune out my married friends who insist that it's my recognition of wanting a mate that is keeping a mate from me and tune out my younger friends who insist that I am not too young and that I will surely find someone before my body decides it cannot have babies anymore.
My resolve is to live life 'to the fullest' oh yeah, I did it, I busted out the cliche....and just keep going. I spend time with children regularly which acts as a temporary medicine and I try to keep the most wonderful people in my life in continual supply for my ups and my downs. I've trimmed the awareness down to a quiet dull roar in the back of my soul. I love my life truly. I have been practicing gratitude for everything, and that helps. My main thing these days is to make sure I have been into me. You know what I'm saying?
Recently I finished reading the book, "He's just not that into you" and while it served it's purpose with me, giving me a satisfied renewed sense of self and a further jolt of patience, it did not eliminate one of the biggest fears that I live with today.
The book revolves around a disgustingly simple concept-which no woman I know actually disagrees with: the idea that a man would rather lose a body part than tell a woman that she's not the one. So instead he is eternally busy, or not able to commit to anyone at the moment, or does not want to ruin the friendship....so on and so forth. But of course, really, he is just not that into her. Makes sense to me.
But in my race to share the wonder with my all of my girls I was getting push back. "But I KNOW this guy was really into me, he just wasn't good at relationships with anyone, not even his own parents" and so on and so forth. I heard this from a few of my friends, And with a smile I remind my fill-in-the-blank, genius, wonderful, beautiful and wise friend whom I love dearly, that this too, was mentioned in the book. And that while indeed there are some truly valid cases where this sort of thing may be true, that 99.99 percent of the time, it's an excuse given to avoid the fact that the guy just doesn't think you are THE ONE. And that in the case where said- excuse MIGHT ACTUALLY BE TRUE, and this relationship is an exception to the rule, the book asks us that rather than think of ourselves as exceptions to the rule, we ought to think of ourselves as the rule. Why? Because, who really wants to date a guy who is bad at loving you anyway? Right?
But I get a lot of buts. And I try to entice them to read the book and truth is, some will, some won't and some already did but chose to deny the contents because, (and I am interjecting here, all me) the truth and alternative is just damn scary. If you're in my same boat, you will have seen this coming from about 3o miles away, but what it boils down to is if all the book says is right, than the reality is that there are not enough of the type of men we deserve/need to go around. (and to answer your question, Ingrid, I think it is both cultural and epidemic.)
And how does one live in a world where this is true? Especially if she wants to have children or familal close companionship into her 60s and 70s? All this is mentioned in the book of course, along with reallly supportive banter that makes you smile and feel hopeful.
But the truth is I am facing the fact that I may remain single the total of my life. And I am not really sure I can be content with that. I currently live in a state resigned acceptance-I experience happiness in bouts and sadness in bouts and I try to tune out my married friends who insist that it's my recognition of wanting a mate that is keeping a mate from me and tune out my younger friends who insist that I am not too young and that I will surely find someone before my body decides it cannot have babies anymore.
My resolve is to live life 'to the fullest' oh yeah, I did it, I busted out the cliche....and just keep going. I spend time with children regularly which acts as a temporary medicine and I try to keep the most wonderful people in my life in continual supply for my ups and my downs. I've trimmed the awareness down to a quiet dull roar in the back of my soul. I love my life truly. I have been practicing gratitude for everything, and that helps. My main thing these days is to make sure I have been into me. You know what I'm saying?
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