We are finally going to be making the move. We will actually be moving about 10 minutes up the mountain, away from the rolling hills filled with large oak trees and to the vast deepness of the tall pines. This house is tucked way in at the end of it's street and only 4 minutes from the freeway. The entrance itself is virtually unseen from the road and the drive in is narrow and shady from the towering trees all around. As the driveway curves, it opens up to a really large black top area and the 2-car garage and house just beyond (this is the first time we have ever had a real garage...yeah!). To the right is a huge log-built carport that could easily house a large RV and a car with a boat attached to the back.... or spaciously park 4 cars underneath. To the left of the generously paved area is the beginning of an expansive treed forest, which expands also down the back of the house. Over there is an unfenced 50 acres, not to mention the 1.3 acres of the property itself. Talk about exploration and hiking! The home has a back deck that is fully covered, and it has a panoramic view of the forest just beyond the open area down below for the kids to run around and roll and play soccer and...

In the front, there is a mini-deck walkway to the front door that we are going to line with bamboo because it has only a 1 and a half foot tall (I am guessing) railing that is asking for someone to trip on it. Inside the doorway is the dining space with pergo flooring(once again, guessing) with the beige-carpeted living room opening at an angle at about 1:00 (directionally speaking) if you are standing at the doorway, where you can completely see the large sliding glass door and the deck and forest beyond. At about 11:00, there is an angled doorway(or archway) where the guest bathroom and the bedrooms (and master bath and walk in closet) are down the hall. To the right, is the opening of the dining area and the kitchen that has newer wooden cabinets and nice appliances (this is cool because we currently have a home with particle board cabinetry, 70's yellow linoleum, and a dishwasher that doesn't work for crap). There is a large pantry and of course the door to the garage. There is not a laundry room in this home, but our last home has a laundry room that is the only house link to the back deck, and furthermore we didn't have a garage. So, having a house with a garage and laundry hookups, without a laundry room works for me..and having a normal slider to the back deck works for me, too.

Anyway, we are pretty excited and half of the house junk is packed. The carport-turned-to-a-garage is going to be the challenge because there are endless building materials, tools, car crap..... We will be moving this weekend and luckily our friend and her husband will be coming to help us out (hey, we need a babysitter and some more muscle power). Let's now just cross our fingers to ensure it won't snow up there this weekend....

Get Involved (Kids and Adults Alike)

Here is a small list of how both adults and their children can participate in giving back to our local and global communities, animals and the environment. This is but a short sample coming from off the top of my head, but there are so many ways of helping out. See if you can find at least one or two things on the list, or an expanded version of your own, that you can do in the near future. The more you give, especially without thanks, the better you feel.

1. Join a local cleanup
2. Donate money to an organization.
3. Walk/run/bike for a cause.
4. Plant trees.
5. Spread wildflower seeds in barren areas.
6. Pick up litter when you see it.
7. Help at a local homeless shelter.
8. Help at a woman's shelter.
9. Help at a wildlife refuge or animal shelter.
10. Landscape a simple and self-sustaining front yard of an old person in need.
11. Donate food to a food bank.
12. Donate your used stuff.
13. Write a letter or an email to local or federal govt. about an issue of concern.
14. Help out at a disaster zone (maybe not with children).
15. Adopt an animal(s).
16. Back off of the water usage. Don't take imbibeable freshwater for granted - it's less than 1% of the Earth's aqua.
17. Compost your leftover food and trimmings.
18. Recycle.
19. Start a garden.
20. Support local farmers.
21. Teach young kids how to care for the environment.
22. Stop buying from places with products mainly from China, like WalMart.
23. Put on a performance for the elderly at an old folks home.
24. Buy a homeless person a thick blanket or dinner (and I don't mean McDonald's crap).
25. If you're awesome enough(I am not), foster or even adopt a child. There are many in need.
26. Stay updated on the latest, from reliable sources, so you know where to stand on issues.
27. Help someone out in public if they could clearly use it.
28. If you can, (I have a fantasy about this, but can't cuz the kids) go to a third world country and help build homes or help distribute food to the starving. This is awesome...
29. Preseve energy - don't have anything plugged in or operating unless necessary at that moment.
30. Paint a mural on an ugly wall in an ugly area. Sort of gives a sense of hope.



There are so many other ways to help this world around us and the world beyond our senses (like we can't possibly fathom what it would be like to live in Ethiopia or Iraq, for instance). So pitch in. Compose your own list of ideas for the future and things with which you already partake. Feel very free to jot down more of your ideas or personal goals in the comments, we would love to hear new ideas or what you are doing to help our Earth as a whole, even on the smallest scale. Every little bit truly helps.

Living Simply: My Top 5

When I say I want to live simply, it's not just a statement, it's actually a brand of thinking and lifestyle. Living simply can be covered eloquently by Henry David Thoreau or laid out plainly by Buddha, and in this day and age it means a whole lot more because there is so much to fight against, societally speaking. It is sort of an anti-consumerist, pro-environmentalist, non-superficial, and no-stress approach to life. This is hard to attain if we are trapped in the cycle of thinking we are what we have. Even with a large family, we can live "richly" and very satisfied with only one income and such an unstable economy. There are endless ways to make your life simpler and less stressful, thus happier. One way to simplify is to start by jotting down the top 5 most important aspects of your life. This was hard for me to be incredibly specific, so I created a more general response to this list and realized this was pretty complete. Everyone's list will be different and unique. Here's mine:

1. Family - The number one focus in my life is my family, namely my husband and children. No matter what else is going on externally, or internally for that matter, they are always first. When you give unconditional love, you actually feel better about yourself and have more love to give naturally. It's a lovely domino effect. There is nothing more beautiful than watching your children bloom from their tender beginning into what they will gradually continue becoming as they ripen and evolve. There is also such beauty in nurturing a long-term relationship between 2 lovers, riding the waves of life's everychanging flow, especially when you share the gift of life together. I can go out and experience so much still, simply by taking my family along with me.

2. Gardening/Nature -This is the second most important thing (probably tied with#3) because this in itself is a celebration of life. Gardening is giving birth to plantlife and food that will then nurture us when eaten. It is keeping humans in touch with nature, the earth, outdoors, fresh air... It creates a healthier person to garden and/or expose onself to nature both physically and mentally, thus more spiritually. Eating organically gardened food obviously promotes physical health, as does being out in nature or in the garden, getting exercise. These also both calm the mind and create a clarity with onself or one's God. We strive to live on an acre of beautiful nature surrounding us, with area to also plant a vegetable garden. It is also much healthier for children to grow up in an environment that involves these components.

3. Yoga/Physical Activity - As mentioned before, this element of my life is equally as important as #2. Yoga is a balanced way to optimize physical and mental health, core strength, and life-changing flexibility and control. I am also one to find the answers from within myself, and yoga enhances this pursuit greatly. Staying active is a wonderful aspect of my life. This includes, dancing, walking on the treadmill, nature hikes, running, playing with the kids.... This is what our body is made for, not to sit around like slugs all the time.

4. Making a Difference - We want to make a difference environmentally and politically, locally and on a global level... We have been donating money for many years to many organizations from saving tibet, to doctors without borders, to nrdc, to save the redwoods, to arbor day foundation to ..... this is only to name a few. We have never been well-off, but still we found some way to support them because we knew of the vast importance. We have been to rally's and signed numerous petitions and sent many letters to officials and tried to spread the word on a number of issues, from McCain/Palin to 9/11 to George W..... We have supported local farmers, we hardly buy things new, we tread lightly on the earth. In fact, we are a family of 5 and still growing, but I guarentee that our family treads more lightly on the earth than most family's of 3 or 4!

5. Creativity - This is quite a broad category because as life progresses, so do people's interests. I was knitting like crazy when I was pregnant with our 3rd son, but now I haven't much time for this as my brain has shifted to other stuff. I love writing (obviously), knitting, sewing, reading, art, dance, drama, music, singing, anything else I can't think of at the moment or that which I haven't yet discovered. Plus, my children demand the opening of a whole different realm of creativity based on individuality and everchanging age. Creativity is very satisfying and soul-reaching. People have lost touch with this as technology and consumerism has prevailed over time.

Compose a list of your top 5, it's a really fun and simple way to put life into perspective.


Namaste