tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58062809543534355172024-03-02T09:29:34.926-08:00Petit FleurAdventures in evolution and nonsensePetit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-32981358448502549992015-08-04T09:23:00.001-07:002015-08-04T09:23:11.497-07:00TESTINGIt's been forever since I posted here... mainly because I forgot the password and was too lazy or anxious to pursue it... I guess all things Google are connected now, so there is that. Let's see if this works and btw, if you are an old bloggy world friend, HELLOOOOO!Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-36738230010270003482013-09-13T13:30:00.002-07:002013-09-13T13:41:39.169-07:00That's IT!! I'm GOING to Pie Town.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
These fabulous people are raising money on FB to complete their movie about life in Pie Town, or more specifically, the Pie Lady. So if you want to give to something sweet, here's your chance.</div>
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Happy Friday, let's all eat pie!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uqAbTTNsJp8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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If you click on the photo below it will take you to the Pie Lady website and this video has some really fun music in it. I could not get it to post like the above one though. It is well worth the click, it's so dang light, fun and yummy!</div>
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<a aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_180" data-ft="{"tn":";"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=537156336322862&extragetparams=%7B%22hc_location%22%3A%22stream%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/ThePieLadyOfPieTown?ref=stream&hc_location=stream" id="js_181" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">The Pie Lady of Pie Town</a><span class="fwn fcg" style="color: grey; font-weight: normal;"> · Suggested Post</span></div>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3,"tn":"K"}" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.38;">Just a few days left to raise funds for the film "Pie Lady of Pie Town" - every little bit helps. Please pass this on to anyone you think could help as well; link takes you to the "sizzle reel" as well as to the donation site. We are $2280 short of the goal and post production costs are rising. Thanks to all of you who have contributed. Peace through pie!</span></h5>
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<a class="pam shareText" href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pie-lady-of-pie-town-the-second-slice/x/172289" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; max-height: 154px; min-height: 72px; padding: 8px 10px 7px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong>Pie Lady of Pie Town - the Second Slice</strong></a></div>
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<a class="pam shareText" href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pie-lady-of-pie-town-the-second-slice/x/172289" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; display: block; max-height: 154px; min-height: 72px; padding: 8px 10px 7px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">How one woman in a remote western town spreads peace through pie, one slice at a time.</a></div>
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Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-61041761987872970652013-08-20T20:55:00.002-07:002013-08-20T20:55:24.679-07:00Publix and White CastleOh Florida, I did miss you. We just got back from a whirlwind trip to see family in Orlando and S FL. It was so great to be back there. I even missed the humidity! It just feels like home to me. <br />
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I was seeing and enjoying my family in a whole new light as well. It was a great homecoming. Harley got to meet his far away family as a "real person" as one cousin put it who met him as a baby. He will remember those characters now by God! My aunt Phyllis scared the life out of him with her loud laughter, but he hugged her anyway. (So cute) She laughs when she is over come with emotion or showing her approval. Actually, sometimes she just laughs because she likes to. She's funny that way!<br />
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I also got to visit my most FAVORITE store on the planet, Publix. Well, it is my favorite grocery store. Harley got his free cookie and all was right with the world. When we landed in LA I over heard several of the passengers talking about Publix and White Castle burgers. Things that they missed about living in LA. I almost piped up, but I was too exhausted. I just smiled and enjoyed listening to them and feeling a silent kinship. <br />
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I'm still jet lagged. We arrived home last night around 8pm pacific time and Harley's first day of school was TODAY. Oops. A good friend says that she did not receive the religious gene. I did not receive the good planning gene.<br />
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More Florida Shenanigans to come. Please stand by...Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-31257021253537559762013-07-13T20:54:00.000-07:002013-07-15T10:12:44.499-07:00ARRRRRRRrrrrrrr!! and Shiver me Timmmmmmmberrrrrrs!This is sort of the Ventura Pirate version of the Watermelon festival of Monticello... I have an old post about that melon fest, and Ms Moon probably has several, but I am too lazy to create links. <br />
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They call it <i>Pirates Day</i> at the Ventura Harbor! Our boy Harley, along with the rest of the town, was bopping about the place saying things like "Shiver me timbers!" "AAaaarrrrr!" and "Matey!" Of course I was saying things like "scurvy creatures" and "fine wenches!" The boy entered a costume contest hosted by none other than Captain Jack Sparrow look alike. Pictured here... (Not too bad, eh? Each kid got a tiny card board treasure chest filled with little goodies including one free ride on the carousel. </div>
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The day was foggy, but a nice temperature, as always. We got an iced coffee and proceeded on to the treasure hunt. Yes, a treasure hunt! How fun is this? The next few photos are clues and other piratey sights we encountered on our journey to the treasure.</div>
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Harley with Captain Morgan and Stella the Parrot, who starred in Pirates of the Caribbean!<br />
(For reals!)<br />
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Harley in full pirate regalia pre-contest<br />
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Harley flirting with a mermaid. She really had shells on her boobies. She was awesome!<br />
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A clue!<br />
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Some scurvy musicians playing a drinking song! I sang and danced along. </div>
The old guy playing the trashcan base was the best.<br />
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There is a video of Harley going down the big slide. I cannot seem to get Blogger to load it, but as he is sliding down this very steep slide he's shouting "SHIVER ME TIIIIIMMMMBERRRRS!" It was very funny. We thought he should get a bonus slide for that one!</div>
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Then of course he rode the carousel and we sort of had to let him have cotton candy, which by the way tastes like coconut oil these days. ick! </div>
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Fare thee well ya scurvies!! </div>
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<br />Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-44427666517491234372013-06-20T20:08:00.001-07:002013-06-20T20:08:25.376-07:00I'm always just a little late to the party. But I get there eventually.<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The following are quotes by Terence McKenna, someone I've just discovered. If I ever met him, I probably would have followed him to the ends of the earth! Enjoy... or not...?! <br /><br />:-)</span><br />
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“We have to create culture, don’t watch TV, don’t read magazines, don’t even listen to NPR. Create your own roadshow. The nexus of space and time where you are now is the most immediate sector of your universe, and if you’re worrying about Michael Jackson or Bill Clinton or somebody else, then you are disempowered, you’re giving it all away to icons, icons which are maintained by an electronic media so that you want to dress like X or have lips like Y. This is shit-brained, this kind of thinking. That is all cultural diversion, and what is real is you and your friends and your associations, your</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> highs, your orgasms, your hopes, your plans, your fears. And we are told ‘no’, we’re unimportant, we’re peripheral. ‘Get a degree, get a job, get a this, get a that.’ And then you’re a player, you don’t want to even play in that game. You want to reclaim your mind and get it out of the hands of the cultural engineers who want to turn you into a half-baked moron consuming all this trash that’s being manufactured out of the bones of a dying world.”</span><br />
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<span style="border: 0px; color: black; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“If the words ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ don’t include the right to experiment with your own consciousness, then the Declaration of Independence isn’t worth the hemp it was written on.”</span><br /></div>
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<span style="color: black;">“Chaos is what we’ve lost touch with. This is why it is given a bad name. It is feared by the dominant archetype of our world, which is Ego, which clenches because its existance is defined in terms of control.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">“Ego is a structure that is erected by a neurotic individual who is a member of a neurotic culture against the facts of the matter. And culture, which we put on like an overcoat, is the collectivized consensus about what sort of neurotic behaviors are acceptable.”</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; color: black; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold, this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. By hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering its a feather bed.”</span><br /></div>
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<span style="color: black;">“Half the time you think your thinking you’re actually listening.”<br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">“Psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviour and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>“Nothing lasts but nothing is lost.”</div>
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<span style="color: black;">“Matter is not lacking in magic, matter is magic.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">“People are so alienated from their own soul that when they meet their soul they think it comes from another star system.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">“Nature is not our enemy, to be raped and conquered. Nature is ourselves, to be cherished and explored.”</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; color: black; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">"We can begin the restructuring of thought by declaring legitimate what we have denied for so long. Lets us declare Nature to be legitimate. The notion of illegal plants is obnoxious and ridiculous in the first place.”</span><br style="color: #333333;" /></span></div>
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Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-83253337788434713852013-06-07T09:49:00.000-07:002013-06-07T09:49:18.946-07:00I got this from Seth's Blog<h3 class="entry-header " style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 19px; margin: 8px 0px;">
I just really like this guy for the most part and I like how he says what he says... If you want to check him out he's at <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/">Seth Godin</a> <br />That's all I got for now. Enjoy!</h3>
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<a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/06/reality-is-not-a-show.html" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">Reality is not a show</a></h3>
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The media-pundit-advertiser industrial cycle has discovered that turning life into a sporting event (with winners and losers, villians and heroes and most of all, black and white issues) is profitable.</div>
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By turning our life into a game and our issues into drama, the punditocracy and the media-industrial complex profits. And the rest of us lose.</div>
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Politics get this treatment, but so do natural disasters, poverty and even technology.</div>
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How long does it take after an event occurs before the spinning starts? And because we've seen the spinning acted out on such a large scale, we begin to do it ourselves. We create office drama that replaces the real-life nuance of difficult decisions, and we seek out wins in our personal life when life is always about compromise.</div>
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This is dehumanizing, because it turns pathos into ratings and makes just about everyone into 'the other', not someone deserving more than clicks, linkbait and trolling.</div>
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It's so easy to boil whatever happened down to a finite number of characters, to engage in online debates with people we'll never meet and to gamify just about everything.</div>
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I'm not sure there's any number of Facebook likes that can replace a hug.</div>
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Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-71978414402248378922013-02-26T21:14:00.003-08:002013-02-26T21:17:03.196-08:00Not too shabby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is what I got to look at today for approximately on hour and 45 minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhV4y0x5C-EtLrwUMVRVy3K8yg-yuPHgmsU9WJrJiScXA8OfnX3xvMyocm8YffUeLSzQoEOcvrHyhQSB9C89gXHpRKNV1PtdmpFlREGxQK85WlAreAKMlTJkf6bpN2Ve3ofT9gBZl9tA/s1600/Pismo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhV4y0x5C-EtLrwUMVRVy3K8yg-yuPHgmsU9WJrJiScXA8OfnX3xvMyocm8YffUeLSzQoEOcvrHyhQSB9C89gXHpRKNV1PtdmpFlREGxQK85WlAreAKMlTJkf6bpN2Ve3ofT9gBZl9tA/s400/Pismo1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The feel of the cool breeze and warm sun....It sort of takes my breath away.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjex09-2FxkBo7sfPV0LktmaJ5LsZ5jVJ77_oluHmIFoi0Stb5QVPoAoEcKDQZFBpbwr66cGuLUApxaTVd6Ozun4F-HalYv7uuKBTMOLLTEWk4Ii2EZkV94ejTFPObXAML8S5pfs3RaWg/s1600/pismo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjex09-2FxkBo7sfPV0LktmaJ5LsZ5jVJ77_oluHmIFoi0Stb5QVPoAoEcKDQZFBpbwr66cGuLUApxaTVd6Ozun4F-HalYv7uuKBTMOLLTEWk4Ii2EZkV94ejTFPObXAML8S5pfs3RaWg/s400/pismo2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Today I was driving to see a doctor in Pismo Beach. And for the first time since we moved here I felt at ease. I'm not sure of the reason. It may have been the incredible view almost the entire way of the Pacific Ocean, or maybe it was the music or the fact that I did NOT listen to NPR talk station at all. Maybe it was the sunshine or the Louise Hay Youtubes I watched yesterday? Who knows, but it was glorious. I was actually kinda sorta giddy in a way that I have not been in a looooOOoong time. It was soooo good!</div>
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The really odd thing is it was almost a two hour drive, and I do not really like driving much. Also, I got a line on a job prospect, which sounds perfect for me. It is working with developmentally disabled adults helping them to live more independently. The pay is well, let's say I have not earned this little since before college, however, it is meaningful work, and I'm looking forward to incorporating my coaching into the mix and hopefully carve a better niche for myself and perhaps more pay! I have a strong feeling that it will certainly lead someplace cool, and in the meantime, I get to help a rather disenfranchised population... this brings a sort of peace to my heart. So that's what I'm hanging my hat on. </div>
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Things are finally starting to look up a bit and I'm doing my best to bask in that and let in more. Hope all is going well in your worlds too.</div>
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Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-24203606238711033822013-02-23T09:56:00.001-08:002013-02-23T09:56:22.698-08:00Lyme anyone?Just a brief update for all my friends. (she said, hoping her friends would recognize the Barfly reference) Things are looking up here in sunny Cali. I have changed my diet drastically for the better. (That about killed me.. I am a creature of habit) and I am working out. ME. Working OUT? I should have done this a long time ago. Well, in fact I did. The first time I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Then as the years passed and I was asymptomatic, my old ways began creeping back to the fore. So all of the reflux madness and other crazy maladies I've been experiencing since our cross country move and turning 50 may all be somehow connected to reoccurrence of Lyme.<br />
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I thought this from the beginning with the drastic and sudden weight loss and loss of muscle mass, however I was reluctant to go back on antibiotics without the supervision of a QUALIFIED Lyme physician. Yes, if you suspect you have Lyme, get yourself a Lyme literate physician or you could end up very sick debilitated or dead. You can read all about that <a href="http://petitfleursadventures.blogspot.com/2009/09/lyme-silent-taker-of-life-hope-money.html">here</a>. In any case I was sweating a bit because it did not look like there was a qualified doc in the area, and well there isn't. So out of network we go... AGAIN. The good new is that I DID find one who is not too far away and he seems very competent and the bonus is that he is an NP and an MD, which means he practices natural medicine as well. I am hoping to go that rout since my stomach is rancid with this reflux and the thought of introducing antibiotics to that mess just makes me want to shrivel up in a ball and hide under the covers. So, we may be able to treat it in a way that is much less harsh than antibiotics... and we may go broke again, but the upshot is that we FOUND someone, someone good. (It's amazing how your whole perspective shifts when you are in capable hands). The other good news is (and only California people will immediately relate to this) is that his office is north on the 101 from here. That is the opposite way of traffic flow in this area, which is so very relieving. So I've got that going for me too! woot!<br />
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I am not absolutely certain the Lyme is connected to other physical maladies going on with me, but it would shock me if it weren't. And it will be good to BE certain and get rid of it! Or at least get it under control again. Can I just say, FUCK all these auto immune diseases and FUCK FUCKING TICKS! <br />
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That felt good.<br />
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In other news Harley has adjusted to his school environment and made some friends. He now LIKES his school and has stopped begging me to home school him. Thank the tiny baby Jesus for that. He seems to be doing well, although we are still hoping to get him into his new school next year. We figure that will be a cleaner break after summer vacation. Both schools have merit, but when it comes to organization and feeling confident sending your child on a field trip alone without you chaperoning, there is no comparison. For this and many other reasons, we believe the charter school is a better fit for us. We are too scattered ourselves to be able to successfully deal with other scattered people! We need boundaries, consistency and reliability in our learning center. It takes the stress and guesswork out of it all. For me there is way too much of that in life already.<br />
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My mood/mental state is stabilizing quite a bit and I am feeling less like an alien. I do still feel like this is someplace I am visiting and that it is not home or even where I live. It's where I'm staying for now. We'll see. At least I'm not feeling like it's a death sentence, and I'm actually able to enjoy some of the benefits of being here.<br />
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So that's it. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend with many blessings, fun and relaxation.<br />
xoPetit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-35877693321988928412013-02-07T19:37:00.000-08:002013-02-07T19:37:19.408-08:00GirlfriendSo, my son has a best friend in California. He also has one in Tallahassee. However, his best friend is California is the one I want to mention here. Her name is Kaya. <br />
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Kaya is a lovely, sweet and articulate little girl. She is somewhat introverted by nature, which I like. She is not exactly shy, she is outspoken and goofy as any kid her age, but she has a sort of inner quietness that I like. She is the first child that he has befriended since we got here, and she chose him. (Oh, did I mention she has good taste also?) <br />
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She pursued him in the form of asking for play dates with him every time I saw her... which was every day! This was a blessed thing, because Harley was overwhelmed by his new found classroom experiences. There are more kids in that small classroom than there were at his entire old school back home... and the majority of them have not been in a classroom setting and are shall we say socially challenged in that regard. All the activity and rambunctiousness and volume were really hurting him (he has sensory integration/overload stuff) So it was great that she reached out to him. Since that very first play date, it was all over.<br />
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They have been best buds every since. This year is the first time ever that I, mommy, did not receive the first Valentine from Harley. He has made 3 for Kaya and one for his teacher! This is bittersweet, mostly sweet. He is growing up.<br />
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Yesterday while walking to recess Kaya and Harley were holding hands. Then, they put their arms around each other! Kind of how you would see a middle school couple. I was blown away! They are so funny! Then we had a play-date with Kaya later that day and the two of them were discussing whether or not to go to the park first or to come to our house first. <br />
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Harley: "What do you want to do first? Our house or the park?<br />
Kaya: "What's your opinion Harley?"<br />
Harley: "Whatever you want Kaya."<br />
Kaya: "Lets go to your house!"<br />
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It was just sort of nauseatingly precious. But precious none the less. I strive to be that mature in my exchanges with his dad... minus the nausea.Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-77312841393260033872013-01-26T16:33:00.001-08:002013-01-26T16:33:22.126-08:00My son the hoodlum I stopped smashing my head against the crazy wall sometime this week... So while things are notably better, I am still a bit outer body and not really sure what the hell I'm doing here. I'm told that will take some serious time. Like maybe a year or more. Yea, things are more familiar and I'm glad to get out of the traffic and stimulation and back in our little hovel at the end of the day, but it's not home... It's more like a temporary refuge. Kind of the way you feel when you're on vacation and you've been out gallivanting all day, and then you get back to your hotel room where you can let down. It's good to be back in your temporary space, but it ain't home. That's how it is.<br />
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So last Sunday we went over to a friend of Marc's house. A guy from work. He makes his own beer... and apparently drinks a lot of it too. But that's another story. Anyway, we went there to hang out and let the kids make pizzas and play. Long story short, my angel-go gooder son was spear heading the committee ding and dash. (That is ring the neighbor's doorbell and run). WHAT? Harley? To my knowledge, he has never done that caliber of blatantly naughty activity before. Certainly not in my presence! The good news is when I confronted him, he fessed right up. (One of his cohorts was busted and she turned dime on him.) When I asked why he thought that was a good idea, he said he thought it would be fun and he liked hearing the dog bark. I'm half way kidding when I say, this may be a bad omen! He didn't get in real trouble and I didn't take it too seriously, but it was odd seeing a side of your kid that you have not ever been introduced to.<br />
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I am having an endoscopy next Friday. Well, I guess it's this Friday now. I've never had a "procedure" before, unless you count getting wisdom teeth extracted. I'm not freaking out, just mildly dissociative is more like it. The doc skipped over the risks like a stone over water. I did catch the one about perforating something or other, maybe the stomach? I don't know. Anyway, he assured me he's done thousands of these and nobody has ever been injured. We are fairly certain that what I am suffering from is acute acid reflux, but they also want to be sure I do not have a hiatal hernia or cancer on top of it. I'm pretty sure I don't. But can I say, the diet I am on, while it may be healthy as all get out, is a pain in the ass and boring as hell. I'd give my left pinkie for a burger or a slice. All I've been eating are vegetables, soup, fruit, gluten free bread sandwiches with no condiments or tomato, bland cereal with almond milk, goat cheese, nuts, and fish None of it spiced the way I like either. (I'm a hot sauce lover and I'm dyin without my Liquid Summer, a local panhandle favorite) Can you imagine? I'm Italian for Christ's sake! My kid is now lactose intolerant too, so there is that. Welcome to California! <br />
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Seriously, I'm getting used to it, I just thought it was so outrageous I had to mention it. I mean yea, my diet has never really been the best, but I NEVER eat fried foods and I hardly drink. So I ate a lot of processed food stuff and I smoked and drank coffee and hot sauce. I know guys that have been doing WAY more for longer and they're still doing it!! I'm not so much mad or even surprised by this... it just doesn't seem right.<br />
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That's the news from here. I'm finding things to be grateful for, and honestly, there is a lot. Thank the Great Spirit for <a href="http://www.blessourhearts.net/">Ms Moon</a>, who often puts up lovely photos of home and her beautiful yard and younguns and others I love. It helps me feel connected somehow to the piece of my heart that didn't make the move. Thank you Ms Moon.<br />
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Hope ya'll are having a happy new year so far.<br />
xoPetit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-74278472464501618392012-12-13T19:08:00.001-08:002012-12-13T19:08:04.678-08:00Thank the tiny baby Jesus...Well, the panic attacks have stopped for now. I say for now because I do not want to jinx anything. (Yes, I have a superstitious side) I believe that the attacks were stemming from my default fight or flight mode concerning large and many changes coupled with hitting the ground running and no space. (Did I mention I'm sharing a bathroom with my CAT?) LORD. Yea, that pretty much does it for my nervous system. But the constant attacks have stopped (for now) and I am thanking my lucky stars, the tiny baby Jesus and whomever else may have had a hand in that development.<br />
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Harley is not loving his new school. His teacher is GREAT! However, he is in a classroom of 26 children, and half of them are kindergarten age, Harley is first grade. That would be ok too, except... for some reason these children have very little to no tools for self regulation and have never been in school before. Many of them are highly emotional and very easy to set off. Some act out physically with one another... There is a whole lot of impulsivity, temper tantrums, special needs, open defiance, and all the trimmings. Harley has sensory integration issues from both sides, and is very upset by all the screaming, chaos and general mayhem which ensues daily. I have to say, I'm with him on this one. The parents are required to not only volunteer their time, but what that means in this particular school is that you are supposed to TEACH these children in small groups. They actually expect that learning is going to happen. I tell you, this is not possible. Not by me anyway. You spend most of your time trying to either get one or more to do the thing they are supposed to while they openly refuse. Then while you are haggling with them, the others in the group are getting bored or beginning to either melt or act out with each other. So... that has been killing both of us. So, today we toured a charter school which is a little further away, but seems perfect for us. There is a waiting list, so we may end up doing their hybrid home-school/ two day a week program till we can get in. We just cannot take much more of the chaos we've been dealing with, so there you go. I never figured myself as a home-schooler, but it seems like the only viable choice. sigh.<br />
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The new washer and dryer got here today, so that's a blessing. The downside is that now we do not have that closet space anymore! AND I have about 10 huge garbage bags full of clothes and linens to do. I thought that our clothes had a musty and moldy smell from the POD, but we have deduced that it was from our house! Yep, the house was so musty that we never even noticed it on our clothes till they were all bagged up for about a week or so. (It's a good thing I stopped panicking, right?)<br />
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In general I'm feeling more hopeful that we can make this work. I've offered a couple of the mom's at Harley's school some free life coaching sessions to keep my skills up till I can get my business up and running. Not sure how I'm going to manage that yet, but I know that less intelligent people than I have done it, so I can too! And I will. But not now. For now it feels good just to be making baby steps regarding myself and my needs. It has become glaringly obvious that my needs, as many moms' needs take a back seat to larger, more pressing concerns. It's good that I'm not ignoring them completely though. And before you ask, yes, I do have a coach myself. I am good at self coaching the small stuff, but this is way too big. It's much better working with someone. Helps me stay accountable for the things I really really put off.<br />
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So that is the report. (I'm not even going to get into the Christmas cluster-f&*%) Which is to say we are abysmally unprepared! Hope all is well with you and yours. Thanks for popping in.Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-11099372982162673622012-12-02T13:41:00.000-08:002012-12-02T13:41:12.888-08:00Feeling Better... but tentatively soHey All,<br />
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I hope everyone is having or had a great weekend. I have appreciated more than usual being able to visit your cyber places and immerse myself into your worlds and your struggles and victories. It's helped me to feel less alone, self absorbed and childish about my current state of mental affairs. So, thank you all for that.<br />
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Things here are improving slowly. I seem to feel less sea sick with each day, just a little bit. I figured out that part of all this drama is that my instinct is to take things slowly and take my time adjusting and not put so much pressure on myself. Pressure to get work, figure out Harley's school stuff, acclimate, make friends, find all my stuff (A lot is in storage), move forward toward my life long personal goals and etc... And that's a great plan, except that the reality slap that I am turning 50 very soon, has made me feel that I have wasted enough time taking my time. The clock is ticking and I have to jump into those big girl britches in a big bad hurry.<br />
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I realize this is sort of petty and illogical. I mean, not totally, but in the exaggerated way that I am experiencing it, it is. And I have many good friends who are further down this particular path than I am that are so incredible and they show me constantly that indeed, I can do this. However, as crazy as this sounds, sometimes I feel sort of like a ghost. That I was so messed up in my youth I was a mere pin ball of a person. Bouncing and reacting to whatever I bumped into. And perhaps due to ADHD or childhood conditioning or whatever reason, I have been standing in my own way and having this conversation with myself since about age 12. That is the first time I remember this serpent raising it's head. I thought that I had come to peace with it, after doing a whole lot of searching and working on myself and having Harley helped in that regard as he helps in all regards... And yet, for some reason, maybe the move or whatever it has returned rather unexpectedly with a vengeance... and I find myself triggered, sometimes without warning blinking back tears. So besides the acclimation issues, I am dealing with an old demon who has decided to visit me in my not so finest hour. Asshole.<br />
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In my haze, I've realized these two ideas are at cross purposes. The idea of taking my time and being gentle and patient with myself and my family and the idea of tick tick tick! Don't blink lest another 20 years slip past you... Now that I have that part of the puzzle at hand, I am actively working on shifting my focus hard away from Mr. demon, and in the direction of embracing all that I can about my place in the world and in my own life. I remind myself as often as possible that I HAVE CHOICES. I can leave here if the adjustment doesn't happen. That it is temporary. It is all temporary and I can change my mind if I want to. It would be a huge undertaking, but I could do it. Somehow just knowing that eases the stress level..<br />
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My in laws were here this weekend and we decorated the tree. We usually only decorate the tree with our immediate little family, but it turned out that we got to do it with Grandma (aka Grandy) this year. Harley was completely blissed out about it, which was a glory to watch. I am not by any stretch a holiday Grinch, but I do not get into the mainstream hoopla of Christmas either. I'm more about the pagan version of hanging lights and making cheer so you don't slip into a heavy depression during the dreary winter months kind of thing. (Well, that is my abbreviated version) Anyway, since Harley's been able to understand, it has been the most enchanting experience to feel joy through and with him as he revels in the lights and treats and anticipation of the season's impending magic; parties, singing, presents, treats, more presents, more treats, playing with presents, etc... If I stay focus on his vibe and find myself going with it, all is more than well. So that part is great. It was also wonderful to hang with the grands. We had some really fun conversation and food. They love to eat out, and treated us to the best Italian meal I've had in a looong time. This meal was insane. We started with bread, then salad, main course (complete with sharing), wine, cappucino(msp), dessert and port. I still feel full and it's after 1 the next day!<br />
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Here's hoping all is well with you and yours and thank you again for putting yourselves out there the way you do. Also for indulging me in my time of (mostly self induced) madness and for your words of encouragement and well, just for "being here", such as it is.<br />
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More later.<br />
<br />
<br />Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-66355498177109341632012-11-23T09:36:00.001-08:002012-11-23T09:36:16.610-08:00Simply... Out of ControlThat about sums up my existence right now. I'm trying to write this in the spirit of just reporting and not whining/complaining, however, I'm not sure of how successful I will be... which works, as I am not sure of much these days.<br />
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So, I went from living in a sprawling house on the east coasts to a relatively small apartment on the west coast. My tiny town in the east, which Ms Moon refers to as a village, seemed in many ways lost in time. They did however recycle, which my apartment complex in progressive California, does not. Yea, sure, we can collect all our recyclables and (what? store them in our tiny apartment?) and then bring them to the recycle machine behind Rallph's, where strange people hang out, and put them in the machine one by one, receive our ticket and redeem our 10 cents per item...) I'm not thinking so.<br />
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I do not like my son's school, and am unsure of where else to send him. He is a very sensitive and intelligent child who has become accustomed to small groups and has trouble in large ones. His class size is 26 with kinders and 1st graders mixed... I think that is ridiculous. Anyway, most of these children are a tad indulged and entitled to say the least and not nearly as self regulated as a child needs to be in a situation like that. On my volunteer days I have to swallow half a Xanex to deal with the chaos.<br />
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Everything here, including the water tastes different. We have 2 filters on our kitchen sink, and still the water tastes like chlorine. I keep a jug of distilled water in the bathroom to brush with. sigh. Also, am sharing a bathroom with my cat. Nuff said.<br />
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I don't know my way around and several roads dead end into highways... in which I find myself inadvertently heading to LA on some days and have to sniff my way back, being directiionally challenged and all.<br />
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I cannot find my brand of cigarette shells here. It sounds like a small thing, but in reality, for me it is not. I only smoke about 2-3 cigs a day, but they are helping me stay sane. They taste really off and I should just quit, but... it is not time. I'm not ready. I began making my own to save money and then really liked the process of it. I smoked less and they tasted better and I didn't waste tobacco. (I sometimes just want a few drags or a half a cig, so it has been a perfect solution for me. The apartment complex I am in is becoming smoke free on Dec 1st.... Oh my. I know I should just quit, but the neurotic rebel in me is fighting it.<br />
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My cat follows me around like a lost puppy meowing at me because (I believe) there are no roaches or lizards to catch. <br />
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I miss Publix! I did find the Publix of the west in Ralphs's though, so that is a small and unexpected blessing. Also, they sell liquor in the grocery stores here, which I find amusing and cool... except that I cannot drink. My stomach won't have it, but I still think it's cool. Very New Orleans-ish.<br />
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I've heard it never rains here, and well, it's rained on and off since we've been here... That is all fine, except that it brings gray skies which are not good for the soul right now.<br />
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There are many many more changes that I could list, but this really is turning into a whine fest. I think I just needed a few witnesses to my plight. On a good day I don't transition well, and while we wanted this move, prayed for it and got it... I'm not really "in" it, yet. Or maybe I am and I'm not liking it? Did I mention we do not have a washer and dryer yet? We are getting them, but they don't arrive till early Dec, which coincides with the smoking ban. Maybe I'll do mountains of laundry instead of smoking! yay!<br />
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I know all of this is temporary and the good stuff and stability will come. It's just plain hard right now. At 50, I feel like I'm living a 20 something life style. Everything feels temporary and teetery, which is ok when you are 20, NOT when you are 50 and have a 7 yr old. I'm questioning everything. Absolutely everything and feeling somewhat trapped....The good news is we do have health insurance and retirement benefits, so I have to remember that. Our lease is up in a year and we'll be able to move to a place more suited to our personalities. That will involve purchasing another vehicle though... so there is that.<br />
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We had a lovely Thanksgiving at my niece's house in LA. It was just magical and a fine elixir. Now we are home though and my head is out of the sand again. I am so very grateful for all the blessings we do have, even though it may not sound that way in this post. I am just having a real hard time transitioning and keeping faith that the friends, support and adjustments will happen as hoped for. Feels like flying without a net, which I have not done for many many moons. <br />
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So that's it from here. I'm trundling along. All our stuff is here and we are together and that is the best part. Thank for listening. I appreciate all of you and being able to read about you and your lives. It inspires me that all this change will eventually whittle down to just the right amount of change. Someday.<br />
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Not sure how to end this, so I'll just say goodbye for now.<br />
xoPetit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-38032135026073778962012-11-02T16:06:00.000-07:002012-11-02T16:08:14.344-07:00CA UpdateHalloween was a huge success. Harley was a pirate and i was my usual cat. So easy peezy, don black and wear kitty ears headband. Normally I am wearing my black cape also, but alas, it is in the pod along with every other thing we own... which will hopefully arrive no worse for the journey across country.<br />
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It was suggested that we trick or treat in an older part of town near the beach. One of Marc's co workers lives there and invited us to come out. They really did things up in that neighborhood. We have a few of those kinds of hoods back home and they are always so much fun for the kiddos. This year I was in too much shock from the goings on of the last few months/weeks to really have my own fun, but Harley was having enough fun for all of us... and I was having fun by association. (Fun once removed..?) Honestly, it was cold. Very cold. And like an idiot, I took marc's word for it that it never gets cold here in southern CA, so I only packed one flimsy little sweater. brrrr! Last time I listen to him!<br />
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I feel like my new job now is adjusting. There is no end to what I am having to adjust to. Harley is seemingly fine with everything. Only acting out in small ways and infrequently, but I've been keeping my eyes on him and checking in with him, and really, he seems right as rain. Marc is somewhat established here and has his routines down and knows where most things are or how to find them if not... Me? That is another story entirely. As much as I know this was/is the right move for us... I am feeling trapped right now. That is the only way to describe it. I know it will pass, but this is what it is now. We have the one car thing happening, so there is no spontaneous going anywhere on my own... The school where Harley will be going, at least initially, requires tons of parent participation which means I will have to put off getting a job... (I am at the point now where I have dedicated almost entirely every waking and non waking moment to my child for 7 years. Frankly I'm feeling the need to cut the chord a bit....) I was hoping for an old fashioned school where you drop them off and pick them up and maybe go in once a month to volunteer and on special days and events, etc...) Ah, not so much....<br />
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The POD comes this weekend, more specifically tomorrow, so the weekend will be dedicated to unloading, sorting and figuring out what stays and what goes in storage. We just came from a huge (in comparison) house and are now living in a 1200 sq foot apartment. Did I say that already?? <br />
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I am trying to focus on all of the positives and immerse myself into free fall... but I cannot help the fact that I am easily overstimulated and require long periods for adjustment. That is just who I am. Perhaps when our stuff arrives I'll feel mo betta. And actually I feel mo betta today than I did yesterday. Yesterday was not a good day. Basically, I am yo yo-ing and well, hormones never help that one bit do they? Nope. <br />
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The good news is that Marc is being ever so patient and understanding of my, (ahem) bouts of weepiness and negativity/griping about some other random thing that is out my comfort zone... In short I swing between whiny little biotch and "go-with- the- flow" in record time... even for me! I guess they call that temporary insanity or some such thing, and he's been very good about not hanging me over the balcony! :-)<br />
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That's all the news from here. Hope everyone out there is safe and healthy. Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-12759536164438332062012-10-29T08:15:00.002-07:002012-10-29T08:15:51.235-07:00We are HERE!!!I'm not sure if anyone is still out there since it has been for ever since I've posted. In fact, I was having a little trouble with it because things here at blogger have changed up a bit since last I was active. <br />
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So, we are now residents of California. Such a crazy big move. Coast to coast. I knew it was a loooOOOong way, but somehow it did not sink in till the last leg of our plane ride. It was 5 hours by PLANE from Charlotte NC to LAX. That made me feel like I was moving to another planet. If any of my family or friends needed me, I would not be able to just go. sigh.<br />
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I have been prone to bouts of sudden and random weeping. Not because I am sad, just overwhelmed with newness and stress let down and trying to take in my new surroundings and acclimate ASAP. When one is my age ASAP takes much longer than it used to! Harley seems completely and utterly at home and comfortable. I'm sure he is having his own internal adjustments, but they are not showing. He is overjoyed as I am to be back with daddy again. They did nothing but wrestle and bond all weekend. I slept in between adventures. (More body unloading stress I believe.) <br />
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The good news is, it is GREAT out here and I am hoping that I'll be able to meet up with some bloggy friends I've known for years now and actually hug them and hang out with them in the real world. <br />
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I will say that our apartment is charming, but apartment life sucks. By comparison we've been living in a ramblingly huge old home in the middle of pretty much nowhere Florida. My son could be as loud as he wanted or more specifically as loud as I could stand it, whenever he wanted. Not so much now. To make this particular point even more emphasized nobody here used A/C. It's all windows open, so you really can hear your neighbors sneeze! Along those lines though, the weather is insanely gorgeous. We went to the beach over the weekend and it was dotted with surfers in wet suits. They looked like overgrown bugs who lay their eggs on the water! Funny. <br />
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Another interesting difference between west coast and east coast beaches is that here on the west coast there are more rocks than shells. They are the beautifully colored and shaped river rock type rocks. So instead of collecting shells, we collected rocks from our recent beach trip.<br />
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Well that's it for now. Just know that even though I am not posting a lot or maybe even commenting on my old blog haunts, I am still lurking and reading and keeping up with most of you.<br />
Peace,<br />
pfPetit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-82912496841591311042012-03-16T22:15:00.002-07:002012-03-16T22:18:36.858-07:00In the infamous words of the Famewhore SquirrelI just like the damn video!<br />
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I adore her so much, I may just resort to posting vids of her in lieu of actually writing something. It's a hellovalot more entertaining and my brain is too mushy to write... Enjoy!Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-39114859046930046542012-03-08T06:30:00.000-08:002012-03-08T06:30:55.783-08:00Move it on over...So, we have big news over here in the panhandle. We are going on a GRAND adventure and one we have dreamed of for some time. We are moving! Moving to California!~ Marc got a great job out there, and now we are just reeling with all the prep work and most sticky of all selling our lovely, magnificent old house. It is a crazy market and this is a quirky house which needs an owner who is prepared either financially or with the skills to make improvements/repairs. I wish we could take the damn thing with us, because I LOVE it, warts and all, but... even I cannot manifest that scenario! <br />
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I'm totally stoked about this, and yet the timing with regard to emotional attachments is less than desirable, but I guess that's how it goes. If this had happened any time previous to now, the emotional upheaval would have been much less, as I had sort of isolated myself when Harley was a babe. Some of it was intentional and some was just evolution, but now we have made some really great friends and connections that we cherish and still of course have our long time friends that will be hard to leave.... sigh. I hate the good bye part. <br />
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The good news is that we'll be making enough money to come back and visit at least once a year or so... maybe more. We will be getting retirement benies and there is a regular raise schedule! Can you imagine? There state govmt actually takes care of it's employees! woot! Also, I will be very close to my niece who just had a baby, and my nephew who is still recovering from a terrible auto accident. And Ms Maggie as far as I can tell we are only about 3 hours from you! I'm so hoping to catch up with you and give you a proper hug and meet you and your crew sometime! Wow!<br />
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I will still be posting, albeit sporadically for a while. Well, more sporadically than usual! Any advice on how to keep one's sanity in a time like this is much appreciated... I'm not even kidding.<br />
xoPetit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-32483275793172484972012-02-15T13:40:00.001-08:002012-02-15T13:41:30.432-08:00Shame on you! Really?Hey all,<br />
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Just a note to call attention to my "other blog", <a href="http://blog.jumpstartlifecoach.net/2012/02/shame-and-connection.html">Jump Start Life</a> for a moment here. I am doing a short series on shame and connection (or disconnection as it were). I have featured a video by <a href="http://www.brenebrown.com/">Dr. Brene Brown</a> as an introduction to this topic.<br />
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I cannot tell you how brilliant this woman is... I highly recommend that you check it out for yourself.<br />
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Peace,<br />
pfPetit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-22318597390072721802012-02-08T18:15:00.000-08:002012-02-08T18:15:12.531-08:00No words needed...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Reimvk8D2Ho" width="560"></iframe>Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-61654183516743341452012-01-25T20:18:00.000-08:002012-01-25T20:27:01.281-08:00Danger Zone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKR-5jr0gJPNJBcYrDq4nSQV_6gwUqxySUMajDHRCKpGATt7Y0QcsRprjczA9iTkWoPskSNGXHsAaTyoJjrwzsN8eQfTkgQe3Hif5O9pQ8iqKVIN63FQ_y8-Ih4C-LTEKFT9OnCJYrw/s1600/Archer_051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKR-5jr0gJPNJBcYrDq4nSQV_6gwUqxySUMajDHRCKpGATt7Y0QcsRprjczA9iTkWoPskSNGXHsAaTyoJjrwzsN8eQfTkgQe3Hif5O9pQ8iqKVIN63FQ_y8-Ih4C-LTEKFT9OnCJYrw/s320/Archer_051.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"> Sterling Archer and Lana Kane, my heroes</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Spent all day out today. As in ALL freaking DAY!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">First got my new tag. One great thing about the little county we live in is that there is NEVER anyone at the DMV or the Tax Collector's office... and if there is you prolly know them, and it's cool. So basically you're in and out in about 5 seconds flat. In fact, I was done before Harley finished his level of Angry Birds, which sort of annoyed him. Mostly because I am a mean mom, and won't let him walk while i padding. In fact I won't let him walk without the cover covering the screen. So, there you go. Lickity split, I'm tagged.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Off to school. Drop off Harley and rush to lunch with a friend. She brought birthday gifties which was charming.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then back to school for more torture. I missed my volunteer day when Harley was sick last week, so I'm making up time to get our tuition reduction for the month. It really isn't bad. In fact, most days I love it, but I've been spending an inordinate amount of time there and am in need of a BREAK! Stayed till end of school then Harley and I went to return a movie to the library and pick up hay for the bun. We literally <b><i>pick up</i></b> our own hay. (The owner lets us take the scraps that they sweep off the loading dock.) It is quite the deal if you only have one beastly bunny and you're broke. It costs a small damn fortune at regular stores for a tiny package of Timothy hay. So yay me.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then, off to Chickfile for some yummy junk food and ice cream. Then back to school for family meeting night. Hooray! They are actually kind of cool. The owner of the school and other interested parties bring food and drink. (I just couldn't wait that long to eat again. oink.oink) Tonight's school menu included: Veggie/tomato soup, cheese and crackers, fresh fruit, some kind of salady lookin thing, tiny burritos and chips with salsa. Lemonade to drink. All home made! Well, the burritos, the salady thing and soup were anyway. So, got through that and was only strong armed into being on one additional committee... This gives me hives just thinking about it. I don't even like the word "committee". But here I am, all committeed up. sigh. At least it's a good committee. It's the let's all raise funds to go to Puerto Rico for the international free school conference! hooray! I hope we get there. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, time to come home. Hose off the child, tickle him to sleep and then the grand finale of my day. Wait for it............................................................................................................................................................<br />
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The latest bootleg episode of Archer, possibly the funniest show ever created. EVER! It is seriously nasty, sick, twisted and crude...relentlessly so, but I swear I laugh till I'm sore. I wish I had the nads to say half the stuff they do to people and just watch their faces contort in horror shock and disbelief! Stammer stammer stammer... heheheheh! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, as you can see, it's been a full and complete day and I've sort of hurled my last marble as far as I could. And that can only mean one thing... MORE Archer! Or maybe sleep.... or more ARCHER!</div>Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-71430726058342123472012-01-16T07:37:00.000-08:002012-01-16T07:37:24.470-08:00Good Times<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqG4-Ij8CkfMHGL-UfMN647V2qvNBR-eBjIE20VafYPDZNZc8BY8Paw8c_fF3YcBBbc1GOnC8XOWx0nghmoDSALJYEXHfFYrNNdEH5Jar_4wuQKu91aFsNSg5UwEJUl-Rnp4D5Q05hQ/s1600/bonfire1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqG4-Ij8CkfMHGL-UfMN647V2qvNBR-eBjIE20VafYPDZNZc8BY8Paw8c_fF3YcBBbc1GOnC8XOWx0nghmoDSALJYEXHfFYrNNdEH5Jar_4wuQKu91aFsNSg5UwEJUl-Rnp4D5Q05hQ/s400/bonfire1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Yesterday we were invited to a party of one of the girl's from Harley's school. We love love LOVE his school and most everyone involved with it. We made some veggie soup to bring as an alternative to the usual party fare... and because it was freezing outside! The party was actually AT the school. The parents of the birthday girl rented out the meeting hall room for the party. It was grand! The kiddos got to play on the playground and in the nearby woods. Lovely. <br />
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When all the kid party hoopla was over, the birthday girl's parents invited a handful of us over for a bonfire and continuation of low key celebratory hoopla and beer! Yea, it was good. We have not spent that amount of time in the company of others in I don't know how long. We spent a total of 8 hours with these people! They are just that good and fun. I had to tear the boys and myself away at 10pm. I just knew that although we could have stayed longer, as many folks were, we'd pay dearly today. Besides, I was beginning to feel a bit like the "things that wouldn't leave"! (Remember that LNL skit?) Anyway, it was just so much fun to be around cool and groovy adults and have enough kids to entertain each other so that you can actually enjoy being around the cool and groovy adults! There was turkey sausage chilly to eat and Quesadillas and leftover cheese and veggie plates from the first party. It was grand! <br />
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Then to top it all off, an old friend who used to be my sort of boss and his wife came! Turns out they live down the road. I haven't seen them in a very long time and they are just incredible folks. And the man who I actually met first and worked with brought a guitar, so there was bonfire sing a longs! whoot!<br />
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Harley busied himself with the other kids in the birthday girl's room playing with some of her new stuff, then they all jumped on the trampoline, ran around the yard looking for sticks, snacking and stuffing their faces with giant marshmellows that were supposed to be for roasting over the fire... oh well. By the time we got home Harley was half asleep. After Marc put him in bed he asked for me. When I got to his room, he was face planted in his bed, not having brushed his teeth or fed the fish! It was like looking at a tiny drunk! He hasn't passed out like that since he was a toddler. Seriously. It was good to have him be so cooperative at bedtime! I wonder if they'd let us come over for a bonfire every day? heh heh!Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-26858782810776030322012-01-10T20:03:00.000-08:002012-01-10T20:19:14.242-08:00Newest member of our family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9tfv_Dd8Viuowz6WdmPaz2mmAhwgxJ4dS2iB7QA_0yTIHo1_rNBPiLTdW4XerbDmT8rAG5qCbB0-sa0N5WxedRh4A1-2QWo46CG3sPlT38XzkteoPW9fAt7li039hiCBq6BD6MnNNg/s1600/AuroraValentineWilson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9tfv_Dd8Viuowz6WdmPaz2mmAhwgxJ4dS2iB7QA_0yTIHo1_rNBPiLTdW4XerbDmT8rAG5qCbB0-sa0N5WxedRh4A1-2QWo46CG3sPlT38XzkteoPW9fAt7li039hiCBq6BD6MnNNg/s400/AuroraValentineWilson.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>Isn't she precious? Her name is Aurora Valentine. She has made me a great aunt for the second time! I am so excited that she is here! Unfortunately, she lives all the way on the other coast from us, so I'm not sure when I will get to HOLD her. Hopefully in the spring.<br />
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Anyway, I'm just enjoying the view for now and hopefully I'll get to talk to her mommy tomorrow. We have been having phone issues on this end and between that and respect for family bonding time, we have not made voice contact yet.<br />
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Feeling the love today!<br />
pfPetit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-1939993308315524822012-01-01T07:25:00.000-08:002012-01-01T10:55:45.051-08:00Holiday Hangover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0M8m8Da6tee1G4IYpdE6PlhnsEW6TG5gHuUUyQeTxrZkRQazzDr3qnaw-B3KvzyJhdibgARcrQtd-exbSmp_sMQ35GyQmHQ743gEbgI0c_baUN7HP4dtuaus8JOpmZ53cT-1N7dxiKg/s1600/hangover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0M8m8Da6tee1G4IYpdE6PlhnsEW6TG5gHuUUyQeTxrZkRQazzDr3qnaw-B3KvzyJhdibgARcrQtd-exbSmp_sMQ35GyQmHQ743gEbgI0c_baUN7HP4dtuaus8JOpmZ53cT-1N7dxiKg/s400/hangover.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have a rather king sized holiday hangover.... not from drinking or drugging or staying up late as in lifetimes past.... just from being an involved parent..... The presents have been opened, relatives visited, New years eve slept through, and now I just feel wrung out. I don't want to do much of anything but lay around and drink coffee and puts around the web and feel grateful and relieved that another holiday season has been happy and healthy... and that we got all of the the errands done that needed doing for the wee one, and we shared yet another joyful couple of weeks just bonding and being together.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's an indescribably feeling to be in the midst of a joyful child at the holiday.... and at my age, nearly 50, it's also exhausting. At first it's energizing and I feel as though I run on pure joy and adrenalin (and caffeine, of course), but after a couple of weeks of that, the body, mind and spirit are just plain wore out. At least mine are. I feel like I could sleep for a month! But the light at the end of the tunnel is that school starts up again on Weds. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Things have changed immensely since I was a kid. Half the fun of Christmas was sharing your loot with your friends and vica versa and playing with all of your stuff (or wearing it, in the case of being a girl and receiving clothes) all through out the Christmas break time. I was cat sitting for a friend and on Christmas day when I drove into her apartment complex it was like a ghost town save for one boy child riding around on his brand new scooter with no body to show or share or ride with. It was heartbreaking to see. My child is not too different. We live in the country and all of his in town friends are out of town or busy with their parents doing God knows what. We've had to be his playmates for the past few weeks and play all his games with him and help him build stuff and figure out how to work stuff and and and.... It seems the neighborhood kid network is all but gone. Even my friends in town say the same things. What the hell?!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I realize that as we become ever more expansive in numbers, we humans are becoming more and more isolated... I know this, and yet it just hit me really hard this holiday season. I am going to put some of my energy this year into changing that. I want my damn village! And my child would love it too... He is a people person and ceaselessly engaging. It's a wonderful quality unless you are someone who requires a modicum of down time. Then all of a sudden you find yourself saying things like: "Just stop talking for minute!" OR "Please, just stop.... stop... DOING things!" Then comes the outer body knowledge that you just said what you said to a six year old who has no concept of what that means because he IS movement, he IS verbage, he IS engagement and connectivity... He just IS! And you want to kick yourself for being such a dolt. But such is life. I apologize and explain that grown ups are a bit different that children and mommy just needs a few quiet moments to recharge her batteries. All is well again. Exhausting, but well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy New Year everyone. May you always find the energy to keep on doing what you do, and being who you are. And I'm including myself in this scenario as well!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">xo pf</div>Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-31001472162854543032011-12-24T08:10:00.000-08:002011-12-24T08:11:27.824-08:00NORAD report: Santa confirms that Japan is recovering nicely<object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qVUlipeY6_k&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qVUlipeY6_k&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></embed></object><br />
You've gotta love Santa Tracking by the US military.... I hope the Japanese really are finding their way out of the woods. Merry Christmas Japan.Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5806280954353435517.post-72592910833293151222011-12-23T13:55:00.000-08:002011-12-23T13:55:56.817-08:00Candy Canes for breakfast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSyc0yZUCeV76hYs9P0MXdCUEzV5_EMPNmhyPG0t1VhairKPiIIird4jgVp2mQ7A5-xrYzU9ZNhNOjz7E620pWHLLLQ7sOVGIvKmwD7yLV2SIqI_T7pyMRsZ5T3vHOazBCxrKyUJ7OQ/s1600/Christ+cocoa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSyc0yZUCeV76hYs9P0MXdCUEzV5_EMPNmhyPG0t1VhairKPiIIird4jgVp2mQ7A5-xrYzU9ZNhNOjz7E620pWHLLLQ7sOVGIvKmwD7yLV2SIqI_T7pyMRsZ5T3vHOazBCxrKyUJ7OQ/s400/Christ+cocoa.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
It must be the holidays, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">So, this morning I raced out to get to the bank, which I believed was opened... and it was, whew~ I grabbed my coffee, my kid and my paperwork and dashed out. On the way out of the bank, I notices a bowl half full of candy canes! I was very excited because I had not had breakfast yet. Somehow this was satisfying. Harley liked it too, needless to say. A purple lolly AND a candy cane, that's the 6 year old jackpot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We've been lazing around most of the rest of the day. We had a nice cup of hot chocolate and clinked Merry Christmas to each other. I had yet another candy cane with my Cocoa. It tastes so much like schnapps to me. I adore it! When I worked at Bennigan's about a million lives ago, we used to make Irish Coffee and float dark Creme de Menthe on top (The green kind) It looked so pretty, but I was sure it was gross. One evening I tried it, and I was SO wrong! Although, instead of Irish Whisky, I just prefer a little Kaluah. The point is if there is whip cream on top, you cannot ruin a coffee drink by floating CdM. It cannot be done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Happy Holidays Everyone, and may you enjoy perfect health, happiness and peace for the new year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Cheers!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">pf</div>Petit fleurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626110471501778855noreply@blogger.com3