42 Things to do before 42!

Here is the list for the next year! As always, you are welcome to join me in any of these activities! I start tonight with the baseball game with Family and my good pal, Jessica! When I finish something on the list, this time, I will try to do a small blog post about it! But no pressure, some will get them, some won't!:-)

1. Visit Spook Hill
2. Go to the rodeo
3. Get a tattoo
4. Go to Dinosaur World
5. Have a garage sale and empty the garage
6. Go to Sanibel Island
7. Go on the Orange Blossom Express
8. Run a 5K
9. Attend a Brevard County Manatees Baseball Game
10. Take a belly dancing class
11. Go rafting or tubing in North Florida
12. Attend Miami Pagan Pride Day
13. Take the test for promotion to Detective
14. Go to Key West again
15. Go on a Haunted Ghost Tour
16. Build a spiral herb garden
17. Volunteer with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society
18. Go see The Molly Roger Roller Girl
19. Visit Mt Dora
20. Go see Classic Albums Live
21. Visit the Dali Museum  in St. Pete
22. Teach Reiki level 1
23. Make a fire pit in backyard
24. Volunteer at The Women's Center
25. Dragon Con
26. Visit Blowing Rocks Preserve
27. Start a Spiral Scout Group
28. Present Workshop about Pagans to Police Academy
29. Take Matt to St Augustine for a pirate adventure
30. Make Officers of Avalon a 501c3
31. Get on the bone marrow donation list
32. Give blood 6 times
33. Watch the Mama Sea turtles lay eggs
34. Leave a large tip to a server and leave a thank you note
35. Watch the baby sea turtles hatch
36. Start a garden project with the kids from PAL and BCC Environmental club
37. Buy a pair of cowboy boots
38. Get a drum and learn to drum
39. Trip to Atlanta
40. Write two articles for magazines
41. Make homemade dill pickles
42. Take the F.B.I. Statement Analysis Class

Birthday Demands!

The other day in shift meeting, the subject of my birthday came up, because I am the only female and I am older than a lot of my squad.

Cops are strange, the more we like you, the more we tease you. I know some will say that is a form of bullying but it is not. I love my squad and they love me, we have to develop close relationships, it's a survival thing. We have to be willing to put ourselves in life threatening situations and trust that our squad mates have our back. It's easier when you care deeply for each other. You also can't help forming a bond with people who have been with you through apartment explosions, car accidents, almost shootings and the occasional loose pig or alligator in the neighborhood.

So, our Lieutenant told me Happy Birthday since we are off on my actual birthday. And the jokes began. They ranged from old lady jokes, and threats of practical jokes all shift, then someone asked what did I want "Super Hubby" to buy me. S.H. is an officer in the next town over so my whole squad knows him, very well, at work and off work too.

I had no answer. This prompted lots of discussion about the squad wives and things they have asked for....when one guy said "More like demanded!" We all laughed but it got me thinking....... I am not a demanding sort of person. I like to do for my friends and family, it's how I show love. I go with the flow. But shouldn't my birthday be different? Maybe I should ask for just a bit more on this special day.

I wrote out a list of Birthday Demands and gave it to S.H. and the boys. They looked confused but I told them, this way there is no pressure for a gift or trying to even figure out what to buy, in the first place. I am hard to buy for, my interests change like the wind and I am always trying something different.

My list is very simple.

1. I get to sleep in as late as I want. (I made it until 8 AM, I couldn't lay there any longer! LOL)

2. I am not responsible for my regular morning routine of chores...putting out the dog, lowering the a/c, making the coffee, getting the paper, and making breakfast. (Simple, I know but nice to not have to do them!)

3. We will go out for breakfast. I am the only one who LOVES going to breakfast, so today we will go!

4. I will be on the computer writing, playing games, looking at Facebook or watching cat videos as long as I want with little to no interruptions except in an emergency! :-) This means missing digits and/or blood. This also includes if I am reading a book, out in the garden, at my Altar, or meditating!

5. I will be doing no chores, so the dishes, laundry, cleaning the litter box, cooking and anything else that resembles work will be done by others or will wait until tomorrow!

6. My phone will be off all day so no work call ins or fires to put out with any of my groups, volunteer places etc. If it's a true emergency, people know to call S.H. to get to me.

7. I will be taking the time to bring my laptop to get fixed, which I have been putting off, to do stuff for others. I love my laptop, I want it fixed. Today is that day! :-)

8. S.H. and the boys will be ready to do whatever crazy thing I decide we should do today with little to no complaining! Yes, that may mean going to that lecture on Backyard Chickens at the library tonight! :-)

9. If I choose to watch TV or see a movie, it's my pick. I know it's hard for the guys to give up control of the remote but they will be okay, this one time.

10. Any and all of these demands are subject to modification at any time, at my whim, so buckle up guys, it's my 41st Birthday!

After I wrote out the list, I saw one of my favorite places, Florida Wildlife Hospital is having a fundraiser all week, so I will be going to get a pizza and have 20% of my bill go to them....I "demand" you do the same if you live in my area! LOL. The Birthday Girl (girl...41...not quite) has spoken!

And if your Birthday is coming up, make your "Demands List", you deserve it!!!!

41 Things Birthday Update!

I only completed 22 things this year. The completed ones are in bold and underlined. Last year I managed 25 of of 40!

Some things like the learning archery and fencing...I took a few lessons in both, I would  not say I learned them but I did try them and it was super fun!

Thanks to my friends who help get me motivated and come along for the ride! As always whatever, I did not do, this year, will get added to the 42 list. Also, I have decided if something doesn't get crossed off the list in 3 years, I will take it off, it must not be that important.

1. Learn Archery
2. See Buddha the turtle get released back into the wild
3. Go to the rodeo
4. Get a tattoo
5. Build an aquaponics system  in the house
6. Have a garage sale and empty the garage
7. Lose 10 lbs
8. Go to Sanibel Island
9. Pagan Food Drive for "The Women’s Center”
10. Run a 5K
11. Grow more heirloom seeds or unusual foods
12. Take a belly dancing class
13. Go rafting or tubing in North Florida
14. Go to FPG
15.  Learn to use a sewing machine
16. Go to Cassadaga
17. Go on a Haunted Ghost Tour
18. Build a spiral herb garden
19. Get Reiki attunement level 3 
20. Go see The Molly Roger Roller Girl
21. Visit Mt Dora
22. Go see Classic Albums Live
23. Visit the Dali Museum  in St. Pete
24. Teach Reiki level 1
25. Make a fire pit in backyard
26. Re-do garden Altar
27. Fight HOA about chickens!
28. Visit land in S.C.
29. See an ADF Ritual
30. Present Workshop about Pagans to Police Academy
31. Visit Morikami Gardens
32. Get DNA done
33. Go to Jacksonville Pagan Pride Day
34. Go Vegan for a month
35. Learn Fencing
36. Learn to make hpyertufa pots
37. Put in application for C.O.G.
38. Start a garden project with the kids from PAL and BCC Environmental club
39. Buy a pair of cowboy boots
40. Get a drum and learn to drum
41. Volunteer

41 Things Update!

With 2 months and 9 days to go, I have completed 17 out of 41 things...I had better get moving! :-) The competed ones are the ones underlined and in bold! Thanks to my friends who help get me motivated and come along for the ride!

1. Learn Archery
2. See Buddha the turtle get released back into the wild
3. Go to the rodeo
4. Get a tattoo
5. Build an aquaponics system  in the house
6. Have a garage sale and empty the garage
7. Lose 10 lbs
8. Go to Sanibel Island
9. Pagan Food Drive for "The Women’s Center”
10. Run a 5K
11. Grow more heirloom seeds or unusual foods
12. Take a belly dancing class
13. Go rafting or tubing in North Florida
14. Go to FPG
15.  Learn to use a sewing machine
16. Go to Cassadaga
17. Go on a Haunted Ghost Tour
18. Build a spiral herb garden
19. Get Reiki attunement level 3 
20. Go see The Molly Roger Roller Girl
21. Visit Mt Dora
22. Go see Classic Albums Live
23. Visit the Dali Museum  in St. Pete
24. Teach Reiki level 1
25. Make a fire pit in backyard
26. Re-do garden Altar
27. Fight HOA about chickens!
28. Visit land in S.C.
29. See an ADF Ritual
30. Present Workshop about Pagans to Police Academy
31. Visit Morikami Gardens
32. Get DNA done
33. Go to Jacksonville Pagan Pride Day
34. Go Vegan for a month
35. Learn Fencing
36. Learn to make hpyertufa pots
37. Put in application for C.O.G.
38. Start a garden project with the kids from PAL and BCC Environmental club
39. Buy a pair of cowboy boots
40. Get a drum and learn to drum
41. Volunteer

41 Things Update!

With 6 months and 8 days to go, I have completed 11 out of 41 things...I had better get moving! :-) The competed ones are the ones underlined and in bold! Thanks to my friends who help get me motivated and come along for the ride!

1. Learn Archery
2. See Buddha the turtle get released back into the wild
3. Go to the rodeo
4. Get a tattoo
5. Build an aquaponics system  in the house
6. Have a garage sale and empty the garage
7. Lose 10 lbs
8. Go to Sanibel Island
9. Pagan Food Drive for "The Women’s Center”
10. Run a 5K
11. Grow more heirloom seeds or unusual foods
12. Take a belly dancing class
13. Go rafting or tubing in North Florida
14. Go to FPG
15.  Learn to use a sewing machine
16. Go to Cassadaga
17. Go on a Haunted Ghost Tour
18. Build a spiral herb garden
19. Get Reiki attunement level 3 
20. Go see The Molly Roger Roller Girl
21. Visit Mt Dora
22. Go see Classic Albums Live
23. Visit the Dali Museum  in St. Pete
24. Teach Reiki level 1
25. Make a fire pit in backyard
26. Re-do garden Altar
27. Fight HOA about chickens!
28. Visit land in S.C.
29. See an ADF Ritual
30. Present Workshop about Pagans to Police Academy
31. Visit Morikami Gardens
32. Get DNA done
33. Go to Jacksonville Pagan Pride Day
34. Go Vegan for a month
35. Learn Fencing
36. Learn to make hpyertufa pots
37. Put in application for C.O.G.
38. Start a garden project with the kids from PAL and BCC Environmental club
39. Buy a pair of cowboy boots
40. Get a drum and learn to drum
41. Volunteer

Day 10....but is this the end?

I survived! In fact, I have to say I have not felt this good in 10 years! Not that it was easy. I did well until about a week in, then I had an intense cheese burger craving. But it went away after 15 or so minutes and all was well.

So, even though I have 1 juice to go, I thought I would throw up so numbers.......I lost 11 lbs,  4 inches off my chest, 4 inches off my waist, and 3 inches off my hips!!!!!! I am pretty happy with that!

"Super Hubby" lost 12 lbs, but he did not do any measurements. Tonight, he will go to a juice in the morning and two meals routine. But, I think I am going to continue with the 2x a day juice and raw only food for dinner, until I go camping at the beginning of November.

I  found I really like Watermelon, pear and green apple juice for breakfast, and my favorite lunch juice is kale, spinach, tomato, carrot, green pepper and onion! Yummy!!!!

So, I will update this before I go for my un-plugged weekend and let you know how it goes.

Day one!

I started my juice and raw food only 10 day challenge today. It is harder than it looks, as I am sure you can imagine.

I started my day with a large glass of water. Part of this plan is to drink water until you are able to breathe under it, I think! Then, I made my first juice. Here is what I put in the juicer....4 carrots, 1 green apple, 1 cucumber, 1 stalk of celery and 1/2 of a peeled lemon. It was easy to do but I underestimated the amount of time for clean up so I didn't get a picture of it. I had to get to work.

Yea, about that....fasting and work do not go together, at all. "The Cucumber Cooler", that I call the above recipe was not good but it was not bad. It is hard to describe it. But I drank it and went to work.

Work....sigh. I go all over for work and I never realized how many places serve food!!!! OMG! So, by 11:00 AM and two more bottles of water, I wanted to kill the world!

At lunchtime, I was lucky enough to go home and make a juice. I made the "Mean Green", that is the juice, Joe Cross, made a lot in the movie. It's 6 kale leaves,1 cucumber, 4 stalks of celery, 2 green apples, a 1/2 of a peeled lemon and a piece of ginger. OOOOKKKKK!

If anyone tries this, use a very, very, very, small piece of ginger, it is over powering!  Again, it was not horrible but it was not anything, I would crave....ever.

By 2:00 PM, I was feeling better, not so hungry but I started to get tired. I had no coffee, which is a miracle in it's self, I live on coffee. But I pushed through it, being busy at work helped.

For dinner we had salad, with kale, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers,onion, carrots and radish. It's only a little past 7:00 PM and I am ready for bed...I feel strange, not bad but.......just strange!

I'm feeling a little bit RAW!

As most of you know "Super Hubby" is a go with the flow sort of guy, who pretty much lets me do whatever I want and is always there to help me out, when something goes wrong! LOL.

I have been on a bunch of medication for Sarcoidosis (8) and have been feeling sort of run down the last few weeks. I was on the couch watching Netflix, when I came across a documentary called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". WOW!

So, I mentioned it to S.H., he watched the film and said "Why not, let's try it". I did a bunch of research, picked out a juicer and found some yummy recipes to try out.

I found a website connected to the movie called Reboot your Life and it had several plans from 3 Day Juice only fasts to 15 Juice and raw food fasts. S.H. and I decided on a 10 day Juice and raw food fast. That means breakfast and lunch are made at home in our juicer and dinner is raw food only, like salads, vegetables and fruit. I know there is raw milk and other items, not cooked that we could eat but, we are going strictly veggie and fruit......FOR 10 Days!!!!! Not sure what I have gotten myself into, but check back and I will let you all know how it goes!

Here is a picture of my juicer, ready to go and the crazy amount of fruit and veggies to go with it!

41 Things to do before 41!

As usual, on my birthday, I make a list of things I want to do before my next birthday. Here is the to-do list before I hit 41!!!! They are in no particular order and 13 are from last years list, that I didn't get to before today.

1. Learn Archery
2. See Buddha the turtle get released back into the wild
3. Go to the rodeo
4. Get a tattoo
5. Build an aquaponics system  in the house
6. Have a garage sale and empty the garage
7. Lose 10 lbs
8. Go to Sanibel Island
9. Pagan Food Drive for :The Women’s Center”
10. Run a 5K
11. Grow more heirloom seeds or unusual foods
12. Take a belly dancing class
13. Go rafting or tubing in North Florida
14. Go to FPG
15.  Learn to use a sewing machine
16. Go to Cassadaga
17. Go on a Haunted Ghost Tour
18. Build a spiral herb garden
19. Get Reiki attunement level 3 
20. Go see The Molly Roger Roller Girl
21. Visit Mt Dora
22. Go see Classic Albums Live
23. Visit the Dali Museum  in St. Pete
24. Teach Reiki level 1
25. Make a fire pit in backyard
26. Re-do garden Altar
27. Fight HOA about chickens!
28. Visit land in S.C.
29. See an ADF Ritual
30. Present Workshop on Pagans to Police Academy
31. Visit Morikami Gardens
32. Get DNA done
33. Go to Jacksonville Pagan Pride Day
34. Go Vegan for a month
35. Learn Fencing
36. Learn to make hpyertufa pots
37. Put in application for C.O.G.
38. Start a garden project with the kids from PAL and BCC Environmental club
39. Buy a pair of cowboy boots
40. Get a drum and learn to drum
41. Volunteer

Valentine's Day Gift from "Super Hubby"

Today is Valentine's Day. "Super Hubby" is usually so good to me all year round that I don't get excited about this holiday.

I went to work and when I came home I had a super cool seed starting rack in my dining room! It's a wire shelf with a grow light! Now I can start seeds all year long. I had been mulling over ideas for a seed starting area and I know S.H. was going to help me by building it, but I never thought of this! I put all my basil seeds that I started outside two weeks ago under the lights! So exciting!