One of those “good” things around me came (as often is the case) unexpectedly in the form of a personal trainer at my gym.  [Along with above said perspective, I also can't help but smile at most who cross my path -- it just seems like the proper way to greet people.]  So, I enter the gym for my workout, and due to a snaffoo with my membership card, need assistance.  I, of course, smile at the person at the desk.  He helps me and I enter.  Moments later while selecting a playlist, the same front desk person approaches my treadmill.  He starts asking questions, and getting “that feeling” I start peppering more and more of my answers with mention of my husband.  He gets the hint and moves on to talk about training — yes, he’s a Personal Trainer.  Ironically, though, while trying to encourage me about working out and my fitness routine, this trainer also encouraged my spirit.  He reminded me about another benefit of challenge.  In the midst of facing challenge we have the choice to give up and give into it, OR to do what only we can, and take one step at a time to push through it.  Once we do, we have the victory, the confidence, the triumph of knowing we have overcome.  As much as I hate to admit it, some of the most painful and heartbreaking challenges I have faced have been the same ones to give me the strength and tools to be where I am today.

Challenges don’t always have to be vicious and mean.  Sometimes they can be disguised in the masquerade of simple and fun, yet still with enough pull to help us grow.

My card today honors three (and then some) challenges in the world of cardmaking.  First, is the layout, from “The Stampers’ Sampler Take Ten” issue from winter 2011.  Secondly, the colors were inspired by an Ippity Challenge: IHHTC3.  Thirdly, the theme was inspired by a Unity Stamp Company Challenge: Fashion Forward.  In addition to these formal challenges, I also wanted to try out a new-to-me product: Smooch Spritz in Vanilla Shimmer, as well as the technique of using my scissors to distress paper.  So, voila — I bring you my triumphant victory card over these challenges, with the additional reminder, “With the right accessories, you can do anything”.

stamps: Unity Stamp Co.: Treasure To Me, Undeniably You, Jan 2011 KOM To the Moon and Back

ink: ColorBox: pink, aqua, canary, lime

accessories: Papertrey Ink CS, Smooch Spritz Vanilla Shimmer, Recollections Rhinestone Stickers

[As an ironic aside to this post, my blogging platform and/or server have decided to put up an unexpected roadblock, so the simple act of writing a post, uploading an image, and publishing has become a 2-day process of troubleshooting.  However, as you can see, I (with the help of forums and support tickets) have triumphantly slayed another dragon!]

• distance from Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Madras, India (MAA)  is…8,969 miles / 14,434 kilometers
• time difference between LAX and MAA…13 1/2 hours
• last time hubby and I visited family in MAA…2008 (too long ago!)
• time it takes for a birthday card to reach MAA from LAX by mail…about a week

I’ll admit it…I. am. spoiled!  In the late 90′s while living in Japan, if I wanted to communicate with family, I used a totally high-tech call back system and I called my family.  If I wanted to instant message friends (and they were willing to meet me at odd hours), I plugged in my phone cable, punched in my modem passwords, waited for the dial-up to connect, and then, by golly, we chatted.  This may sound old-school now, but at least I didn’t have to send word via pony express, hope that connections were properly made along the way so that weeks later my communication would, by God’s grace, reach its destination.  But NOW…things are even better!  We can skype, chat, and vonage our way into the homes of loved ones and not only are we able to exchange our words and thoughts, but we can show off those extra pounds we’ve put on, parade our latest look, and add emphasis with key facial expressions.  Being as spoiled as I am, however, even our most modern technology does have its drawbacks.

For one — when I have taken too long constructing a card, have let the days pass me by, and have not (air)mailed a birthday card at least one week in advance, technology cannot help me get it there yesterday…until now…well sorta.

Without further ado, I present to you, “Get Your Party On!”.  I created it for my father in law, Hari Uncle.  I was working with Unity’s HHSC44 challenge, with a clear vision of what I was doing, and then boy did I get stumped.  As soon as I got those supplies out and (finally) turned off that critical voice in my head, they lead the way — my motto of late, “just go with it” (wanna see the flick, too)!  Used distress inks to give the birds and owl a watercolor look, then used watercolor pencils sans the water for the feathers. Markered up the party hat. Can you guess that the sentiment is covering up the mistakenly smudged sentiment below — well it is — like I said, “just go with it”.

It’s a doubly special day, celebrating a wedding anniversary AND a birthday, so get your party hat ON!  Even though there are many miles (and kilometers) between us, you are always with us in our thoughts, and we receive your love through care packages, email, and regular phone calls.  Until we get to share in person, Hari Uncle, it is with great love that we send you these birthday wishes…long distance.

Happy Birthday, Hari Uncle!

stamps: {Ippity} Party Hat Wishes, Unity Aug 2010 KOM All You Need, Unity Aug 2008 KOM Remember Happiness

ink: ColorBox Brown, ColorBox Frost White, Tim Holtz Antique Linen, Tim Holtz Broken China

accessories: Papertrey Ink CS, Michaels scrap CS, EP, twine, Kimberly watercolor pencils

As I’ve mentioned in past posts, 2010 (and still continuing) has been quite rough on us.  Fortunately, we’re not alone facing the meanness of life.  We have our faith, we have our loved ones, and we have each other.  Even with the challenges we’ve had so many moments of deep, rich laughter, and of course, over the silliest things.  How cool is that!

When thinking about creating my Valentine’s valentine, a particular image and sentiment came to mind — Unity’s Rain or Shine.  I love the sentiment, “through rain or shine, you’ll always be mine” — perfect!  I used Get Sketchy’s GS#74 as my guiding inspiration for the layout, and knew that I wanted to use red, white, black, and yellow (hubby likes those classic colors) so that the card would have a clean and classic look.  Using one of my new favorite tools, the Stampamajig (seriously, all that hype out there — I say worth it!), I lined up my various umbrellies from Unity’s Rain & Flowers set on three panels of cream-colored CS, then layered them on some Me & My Big Ideas B&W polka-dotted DP, and adhered it to Papertrey Ink’s Pure Poppy CS.  I tied a small bow with some red ribbon from Michaels.  For my sentiment, I stamped it in ColorBox Frost White on black CS from Michaels, then embossed with white detail EP.  I then stamped a cloud from Unity & Bella Blvd’s Sunny Happy Skies (using my Stampamajig for layout!) around the sentiment in Frost White, cut it out, and adhered it with 3D adhesives.  On the inside of the card I stamped the image from Rain or Shine in Versamark to give it that watermarked look, and signed around it in white ink.  Then the most important part…I placed the card on top of hubby’s dresser…in perfect view to surprise him after work.

To the one I wanna spend all my “under the umbrella” days with — Happy Valentine’s Day Weekend!

stamps: Unity Rain or Shine, Unity Rain & Flowers, Unity & Bella Blvd. Sunny Happy Skies

ink: ColorBox Frost White, ColorBox PaintBox, Palette Black Noir, Versamark

accessories: Papertrey Ink CS, Me & My Big Ideas DP, Detail White EP, ribbon from Michaels

This move puts her and her family (that sounds so grammatically awkward) almost exactly halfway between the home of her parents and the home of her in-laws. Great news for her in-laws, but sad for her parents who have had her a short road trip away. Sad for her to put more miles between people she loves dearly.  Happy for her husband and a new opportunity.  Happy for me to now have her within a day’s drive.  Change.  Bittersweet.

Change is hard. Here’s what I think change would look like on a recipe card:

Change

2 sprays wistful tears

1 Tbsp nostalgia

1 Tbsp reluctance and anxiety

3 Tbsp teary goodbyes

3 Tbsp excitement

1 large dose possibilities

1/2 tsp adventure, grace, humor

One by one add each ingredient to mixing bowl of emotions, being careful to stir slowly.  When mixture results in a wistful heavy heart, and a hopeful smile, preparations are complete.

To help welcome my friend and her family to their new home, and to brighten her day, I decided to send some “housewarming” love in the mail.  Based on the Get Sketchy Challenge #73, I used some cheery DP and these lovely little houses to create this card.

stamps: {ippity} by Unity “House a Home”

ink: ColorBox Dune, Palette Burnt Umber

accessories: Papertrey Ink CS, My Mind’s Eye DP, ribbon from Michaels, button, twine

Here’s one that will be forever dear, but which didn’t quite make the cut…

Saying I love you is not the words I want to hear from you,

it’s not that I want you, not to say, but if you only knew

how easy, it would be to show me how you feel…

Of course, the mere fact that it was a suggestion means that whenever I hear Extreme’s early 90′s rock ballad, “More Than Words”, I pause and listen carefully to the “honey, it’s [almost] our song”.  In the same way that Michael Bolton’s “Said I Loved You, But I Lied” can stop me in my tracks with the initial title and chorus (way to grab our attention, Michael), the line “saying I love you is not the words I want to hear from you” can also make me take pause.

Over the past year or so my husband and I have been (and continue to be) put through the ringer!  We’ve been moving through some incredibly difficult circumstances.  By the grace of God, our love for each other, and the incredible support of dear ones around us we are making it through.  [Can I get an "Amen!"]  This being said, when I do pause and listen to our almost song, it really gets me thinking.

How many times do I tell my husband I love him?  How many times do I say or do something totally inconsiderate or hurtful?  How much more powerful would my I love you’s be if I could tell him without the words?

This is a challenge I give myself — tell my husband I love him.  tell him every. single. day.  tell him — and avoid the words.

In honor of what I think would happen, I bring you, “Avoid Your Words, and Grow…Love”.  Based on Unity Stamp Company’s weekly sketch challenge (HHSC43), I made it a goal to make a CAS (clean and simple) card with ribbon and felt.

So, if like me, you have been blessed with some truly amazing loved ones in your life, then go on and tell them “I love you”, tell them even more, and every so often, say it, but avoid the words.

stamps: Unity Stamp Co. “Fly With Me” KOM

ink: Versamark

accessories: Papertrey Ink Kraft CS, PaperSource soft white double faced satin ribbon, PaperSource Aegean Silver EP, Sizzix Tipsy Hearts dies, felt

Since the ball fell in the big apple I’ve been determined to slowly incorporate the things I love back into my life, little by little — you know, baby steps. Much like faith, I am going to take steps with the hopes and certainty that I will feel more like myself again, and by trusting and taking those steps, THEY WILL. So, I’m taking the risk, stepping out in faith, and putting my heart on the line…or string (you’ll see).

One step includes a goal — seeking the inspiration of various sketch challenges, I am aiming to complete three cards a week. Card by card I am determined to fight the meanness out of life and regain some of my life-lovin’ verve.

Here’s a start…this past week’s Mojo Monday sketch challenged participants to make a round or square card with a great funky flair.

See, I told ya – heart (or shall I say hearts) on a line (or string). I stretched myself even further with this challenge to try punching a circle with a corner punch, AND to use these absolutely adorable mini clothespins. It took me about two days to complete it and love it, but after a few iterations, I finally got it just right — AND I did what I love!

stamps: sweet love sentiment – Ippity (by Unity) “Moonbeams & Heartstrings”; XOXO sentiment – Studio G

ink: warm red & rose coral ColorBox Chalk

accessories: MS ribbon loop corner punch; Target $1 spot DP; PTI kraft CS; twine; mini clothespins

2010 hasn’t been the kindest year. In fact, life has been downright mean. In response, I’ve been in survival mode, focused on seeking out the good, and thus AWOL from the blog. BUT…I’ve still been making cards, and still reading blogs — my therapy. Good medicine — eeking out creations card by card, and so gratifying to see them in one slideshow together. My cardmaking goal in 2010 was to send out only homemade cards for the various birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and other celebratory occasions. Did I meet it? You betcha! For 2011 — I hope to continue in the same, but to celebrate a few more, and to increase the cardmaking (maybe 5 a week?) — still some reflecting and goal-making to do. Will let you know the final decision.

For now…in following with the tradition of reflecting over the year, I present my top 10 card creations of 2010.

Love the colors, love the flower and tag details, and absolutely LOVED the occasion -- welcome, Lili!

Huge fan of the zebra print, the textured green strip, and love that cutey elephant!

Love the swirls, love the shoes, love the sassy!

Layers of lovely paper, rich textures, and a silhouetted "love" scrolled across

Made for a friend of mine with a familiar kitty -- love the colors and layers

Love at first read with the sentiment, and full of rich layers and details

For an anniversary...love how the flowers almost glow, love the colors, and love the message

Even when friends are far away, thinking of them, and creating their cards keeps them close at heart; love the butterfly, love the colors, love the sentiment

Using the masking technique for those beautiful blossoms, and gotta love the sentiment -- very personal for me, especially in 2010

Loved ones have been so gracious, God has been so good, and I am...so grateful; love the soft colors, the layers, the texture, and the sentiment

My husband and I have had reason upon reason to express our gratitude.  We have been moving through some horrendous circumstances, and we have been surrounded and supported by so many amazing people.  This is the first of many.  To all of you out there — We thank you with a grateful heart.

Thank you card that reads, "give thanks with a grateful heart" with envelope

Close up

With a Grateful Heart

Stamps: sentiment – Verve

Ink: Cocoa – ColorBox

Paper: DP – We R Memory Keepers: Nonsense

Accessories: tag punch – Marvy, eyelet – Recollections, white twine

Being the lover of blossoms and all things blooms, and being that the couple live in Hawaii, it seemed only appropriate to use some bright colors and highlight some beautiful flowers.  Out of the desire for a CAS (clean and simple) card, bright colors, and flowers came a sweet card celebrating what this couple has learned to do very well — grow love.

Happy Anniversary! To many more celebrations of your marriage.

"Grow Love Blossoms"; stamps by Studio G and Unity Stamp Company

Love Grows Blossoms

stamps: image Studio G $1 stamps from Michaels, sentiment Unity Stamp Co.

ink: ColorBox

So in her honor I got to play with a new Unity stamp in my collection and make this cute little card (with input and guidance from my hubby, of course — truly it becomes a gift from both of us).  And contrary to my recent bad behavior — I not only made the card, but also actually sent it in the mail (just don’t tell her – ‘cuz I only sent it yesterday)!  Happy Birthday, Dear One.

Happy Birthday Wishes to my Dear Sister-in-Law

Card: Birthday Wishes

Stamps: Image June 2010 KOM “Fly Free” by Unity, Sentiment “Chelsea Sentiments” by Inkadinkado

Paper: Michaels scrap cardstock

Ink: ColorBox White

Accessories: ProvoCraft Paper Shapers, Kimberly Watercolor Pencils, Marvy Embossing Markers, Stamp N Stuff Detail Clear EP, Recollections Brads

Fortunately, even in the world of papercrafting and cardmaking there are deadlines to be found.

Recently another new favorite stamp company of mine, Verve Stamps, launched a release of its latest and greatest, while also celebrated three years in the business.  The cool part (yes — in addition to the great stamps) is that Verve fans were invited to play along.  We were given five sketches or layouts of cards, invited to use their stamps and our cardmaking prowess, and yes — we were given a deadline.  Did I make it?  Well…sort of.  I definitely made the cards on time.  It was the first-time process of watermarking and uploading to my Splitcoast Stampers gallery that took a little more time — I think I was within five minutes.  Either way, good learning experience.

These are the sketches to celebrate Verve's Third Anniversary

So, wanna see what I made?  I’m happy to share.  If you want more details about these cards, feel free to visit my Splitcoast Stampers Gallery.

"Be Still and Know that I am God"

May All Your Dreams Come True

"Birthday Wishes"

"The flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today"

"Wrinkles should only indicate where smiles have been"

Happy Anni-verve-sary, Verve!

I won these stamps for commenting at http://jenscupofcreations.blogspot.com

I won a kit to make this stunning set by commenting at http://thinkcrafts.com

I won this new background stamp duing Ippity's Release Sneak Previews at http://dahlhousedesigns.wordpress.com

Is this enough?  Has my adrenaline rush thirst been quenched? NO WAY!  I want more (well, only if I can really use it, that is).  For example…

Right now — today, there are two (assuredly more) giveaways for every papercrafter’s dream — a Silhouette Machine!  What is so cool about this up and coming gizmo?  It allows crafters to use fonts and images already on their computer to create one of a kind designs in paper, on heat transfer, and more.  Translation…I can add more detailed work to my cards (even using some of my favorite computer fonts); can design iron-on patterns for my beloved, but in need of some “upcycling” clothing; can cut out personalized vinyl designs to decorate our white walls, and can even create gift boxes galore.

Sample thank-you card created with Silhouette Machine from http://www.qksilhouette.com/whatcanitdo.aspx

Sample of vinyl decor created with Silhouette Machine from http://www.qksilhouette.com/whatcanitdo.aspx

Sample of t-shirt decorated with Silhouette Machine design from http://www.qksilhouette.com/whatcanitdo.aspx

Christmas Ornaments created with http://www.qksilhouette.com/whatcanitdo.aspx

Artwork created with Silhouette Machine from http://www.qksilhouette.com/whatcanitdo.aspx

You, too, can participate in these fabulous giveaways.  Just visit each of the sites below, check out their rules, do what you can, and “voila” — you could experience the RUSH, the instant moment of euphoria, the chill of joy that runs through your body when you find out that you, too, ARE A WINNER!

1. GrosgrainFabulous
2. Kara’s Party Ideas

(Photo: Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben and Tobey Maguire as Peter Park in Spider-Man (2002) found at http://markdroberts.com/?p=463)

One of the qualities that I cherish about the Christian life is the quality of freedom.  God has created us in His image, yet He has created us all uniquely — and along with that, He has created us each with our own minds and thoughts — freedom.  When God sent His son to die for our sins, He gave us — freedom.  When we choose to accept Christ as our Lord and savior, we have the freedom to turn our backs on the sins of our past and live a totally abundant life — overflowing with goodness we never imagined.  Sadly, we also have the freedom to turn our backs on God and live life as we please — but that’s a whole other post.  I’m a huge fan of having my own mind.  I’m a huge fan of freedom — of all kinds.  That being said, I realize that with freedom comes a balance of using my freedom responsibly, as well as respecting the freedom of others.  I also realize that too much freedom isn’t always a good thing.

I am a being that requires boundaries.  I need structure.  Parents set boundaries for and discipline their children out of love, but also as a necessity — much as we don’t like to admit it — we crave limits.  I know this logically in my brain, yet sometimes living out a life with boundaries, a life that balances responsibility with freedom is one of those “easier said than done”.

William Bridges in Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes recommends that in times of life upheaval we do our best to build temporary structures.  Read: when your life has seemingly been turned upside down, create some anchors that can help you hang on.  He writes…

When we had our house remodeled a few years ago, we tolerated for several weeks a living room wall made of plastic and canvas.  That temporary construction was ugly, but it provided us with the protection we needed to go on living in a space that was being transformed.  So it is with transitional situations in love and work:  you will need to work out ways of going on while the inner work is being done.  This may involve getting a temporary job while you look for a real job; it may involve agreements at home or at work to carry on in some modified fashion until something more permanent can be devised; or it may simply involve an inner resolve to accept a given situation as temporary and to transfer some energy to the job of finding a replacement for it.

So what do these temporary structures look like in our lives?  For me, it has meant routine.  As my husband will sometimes say in amusement, “you go through phases” — and he’s right.  My routine and schedule has gone through many iterations throughout these past 12 months — I have had periods of focusing more on physical activity, of regular reflective writing, of cooking one recipe after another, of learning all things WordPress, of feasting on my “to read” stacks, of chatting it up with friends over breakfast or tea or flavored steamers…much like Elizabeth Gilbert — in many of my own private “Italy-s”.

Shifts in the routine have mostly been a product of my own whims, but then there have been those grand “mean-life” changes that have required new and different times of rebuilding.  Since late spring I have found that more than a change in structure or routine, I have been without structure or routine.  In many ways, life turned me upside down, all around, and then some that I found myself in more of a free-for-all.  The result: I have felt unfulfilled, purpose-less, and yearning to again do the things I love.  Part of this routine-less time was a necessary element in grieving and healing, but as I have slowly come out of it, I realize that I am again in need of creating structure.

Time to remodel.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) I don’t have cool before and after photos to document the changes in my “inner life”, but I do experience growth in character, greater strength, and the affirmed confidence that I’ve “been there; done that” and can therefore reach into my remodeling toolbox to start building all over again.

As I was thinking about structure, freedom, responsibility I was reminded of a time working with high school students in Central Washington during the summers.  I had the hybrid joy and challenge of working with students who had little access to social capital (i.e. those mentors and positive role models in life helping them get a “hook up” with education), few resources to support a healthy and well-rounded education, and many were carrying way too many burdens for their young teenage years.  Five days a week I lived with and mentored these amazing individuals in the dorms of a community college campus.  By day the students had the opportunity to catch up on missed high school credits, or gain extra credits to get ahead, and by night they participated in cultural events to preserve their heritage (many were Latino, Native American, and African American), and participated in learning discussions.  In these dorms we kept a strict schedule, especially when it came to light’s out.  I remember standing in the hallways (I on the ladies’ side) minutes before the call for lights out, watching these young women scramble to get final notes from friends, brush their teeth, or make the last trip to the restroom.  One young woman came to me with wide eyes, “How many minutes until light’s out?”  “Three.” “Do I have time to use the bathroom?”  ” I don’t know…do you?” Although it may sound as though I was being facetious, that was not my intent.  Instead, I was working to help her understand that it was not I who had the power or control to say whether or not she could use the restroom in three minutes — it was up to her — to learn her boundaries and responsibilities — knowing she had three minutes left, knowing herself and her needs — could she make it in three minutes (I should note that we dialogued about this, but the next day — I didn’t want to take away any of her three minutes)?  A small lesson, but one of many in which I hoped to let these teenagers know that they had great freedom, but also great responsibility.

So, now, as I think about rebuilding temporary structure in my life, I reflect on all the things I want to do (time in prayer, time in God’s word, physical exercise, creating interesting and healthy yummies to eat, stretching my cardmaking and jewelry-making skills, spending quality time with loved ones, finding fulfilling and fruitful work).  Each new day is exciting — lots of time, potential to do almost anything, but I often get overwhelmed and then find myself at the end of the day feeling like I did none of it.  So, first I start with the easy stuff — collect the trash on Mondays, put the bins down Wednesday, bring them up Thursday; check the mail; doctor appointments, etc.  I write lists for myself of the things I want to do, focusing on items that are time-sensitive.  Then I have to ask myself, “Can I do it all?” and then hear my mind’s voice reply, “I don’t know…can you?”  There’s not time in the day to do it all, every day.  However, with the right kind of balance, I can have tastes (and sometimes indulgences) of all those things I love, as well as more of what I am responsible and committed to do — it’s all a matter of building structure and striking a balance.  And if there are a few phases here and there, I won’t complain.

How do you build structure for yourself?  What are your anchors when life turns you topsy turvy?  How do you balance absolute freedom with responsibility?

In Ecclesiastes 3 (I hear The Byrds: Turn, Turn, Turn every time I read this passage!) it is written…

A Time for Everything
-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (New Living Translation courtesy of http://www.biblegateway.com)

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.  A time to plant and a time to harvest.

A time to kill and a time to heal.  A time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to cry and a time to laugh.  A time to grieve and a time to dance.

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.  A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

A time to search and a time to quit searching.  A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear and a time to mend.  A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate.  A time for war and a time for peace.”

I so often forget this.  In a society that prizes productivity, and in a being that has learned to adopt this perspective very well (me), it is so easy for me to forget that taking the time to rest, time to be quiet, time to cry, time to throw away, time to quit searching, time to heal — that taking the time for each of these is incredibly important.

Interestingly enough, the first step that Bridges proposes (in Transitions: Making the Most of Life’s Changes) is: take your time! He writes, “…our lives can change in an instant, but the inner reorientation…takes time.  This does not mean that everything must come to a total standstill while you wait for self-renewal…it means that you cannot rush the inner process…”

journeyoflifetamijo.blogspot.com designed this card and blogged about her struggle with trust and impatience -- what a beautiful Go-to destressor

So what does this look like?  Again — for all of us it’s different.  For me it means being more patient with myself, being more patient with life, and more patient, especially, with God.

True Story.  I recently joined a Women’s Bible Study, and our latest theme is faith.  As an exercise to get us going, we were asked to “blindly” select an item from a bag, pull it out, and take the time to reflect on how that item is an illustration of faith, our own faith journey, or what we currently feel about faith.  I pulled out a clock.  Of course.

In many regards, I have no connections whatsoever with instruments of time.  I don’t wear watches, often don’t pay attention to them when I do, was a horrible History student (all those dates), and even in my own life — can rarely tell you when events have taken place (am pretty good with birthdays and anniversaries — those are the biggies).  As I sat staring at this wall clock in my hand I was seriously thinking, “what in the world am I going to do with this?”  I prayed, asked for some openness, as well as some wisdom.  Then I got to thinking.

I am a life-planner.  This is beyond goal-oriented — this is trying to control with a capital “C”.  I often pictured that I’d graduate high school, graduate college, be married by age 25, having my first child by around 28 at the latest, and graduating with a Master’s by 30.  My 29th birthday was a real shocker — let me tell you — unmarried, childless, and not even enrolled in a graduate program.  Yikes!  Life has thrown me a few curve balls and I’m learning to deal.  So, as I was sitting there, wall clock in hand, I realized, although I am not tied to the clock in the “need to finish writing this post in one hour” sense, I am very much connected to it in the “my life will reach this point by this date in time” regard.  And, obviously, it doesn’t work that way.

Kelly at mybucketoverfloweth.blogspot.com designed this card as a reminder to herself that even when life is in limbo, patience is a virtue, and there are great rewards when we trust

So how does this impact my faith?  It’s at these epiphanous (like my new word) moments in time when I have to take my life out of my hands, move it off my clock, and put it back in the hands of my Creator, and trust in His clock, and in His time.  This does pretty much guarantee lots of uncertainty, many more twists and turns, and life going very unexpectedly, but if the hindsight back on my life is any sign — good things lie ahead when I do so.

So if this means, taking a day to lie in bed and grieve, allowing myself to cry at random moments, ignoring my phone for some quiet alone time, or even spending an afternoon in escape with Drop Dead Diva (thank you, friend, for lending these), then so be it — for every purpose under Heaven, there is a time!

Julie @ stampedinhisimage.blogspot.com created this card to remind us that when life is tough, mean, and ugly - we can choose to seek the beauty in it - beautiful reminder

Confession: life has been particularly mean to me over the past couple of months (yes, this is why I haven’t been writing).  I won’t go into details now — maybe later — but I know that we all experience pain, loss, suffering; I know I’m not alone in this.

JensCupofCreations.blogspot.com designed this lovely and cheery card, but it carries a powerful sentiment (see inside picture)

So, what do we do about it?  How do we manage?  Prayer, exercise, relationships, crying, music, food, sleep, shopping, writing…these are only some of the billions upon billions of the go-to’s that we might use to handle our burdens.  We all know we’re incredibly, delightfully, sometimes-annoyingly different, so obviously we don’t handle life stresses in the same way either.  However, those sage advisors out there do have their few words.  When a former colleague of mine found out that I had been laid off he recommended an author and a couple of titles for me.  One of those is Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes by William Bridges.

Some of Transitions feels utterly obvious, but at the same time sometimes we need to slow down and remind ourselves how to crawl and how to take steps before we can walk again.  Over the next few posts I’ll be sharing some of his words of wisdom, along with some of my own personal go-to’s that I have sought (when my usual go-to’s have been unavailable to me) in this new and nested (read: when life was already mean, it got even “meaner”) time of transition.  I can only share so much of Bridges’ thoughts, I encourage you to visit your local library or bookstore for a deeper look.

"into every life a little rain must fall -- that's what makes the flowers"; Designed by jenscupofcreations.blogspot.com

I hope that by sharing in my journey, those of you out there who might also be experiencing some of life’s ugliness would be able to take heart, find comfort, and be encouraged.  After all, it is often in the most difficult of circumstances that God can shower us with the greatest blessings.

NOTE: Regarding the lovely cards you see — one of my new Go-to’s (and I’ll share more) has been visiting the blogs of lovely UnityStampCompany stampers — I was inspired and encouraged when coming across Julie’s card at http://stampedinhisimage.blogspot.com.  I encourage you to visit both.  At http://jenscupofcreations.blogspot.com I won a set of Unity stamps, and along with the goodies, Jen was kind enough to send me the adorable card “Unity Rain & Flowers” card — the beauty of her design and the encouraging words of the sentiment TOTALLY brightened my day!

Many things that I love about my dad can be categorized by his zest for life.  He likes things bright, bold, and a little zany.  Here’s what I mean — his favorite color is orange, and I don’t mean some muted burnt sienna orange, or a light pastel orange, I’m talkin’ neon, calling your attention, bright orange!  He drives what we call “The Blue Bomb” — it is one of the easiest cars to find in the parking lot and one of the easiest to follow on the freeway — it truly striking in its hue.  From all the places my dad visits — near or far, there are two items he must have to commemorate his travels — a shot glass, and a bumper sticker.  He loves all foods spicy, flavorful, and always followed by chocolate.

A graphic word cloud created by “Wordle” using dad-related words

To make my dad’s Father’s Day card I employed the use of Wordle, one of my favorite free Internet tools for creating graphic word clouds.  I basically did a free word association with all things “dad” – and for those words that I wanted to appear larger, I repeated them.

The result was a word cloud graphically represented in my choice of colors, font, layout preferences, etc.  I printed the image on dark green card stock, punched out several squares and then used a glue stick to arrange them over a textured wheat-colored card stock.  I punched out two gift tags, stamped “No. 1 Dad” and attached the tags with an orange eyelet, and stuck them on with a double-sided 3D foam adhesive.  Inside I used an Autumn Leaves “You are Amazing” stamp.  The result – a masculine and personalized card acknowledging the truly amazing dad that I have.

When I think of my Papi, I think of his love and fascination with all things scientific, historical, and indigenous.  As he is himself a mix of French and Incan, the interest in native people from his native Perú (and all over the world) totally makes sense.  The Nazca Lines have always intrigued him — how did they get there?  what do they represent?  what can we learn from them?  — all curious questions.  In addition to his insatiable appetite for knowledge and learning, my Papi also likes to stay below the radar.  This can be chalked up to humility, or simply attributed to his desire for a simple contented life.  When I hear my Papi’s voice in my head, his rant and rave will forever be “hay que preservar el castellano” — he never referred to us speaking Spanish, it was always “el castellano”, which can be literally translated to Castilian (but refers to Spanish) — but this has always been his way to remind us that we didn’t merely speak Spanish, but “castellano” — big difference!

In honor of Papi, I chose a bright pattern, highlighting geometric lines often associated with Native cultures, made sure to choose stamps bearing good news in “castellano”, and kept is simple and below the radar with a small, but honest, “Happy Father’s Day” message.

Papi's Father's Day card

To both of my dads, I love you, I am grateful for you, and wish you a Happy Father’s Day.

My Personal Goal: Walk/Jog said 5k and complete in under 45 minutes (i.e. 15-min miles)

The Contender(s): Me, and my beloved team of support (AKA my husband and friends)

Location: The Pasadena Rose Bowl – site of the famed Rose Bowl Tournament and the Tournament of Roses Parade — complete with a perimeter pedestrian path of 3.2 miles (5k)

The Pasadena Rose Bowl, courtesy of VirtualTourist.com

The Lowdown: At 6:40-something on Sunday morning I hear my husband’s alarm going off, knowing I now have about ten more minutes before my back-up alarm goes off.  I greedily relish every second of half-sleep, peeping one eye open every other minute or so to see how much time I have left.  Finally at about 6:50-something, about three minutes before the alarm time, I get out of bed, left leg, right leg, and out…realizing that I’m awake.  Teeth brushed, bananas sliced, cereal poured, milk waiting, workout clothes on, I wait for my hubby to join me for a healthy, somewhat hearty (but not too heavy) breakfast together.  We lace up our shoes, make sure we have all we need, even grab the camera, and head out by 7:40 to the Rose Bowl.  Although it’s supposed to heat up to a smokin’ Southern California 93 degrees by mid-day at 8-ish in the morning it’s sunny and cool — perfect for a nice 5k jaunt around the Rose Bowl.

Image of Proposed Updates to Pasadena Rose Bowl Pedestrian Path courtesy of la.streetsblog.org

Upon pulling into the arena area and driving towards our chosen parking lot, we notice the proposed updates to the pedestrian path have now become a reality.  Roads have been paved, clear pedestrian and car lanes have been drawn, areas shaded, and new white lines have been painted — it looks great and incredibly inviting.  As soon as our friends join us we take a quick before picture, and head off to join the many other walkers, bikers, and runners.

Continuing in the interval format, my friend and I start off with a 5-minute walking warm-up, then progress to intervals of 3-minute jogs and 2-minute walks.  We pace ourselves, and manage to carry on conversations, but bring on the activity enough to break out a sweat and get our hearts beating.  The slight up and down grades are manageable, and the sight of fellow exercisers, plus a refreshing breeze keeps us going on our merry way.  Although I will still firmly say, “I am NOT a runner!” I do admit that the bump in activity, the stretching of my legs in a non-walking way, and the amazing feeling afterwards is enough reward, that I will confess to being an interval jogger.  Slower pace, shorter intervals, manageable level of activity — this I can do.  About 40 minutes and 50 seconds later (inexact due to user and stopwatch miscommunication) we reached our goal and completed the 5k.  With a little rounding-off that makes for less than 14-minute miles (getting close to 13.5) — in a very good pace.  More Math – adding up our intervals means we jogged for about 21 minutes of our 40 minutes, meaning we jogged for more than half of our 3.2 miles.  For me, non-runner, hater-of-running, the fact that I jogged for 21 minutes is awesome!  And the fact that I felt comfortable in our pace and our activity – great!

Mission Accomplished!  Words of encouragement to the fellow non-runners out there.  If I can do it, so can you.  So go ahead, choose a goal that is seemingly impossible, break it down to the manageable, and go for it.  And then, share your stories?  What’s your goal?  How’s your journey?  How’s your mission?

We took the day to celebrate and honor a special person in our lives — our mom (and wife).  For whatever reason (mostly we can blame it on Mom pursuing her law degree) for the past few years we have not been able to celebrate Mother’s Day on the actual calendared date.  Although it feels a little strange and disconnected not to contribute to the throngs of celebrators at various restaurants, it does actually work out to my mom’s benefit.  On the day of my brothers and I do our best to barrage our mother with “Happy Mother’s Day” phone calls, text messages, e-cards, and even sometimes actual cards sent by post or delivered on the doorstep.  Then (and usually) a week later we actual gather as a family and spend some quality time celebrating over brunch and with gifts.  This year was no exception.  We gathered for an informal café breakfast at a sprawling ranch property complete with lake, paddle boats, geese, rock waterfalls, grassy lawns, curtained cabanas, and even ping pong and pool tables.  The atmosphere was so laid-back that we felt invited to wander around the property, take in the sights, and feed the geese with Mom.

What’s even cooler about this whole Mother’s Day event is that we have the one set date to focus our love and attention on a dear individual, but there’s nothing that says we can’t do more of the same on any other day of the year that we so choose.  Lots of room on the calendar for those Mom & Daughter or Mother & Son Days.  So whether you’re a live by the calendar kind of person, or if you prefer a more willy-nilly carefree approach, make sure you take some time to love yo momma.

And in honor of the mother’s out there, I encourage you to check out this year’s Mother’s Day card contest submissions hosted by Paper Source, as well as a couple of my own.

Ingredients:

• K & Company design paper
• Clear stamp – squiggly border from Hampton Art “Happy Birthday By the Package” set
• Recollections metal brad
• Blue cardstock from Michael’s variety pack

One of the areas of beading and jewelry-making that brings me both greatest challenge and greatest joy is wire-wrapping.  It requires more dexterity, more forethought, and patience.  The end result, however, is worth the struggles of trying to form the wire around delicate beads and chains, for it looks so classy, so refined, and very non-amateur.  In my first days of making earrings and trying to form loops at the top of wires in order to connect the bead to the ear wire, I was incredibly daunted.  Try after try to bend the wire into a circular, even loop often resulted in brittle wire, oddly-shaped amoebas, or uneven earrings.  My poor roommate, too.  She’d had some experience with forming these metal curves and could offer tips and words of encouragement, but loop after loop I was in her room, “what d’you think?”  As they say, practice, practice, practice.  After adopting different styles and techniques to more easily accomplish the open loop, I finally reached a point where I could confidently enforce my will on the metal and end up with even, rounded loops.  And then, of course, I needed the next challenge — the wrapped loop.

To learn more about not merely bending wire, but wrapping it, too, I signed up for free community classes at Michaels, pored through wire-wrapping books, and sought wisdom from those more experienced than me.  Again, practice, practice, practice.  I’m at that happy point now, where I can more confidently wrap the wire around the beads, around the chains, etc. to produce these elegant pieces.  There are still thicker wires and more complex designs to be conquered, but I can now say that wrapping wire brings me far more delight and Zen than frustration and sore fingers.

San Francisco's Chinatown

I think it may have started with Mrs. Wong’s kitchen, but ever since a young girl I’ve long had a soft spot for Chinese culture.  Whether Mandarin or Cantonese, the languages of China are my absolute favorite to listen to — some enjoy French, others Italian, I love hearing Chinese — perhaps because I understand nearly none of it.  Many of my childhood and teenage friends were from Chinese homes, growing up in the U.S., but preserving their language and culture through Saturday schools, practicing traditions at home, and maintaining a tight-knit and friendly community.  The writings of Amy Tan, Aimee Liu, more recently Lisa See, and others helped to paint greater landscapes of China in my mind.  And the food — don’t even get me started on the food!  Of course in my younger years it was the American typicals of Won-Ton soup, Cashew Chicken, Moo Goo Gai Pan, etc., but I remember discovering my first Steamed Bun in Vancouver, B.C.’s Chinatown and crossing over a new threshold in Chinese cuisine.  While living in Japan I sampled the Chinese flavors Japanese-style, and then spicier versions in India.

During my recent stay in San Francisco, my family and I discovered that our hotel was a mere two blocks away from one of the main gateways into Chinatown — a must visit!  Although my mother repeatedly and incredulously kept asking, “Dim Sum for breakfast?” we just had to.

So, my parents, brother, and I traipsed around through Chinatown, watching it slowly come to life on an early Monday morning, admiring storefronts, taking in the bright colors, capturing many a digital photo, and scouting out for the right (and open) Dim Sum shop (ironically, it was only a month or so earlier that both brothers and I partook of a similar quest in L.A.’s Chinatown).

San Francisco Dim Sum Breakfast

After following recommendations and directions of a few local shopkeepers, we found our way to a small hole-in-the-wall Dim Sum shop.  Contrary to popular belief, this shop did not have us seated at round tables with Lazy Susans with Dim Sum-filled carts wheeling around us.  It was more akin to a small pastry shop with many a steaming bamboo basket, each filled with its own delicacy.  It was a lot of describing, pointing, peeking, and recalling from memory to order a varied selection of Dim Sum for the family’s breakfast.

Thankfully, the man who assisted us was incredibly patient, accommodating, and greeted each question with a smile. Once our table was filled with Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, Lotus Leaf-wrapped Chicken, Baked BBQ Pork Buns, Tofu in Black Bean Sauce, Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, Steamed Red Bean Buns, Egg Custards, Thick Noodles, and more we sat down to enjoy our feast.  Complete with Green and Black Teas, a word of thankful prayer, and a quick digital snapshot.  I don’t know if our breakfast was quite what my parents were envisioning upon waking up, but it seemed that we all thoroughly enjoyed our gastronomical adventure through Chinatown.

Being official San Francisco tourists for the day, we followed our meal with a Powell & Mason cable car ride through the city’s famous hilly and windy streets.  From

Powell & Bush St. down to The Embarcadero, we took in the scenery on the moving National Historic Landmark, crowding in with fellow tourists, watching the grip operators flex their arms, and announcing our passage with the ringing of the bell.  It was a gloriously beautiful May day in the city by the bay.  So San Francisco!

After such a wonderful, but too short adventure, I hear the city again calling my name.  If you, too, have left your heart in San Francisco, or even in Chinatown, look around you, there may be a small pocket of China near you.

San Francisco Cable Car

Why do I love train rides so much?  A number of reasons.  It’s smooth like a jet with recliner-like legroom and the views of an IMAX screen.  When the last-minute airfares jump around and become out of reach, the consistent and dependable prices of the train are much more appealing.  And bonus — there are many out of the ordinary glimpses to be seen:  blossoming strawberries, deer running in a field, domestic fish-farmers, parasailors skimming the currents of air, wildflowers sprinkling color along sides of roads, mischievous boys in obscure parts of town, dog-walkers, and goats roaming the hillside.

During this most current journey I also discovered that Amtrak has stepped up its offerings for the long-distance rides.  For those who want more than the reminisces of old: the clickety clack of moving along the tracks, the experience of eating in diner cars, sleeping in sleeper cars, and meeting new people through community seating, there are a number of additional offerings to enjoy.  While onboard the Coast Starlight the staff and crew members advertised such programs as movies in the Screening Car, a Rails & Trails guided presentation, announcements of upcoming and spectacular views, and on-board wine tasting.

For my journey I chose to finish my latest Book Club read, read up on some programming tips, and enjoy my brown-bag lunch with a seaside view — reservations for one.

Here I am on Monday afternoon, in desperate need of a shower after an awesome gym workout (yup visiting the gym now), nearing the lunchtime hunger hour, and although seeing that I have now crossed five items off my to-do list, there is still much to be done, and if I’m realistic I won’t get to all of it, and if I’m honest, it’s not all “what she loves”.  Isn’t that life, though?

Three of the items thus far completed were battling over monthly service fees with the bank; informing a cell phone company that although they have emailed me my account pin, my new phone number, and lots of goodies about my new account — I have no relationship with them; and lastly, sending an email regarding an online order that the items I received, I did not order, and the items I did order, I did not receive.  Monday!

So what’s on for the rest of the day?  Well, being the beginning of a new week, always job sites to scour again, resumés to rework, cover letters to create, and applications to submit.  After that, perhaps I can get to the fun, creative stuff that really fuels my tank.  But here’s the thing — I am too greedy.  I want to spend some time in Bible Study (our topic this round “Running Nowhere in Every Direction” — apropos — even for the unemployed), read some of my Book Club book, make a card, list some of my latest jewelry creations on Etsy, play with a new Telugu-learning software program, work more behind the scenes of my blog, and write, write, write.  Am I crazy?  I can’t even get to all the things I love even with no child and no job.  I miss working, but I am seriously loving this transitional time, and while reading the works of William Bridges, am learning how to make the most of this transition, but when will I ever learn that my desires and ambitions far outstretch what can be peacefully accomplished in a day, or when will God give me those 36-hour days?

So, here I sit, with just a couple hours before needing to think about “what’s for dinner”, contemplating my list, and wondering what I will get to do today, and what will have to be for tomorrow.  Even with “all the time in the world” on my hands, I’m wanting so badly to do all these projects which bring me so much contentment and peace, and feeling a little scattered and a little overwhelmed.  Do you ever feel like this?  What do you do about it?

My mother, a very spontaneous traveler and day-tripper, was yearning for a little getaway to celebrate the infamous and highly academic spring break.  Through an everyday conversation with my uncle, my mother discovered that he’d never seen the Grand Canyon.  She also remembered that although I’ve climbed Mt. Fuji, have glided over the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef, and have island-hopped around Tahiti, I’ve never seen one of the greatest natural beauties in my own backyard.  Bam!  It hit her – this could be the spring break trip she was longing for – perfect road trip material: 8-hour car trip, a wonder to behold, and reasonably priced accommodations.  She was all set, within a matter of two days she made the necessary calls, checking in with lodging options, confirming serious interest on behalf of my uncle and myself, and was set to run off on a moment’s notice…until she remembered the appointment she’d set up for that pesky pain in her foot.  One doctor visit later and it turns out my mom has a minor, but definitely bothersome fracture in her foot.  Her hopes were crushed.  Disappointed that it didn’t work out for Spring Break, my mother was still determined to make the trip happen.  Just three to four weeks after her doctor visit and armed with a very attractive “boot” to protect her foot, we set out on our adventure.

To say that the Grand Canyon is awe-inspiring or even magnificent is a complete understatement.  Each step we took, I admired the changing landscape, marveled at the striations in color and rock, and tried to capture what I felt swelling inside with the lens of my camera.  I did my best, but even after two days and 249 pictures (and that’s after weeding out duplicates) I failed miserably.

Grand Canyon vista from Hopi Point

Aside from the view, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to gain a “Glimpse into Geology” through a Ranger program, arrange my own self-guided tour via cell phone,

and hop on the free shuttle to travel from one end of the South Rim to the farthest stop West.  We were reminded of the three types of rock: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.  We learned about the four conditions that in their divine happening together resulted in the majesty that is the Grand Canyon – deposition, uplifting, down-cutting (of the Colorado River’s waters), and erosion – easily remembered by the pneumonic D-U-D-E!  But what made the Grand Canyon getaway for me truly memorable was the gathering of so many from all over the world – Sweden, India, South Korea, Germany, Japan, France, Portugal, Brazil, all over!  Listening to the many languages, seeing products with unfamiliar labels and brands, appreciating subtle differences in greetings, love it!  Add to that the inclusion of so many accessible and fascinating resources – Ranger-lead hikes and programs, free shuttles with incredibly friendly drivers, and the preservation and sharing of such great history.

Sign for mobile Ranger audio tour

How cool to learn (again – sure I learned it before in school) that when Franklin Delano Roosevelt stepped into his challenging seat as President in 1932 he chose to stimulate the economy, occupy many unwillingly idle young men, and work to conserve our nation’s natural resources by developing the CCC, otherwise known as the Civilian Conservation Corps.  How interesting to discover that the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is actually about 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim.  Really?  Mules go through a training program of a year before they can carry folks down into the canyon (I hope so!) – wow!  We learned so much.  But more than that, we had great fun.  Car games like listing musical artists and bands from A to Z, then to actors, producers, and directors, stumped to come up with any performers to fit the “Z” – aside from the Zappa family, of course.  Wondering about such earth-shaking quandaries as “what’s the difference between salami and pepperoni?”  And delving into the far corners of our memories, trying to remember just what were those yummy chocolate and peanut-buttery wafery cookies that came two to pack in foil-wrapped paper?  No, we didn’t debate the pressing issues of our time, we didn’t solve the world’s problems, we didn’t even come up with a proposal for world peace, but what we did was step out of time for a couple of days, enjoy one of God’s many gifts, and rest in the company of family.  Good times.  Good trip.  Wish you were there.

Even if you weren’t there, if you know what is the difference between salami or pepperoni, or even a raven and a crow, for that matter, OR if you remember what those yummy chocolate and peanut-buttery-wafery snacks were –- do share – and you’ll be well on your way to your own road trip discoveries.

To celebrate our Ponyo-viewing occasion, my husband and I invited some friends over for some homemade pizza ala Trader Joe’s.  We bought the pre-made pizza dough in plain, garlic herb, and wholewheat.  We decided to vary our toppings to create a Thai Chicken, a Works, and a Pineapple Pepperoni  – deelish!  What’s more, it was easy, healthier than our beloved Papa John’s delivery, and easy on our budget.  We sliced and diced a bunch of fresh veggies — green and red bell pepper, onion, carrot, green onion, mushroom, tomato — the works.  Then added some pizza sauce and peanut sauce (respectively), mozzarella, pepperoni, and chicken sausages.  Our favorite was the Pineapple Pepperoni, but don’t let us tell you which one’s the best — check out the pics and judge for yourselves.

Thai Chicken Pizza on Wholewheat Crust

The Works on Garlic Herb Crust

Pineapple Pepperoni on Plain Crust

As a child I often tested the limits of my mother’s patience, out-waiting and out-stubborning her with a plate of fish on my plate, and no desire, nor intention, whatsoever of eating it.  I didn’t care about the rumblies in my tummy — I could not bear the texture and taste of those scaly-covered creatures.  One finned friend, however, did sometimes make it to the “like” list — usually this was during the season of Lent at my Catholic school.  At the time I didn’t really understand why, but often when other lunch menu options were no longer available, suddenly the tuna sandwich was — so, I ordered it.  Was it was the presence of mayonnaise, bread, relish, onions, celery?  I don’t know.  I just know that I didn’t mind eating tuna sandwiches.

Flash forward about five or six years and I was now teaching English in a rural rice-farming (I thank God, not fishing) village in Japan.  Fortunately, although my palate had not matured, my cultural sensitivity had — I was determined to try everything on my plate at least once.  I ate fish head, I ate little translucent fish, I ate fish with eyes, and I ate lots more fish in other forms.  I can’t say that I enjoyed it, and often I got sick to my stomach, but I tried it all.  About six months into my first year (I was there for three) I noticed on a Sunday evening while brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed that my wrists and stomach were kind of itchy.  When I awoke the following morning the small areas of itchiness had exploded in growth and covered most of my body.  I learned a new Japanese term — “jinmashin” or hives.  Although the experience of recovering from hives is not one of my favorite, the gift that came with it was well worth it.  After visiting the doctor it was determined that I was allergic to certain varieties of sealife – and that I had probably eaten one fish or another at my Sunday church lunch.  From this point forward I could politely let people know (and in a small rural village, most found out quickly anyway) that I had allergies to fish and would sadly (well, not really) not be able to partake of the seafood options.  Fortunately, although contrary to wide-held belief, Japan offers all kinds of culinary delicacies that have nothing to do with fish.  I was happily sustained on all the many other food choices.

Needless to say, I am not a big fan of fish.  Every so often I am tempted — like that time when I was reading “Angela’s Ashes” and just had to see what all the fish and chips fuss was about.  And for whatever reason, my body decides every so often (and lately it is more often) that it wants tuna.  So I buy the little tin can filled with water and tuna (and which, might I add, resembles nothing of the creature from which it came) mix it up with some mayo, yummy, yummy relish (I love the dill pickled relish, but am such a fan that it doesn’t matter sweet, dill, or other), some pepper, maybe some raw onions, celery — the works!  On my latest favorite — Orowheat Sandwich Thins — loaded with fiber (5g), and not so much with fat (1g) and calories (100), the tuna sandwich is a true classic, very easy, and absolutely tasty — even in my humble non-fish-loving opinion.

Tuna & Swiss Sandwich on Orowheat Sandwich Thin

And as always, for fellow weight-watchers – the total Points value for this number (will vary depending on your mayo and bread, and additional toppings) is 3.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Orowheat Sandwich Thin – 1 serving – 1 Point
• Trader Joe’s tuna in water – 1 serving – 1 Point
• Trader Joe’s Reduced Fat mayo – 1 serving – 1 Point
• Heinz Dill Relish – 1 serving – 0 Points
• (Optional) Trader Joe’s Lite Swiss or Lite Havarti Cheese – 1 serving – (Add 2 Points)