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Friday, February 25, 2011

Dream Crossing


For those of us who have lived or visited in or near or border town, or have crossed into Mexico at one time or another may be familiar with this migrant crossing sign. 

 Banksy, a British street artist, is in California for the Oscars and is making the most out of his time here in the US by putting up his famed artwork around the southern California area. His film Exit through the Gift Shop is nominated for an award, and if you haven’t seen it yet it is definitely a good film to check out. Recently, Banksy has repurposed versions of the iconic border crossing yellow sign around the Mexico-California border and given it a whole new meaning by adding a kite. Banksy has transformed the yellow sign of a family running for their lives to a family running towards their dreams.

This artwork really hits home, and I am truly moved by it. It makes me feel fortunate and entirely grateful to my family members who took the dream crossing many years ago. 

check out more of Banksy's work here and here. 

Have a good weekend! 

 

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Domestically Disabled Post: I Think I'm Turning Japanese

Konichiwa AMIGOS!
Today's domestically disabled post is about making super easy veggie maki sushi rolls.
Here in the desert we pay a lot of money for our sushi, which means we don't get to eat it very often. A couple of weeks ago I was having a major craving for some veggie sushi rolls. So I decided to do a simple Google search (we all know how I love my Google searches) for "Making sushi with kids."
Yes I know, I don't have any children yet (sorry mom), but I figured if a kid could make sushi, so can I! I came across some really helpful websites that brought me closer to satisfying my sushi cravings.
I got the recipe from The Kitchn and it's super easy.

Here is a list of "sushi making stuff" to get you started:
List from: (the kitchn) 
  • Bamboo rolling mat - you can find these at Japanese and Korean groceries, but Whole Foods often carries them. They can also be found online. These vary in price from $3 to $7.
  • One package of eight 7"x9" (approx) toasted nori sheets - again, available at Asian markets, Whole Foods, and/or online. Price is generally between $4 and $8.
  • One small bag of sushi rice - be sure it says "sushi rice" or medium grain rice. Found at Asian markets, Whole Foods, and/or online.
  • Rice vinegar
  • Soy sauce
  • Vegetable fillings of your choice - here is where you can get creative. In these photos, I used cucumber, sauteed spinach, carrot, and pickled Japanese eggplant. You can use sautéed shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, bell pepper, cooked sweet potato, green beans, etc. 

    I adjusted a few things for my sushi maki, I didn't use the rice vinegar, and I didn't put the rice in the refrigerator over night. I actually used the rice 20min after cooking it and it came out fine.

    The recipe on The Kitchn website is super easy to follow, and of course great for kids and us domestically disabled adults.

    Enjoy your sushi!!! Please feel free to leave any question in the comments section.

    enjoy - 楽しむ (Tanoshimu)


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    Monday, February 21, 2011

    Do or Do Not...

    When I do this:
    I need to remind myself of this:


    Sometimes I have those days where I let my fear of failure get in my way. It is no joke that schedule of classes I have now is challenging, but I only hurt myself by avoiding it. Yes, I would rather be traveling, or working to have some extra spending cash, but putting my goals aside for the pleasures that I can obtain when I'm all finished is not worth it. I have to be 100% committed to my goals, and in the end, all my hard work and focus will pay off. Attacking my challenges head on with no excuses, and without the fear of failure is what needs to be my mindset. And of course, a little help from Star Wars to help push my positive thinking along..
    Yoda: Do or do not, there is no try.

    So readers, How do you keep your focus? 

    Wednesday, February 16, 2011

    Pain in the Plantar Fascia pt. 2

    DAMN YOU PLANTAR FASCIA!!!!
    Okay sorry, I had to get that out.
    This all to common runner injury has really had my Google search engine working over-time.
    When looking back at my search history regarding PF, I found some pretty desperate searches.
    --How to heal PF quickly
    --Stretches for fast PF relief
    --PF cure
    --When CAN I RUN with PF?!
    Seriously, those were my searches. It's funny how I kept googling the same thing desperately seeking the answer to the instant cure of PF.
    So, did I find the fast cure for PF? Nope, I sure didn't.
    What did I find?
    Within all of my searches, and desperate pleas to Google, I found the same answer to everything.
    Stay off your foot. That means no running, and no added stress to the extra foot.
    That answer is sufficient enough, right?
    Not for this stubborn Chicana.
    Bring in my good friend Brian the physical therapy student, who just so happens to be studying my injury in depth. We go through an in-depth analysis of my foot and leg discrepancy, and try to narrow it all down on what may be causing my injury. He takes my arch support inserts that I bought from a local running store, and my Strassburgh sock (pictured here) in to his professor to have them checked out.
    Getting an expert opinion from a PT professor sounds promising right? Brian may deliver the insta-cure answer I've been waiting for!
     B then comes back a couple of days later, and he tells me,
    -The Strassburgh sock could be helpful, but only a little bit. It puts my foot in a stretch position that could help my PF heal. But that it may put irritating for me to keep my foot in that dorsiflexed position
    -It is possible my leg discrepancy could have something to do with my PF, and supportive shoes and a -possible insert could be helpful. 
    -The inserts I bought are shit, and I should ask for my money back.  bummer.
    -Keep doing my stretches.
    -Keep off my foot for as long as I can, and allow my foot to heal. Running on it too soon could set me back further.
    Wahhh, wahhh, wahhhhhhhh. 
    Basically all of my desperate Google searches, and time spent looking for the PF cure, came back around to what I've known from the beginning, one full order of just rest and other low impact activities, and no running. Period.
    So I have enrolled in hot yoga for a month, and I plan on using it all up before I start running again. I figure this activity will keep me from running on my injured foot too soon, and also help me gain some flexibility in my legs. Not having a great range of flexibility could have been a big part of irritating my PF.  Not to mention,  hot yoga is a hell of a workout! I participated in the Hot Vinyasa class yesterday, and felt like I had run 10 miles in the Sahara.
    I also ordered some HTP heel seats. I had heard great things about them, and figured I would give them a try. I will give a review on them once I receive them and try them out a bit.
    So, this plantar fascia injury has really served me up a side of patience, and even though it's been difficult for me to accept, I am going to think positive healing thoughts.

    Lesson learned: Be patient with your body, and be happy that it can heal.

    I leave you with this great video about being injured, injured bad.

    Tuesday, February 15, 2011

    Music Tuesday--Rocky Votolato

    Recently my Señor came back from doing a job in Portland, OR and he brought back a mix CD with some pretty great music on it.  Sharing music has always been one of my favorite things to do, and I always get excited about hearing brand new songs, it's like a breath of fresh air and it makes me smile.  So, without further adieu here was our favorite song from our mix from Portland.
    Enjoy and happy Tuesday! 

    White Daisy Passing

    Monday, February 14, 2011

    Your kind of Love

    Feliz Dia de San Valentín amigos! 
    My Señor and I celebrate this holiday by going out to breakfast. We love breakfast, and we love each other, so it's actually quite fitting that we celebrate it with a nice plate of huevos rancheros smothered in green chile, it's our kind of love.
    So, while indulging in all things love, I ran into this great story at A Cup of Jo Blogspot, 
    It's a photo series by Lauren Fleishman of couples who have been married 50 years or more. The stories really warmed my heart, and I had to share them with you. Enjoy. 
    Here is a preview: 
     "You don't really think about getting older. First of all, you're aging together and when you see a person constantly you don't notice big changes. You don't notice, Oh, you're are getting a little wrinkle here and tomorrow you say it's a little deeper. Those are things that just happen. You don't pay attention to those things. I mean,  I am not thinking everyday, oh my husband is 83 years old and my goodness I am married to an old man! And I hope he feels that way too." 
    Angie Terranona
    Staten Island, New York 
    December 26, 2008

    I wish you all nothing but love, good health and happiness on this day, and everyday.

    Sunday, February 13, 2011

    Give a little bit

    Yesterday,  I did something that I felt needed to be done a long time ago, and as someone who is working hard to get into the nursing field, it was a long over due task.
     I gave blood.
    I surprised myself with how quickly I signed up for the blood drive after seeing a post from the YWCA about their wellness fair, and blood drive. But I was excited about the opportunity to give back, and help out my community.  I'll admit, I was a bit of a scaredy gato, and was afraid about the pain of the needle. So, I You Tubed a few videos and found comfort in knowing that even though previous donors said that it hurt a little, they all felt the whole purpose of giving back outweighed the pain.
    The process of donating was fairly simple,  I was able to make an appointment time through their website, which was very convenient. The actual donation process started off with answering a few questions to make sure you are a good candidate to donate.  There is a lot of things that can disqualify you from donating blood, so I recommend calling, or going to the website and checking out the FAQ section at United Blood Services.  It didn't take a lot of time to donate blood, and the staff was very well trained. I only felt a little bit a pain, but it was all worth it, and I was happy to contribute.  Everyone was very grateful for the donation, and the free cookies and juice afterward didn't hurt.  
    So readers, what have you done to help out, or give back to your community? I feel like I have found a whole new inspiration to get involved again, and the feeling is great!
    So tell me, what inspires you to give a little bit??
     I shared the Love

    Friday, February 11, 2011

    Hello Weekend, oh hello LOVE!

    All I can say is...
    I'm going to bake this one day, and then I'm going to eat all of it. 
    Alright,  maybe i'll share a little bit. 

    Want to make a heart cake? Click here for a tutorial.
    Eat Love
     
    Happy Friday Amigos! 
     
     
     

    Thursday, February 10, 2011

    Tough week for the Duke City

    Last week was a crazy one here in the Duke City. We had record freezing temperatures, water pipes freezing and then exploding everywhere, and we had an apartment complex go up in flames. The fire was huge, and you could literally see it from wherever you were in the city. When I first noticed the smoke in the air, I was actually worried that the Veterans hospital might be going up in flames. However, it didn't make me any feel better to find out it was an apartment complex.  I was able to drive pretty close up to the fire and take my camera out for a few shots. It was crazy to see so many other people driving by to check out the mayhem, (including myself).  While I was taking one of my photos a lady came up next to me and muttered, "Albuquerque is really going to shit.
    It really was a tough week for Burque.
    On a good note, I was able to find out from a local officer that all of the residents got out fine, and that the two firemen that were injured trying to fight the battle were okay. Phew.

    So, to my surprise one of my photos I took of the fire actually made  "Photo of The Day" on the website of a local free newspaper here in ABQ!
    It was sad that it had to be from such a tragic event, but I am happy everyone got out okay. 
    Click here to check it out on the website.  

    The local Red Cross helped the victims of this fire, please show your support by making a donation to your local Red Cross. 

     Flight of the Fire
    Flight of the Fire


    Other photos from the fire: 

    Smoke
    Fireman
    Fire

    Wednesday, February 2, 2011

    Wind Chill Factor is My New Cuss Word

     It's freezing, and this time I’m not being a wimp about it.  Here in NM we are currently experiencing record lows, and the serious brutal effects of the Wind Chill Factor. You could imagine the shock I encountered when I looked down on my phone and it was telling me that it was 4 degrees, but the real feel was -17. Um, When did I move to North Dakota?!  It’s only a matter of time before my home turns into an igloo and I start hunting sea creatures to stay alive. Yes, hunting sea creatures in the desert should be interesting. 

     Sorry, we are not home right now, 
    we are out hunting baby seal. 
    Please leave your message on an ice brick.

    All dramatics aside, I'm keeping as warm as I can, and doing what ever is possible to make sure the pipes in our house don't freeze or bust. I'm also taking precautions to make sure my internal pipes don't freeze or bust by drinking lots of tea and hot chocolate.  This weather is crazy, but I guess it’s good to have some extra time (due to school being canceled) to study some more and do some house cleaning. I do love wintertime and I love how pretty it looks when it snows, but I can’t wait to have the sunshine make out with my face as I run along the river. 

    So stay warm amigos, and if you’re in a warm place already, appreciate it!!

    Tuesday, February 1, 2011

    Music Tuesday--Liam Lynch

     I know it's silly, but I still laugh at this song every time I hear it.
    Now I want to put on my faux LEATHER and run around town.

    Whatever
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