RUN TO THE EAST

Living in NM and US it is almost sad about how little we know about the Native American culture. Particularly for me, the Navajo Nation which is the largest tribe in the US spreading over New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.
 Unfortunately, Native American culture is frequently and continuously stereotyped. It seems that their great history and traditions are sometime shadowed by negative headlines and poverty.
However,  I was fortunate to have attended a really diverse high school here in Albuquerque and gained a different view on Native American culture. On my cross country team there was few girls from the Navajo Nation. This is where I first learned about their culture and how running is a major element in their spirituality.  I learned about how running was a major part of a Navajo girl’s rite of passage and how it was included in a ceremony called a Kinaalda. The farther she can run during this ceremony the more successful she will be in life. I remember how fascinated I was by all of this, and inspired I was at their spiritual and cultural connection to running.
These distant memories have been refreshed in my head due to a friend on facebook posting about a documentary being released called RUN TO THE EAST. It is a brilliant documentary about life on the reservation and how three high school seniors are using the sport of running to give them hope.


Run to the East Trailer from Run to the East on Vimeo.

For more info check out:
www.runtotheast.com 
Here is an article in the Navajo Times about Run To The East
Program Wings of America
Nike N7

30 Day Photo Challenge

Hello readers,
I hope you all are having a great memorial weekend.  Today we remember and give thanks to all our courageous women & men who have fought and died for our country.
Today I am happy to announce that I will be participating in the 30 day photo challenge! It involves taking a photo a day for the month of June. It's also a great way for me to post something everyday on this blog, wipe the dust of my Olympus, and do something else involving the number 30!
I encourage my readers to join me in this challenge!  You don't need a fancy pants camera, you can use your smart phone, dumb phone, or any other camera you might have. This is just a fun way to put your own creative spin on things.

Here are the details from A Feathered Nest Blogspot  who put this whole thing together. Thanks!

These photos have to be taken ON THE DAY SPECIFIED - or one day before and posted on the day specified.  No old photos are allowed.  No cheaties.  So since the challenge starts June 1st, you can take your self portrait on May 30th, edit it that night, and post it on June 1st.  Make sense? Otherwise, take pictures & post them on the specific day.

Come join our Flickr Group!!! 

**Please let me know if you decide to participate. I would love to see your photos!

Have a great weekend!

Hello all,
It's been a busy week of nursing assistance training, A&P II lab, and finally clinical prep class. School has once again come back around in full force, but I'm loving it. I feel as an adult I've definitely become a better learner and I'm utilizing my time much more efficiently. If you would have told me ten years ago I would be the girl walking around with a big backpack of books who dorked out on Harry Potter during my free time I would have laughed in your face.

I love how things change for the better..

Have a great weekend.
P.S. I am going to attempt to paint my nails this color. ..

"Turquoise & Caicos" by Essie
Doesn't it just say VACATION
Thanks to Queen D for the lovely birthday gift. :)

Music Tuesday--Beyonce

Nothing wrong with a lot of Girl Power

Beyonce--Run the World (Girls)

Domestically Disabled Post: Apple Braid

Wow, it's been a while since I posted a domestically disabled post here on Bandida Blog, but alas I've been busy with reading, writing, memorizing and repeat. So, I was elated when my break finally came around and I was able to try out the Apple Braid Recipe from Eat, Live, Run. It came out of the oven with little problem, and it was sister and Señor approved! unless..they were lying out of fear :) I wish I had a photo for you guys if the finished product, but sadly it all got eaten pretty quickly. YUMMY!

MUCHOS GRACIAS to Rachael from La Fuji Mama and Jenna from Eat, Live, Run for this amazing
Apple Braid Recipe: click here

 

  photos from eat, live, run. 

I hope you all had a great weekend!
Tomorrow, I start my nursing assistance program and I'm pretty excited about it! It will be a busy six weeks, but It is all worth it.
Cheers!

P.S. This knocks of #16 from my 30@30 list! :) 

Rain Runner

Running in the rain is awesome! 

I know some of you out there beg to differ, but let me give you my reason for saying so.
I live in the desert, and here in NM we actually do pray for rain. When it comes it's not only a blessing, but it ignites a different kind of energy that has you rushing to put your shoes on and  go run in it. 

Knot Your Hair

For those of us who have long enough hair, this hairstyle rocks.! It's actually not too hard to do, and it's a nice change to the regular pony-tail. The tricky part is knotting your hair,  and I found this hairstyle easier to do with dirty hair, or by adding moose beforehand.
Enjoy!

Music Tuesday--Florence and the Machine

Cosmic Love

30 @ 30

Hello everyone,
It's good to be back. I've taken an unexpected mini-break from the blog, twitter, and facebook to just sort of unwind from the social-network web and focus on other things. I've done some much needed spring cleaning around the house, watched episodes of "The Tudors",  done some reading, yoga, and have started running again. I think it's good to step away from our normal routine and focus on other things every once in a while. It does help keep things interesting.
So, with my extra time, I was got to thinking about my  29 things to do before you're 30 list, and how I enjoyed it, and thought it would be a good idea to write another one. I guess I enjoy setting mini-goals for myself, and it's sort of fun to challenge yourself by writing down those "I wish I could do that.." task.  Also, I sort of enjoy writing lists. It's silly I know, but it helps me get my "stuff" done.
So here we go..

30 @ 30

1.  Hike up the La Luz Trail
2.  Get a city library card   **Completed September 6, 2011**
3. Participate in a long trail run
4. Turn off my cell phone and focus on the people I'm with more
5. Paint the kitchen
6. Learn how to fold an origami paper crane
7. Make this pallet shelf for the living room. **Completed July 7, 2011**
8. Make a table for our dining room 
9. Make dinner for our friends/family and serve them at our new table
10. Put a chalkboard slate in the baño after it's been remodeled. (inspiration here)
11. Hang these prints somewhere in our home.  This one and this one 
12. Learn to play a song on the piano
13. Stay in a Yurt
14. Purchase a bird feeder for the backyard **Completed September 6, 2011**
15. Finish the Harry Potter Series before watching the movies
16. Make this apple braid bread. Yummy!  **Completed 5.22.2011**
    
17. Make french toast kabobs. Yummy!
18. Be kind and don't hold grudges
19. Study hard
20. Road trip to somewhere **Completed September 6, 2011**
21. Volunteer somewhere or for an event
22. Support a friends cause
23. Walk more
24. Take my amore out to a nice dinner and leave him a love note on his car
25. Look up my family history
26. Write a letter to my future self
27. Stay off facebook and twitter for a whole week
28. Spend the night somewhere haunted  **Completed September 6, 2011**
29. Bring pizza to a street outreach group
30. Smile at 100 strangers   **Completed July 6, 2011**

Here were a few suggestions from my friends that did not make the list.

• Visit a bedding store in my pj's
• Spend one hour in an elevator getting to know strangers
• Punch anyone who says anything bad about New Mexico or Albuquerque
• Steal a car and then crash it 
• Climb up a tree and start meowing loudly at people who walk by

Cheers!

Music Tuesday--Katy Perry

I love the show America's Best Dance Crew it is one of my guilty pleasures.
I am just so amazed how the people can get a challenge on the show and put together an amazing dance routine. Recently they had dance challenges to Katy Perry's music and even though I didn't want to admit it,  I actually like her music. However, it may have also been the amazing dance routines that went along with the song that made me like her music.
Anyways, here is Katy Perry's song ET with some videos of my favorite dance routines from ABDC.

ET


Street Kingdom


IamMe

A-OK

So excited! It made all the anxiety and sleepless nights worth it.

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Madre

My mother dislikes this photo, but I love it. Typical right?
I love everything about it, her Farrah Fawcett hair-do, and her cute little overalls that have bell bottoms.
I love my mom, and I hope she has an amazing day today.
Happy Mother's day to all the mother's out there, you are all wonderful. :)

~L

Hello world!

Hello everyone, is anyone still out there?
I feel like it's been ages since I've come to my blog to write, but the reality is it's only been like 4 or 5 days. It's amazing how finals weeks can feel like years have gone by, and when it's all over you are left wondering what to do with yourself. I sort of had this issue yesterday when I came home from my last final. I went to my computer and frantically started printing things out for my nursing assistant's course I'm taking this summer. Thank god my amore caught my craziness and peeled my fingers from the computer and sat me down to watch a movie.  Craziness huh?
Good news is, I have 2 1/2 weeks until my summer program starts and I'm planning on making the most of them.
Here is the plan..(I figure writing it out will help me stick to it)

• Read a book: nothing school related. I'm thinking of starting the Harry Potter series.

• RUN: I'm back to running, and I've decided to train for another half marathon. I just don't know which one yet.

• Clean: It's amazing how finals week can either leave your house really clean, or really freaking messy. In my case, it was the negative end of the two.

• Relax: I've booked a massage, and I'm planning on relaxing full force. 

• FRIENDS: My crazy semester really left me with with 0 friend time, and even though I know they all understood, I miss them terribly! The next couple of weeks will be full of tea and cocktails and some much needed catching up with some great friends.

• Amore: My poor Señor become a widow to my school work, but he was also my biggest supporter and I love him so much for that. He will be getting lots of attention these next couple of weeks. 

 So Happy Together

Have a great weekend guys!