Beautiful Distractions

One-Peek-Cheek-Sneak

2012-01-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

I had a good chuckle this evening. I guess technically it was at someone else’s expense…but I don’t know…I choose to view it more as a welcome-to-the-club commiseration. One of my girlfriends is a few years younger than I am…heading solidly into mid-30’s. She has a delightfully direct way of talking about her experiences that keeps people hopping, but can be extremely funny…(o.k. she’s not

The Sunshine-Ocean Bender

2012-01-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

I get these sometimes. The Sunshine-Ocean Bender. I get to craving the sand and the sun and the sea and this landlocked crap is not working out...especially mid-gray-winter. Sometimes I feel like my soul is simply going to dry up in this desert air and with one touch, explode into a million dusty irreconcilable pieces. Don't get me wrong...yeah, I make the best of where I am. Yeah, I like

Pho Adventure

2012-01-15T18:18:00.001-07:00

I heard about Pho a couple of years back. It is a Vietnamese dish--a hot, hot soup that sounded fantastic. I didn't know how or when I would have the opportunity to put myself in the path of Pho, but it stayed on my wish list. A few weeks back, I had a conference in Salt Lake City, and my group and I decided to grab some lunch before heading back into work when the conference was over. One

Huzzah! Hurrah! and All That Jazz

2012-01-01T23:55:00.004-07:00

http://piccsy.com/2012/01/neil-gaiman/ New day. New year. A great time for reflection, introspection, perhaps some personal annoyance at things unaccomplished, and a reality check that if there's something that is really important to you then you'd better hop to. I'm looking at this new year as time ticking to get some things done. Things that are important to me. Their relevance to others

Bowled Over

2011-12-02T01:17:00.000-07:00

Today was a blustery day. O.k. it was more than blustery...it was downright vicious wind. In some places it got up to 102 mph. It was bad enough where I was so I can't imagine 102. Something like 15 semi trucks got blown over on the freeway not too far down the road from here. The freeway was closed and countless trees, store signage and telephone poles were flipped and cast about wreaking

Cathy's Sherried Tomato Soup...To. Die. For.

2011-11-21T02:10:00.001-07:00

At this point I have made this recipe on several occasions and it is absolutely excellent. It is a recipe from Pioneer Woman and she's never failed me yet. :) Ingredients: 6 Tbsp Melted Butter 1 Whole Medium Onion, Diced 1 46 oz. Bottle of Tomato Juice (T: I used Campbell's Brand) 2 14 oz. Cans of Diced Tomatoes (T: I used Del Monte's Petite Minced) 2 Tbsp. Chicken Base (T: I used Better Than

Chicken Adobo

2011-11-21T02:08:00.000-07:00

I use to travel to the Philippines some years back and Chicken Adobo was, hand's down, one of my favorite dishes. I got this recipe from a friend of mine from the Philippines. I've used it on a number of occasions and it has never failed me. Happy Adobo-ing! 2 lbs. Chicken: bonesless, skinless thighs 1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic 2 tsp. Crushed Ginger 1 medium Onion, Diced 4-5 medium sized Yukon

Peanut Butter Chocolate Dessert: Easy Peasy

2011-11-21T02:07:00.000-07:00

This is a layered dessert, easy and relatively quick to assemble and well worth it. It is decadent in its simplicity and its creamy-deliciousness. :) Whip it up and serve it out, your friends, families and guests will think you are a genius. ;) Note: If you have a food processor your cookies are crushed in no time flat. If not, a large Ziploc bag and a rolling pin should work just fine.

Tomato & Basil Soup with Tortellini

2011-11-21T02:06:00.001-07:00

Tomato & Basil Soup with Tortellini Ingredients (serves 4) * 1 Tbsp olive oil * 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or 1/2-to-1 Tbsp minced garlic *1/2 of a finely diced yellow or white onion * 1 28oz. can Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained * 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (Tracy Note:I used chicken) * 1/2 pkg. of the small pkg. of Three-Cheese tortellini, cooked (Tracy Note: I used the

Modified Caldo Verde: Collard, Potato, Bean & Kielbasa Soup

2011-11-21T02:05:00.002-07:00

Note: This recipe came from One Potato, Two Potato by Roy Finamore. The title of his recipe is: Kale, Potato, Bean and Linguica Soup. I didn't have Kale, I had Collards, and I didn't have Portuguese Linguica (Sausage), I had Kielbasa, so that is what I used. If you have Kale and the Linguica, by all means, use them as you wish. I'm giving you my modified recipe. We will make this again

Angel Hair Pasta with Creamy Tomato & Clam Sauce

2011-11-21T02:04:00.000-07:00

I made this tonight. It was spectacular and perfect. I will be making it again and probably often. Angel Hair Pasta with Creamy Tomato and Clam Sauce Ingredients Angel Hair Pasta (1lb) 2 cans minced, canned Clams: reserve the juice from one can, strain the other 1-2 Tbsp. Minced garlic 1 med. White Onion, diced 1 Can of diced tomatoes (or fresh Roma Tomatoes 1 & 1/2 cups of diced or sliced )

Taking a Break

2011-11-21T02:00:00.000-07:00

Wow. Even I surprised myself with my hiatus from my blog these past few months. To be honest, I felt despondent about writing. There was...and is...so much going on the world that I felt overwhelmed and didn't know where to even begin. On top of it, I wondered if I really wanted to be putting so much of my life out into the vapors of the internet. So, I decided to take a break. Give it a

For the Love of Kitties & Snakes...Another Excerpt From Our Pages of Marital Bliss

2011-07-06T16:02:00.002-06:00

Alright! Alright! YES, I have been absent. I've been busy with a dampened (read flooded when it's 2 a.m. and I'm standing there with a wet sock looking puzzled) basement, a family reunion with my crazy-ass family, the Utah Scottish Festival, grant reporting for grants written by insane people, and a brain buzzing chock full of thoughts on the world and humanity (and where do I even start with

The Rending of Joplin, Missouri

2011-05-23T20:12:00.000-06:00

Today I watched/listened to a video that was taken just prior to and during the tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri yesterday, and I was immensely moved by it. The video is dark, the lights are out, power is gone and there are people talking in a restaurant. From the count one woman makes there are 18 souls or so. They are bustling around trying to get organized with what to do and where to go.

Doing Unto Others...

2011-04-22T15:39:00.000-06:00

The world is greatly changed since I was a little girl, and it really wasn't as long ago as it seems. I noticed on the news last night that the Governor of Texas had asked that the people of that state pray for rain to help with the severe drought and wildfires that they are suffering from. The more interesting thing, the more concerning thing that I saw was the mockery, the acidic words, and

Open Letter on Forgiveness and How Sometimes It Really Sucks to Do It... ;)

2011-04-03T13:20:00.000-06:00

My niece, posted on one of my comments on Facebook about how forgiveness is difficult, especially when someone has wronged you sorely. I wrote the following reply, which instead of just a few paragraphs really blossomed into something more. I thought I would share it here. ***** This is what she said: "So, I have this issue: I know I should forgive, but I honestly don't know how to

My Collection of Red Rocking Chairs

2011-04-02T01:21:00.005-06:00

The Red Rocking Chair is one of my absolutely favorite folk songs. It is a traditional Old-Time/Bluegrass song that is predominant to the Appalachian Mountain region of the United States. This song is dated to the early 1900's, however, this particular tune, in its variety of versions can be traced back to the Scottish in the 1820's as "The Lass of Roch Royal." None of this is truly a

Chubby Bubbies

2011-04-02T00:53:00.002-06:00

March 23, 20116:04 p.m. There are always people that are happy to tear you down at a moment’s notice, why would you join in by talking against yourself in your own mind, telling yourself all about your failings and they whys and wheretofores of why you can’t or shouldn’t do something? Why would you join in the cacophony of noise and voices that are against you and your success? I just read an

If You Go to Mexico You Can Have a Baby...Grandpa Said So.

2011-03-28T11:34:00.001-06:00

On a day of no consequence my desk phone rang at work. It was my grandparent’s number so I picked it up. The following conversation took place, in Portuguese, and is forever seared in my mind. **Note: Please use a Latvian or even a Russian accent when reading the part of my Grandpa. If you don't know what that is...a mildly Dracula-esque accent will do. Grandpa: Trrrracy, I want to talk to

Panic in the Bog

2011-03-09T01:46:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize this was a dream until I woke up, and then I was really glad. Last night... ***** I was on a country road that passed through a forest and then a great grassy wetland. I was at the crossroad and there was a grand old estate across the way, hidden in a copse of tall, dark trees. There was a dark, wooden fence that ran its length, separating it from the road. The sky was

Of Sleeping Bags and Love

2011-03-09T01:33:00.000-07:00

O.k. I know this was awhile ago, but I've been meaning to post it, so you get it now instead. ;) ***** January 15, 2011 So Beloved was under the weather and feeling a little wiped out. We both love our sleeping bags and not just for camping. They're great for watching movies and stars alike, so they get mileage inside the house and outside the house as well. We generally keep them outside in

Rushing Perpetuity

2011-03-09T01:28:00.001-07:00

When I remember my dreams, it's usually because they were extremely vivid. I do not always remember them. This one stayed with me for quite some time and even now, almost two months later, I can still recall it with fair clarity. The same day I dreamt it, I typed it out--it was so incredibly intense, I didn't want to lose it. It felt real when I was in it and everything was deep, electric,

Beauty and the Nude

2011-03-09T01:13:00.003-07:00

Warning: If you get your panties in a snit over artistic nudity, don't waste my time. Naked bums alert. Incredible song, beautifully done video. I stumbled across this completely by accident as I was perusing free stuff on iTunes. I loved the song, and thought "Hey, maybe there is a video for it." And sure enough there was. At first I was a little wary, because you never know what people

Little Girls are Interesting, Strange Little Creatures...

2011-03-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

In Primary yesterday (for the non-Latter-Day Saint readers...it's like Sunday School for the 3-11 year old crowd...and I am in it to win it as a member of the leadership team...4.5 years and going strong...) I looked down at the row of 3-year old Sunbeams (the name of the class for 3 year olds) yesterday and one of them had her head in her hands and was **weeping**...not crying mind you...**

Kitsch Overload...Whoring Your Time

2011-03-07T01:02:00.005-07:00

So this is a piece of an old post that I started but didn't finish, from a few weeks back. ****** I od'd on TV last night and I feel kind of gross today about it...it wasn't even good tv...it was kitsch (a la Kardashians and Holly Madison and Chelsea Lately)...which is great in the moment...like twinkies...but then when you're done...you just kind of feel like you whored your time out like

Wuv...Twue Wuv...Is What Bwings Us Togetho Today...

2011-02-14T15:43:00.007-07:00

Artist: Alex Raymond: Flash GordonCupid shot two arrows and this is where they landed...Once upon a time there was a young woman from the East who loved life.She was effervescent and sunshine sparkled in her laugh and shone out of her eyes. When she was old enough to travel and live on her own she packed her numerous bags and her music player, grabbed her coat, hugged her family and said goodbye

Trooping Through My Humanity

2011-02-08T10:56:00.006-07:00

So I've mentioned it here before, once or twice, because I really don't obsess about it, that I have PCOS. PCOS = Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and it's really a bitch of a "syndrome." It wreaks havoc with your internal girl organs, which in turn jacks up other stuff along with it. For example: It can knock your insulin out of whack, which in turn can knock your hormones out of whack, along with

Death Days, Memories and Ghosts

2011-02-07T13:21:00.010-07:00

So now here we are--February 7th, 2011. 11 years ago my dad died. It definitely left a mark, a scar, a burn, and it was deep and while it's not red and inflamed and bleeding anymore, it's still tender and a little pink. I'm looking for the day that it's an old white scar that you remember but doesn't still make you wince everytime you think of it, or bump it or whatever. I've written about his

Late Night Bookies and The Red Iguana

2011-01-24T17:06:00.003-07:00

Hello my friends...or perhaps just the great ether, either way-- If you have been paying attention to me lately you will know that I just met with my local girls for our January Late Night Bookies book club and some epicurean delight at The Red Iguana in Salt Lake City, Utah.First, let's get the book out of the way. We read The Liar’s Club by Mary Karr. I liked it in a depressing,

Charcoal Gray and a Little Fire-Snorting Green Monster....

2011-01-18T11:19:00.007-07:00

So, I've changed the look of my blog, which is no surprise, I do it periodically.I decided to try out a new Blogger template and so I fussed around with it for a couple of hours last night. I went through 4 or 5 different designs, happy with each of them for one reason or another and very dissatisfied with them for a variety of reasons. One of the primary reasons was the color of the type. Most

Zombies, Jesus & Jane Eyre

2011-01-15T02:18:00.006-07:00

This is some of my miscellaneous living from this past week. Just little moments. They either made me laugh or sent my eyebrows scooching straight up into my hairline.*****I was telling a co-worker about this show I picked up called The Walking Dead. You may have heard about it, maybe not. Anyway, I get creeped out by zombies way bad, but still they are a fascinating concept and for some reason

Thought is the tool by which one makes a choice...

2011-01-06T15:38:00.012-07:00

“Thought—he told himself quietly—is a weapon one uses in order to act... Thought is the tool by which one makes a choice... Thought sets one's purpose and the way to reach it.”— Narrator (referring to Hank Rearden)Atlas Shrugged (Part 1, Chapter 7, Page 214)In our book club, some time back, we read Atlas Shrugged. Atlas Shrugged is one of my favorite books of all time. It came to me at the

10 Things I Don't Hate About Winter

2011-01-05T12:33:00.003-07:00

So my friend Jacelle posted 10 things she doesn't hate about winter. I thought it was a good proactive approach to looking towards the positive. As a side note, per her own declaration, apparently she's a Capricorn and a realist. I'm an Aquarius and a forward thinking artisan...yeah, whatever, right? ;)Anyway--here is my list:10 Things I Don't Hate About WinterCrystal blue skies with huge

Happy New Year! 2011 is Here!

2011-01-01T00:07:00.027-07:00

Welcome 2011!Despite the 10 degree-midnight-snow-is-falling-roads-are-frozen weather, we welcome you...or at least the neighbors on the street behind us welcome you...they have braved the cold and are setting off fireworks in homage of the passing of one year into another.I welcome you from my family room, where I sit in an overstuffed chair with my phone, drinking a Sprite and thumbing this

G-n-R and Me...1988...and 1991...and '92...and 2010...

2010-12-29T01:44:00.006-07:00

The Precious Axl...I don't know why this popped into my head this afternoon but it did.Where do I begin...Many years ago, I didn't like Guns & Roses. I hadn't even heard their music but I thought they were crude idiots.My opinion of the day came about when I was with my boyfriend at the bank, I think. The year must have been the tail end of 1988. Some kid was in front of us with a jean jacket

A Pagan Girl and A Christian Woman...

2010-12-28T23:44:00.002-07:00

I love Christmas, but I'm kind of a pagan about it. There is a whole communing with the Earth in all of her ancient glory, with all of the humans that have gone before, that have struggled and been mournful and succeeded and been joyful, that gives what I celebrate and feel and know a whole different dimension.I love the Christmas Tree which if you really trace it back, ends up as some kind

"Hey Dark Side, get your feet off the car."

2010-12-22T01:30:00.004-07:00

This makes me laugh every time. Quintessential girl. We all like a little Dark Side...just not too much. All of the expressions and the little looks and etc. are perfect.State Farm Dark Side"Hey Dark Side, get your feet off the car."

Clam Chowder

2010-12-21T19:47:00.002-07:00

There are many ways to enjoy the Clam Chowder. Having lived for quite some time back East, I had the opportunity for a fair sampling. Standard New England Clam Chowder is very creamy and white, Rhode Island Clam Chowder is know for being more brothy in nature, while Manhattan or Boston style has tomatoes in it. My favorite is the traditional New England style.Here is some additional history on

My Own Inception...of Dreams and Their Strangeness

2010-12-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

December 21, 2010 Last night I dreamt I was running away from a freight train that was crashing towards me. Despite the giant yellow and red engines that were buckling and sliding my way, I miraculously escaped out of a giant gym right into a park where a river was raging fast and hard and rising towards where I stood.I sat down in a large, brown leather armchair close to the river's edge,

I Love Technology

2010-12-21T01:51:00.004-07:00

I love technology.No really...I really do...except when it malfunctions...and then...it's true I am a mental tantrum thrower.I don't actually throw things though I would like to...I just get SUPER pissed. It's ridiculous and devoid of rationale and reason to get so irked and overly emotional about it, but really...How dare it inconvenience me, dammit...I have plans...and they did not include a

Go Speed Racer! Go!!!

2010-12-17T11:29:00.009-07:00

The Fantabulous Speed RacerBecause I haven't posted for awhile...not that I haven't had thoughts and written things, because I have...but...on Facebook a couple of weeks back the request went round to post your favorite cartoon from your childhood.So, being the lemming that I sometimes am, I pondered and thought and chose Speed Racer.I LOVED Speed Racer.LOVED him with his dashing blue shirt and

Chatter Between Sisters

2010-11-30T10:28:00.004-07:00

I was chatting with my sister for a couple of minutes this morning. That's her, above, with one of my nieces. Anyway, she found out she had inadvertently been making double payments on her student loan and was paid out through July 2011. I thought this was great. She did not think it was so great. She then told me about her laundry list of chores that need to be done in the next week in

Two Turkeys and a Ham

2010-11-26T03:03:00.005-07:00

Thanksgiving = My favorite holiday of the year.I love family.I love friends.I love life.I love to entertain.My people bring me so much joy and delight and they enrich my life in so many different ways.Even though there are logistics to be maneuvered and stress to be tamed, planning a feast is something I love to do.This year did not disappoint. My entire family came into town for Thanksgiving

Truck Wreck in a Nightie...

2010-11-21T07:32:00.003-07:00

As my sister has said about herself in the past and it stuck as a great way to describe it, today "I'm a truck wreck in a nightie."I'm sick. Again. And soooooo not happy about the situ.I loathe being sick. I hate colds the worst--and this one is a doozy. I stayed in bed most of the day yesterday, being Saturday, the one day when no one owns me and I get to do everything that needs doing and

Tater Tot Delight

2010-11-21T07:24:00.003-07:00

I don't usually share recipes very often here, not for any reason in particular other than I just haven't.Below is a family favorite. We love it. It's delicious and it's easy. It also feeds a fair crowd. We had it last night. I've been sick in bed so Beloved made it. It was everything I hoped it could be. Excellent with some crusty bread with butter and a glass of milk. I was in a

Instead of Beauty There Was Burning

2010-11-09T22:02:00.005-07:00

Graphic Content:World: Burning Desperation - nytimes.com/video When I see things like this I want to scream in desperation and anger and refusal that human beings can create this kind of despair in one another. I want to go to those girls and women and I want to hold them and look and their eyes and say:“Baby girl, baby girl—you are

It's True. I Have Wished Death on Another Human...

2010-11-07T01:19:00.008-06:00

This is the story of my terribly, horrific, heinous boss "M."If you were Tracy D.'s boss at some point, and you think "Hey--my name starts with "M" and I wasn't very nice to her all those years ago...maybe she's talking about me..." Give the man a cookie...you're right--it is you.As a caveat, somewhere along the way, and I'm not 100% on how this happened, I've forgiven you. I know, I know--I am

Looking for Sweet Slumber...

2010-11-05T02:06:00.003-06:00

Sleeping Beauty by Thomas SpenceYou know what I delight in?The occasional late night Friday-eve indulgence with sleepy-can-barely-keep-them-open-eyes listening to melowlicious music, browsing all of my favorites in their Facebook peeping, G-mail snooping, Bloggerific, late night Cops watching kitschy goodness.I should have been in bed long ago.I've already fallen asleep once in the Conan Chair (

Stop Listening and Start Living...

2010-10-27T02:28:00.005-06:00

Women...SERIOUSLY...can we just give the marketing and advertising execs and their fawning teams and minions the finger already?? Can we just tell them to get lost and get a life, and that we aren't interested in what they are selling? Do you really want to continue on some masochistic regimen to keep up with the Joneses...the Joneses in Hollywood no less??I read an article tonight about women

Of Trash Cans and Stars

2010-10-26T06:20:00.001-06:00

October 26, 2010545amMy Beloved forgot to put out the trash so he called me as he drove in to work to ask if I could do it. Of course, I replied.I bundled myself out of my warm bed and into a warm coat and flip flops and hustled sleepily outside.I checked the trashes, and dragged the one full bin noisily behind me. Halfway down the driveway, as the wind whistled through the trees, I looked up

Getting Ready for the Haunting

2010-10-17T14:18:00.004-06:00

Well, now isn't this a delight!My home is ready for Halloween. I'm not usually quite ready so early...but I've been working on it for awhile now.I have decorated my home like a haunted house. I'm really excited about it! There are cobwebs in the corners and perched delicately on the artwork hanging on the walls, there are dusty shelves and books and nooks and crannies with little guests like

Hey Baby Girl--You Are Dying.

2010-10-15T10:22:00.010-06:00

Heart of Gold by Shannon GrishamI had a dr.'s appointment yesterday...and apparently I'm going to really need to change some of my habits. I'm so super excited about it I can hardly stand it. /sigh.This is all because of blood pressure. My blood pressure has always been pretty good in the past, but apparently not the recent past as in the past couple of months it's been on the high side. Well...

Would You Like a Shake to Go With Your Sciatica?

2010-10-14T11:47:00.004-06:00

I’m eating my yogurt, because it’s healthy. And I’m thinking, because I need some free-range brain time. And in my thoughts I’m wondering where I’m going and what I’m doing next. I’m thinking these things because I haven’t figured it the hell out already and this is my task this year. Some tasks take a little longer than others especially when you’re working on what you’ve done so far and

1979 and a Big Lifelong Love Affair

2010-10-11T23:49:00.009-06:00

Mom & Dad & Me: 1976I'm building a new playlist tonight to put on the ole' blog here--something autumnal and delightful and I've been bouncing all over Playlist.com while doing it.It doesn't really matter how I got to the website... "The Top 100 Seventies Singles," what matters is all of the awesomeness that I found there. What matters is the re-acquaintance with all types of auditory delights

Ginger Ale, Dark Chocolate and a Little Reggae...

2010-10-10T03:31:00.005-06:00

Dancing Girl--My DrawingI am just a mellow girl tonight and I'm feeling fine, baby, just fine.There are a lot of things that are great for a late night...Ginger Ale is one of them, so is some seriously dark chocolate with a nice bitter bite...top it off with some Reggae and some Blues...and you end up in a nice mellow happy place. Cheers to the evening.Here are some things I'm working

Who Does She Think She Is?

2010-09-13T15:26:00.007-06:00

Creativity belongs to the artist in each of us. To create means to relate. The root meaning of the word art is "to fit together" and we all do this every day. Not all of us are painters but we are all artists. Each time we fit things together we are creating - whether it is to make a loaf of bread, a child, a day.—Corita Kent, ArtistAn artist friend of mine went to a lecture at the local

Infinite Prisms of Light

2010-09-03T16:46:00.005-06:00

I posted the following on my Facebook today: “If you are ticked, angry, pissed off, or otherwise annoyed and/or infuriated with someone you love...surprise them...blow it off, concede, say "It is forgotten!" with a smile and a kiss or a hug. It will catch them off guard and they will smile...or grimace. And who couldn't use a happy surprise on a Friday before a holiday weekend? :)”It wasn’t

Baudelaire, Cheesecake and Plus Sized Delight

2010-09-01T16:18:00.009-06:00

Baudelaire said it best, and for non-Francophiles I've included the translation: La', tout n'est qu'ordre et beaute. Luxe, calme et volupte. There where all is order and beauty. Lush, calm and voluptuous. -Baudelaire, Charles Les Fleurs du mal,'L'Invitation au Voyage'.I was talking to a friend of mine today, and she was looking up beads and baubles online. As we went back to the main page, we

Naked Revolutionary? Nah. Just a Girl Who Likes Her Naked Time.

2010-08-21T11:34:00.002-06:00

Naked stories are sometimes the funniest. Naked is great. Some people fear the naked, when really, they should embrace it. They probably wouldn't be wound so tight if they indulged in it liberally every now and again.If you don't understand the liberty and freedom that comes from the wild abandon that is naked time, I'm telling you now, this is not the story for you.Post shower in a grand show

Epic Fail

2010-08-16T22:57:00.004-06:00

HAH! "You can't place faith in material things. Material things will fail you."Thank you Machines of Loving Grace...I should have listened.X. System of a Down. Rage Against the Machine. Limp Bizkit. Against Me. The Clash. The Offspring. +44. CKY. Drive-By Truckers. Everclear. The Misfits. Nine Inch Nails. Rammstein. The Rasmus. Stabbing Westward...What do they have in common? They all numb and

God is in the Stars That Sparkle and Shine

2010-08-09T23:49:00.003-06:00

Some stars twinkle more than others--flashing their pretty selves at you from side to side trying to catch your eye--making you pause to wonder if they are a satellite or a star. When they remain unmoved you wonder what fire dance is taking place in the distant universe.I took out the trash, and like almost always, I looked up and reveled in the dark and flecked with light night. The copse of

Snoring as a Family

2010-08-04T00:37:00.001-06:00

12:15 am, the bedroom is dark, I am in bed watching The Empire Strikes Back and messing around with Facebook, blogging and email on my iPhone. My husband dropped off to a restless kidney stone filled sleep some time ago.He stirs...Squinting open his little bloodshot, tired eyes...J: What are you doing?T: Facebook.J: Everytime I look over at you your eyes are glowing from your iPhone.T: Well, you

July 31, 2010...A Day of Chocolate, Rain & Clarity

2010-07-31T23:26:00.005-06:00

My day began from peaceful slumber and indulgence from the one I love the most.Thank you my love for the decadent Saturday morning: breakfast in bed and the movie Chocolat. :)*****Then a friend despaired and fussed that she wanted Out. Out! OUT! Of her house but lamented that she had no money and no one to go out with. I thought "Pshaw! Live! Be!" and so I told her the following, which really is

Ad Patres...To the Fathers

2010-07-28T10:39:00.008-06:00

July 17th, SaturdayToday started out well and happy, but now not so great. I watched my grandmother as a stroke hit her. Rushed her to the hospital and am now in the ICU. Pretty wired out, but we are here together and we will see how it goes.It was a crazy topsy-turvy day today and I want to make sure I get all of my thoughts and feelings down. Life and death situations are not my favorite, but

California Road Trippin'...a few days caught in texts and Facebook blurbs

2010-07-12T10:03:00.002-06:00

California Road Trippin'June 25, 2010Kristin and I have not stopped talking...except when we were sleeping in a parking lot on the side of the freeway next to The Liberty Bus...well...sleeping in the car in the parking lot and etc. I am so happy right now. Best friend + road trip + beach + talking & laughing = happy girl. :D*****Screaming, giddy, singing of Happy birthday 40 year old Tracy and

This Electric Blue Existence

2010-07-12T09:53:00.002-06:00

July 2nd, 2010Just saw Eclipse and loved it. Stellar soundtrack that I will now need to acquire. I loved the books and have loved the movies. There is just something so passionate and vibrant and human that it taps into within me.I know it's fiction and make believe and over the top melodrama in it's portrayal of feelings. But isn't that how we feel sometimes as humans? Over the top and overcome

17 Minutes and A Love Story

2010-07-12T08:44:00.003-06:00

From the California Trip. My first morning there.*****For the past 17 minutes I have sat here on this balcony with my giant, multi-colored striped beach blanket across my legs, toes peeping out, propped up on this white railing.My body is facing--across this baby courtyard and across the street--the grand sister that is the Pacific Ocean. My heart is at peace. There is a sea breeze, cool in

Breathe Deep This Joyful Day!!

2010-07-12T08:21:00.003-06:00

June 26th, 2010Backstory--I went to California in the very end of June with one of my dearest friends, Kristin. She was turning 40 and had to have her "toes in the sand looking at the ocean." I concurred. We formed a pact and made a plan and made this wish of hers happen. To me, the ocean is life. It is the balm of Gilead for my soul. I wrote the following shortly after arriving at our

To Her The Name of "Father" Was Another Name for Love

2010-06-20T14:58:00.005-06:00

Oh dad! How I do miss you!I am happy today though, somewhat surprisingly as you have been weighty on my mind of late. I don't know if it was a subconscious thing that I wore all black today...I just wanted to dress up a little today I guess. It gave me a chuckle when I looked down at myself in church and realized I was in all black and correlated it to you being dead and it being Father's Day

Broke Down on the Side of Life's Road...

2010-06-18T11:51:00.002-06:00

Graphics card, in flickerings and a burst of flame and smoke (not really), has given up the ghost. It was a silent, in the middle of the night betrayal of a sleeping Tracy and her grand hopes for making June the "IT" month for posting on a much more regular basis.It is almost impossible to "thumb" a posting on the iPhone...hence the absence. Typing is one thing, composing, something else

Breaking Bread

2010-06-01T10:01:00.003-06:00

The Cuban in London does it again--He is always amazing with his blog and commentaries...and here, again today, I find a delightful quote about sharing a meal with others...or breaking bread with friends and family as we like to call it at home.'There is something quietly civilizing about sharing a meal with other people. The simple act of making someone something to eat, even a bowl of soup

Don't wish away your days...

2010-05-30T00:11:00.032-06:00

Me, Brazil, the late 70's.A friend of mine shared the following:"The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days waiting for better one's ahead."--Janelle K.--Don't perpetually miss the now for wishing and waiting for what is yet to be, or for what has already been and cannot be changed.--Me.--Today was beautiful. I, unfortunately, was under the weather. I felt like all of my limbs were

Les Abeilles, La Pecheuse et Une Americaine...

2010-05-29T01:13:00.002-06:00

Zip, Boom, Bonjour!!!Rupa and the April Fishes "Une Americaine a Paris" is one of my absolute favorite videos and songs right now. I've known about them for awhile, and enjoyed them, but just can't get enough. They have several other songs which I highly recommend. Right now, if you read this around the date of posting, you will find all three on my current playlist. No guarantees for the

Ruben's Beauties and Getting the Pink Slip

2010-05-24T01:27:00.004-06:00

I was browsing through some old writings that I have saved away and came across a little gem I wrote shortly after getting laid off. It's a description of the start of the day, with no idea whatsoever with how it would end. Gives me a chuckle every time I come across it. Nothing like the simple habits and routines of the day to give you perspective on how little control you actually have

"The Whole World is Set on Fire"--My Need for Great Romantic Tragedy

2010-05-20T10:33:00.006-06:00

Daniel Day-Lewis does an absolutely A-May-zing job.Madeleine Stowe is incredible as well.Overall, just an outstanding film that stands the tests of time.I'm watching the end of The Last of the Mohicans for the second, and in a few minutes potentially the third, time...ok...a fourth...(by the time I get this typed up on my iPhone with my thumbs as I lay here in bed trying to find sleep.)Why? You

Ahhhh Damage...

2010-05-19T10:21:00.006-06:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24144243@N03/2292375773/1976 Ballerina BarbieApparently this one is worth $8000 USDShe comes with a ballerina outfit and ballerina shoes and beautiful smooth blond hair.This one is not mine.Mine has no clothes, the shoes are in a landfill in Brazil somewhere, she has some seriously jacked up, matted hair that has been cut.She is in a box somewhere...but not the

Feelings of Conflict Much??...Prepare yourselves...it's a spoiler on how human a being can feel from one microsecond to the next...

2010-05-19T10:07:00.006-06:00

May10, 2010Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful, beautiful, talented, loving, and persevering mom's! You do a tremendous and important---the MOST important---job there is in the world to do---being a mom. You change futures and societies through your actions. Thank you for all of the wonderful, and often unsung, work you do!! :)****Some days I don't feel cheerful or very happy...so I

The Other Humans on the Planet...

2010-05-04T23:27:00.008-06:00

Today I had a shocking realization. Many teens do not know what being an "example" really means. In making my rotation to the different kids during homework time in our afterschool program I had the following retort to a posed question: "What do you mean? What is a "good example"? How do I be that?" This was a response to my question "Are you a good example to your siblings?" from one of my

At Another Spot...Namely the Gutter...

2010-05-02T01:53:00.006-06:00

I have been meaning to read "The Mayor of Casterbridge" by Thomas Hardy since my friend, Heather, recommended it to me a couple of months back. I have read Tess of the D'Urbervilles, also by Hardy, and this new story seemed to be another of great tragic proportions.Hardy has a knack for writing of the tragic nature of man. He writes of despair, despondency, innocence wronged and slighted. He

Leather and Leopards

2010-05-01T00:10:00.003-06:00

Los Escorpiones...aka The Scorpions: Francis, Rudolf, Klaus, Herman & MatthiasIf you don't know who they are...then sheesh...you must just be a little kid...Ok.I know what this looks like...actually I know exactly what it looks like. It looks like a leather train wreck with a bunch of hair from Germany from the 80's...with a precious leopard beret to top it all off...and it's fabulous. I mean--

Rain, Service Projects, Old Boyfriends and Whirling Dervishes

2010-04-28T08:53:00.012-06:00

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2009/rumi/particulars.shtmlLot of things on my mind as I start up this day.I'm just going to bullet them out for now...Getting ready to go to the BYU Women's Conference. Time to recharge the battery packs of light and love everlasting. I always look forward to it and usually end up with a posse of friends and family that go with me. This year

Unrequited Love & Peanut Butter

2010-04-25T13:37:00.003-06:00

Haven't done a Facebook post in a long, long while. So, I decided that a Sunday morning would be a good time to do another one.Here are some of my favorites from this past weekend:Acee: Feelin' like your head's full? It's called thinking. Go with it. -- Meredith GreyJanell: OHHHHH MY!! My butt just stuck to the chair so bad when I stood up, I think I ripped skin off!" -Las Vegas quote of the

If you can't play nice, keep your hands off of the kids.

2010-04-20T07:56:00.003-06:00

I have been very disturbed by the things I see in the world regarding children and youth of late. Where do I even begin? China: the ongoing infanticide of baby girls; England: padding bikini's for children; US: bullying, cruelty and murder in our youth; Thailand: child slavery and prostitution...And it's not like these are new issues that I have been previously unaware of...but daily there are

Beats & Boiled Hippos

2010-04-19T22:07:00.004-06:00

I am reading "And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks" (terrible title that makes me cringe every time I think of it or say it) by Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs. This led to an extensive research project last night on the Beat Generation and the respective players...a fair portion of which I already knew from my Jack Kerouac phase in my late 20's, more of which I know now.I am reading it

Sing it with me now...Y M C A!

2010-04-18T22:17:00.008-06:00

What happens when you combine The Monkees and The Village People?Joke from: 2BlogMusic.com Art from: marcroballistic I've been looking for a project aka a job. The financial situation in the world and in our household is just a little too tough for me to sit back on my heel's just yet. So, since I was not happy about having to head back to corporate, I decided to see if I could advance a

Lions and Tigers and Brazilians--OH MY!

2010-03-26T13:50:00.003-06:00

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been!I've been looking for new projects that pay some cash-money-hoo-bangetty, because we're low on funds. I hate being low on funds. This crap economy is really stifling my bank account. But I don't want to talk about that. We all know it sucks, and if you're like me, well maybe you're sick to death of hearing and talking about it too.ANYWAY...As many of you

No Doesn't Mean No...to Tracy

2010-03-05T23:10:00.007-07:00

Trace & Jer...2 Kids in LoveFor closer to 20 than to 10.Our Relationship as seen per our conversation 2 minutes ago:Me: "I will pinch you."Him: "No."Me: "You always say 'No'."Him: "I always mean 'No'."Me: "I always ignore 'No'."Him: "I know."End in cackles and hee haw's from both of us.

Sage Brush & Thistles

2010-02-28T13:37:00.003-07:00

Who is this man that loves sage brush and thistles? He's the same one who fills my tank with gas when it is running low. Brings me a Scoobie Snack when I don't feel like pausing my show. Loves me when I'm a mess. Takes care of me when I'm sick, just out of surgery or a little under the weather. Sage Brush may make other sneeze...and thistles may prickle...but I think I'll keep them in my garden

Belly Dancing and Fire Eating

2010-02-27T14:54:00.016-07:00

As some of you may know, I'm cruising into the 6th year of my book club...The Late Night Bookies.For our book club for February 2010, we read: Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. Great author and one I have enjoyed in the past with her novel "The Namesake." This particular read was a hit with all of the book club members, and it seems like most of them were happy to recommend it. It is a

Feeling a Little Chilled and Under the Weather? Have Some Homemade Soup

2010-02-26T00:29:00.005-07:00

So...I was hoping with the slight reprieve, from the grayness that has become this years winter, that perhaps the snow and sleet and icy wet had maybe left us, and that we were now on to a happy season of rain, and slowly unfolding greenery, and the onset of Spring.I know, I know...it was an early hope, perhaps not such a rational hope, but I think we all have those moments of slightly manic and

Bag the Purple...I'm Goin' Platinum...

2010-02-22T03:18:00.005-07:00

My Birthday Card from Kristin by mooningduck.comSo one of my best and dearest friends, Kristin, came to a dinner party for my 40th birthday a couple of nights ago...with the above birthday card in hand.Now, Kristin knows that I've been in a bit of a muddle over this whole 40-year-old "thing"...or "funk" as I like to affectionately call it. She knows I'm super irked with my feelings on top of it

3 a.m. Rocker Girl

2010-02-20T02:55:00.004-07:00

Travis BarkerSo, I’ve been watching Travis Barker drumming videos on YouTube for almost an hour now. Why, Tracy, why? Well, I’ll tell you why, because Travis Barker, of Blink 182 and +44 fame, is ROCKIN’ IT! Boyfriend is getting his illustrious and talented drumming groove ON. WOW.Now, I don’t know about his lifestyle or what he’s all about, I don’t know what his philosophies or politics are,

Howling at the Moon...

2010-02-15T21:35:00.013-07:00

Despair by Gustave CourbetSo here I am, a woman whose favorite novels through the years have remained, respectfully, Wuthering Heights and Crime and Punishment. Human angsty-ness and brooding atmospheres, guilt and hallucinations, darkness vs. light, damnation and redemption and tortured human existence on the moors…or St. Petersburg…as the case may be…the usual I’m-a-human-hear-me-roar

My Best Valentine...

2010-02-14T16:36:00.004-07:00

Zion's National Park 1992My husband has a knack for giving the best Valentine's ever.He's creative about it, and somehow always matches the needs to the moment.You never know what you're going to get or when. Some years, it's a single rose, others an inundation of them, some years perhaps a card or chocolates, dinner out, or movies, or other treats or gifts, once it was a blue Vermont Teddy Bear

If There Were No Butchers, I'd Be a Vegetarian.

2010-02-13T12:24:00.004-07:00

Thanksgiving 2005SO...I'm looking through my Brazilian cookbook, Traditional Recipes of the Brazilian Kitchen (1976) aka Receitas Tradicionais da Cozinha Brasileira, this morning for a particular recipe that I need and I came across: Turkey cooked Brazilian Style (roughly translated).I glance and do a double take. This is what it says (translated as closely as possible to the original):When you

My Life Via iPhone

2010-02-08T14:15:00.016-07:00

Photo of a Photo: Grace & Tracy 1993So lately I've really been enjoying my iPhone. I take substandard pictures, often slightly blurry pictures, of everything...mostly because I can directly download them into my Facebook page and share it all with anyone who might be remotely interested or perhaps entirely bored with their own day.Wall of Radishes: 2010: Food 4 Less: Because it looked beautifulI

Homage to Daddy...Dad...Pai...Papai...Meu Querido Desaparecido...

2010-02-07T00:52:00.031-07:00

Well...Today is February 7th and what a day it was 10 years ago. Full of weeping and tears--broken hearts and shattered lives. Regrets. Spoken and unspoken words and tendernesses. The slipping between this life and the next. It was a crushing day. A life altering day.Today is the 10 year anniversary of my Father's unexpected, untimely and indelibly tragic death.To any father's out there in the

Annabelle Lee

2010-02-01T01:43:00.004-07:00

Miranda by J.W. WaterhouseFrom the time I was a little girl, I loved this poem.I remember it fondly as one of my father's favorites, and he delighted in teaching it to me. It is spooky and haunting and darkly romantic.Through my exposure to this poem and several others, I had an intensive interest in Edgar Allan Poe during my high school and college years. I read a variety of his dark and

Time For an Overhaul...a Revamp...a Facelift....and I don't just mean the blog.

2010-01-12T20:53:00.007-07:00

So it's time for a change. The beginning of the year is as good a time as any for a personal reevaluation. An assessment. A hoist-it-up-and-haul-it-over.In doing some introspecting, I've decided that these past two years have been some of the most interesting. They have been full of ups and downs and so many surprises that you just can't plan for. I found myself at the end of a tunnel full

Sigh...

2009-12-14T22:14:00.002-07:00

I know, I've been absent. Sometimes that's just how life goes.You think you're engaged and that all of those balls you are juggling are safely in the air, and then *poof* you realize something has dropped and rolled away in the interim, and there you are... juggling... while wistfully looking at that one lost ball that is rolling slowly away and then firmly sticking itself under the refrigerator