tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80208888116925081272024-02-01T21:50:43.608-08:00Kathleen's Kaplan KaptionsKathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-41739478998476067322014-01-18T08:47:00.002-08:002014-01-18T08:47:43.666-08:00Reassessing Looking back to unit 3 my life is definitely different and I am able to focus on other areas of my integral health. I was hyper focused on family due to necessity back in unit 3. Now I am able to focus more on myself and bring some balance back to my life. One way I am doing this is by going into work a bit early so that I can sit and do a body cleanse for a half hour at least once a week. During the body cleanse I bring a book, sit in silence and read. It is a very healing time for me. Spiritually not much has changed because I feel very balanced in this area. I suppose the one thing that I have started doing which could be considered spiritual is keeping a journal. I don't write in it everyday but at least I have spent time writing in my journal. My intention is to write in it more frequently. Physically I have reassessed myself and I am doing much better. I am taking the time to stretch and rebound in the morning before I go to work. Weather and time permitting I also go to the track next door and walk 1 or 2 miles. It feels so good to be exercising again.
Nothing has been difficult for me during this class in terms of my experience. Since I am not hard on myself and realize that I can only do that which I am capable of I find that I don't focus on the negative but only the positive. This has been very healing because when you focus on the positive you get positive results.
This class has been my favorite of all classes in my Kaplan experience. I feel that this class has helped me the most to figure out my career path. Integral health is such an important part of our life. In fact it is our life. I have enjoyed this class and the interactions with all my classmates and Professor Maule. I only want the best for all of you and myself :)Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-63809855718895917662014-01-12T08:46:00.002-08:002014-01-12T08:46:12.377-08:00Personal Integral Health PlanIt is important for health and wellness professionals to develop psychologically, spiritually and physically because they are in the business of health. In order to be an effective practitioner you must practice what you preach. If you lose the desire to advance your wellness then maybe it is time to find another profession. But more than anything, if you lose the desire to have integral health as the mainstay of your life than you have lost the meaning of life. The goals for my life are to continually assess, develop and grow in each area of integral health; psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal and worldly (Dacher, 2006). All of these areas are important to me and all need to be developed to achieve my goal of integral health.
Currently the areas I feel need attention are biological, interpersonal and worldly. Through assessing each of these areas I am focusing on fitness for my biological aspect of healing. I have neglected to maintain my exercise routine these past few months due to extenuating circumstances. Interpersonally I am focusing on self. I have neglected myself for many years. I have set the intention to have fun this year and to do things that I enjoy. I have only two classes left until I graduate Kaplan. Kaplan has taken up the majority of my “free time” for the past 4-5 years. Worldly I am focusing on work. Since my daughter was in the hospital for three weeks, work suffered. Now that my daughter is on the road to recovery I have more energy to focus on work. This class has helped my focus remain centered psychospiritually. This class has helped me through a very difficult time in my life and I am thankful for the timing. Although the other three areas of my integral health have not been nurtured these past couple of months, I do not feel a sense of discouragement or loss. Instead of feel hopefully because I was able to remain intact psychospiritually which was what I needed at this time.
My physical goal that I have set is to recreate a physical fitness plan. I am on a healthy eating regimen because that is a part of my life. However, I am exploring “Eat right for your blood type” (Dr. Lam, 2014) which I may implement fully into my life. My fitness plan will include yoga, I will be taking a yoga class twice a month, since it will be held where I work it will be easy and convenient to attend. Also, I will do a ten minute yoga stretch each morning before work and include a ten minute weight bearing exercise routine. I live next door to a track so I will also walk a mile 3-5 times a week. I really enjoy playing tennis and as the weather warms up I will play tennis at least once a week. I have also set the intention on hiking at least once a month. I love outdoor activities and since I live in East Tennessee right next to the Smokey Mountains the possibilities are endless.
My psychological goal is to keep a thankful/grateful journal. I have had the habit of starting and stopping journals in the past but I have set the intention on writing in my journal 3-4 times a week. I realize if I set the goal for every day then I am setting myself up to not write at all. I feel that when I focus on things that I am grateful and thankful for then I do not focus on the negative. There is always something to be grateful for in my life.
Spiritually I am setting the intention to meditate 3 times a week. Also, I like to listen to Tibetan healing sounds that I found on youtube.com. This music really relaxes me and I like to play it in the background especially when I am studying. I’m not sure if “grounding/earthing” (Sinatra, 2010) fits into the spiritual or psychological aspect of integral health. Regardless of where it fits, probably both arenas, I will be integrating this technique into my daily regimen. I have been “grounding/earthing” for years but never knew it had a name and didn’t realize the health and psychological benefits of grounding, I just knew it felt good. Grounding/earthing raises my vibration which is such a healing feeling.
When I think about it, I want to raise my vibration in every aspect of my life. A healthy/vibrant vibration is energizing which appeals to me.
I intend on evaluating or assessing my integral health at the beginning of each month. I have also set the intention on finding a like minded friend that can hold me accountable for my progress. I think the intention that I set several months ago has manifested. I recently met this woman and we instantly connected. We are meeting next week and I plan on asking her if she would like to create a “loose” accountability team with me. I realize she may not be interested but intuitively I think she will be!
Since most of my children are integral health minded we tend to hold each other accountable. Even though I don’t always want my children to pay attention to what I’m doing (I think this may be pride) and to call me on it, I am willing to listen and consider their input. This is also why I wanted to find someone outside of my house to help hold me accountable.
I am excited for my present life and my future. I feel like this year is going to be a year of self discovery and enjoyment.
References:
Dacher, E. (2006). Integral health the path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach: Basic Health
Lam, M. (2014). Blood type diet. Drlam.com. Retrieved January 12, 2014 from http://www.drlam.com/blood_type_diet/index.asp?blog=1
Sinatra, S. (2010). Grounding/earthing. Youtube.com. Retrieved January 12, 2014 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XumPQLTzPWI
Tibetan Healing Sounds, (2013). Youtube.com. Retrieved January 12, 2014 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5dU6serXkg
Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-72589436929411591772013-12-29T06:38:00.000-08:002013-12-29T06:38:28.672-08:00Visualization and MeditationFor me, visualization and meditation are the two practices I like to go to for relaxation. Since I am a visual learner, visualization works really well for me. It is easy and relaxing for me to visualize some of my favorite places that I haven't been to in awhile but bring so much joy to me. Also, the practice of meditation really helps me relax. I find myself being tense frequently but I don't notice it until I take a few moments to meditate or when I do my breathing exercises. Meditation brings a calmness into a hectic life, which I have right now. Calmness is always a welcome sensation. Both practices can be done almost anywhere. I definitely don't recommend trying either practice while driving in a car! But if you are the passenger, go for it! Calming the mind helps us to walk through life in a more relaxed state. When you are more relaxed you are calmer and more tuned in to your surroundings. I think this puts you in a frame of mind where you are present and aware. Being present and aware fosters mental fitness. You need to use your brain and keep it fit especially as you age. A fit brain is a healthy brain.
Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-78721000228515553652013-12-24T10:34:00.001-08:002013-12-24T10:34:47.904-08:00Meeting JesusThe timing of my meditation was perfect. I tried to meditate earlier in the day but kept on getting interrupted. Then there were some family issues going on that started to escalate, you know what happens around the holidays when people start to get a bit edgy. Even though the holidays are supposed to exude "loving-kindness" this doesn't always happen. Well, right after the family situation, which remained unresolved, I went into my room and proceeded to meditate. I really needed this to calm my inner mind. I imagined Jesus as the loving source. It was really easy to do and to bring his light into my existence was overwhelmingly peace generating. Now, I can be mindful of my family members, not take things personally and continue unconditional love for all.
The saying, "one can not lead another where one has not gone himself" rings true to me. You can not teach someone well, about a topic you are unfamiliar with. If I went to see a health coach who smoked, was obese and unkempt, I would question their authority on the topic of health. It would be unwise of me to seek council from someone who really does not follow their own advise. To me this is the perfect example of a hypocrite. If I wouldn't go to someone that doesn't practice what they preach then I would expect no less from myself.
Integral health is an on-going journey which you must be actively present in order to flourish. When you stop the process you stop flourishing. There are so many different modalities to achieve integral health, by learning and exploring knew modalities you can continue the process and find what works best for you.
Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-50704776974781580922013-12-15T06:39:00.003-08:002013-12-15T06:39:42.051-08:00Integral AssessmentAs usual, I really enjoyed the "Loving Kindness" meditation exercise. It is always very relaxing. I always use headphones when I'm at home listening to these exercises because there are a lot of people living here and I get distracted if I don't wear them. It was no surprise to me when I completed the integral assessment and learned which areas I needed to work on. Right now my focus is on family out of necessity to help my daughter heal. I also have to keep in mind my other children need my attention to. This is pretty much consuming all of my time. I realize my life is completely out of balance and I know that "this too shall pass". Once things calm down, which I think should be in about a month, I intend on taking another assessment to see which areas I would like to focus on. In the meantime, I need to have a little time to myself to nourish my soul. Driving to work seems to be a good time for me to listen to some healing music. I also have a CD of Louise Hay which is very soothing and healing.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-65043365546463980632013-12-07T09:14:00.001-08:002013-12-07T09:14:50.553-08:00The Subtle MindThese past two weeks of my life have been a roller coaster of emotions because my daughter was rushed to the hospital and was in the ICU for almost two weeks. She is still in the hospital and we don't know when she will be able to come home. Practicing the subtle mind is something I started doing without even knowing it. It has helped keep me sane. I have enjoyed both "the subtle mind" and "loving kindness" exercises. I really don't have any negative comments about either. I love trying out knew types of meditation techniques and using the ones I like over and over. Both of these techniques really help me to stay calm.
In my opinion you cannot be healthy if you do not take care of every aspect of yourself. You must nurture mind, body and spirit. You may be a top athlete with a great physique but if you do not take care of your inner health you only look healthy on the outside. Personally working on my inner health encourages me to make sure I take care of my physical body. Our mind, body and spirit works together to create wholeness, but it won't happen by itself, we must nurture and train ourselves daily.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-12329154635990467532013-12-03T11:14:00.002-08:002013-12-03T11:14:39.946-08:00My experience with the "Loving Kindness" exercise by Dacher was easy to do. First, I love the sound of the waves because I am a coastal California girl and it felt like home to me. Also, the woman who spoke had a soothing voice. I was able to think about my daughter who is currently in the hospital and feel very strong emotions about this situation. It wasn't as easy to transfer those emotions to myself. I had to take a few moments to mentally process some of these feelings and emotions. Overall it was a good exercise.
The concept of Dacher's (2006)mental workout is to practice our inner development and consciousness particularly for its healing benefits. One of the ways to practice a mental workout is to do kind things for others. Many people do things for others because they themselves want to get "paid" back at some time in the future. It is best to do kind acts with no other motives than the act of kindness itself.
Reference:
Dacher, E. (2006). Integral health the path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach: Basic HealthKathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-90458667886342203622013-11-26T10:30:00.001-08:002013-11-26T10:30:04.456-08:00Thank you all for the kinds thoughts. My daughter suffered a stroke at the age of 26. The doctors went in and removed a large blood clot and have put a catheter in to deliver medicine to a smaller clot to dissolve it. I am thinking healing thoughts for my daughter.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-83790539922634454682013-11-23T16:12:00.002-08:002013-11-23T16:12:56.357-08:00Feeling a bit shakeyIf I had answered the question of how I rate my spiritual, physical and psychological yesterday I would have a completely different answer than what I am going to give now. Right now I am sitting at the bedside of my daughter in the hospital, I haven't slept for over 18 hours. We came in the ambulance this morning at 3:00 AM. She came into my room, where I was sleeping, at 2:30 AM and said she felt like she was going to pass out. She didn't actually pass out but she became unresponsive. She would look at me with a vacant stare. It was really scary. So right now physically I am exhausted. Psychologically speaking I am struggling a bit because I wonder is there is something I could have done sooner to prevent this. Also, fourteen years ago she was in the hospital for three and 1/2 weeks for a similar episode (she has colitis) and all the memories came flooding back. Spiritually I'm doing well because Jesus is my Rock. Also, the nurses have been amazing. So, my plan to help improve in these areas is to get my daughter well and back home safely!Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-54912025825334137062013-11-16T08:21:00.001-08:002013-11-16T08:21:22.025-08:00Journey on RelaxationRecently I have had a lot of dental work done, I'm trying to rid my mouth of the amalgam fillings to be replaced with composites - getting rid of all the mercury! Well, needless to say, my mouth feels violated! My jaw is extremely tense and my tongue is hurting because the dentist accidentally nicked my tongue. So, when I listed to the "Journey on Relaxation" I chose to relax my jaw by directing the blood flow to that area. The experience was very relaxing. Prior to this meditation exercise my tongue was hurting and feeling inflamed. After the meditation my tongue felt great and my jaw is more relaxed. Wouldn't it be wonderful if dentists had their patients listen to meditation tracks while doing dental work? I think it would be wonderful. In fact, next time I have dental work done (which I hope won't be for a very long time) I am going to take my MP3 player with some meditation tracks on it and listen to them the entire time!
Here's to relaxation and meditation! May it bring peace and harmony into our lives.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-89146296257727223532013-11-09T07:17:00.000-08:002013-11-09T07:17:21.591-08:00Creating WellnessThe western view of medicine seems to create drug dependency instead of "creating wellness". I love the idea of creating wellness through lifestyle choices. My passion is teaching others how to achieve their own sense of wellness by guiding them into healthy life choices. So many people resist change, so I like to ask them, "How are your current habits and choices working for you?".
I am looking forward to this "Creating Wellness" class because it aligns with my passions. We need to consider the body holistically and treat each part of what makes us human.
I hope to learn a lot through corresponding with my peers and professor through these blogs.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-22879936638943706862010-07-14T07:37:00.000-07:002010-07-14T07:43:30.841-07:00Final PostThis has been a quick but long 10 weeks. I have learned a lot in this class that I will take to my future classes. Initially I didn't have a goal for Comp II except to get through the class and learn from this experience. However, once we were given the instructions to choose a topic for our final paper I realized I had another goal. My one goal for writing on the topic of my choice was to educate people on GMO. I hope I accomplished this goal.<br />But, right now my mind is more focused on going to California and visiting family and friends. I haven't been back for 5 years so I'm really excited.<br />Blessings to all of you. I had a great time in this class with everyone. Maybe I'll see some of you in future classes.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-27625187816753436302010-07-07T10:36:00.000-07:002010-07-07T10:44:45.863-07:00The home stretchThis class is coming to a close. I've learned a lot about writing and citing. I'm looking forward to my next two weeks in California before I have to start back up for work. Since my mind is on vacation I'm not really thinking about researching any other topics. But, if I had to come up with another topic to research I think I would choose artificial sweeteners. I know enough about them that they are harmful but I would research how our body physically reacts to some of these toxins.<br /><br />For the next two weeks I will be enjoying the Monterey, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, San Francisco sourdough bread (non-gmo of course) and the redwood trees. Of course I will be enjoying these things with friends and family!Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-29732275646654504702010-07-02T13:23:00.000-07:002010-07-02T13:30:49.261-07:00Blogging ExperienceBlogging is a new experience for me. It definitely took an effort on my part because it is similar to journaling and I don't particularly care to journal. For me it takes a lot of effort to write and sometimes it just hurts my brain too much. It is nice to get feedback from others. It doesn't bother me when I don't get feedback because I realize we are all very busy people. I doubt I will continue blogging at the completion of this class because there wouldn't be anyone to read my blogs. I think that is the main reason people blog, so that other people can read their thoughts and opinions.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-33174436056741669822010-06-28T07:35:00.000-07:002010-06-28T07:49:29.225-07:00Visiting Family in North Carolina<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_C8YwspX_aOIZYeDN-oDkQ534muUFVCkJ1pfFTydh11BPS6NHHr3DPcyRjJNstll6Am24b7gte9xEjFoS7scklcmPQu7aU-4dv_VPBTW7YQGKp-OYRHhZYZWQ-8SwLdYiHVTQc5M-ccr/s1600/0624001842.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_C8YwspX_aOIZYeDN-oDkQ534muUFVCkJ1pfFTydh11BPS6NHHr3DPcyRjJNstll6Am24b7gte9xEjFoS7scklcmPQu7aU-4dv_VPBTW7YQGKp-OYRHhZYZWQ-8SwLdYiHVTQc5M-ccr/s320/0624001842.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487836035581330946" /></a><br />My visit here at NC is coming to a close. I have been able to spend a whole week with my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter (Elle). Elle loves to watch me work out and enjoys chewing on my resistant band!<br />Even though we live only four hours away I wish we lived closer. I get to visit them about four times a year, and that just doesn't seem to be enough. Babies grow and change so fast. Elle is now 9 months old and cute as a button. She just started doing an official crawl this week. Next time I visit she will probably be walking. I am thankful that they live in NC and not California, because then I would only get to see them once every five years or so. I like the idea of living close to extended family, especially because I actually like my family and enjoy spending time with them!Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-82804617305186100542010-06-19T08:01:00.001-07:002010-06-19T08:08:13.550-07:00Dinner for sixLast night I went to a neighbor’s house who was hosting a dinner for single people in her church. My friend, Connie, invited me to go since I don’t go to their church and didn’t even know about the dinner. At first I was reluctant to agree to go but I decided I could finish my schooling on Saturday. I’m really glad I went. It’s been a long time since I have been around adults only. After twenty five years of parenting (which I a still have another six years to go), it was nice to be me, an individual. I do not consider where I work to be an adult environment because the majority of the women act like ten year olds. So last night was quite refreshing. This group is being started in the hopes that we can come up with some activities to be shared with each other. So far we are planning to go mountain biking in North Carolina followed up with a visit to the hot springs. Now that sounds like fun to me. I can’t wait to go.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-19824725738499623542010-06-09T15:26:00.001-07:002010-06-09T15:26:20.330-07:00Unit 5I chose to write about how school is influencing my life at this time. School gives my hope in knowing that I won’t be stuck in my current job forever. Although I enjoy working with the children I really do not enjoy working with 10 other women which the majority of those women have not matured probably past the third grade. No only that I hate feeding the children the cafeteria food which is basically void of any nutrition. Besides the fact that my educational goal will allow me a better job I am thoroughly enjoying the process. I love learning and I think I will be a bit sad when this school journey is over even though I still have at least three more years to go!Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-51693617259873026722010-06-09T05:24:00.000-07:002010-06-09T05:25:45.129-07:00My Super Fun Day“Hit it”, I yelled. Out of the water I popped, just like a pro. I was gliding along when I felt the sprinkles on my face. No problem, a few sprinkles never hurt anyone. Suddenly those sprinkles became a fierce downpour. Unable to keep my eyes open because of the pelting rain, I released my right hand to shield my eyes and held on tightly to the handle with my left hand, all the while my Cheshire grin never leaving my face. I didn’t want to let go because I didn’t want this ride to end. The wake got the best of me as I lost my balance and fell into the water. I reluctantly climbed into the boat praying for the rain to go away. Well, it just so happens that in Tennessee if you move a few feet in another direction you’ll be out of the rain. So we rode across the lake half a mile in the other direction and came upon blue skies and calm waters. Once again I jumped into the water, put on my skis and went for another ride. I considered slalom skiing but it had been over twenty six years since the last time I had skied. Boy was I glad that I had been diligent for the past three weeks doing my yoga and workouts. As I glided back to the dock my children’s faces showed signs of relief. I think they had visions of their mother on a kamikaze death ride never to return in one piece but I made it back safely.<br />It is amazing just how hungry you get from skiing. I went up to the lake house where my daughter had grilled some hamburgers (organic, of course). With my blackberry Izze in one hand and a plate with my grilled burger and some tabouli that I had made the day before (no genetically modified foods for me, thank you very much) in the other, I prepared to sit down and relax the rest of the day. I thought my day had been complete. Then, I overheard someone say cliff jumping. My ears perked up. I looked at my pastor and said, “Did you say cliff jumping”? He nodded his head and asked if I wanted to go. Heck yes! I gobbled down some food, ran inside and put my bathing suit back on.<br />The ride to the cliffs was about a 10 minute boat ride which was so relaxing and enjoyable. When we got to the cliffs I jumped out of the boat and looked up to observe someone taking their leap of faith. No problem, I thought, I can do this. Unbeknownst to me, not only were we going to cliff jump but we had to rock climb to get to the ledge. My arms were a bit shaky from the exertion of water skiing but I was bound and determined to get up to the top. My son was ahead of me climbing gingerly up the mountain (he’s afraid of heights). I was so proud of him for conquering this fear. I was right behind him looking for something to grab onto to propel me further while looking out for poison ivy on the cliff side. I am highly allergic to poison ivy.<br />Let me tell you that looking up at the cliff while in the water is a lot different from looking down at the water from the cliff’s edge. I am not afraid of heights but I am afraid of shallow waters. However, since I had seen several others before me jump and resurface, my son being one of them, I figured it was a low risk. Not only that, but the owner of the boat had a depth finder and his registered at over 75 feet. The odds were in my favor. Hanging precariously at the cliff’s edge, this time my children were cheering me on instead of begging me to stop, I jumped off. I screamed all the way down. But this scream was a victorious one. What a blast. Once wasn’t enough so I had to go back and do it again.<br />We got home at 9:30 that night. My kids clamored to be first in the shower. I told my son that it’s girls first. He really doesn’t like that rule since he is the only guy in the house. With the two youngest kids in bed, I poured myself a glass of red wine and sat in my rocker on my front porch reliving the events of the day. I hadn’t had that much fun in years. Oh, I knew that my body would be stiff and sore the next day but I would just consider it a reminder of a perfectly wonderful, adventurous day.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-4295658007442174752010-06-04T07:18:00.000-07:002010-06-04T07:25:34.741-07:00Hummus RecipeHere's the hummus recipe I made earlier this week.<br /><br />Hummus<br />1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans<br />1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas<br />3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)<br />1 1/2 tablespoons tahini<br />2 cloves garlic, crushed<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 tablespoons olive oil<br /><br />Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth. <br /><br />That’s it! It is so easy and yummy.<br /><br />Reference:<br />Fayed, S. (n.d.). Hummus. About.com. Retrieved on June 5, 2010 from http://mideastfood.about.com/od/appetizerssnacks/r/hummusbitahini.htmKathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-86242458657034772702010-06-03T15:47:00.000-07:002010-06-03T15:54:14.176-07:00Insult upon injurySomeone told me today about a project from President Obama that is underway. He is building a mosque right next to ground zero. And guess what? He wants to have the grand opening on September 11, 2010. I actually didn't believe that what I was hearing was truth. I mean, come on, that seems to be quite insensitive to all the families that lost loved ones on 9/11. Well, of course I had to Google the information and yes it is true. This really makes me mad and sad. I realize that not all Muslims are terrorists but I still believe that this is not in the best interest of our country. I suppose this could be a very hot topic but I'm willing to step out on a limb and post my thoughts.<br />KathleenKathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-4405014957676945232010-05-29T06:36:00.000-07:002010-05-29T06:43:03.298-07:00Well, summer is off to a great start. I have my first official garden planted and I can't wait til I can walk outside and pull a cucumber or a tomato right off the vine. I planted some unusual varieties of tomatoes and cukes which I hope will grow just so I can try them.<br />I got a call from my brother yesterday. He has offered to fly me out to California this summer for my mother's 75th birthday!!! I'm so excited. I have not been to CA for about four years now and I can't wait to see family and friends and the ocean! The timing is perfect too because it is right after this term is over and right before I start work up in late July. One of my previous professors lives in San Jose, CA and she told me to look her up next time I'm in the area. I think I will! How cool would that be to actually meet one of the Kaplan profs face to face.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-46689140846432447032010-05-19T11:38:00.000-07:002010-05-19T11:41:26.182-07:00Two days left:I only have two days left of work before summer vacation starts. I'm really looking forward to relaxing and having some fun with my children. Of course there is Kaplan schooling to be done. Look out summer here I come!Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-86000646686407722002010-05-17T13:39:00.000-07:002010-05-17T13:43:53.514-07:00Google ReaderWow, I am having so much fun learning new things through my experience at Kaplan and particularly through Comp II. The latest being the addition of "Google Reader". I did not even know this existed. It's a good thing that Google Reader is a requirement for this class because I do not think I would have taken the time to explore this avenue otherwise. I think my electronic capabilities are getting closer and closer to that of my children! Well, maybe not but at least I am not afraid to learn new things.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-50846052355952057602010-05-15T11:56:00.000-07:002010-05-15T11:58:25.754-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObi12-gWQpLm_JFwQk66-ToPNB_09-aoBBj_Go3cuZ71UwsontF2mGPQrpoli7OIc4KUTwOv2bw3g26afCD2vzqLWRh1sBCU89Kmz-mMOcN8iDF2gLLPMIjVn9rmei1C2qECnpSV5Nbp6/s1600/Elle.bmp"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObi12-gWQpLm_JFwQk66-ToPNB_09-aoBBj_Go3cuZ71UwsontF2mGPQrpoli7OIc4KUTwOv2bw3g26afCD2vzqLWRh1sBCU89Kmz-mMOcN8iDF2gLLPMIjVn9rmei1C2qECnpSV5Nbp6/s320/Elle.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471573087943113186" /></a><br />Okay, since I bragged about being the grandmother of one beautiful granddaughter I thought I should post a picture of Elle.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020888811692508127.post-87970474972938238372010-05-15T11:04:00.000-07:002010-05-15T11:06:53.311-07:00May 14, 2010A bit of excitement:<br />Yesterday when I got off work I came home and went into my office and immediately started working on my schooling. As I was typing away I heard a lot of commotion in the front room. All three dogs were barking and three of my children were audibly upset. I went out to investigate the uproar and found out there was a toothless man standing at my front door (there are actually quite a few toothless people here in Tennessee). He asked if I would open the door to talk. For safety reasons I chose not to open the door to him. With dogs still barking I tried to communicate with him through the door. He said he was homeless and could he mow my lawn for money. I said no thank you; I have teenagers that do the chores. He left and we prayed that he wouldn’t come back.<br />All this excitement reminded me of a time fourteen years ago, when I lived in San Jose, California, we experienced a similar situation. One day, with a 9 month old child on my hip, I made my way to the front door to lock it. I generally keep my doors locked when I am inside with my children. I guess I do not like surprises. Well, as I turned the corner to lock the door, there on my porch stood a crazy looking man with a chainsaw in his hands. Visions of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” entered my mind (even though I never saw the movie). I asked him if he needed help and he asked if he could saw the logs in my side yard for me for some money. I quickly gave him five dollars and then locked the door. I would like to suggest to anyone reading this that if a crazy man comes to your door asking for money don’t give it to him, especially if he is brandishing a chainsaw!<br />He proceeded to flail his chainsaw while cutting wood on the cement, both of which are dangerous ways of operate a chainsaw. When he tired of cutting wood he removed a machete from his truck and started to edge my lawn. A crazy man with a chainsaw and machete is a bad combination. <br />I called my next door neighbor Bill and asked if he would please come and talk to the man and get rid of him. Bill came out and it took 45 minutes of deliberation for the man to finally leave. This was the first time I prayed that a scary man would never return to our house. <br />At least the man at our door yesterday approached our house weaponless.Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03134743657567029191noreply@blogger.com3