The Big Green Catch 22

There are a few things I detest...
1. A stupid (sounding) girl- the world needs no more of these.
2. Pompous, arrogant people who brag their butts off, but especially older men.  You know, the kind of guy who would say "what do I do?  Let's just say I'm a big fish in a little pond"... ya, that dude!
AND
3. People who waste things unnecessarily- this one may replace #1.  You know, the kind of people who think they were put on this Earth to consume, consume, consume and don't dare get in their way of running the water for no reason or using 53 take out containers a week and just tossing them in the trash because I'm the one being annoying.  Ugh, I just urped up in my mouth a bit.

Let's elaborate on #3, so that you'll know what got me to this point.

I enrolled in online access with my account with a company that we'll call Shedward Shmones.  I love my Shedward Shmones account and my brother-in-law who manages it, but the mail involved in having an account with a company like this is ungodly.  I think our involvement has resulted in the destruction in 20 huge trees in the past 3 months.

Finally, about 2 weeks ago, I'd had enough.  After coming home and seeing 6 envelopes from Shedward Shmones, in my quest to be, live and lead the way in green living, I got online and switched to paperless.  5 days later, I received 2 more envelopes.  As I glared down these two envelopes that I had UNrequested, I could only ponder what was sooooooo important that the geniuses over at Shedward Shmones had to say that just couldn't be put in an email.

Well, turns out one letter said "this letter confirms your recent enrollment in online account access".  The other?  "this letter confirms your selection of electronic document delivery".  Absolute genius mentality.  As if the common knowledge of what deforestation and mass destruction of rainforest were not, well... common knowledge.

Why on Earth would I need two pieces of paper and 2 envelopes to tell me this?  In order to go even more green, I needed more paper to tell me I was going green.  And with my vegan take-out the other day, 6 styrofoam to-go containers.  It's a big green catch 22.

There is this same mentality in Orange County (no recycling program) and middle of America, when I ask where a recycling bin is, I get a deer in headlights response.  It's crickets and I generally get a sort of prying into why I would be so fond of a resource that I'd like to use it twice, three times, or over and over again (like the take out containers that I'm proud to say I've had for 6 months and just pop them in the dishwasher when dirty).

I've always wanted to create a company that creates recycling programs in these places to make people more aware of what they consume and what they can reuse with it being a part of and maintaining a balanced life and not something we resort to doing similar to what poor people do to trade in aluminum cans for $3 when desperate.

The good news?  I will be receiving no more unnecessarily wasteful letters from SS.  My next step is to call Penny Saver, which I've never had anything to do with, and get them to stop sending me total crap 6 days a week!!!!  But maybe also, I get you to do the same thing.  And hopefully (fingers crossed) if we fight the system long enough, we'll change it.

The Goddess

I was watching this show on TV last night about these women artists who were expressing their inner goddesses like women were before Judea-Christian times.  Before man's ridiculous creation of religion muddied the water and the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths saw how women's power could basically bring down the staunch systems they wanted to enforce like government and democracy, women were seen as powerful goddesses who played drums (only women played drums).  These goddesses would travel around and bless communities with their "frame drum" and when people heard them coming, they would bow down and worship these women for the goddesses they were.  And it was like this for thousands of years. 

This was the MATRIARCHAL society that our husbands and boyfriends know nothing of.  But I do and I know you do too.  I do, because I feel it in my bones.  I feel in in my blood.  I feel the power when I walk, with every step of my powerful foot on this ground.  I feel it when I speak, write, have a purpose... this connection of what my DNA tells me I once was.  Like a feline, hidden in the bushes, eyes bright, waiting for the moment to pounce and take what's mine, my DNA tells me to swing my hips bigger, take up more space with my spirit, be unabashedly proud and happy for each and every personal victory, be charitable with my esteem, and go show it off.

It seems now, women are only seen as kicking ass or "successful" when they're doing a men's job (stockbroker, doctor, lawyer) but when a man comes into a traditionally woman's field such as childcare (which if you've never been an elementary school teacher, will ROCK YOUR WORLD.  IT IS BACK- BREAKING, TEAR-EVOKING WORK THAT WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO GO JUMP OFF A CLIFF AND ONCE YOU DO IT AND SEE SOMEONE HAVE FULL ON CONTROL OF THEIR KINDERGARTEN ROOM, YOU WILL THEN COMMENCE TO KISS THAT TEACHER'S FEET), he's seen as weaker, less masculine, falling behind.  Why?  Because religion has been telling us for thousands of years that women are inferior.  Psst... it's a lie.  They were just scared we would take over.

I give men credit for doing one thing- seeing how powerful women are and essentially creating a successful system that folded in on them, quashed their power.  Guys, that was pret-ty brainy back in the day.  However, that big, fat, heavy pendulum of society has been swinging back in our direction since... ooohh, 1920... ring a bell?  If not, ladies, you need to do your homework.  That means that pendulum has 91 years of momentum behind it. 

It's very plain to see, women are what make the world go 'round.  Just look at men-poor things.  Why do they strive to be the smartest, wealthiest, loudest, successful, drive the best car, know the most stuff?  To get the man?  Well that's another post, but the answer is NO.  To get the girl!  Because by themselves, what is all that stuff.  See women do the same thing but not to get a man.  We do it for ourselves. 

Maslow's Hierachy of Needs... look it up.  The last step is Self Actualization and if you look at the characteristics of Self Actualization:

-They embrace reality and facts rather than denying truth.

-They are spontaneous.

-They are 'focused on problems outside themselves'.

-They 'can accept their own human nature in the stoic style, with all its shortcomings', are similarly acceptant of others, and generally lack prejudice.

I'm probably going to get in trouble here, but women do these things exponentially better than men.  Just look at the economic crisis in the U.S.  Women are keeping their jobs and men... not so much.  Men have lost a whopping 4.75 million jobs in the U.S., while women have only lost 1.66 million.  And that's really where the crisis lies.  MEN are losing their jobs, and therefore are in jeopardy of losing what else???  You guessed it... women.  See, it's all a fight for us.  You!  

So raise your head up high, walk with a little more umph today, and when you speak, say what you're going to say with confidence and class.  Knowing that the world really does revolve around you.  (Ya, it does.)

I feel my inner goddess emerging- and she's gorgeous.  I want her to take over.  Leave the old me behind, with any doubt and disbelief.  I want her to be me ALL of the time.  

I love this quote from Einstein (not a woman, but I'll get to that)-

"I must be willing to give up what I am, to be what I will be."

Kristin, this one was for you.

Je Suis Le Vent

Today has been an awful day (PERIOD)

I want to scream and (continue to) cry.

The day started out gloomy, I knew it would- then it got worse... and it went beyond weather.  I went to the DMV and stood in line for 1.5 hours.  Still pretty speedy for a Los Angeles DMV and I was in surprisingly good company.  Usually I'm surrounded by God's choice pick of invalids, complete with scarlet fever or the flu (coughing and sneezing without covering their mouths), 5 illegal kids in tow, a potty mouth, and manners that would make even Anna Nicole Smith revolt.

However, this time, it wasn't all that bad.  After sitting in line long enough to realize I could have taken a long lunch break, taken the dogs on a walk and gotten some much needed work done, I was summoned to the window to be told I could not receive the stickers for my tag because my name was not on the title.  Yes, my amazingly thoughtful mother bought me the gift of a CNG car for Christmas two years ago.  In the process, she forgot to transfer my name on the title.  I stormed out, along with a few choice words.  WASTE OF FREGGIN' TIME.  And as my friend Edie says, I just don't have much luck at the DMV.  No, honey, you are correct!!  Not my favorite place.  It's a very confusing place.  Like being drunk, in a maze, at 4am, and no one there to help you through, with gross people all around.

I proceeded to go home and cram in a ton of work before packing myself and Emma back up in the car to go to the vet.  My soul sister has been having a little trouble with her back legs and I just knew something more was going on and she needed to be seen.  After my sweet girl did incredibly well on the x-ray table and was so cooperative (the x-ray tech kissed her paws while she was calming her down... I love my vet), she was gracefully returned to me.

The term "hip dyplasia" has always been this ominous term evoking visions of crippled Shepherds dragging their back legs and on the verge of death (which I guess sometimes happens) and it has always scared the crap out of me.   Having a German Shepherd, I guess I've always been on the lookout for the thing, knowing that it's genetic and very common.  I never wanted to believe that my baby girl could ever have anything wrong with her... ever.  Because she IS in fact my child (since I have no actual human children yet).  Well, bad news folks... Emma has hip dysplasia, and has had it since birth and it's just "showing up".  But my vet is incredible.  She's warm, loving, knows my dogs' names and knows her stuff.  Dr. Chang at the Animal Clinic of Encino is fantastic.  Their staff is great and Dr. Chang just has that special something about her that I dig.  She makes me feel comfortable to be there.

I won't go on much more, but the day ended with me reconnecting with some bad memories growing up.

Sometimes you just have to say "boo on this day", "a huge thumbs down", "FML", "this day can suck it" and then... move on.

My favorite Emerson quote, which I say everyday, goes like this (from memory):

"Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what your could.  Some blunders and absurdities have crept in.  Forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day.  You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."-RWE  God bless you Sir!

In other words- screw this day, tomorrow MUST be better.  I think we've all felt this way on one day or another.

Here's to that!  Cheers with a big glass of wine and call it a day... one big, fat, crappy day!

The Victory Garden

I hate that American diets and the way most of us think of food is skewed on the basis of ignorance.  We take everything at face value, never asking where our food comes from but only "how much is it?"  We'll buy regular apples, but then find that "organic" apples are too expensive.  Since when did it become "regular" to douse produce with toxic pestacidal chemicals to keep the tiny, harmless bugs away, but then feed those apples to humans?  But when your produce really is the way it was intended to ingest, it's organic and expensive.  Of course I understand the "why?" of it, I'm just trying to wrapping my brain around the "how?"

~Mustard greens for dinner... grown in a barrel~

~A proud gardener~

In our last house near Los Feliz, my husband created a 400-square-foot garden.  We grew everything "organically"or so they say, and everything from cucumbers to kale, 4 types of lettuce and greens and enough tomatoes to make salsa for Cinco de Mayo for the whole city of Los Angeles.  We also grew a slew of herbs, pumpkins (that we set out on our front porch for Halloween), eggplant, bell peppers and so much more.  We grew so much produce that, to get rid of it before it went bad, I sold it to a darling little market and cafe famous for it's seasonal produce and massive red velvet cupcakes.  If you live in LA, please visit Auntie Em's Kitchen... and tell them Katie said "hi".

I believe in self-sustainable produce.  I think that everyone should have a garden for one season just to see all the hard work that it takes to create, grow, produce, and harvest what most people just make a quick trip to the grocery store for.  It's kind of like going to restaurants when you've never worked in one.  You tend you be totally unforgiving of servers, food, and chef's practices while you're there, but being totally unaware of what it takes to get that meal from the fridge to your mouth, just the way you like it.  Once you've worked in a restaurant, you then become forgiving of those tiny little flaws that servers and give them a well-deserved tip when they do a good job.  The same respect goes for growing your own food.  It can be back-breaking and worthy of being called a cardio workout.  But it doesn't have to be, if you go smaller.

If we go through life never growing something special, tending to it and harvesting it for your own nutrition, how in the world could we appreciate it?  It is food... medicine for our bodies, not just another something to shove down our throats to make the grumble of our tummies go away.  Most parents do this with their children, but I really do urge you to start your very own victory garden, if you haven't already.  Your dinners will taste better, you'll eat more slowly, savoring every morsel, knowing that your heart and soul, and very own hands help grow what you're now putting in your mouth.

In our new home in Los Angeles, my husband has worked hard to create a proper gardening space in our backyard, complete with a picket fence.

I'll be posting how to create your own garden for the seasons and how to take what you grow and make it dinner for your family.  Whether in one barrel or 400 square feet, herbs or hearty veggies, in any season, large or small, practically anyone can do it.  I can't wait to teach you how in my coming posts.

~Harvesting the Kale~

~Joel, our good friend Jordan, Emma, Truman and a million carrots~

The S Factor

My favorite poem goes like this: (some of you may know it)

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me."
~Maya Angelou

Today, I took this idea and ran with it, doing something I've wanted to do for year.  Yes, I went to S Factor.


Usually when my sisters or friends and I go dancing at a club, someone will make a remark about how they can't dance.  I've never had a problem with that.  I just like to feel my body be powerful and move in only the way it can.  So I embrace it.  I have pretty solid self-esteem and I guess I just work it on the dance floor.  I am not ashamed to move they way I want to.


Long story short, I have never felt more at home when I arrived.  I parked my car, and when walking to the front door to go in, I passed by one of their studios.  I heard this amazingly erotic music, loud and bassy.  Uuuughh.  I couldn't wait to get in there and see what I was getting ready to learn.  When I walked into the studio, red light bulbs (appropriate, I know) were dimmed, and 3 poles formed a line down the middle of the floor.  We spent about an hour on the floor playing with our curves, moving the way we were meant to, without reservation, without judgement, eyes closed, reconnecting.  I learned moves that were tough, requiring stamina, strength, flexibility and... yep sensuality.  We learned walking, and a basic move on the poll called "the firefly".  Since there are no mirrors, students are encouraged to applaud when something looks good.  I got some applause from the outside, while I secretly was applauding myself on the inside.  Needless to say, I was definitely in my element.


2 short hours later, I was done, but wanted more.  I walked out with a smile that I couldn't possibly hide, and looking in my rearview mirror on my drive out, I was glowing... like visibly glowing.  It was this simple class, this simple mentality- draw inwards, accept yourself, love every flaw and dent of cullulite, do it!! and be not ashamed.  This is the secret.  Loving yourself from the inside out- phenomenally!

P.S.  If you haven't gone to The S Factor, don't walk... RUN!

~I learned this today~

~ But will be learning this in the next 8 weeks~